Xinjiang-Tibet Highway (Road 219): Kashgar to Domar


ascend to the first pass on the Xinjiang-Tibet highway

downhill from Chiragsaldi pass
.

ascend to Khitai pass
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The table below contains basic information about the road between Yecheng (Kargilik) and Domar. In villages and truckstops listed, basic food (noodles, rice, sugar, biscuits, etc) is available in small shops and restaurants and it is possible to eat good food in restaurants or sleep there. The villages and truckstops are also valuable to get (hot) water. The list does not contain the road work camps, as they were all abandoned in the time we were traveling (March/ April), only settlements we have actually seen are listed. There is quite some truck traffic on this road. Thus, large stretches are very corrugated, and it is extremely dusty.
Road construction season on this road is between May and October, if traveling outside this time, all road construction camps along the way will be closed. In late winter and early spring road conditions are at their worst!

Distance Table and general information

Something about checkpoints (May 2008): At least in the years 2003 to 2007 going into Tibet in direction of Ali did not seem to be a problem.
Along the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway there is a lot of military presence. In the past they did not care about cyclists as long as one did not interfere with their business. The military checkpoint at Kudi has one guarded barrier at the end of town, which are closed. Every person passing through is required to report their passport at the military police. Possibly it can be passed at night? Currently (2008) cyclists are being sent back by any of the military checkpoints along road 219.
Be aware that the situation can change any time - be careful anyway.

km marker altitude (m) description Yecheng (Xinjiang Province) to Domar (Tibet); Road 219
0 1375 Yecheng (Kargilik). The turnoff is just after town towards the left (south), paved road for the first 90 km. Right after the turnoff on road 219 there is a gas station and then a large extended army base.
25   road repair station and small village (no shops!)
61   village
71 2130 village Pusha (with restaurants, shops)
93   end of paved road, start of dirt road
97   small village Akmeqit (small shop)
113 3300 pass Akmeqit Daban
128 2400 road repair station and small village; very bad road in Tiznap He valley
130   small army base
133   start of pavement - new asfalt road, finished in October 2004!
161   large village Kudi; large military base and checkpoint at end of village. Travellers must show their passports.
194 4000 end of pavement - new asfalt road ends
217 4990 pass Chiragsaldi Daban
241 3780 truckstop Mazar; bad road in Yarkant He valley
292 3900 begin of steep ascent
309 4950 pass Kirgizjangal Daban
352 3600 valley of Karakax He; in the valley again very bad road!
363 3700 large village Xaidulla (large army base)
425 4290 pass Koshbel Daban
488 4200 truckstop Dahongliutan
535 5190 pass Khitai Daban
575 4830 turnoff for large military base Tianshuihai
672 5220 pass
676 5120 truckstop Sirengou
693 5450 pass Satsum La
700 4940 Lungma Co
710 5250 pass Lungma La (with Chang Tang Nature Preserve sign)
730 5195 small village Sumxi
832 4435 village Domar (army checkpoint)

Other descriptions of the Xinjiang-Tibet Higway:
Xinjiang-Tibet Highway (Wolfgang Dressel)
Xinjiang to Tibet (2011): Description of conditions after 2008 on road 219 (Charlie Walker)
Highway Yecheng over Western Tibet to Kathmandu (Andreas Blum), very detailes with satellite images
Kashgar-Kathmandu km-table (Uli Sertl)
West Tibet Kashgar to Kathmandu (Martin Adserballe)
Kashgar-Ali-Kailash-Lhatse (Janne Corax)
Tibet Overland, the book contains descriptions of the route Lhasa-Kailash-Ali-Yecheng