As long as we live, we’re chasing,
Either happy or unlucky.
— Milosz
After a year, I came to this land I have been longing for – West Sichuan. The clear and blue sky, the quiet and sacred vast land, the simple and interesting people, and the blurred high aversion are the reasons why I miss and chase here. Chasing, as long as we live, we are chasing.
It was before the drizzle, a lush grassland at the foot of the mountain, and a sunny June day. We drove the Tuda, carried the Canon camera, and started an extraordinary pursuit journey towards the secret place of Gongga.
Escaping from Chengdu, crossing Zhedu, everything is getting better
Depart from Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, take the expressway and head west. The faster the car, the faster the imagination. We seem to have traveled through time and space in an instant, standing in the depths of Gongga’s secret place.
From Chengdu to Ya’an, the whole journey is almost at high speed. Thanks to Tuda’s rich electronic assisted driving system, I don’t feel tired driving all the way. The running-in period between man and car is faster than the ice breaking between team members. The 120-kilometer journey was completed in just over an hour.
We took a short break in Ya’an and tasted the local specialty Yayu, which can be regarded as reserve energy for the upcoming mountain crossing and the possible high reaction. We set off again in the afternoon. After walking for a while, we got on National Highway 318, and the road conditions gradually became more complicated. Fortunately, the stable performance of the car Tuda gave us a lot of peace of mind. However, the next Zheduo Mountain is the real challenge for us.
“Zheduo” means bending in Tibetan, and it is written as “Zheduo” in Chinese. The winding mountain road in Zheduo Mountain has nine bends and eighteen bends, and the word “Duo” is formed by winding back and forth. No wonder the local people have a saying: “Erlang Mountain that scares people to death, and Zheduo Mountain that turns dead people”. Not only that, the altitude sickness caused by the rising altitude is also secretly surging in our bodies, and everyone gradually calms down. Fortunately, Tuda’s spacious interior and comfortable seats helped us offset some of the discomfort and panic.
After crossing the pass of Zheduo Mountain, we arrived at Xinduqiao, the transfer station of this chasing trip. Although everyone felt a little tired and uncomfortable, it did not affect the joyful mood, and everything was getting better…
Wake up at the beautiful Xindu Bridge and fall asleep at the foot of the mysterious Gongga Snow Mountain
I often hear people talk about Xinduqiao, a rather romantic place name. Falling asleep under the stars and waking up in the sun here is the moment of freedom I’m chasing. On the first night in Xinduqiao, I thought I would feel high and uncomfortable, but I didn’t expect a good night’s sleep. When I woke up in the morning, it was past 6:30, and I couldn’t wait to open the curtains, leaning on the pillow and indulging in the ultimate beauty of Xindu Bridge.
After breakfast, leave Xinduqiao for a while, and the motorcade headed for the secret place of Gongga. Departing from Xindu Bridge, passing through Yalonggou, Yaha Pass, Shangmuju Village Primary School, and finally arriving at the accommodation for the second day: Shangmuju Village Photography Home. For the 88-kilometer journey, the first 32 kilometers are paved roads, and the last 56 kilometers are all gravel roads. The road is narrow and curved, and it is extremely bumpy. If the car is not comfortable, it will be quite tortured. Fortunately, we drove this trip is Tuda.
Before going to the residence, we also visited a local primary school and brought some study and daily necessities for the Tibetan children there. They are cheerful and enthusiastic, and people can’t help but want to come forward and hug them.
After resting in the photography home, we finally went to the final destination of this journey – Zimei Pass, where we went to see the true face of Gongga Snow Mountain and chase the pictures of our dreams.
