Day 2: From Xinduqiao to Litang (2013Year7Month21, Sunday)
Originally, we planned to go straight from Xinduqiao to Batang and stay there overnight. However, two unexpected incidents forced us to adjust our itinerary.
We set off at 8:25 a.m. Along the way, there was a continuous stream of cyclists and hikers. We had assumed these hikers would keep going all the way to Lhasa, but that wasn’t the case. Last night, we chatted with a young hiker who turned out to be from Henan, studying at a technical college in Shandong. He had cycled to Tibet the year before last. Having just graduated and completed six months of internship, he quit his job to hike to Tibet. He traveled from Xi’an to Xinduqiao in just seven days. Of course, he couldn’t have reached Xinduqiao by hiking alone in seven days—he combined walking with hitchhiking. In fact, most of his hiking involved getting rides. He summed up his hitchhiking experience: it’s easier for girls to get picked up, while guys find it much harder. Generally, official vehicles are more likely to stop, while private car drivers are usually reluctant to give strangers a ride. Hearing this, we realized that cyclists face even tougher conditions—they can’t hitchhike because of their bikes, so they truly have to pedal every step of the way.
The food and accommodation for hikers or cycling travelers are quite basic. Last night, we stayed at the 318 Hostel, where a bed for a hiker costs 20 yuan per person per night, or 50 yuan per person including dinner, breakfast, and lodging. Most accommodations are either dormitory-style bunk beds or shared large beds.
Once we left Xinduqiao town, the road conditions worsened. Road construction made the already rough gravel road even more potholed. For the first time, we raised the suspension of our Touareg, which could only proceed cautiously at speeds of 30–40 km/h. Online sources had mentioned that several sections of the road between Xinduqiao and Batang were extremely poor—and indeed, they were.
[attach]2040557[/attach]Road conditions for the 20 km after leaving Xinduqiao
There was traffic control ahead, with large trucks lined up in a long queue. When we drove closer, we learned that trucks were banned, but passenger cars were allowed. Despite the bad road conditions, the stream of cyclists continued unabated. However, the hiking travelers were nowhere to be seen—we guessed the tough road conditions had driven them to take buses or chartered cars instead. By now, all the cyclists we saw were riding mountain bikes. On the way from Chengdu to Xinduqiao, we had still seen some cycling on road bikes, but seemingly overnight, everyone had switched to mountain bikes.
From Xinduqiao to Yajiang, we had to cross the Gaosii Mountain Pass, and we were continuously ascending the mountain. Just as we were about to reach the pass, Wang Jun suddenly realized he had left his phone at the hostel. He quickly turned around and sped back down the mountain to the 318 Hostel. The hostel owner had found the phone and kept it safe for us. We got it back without issue, but this round trip cost us over an hour and added more than 40 km to our journey. This was our first unexpected incident.
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Cyclists on the mountain switchbacks
Since we were back in Xinduqiao anyway, we decided to fill up with 97-octane gasoline at the Sinopec gas station—8.27 yuan per liter, 51 liters for 425 yuan. Earlier, when we refueled in Ya’an at a Sinopec station, the attendant told us there was no 97-octane fuel ahead, only 93-octane, tricking us into buying fuel additive.
At 10:30 a.m., we reached the Gaosii Mountain Pass, which sits at an altitude of 4,412 meters. Parking here costs 10 yuan. Old Zhao got out to take a few photos, but Wang Jun and Maotou didn’t dare to get out.
The entire road up Gaosii Mountain is difficult to navigate—muddy and full of potholes—but fortunately, the road is wide enough for vehicles to pass each other. Despite the terrible road conditions, the scenery along the way is breathtaking, living up to the saying: “Heaven above, hell below.”
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Gaosii Mountain Pass
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Scenery at Gaosii Mountain Pass
At 12:30 p.m., we arrived in Yajiang and had lunch at a place called “Yajiang Fish Restaurant.” We ordered three dishes and one soup: Kung Pao Chicken, Stir-fried Baby Bok Choy, Mapo Tofu, Tomato and Egg Soup, plus a bucket of rice—for a total of 102 yuan.
Our next destination is Litang. From Yajiang to Litang, there are 137 km to cover, including crossing two mountain passes: Jianziwan Pass and Kazila Pass. Both passes are at high altitudes—4,600 m and 4,700 m respectively.
The road out of Yajiang improved—it was newly paved asphalt. But as we started climbing toward Jianziwan Pass, the road condition deteriorated. Not only were the roads still potholed, but there were also deep and large pits. A brand-new Changan Ford Edge stopped in front of a huge pit, unable to move forward. Old Zhao went to check and found out it was a newly purchased car that hadn’t even been registered yet. The owner had come to drive the Sichuan-Tibet Highway before getting plates. As a result, the Edge had to reverse and then drive along the road shoulder to avoid the pit. On the plateau, not only does the vehicle struggle with fuel efficiency, but the air conditioning also isn’t as cooling as it is at lower altitudes.
At 2:46 p.m., we passed through Jianziwan Pass, which has an exact altitude of 4,659 meters.
