Tanggula Pass

Coordinates: 33°00′39″N 91°39′50″E / 33.010958°N 91.663753°E / 33.010958; 91.663753

Tanggu La
Chinese: 唐古拉山口
Tánggǔlā Shānkǒu

5231

Tanggu La marker on Qinghai–Tibet Highway,
Elevation 5,072 meters (railway)
5,231 meters (road)
Location Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province, China
Range Tanggula Mountains

The Tanggu La, Tangla Pass, or Tanggu Pass (Chinese: 唐古拉山口; pinyin: Tánggǔlā Shānkǒu) is a wide mountain pass over 5000 metres elevation in China used by the Qinghai–Tibet Highway and Qinghai–Tibet Railway to cross the Tanggula Mountains. These mountains form part of the watershed separating the Yangtze River to the north and a zone of endorheic basins with internal drainage to the south. They also separate Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province.

The Qinghai–Tibet Highway reaches its highest elevation, 5,231 metres (17,162 feet) in Tanggu Pass at 32°52′24″N 91°55′03″E / 32.87333°N 91.91750°E / 32.87333; 91.91750. On August 24, 2005, rail track for the Qinghai–Tibet Railway was completed 28 kilometres to the WNW of the highway, reaching 5072 meters (16,640 feet) at 33°00′38″N 91°39′51″E / 33.01056°N 91.66417°E / 33.01056; 91.66417. Tanggula Railway Station 1 km from this summit is—at 5,068 metres—the world's highest, 255 m higher than Ticlio, Peru.[1]

The Qinghai-Tibet railway connects Xining, Qinghai Province to Lhasa. The 1,080-kilometre (670 mi) section from Golmud to Lhasa was opened on July 1, 2006. The rail cars have personal oxygen supplies to prevent altitude sickness.

For a satellite image showing the separate highway and railroad routes over the pass, click here:. The rail route is highlighted in grey, with the 5,072 meter summit at the + crosshairs. The highway route is highlighted in yellow, with the 5,231 metre highway summit inside the largest box symbol.

Climate

Climate data for Zhidamsumo, 33 57N 092 37E, Elevation: 5048m
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 0
(32)		 0
(32)		 7
(45)		 12
(54)		 16
(61)		 17
(63)		 17
(63)		 17
(63)		 17
(63)		 15
(59)		 3
(37)		 2
(36)		 17
(63)
Average high °C (°F) −7
(19)		 −5
(23)		 −1
(30)		 5
(41)		 8
(46)		 11
(52)		 13
(55)		 13
(55)		 11
(52)		 3
(37)		 −2
(28)		 −6
(21)		 3
(37)
Average low °C (°F) −24
(−11)		 −24
(−11)		 −18
(0)		 −12
(10)		 −6
(21)		 0
(32)		 2
(36)		 1
(34)		 −1
(30)		 −10
(14)		 −19
(−2)		 −24
(−11)		 −11
(12)
Record low °C (°F) −37
(−35)		 −31
(−24)		 −27
(−17)		 −22
(−8)		 −13
(9)		 −3
(27)		 −2
(28)		 −3
(27)		 −7
(19)		 −20
(−4)		 −26
(−15)		 −32
(−26)		 −37
(−35)
Source: Weatherbase[2]

References

  1. ↑ Xinhua News Agency (August 24, 2005). New height of world's railway born in Tibet. Retrieved August 25, 2005.
  2. ↑ "Mean Temp Data". Weatherbase. Retrieved 7 Nov 2011.
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