Kathmandu to Lhasa overland – Day 2
Tibet’s Friendship Highway
Kathmandu to Lhasa overland – Day 2. We began with a short hop from Kodari, Nepal, to the Tibetan town of Zhangmu. With the office now open, we had a brief stop to complete the immigration process to enter China. From Zhangmu, we began the climb of Tibet’s Friendship Highway. The rains and verdant landscape soon gave way to the high mountain deserts, brilliant blue skies, and snow-peaked mountains.
The Way to Tingri
Altitude Sickness
Altitude sickness occurs in some people from as low as 2500 metres above sea level. The symptoms can be similar to hypothermia and can include headaches, vomiting, and shivering. I have ventured above 4000 metres in India, Nepal, Tibet, Tajikistan, Bolivia, and Peru. And, I have suffered altitude sickness (with the symptoms mentioned above) in all those countries, except Nepal and Peru where I had plenty of time to acclimatise.
Prevention for altitude sickness?
The experience, sights and sensation of travelling in high altitude in far flung parts of the World is magical. I tend to suffer from altitude sickness (AMS) above 4000 metres, and so I always try to prepare to combat it. Different people react in different ways to altitude. My experience is that it has little to do with age, gender or fitness level.
Garlic, used in dishes and as a soup, is popular as a prevention for altitude sickness in the Himalayas. In the Andes, many people chew or consume coca leaves. A month before embarking on a high altitude journey, I begin taking the Gingko biloba root and continue taking it during my time in high altitude (see an example of scientific evidence for its use). There are also prescription medicines, including steroids, which you can take to prevent AMS.
However, the reason I was comfortable and unaffected above 5000 metres in Peru was because I had acclimatised over the previous month at altitudes above 3800 metres. When you are above 3000 metres, the ideal is not to sleep more than 300 metres higher than the previous day, and if possible sleep at a lower altitude than you have ascended during the day. Make sure the clothes you are wearing are breathable – after removing my nylon raincoat in Kashmir, at 4500 metres, it was as if my body came back to life again!
Where symptoms of altitude sickness are severe, the best solution is to descend as soon as possible. It is not to be underestimated; people die every year from altitude sickness.
Thong La Pass – 5150 m
Almost half way between Zhangmu and Tingri is the Thong La Pass at 5150 metres above sea level. We braced ourselves against the strong wind which made the peaceful Buddhist prayer flags all the more dramatic. I felt in awe but the altitude made me dizzy, and my hands, fingers and toes were throbbing.
Tingri
We stayed the night in Shegar, also known as Tingri, in a traditional large Tibetan house. The fried chicken, vegetables and rice was warming and welcoming. Tired from the day’s journey and the high altitude, I went straight to bed.
