Sichuan-Tibet tourist route: a cycling guide for Sichuan-Tibet line

The southern line of Sichuan-Tibet Highway is steep, starting from Chengdu, Sichuan in the east, passing through Kangding, Litang, Mangkang, Bomi and Linzhi, and reaching Lhasa, the capital of Xizang Autonomous Region. All the way over Folding Mountain, Scissors Bend Mountain, Yela Mountain, Dongdashan Mountain and Milla Mountain. 4000-5000 meters.

Steep Sichuan-Tibet highway

The southern line of Sichuan-Tibet Highway starts from Chengdu, Sichuan in the east, and passes through Kangding, Litang, Mangkang, Bomi and Linzhi to Lhasa, the capital of Xizang Autonomous Region. All the way over dozens of high mountains with a height of 4,000-5,000 meters, such as Zheduo Mountain, Jianziwan Mountain, Yela Mountain, Dongdashan Mountain and Milla Mountain, and over dozens of rivers, such as Dadu River, Jinsha River, Lancang River and Nujiang River. Along the way, the mountains are undulating, and the plateau climate is often rainy in the east and sunny in the west. The mountains are in spring and autumn, and the wind, rain, snow and hail on the mountains can make people experience the four seasons in one day. The magnificent natural beauty will surely make you marvel and revel in it.

The charm of riding a horse

Cycling is the best and most special way to complete the journey of the southern section of the Sichuan-Tibet line. Entering Tibet depends on one's own physical strength, just as every turn of the wheel is closer to heaven and every turn of the wheel is closer to Lhasa. Many beautiful scenery are always swept by cars. With the super maneuverability of bicycle, you can taste it freely and slowly on the Sichuan-Tibet highway with wheels. There are mountains and valleys, rivers and streams, villages and towns, sunrises and sunsets, rain and fog, birds and flowers, and only you can personally experience them. With the affinity of bicycle, you can get in close contact with more history, culture and customs in all directions, and bring you surprises and insights inadvertently.

Tibet is a sacred place for many excellent tourists. Because of the high altitude and remote location, it is difficult and itchy. I won't repeat the basic points of attention in Tibet. However, going to Tibet by bike is very different from going to Tibet by other means of transportation. So be especially prepared. Riding on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with high altitude and long journey, requires better health. If you are in poor health, don't take risks. You should choose other ways to go to Tibet.

Apply an old saying: prepare with one heart and two hands.

Red hearts mean being willing to suffer. There are many difficulties along the southern Sichuan-Tibet line, with long route, high altitude, steep slopes, many dirt roads and changeable climate. There are many places where poor accommodation will affect your rest and recovery. There will be dogs chasing you on the road, which is definitely not as simple as once or twice. And it is inevitable that the car will break down. It is necessary to be mentally prepared for so many difficulties. With a heart that is not afraid of difficulties but enjoys it, with a heart that enjoys it, we will have the spiritual strength to forge ahead. This red heart must also be a rational heart. Safety is definitely the first priority in the journey. Plans and tasks don't have to be completed. You should dare to try and learn to give up at the same time. It shouldn't be forced to die, and it shouldn't be quick for a while.

Preparation, strength, skill.

Riding a bike is a physical activity. Remind everyone again that riding on the plateau needs better health, because of the high altitude and long distance. If you are in poor health, don't take risks. Choose other ways to enter Tibet.

It is suggested to carry out adaptive training first. New cyclists can build up their physique through long-distance and mountain riding training.

It is very helpful to take part in ball games at ordinary times. It can enhance physical fitness, increase vital capacity, reduce altitude sickness, enhance physical coordination and improve emergency response.

Technology refers to the technology of riding a gearbox and repairing bicycles.

