Editor’s note: The trip started on July 18, lasted 23 days, and covered a total of 8,037 kilometers. The journey was safe and smooth. For a 74-year-old man, it is not bad to be able to complete a Sichuan in and out, plus Gannan Ruoergai Aba.
After buying Chai Jing in 2008, a family of three drove to Ganzi, Aba, and Gannan by themselves in 2010. In 2012, the family of three went to Sichuan and Qinghai. It was the first trip to Tibet. In 2014, my son who was a freshman in high school wanted to leave 317 in the rainy season, so the father and son went to Tibet in 317 until Zhangmu, and then returned in 318. The above three times are all posts written in this edition.
After returning home from Tibet a few times ago, I often talked to my father about all the wonderful things on the road, but my father can’t drive, and he doesn’t understand the unique joy of self-driving travel, and he doesn’t have much yearning for Tibet.
In the past 3 years, my father has gradually learned about Tibet from some public accounts or circle of friends because of the use of WeChat, and he has gradually become interested in the Sichuan-Tibet line, especially when his cousin and brother-in-law followed their daughter and son-in-law to drive back to Tibet. After a good talk, I had the idea of going to Tibet. But this year is 74. My mother had a high reaction to going to Qinghai Lake last time, so she couldn’t accompany her. He signed up for a travel agency by himself, and they didn’t accept it. So I plan to drive and take my dad to 318 to fulfill his Tibet dream!
This plan was made half a year ago. The main purpose is to let my father arrive in Lhasa smoothly and appreciate the gorgeous scenery along the 318 road. Since he walked once, it is best to see more scenery along the way. Again and again with self-driving into Tibet. So the final route is 318 to Lhasa, then continue to Shigatse, if the physical condition allows, go to the Everest base camp, after returning to Lhasa, 109 to Golmud, and then Qinghai Lake.
Then go to Gannan, pass Ruoergai, Aba, Hongyuan, Malkang to Ya’an, and finally go home at high speed. I divided the itinerary into 3 sections: the first section is the trip of National Highway 318 Sichuan-Tibet Line, the second section is the tour of National Highway 109 Qinghai-Tibet Line, and the third section is the trip of retaking the Red Army’s Long March Road—Gannan Aba Tour.
For a 74-year-old man, it is not bad to be able to complete a Sichuan in and out, plus Gannan Ruoergai Aba. Fortunately, my father has always been in good health and has no diseases. He has been to Qinghai Lake and Jiuzhaigou, and basically has no altitude sickness. This is why I dare to continue living alone.
This trip, starting on July 18, lasted 23 days, with a total journey of 8037 kilometers, and the journey was safe and smooth. It’s been almost a week since I came back. According to the usual practice, after returning home from a trip with a competitor, if I don’t make a summary report in this edition, then the trip will not be a perfect ending.
For me this time, all the roads are the roads I have traveled, mainly to accompany my father to realize his dream. In 2014, I took my son to realize his dream at Kai Chai Jing. The average age of father and son is 28, and the average age of father and son this year is 60! The following is a brief report on the itinerary along the way.
Before departure, I still went to the maintenance station to thoroughly maintain Xiaojing (a new car purchased in 2015). I changed the oil and water of the whole car and did four-wheel maintenance. The master was very meticulous.
After returning home, I wiped the inside of the cabin clean again, and the small water gun my son had when he was a child also came in handy. The car is spiritual, if you take good care of it, it will definitely repay you well.
This is the first time for my father to take the Sichuan-Tibet line, and he is very unfamiliar with the route, so he made a brief introduction in advance and read it to his father 2 months in advance, so that he can get familiar with it. When I brought my son to Tibet before, I also made a road book in advance, which not only included introductions along the way, but also left a blank page to write a diary every day.
On the first day, I went to Lichuan’s uncle’s house and stayed overnight.
On the second day, I went to Ya’an at high speed.
On the third day, the journey was very short until Kangding, mainly to let my dad get used to it slowly, and now I will stay in Kangding for one night. Every time I go to Kangding, I especially like this river!
On the 4th day, I took my father to climb the first 4,000-meter pass in his life. It was too hot to enter Tibet on 318 in the past few years. Line up to drive to the pass. My father hardly felt any discomfort at the 4298-meter pass.
At noon, we had lunch at Xinduqiao, and then went to see Tagong Temple.
At the gate of a Buddhist academy under construction in Tagong, I saw Yala Mountain.
Returning from Tagong to 318, the Gaoersi Mountain Tunnel has been opened to traffic, but I still want my father to take the original 318 as much as possible, so I followed the old road to the pass, the road was bad, and there were no other cars along the way. When we arrived at the pass, it was very open, only one car and two of us. It was the first time that my father experienced the vastness of the plateau, and he felt very refreshed.
We stayed in Yajiang that night.
On the 5th day, Yajiang departed, had lunch in Litang, and went to Changqingqingke Temple.
The Maoya prairie on Haizi Mountain, my father thinks it is so beautiful! Stay overnight in Batang
On the 6th day, Batang set off, and Haitonggou was rehabilitated, which was very bad.
