Tibet Mountains

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has many famous mountains, high altitude and large coverage. The Tibetan mountain range can be divided into the eastern and western Tibetan mountains and the northern and southern mountains of Tibet. The former occupies most of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and consists of four mountain ranges in the north and south, namely the Himalayas, the Gangti-Nianqingtangla Mountains, the Karakoram Mountains-Tanggula Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains. When it comes to the northern and southern mountains of Tibet, it refers to the Hengduan Mountain Range in southeastern Tibet. Those mountains in Tibet are roughly arc-shaped. They span in the middle part, narrowing at both ends.

What are the famous mountains in Tibet?

Tibet Mountain Ranges Map

The main mountain range of Tibet

The Himalayas

Located on the south side of the Tibetan Plateau, the Himalayas goes from east to west, mainly lying on the border between China, India, and Nepal. It’s made up of many parallel mountains arranged from south to north, namely Mt.Xifalike, the small Himalayas, and the large Himalayas. Having an average altitude of 6,000 m, the Himalayas is 2,400 km in length, around 200 to 300 km in width. More than 50 mountains have an elevation of over 7,000 meters, among which 11 mountains are 8,000 meters above sea level. Mount Qomolangma is the central peak of the Himalayas at a height of 8,848.13 meters.

The Himalayas has many largescale contemporary glaciers and widely-distributed glacial landforms like cirque, glacial horn, etc. Serac forests are spreading miles upon miles below snow lines. The north slope of the Himalayas is relatively flat, while the south slope is high and steep. And the snow line on the south slope is much lower for abundant rainfall brought by the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean.

Tibet is a sacred and faithful place, in this mysterious snowy plateau, there are many sacred mountain secrets, like holy gods, full of various myths and stories.

Today, I would like to recommend to you the 4 mountains Ranges in Tibet, all of which are spectacular and beautiful, and many people may not have heard of it

Mount Everest (Tibet's Highest Mountain)

As the highest mountain on earth, Mount Everest is 8,848.13 meters in height, standing on the border between China and Nepal. Mount Everest is a typical fault block mountain and the Pyramid Everest Summit consists of brown marble and crystalline limestone. According to scientific reports and documents, Mt.Everest has kept rising at the speed of 3.2 to 12.7 mm per year and has broken the record set by herself.

Affected by the southeast monsoon and northwest cold current, the climate in Mt.Everest is complicated and unstable. Weather on Mt.Everest varies greatly within a single day. The best months to trek Everest Base Camp are April, May, September, and October for the milder weather.

Tibet Mountain Range ：Himalayas
Tibet Mountain Height ：8,848.13 meters
Tibet Mountain Location：Dingri, Shigatse, Tibet
Best Time to Visit Mt.Everest :  April, May, September and October
How to Get to Mt.Everest : You can take Tibet train or flight to reach Lhasa first. We’ll drive you two days from Lhasa to Xegar along Friendship Highway and move southwards to Rongbuk Monastery (5,154 meters) to get ready for EBC trekking.

Lhotse (Tibet Second Highest Mountain)

Tibet Mountain Range ：Himalayas
Tibet Mountain Height ：8,516 meters
Tibet Mountain Location ：Dingri, Shigatse, Tibet
How to Get to Lhotse : We usually drive along Friendship Highway from Lhasa to Xegar for two days and then move southwards to Rongbuk Monastery (5,154 meters). The total distance amounts to 780 km.

Makalu (Tibet Third Highest Mountain)

As the fifth highest mountain on earth, Mt.Makalu has an elevation of 8,463 meters. The north side belongs to Tibet, while Nepal has the south side. Majestic glaciers with cracks spread acorss the whole area, making snowslides occur to Mt.Makalu frequently.

Tibet Mountain Range ：Himalayas
Tibet Mountain Height ：8,463 meters
Tibet Mountain Location ：Dingri, Shigatse, Tibet
How to Get to Makalu : It usually costs two days to drive along Friendship Highway from Lhasa to Xegar and then heads about 180 km westwards to Shajitang Base Camp (3,600 m).

Cho Oyu (Tibet Forth Highest Mountain)

As the sixth highest mountain on earth, Cho Oyu has a heigt of 8,201 meters. Lying on the border between China and Nepal, the north is own by China and the south by Nepal. It’s about 100 km away from Mt.Everest and has a similar climate.

Tibet Mountain Range ：Himalayas
Tibet Mountain Height ：8,201 meters
Tibet Mountain Location ：Dingri, Shigatse, Tibet
How to Get to Cho Oyu : It’s easy to get to Cho Oyu by driving 718 km from Lhasa to Dingri via Shigatse and Lhatse, and then moving southwards to Jiabula Glacier Base Camp (4,959 m).

Shishapangma (The 14th Highest Mountain in The Word) Shishapangma (The 14th Highest Mountain in The Word)

Shishapangma, at an altitude of 8,012m, is the only 8000-meter-high mountain in Tibet, China. But the widespread ice cracks and frequent snowslides are significant barriers for Tibet mountaineers and climbers.

Tibet Mountain Range ：Himalayas
Tibet Mountain Height ：8,012 meters
Tibet Mountain Location ：Nyalam, Shigatse, Tibet
How to Get to Shishapangma : It needs to drive 670 km along Friendship Highway from Lhasa to Xegar and continue heading 208 km to the base camp at the north foot of Shishapangma.

