cycling the sichuan tibet route i want to walk it with my own legs

When I decided to cycle the Sichuan-Tibet route, I posted on my social media, saying, 'I'm going to traverse the Sichuan-Tibet route, experiencing 'the body in hell, the eyes in heaven.' Then I received numerous comments—

“Are you serious?”

“Have you made a plan?”

“It's not as good as you imagine, right?”

“You can't finish it in 25 days, can you?”

“It's great to be young, you can just go whenever you want.”

“I admire your courage to just go.”

“I hope when you come back, there's still a trace of you that we can recognize.”

“I suggest you drive there first.”

“The Sichuan-Tibet route is risky, you really need to think it through.”

“You can search online; many girls who love cycling have encountered trouble on the Sichuan-Tibet route. Many lost their chastity, and some faced even worse.”

……

Apart from 'Are you serious?' which I could confidently answer yes to, I couldn't answer the rest because I had no preparation or plan.

The person who commented about chastity was already on my blacklist before I set off. Although I knew it was a well-meaning reminder... In 'Dying to Survive,' it says, 'There is only one disease in the world, the disease of poverty.' I disagree... Poverty is just a lack of money, and that's not scary. What's scary is a lack of courage. You can earn money, but if you lack courage, you won't even dare to dream.

It's been more than half a month since I returned safely... I want to write an article summarizing the 25 days on the road. I want to seriously answer the questions you asked me that I couldn't answer before. And for those who asked me for advice after learning I completed the Sichuan-Tibet route, I want to organize and share all the answers.

“What if you don't have a companion? How do you form a team?”

I went to Chengdu alone and stayed at the Feideng Sichuan-Tibet Inn, a magical hostel where almost everyone was there to cycle the Sichuan-Tibet route. People set off every day, and you could form a team based on your own preferences and mood.

Many people misunderstand this Sichuan-Tibet alliance, thinking it's a paid organization. I can honestly tell you, it's free. Almost all the essential gear is sold there, so you don't need to bring it from home; you can buy everything in one stop. The inn also offers free bike tuning, bike repair lessons, parcel collection, safety training, accommodation along the route, and rescue services. In short, everything you need is there, and anyone you meet will tell you what you don't know... Even if you don't form a team and go solo, there are cyclists everywhere on the road, so you don't need to worry about not having a companion.

Initially, I planned to go solo or find a guy with similar interests, eating habits, and pace to shorten the time to reach Lhasa. For example, this time I took 25 days (including three rest days) to complete the journey. If I had gone solo or with one other person, I might have reached Lhasa in under 20 days... However, I was chosen as the team leader this time, so I took it seriously. The original goal was to complete the journey in the shortest time possible, but it turned into getting as many people as possible to Lhasa together. We did it... Below are our departure and arrival photos. A friend said their team of four disbanded in the end, and some people said our large team would disband in a day, but we didn't. We reached Lhasa together, visited the Potala Palace, and took a group photo. Only one person went home, and the others just had different paces.

“Did you train every day before going? How much training is needed? Can you repair and patch tires?”

I didn't train deliberately; I just enjoy running, lifting weights, swimming, and cycling. However, I don't know much... I can't repair or patch tires. I always say I'm a practical cyclist, knowing little and doing little, just riding. Before setting off, a friend told me: 'When you return from the Sichuan-Tibet route, you'll be a techie.' But that's not the case. Even now, I'm still a novice in theory, unable to repair or patch tires... I had two flat tires on the Sichuan-Tibet route, and both times, older men and young guys helped me change them. Of course, it's not entirely a gender advantage; many young guys also can't repair or patch tires... There are cyclists everywhere on the road, and cyclists are like a family. No matter who has a flat tire or a bike problem, even if they're strangers, other cyclists won't just sit by. The picture below shows our young guy helping a stranger change a tire...

Training depends entirely on your own requirements. My requirement was not to hitch a ride or push the bike for the entire journey... Some people have no requirements for themselves, purely traveling to see the scenery. They push the bike when tired, call a car to carry their bags when they don't want to carry them, and hitch a ride when the environment is harsh... This doesn't require training. The Sichuan-Tibet route is now very mature and commercialized; it's easy to find services to carry bags or hitch a ride. As long as you have enough time, you can rest and play wherever you go, and rest when tired. Of course, if you have requirements for yourself and want to complete the ride in a shorter time or plan to ride the Sky Road in the future... Besides practicing climbing and increasing mileage, there's no other shortcut. Like me, not hitching a ride or pushing the bike... ensuring 20km+ a day and a 100km ride every week is enough. It's best to cross-train with running, as I personally think running improves cardiovascular function the most.

