After 27 days, climbing over 12 mountains at altitudes above 4,000 meters and cycling 2,130 kilometers to reach Lhasa—on May 3, Huang Taiyong, the young man from Huangshi who successfully completed the solo bike ride to Tibet, took a train back to his hometown.
Cycling alone for 10 days to reach Lhasa
The 21-year-old Huang Taiyong is from Daye, Huangshi. On March 30 this year, he met up with 14 other cycling enthusiasts in Chengdu, preparing to cycle to Lhasa along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.
“Tibet’s scenery is beautiful, and the journey is full of challenges—I want to give it a try.” Before setting off, Huang wrote in his diary: “Some things, if not done now, will never be done.”
After searching online and plotting a route, Huang prepared clothes, medicine, and bicycle repair tools. On April 2, Huang Taiyong and his companions set off from Chengdu. Along the way, they passed through a total of 22 stops including Ya’an, Markam, and Lhasa.
On April 15, Huang Taiyong arrived in Batang, entering Tibetan territory. Three days later, he reached Zuogong, where his teammates decided to rest, but Huang wanted to press on and continued alone, arriving in Lhasa on April 28.
Rocks falling just half a meter behind
On April 6, Huang Taiyong reached the Zheduo Mountain in Kangding, which sits at an altitude of 4,298 meters. When he reached the mountaintop, it had just snowed and the wind was strong. Huang suffered from altitude sickness, “headache and struggling to breathe.” He quickly took medicine from his bag, then pushed his bike to continue, but his hands were so cold he could barely grip the brakes. The altitude sickness lasted a full week, but he kept taking medication and gradually adapted.
Huang said that once in the Dongda Mountain area of Tibet (within Zuogong County, at an altitude of 5,008 meters), a sheep knocked a rock loose which fell just half a meter behind him, giving him a huge fright. On the day he crossed from Litang to Batang, it was already dark and hail was falling when he reached the pass, with the biting wind feeling like knives on his face. The following 90-kilometer downhill stretch lasted until 1 a.m., with no streetlights and only flashlights to guide them—they moved slowly, and one teammate even fell and got injured. Along the way, passing drivers asked if they wanted a lift. “At the time, we were all tempted, but we held firm, encouraged each other, and kept going.”
27 days, 3,000 yuan spent
Huang made daily plans. He cycled during the day and tried to reach a town or county by night to rest. Along the way, he passed 12 mountains—sometimes ascending 30 km that took five hours. “Often reaching the summit around noon, I’d eat a flatbread or steamed bun before hurrying back down.” He averaged about 100 km a day, with a longest stretch of 180 km in a single day.
Cycling is physically demanding. For dinner at restaurants, Huang always ordered the cheapest vegetable dishes. He usually stayed in small hostels for 20 yuan a night, sometimes even sharing a room with seven or eight others.
After reaching Lhasa, Huang stayed for two days before deciding to return to Huangshi by train. “Tickets were hard to get, so I went to Zhengzhou first and then back to Huangshi. The fare cost over 400 yuan.” Huang roughly calculated that his 27-day, 2,130-km bike ride cost 3,000 yuan.
Huang kept a diary every day, with the first page stamped with eight postmarks. “Every place I went, I looked for the local post office. But sometimes it was too late and they were closed, so not all postmarks are complete.” After returning, he plans to share his Tibet travelogue on a forum.
Cycling route:
Ya’an → Xingou → Kangding → Xinduqiao → Yajiang → 112th Road Camp → Litang → Batang → Markam → Rumai → Rongxu → Zuogong → Bangda → Baxoi → Ranwu → Bomi → Tongmai → Luolong → Bayi → Gongbo’gyamda → Songduo → Lhasa, total of 22 stops