Cho La, also transliterated as Tro La, is a mountain pass across the
Chola Mountains in
Dege County,
Garze Prefecture,
Sichuan,
China. In
Mandarin Chinese, it is known as Qu'er Pass (
Chinese: 雀儿山口;
pinyin: Què'ér Shānkǒu). The pass reaches a height of 4,916 metres (16,129 ft) and may be snow covered year-round. The pass is an important link between the town of
Derge and the rest of Sichuan Province. Historically, it was part of a trade route between
Tibet and China through the
Kingdom of Derge in
Kham.[1] The western flank of the pass is drained by the Zhil Chu (
Chinese: 色曲;
pinyin: Sè Qū) and the eastern flank is drained by the Tro Chu (
Chinese: 朝曲;
pinyin: Zhāo Qū).
Yihun Lhatso, a glacial-fed lake, is located to the east of the pass.[2]
Photo of the road leading to Cho La from 1965
A tunnel constructed under the Chola Mountains now bypasses the mountain pass and is the world's highest vehicular tunnel.[3] Construction of the tunnel was completed in 2016.[4]
References
^McCue, Gary (2010). Trekking Tibet: A Traveler's Guide. Seattle, WA: The Mountaineer's Books.
ISBN9781594852664.
G317