“What if it rains? Do you still ride?”

Put on a raincoat and rain pants and keep riding... At high altitudes, you can clearly see the clouds, where it's raining and where it's sunny. Rain is just a cloud; once you pass through it, it's sunny. Sometimes you can't find a place to hide from the rain, and hiding wastes time, making it hard to reach the destination before dark...

“Did you experience altitude sickness? How do you deal with it?”

Altitude sickness, I'm not sure if it was severe or not. Anyway, I deeply understood what 'splitting headache' means when I reached the plateau. 'Splitting' isn't enough to describe it; it should be 'exploding.' Many teammates took Rhodiola and other anti-altitude sickness medicines in advance, taking a handful at a time. I just endured it... When the headache was severe, I would stop and rest for a while, then continue climbing. It got better when going downhill. Personally, I think altitude sickness isn't scary; taking medicine is just psychological. The main concern is that altitude sickness combined with a cold can lead to pulmonary edema and cerebral edema, so the key is to keep warm and avoid catching a cold. Just take altitude sickness in stride.

“Are there many bad roads? Can you ride a road bike?”

Not many, but not few either. There are landslide areas, construction zones... various gravel and muddy roads. You can ride a road bike, but if you don't encounter mudslides, you might have to push the bike for about ten kilometers and ride less comfortably and safely than a mountain bike for dozens of kilometers.

After returning to Beijing... I've been following the cyclists who set off later. They encountered heavy rain in Chengdu, heavy rain in Ya'an, floods in Luding, mudslides in Mangkang, snow in Dongda Mountain, and mudslides in Bomi... However, we only encountered one heavy rain, a few minutes of hail in Kazila Mountain, and no terrifying mudslides. It felt like I cycled a fake Sichuan-Tibet route, so the departure time is crucial. Avoid the rainy season (July-August).

“Is the legendary Tongmai dangerous road and death road really terrifying?”

The death road was a thing of the past before 2016. Now the dangerous sections are paved, with tunnels and bridges built. Except for a few unlit tunnels, there are no other visible safety hazards. The original two-hour journey is now shortened to 20 minutes, greatly reducing the risk.

I think the most terrifying thing is being reckless and showing off. It's like 'most people who drown are good swimmers.' With an attitude of being responsible for your own life, do what you can, and then nothing can stop you... At least so far, I haven't encountered any insurmountable obstacles.

“Why didn't you get tanned?”

I was fully covered, exposing only half a finger and my ankles. How could I get tanned?

If you don't pay attention to sun protection and then blame the strong UV rays on the plateau for getting tanned, it's like not studying as a child and then blaming your classmates for not letting you copy during exams.

You know best the places in your heart that you can't let go of or touch. Like me, knowing well that 'fair skin covers all flaws,' if you don't have good looks, you must not get tanned. Anywhere can get tanned, but the face must not. Those who get tanned are not afraid of it; those who are afraid of it will never get tanned...

“Did you experience oxygen intoxication after returning? Did you resume training?”

No oxygen intoxication, no deliberate recovery training. I'm a casual person... and the intensity this time felt average. I rested well on the train back. On the first day back in Beijing, I did a 12km morning run, then cycled from Changping to Huairou and around Yanqi Lake, a round trip of 130km. I ran, lifted weights, and cycled as usual. You have to go yourself to understand what that intensity means to you. Maybe, like me, it's really nothing.