The Gangtise - Nyenchen Tanglha

Lying in the central part of Tibet Autonomous Region, it starts from Jiali in Chamdo, and extends southeast to Boxoila Ling in Hengduan Mountain Range, west to Shiquanhe in Ngari, south to the Brahmaputra Valley. It divides northern Tibet from southern Tibet and southeastern Tibet, which is also the boundary between inland rivers and outflow rivers in Tibet. It’s 400 km long from east to west, 80 km wide from north to south.

At an average altitude of over 5,800 meters, the Gangtise - Nyenchen Tanglha has 25 mountains over 6,000 meters. Mountain Kailash, the main peak of the Gangtise, is 6,638 meters high. Mount Nyenchen Tanglha, the main peak of Nyenchen Tanglha, is 7,117 meters in height. There is no distinct boundary between the Gangtise and Nyenchen Tanglha. The border is roughly located at 90 degrees east latitude. Compared with the Gangtise, Nyenchen Tanglha is widely covered in snow and has more valley glaciers and cirque glaciers.

Mount Kailash (Tibet Holy Mountain)

Seated at Pulan in Ngari Prefecture, Mountain Kailash, the second-highest peak of the Gangdise has an altitude of 6,638m. As the holiest mountain in Asia, Mt.Kailash is regarded as the pilgrimage center by Bon, Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. It’s said that Kailash kora can wash away people’s sins in their lifetime. Even if you are not a pilgrim, the most intoxicating picturesque scenery of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar is worth you're coming!

Tibet Mountain Range ：Gangtise

Tibet Mountain Height ：6,638 meters
Tibet Mountain Location ：Pulan, Ngari, Tibet
Best Time to Visit Mt.Kailash : April to October
How to Get to Mt.Kailash : You can fly to Lhasa and then transfer to Mt.Kailash. Taking direct flights to Ali Kunsha Airport is another good choice.

Karakoram Range

Standing in the northwest of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Karakoram Range is conjunct with the Pamirs, the Himalayas, and Mount Tanggula. The major part is on the border between Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Kashmir and stretches eastwards to Tibet.

As the second highest mountain range in the world, Karakoram Range has an average altitude of 6,000 m. Lying on the boundary between China and Pakistan, the 8,611-meter-high Chhogori (K2), the main peak of Karakoram Range, is also considered the second-highest mountain peak on earth. Karakoram pass plays a vital role in transport between Xinjiang and Kashmir. Influenced by the Indian Ocean monsoon and westerlies, Karakoram Range has become the largest mountain glacier development area in the middle latitudes of the planet.

Tanggula Mountains

Situated in the center of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it connects with Karakoram Range in the west, Nu Shan in Hengduan Mountains in the southeast, and separates Tibet Autonomous Region from Qinghai Province. Beginning from the small Tanggula Mountains in the north, it ends at Ando, Nagqu Prefecture in the south. The width from north to south amounts to 160 kilometers. The major part of the Tanggula Mountains is over 6,000 meters in height. As the highest peak of the Tanggula Mountains, Dandongfeng is 6,621 meters above sea level and is regarded as the birthplace of the Yangtze River. A large number of valleys and basins are scattered among Tanggula Mountains. With grasses flourishing, it is an excellent pasture land.

Kunlun Mountains

Kunlun Mountains tower at north of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as the boundary between Tibet and Xinjiang. It goes from the Pamirs in the west and eastwards to the northwest of the Sichuan Basin. It’s 2,500 km long from east to west and 150 km from north to south, 5,000 to 6,000 meters in altitude. Stretching across Central Asia, it’s famous as the Spine of Asia for its great height and length. Thousands of glaciers are spreading over the Kunlun Mountains, among which the longest one reaches 25km.

Hengduan Mountain Range

Seated on the southeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Hengduan Mountain Range is a general name for the north-south mountains in the east of Tibet, and the west of Sichuan and Yunnan. Ridge and valley from west to east are as follows:

Boxoila Ling - Gaoligong Mountains, Nujiang Valley, Tenasserim Chain - Nu Shan, Lanchangjiang Valley, Ningjing Shan (Mangkang Shan) - Yunling Mountains, Jinsha River Valley, Chola Mountain (Que'er Mountain) - Shaluli Mountains, Yalong River Valley, Daxue Mountains - Zheduoshan - Jinping Mountain, Dadu River Valley, Qionglai Mountains - Daliang Mountains.

The height of the mountains goes down from north to south. But the depth of valleys goes up from north to south. The altitude difference between mountains and valleys ranges from 1,000 to 2,500 meters. The north part turns out to be a good place for grazing in summer. However, there are more rapids and shoals in the south.

Tibet Mountain Sickness

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is also named altitude sickness, which has something to do with higher altitude, lower atmospheric pressure, and less oxygen. It’s common at high places and the relevant factors include ascend speed, individual susceptibility, etc.

About Tibet Mountains FAQS

What are the mountains in Tibet called?

The former occupies a large part of the Tibet Plateau and consists of four mountain ranges from south to north, namely the Himalayas, the Gangtise - Nyenchen Tanglha, Karakoram Range - Tanggula Mountains, and the Kunlun Mountains.

What are the mountains between Tibet and China?

The Hengduan Mountains (simplified Chinese: 横断山脉; traditional Chinese: 橫斷山脈; pinyin: Héngduàn Shānmài) are a group of mountain ranges in southwest China that connect the southeast portions of the Tibetan Plateau with the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau.

Why is Tibet so beautiful?

Tibet's phenomenal landscape is like no other place on Earth: rugged, remote, and unforgettable. The vast Tibetan plateau contrasted against the snowcapped peaks of the world's highest mountains will leave you in awe. Tibet is often referred to as the 'roof of the world'.