The road to Lach La is not for the faint of heart

The road to Lach La is not for the faint of heart

China, asia

Length

74.7 km

Elevation

4,731 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, buckle up, adventure junkies! We're heading to Lach La, a seriously sky-high mountain pass in Qinghai, China. Think Nangqên County – the wild, southern part – and get ready for some serious elevation: 15,521 feet (4,731m) above sea level!

You'll find this beast northwest of Xiangdazhen, and fair warning: pavement is a distant memory. This is pure, unadulterated dirt road action on the S315. And when I say action, I mean it. Prepare for some lung-busting climbs because this baby hits a maximum gradient of 25% in places!

The whole shebang stretches for about 46.41 miles (74.7 km) from Xiangdazhen to Zhuoxiao, running east to west. Give yourself at least 3.5-4 hours to conquer it, and that's without stopping to soak in the views (which you definitely should).

Get ready for a drive of a lifetime.

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Road Details

Country
China
Continent
asia
Length
74.7 km
Max Elevation
4,731 m
Difficulty
hard

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