Karola Glacier is one of the three continental glaciers in Tibet. Extending from the Yamdrok Lake, crossing the 4,330 meters Smila mountain pass, it is the glacier tongue of Karola Glacier. The white glacier, brown mountain stones and the traces washed by melting snow, all of these make it a majestic scenic spot to tourists.
Karola Glacier is located beside the No. 307 provincial road which connects the holy lake Yamdrok Lake and Shigatse, therefore this glacier is one in Tibet that tourists can view at close distance. The Karola Glacier is 70 KM away from the Yamdrok Lake. There are two routes for tourists traveling from Lhasa to Shigatse, No. 318 national road and No. 307 provincial road, usually tourists prefer the 307 provincial road that passes by the Yamdrok Lake, the Karola Glacier and the Palcho Monastery.
Throughout the whole Tibet, Karola Glacier is the closest to highway, the closest distance is only more than 300 meters. Driving on the 310 provincial road, you can see from far away the colossal glacier like a giant ice cream melting among the mountains.
Karola Glacier is located at the border of Nagarzê County and Gyantse County and 71 KM away from the Gyantse County. Najang Gang sang, the main peak of Lhagongrishan, is to the north of Himalayas. It is said that the Najang Gang sang is the residential place of Nuojikonwa Sambu, the western mountain god, one of the four mountain gods. Najang Gang sang, one of the four largest snow mountains in Tibet, surrounded by more than 10 mountain peaks above 6000 meters height. It is a majestic mountain with steep rocks. The top of Najang Gang sang is conical shape like the mouth of an eagle. The gullies between the slope ridges are covered with snows all the year round which develop many glaciers. There are more than 116 glaciers or so with square of 118.82 square kilometers. Among them, the Karola Glacier is the largest one with square of 9.4 square kilometers.
The colossal glacier extends from the mountain top among the cloud and mist to roadside which is only several hundred meters from highway, the sparkling blue glacier brings some kind of cool. Though the glacier is in white and black stratification in the mass because of the dusts flowing from the highway all the year round, the upper half part of the glacier is glistening like a giant Thang-ga hanging on the mountain wall under the sunshine.
Starting from the Yamdrok Lake, all the way to the west, crossing the 4,330 meters Smila mountain pass, it is the glacier tongue of Karola Glacier. The frontier of the glacier tongue is 5560 meters above sea level, and the place where the Karola glacier is viewed is about 5400 meters above sea level. In the area about 5600 meters north of the mountain pass, it is a suspended glacier formed by Noijin Kangsang glacier drifting southward.
Because we only stay for a short while of half an hour in the spot viewing the Karola Glacier, there will be no altitude stress symptoms here. And after we go down the mountain pass through the highway, the altitude will be lower much, there will be no altitude stress either. If some tourists get the altitude stress symptoms, we will arrange you to go down as soon as possible to relieve.
Although the altitude of Karola glacier is 5400 meters, near to the altitude of Everest base camp, we only stay for a short while here for taking photos instead of staying for a long time and dwelling here, therefore we won’t feel cold here. Besides, it is near to the highway, we could withdraw fast though it is high in altitude. So it is not necessary for the tourists visiting the Karola glacier to carry the warm clothes out of season. If your destination is the Everest base camp, it is necessary.
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