Where is Shel La?
China, asia
4.06 km
4,904 m
extreme
Year-round
Okay, adventurers, listen up! Shel La, perched way up in the Tibet Autonomous Region, is a beast of a mountain pass hitting a whopping 16,089 feet! You'll find it in Dêngqên County, Chamdo City, eastern Tibet.
The old road? Forget about it for a daily commute! Think super narrow paths, crazy steep climbs, hairpin turns galore, and oh yeah, massive drop-offs with zero guardrails. Seriously, proceed with caution.
Good news though, a 2.52-mile-long tunnel now bypasses the worst of it. But guess what? The original, unpaved road is still there if you're feeling hardcore!
The new, totally paved road blasts right through that tunnel and clocks in at 28.14 miles. It's part of the China National Highway 317 (aka the Sichuan–Tibet Highway). This stretch will whisk you from Qusum to Diyag, offering incredible views of the Tibetan landscape (assuming you dare to glance away from the road!).
Road Details
- Country
- China
- Continent
- asia
- Length
- 4.06 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,904 m
- Difficulty
- extreme
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