
A memorable road trip to Imja Khola
Nepal, asia
N/A
5,156 m
extreme
Year-round
Okay, adventure junkies, listen up! I'm about to tell you about one seriously mind-blowing ride: Imja Khola, a glacial "road" carved into the side of Mount Everest itself! We're talking the Nepalese Cukung Valley, way up in the Taplejung District of Koshi Province. I mean, we're talking 5,156m (that's 16,916ft!).
Back in '73, a group of Spanish daredevils on tricked-out Bultaco Sherpa bikes actually hauled themselves and their bikes up this icy beast, with the help of 55 Sherpas and aeronautical gas (seriously). It was brutal, I'm talking snow, insane inclines, and air so thin you could barely breathe.
Think about it: conquering a glacier on a motorcycle. This road, if you can even call it that, is a testament to human grit and a serious dose of crazy. Sadly, the Nepalese government later closed the area to motorized vehicles. Still, just knowing it's there is enough to get the heart pumping, right?
Where is it?
A memorable road trip to Imja Khola is located in Nepal (asia). Coordinates: 27.5853, 84.7923
Road Details
- Country
- Nepal
- Continent
- asia
- Max Elevation
- 5,156 m
- Difficulty
- extreme
- Coordinates
- 27.5853, 84.7923
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