Zheduo Pass
▲ 4,298 mAt 4,298 m, Zheduo Pass is the First Gate of Kham and the route's first climb past 4,000 m — catch your breath in the sea of prayer flags before the final push to the top. Crossing it is when cycling 318 truly begins.
Day 6 of 20 · Act 2 · Onto the Roof
Zheduo Pass · the First Gate of Kham
Zheduotang → Xinduqiao
4,298 m High point Suffer → summit → soar → warmth
The signature day. Twenty kilometres of switchbacks up to Zheduo Pass at 4,298 m — the First Gate of Kham and your first climb past 4,000 m — then a long soaring descent into the gentle light of Xinduqiao.
Landmarks
Zheduo Pass
折多山垭口 · 4,298 m
At 4,298 m, the First Gate of Kham and the first 4,000 m+ pass of the route. Crossing it is when 318 truly begins.
Xinduqiao
新都桥 · 3,300 m
A "photographer’s paradise" of golden poplars and Tibetan villages bathed in soft, slanting light.
Stops along the way
1 scenic check-in spots on this stage — pull over at any of them for a postcard.
Questions about this day
How high is Zheduo Pass?
Zheduo Pass is 4,298 m — the "First Gate of Kham" and the first pass above 4,000 m on the whole route. Cyclists often say this is where 318 truly begins.
How do I climb Zheduo Pass in the game?
It’s the signature day: about twenty kilometres of switchbacks. Drop to the roam gear and spin a steady cadence, keep an eye on your stamina and heart rate, and save the sprint for short steep ramps. Run dry and you simply walk a stretch — you’ll still make the col.
What is the descent to Xinduqiao like?
After the summit comes a long soaring freewheel down into Xinduqiao at about 3,300 m — a "photographer’s paradise" of golden poplars and Tibetan villages in soft, slanting light. The day runs the full "suffer → summit → soar → warmth" arc.
When is Zheduo Pass most beautiful?
Autumn turns the Xinduqiao poplars gold, and a clear winter morning lays snow over the switchbacks. The season and weather shift live in the game, so each crossing of the First Gate of Kham looks a little different.
A shared postcard from Cycling 318
Ride your own 318
Cycling 318 turns the road to Lhasa into a daily, cozy ride. Check in at the landmarks, collect a postcard from each, and fill your 318 passport.
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