Snowboarding in Tibet can be described as ‘the final frontier’.The Himalayas are the greatest mountain range in the world and it runs right through Tibet. In Sanskrit, ‘Himalayas’ translates to, ‘abode of snow’.
With some of the highest peaks in the world a Tibet snowboarding adventure is possible but you will have to climb up to board down. The biggest mountain of them all Everest (8850 meters) is on the border between Tibet and Nepal but its not the only mountain over 8km high – Lhotse I (8516 meters), Makalu I (8463 meters), Cho Oyu (8201 meters) and Shishma Pangma (8013 meters) are all par of the club.
Mount Everest has been nicknamed, ‘the third pole’ as after conquering the North and South Poles, Everest is the next obvious step. Climbing it is one thing but the first snowboarding decent was not made until 2001 when Stephan Gatt and Marco Siffredi both laid the first tracks within a few days of each other. Marco Siffredi returned under a year later but died in his attempt. This highlights the perilous nature of climbing the highest peaks to board back down.
If looking for a traditional ski resort for a Tibet Snowboarding holidays then you will be looking for a long time. There are no ski resorts in Tibet at all, however nearby in China there are a few to choose from here are the top 10:
Yabuli Ski Resort
Wanlong Ski Resort
Nanshan Ski Resort
Xiling Ski Resort
Changbaishan Ski Resort
Alshan Ski Resort
Dolomiti Ski Resort
Beidahu Ski Resort
Ping Tian Resort
Erlongshan Ski Resort
If you are an expert snowboarder looking to snowboard the final frontier and are well versed in high altitude climbing, then a Tibet snowboarding adventure is possible and there are many peaks to choose from. You can arrive by air into Tibet via Lhasa Gonggar International Airport. From there you can travel by connecting flights and by rail.