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Jianziwan Mountain Pass
When we crossed Jianziwan Pass, we barely felt any symptoms of altitude sickness. Yet, the day before, when we crossed the Zheduo Mountain Pass at 4,308 meters, we felt dizzy and light-headed. It seems we’re gradually adapting to the high-altitude environment. The vehicle moved up and down along the mountain roads, but the altitude remained consistently above 4,000 m. In fact, the road between Jianziwan Pass and Kazila Pass is built along the mountain ridge between the two peaks.
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The road between Jianziwan Mountain and Kazila Mountain
Although Kazila Pass is nearly 100 meters higher in altitude than Jianziwan Pass, we crossed it without even noticing. Kazila Pass still has rough roads but stunning scenery.
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Scenery at Kazila Pass
Around 5 p.m., when we were about 18 km away from Litang, we encountered our second unexpected incident—the right rear tire of the Touareg suddenly blew out. We prepared to get out and change the tire, but then a heavy rain poured down, soaking us completely. The whole family sprang into action: Maotou handled communication, Wang Jun held an umbrella as assistant, and Old Zhao took charge of changing the tire.
Old Zhao opened the trunk lid and was immediately stunned by the spare tire. It turned out the Touareg’s spare is a non-inflated foldable tire, which needs to be inflated before use. Although we spotted the air canister in the spare tire compartment, we couldn’t figure out where the inflation valve was after studying it for a while. We had to call a friend in Chengdu, but it turned out he had never used the spare tire either. He contacted a 4S shop technician, who guided us remotely via phone. Eventually, we found the inflation valve under the front passenger seat and quickly connected the air hose to the canister to inflate the spare tire.
The first problem was solved, but then the second one emerged: how much air should be pumped into the spare tire? After a second plea for help to the 4S shop, we were told that there is a tire pressure comparison chart on the left front door of the vehicle, and we filled the spare tire according to that chart.
With the inflation issue resolved and the car lifted by the jack, the third problem arose: the flat tire wouldn't come off. Old Zhao took out several wrenches from the trunk and tried to loosen the tire bolts, but none of the wrench openings matched the bolts. Too embarrassed to call again, he squatted alone in front of the tire pondering and finally discovered that there was a plastic decorative cover over the bolts. Only after removing the cover could he use the wrench to loosen the bolts.
We quickly got to work and managed to loosen four out of the five bolts, but the fifth one wouldn’t budge—the wrench still didn’t fit. Upon closer inspection, Old Zhao realized that the first four bolts were hexagonal, while the fifth was multi-angular, resembling a gear. Embarrassed once more, he called the mechanic, who explained that this bolt was anti-theft and required a special adapter on the wrench to loosen it. In the end, it took us a full two hours to change the tire. Fortunately, the rain gradually let up; otherwise, we would’ve been in real trouble. To prevent any further tire issues, we left the spare tire uninflated and kept it in the trunk just in case.
It was already 7 PM by the time we finished changing the tire. The spot was 18 kilometers from Litang and over 180 kilometers from Batang. Netizens said the road from Litang to Batang is very rough and one of the most grueling sections of the southern Sichuan-Tibet route, including about 70 kilometers of washboard road. It seemed going to Batang was out of the question, so we had to change our plan and head to Litang to get the tire fixed and stay overnight. At over 4,000 meters above sea level, Litang is known as the "World's High City." Many netizens advised against staying here due to altitude concerns, so we were prepared to challenge potential altitude sickness tonight. We drove carefully with the spare tire, hoping not to puncture another.
We arrived in Litang at 7:45 PM. Maybe it was just psychological, but the place felt incredibly high—as if taking a single step could send you to the sky.
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World’s High City: Litang
Without even looking for accommodation or food, we first sought a place to fix the tire. Not far into town, we found a repair shop. The mechanic opened the tire and found two holes, with iron shavings and gravel inside—no doubt the culprits behind the blowout. Fixing the tire cost 50 yuan. After the repair, we stopped by a PetroChina gas station to refuel. There was no 97-octane gasoline available, so we had to fill up with 33 liters of 93-octane at 7.78 yuan per liter, totaling 263 yuan.
Perhaps because few travelers choose to stay in Litang, finding accommodation was surprisingly easy. We quickly found the “Litang County Kangnan Grand Hotel,” which is run by the local armed forces department. Before coming to Tibet, we had heard that Litang has poor security and is a hotspot for Tibetan independence activists—the main figures behind the Lhasa riots back then were from Litang. Staying at this armed forces-run hotel was also a safety consideration. The hotel is located within the armed forces compound, and seeing the solemn PLA emblem and flag at the gate instantly gave us a greater sense of security. We booked a suite with an inner and outer room: the inner room served as the bedroom with a large bed, while the outer room had a single sofa bed. The suite was fully equipped with everything one could need, including private Wi-Fi. The price was only 280 yuan, and parking in the compound was free.
We experienced noticeable altitude sickness in Litang—especially Wang Jun, who had strong symptoms, and Mao Tou also showed signs, while Old Zhao seemed unaffected. The room was on the third floor with no elevator, and climbing up from the first floor left Wang Jun with a racing heartbeat and significant discomfort. He went straight to bed upon entering the room, and neither he nor Mao Tou came downstairs again. Old Zhao went downstairs on his own to the hotel’s first-floor restaurant, ordered three dishes, and asked the waiter to deliver them to the room.