The Karola Glacier (K¨£ru¨°l¨¡ B¨©ngchu¨¢n, ¿¨ÈôÀ±ù´¨), one of Tibet's three major continental glaciers, is located on the boundary of Langkatse and Gyantse counties. Around 71 km (44 mi) from Gyantse, it's situated to the north of the main peak of Karola Mountain. Karola Glacier is located a little further away from Yamdroktso Lake, in the junction of Nanggarze and Gyantse of Tibet. Karola Glacier is about 300m from the main highway with easy access on your way to Gyantse. Lying in the northern section of the Himalayas, Karola Glacier, covers an area of 9.4 sq km. This imposing glacier is visible from the highway which links Lhasa and Shigatse.
With gentle slopes towards the top of the glacier giving way to hanging glacier forms below, it's a spectacular sight, especially in the sunlight when it shines a brilliant white.
If that's not enough, the scenery also makes it well worth the journey, with black rocks contrasting starkly with the surrounding snow-capped peaks.
The best times to visit Karola Glacier are during the spring and autumn months, and the glacier is viewable from the highway as well as a vantage point directly beneath the glaciers. Due to loose ice and year-round precipitation, the glacier has been fenced off, but the glacier¡¯s magnificent presence can still be experienced relatively up close, and one of Karola¡¯s enormous glacial columns stretches down the mountain, stopping just short of the road. Parts of the glacier have taken on a darker shade due to dust blowing through the range or flaring up from the nearby highway, giving Karola a uniquely multifaceted and mottled appearance and providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience for visitors who willing to make the pilgrimage.
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