The wild road to Ma La
Ma La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.245m (17,208ft) above the sea level, located in Nyalam County of China’s Tibet autonomous region.
![Ma La](https://www.dangerousroads.org/cache/images/900x/c/mala0-2c73efa0.jpg)
Located on the Tibetan Plateau, the road to the summit is gravel and very steep. Its many twists (32 hairpin turns) can pose a challenge to even the most experienced drivers. The road is not easy, though. Up, down, right, left all the time. It is subject to winter snowfalls with such a high summit altitude, and it can be closed anytime when the access is not cleared of snow. Notorius lack of oxygen that tests the organisms and a high degree of steepness. Most people feel altitude sickness at around 2,500-2,800 meters. Extremely low oxygen for engine combustion. The pass sits on the road from Gyirong to Paiku Co lake.