There is always a lot of debate over labeling something as the "highest in the world". It seems like no one can agree on things like the "highest lake" or the "highest motorable road". There was even debate almost until the mid-20th century over which mountain was the highest in the world. I have had people tell me that Lake Titicaca in South America is the highest lake in the world at 3812m. There are literally hundreds of lakes on the Tibetan Plateau that are clearly higher than Titicaca. Nam Tso is just one example at 4718m and Nam Tso is not even the highest lake in Tibet. People will then debate over what defines a lake...how big does a pool of water have to be to be considered a lake? Another topic of debate is the highest motorable road in the world. The Khardung La in Ladakh claims to be the highest motorable road in the world at 5602m, but has recently been measured and confirmed at 5359m, 243m lower than the sign at the pass states.
The Suge La is not the highest motorable pass in the world, but it is definitely one of the highest. It is the highest motorable road that I have been on. The Suge La rises to 5430m / 17,815 feet above sea level. The pass is located in the Nyenchen Dangla Mountains about 110kms northwest of Lhasa. From the pass, you get an amazing view of Chomo Gangtse, which rises to 7048m. The road conditions at the Suge La are decent. It is a wide dirt road that most vehicles can travel on.
While it is of course debatable, the highest motorable road in the world probably is Semo La, which rises to a confirmed 5565m. It depends however, on your definition of "motorable road". This Semo La is located in Tsochen county in Ngari Prefecture (far west Tibet).
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