Nyenchen Tanglha's Karola Glacier: A Landscape of Human Impact and Natural Resilience

Explore the dramatic Karola Glacier where human intervention meets natural beauty, revealing a stunning landscape of environmental transformation and limited tourism access.

Snow-capped mountain peak with cascading glacial waterfalls flowing over rocky terrain under dramatic cloudy sky
The blackened Karola Glacier on Nyenchen Tanglha's south side along National Road 349. Once altered for the film 'Red River Valley' by artificial blasting, this glacier bears permanent scars from human intervention, with its tongue darkened by road dust striking visual testament to environmental impact in Tibet's fragile mountain ecosystem.

Karola Glacier is located on the south side of Nyenchen Tanglha and is a prominent glacier that one must pass on National Road 349. It is said that in order to film "Red River Valley," an artificial avalanche was created by blasting a corner of the glacier, the impact of which remains irreversible to this day. Due to dust from the road, the glacial tongue has become blackened. The scenic area is quite cunning, having blocked all the parking spots along the road and leaving only their own parking lot open, charging 50 yuan ($8) per car.