
Driving the wild Dongu La
China, asia
66 km
4,944 m
hard
Year-round
Alright, adventure junkies, listen up! Dongu La Pass in Tibet is calling your name! This epic mountain pass, chilling at a whopping 16,220 feet (4,944m) in the Western Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains, is not for the faint of heart.
You'll find it in the Namling County of Shigatse, part of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. Forget smooth sailing – this is an unpaved adventure, but totally doable in your everyday ride, as long as the weather's playing nice.
It's known as 304 Provincial Road (S304) and the good news is it's usually open year-round, though winter weather can sometimes throw a curveball.
The 41-mile (66km) journey kicks off in Dazhuka and throws some seriously steep climbs your way. Heads up: a past earthquake roughed things up a bit, so expect a wild ride. But trust me, the views from the top are SO worth it!
Road Details
- Country
- China
- Continent
- asia
- Length
- 66 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,944 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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