# What is the highest elevation you can drive to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634 "2009-08-25T15:07:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/1 "2009-08-25T15:07:25Z")
I recently had the good fortune to visit the Everest Base Camp in Tibet. It was an amazing experience. Perhaps the oddest part was the feeling of being at such a high elevation. Even turning over in your sleep could leave you winded, and you felt on level with the clouds. But I know we went over some passes that were higher than the base camp. Tell me, teeming millions, what is the most extreme height a very lazy adventure could hope to drive to? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/2 "2009-08-25T15:28:43Z")
[This page](http://gorp.away.com/gorp/location/asia/india/bik_hima.htm) says it’s in Ladakh, India: > [@](#): > > Two of the four mountain passes we have already crossed were more than 17,000 feet in elevation. By the time we arrive in the Kullu Valley, known as the"valley of the gods," we will have traversed six high passes and ridden through four temperate zones. Because of the number of motorable high mountain passes here, this road, called the Leh to Manali Traverse, is often called the “highest road in the world.” [This site](http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/06-08/highest-road-ladakh-india.html) makes the same claim. [This page](http://www.johncletheroe.org/usa_can/co/highroad.htm) lists the highest roads in North America: > [@](#): > > **Highest Road In The USA** > Mount Evans Byway, Colorado > > **Highest Paved Through Road In The USA** > Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado > > **Highest Unpaved Through Road In The USA** > Bob Mizell of Erie, Michigan, sent me a note to say that the highest unpaved through road in the USA (and possibly in North America) is the Mosquito Pass between Leadville and Fairplay, Colorado. The summit of the pass is 13,186 feet. > > [and others – JLA] ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/3 "2009-08-25T15:35:15Z")
You can drive to the top of [Pike’s Peak in Colorado](http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com/) - [**14,115 feet**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikes_Peak) above sea level. > [@](#): > > Ruta (route) 40, which runs the length of Argentina, holds the same mythic persona to Argentineans as does our own Route 66. Between La Poma and San Antonio de Los Cobres, Ruta 40 snakes its way up to the Abra el Acay (Acay Pass), where it crests 4,895 meters ( **16,059 feet** ), one of the highest navigable tracks in the Western hemisphere. Source: [http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=434392](http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=434392) > [@](#): > > Khardung La is widely, but incorrectly, believed to be the world’s highest motorable pass. There are higher motorable passes at Suge La, west of Lhasa, 5,430 m (17,815 feet), and Semo La 5,565 m (18,258 feet), between Raka and Coqen in Central Tibet. Both these elevations are supported by GPS and SRTM evidence and the latter was also measured by the Catalans and supported by the CIC, see above. Vehicles have been driven over the 5,582 metres (18,314 ft) Marsimik La, in the Indian Karakoram to the north-east of Khardung La, but it is debatable whether this pass should be considered to be motorable. There may be higher motorable passes elsewhere in Tibet, but verification of these has not been possible because of lack of information and restricted access. Source: [Khardung La - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khardung_La) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/4 "2009-08-25T16:07:30Z")
Okay, well I’ve done the Leh to Manali traverse. It’s not a dull journey, the view is awesome but the road… Maybe don’t look too close at the road. The road is so narrow, in places, that to look out the window of the bus you can’t see any of it, just the long, long fall down. There were also places where traffic only went one way, for about 2 hrs, then it would reverse and go the other way for 2 hrs. We came up to Leh on an Indian bus. Though we had timed this part of our journey to be in this spot in June, (when the passes open), the bus still traveled through a tunnel cut into the receding glacier. We had bought tickets to fly out, back to Srinagar, foregoing 4 days on an Indian bus. But they made it clear, when we purchased our tickets, that the plane can only land if the clouds clear, visual required to land or take off. And there is no way to predict that. Often the plane reaches Leh, circles and returns, unable to land. Every day I was there I would listen for the plane to hear if it would land or not. Additionally, the airport is, by necessity, tightly nestled between some truly remarkable mountain peaks. So you find yourself in an Air India plane, struggling to lift into the thin, thin air, on a barely long enough run way, which also requires a hard bank left, on liftoff, to avoid the Buddhist Monastery perched on the nearest mountain side. Oh, and did I mention that the plane we were in was jumpstarted on the runway by the previous days plane that couldn’t take off due to cloud cover? It sounds quite the adventure doesn’t it? Well it truly was. I am fortunate to have done quite a bit of traveling in SEAsia, South America, Indian subcontinent. If I was pressed I’d say that Leh was the very coolest place I got to. My partner didn’t want to leave the Thai beach he was on, to go off to India and Nepal, it was a challenge to get him back onto the road. But he says the same thing, best spot. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/5 "2009-08-25T17:12:44Z")
^ **evensven** only a few miles across from where you were are some roads used by the Pakistan Army which are at 19,000 feet elevation. Used mainly for military purposes. Incidentally, why are you alive.😃 That road you mention is usually shelled by the Pakistan Army quite viciously. They have the heights there. Looks like I need tio write a letter to Northern Command HQ;) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/6 "2009-08-25T17:45:53Z")
I’ve been told that all terrain vehicles have driven up Mt. McKinley - is that true? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/7 "2009-08-25T17:48:05Z")
Sorry, e **lbows** was the one I should have reffered to. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/8 "2009-08-25T18:19:38Z")
