Tibet Road Trip -- Preparation
On April 29th at 7 AM, our group of four set off punctually from Suzhou in a Ford Focus hatchback with a manual transmission, heading for Lhasa. At that moment, a light rain was falling in Suzhou, and we felt a mix of excitement and solemnity.
The overall itinerary was to enter via the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and exit via the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, passing through Xi’an, Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud, Amdo, Nagqu, Lhasa, Shigatse, Everest Base Camp in Dingri, Nyingchi, Chengdu, and Wuhan along the way. We visited the First Bridge over the Yellow River, the Waterwheel Garden, Kumbum Monastery, Qinghai Lake, Kunlun Mountain Geological Park, Kunlun Spring, salt lakes, the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka, the Tibet Museum, Yamdrok Lake, Everest Base Camp, and Ranwu Lake, as well as numerous snow-capped mountains and glaciers along the route. In Chengdu, we strolled through Jinli and Kuanzhai Alleys, and in Wuhan, we visited East Lake and the Yellow Crane Tower.
Before the trip, in addition to planning the itinerary and tourist spots, we also made thorough preparations for medications and gear:
Medications: gastrointestinal medicine to prevent stomach issues from changes in water and food; cold medicine to avoid complications from catching a cold; painkillers, which were somewhat helpful for altitude sickness headaches, at least for peace of mind; oxygen canisters, which we used a few times but didn’t find very effective; Gaoyuan’an (altitude sickness medication), which we took but still couldn’t avoid altitude sickness; band-aids, which we luckily didn’t need; glucose powder, which we drank so much of that we lost our appetite; vitamin tablets, which had a similar effect to the glucose; eye drops, used occasionally to relieve dryness from lack of sleep.
Daily necessities: sunscreen, essential—even though we couldn’t avoid getting tanned, it helped prevent sunburn. We traveled in May and mostly stayed in the car, so it wasn’t too bad; sun hats, serving the same purpose as sunscreen; sunglasses, also essential, especially for drivers, as the Tibetan sun is quite glaring; additionally, almost every local Tibetan wears a face mask, probably for double protection—visitors might consider doing the same; toiletries for daily use, and occasionally to cut corners; moisturizer, a must for those who care about skin care, as the Tibetan climate is quite dry; lip balm, just one is enough, with staying hydrated being key; rain gear, including raincoats and umbrellas. I also brought rain boots, which I only wore once—when there was standing water on the road and I had to step out to raise the car’s ground clearance.
Food: We packed some of our favorite, easy-to-eat snacks. Not too much, as there were restaurants along the way, though they were a bit pricey. For meals, we mostly ate noodles, followed by Sichuan cuisine, and then Xinjiang cuisine. We didn’t dare try Tibetan food—we didn’t even step into a Tibetan restaurant. It’s a bit of a regret, but at the time, we were just focused on filling up to keep moving, so we avoided Tibetan food. In Lhasa, we tried Tibetan vegetable rolls at a restaurant near Jokhang Temple, and they were pretty good. This restaurant is highly recommended by travelers, probably because the Tibetan food there has been adapted to suit our tastes. As for drinks, we packed some water, not too much—gas stations usually have it. We also brought candies, which Tibetan kids really like. Plus, they’re good for passing the time and replenishing sugar.
Tools: A spare tire is essential. The number depends on your driving skills and the car’s condition. We thought we were decent at both, but one tire still gave out on the way back. The Sichuan-Tibet Highway has rough roads with ongoing construction, full of potholes and very difficult to drive on. The Qinghai-Tibet Highway, on the other hand, is all asphalt and smooth, though sparsely populated. Since we considered changing tires, essential tools like a jack and lug wrench were a must. We also used zip ties—we were driving at night on the highway when the newly installed underbody armor got caught on something, deformed, and one corner came loose, dragging on the ground. We temporarily fixed it with zip ties to make it to the 4S repair shop in Lanzhou. A tire pressure gauge is also essential. At high altitudes, it’s important to monitor tire pressure to prevent blowouts. A pump is useful in case you let out too much air. Other small tools like screwdrivers, tape, flashlights, knives, and lighters can all come in handy. If possible, you can buy a car travel kit on Taobao—it combines a compass, altimeter, thermometer (inside and outside the car), and level, saving space compared to carrying individual instruments. And it works fine above 3,000 meters in altitude.
Other items: Small change, like 50-cent and 1-yuan coins, is useful for making donations at temples or giving to kids blocking your way to get past them. Also, stationery. Along the way, many Tibetan kids wave at you asking for things. We brought too much this time and ended up giving most away, though we still had some left—if anyone needs some, feel free to contact me.
With everything well-prepared, we hit the road. The roads on the plateau are nothing like those in the Jiangnan region. Let’s not even talk about the Sichuan-Tibet Highway—the Qinghai-Tibet Highway may look similar to inland roads, but driving at high altitude feels very different. Before entering Tibet, we often heard about altitude sickness, but after arriving, we realized that not only people suffer from it—many things do too. For example, cars: when you floor the accelerator, the car still feels underpowered, crawling along like a snail; the horn doesn’t produce its usual crisp, loud sound but a dull, short honk; brakes can become unresponsive on steep slopes and sharp turns. Even food is affected: instant noodles we brought expanded like balloons as soon as we opened them at high altitude; small packs of Kangshifu biscuits couldn’t handle the pressure and burst open, occasionally making “pop” sounds that made us laugh nervously; my toner, which was full when I left, was nearly empty after just two days on the plateau. After figuring out why, I started storing all toiletries upside down after use—keeping them uncompressed helped them last longer. Lighters also became unreliable, refusing to work no matter how hard you pressed them—so frustrating...