Through long-distance and mountain riding training, we can find some problems in riding and learn riding skills. The riding skills here are healthy and safe riding skills, not being able to keep balance, and how to make better use of one's gearbox to make uphill and downhill safe. Due to the complicated road conditions in the south of Sichuan-Tibet line, it is necessary to master various riding skills, and you can learn from the experience of some riders on the Internet. Master the basic repair and daily maintenance knowledge of bicycles, such as tire repair, brake system adjustment, transmission system adjustment, chain refueling, etc.

Second, money and time.

I seriously disagree with these statements: I spend the least money riding in Tibet and spend the least time riding in Tibet.

If you have more time, you can walk slowly, watch the scenery slowly, the journey will be relatively comfortable, and you will be more flexible in dealing with altitude sickness and physical ailments.

With more money, you can eat better, live better, rest better and recover better; You can buy a better car, which is labor-saving, safe and has a low maintenance rate. It can be better equipped to make the journey safer and more comfortable. In addition, if you don't have much time, you should bring enough money to rent a car or take a shuttle bus on some sections.

Be careful, be prepared, and make plans.

It is difficult to determine the exact kilometers of the South Sichuan Line because there are many new tunnels under construction and many new roads and diversions along the line. It used to be more than 2 100 kilometers, but now it is at least 2000 kilometers. Such a long trip must be well planned. According to your own ability, if you are a team member, you must clearly know the ability of each team member and plan your daily itinerary and destination.

Pay special attention to altitude drop and fluctuation, as well as weather changes. It is also uphill 10 km, with an altitude of 3000 meters and more than 4000 meters. But 10 km is easy to climb 100 m and 500 m, the latter will be realized. It is best to make a map of the same height by yourself, and then make a modification plan according to the changes, inquire about the road conditions, accommodation and scenic spots ahead, and modify the adjustment plan in time to make the trip smooth.

1. season and time

The first season is from May Day to July before the rainy season. It's warm, and it basically doesn't snow anymore, so you will bring less and lighter equipment (it's important to be lighter, and the amount of load will greatly affect your physical strength when you exercise at high altitude), and there is less possibility of landslides and falling rocks on the road.

Secondly, after the rainy season in August and before the arrival of winter, autumn is infinitely beautiful, but when the weather starts to get cold, you need to add a lot of equipment.

Some super riders, from Chengdu to Lhasa, 25-27 days. I don't think so. Even if time is limited, it is a waste of this route to complete the cycling journey. It is suggested to plan for 35-40 days to ensure that the daily trip will not be too tired, because we are neither professional racing drivers nor coolies. We should feel this journey calmly, take more beautiful photos and enjoy riding more. If the time is really short, you can choose some difficult or mediocre roads to take the shuttle bus or rent a car.

Step 2: Journey

The first paragraph:

Chengdu Qionglai Ya 'an Xin 'gou Luding Kangding

More than 30 kilometers, asphalt road, after the famous mountain county, began to go uphill and downhill. After crossing Erlang Mountain, Erlang Mountain Tunnel and Dadu River, this section of the road is an adaptation period, and muscles will be sore. It is reasonable and necessary to take a day off in Kangding, because there are still difficult sections ahead. You can also walk15km after Kangding and rest at Zheduotang Hot Spring. The next task will be lighter.

Paragraph 2:

Kangding 3800 meters, Dieshan 4200 meters, xinduqiao 3500 meters, Gaoersi Mountain 4200 meters, Yajiang.

More than 30 kilometers of the first two sections are basically asphalt roads, and the xinduqiao section is under construction. These two mountains are difficult points. The folded mountain is 35 kilometers long. The slope of Gaoer Temple is very steep, so you have to go up when you get to the pass. It should be noted that altitude sickness will be obvious just after reaching the height of 4000 meters. Xinduqiao is a photography paradise. It's beautiful in the morning and at night.

More than 30 kilometers, uphill and downhill, the whole journey is difficult, 100 kilometers is more than 4000 meters above sea level, and there will be some altitude sickness. Only the road class can live, the accommodation conditions will be poor, and the radar station and the military station can't live now. Rest in Litang, a high city on earth, and there are some scenic spots such as Changqing Guest Temple nearby.

