Today was probably the shortest driving day of our whole trip. We only drove about 140 miles and only crossed 3 mountain passes over 14,000 ft. The drive today was one that we have done dozens of times by bus and taxi-van, and once on a motorcycle, but never before in our own vehicle. It is a road that we know very well. And it is a beautiful drive!
The trip starts by leaving a city up a narrow valley with a roaring river rushing beside the paved, although bumpy, highway. After a dozen or so miles, the road empties out into a very large alpine valley that stretches for nearly 30 miles. One side of the valley is lined with a beautiful range of snow-capped 16,000 ft. peaks. The highest peak in that range actually reaches up to almost 19,000 ft! The other side of the valley is lined with a lower range of rounded, although high (15,000 ft.) mountains. The valley itself is full of beautiful green grass, and dotted with Tibetan homes. Herds of Tibetan yak also dot the landscape. The road divides the valley in half for 30 or so miles and then begins to climb up a pass on the far end of the valley.
After climbing over this first pass (14,800 ft.), the road begins to snake down a canyon to a ‘lower’ altitude of only 12,000 or so feet. Many snowcapped mountains, rushing rivers, and deep canyons later, the road finally empties out into the Mekong River basin where the town which is our current destination lies. The Mekong River begins here in Tibet, runs through south-central China and into Thailand and Laos, before finally emptying into the ocean near Cambodia.
The town itself lies a few hundred feet above, and about a mile away from the river. Across the river from town, sits one of the most majestic ranges of mountains I have ever seen. The highest peak of the mountain range is protected by a series of rocky outcroppings that make the mountain look almost impossible to climb. As soon as I get home I will try and add a pic of that mountain range to this blog. (picture added, although I don’t think it does the mountain justice)
