
The road to Lach La is not for the faint of heart
China, asia
74.7 km
4,731 m
hard
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.
Road Details
- Country
- China
- Continent
- asia
- Length
- 74.7 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,731 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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