Paragraph 4:

Litang 3900 meters Haizi Mountain 4600 meters Yidun 3630 Mimilla Nanshan 3400 meters Batang.

More than 50 kilometers, the front section is asphalt road, and the back section is dirt road. Three tunnels have been built in that mountain, but cars can be used but bicycles can be used. You should light your own lights. This section of the road used to be a robbery-prone section, but now there are patrolmen. The problem should not be big, but attention should be paid.

Paragraph 5:

Miaopu Hot Spring 3 100m of Batang Jinsha River Bridge, Mangkang 4 100m in the middle of Bala Mountain.

100 km, crossed the Jinsha River Bridge and officially entered Tibet. There is a good cement road before crossing the bridge, and a gravel road after crossing the bridge. After entering Tibet, the road class has been replaced by the road guard armed police, and there are no 4 classes. However, there are nursery hot springs to live in, but Haitong military station can't. You must arrange your foothold and itinerary. Mangkang is the first big town after the southern line of Sichuan-Tibet line entered Tibet, and it is also the entry point of Yunnan-Tibet line. There are many scenic spots nearby.

Paragraph 6:

Mangkang 3800 Mimilla Wushan 4300 meters Zhuka 2600 meters Jueba Mountain 3800 meters Xurong 3500 meters Dongdashan 5090 meters Zuogong Bangda

More than 20 kilometers, there is a dirt road in front of the mountain, and a gentle uphill road behind Zuogong, mainly asphalt road.

Difficulties: dirt roads, Dongdashan and Dongdashan are the highest points in the south of the Sichuan-Tibet line. You have to ride to an altitude of 5000 meters. When we arrived in Bonda, we were basically halfway.

Paragraph 7:

Bang 4 100 meters of rice, Lashan 4600 meters, Basu 3250 meters, Anjiula Mountain 4 100 meters, Ranwu.

More than 90 kilometers of Yela Mountain, also known as Nujiang Mountain, is paved with asphalt and dusty. The 20 kilometers of roads before and after BaSu are basically paved with asphalt.

Difficulty: Nujiangshan 72 bends down the mountain. Dust is thick on sunny days, but it turns to mud when it rains. Pay attention when you fall easily.

Ranwu is a very beautiful place with beautiful lakes, mountains and snow peaks. You can turn from Ranwu to Lancha Highway, walk along Ranwu Lake and see the ancient glaciers.

Paragraph 8:

Ranzhongba Songzong Bomi Ancient Town Tongmai

More than 20 kilometers, uphill and downhill, generally slow downhill, the road conditions are quite good. But when I came out, the lakes and mountains were beautiful, and then the mountains were like Huangshan, the water was like Jiuzhai, and there were glacier waterfalls. Pine and cypress always come out, at the foot of the mountain is a rainforest, surrounded by mountains, and the clouds of pine and cypress are low. Migu Township, passing through Gongyi National Geopark, riding horses in the forest, singing birds and flowers. The scenery of the whole road is colorful, just like walking through a big park, which is worth watching slowly.

Paragraph 9:

Mai Pailong 2100m Dongjiu 2500m Lulang 3400m Sejila Mountain 4600m Gongbu Jiangda Linzhi Bayi Town.

More than 80 kilometers, only Tongmai and Pailong Road are dirt roads. This road used to be a natural hazard, but now it is still a natural hazard for cars, and it is not a big problem for bicycles. After the dragon platoon, it goes uphill to the mouth of Sejila Mountain, and after the downhill, it is relatively flat until Gongbu Jiangda.

There are beautiful houses and farmland squares in Lulang Forest Farm, which are as beautiful as oil paintings with the snow peaks in the forest farm. Mount Serra may not be beautiful until autumn, and it will be a relatively flat road after going down. We have arrived in Linzhi, which is called southern Tibet. Bayi Town, the capital, is a large Tibetan city.

Paragraph 10:

Gongjiang Dasongduo 4300 Mimilla Mountain 5030 meters Mozhugong Kala Potala Palace

More than 70 kilometers, basically good asphalt roads. First, it goes to Milla Pass, and then to Lhasa.

Difficulties: Milla Mountain Pass at an altitude of 5030 meters, rising 700 meters in 28 kilometers. I drove all the way to Lhasa until I took photos in front of the Potala Palace, which left an exciting moment.

Here, the journey is only divided into ten segments, and the time of each segment should be planned.

Here, I pay tribute to the predecessors who rode the Sichuan-Tibet line five years ago! As can be seen from the previous raiders and travel notes, the road conditions are much better now than in those years. Let's pay tribute to the riders who rode all the way! This requires the cooperation of physique, will, time, opportunity and ability.

Step 3: Residence

The food along the Sichuan-Tibet line is cheap at both ends and expensive in the middle. The prices in the vicinity of Chengdu and Lhasa are relatively low, and the transportation cost in the central area is high because of inconvenient transportation.

Be sure to have a good breakfast, and add eggs to starchy food.

Generally, eating dry food for lunch saves money and time. You can buy more steamed buns, pies, steamed buns and eggs for breakfast, and you can also supply high-energy compressed biscuits along the way (the taste is much better than before). The lunch time is uncertain. You can eat at around 1 1 and at 3 or 4 o'clock, respectively, to replenish your strength, have a snack, drink water or have a rest.

Usually dinner is Sichuan cuisine with vegetarian dishes. Dish 8- 10 yuan, stir-fried meat 10-20 yuan, and meat 15-30 yuan.

Fruits shipped from the mainland are not cheap. The local peaches, apples, apricots and plums will not mature until the end of June. There are some precocious fruits on the road, you can try them. Don't miss the watermelon in Linzhi. You can go to the market in every town to buy some cucumbers and eat some fruits to keep healthy.

Accommodation in cities and towns is adequate and frugal, but for a large number of sports, better rest and better recovery are very important. Price of a bed: 10 yuan without shower, 15-30 yuan with public shower, 20-40 yuan with shower toilet. Showers are mostly bucket electric water heaters, which only takes 30 minutes for one person to use. If it is a public shower, pay attention to the time. There are still many water heaters with problems or insufficient voltage and water pressure. Be careful, or you will walk away on impulse and get angry. What's more, because the temperature is low at night.

In some small towns, the conditions are very poor, so we should pay attention to mosquito prevention. We found scorpions in the queue and the room.

note:

The reception at the military station mentioned in the previous raiders has basically stopped receiving tourists. Rumor has it that something happened at the military station during the reception.

Road class accommodation is free, but it's just an empty house, which may be quite ventilated. Be sure to have a sleeping bag and a damp-proof pad, and bring your own food at ordinary times.

After entering Tibet, the road classes have been replaced by road guards, some have been destroyed, some have been rented to Cordyceps diggers and businessmen, and some can stay or may be full.

When checking in, bicycles are usually put directly into the room, and larger hotels can put them in the luggage room or restaurant.

4. Equipment configuration

The cheapest bicycles I met in Tibet along the way were all around 1000 yuan, and the most expensive ones were 4,000-5,000 yuan. Although some people ride 28-inch bicycles to Tibet, a reliable brand of variable-speed bicycles (Amigues, Giant, Merida) can make you feel at ease and really minimize the maintenance rate.

Although the road conditions are much better now, we still have to choose mountain bikes, mainly because of their strong comprehensive adaptability. If you want to save money, choose a mountain bike that is slightly inclined to travel, which is reflected in the original load-bearing rear frame, front and rear sand blocks and front and rear reflectors, without additional configuration. This economical and durable all-terrain bicycle has the highest cost performance. If money is not a problem, you can refer to the recommendation of the clerk.

