Friendship Highway – The Road from Kathmandu to Lhasa
how to get to tibet?The Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway is a celebrated road from Kathmandu to Lhasa, renowned for its scenic wonders. This famous international road travels gently up to Kodari (1873m) from Kathmandu (1300m), before leaving Nepal to make a steep switchback ascent to Zhangmu (2300m), the Tibetan border town. The road then climbs to the top of Tong-la (5120m) and continues to Tingri (4390m), and then down to Shigatse and Lhasa(3510m). The road forks at Tingri, with one branch extending south to Rongphu Monastery near Everest Base Camp and then forks again, with another branch heading west to the city of Ali in west Tibet.
The highway from Kathmandu to Lhasa is very well paved and maintained by Chinese government so it will be a pleasant journey by overland to Lhasa from Kathmandu.
The overland route from Kathmandu to Lhasa is also an ideal route taking in most of Tibet’s main culture cites, Sakya, Gyantse, Shigatse and Lhasa. Highlights en route are Sakya monastery – the largest monastery in Tibet, Shigatse – Tibet’s second largest city, Tashilungpo Monastery – the seat of Panchen Lama, Shalu Monastery, Gyantse (Tibet’s ancient trading hub) and the beautiful Turquoise Lake – Yamdruk Tso which is Tibet’s largest freshwater lake.
Some tourists will feel the effects of Altitude Mountain Sickness in varying degrees. AMS begins at 2,000 meters, becomes pronounced at 3,500 m and requires adjustments for each 400 m above that. If not treated quickly, it can be fatal. The 1000 km long Friendship Highway, from Kathmandu to Lhasa, goes through seven passes over 3500 meters, four of them rising over 4000 m, one over 5000 m. Therefore, you have to know how to avoid AMS before setting your feet on the road.
The symptoms of AMS appear at different levels of elevation, like headache, feeling heart beating fast, shortness of breath, lack of appetite, thirsty, dizziness, fatigue or weakness, hard to fall a sleep, etc.
To prevent the occurrence of altitude sickness, visitors should have a proper rest and avoid strenuous activities days before they go to high altitude.
Visitors (with a severe cold, a high fever, acute or chronic pulmonary diseases, severe cardiovascular diseases), women in late pregnant and kids under three years old should avoid traveling to regions with a high altitude.
Do not smoke and drink alcohol during acclimation.
Do not take shower at the first two days of Lhasa to avoid catch cold.
