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Hi,
I am wondering if it is possible to ride a motorcycle into Tibet? If so, which would be the right way to enter Tibet?
If what I gather, the only possible way to enter Tibet by road is by the Sichun-Tibet highway. But I am thinking of riding to Tibet using the Yunnan-Tibet highway and exit Tibet through the Xinjiang-Tibet highway. Is this feasible?
Do you think I can make it?
Comments please.
Thanks.
NO and NO. For now, forget about heading west into Tibet. Even Nationals can not enter Tibet on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.
Your best bet is from Golmud but be prepared to turn around. You can go from Budongquan to Yushu on a new graded road, then into Western Sichuan.
CC
Interesting to hear, that it is not possible to enter Tibet !?!?
Planning a trip from Kunming to Lhasa next year May.
Are the Yunnan-Tibet HW and the Sichuan-Tibet HW off limits for bikes ?
Thanks for more information !!!
Probably okay to pass if you're a Chinese citizen but in certain times it's impassable for everyone who's not there on a special permit. You can always try but all I'm saying is don't be surprised if you have to turn around.
CC
I've been a couple times into Tibet (landcruisers) and it has worked out fine. I was trying to get into the upper NuJiang (salween) river valley near Chamdo and got turned around on March 10 (Lhasa riots). From what i've heard, anyone with a permit can get into Tibet right now and 2009 should be fine.
Are you going to go solo? I live in Kunming and am going to go with some Chinese friends to Tibet in June. What kind of bike do you have? how much did you pay for it? I am looking for a bike right now and want to do minimal mods before heading out long distance.
Cheers,
Adam
Hi Adam,
Do you know how far north you can go following the NuJiang river? Does the road actually take you into Tibet? I want to plan a trip there this year, but it's hard to find any reliable info on how far north the road goes.
You should look at the QingQi 200cc dualsport for your adventures, the mountains are tough, and the QingQi has a pretty good track record.
Cheers!
ChinaV
I was up the Nujiang until Gongshan in autumn 2005. Some locals said that it is possible to go to Tibet, some say it's not.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinaV
From what I've seen on the map it could be possible. However, I know from personal experience that this map is sometimes wishful thinking. I tried to track it down using the map and Google Earth, but I'm still not sure whether it can be done. If interested I can provide a kmz with my investigation result.
Check with Yunnanexplorer (Ludwig Max Brinckmann- ludwigbrinckmann aatt gmail dooott com), who is, from what I know of some e-mail contact with him, pretty familiar with this area.
He has some topo maps in Garmin img format, which can be loaded on Garmin GPSr's.
Any investigation results are also of big interest for me.
Andy
@crazy carl
i'm not chinese citizien, but stay in china 12 years, have 1 years residence permission, that's enough or need special permission to go to tibet ?
@adam
planning to go there with a goup of bikers in may/june 2009, we'll send our bikes from ningbo to kunming by truck and than go to lhasa.
we're driving harley davidson's, dragstars and probably some regal raptors...
would be interesting to know where can get a special permission in case one need that.
cheers
Try to contact the guys from hiddenchina or haiweitrails. They should be able to tell you about permissions and, if needed, get you those.Quote:
Originally Posted by Laoha
Andy
Dude, I HAVE TO see pictures of this trip! :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Laoha
CC
Thanks Andi, have contacted these guys already, let's see whats up than...
Carl, no worries, pictures will be online after the trip :riding:
@laoha
Need one more person? Ha! I have no idea what my schedule is going to be like around then. i may be a month behind you. Its my understanding (and experience) that one needs to have a Tibetan 'guide' while in Tibet and always be carrying the paper with stamps, etc. This isn't the case for Chinese nationals. But, checking in with haiweitrails seems like a good idea.Quote:
planning to go there with a goup of bikers in may/june 2009, we'll send our bikes from ningbo to kunming by truck and than go to lhasa.
we're driving harley davidson's, dragstars and probably some regal raptors...
would be interesting to know where can get a special permission in case one need that.
In march of 2007 I was part of a team to do a kayak first descent on the NuJiang. We started from the Chengdu/Lhasa HWY bridge accross the Nu and went all the way down to Chawarong, Just north of the border of Yunnan. You can see pics of the river valley here. (sorry they are not in chronological order) Pic #70 is the confluence of the Yuchu "you-chew" river from the north-east. In march of 2007 this was the end of the road going up river. I suspect that the road is going to go up the Yuchu valley because the Nujiang is damn steep.Quote:
Do you know how far north you can go following the NuJiang river? Does the road actually take you into Tibet? I want to plan a trip there this year, but it's hard to find any reliable info on how far north the road goes.
Here is a map of the confluence
I am itching to go riding. Anyone live near kunming have a bike to loan? :riding:
cheers,
Adam
Adam,
Amazing trip :thumbsup: :thumbsup:, truly mind blowing! :eekers:
Andy,
Thanks for the link to Yunnanexplorer , I stumbled on the map there before, but couldn't quite figure out if some of those roads were actually possible on a motorcycle.
One good read I found about the route is at crazyguyonabike, Bill Weir went through on a bicycle in April of 2008 and indicates in his story that the road definately goes into Tibet, but was closed to foreigners at the time. There is also a road that goes over Gaoligang Shan to Pianma Passa, a trading post with Myanmar. Bill also stated there is a checkpoint in Nidadang Village, 12.5km from Bingzhongluo. Unless your Chinese or have an official guide, it's probably the end of the line.
Don't know why, but for some reason that road keeps calling me.
Cheers!
ChinaV
The only way to find it out ...:riding:Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinaV
This is an amazing report with some excellent pictures. If one would be already in Tibet, going downstream might be easier to sneak through the posts.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinaV
We went from Liukou to Pianma at the Myanmar border. It is about 100km mostly on cobblestone and the road climbs from the Nujiang valley (800m asl) up to 3200 and down again to Pianma. Fantastic ride.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinaV
Yesss :deal:Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinaV
Andy
Andy,
You happen to have any photos of that ride?
CC
Yep, I'll dig som out and make a little ride rport.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrazyCarl