A paved road to the summit of Mayum La
Mayum La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,225m (17,142ft) above sea level, located in Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
Is the road to Mayum La paved?
The road to the summit is called 219 National Road, also known as the Tibet-Xinjiang Highway. Construction of this road started in 1951, was completed in 1957, and was fully paved in 2013. Despite its reputation for running through terrain that is mostly uninhabited, the G219 does pass through a number of important historical and religious sites.
How high is the road through Mayum La?
On this road, also known as the "Sky Road" in Chinese, you are firmly at altitudes over 5,000m. For an unacclimatized person, this can be fatal. It’s a windy place, and it's one of those areas where you can feel strong winds coming from two directions at the same time.
How remote is Mayum La?
Set high in the Himalayas, the breathtaking scenery is among the most inhospitable terrain on the planet. Expect stretches with no water or food for tens or hundreds of kilometres, dozens of high passes, and no showers or even a wash for weeks. Nighttime temperatures can drop to -25°C or lower. And remember, in China, many websites are censored, so you won’t be able to access just any URL you want (especially if Tibet is mentioned).
Where is Mayum La?
The pass is located between Huore and Paryang. At the summit, Tibetan drivers are known to shout out "shou shou shou shou" to pray to the good ghosts for a safe and smooth journey.
What’s the weather like at Mayum La?
For your safety, make sure to check the weather forecast before starting your trip. The extremely high altitude of Tibet makes the winter seasons incredibly harsh, marked by extreme cold and gusts of strong winds, which blow almost all the time. Therefore, it is better to avoid any trip to Tibet during winter, as half of the roads remain closed due to heavy snowfall. The atmosphere becomes extremely arid and almost intolerable. Even in summer, you may face snowy days. Temperatures in winter are brutally cold. There are truck stops along the way, about a day's travel apart, but it's wise to bring food and a sleeping bag. A tent can be useful in emergencies. The monsoon starts in July and ends in August, bringing heavy rainfall that can make self-driving travel difficult to manage.
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