Qinghai-Tibet Line | 7 Days Crossing the Roof of the World, Complete Guide to Tibet Travel

Hi, we are Abi and Erjia
🚙 Traveling around China in a renovated 10-square-meter camper van
This time we finally challenged the "Qinghai-Tibet Highway," the sky road on the roof of the world
This world-class scenic highway is a paradise for self-driving and hiking
Climbing from an altitude of over 1,000 meters to more than 5,000 meters
Passing through Danxia landforms, Gobi desert, grasslands, canyons, and uninhabited areas
Connecting various lesser-known and off-the-beaten-path travel destinations
Entering China's mountains to explore the original colors of life
📷 As outdoor-loving photographers
We also captured countless "earth tone palettes" with our lenses
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🚩【Roof of the World Crossing Route】
Stop ❶: Kushui Danxia
Altitude: 1700m
🟡 Earth tone palette: reddish brown, bright yellow
The wild Danxia near Kushui Town, Lanzhou, is humorously called the "Five-Spice Meat Mountain." Suitable for a light one-day hike; be sure to wear non-slip hiking shoes.

Stop ❷: Guide National Geopark
Altitude: 2200m
🟠 Earth tone palette: dark red, blue-gray, mineral green
The rainbow mountains sculpted over hundreds of millions of years, a geological history book of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, recording the dramatic changes from ancient ocean to modern land.

Stop ❸: Kunlun Mountains / Kunlun Grand Canyon
Altitude: 5500m / 3500m
🔴 Earth tone palette: Kunlun red
The ancestor of all mountains, the Kunlun Mountains, are crossed by National Highway 109 Qinghai-Tibet Line. The 12-kilometer-long Kunlun Grand Canyon looks like a crack in the earth, perfect for off-road surfing; Kunlun Mountain Gate and Yuzhu Peak are ideal for high-altitude hiking.

Stop ❹: Hoh Xil
Altitude: 4600m
🟤 Earth tone palette: alpine gray, brown
The "life forbidden zone" with an average altitude of 5,000 meters, a poetic line abandoned by the gods on earth. Enter the animal kingdom to track Tibetan antelope, wild donkeys, and foxes.

Stop ❺: Tanggula Mountains
Altitude: 5231m
⚪️ Earth tone palette: snow white
The icy secret realm on the roof of the world, the endpoint challenge of the Tibet highway, and a highland for outdoor hiking. Starting from the Tanggula Pass at the highest point of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway at 5231m, experience the snow and wind warehouse on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

📝【Qinghai-Tibet Line Crossing · Gear Guide】
🚙 Off-road vehicle
A renovated 10-square-meter off-road camper van. The Qinghai-Tibet Highway from Golmud to Nagqu is mostly under construction, making it difficult for ordinary cars. For crossing canyons and Danxia, an off-road vehicle or a high-clearance SUV is recommended.

🔦 Other gear
Warm clothing | shell jacket, fleece
Oxygen supply equipment | 10L tempered oxygen cylinder
Food supplies | water, glucose, energy bars, etc.
Car camping | 0℃ sleeping bag, outdoor power supply, cassette stove, etc.

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🚙 Post-80s camper van self-driving couple Vanlife
🎈 Self-driving | Travel | Lifestyle | Outdoors