The outer tire should be a mountain tire, with a thin plain pattern in the middle, consistent patterns and thick teeth on both sides. When riding on dirt roads, the coarse tooth pattern on the side can prevent the cutting and wear resistance of gravel, while on asphalt roads, it needs the quickness of fine grain pattern.

If you want to buy a car in Chengdu, you can go to West Yulong Street, where there are bicycle shops of major brands. The competition is fierce and the price is natural and reasonable.

After arriving in Lhasa, you can check your bike home by train. Price reference: to Guangzhou 140 yuan.

Bicycle parts and maintenance tools

Service tools:

Multi-purpose tools (including adjustable wrench, Phillips screwdriver, knife, wrong pliers, etc. ), 1 double-headed fixed wrench and

Spare parts: 1 tire (one spare for about 3 people), 1 inner tube, 1-2 brake pad, 1 long and short brake line, 1 shift line, 1 waste toothbrush (for cleaning chain) and some sewing machine oil.

Luggage placement:

Commonly used small objects such as car heads and maps are convenient to take and put; Load the kettle, food and other heavy objects to balance the front and rear loads. Luggage is the best way to reduce the center of gravity and improve the stability of the car. If you use a big backpack, you must have a safe and spacious shelf. You should pay attention to the average placement of the bag and tie it tightly. Disadvantages are high center of gravity and instability. The advantage is that you can store your bike well during the trip and walk with your backpack at any time.

It's best to tie the rope with the kind used in motorcycles on the market. The twisted braided rope is extremely difficult to break, has certain elasticity, and is convenient and firm to tie things.

Vehicle maintenance:

Long downhill in rainy days, brake pads are worn. Check whether the brake pads should be replaced. After the rain, the lubrication of the chain will be washed away, and it will stick with sediment, which is easy to rust. It is necessary to wash it with water and oil it again. On the bumpy dirt road, check whether the screws of two wheels, tread and tail bag are loose every day.

Adjust the braking system to achieve a sensitive and appropriate state. Adjust the seat height according to the principle of personal comfort, uphill and road conditions will increase, downhill and road conditions will decrease.

Riding equipment: helmet, clock, riding clothes, night lighting tools, backpack or backpack waterproof cover, sun protection products. These trips will be safer and more convenient.

Travel equipment

Clothing: according to different seasons, quick-drying clothes and trousers, breathable cycling clothes, lightweight waterproof breathable clothes, thermal underwear, thermal coats, etc. The accommodation on the road class is poor, depending on the season. There are-15 to 5 sleeping bags and moisture-proof mats.

Tents, because there are basically accommodation points along the Sichuan-Tibet line, can be avoided. I also saw a group of cyclists with tents and cookers, and a large group of people camped.

Drugs: drugs for preventing and treating altitude sickness, drugs for treating cold and fever, drugs for enhancing metabolism, vitamin C, gastrointestinal drugs, etc.

As long as the equipment is practical and sufficient, it must be available when necessary. When trouble comes, you can solve it yourself in time. Otherwise, you will have to pay a painful price in the barren section of the Sichuan-Tibet line.

5. Pay attention to environmental protection during the trip.

I have been to beautiful xinduqiao, and I was depressed to see ditches and rivers full of plastic bags, beverage bottles and other indecomposable garbage. This year's visit to the old place has been greatly improved and rectified. However, this kind of pollution has reappeared in Tibet, and the beautiful roadsides and lakes in Ranwu are full of rubbish.

Cycling itself is a manifestation of environmental protection. Even though we may not be able to promote environmental protection, we must protect the environment ourselves. When traveling, don't change the original local natural environment: respect local customs; Wild animals that don't eat; The garbage generated during the trip should be kept and collected, and then put into the garbage disposal collection point in the town.

The southern section of Sichuan-Tibet Highway has gradually become a well-known and popular bicycle tour route at home and abroad. The section of National Highway 3 18 is rich in natural and cultural landscapes, and villages and towns along the way provide accommodation and materials. In fact, if Sichuan-Tibet South Road is better managed, it can become the best cycling route in the world.