Covering a whopping distance of 865 km from Nagqu - Golmud, the XPD Beyond Asia-Trans Siberian 2019 Coimbatore to St. Petersburg, left Nagqu at 5.30 AM and reached Golmud by 10.30 PM on their 21st day of their ambitious journey.
Covering a whopping distance of 865 km from Nagqu - Golmud, the XPD Beyond Asia-Trans Siberian 2019 Coimbatore to St. Petersburg, left Nagqu at 5.30 AM and reached Golmud by 10.30 PM on their 21st day of their ambitious journey.
This drive is so far the longest in their journey from Coimbatore to St. Petersberg which was flagged off on August 7 from Coimbatore.
With an objective to instill awareness among the people on Cervical Cancer and how it could be prevented, a team of aspiring travellers from various parts of the country led by Meenakshi Aravind, an avid traveller from Coimbatore geared up for a road trip in two four wheelers to St. Petersburg, covering a extraordinary 25,000 plus kms by cutting across seven countries.
Describing the 21st day of their journey, the team said "The roads were terrible, high passes and no restrooms in between. Yet, the breathtaking scenic grasslands and landscapes were mesmerising."
All they could see was trucks lined up one after the other. After a stretching drive of 17 hours, with just an hours break for lunch, the team reached Golmud safely at 10:30 PM and retired for the day.
Here's some interesting facts about Nagqu or Changtang Plateau which is one among the most recommended place for travellers.
Nagchu (also Nagqu or Naqu) in the northern Tibet is the largest prefecture of Tibet Autonomous Region. Nagchu Prefecture is generally called as Changtang, which is home to the unique nomadic culture and splendid natural scenery.
The Changtang is a high altitude plateau in western and northern Tibet extending into southeastern Ladakh, with vast highlands and giant lakes. From eastern Ladakh Changtang stretches approximately 1600 km east into Tibet, as far as the province of Qinghai. It is the home of the Changpa nomads.
Most of Changtang Plateau is now protected nature reserves consisting of the Changtang Nature Reserve, the 2nd-largest nature reserve in the world. Since the reserves have been established, there has been a welcome increase in the numbers of endangered species. The protected areas stretch across parts of Tibet, Xinjiang and Qinghai.
The Changtang Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Ladakhi adjunct of the Changtang Plateau. The altitude of the sanctuary varies from 14,000 to 19,000 feet, and topography is formed of deep gorges and vast plateaus. There are around 11 lakes and 10 marshes in the Changtang Sanctuary, and the majestic River Indus dances through the sanctuary, dividing it into 2 parts.
With the constantly improving ecosystem in recent years, the Changtang National Nature Reserve has become a paradise for many wild animals, including wild yak, Tibetan antelope and Tibetan dzigettai. Nowadays there are more than 1000 species of wild life inhabiting the area.
The people of Changtang are nomadic pastoralisits, known as Changpa. As of 1989 there were half a million nomads living on Changtang Plateau. Unlike many other nomadic groups, the Changpa are not under pressure from settled farmers as the vast majority of land they inhabit is too inhospitable for farming.
The weather here is harsh and unpredictable. The summers are warm but short thunder storms can occur at almost any time of year, often with hail. The winters are cold and Arctic-like, due to the high elevation.