27 November 2017

News and a question

Dear All,

  1. A year-round road to the Arctic Coast of Canada opened last week; you can now drive past Inuvik all the way to Toktoyaktuk. Dempster Highway has been my favorite road in North America even without this extension, and now it will be even better.
  2. Saudi Arabia is going to start issuing tourist visas next year. It has some interesting rodents, and large swaths of the country has never been surveyed.
  3. We are considering a trip to Lhasa in late December. Apparently there is a station called Wudaoliang not far from Golmud, located on the border of Kekexili Nature Reserve and just 20 km from a railway bridge where thousands of chiru migrate in winter. Does anybody know anything about that place? Can you make a stopover there, do they have accommodation and cars for rent?
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5 Comments

  • 27 November 2017
    Antee

    I guess you have to buy this train ticket thru an official approved tour operator?? as foreigner still can´t travel on their own in/to Tibet.

    At least this is what I did because you must have a permit to Lhasa to enter the train. And yes, they will check your paper.
    I started in Xining and did not stop over.
    I guess a reliable Tibetan tour operator easily can answer your question as the rules changes faster than an sunset in Africa.

  • 27 November 2017
    Miles Foster

    I will follow answers to number 3 with interest as I have been planning a Tibet trip myself for some time.

  • 27 November 2017
    paul carter

    Hi Vladimir. Yesterday I was talking to some adventure sports competitors who had been attempting a Xining-Lhasa cycling record in May last year. They had a good bunch of Chiru about 110 km SW of Golmud (near the Chinese mountaineering team’s training camp as I understand it) – less than half way to Wudaoliang. I can send you the GPS point. Cheers, Paul.

  • 27 November 2017
    Robbi

    Hi, Vladimir,

    I think you’re still need some permit for visiting Tibet, normally means just in and around Lhasa. And you have to join some sort of organized tour arranged by local tour operator rather than go freely on your own.

    I’ve conducted monitoring the migrating Chiru at Wudaoliang for three years, they’re moving their route in the summer not winter. While, December is very good to see the beautiful males in their gorgeous winter coat.

    As far as I concerned, there is no train stop at the Wudaoliang station at all. The best way to get there is to hire a car from Xining or Golmud, and drive up to the spot. Elevation of Wudaoliang is over 4600 asl, due to low level of oxygen sleeping over there is always a problem, especially in winter.

    Accommodation just so basic, and I’m not sure any would stay in operating during winter time.

    Hoping it will of use/interesting.

    Cheers,
    Robbi

  • 27 November 2017
    Vladimir Dinets

    Thanks everybody! Looks like we don’t have enough time to get visas and permits and arrange everything, so we’ll do it next year.

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