Cycling in Tibet !

Tibet has been mysterious for a long time… Entering Tibet is still “sort of” forbidden or restricted to individual travelers.

Nevertheless, it is possible to obtain a permit for one or two people at a local tourist agency, (the cost is approximately 1700 Yuan from Kermo, including transportation and accommodation), but those who wish to visit Tibet cycling should forget this option, at least until now… (2005)

Access ways…

We entered Tibet via Kermo (Golmud in Chinese) since we came from the Taklamakan desert (the Xinjiang province). The access roads from Kashgar, Xining, or Chengdu seem more interesting because they are not as used and they are more diversified, although we don’t have precise information on this ways.

The Kermo/Lhasa road is completely paved and used by many (trucks, jeeps, police cars, army vehicles). Sometimes, it gets event hard to breath because of the toxic fumes. So it is definitely not a Sunday drive into the country! This road takes you to 5700 meters of altitude and offers a panorama that we truly enjoyed. There are many Tibetan villages along the way, starting approximately 600 to 700 meters from Kermo.

 Checkpoints

The first checkpoint is five kilometers from downtown Kermo, immediately after the Petro-China plant. It is obvious because all cars have to stop there. We went around it on its right side, getting as far as we could away from the road. The landscape is rough and sandy.

The second checkpoint is 40-45 kilometers from Kermo, and very hard to go around cycling in daytime. We did it at night, following the wall on the right side of the checkpoint (which is about 150 meters from the officers) to then pass alongside the gas stations located after the checkpoint. It is impossible to go further right, since a hydroelectric dam blocks the way.

On the road, tons of police cars passed by us without stopping. We had food supplies for many days and went by the cities without stopping for too long. We always found a hidden camping spot to spend the night.

Contrary to what we heard, there was no checkpoint 450-500 kilometers from Kermo (close to Marchudram Babsuk or Tuotuohe), but there was one at Amdo, which was only a weight control station for trucks, cars could simply pass by on the left (also easy to do for bikers). The checkpoint at Lhasa was closed when we passed by because of the weather, but other travelers told us they also went by easily.

Hence, we reached Lhasa quite easily. Water is abundant on the way and you can get quick noodles in villages (being discreet, of course). The new railway can be used to protect yourself from bad weather (snow, rainstorms, and strong winds) and also from curious eyes at night. Rain is common on the Tibetan plateau in September, event though the “real” rain season is supposed to be from June to August.

Cycling in Tibet… Part 2!

Lhasa is easy to travel for bikers. Nobody asks for the permit and you are free to go everywhere without worrying.

The road to Nepal is supposed to be opened to foreigners and do not require a permit, as long as you stay on the main road. However, we went off the main road to visit some villages and we didn’t have any problems. This is a gorgeous road, with turquoise lakes, glaciers and 7000 meters high peaks.

State of the roads, and of the people…

When we crossed Tibet (September-October 2005) important road works were taking place on the main road, also called the “Friendship Highway”. Hence, everything was very dusty, muddy, and not really nice to travel. Mass tourism also had a negative effect, so the contact with locals was harder than what we expected. This is why we decided to go out of the track, in order to see the real Tibet, the one that has been an inspiration for such a long time. And to preserve this population from the downsides of tourism, it is vital that each one of us acts with respect towards this people who have lived a lot already.

Water, food and the Nepal border…

It is quite easy to find water on the plateau and to get supplies for many days. Hence, it is not a major issue. As for crossing the Nepal border, we crossed at the end of the day (mornings being particularly busy) and the Chinese officer asked us if we had an Alien Travel Permit. Since it wasn’t the case, he asked us how much time we spent between Lhasa and the Nepal border. We answered together “10 days”, in a very synchronized way!!! Smiling, he stamped our passports and it was a done deal! Apparently, the correct answer for the ones not having the proper permit is less than two weeks. Well, we can say we often had luck…

Now, for the great descent, be ready to live emotions of a lifetime!!!