We were a couple of miles from the ceasefire line, actually. While we were in town some unrest broke out, the market was burned down, a curfew was imposed, armed India militia on every corner. Within a couple of weeks, tourists were bused out of Leh, and information became hard to find about what was going on there. After the rioting and rock throwing of the protest, while scrambling back to our guesthouse, through the warren that is the oldest part of the city, moving at a fair clip, hoping to find a shop to buy cigarettes. (The people of the town all knew this was coming the shops had oddly and suddenly just closed up!) All but banged into an Indian soldier, in full gear, with a case of tear gas canisters. Yikes! Forget the cigarettes let’s get out of this rabbit warren so we can see further than 6 ft ahead and behind us! Mr Elbows suddenly develops the instincts of a photo journalist. He’s sure there’s some great shots to be had. Yeah, I’ll show you the slides one day. What a bonehead. From our vantage point, on the town common, we could only see one side of the conflict, all the projectiles being lobbed into the unseen other side. When I could see projectiles being return fired I knew it was time to move. When we reached our guest house, a few minutes later, the entire staff and owners had up and gone. Probably in town throwing rocks! It was a very interesting trip. And you may be interested to know the thing most likely to kill you, if you’re in the Indian Army, is exposure. More soldiers die from exposure in Kashmir etc, than any other cause. It is a shocking difference of climate from the hot plain, that’s for sure. When we were there, the Leh phone book consisted of 6 numbers! ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/9 "2009-08-25T18:53:47Z")
Here in Peru you can easily drive form Lima to Ticlio (3hours) and go from sea level to 4800m (16000 ft) in 3hours on paved road. On good dirt roads I’ve driven around 5000 m. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/10 "2009-08-25T18:57:39Z")
How do cars react to such high altitudes? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/11 "2009-08-25T18:58:16Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I’ve been told that all terrain vehicles have driven up Mt. McKinley - is that true? Not even remotely. At least not anywhere near the top. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/12 "2009-08-25T19:10:44Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Not even remotely. At least not anywhere near the top. I was sure I’d heard that when we were in Alaska - guess not. They’ve definitely driven dogsleds up it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/13 "2009-08-25T19:52:05Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > They’ve definitely driven dogsleds up it, though. Yeah, Joe Redington and Susan Butcher took dog sleds to the summit in 1979, but I don’t think it has been done before or since. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/14 "2009-08-25T20:13:40Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > How do cars react to such high altitudes? Yeah, that was what I was going to ask. I wonder if any of the old carburator engines can hack that. I would doubt it without some real tinkering. Fuel injection would probably work OK, but doubt if the tour buses had those engines. **elbows** , did you have any altitude sickness problems? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/15 "2009-08-25T20:37:37Z")
Even if there is no “road” per se, how high can you climb a climb-able mountain in a 4WD? Is it in fact possible to reach the summit of Mt. Fuji in a Toyota Land Cruiser? Mt. Kilimanjaro in a Land Rover? Lets just suppose, besides your suspension having super rock-crawling gymnastics, you also have an engine with a turbocharger and pre-heated fuel to breathe in the frigid, rarefied atmosphere of high altitude…how much higher than Base Camp could you drive up Mt. Everest? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/16 "2009-08-25T20:54:58Z")
There is a regular road to the top of Mauna Kea (13,796 feet = 4,205 m) – not the answer to the OP question but certainly a candidate for “highest mountain you can drive to the top of” that was raised above. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/17 "2009-08-25T21:45:53Z")
No, I didn’t have any problems, but we had come up slowly through India with plenty of time to acclimate. That’s the way to do it. When we went to Peru, we were less smart or maybe a little over confident, having never had a problem before. Flew into Lima, on to Cuzco the next day and 48 hrs later we were hiking the Inca trail. Not so smart. I don’t think I slept a wink in Cuzco and my appetite was non existent. Trying to sleep we both had funny sort of brain stem-ish headachy feelings. The highest pass was along the second day of the trek, something between 10 - 12,000ft. I had a really hard time getting over the pass. I just couldn’t get my breath. Every few steps I’d be panting like I’d run a mile. Probably not the highest I’ve ever been, either. I never really got ill and it wore off as we went along. By the time we reached the ruins I was feeling all spry again. There were 8 people on the trek, including a couple of strapping young American lads, both named Mike, (whom we referred to as Mike Squared!). The food was carefully rationed to last the entire trek, but I’m sure these two could have eaten it all in one sitting. Climbing all day builds an appetite and these fellows were just at that age, y’know? I am just a slip of a girl and my appetite was almost non existent, two bites into every meal, I’d go," bleck, enough, I can’t eat anymore." The guide, wanting me to recover my health, would keep sending more food over to me, course after course. I’d choke back what I could. Well, Mike Squared figured it out pretty quick, I don’t think they were getting enough food to fill them up, and they were always hungry. So every meal they were my constant companions, right there at my side waiting like a couple of stray cats. “Can’t finish that? Let me help you out!” They were a riot to hang out with. Thanks for asking me this question **Klondike** , I haven’t thought about those fellows and our meal times together for a long time. I’m smiling now just remembering them. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/18 "2009-08-25T21:59:03Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > How do cars react to such high altitudes? Car tend to lose 10% of power per 1000m climbed (turbo cat feel it less). Modern cars need no extra modification, but in older models you need to change the timing ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/19 "2009-08-26T00:37:17Z")
the highest road that the general public can easily drive on is almost certainly Khardung La between Leh and the Nubra valley as mentioned: 5349 meters. The other higher roads are military only or restricted access, or its not generally possible to take your own vehicle on them. I rode a Royal Enfield motorbike over Khardung La both ways in 2007, amazing journey. They tune the fuel mixture for higher altitudes by adjusting the carburetor , but all vehicles in Leh are set this way anyway since it’s already above 3000 meters. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634/20 "2009-08-26T01:51:29Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > There is a regular road to the top of Mauna Kea (13,796 feet = 4,205 m) And it’s worth noting that this point is only about 40 road miles from the ocean. I doubt there’s any place where it’s possible to gain that sort of elevation in a shorter drive. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-highest-elevation-you-can-drive-to/507634.md?page=2)