On a windswept plateau 5,000 meters above sea level, where oxygen levels are nearly half of those at sea level and temperatures can plunge to minus 42°C, Pasang Tsering and his team faced one of the toughest engineering challenges on Earth.
It was the mid-1990s when they set out to build what would become the world’s highest electricity skyroad: an iron pylon towering into freezing winds, designed to carry power lines across jagged peaks and ridges. Without the comforts of lowland workshops or steady power, the crew improvised heated tents for welding and relied on careful planning to haul heavy iron beams through thin air.
After weeks of battling altitude sickness and bone-chilling nights, the first sparks of electricity finally surged through the lines. The flickering glow of butter lamps in nearby villages gave way to steady neon lights, transforming schoolhouses, health posts and local workshops. Where darkness once ruled, children could study after dusk, clinics could refrigerate vaccines, and entrepreneurs could power simple machinery.
Today, 25 years on, the pylon still stands as a symbol of innovation and grit. Pasang’s story resonates with global citizens, engineers and changemakers: it reminds us that with creativity and courage, even the harshest environments can be brought to life, one glowing filament at a time.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
