This week I read a lot about my planned trip from Beijing via Golmud to Lhasa. I am really trying to figure out the enormity of what has been built and there is a serious risk of accidentally slipping into Trainspotter language.
The line not only has the highest railway in the world, but also the highest tunnel and the longest mountain tunnel and is built on special supports in permafrost (with passive heat exchangers, whatever they are). There are 675 bridges and the trains have an enriched oxygen atmosphere on board.
It reaches the latter part of China without a modern railroad and also has the potential to become a bridge to Central Asia, with a planned extension to Nepal (2020) and possibly even India.
This got me thinking about the practical implications of this part of the trip. The climb from Beijing takes three days, and the elevation profile is quite steep for the past 24 hours, peaking at Tanggula Pass (5072m) before descending slightly to Lhasa. The Tanggula Pass is the undisputed highest point of all railways in the world.
I remember taking a train across South America a few years ago and really feeling the height. It’s not like climbing, where you often have acclimatization phases and sleep more deeply than you climb every day.
I’m not a mountaineer, but in 2002 I climbed Kilimanjaro and Kinabalu in the same year. At the summit of Kili (5,895m) I remember how the colors I saw looked saturated, my thinking slowed down and the strange feeling of looking down at myself. An out-of-body experience … or more likely my brain to shut down slowly due to the lack of oxygen.
So I did some research on what I can do to prepare for it. Aside from getting super fit and exercising at high altitudes (little hope), there are some medical options.
As far as I know, only one person has officially died of AMS on the train from Lhasa. Not sure if this is a comforting statistic or not, and wonder how many might need treatment upon arrival. On the positive side, the train is supposed to add additional oxygen to the wagon atmosphere, which should be supported somewhat when crossing Golmud. Apparently this reaches the height roughly equivalent to that of Lhasa in the wagon (3,490 m).
Additional oxygen is available at every seat. So if I felt bad, I could keep breathing and then take the next pull down to a lower altitude. The only catch is that you have to return via the higher Tanggula Pass first. No wonder you have to sign a disclaimer before you can get on the train.
In practical terms, the most important steps are staying adequately hydrated (urination is important), avoiding alcohol, and using ibuprofen to treat headaches. I went a step further and will bring Diamox (acetazolamide) with me twice a day for preventative use.
Hopefully it will help me sleep, breathe normally, and generally acclimate myself. There is a lot of medical debate about this approach, but I have used it on Kili and it seems to be working for me. Apparently there are a number of Tibetan herbs that can be used too, but I don’t think I’ll find them in time.
Some travelers have even used dexamthazone, but I will leave it to a doctor to give me in an emergency as it is a fairly serious steroid, to my knowledge, with fairly serious and sometimes permanent side effects. I think there’s a doctor on every train.
One recommendation from a mountain doctor was to start taking Diamox 48 hours before reaching a serious altitude and to consume mainly carbohydrates, which produce more energy with lower amounts of oxygen. I will plan to live on a diet of water (mixed with rehydration salts) and pasta.
Do you have any advice for Matthew? Tell us in the comments below.
Matthew Woodward has completed several amazing long distance adventures on the Trans-Siberian Railway and further across Asia. From his home in Edinburgh he has reached Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo and is now on his way to Tibet. His blog can be found at Toad’s travel adventure.
Main picture: Train passing Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains Tibet (Shutterstock)
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