Cycling the Sichuan-Tibet route, the entire journey is about 2100 kilometers, starting from Chengdu, along National Highway 318, heading west, and finally reaching the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Along the way, you pass through 21 towns including Ya'an, Luding, Kangding, Xinduqiao, Yajiang, Litang, Batang, Mangkang, Rumei, Zuogong, Bangda, Baxoi, Ranwu, Bomi, Tongmai, Lulang, Bayi, Gongbujiangda, and Songduo. You need to cross 14 mountains, including Zheduo Mountain, Haizi Mountain, Dongda Mountain, and Yela Mountain, with 10 peaks over 4000 meters and 2 peaks over 5000 meters. You cross 10 major rivers, including the Dadu River, Jinsha River, Lancang River, and Nu River. You experience magnificent scenery such as snow-capped mountains, grasslands, virgin forests, glaciers, and canyons. You enjoy unique local customs such as natural hot springs, Guozhuang dance, Tibetan Buddhist temples, Tibetan homes, stone pot chicken, Tibetan fragrant pork, and yak meat... This will be the most memorable journey of our lives.

Don't just listen to what others say. What you've heard about the Sichuan-Tibet route may not be true. What others tell you might be the Sichuan-Tibet route from many years ago; even what I'm telling you now may not be the same as what you experience. After all, things change every day. During the rainy season, mudslides can happen any day, and construction can start any day. Everyone's way of traveling is different, their limits are different, and their perspectives on appreciating the scenery are different... Out of the 25 days, I only felt tired for 3 days. If I could, I would like to travel the Sichuan-Tibet route again... at my own pace, covering at least 100 kilometers a day, challenging my physical limits. Only through hardship can you see your true self. At least so far, I particularly enjoy being with the version of myself who is always ready to face challenges and never gives up.

Here, I want to especially thank one person—

Before going to the Sichuan-Tibet route, I met a female friend while running a marathon in Yanqing. I casually mentioned my idea of cycling the Sichuan-Tibet route to her. Her eyes lit up: 'I've already done it, you should go! It's the perfect time now. If you start working, it will be at least three years... Jobs are always available, but such an experience might only come once in a lifetime. And when you come back, your worldview will definitely change. Once your values change, what you want might also change.'

“Worldview will change?!”—I really couldn't imagine what kind of experience this would be, that it could change my worldview. Before setting off, I was curious and excited... So, I set off with a free and brave heart and a bicycle.

Maybe the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. The Sichuan-Tibet route I experienced wasn't as dangerous as others described, and we were lucky to avoid various bad weather... It wasn't as tough as I imagined, and I was a bit disappointed. Reaching the destination so easily didn't give me a sense of accomplishment.

However, the expected impacts were still there. For example, the most beautiful highway, the clear blue water and sky, white clouds, grasslands, snow-capped mountains, and the children in the mountains...

As for the scenery, it's a beauty that phones and cameras can't capture. No matter how high the shooting skills or how good the composition... it's not as good as being there in person.

Look at the children in the mountains, what they eat, wear, use, play with, and their schools... It's like my childhood. Sometimes I wonder: the gap between rich and poor is not just about food and clothing, private chefs and street vendors, renting and owning villas... Some places and people are living a life that's at least 20 years behind the times. There's a kind of happiness where others can only burn cow dung while you enjoy air conditioning... I know this, but I still ask myself repeatedly: Do the children here know how beautiful the outside world is?

There's a kind of frustration when you see people living in poverty but can only take care of yourself and can't help the world.

Before going to the Sichuan-Tibet route, it was my dream. After returning... I have more roads I want to travel, more places I want to go, like the Qinghai-Tibet route, the Yunnan-Tibet route, the Xinjiang-Tibet route, Qinghai Lake, Taiwan Island, and Hainan Island.

These were things I never dared to think about before, things I thought I had no time to do... Until I met a 44-year-old woman on the Sichuan-Tibet route: her son was in his second year of high school, she cycled around Hainan Island once a year, and now she quit her job to cycle for a year, starting with the Sichuan-Tibet route; a 60-year-old retiree: with grown children, a grandchild who just learned to walk, she finished the Sichuan-Tibet route and immediately set off on the Qinghai-Tibet route; and a 64-year-old man: it took him 4 years to convince his family, and he finally fulfilled his dream of cycling the Sichuan-Tibet route.

Fortunately, I went to the Sichuan-Tibet route while I was still young, and I have plenty of time to go to more places I want to visit. I'm grateful to everyone I met who lived exciting lives and traveled spontaneously... They gave me the courage and strength to keep going. They told me: The roads you travel, the people you meet, the books you read, and the things you learn will eventually come back to benefit you.

So just go! The world is so big, and there's more than just the Sichuan-Tibet route.