The mountain range in Tibet is quite famous. Tourists tend to love the scene and the experience of being at the tallest points of the world when they are in this mountain range. The Tibetan mountain range used to be flat water bodies at a point very long ago, but mountains has risen with the passage of several thousand centuries. In Tibet, there are many mountain ranges, the most prominent being the Himalayan mountain range, the Karakoram Range, Tanggula Mountains, Gangtise – Nyenchen Tanglha, and the Kunlun Mountains. Many mountains are famous all around the world in the Tibetan Plateau.
In this article, we will discuss everything that you need to know about the Tibetan Mountain ranges. There are just so many things yet to know that will interest every mountaineer or mountain lover about the Tibetan mountain range. Stay tuned till the end of this article to know more!
How many mountain ranges are there in the Tibetan plateau?
The Tibet Plateau is linked to several renowned mountains with high elevations and vast covering. The east-west Tibet mountain range and the north-south Tibet mountain range are two different mountain ranges in Tibet. The former comprises five mountain ranges and much of the Tibetan Plateau. The mountain ranges in the Tibetan plateau are the Himalayan mountain range, the Karakoram Range, Tanggula Mountains, Gangtise – Nyenchen Tanglha, and the Kunlun Mountains.
These mountain ranges stretch from north to south. This north-to-south mountain range typically refers to the Hengduan Mountain Range, which is situated in the southeast of Tibet. Tibet’s mountains generally align in the form of an arc. They are broad in the center and get smaller at the ends.
The Himalayas in Tibet
The Himalayas, or the Himalayan range, is a very popular range between Nepal and Tibet. Several mountains in this range are famous all around the world. Mount Everest, which is the world’s tallest peak, lies at the height of 8848 meters in this range. The Himalayas stretch from the east to the west. It comprises several parallel mountains, including Mt. Xifalike, the tinier Himalayas, and the enormous Himalayas that run from south to north.
The Himalayas have an average altitude of 6,000 m. Likewise, they are 2,400 km in length and 200 to 300 km in width. In this mountain range, 50 plus mountains rise above 7,000 meters, and 11 of them do so at 8,000 meters. The Himalayas are also quite renowned for their glacial landforms and seracs. There are glacial horns, cirques, etc., in the mountain range. Similarly, while the north slope is flat and isn’t steep, the southern slope is steeper as it goes skywards. Additionally, due to heavy rains generated by the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean, the south slope’s snow line is lower.
Some of the most notable mountains in the Himalayas are Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Shishapangma, etc. Shigatse Prefecture in Tibet is the perfect place for you to get a view of the world’s highest mountains. Furthermore, when you trek to the Gama Valley, you get to witness the beautiful view of the mountains. And the Gawula Pass, which lies along the experienced road from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp, is the perfect place to trek in the Himalayas.
The Gangtise – Nyenchen Tanglha
The Gangtise is the mythical abode of Lord Shiva’s residence, Kailash. Many devotees as well as mountaineers, come to this mountain range to experience both a religious as well as a mountaineering experience.
The mountain range is located central to the Tibet Autonomous region. Jiali in Chamdo is the beginning of the Gangtise – Nyenchen Tanglha range. The Gangtise stretches southeast to Boxoila Ling in the Hengduan Mountain Range. And it goes west to Shiquanhe in Ngari and south to the Brahmaputra Valley. Moreover, segregating inland rivers from outflow rivers in Tibet divides northern Tibet from southern Tibet and southeastern Tibet. It’s approximately 80 km broad from north to south and 400 km long from east to west.
Karakoram Range
The Karakoram range is not just located in Tibet but stretches to Pakistan as well. This is the mountain range with the world’s second-tallest and most dangerous peak, Mount K2. Every year visitors, especially mountaineers, visit this range in an attempt to climb the mountains in the Karakoram range.
The range is situated in the northwest of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Karakoram Range forms a triangle with the Pamirs, the Himalayas, and Mount Tanggula. The largest portion extends eastward to Tibet, starting at the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region border in Kashmir.
Tanggula Mountains
This mountain range connects to the Karakoram Range in the west, the Nu Shan in the Hengduan Mountains in the southeast are some of the famous mountains in Tibet, and separates the Qinghai Province from the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is situated in the center of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It starts in the north at the small Tanggula Mountains and ends in the south to Ando in the Nagqu Prefecture.
This mountain range is quite famous for being the birthplace of the Yangtze River.
Kunlun Mountains
This is the mountain range where Qinghai-Tibet Railway passes. The Kunlun Mountains stand in the north of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It divides Tibet and Xinjiang. In the northwest of the Sichuan Basin, the mountains stretch from the Pamirs in the west and east.
This mountain range stands between 5,000 and 6,000 meters high and 2,500 kilometers long from the east to the west. It also goes 150 kilometers from north to south. It covers Central Asia and is known as the Spine of Asia due to its height and length. The Kunlun Mountains are covered in thousands of glaciers, the longest of which stretches for 25 kilometers.
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