It is only 10 kilometers from the home of photography to Zimei Pass, but it is the most difficult section of the chasing trip. The altitude rises from 3,500 meters to more than 4,500 meters, and the temperature drops to freezing point in the evening, and the oxygen supply is insufficient, which is a severe test for people and vehicles. The entire gravel winding mountain road is narrow, with steep slopes and sharp bends, poor visibility, and extremely low room for error. The ground is uneven and there are many gravels. Fortunately, Tuda has a minimum ground clearance of 225mm, plus a 32° approach angle and a 27° departure angle, so it is not difficult to pass. In addition, Tuda’s mature power combination still performs well in the plateau anoxic environment at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, and still maintains sufficient power and good off-road performance.
Zimei Pass is 4,500 meters above sea level and only 5 kilometers away from the main peak of Gongga. It is the closest viewing platform to watch Gongga Snow Mountain. We planned to go there before the sun set to see the legendary Rizhao Jinshan spectacle, but the direction was blocked by the thick fog that could not be dispersed, and Gongga was completely hidden…
It’s okay, we have one more chance. At the foot of the mysterious Gongga Snow Mountain, I fell asleep carefully, praying that when I woke up the next day, my personality would explode.
Gongga Snow Mountain watching the sunrise and watching the sea of clouds, an imperfect and perfect chasing journey
Early in the morning of the third day, we got up before dawn and drove up the mountain road to Zimei Pass again. It was dark and the road was slippery, and the difficulty was doubled from the previous day.
There are many U-shaped curves on the way, the road is narrow, and the tires almost brush the edge of the cliff. At this time, the off-road advantage of Tudafei carrying the body will be brought into play. The fully enclosed O-shaped structure frame and the rigid front of the mountain road greatly reduce the bumps and vibrations. In addition, the double-wishbone front suspension with stabilizer bar and the five-link integral bridge rear suspension with stabilizer bar provide a great Stability eased our ride discomfort.
There are several steep slopes on the way, which are particularly stressful, especially in the early morning, when the road surface is slightly muddy and slippery. If there is no effective four-wheel drive system at this time, I am afraid that it will be abandoned halfway. As a large cross-country off-road SUV, Tuda’s all-terrain electronically controlled time-sharing four-wheel drive system left a deep impression on me. When the low-speed four-wheel drive mode is activated, the front and rear wheel torque distribution is adjusted to 50:50, and the torque is amplified by 2.7 times, which greatly improves the passability. Coupled with the same-level leading mechanical tooth-type rear differential lock and B-LSD electronic brake differential lock, it basically does not slip, and can start calmly and pass quickly on slightly slippery winding roads. This section of the plateau winding mountain road looks very scary. In the end, we walked through it without any danger. It gave us a taste of the excitement of off-roading, and it also confirmed the advantages of Tuda’s off-road performance on non-paved roads such as gravel and mud. .
Half an hour later, we arrived at Zimei Pass smoothly. Although the fog disappeared, thick clouds covered most of the body of Gongga Snow Mountain. “It’s okay, at least it’s better than not being able to see anything yesterday. Maybe the sun will rise and the dark clouds will clear, and it will be completely revealed in front of us.” Thinking of this, I felt relieved. At this moment, the only thing I can do is one word: wait!
During the waiting period, between Zimei Pass and Gongga Snow Mountain where we are, the sea of clouds is churning, and under the light of the sunrise, the light and shadow change, and the colors flow, just like a fairyland. All the exhaustion from getting up early was swept away, and the whole person entered a state of ecstasy.
Although we still couldn’t see the whole picture of Gongga Snow Mountain in the end, the magnificent momentum of the sky, earth, mountains, clouds, plants and trees in Gongga Secret Realm is enough to make us feel worthwhile. Everyone unanimously raised their Canon EOS 5D4 and EOS 6D2 cameras to record this extremely precious moment. An imperfect chase!
With this sense of shock and satisfaction, we returned to Xinduqiao, and the joyful mood could not be calmed down for a long time…
On this road, whether we are happy or unlucky, we set off bravely and cross many obstacles, just to meet Gongga. Tuda leads us to pursue the extraordinary, and we use Canon to record the beauty.