It took 5 hours to reach Mangkang. When we approached Dongda Mountain, there was a traffic jam!
This is the first time for my father to cross a pass with an altitude of more than 5,000 meters. I climbed a few steps by myself and went up and down very smoothly. I am relieved now.
I originally planned to stay in Basu today, and I didn’t want to live in Zuogong or Bangda, but Haitonggou took too much time. It was almost 7 o’clock in the evening when I arrived in Zuogong. I thought about it, let’s go to Basu, and wait for me to go. It was already 9 o’clock when we arrived at the viewing platform at 72 turns, the sky was already dark, and it was still raining heavily.
Fortunately, at the 72nd turn, I left both positive and negative, so I went down to the edge of the Nujiang River in the dark. After passing the Nujiang River, I had to walk along the canyon for a while. Because of the rain, I was still nervous and afraid of falling rocks. Because I used to walk during the day and saw the mountains here.
Sure enough, a few small stones fell in front of me, and I hurried to speed up, only to hear a burst of intensive drumbeats on the roof of the car, like beating a drum. My father asked me what the sound was, and I said a stone fell from the mountain. He was a little nervous. Arrived in Basu at about 10:40 pm.
The 7th day is relatively leisure, Basu departs for Bomi.
On the 8th day, Bomi went to Nyingchi.
beautiful old town
There is no natural danger in Tongmai, but it also lacks a sense of excitement. Entering Tibet still needs a sense of ritual.
On the ninth day, Nyingchi went to Lhasa. Instead of taking the Mira Mountain Tunnel, the main reason is to let my father experience more of every pass on the national road.
After arriving in Lhasa, I still stayed in Lao Chen’s 8844 Inn, and I felt very comfortable.
On the 10th and 11th days, I accompanied my father to the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, Sera Monastery and other places, and spent the rest of the time basking in the sun at the inn.
On the 12th day, depart from Lhasa to Shigatse via Yanghu Lake.
Passing by Carola, I remembered the experience of climbing hard with my son in 2014 and trying to touch the ice tongue.
On the 13th day, my father went to the restaurant of Tashilhunpo Monastery in the morning. I was waiting in the parking lot and found a car with 3 spare tires, one on the bottom and two on the roof. What kind of bad road is this going to take?
My father himself canceled the plan to go to the Everest base camp, because I saw the video sent back in the group by the people who arrived at the base camp the day before. Those who prefer historical and cultural attractions, besides, he heard that the highest altitude point is on the Qinghai-Tibet line back, so he thinks it’s worth noting to go to the base camp. So I agreed, and after watching Zha Monastery in the morning, I went back to Lhasa directly.
On the 14th day, I officially embarked on the journey of the Qinghai-Tibet line. I also imitated my aunt to dance the hada, but I didn’t learn it.
My father climbed over the highest altitude of this trip – Tanggula Mountain pass 5231 meters, and the condition is still quite good!
A lake at the pass.
Xiaojing on the pass.
Nagqu Grassland is still very beautiful!
Staying in Nagqu at night, this is the first time to live at 4,500 meters, and my father thinks there is no problem.
On the 15th day, in 2012, our family of three drove from Nagqu to Golmud in one day, from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm, because we were afraid of living at a high altitude again. This time with my father, I was worried that he would feel uncomfortable sitting for so long, and I didn’t want to drive late, so I lived along the Tuotuo River. Entering the hotel is a big oxygen cylinder!
On the 16th day, I crossed the Kunlun Mountains and arrived in Golmud. At the pass of the Kunlun Mountains, I helped the Green River Public Welfare Organization bring a bag of empty mineral water bottles to the volunteer station in Golmud City.
The road down the Kunlun Mountains is beautiful! The last time I passed it at night, this time I made up for it.
The garbage was sent to the volunteer service station in Golmud.
On the 17th day, live from Golmud to Heima River.
Stop by Chaka Salt Lake to have a look.
The last time my parents came to Qinghai Lake with a travel agency, they were in a hurry and didn’t take a good look at it, so this time I stayed in the inn by the lake, so I can have a good experience in the evening and early morning.
On the 18th day, Heimahe went directly to Hezuo City. The Qinghai-Tibet line tour is over, and the trip to Aba in Gannan begins
Day 19 Hezuo City to Tangke Township
It has been raining heavily this day, and I went to Langmusi to have a look in the rain
The little lama running in the rain
Stayed in Tangke Township that night, and planned to see the first bend of the Jiuqu Yellow River early the next morning.
On the 20th day, travel from Tangke Township to Maerkang.
When I got up in the morning, I went to see the first bay of the Yellow River.
Then enjoy the beautiful scenery of Hongyuan Grassland all the way.
Little competition on the prairie.
On the 21st day, Malkang passed Mengbi Mountain, Dawei, Jiajin Mountain, and then went to Ya’an. My son and I walked 317 in 2014. We started from Ya’an, and we also went to Malkang from this road and then officially started the 317 journey. After 5 years, a spectacular monument to the Red Army’s Long March was built on the pass.
I feel that only this pose can best match this scene, so I posed one.
Day 22, Ya’an Expressway to Lichuan
Day 23 Home
