On June 9th, from Songduo to Lhasa, about 180 kilometers.
Today, cycling 180 kilometers in one day really exhausted me, feeling like my body was completely drained. I was so tired that I had to stop several times to snack and replenish my energy.
Today’s task was the heaviest I’ve had since starting the ride, so I got up before 6 a.m., went down for breakfast at 6:30, and set off at 6:50 a.m.
Last night was quite bothersome as well. The power went out here at around 8 p.m., and there was still no electricity when I woke up in the morning. I had to use the light from my phone to wash up and pack my things. The power hadn’t come back on even when I departed, and it had rained heavily for most of the night. It was a bit cold in the morning, making my hands and feet feel frozen.
The main task today was to cross the 5000-meter Mila Mountain pass. It was about 28 kilometers to climb, with an elevation gain of 800 meters.
The first 14 kilometers were relatively gentle, but the gradient began to steepen for the last 14 kilometers of the climb.
Around 6:30 a.m., I went down for breakfast, had some fried rice, and departed at a little past 6:50 a.m. After just one kilometer from the start, I stopped to pick up four large stones by the roadside and put them in my pocket. Previous cycling friends had mentioned that encountering wild dogs a few kilometers out of Songduo is common, so carrying some stones for self-defense is advisable.
After traveling 15 kilometers without encountering any wild dogs, I discarded the stones. Today’s weather forecast called for showers, but the sky didn’t look like it was about to rain. However, the higher the altitude, the thicker the cloud cover became.
After cycling for 2 hours, I still had over 7 kilometers to go to reach the pass. It rained at the base of the mountain last night, and it snowed on the mountain, covering the mountainsides with a layer of white. Although I was cycling uphill, which should have warmed me up, the high altitude and low temperatures, coupled with the snow on the mountain, made my feet feel very cold, almost numb.
When you see the Mila Mountain Tunnel, if you ride a bit further and see the bend in the picture, congratulations, you’re just a few kilometers away from the pass with a long uphill climb ahead. Even with thickened gloves, your hands will still feel cold, and the temperature may have dropped below freezing。
The fog is dense and the cold is piercing. On the uphill road, only yaks are for company now. With about 4 kilometers left to the pass, this last stretch is almost entirely uphill.
At 9:55 a.m., the pass is in sight; almost there.
Reached the summit at 10 a.m.
Mila Mountain Pass at 5013 meters.
It’s quite chilly at the Mila Mountain Pass with an altitude of 5013 meters, and there are only a few people around due to the cold weather.
We stayed for less than ten minutes before starting to put on more clothes to prepare for the descent. Our lunch stop was planned at Riduo Township, which is more than 20 kilometers downhill.
The more than 20 kilometers to Riduo Township were all downhill, so there was basically no need to pedal the bike.
Plus, the scenery was great. As the altitude decreased, the temperature gradually became warmer as well.
This photo was taken during my descent and it’s the best one, haha. The environment itself, with its undulating mountains and rivers, is a masterpiece of nature, truly spectacular.
At 10:50 a.m., just over a kilometer away from Riduo Township, there is an epidemic check station. You can continue on after getting a nucleic acid test done here.
At 11 a.m., arrived in Riduo Township, and found only one Sichuan restaurant there. I ordered a bowl of dumplings for 18 yuan. It was too cold on the mountain just now, so I’m having some soup to warm up.
After lunch today, there was no rest. Firstly, the next task was to reach the Moguzhugongka County, which is 50 kilometers away. From Moguzhugongka to Lhasa, there are another 70 kilometers, making it a total of 120 kilometers, a heavy task. Secondly, the road to Moguzhugongka County is a gentle downhill slope, which is relatively easier.
Then, under the scorching sun, it took 2 hours to complete the 50 kilometers.
With just one kilometer left to reach the county town of Moguzhugongka, despite having lunch, we were both so tired that we stopped to snack under the shade of a tree by the road to replenish our energy.
The county town of Moguzhugongka feels just like the town back in our hometown, very similar, which feels particularly cozy and familiar.
It was just around 2 p.m. when we left Moguzhugongka. The original plan was to arrive in Lhasa before 8 p.m. With 70 kilometers left and 6 hours to spare, having already cycled 110 kilometers, there was no need to rush. We planned to take it easy for the rest of the way to Lhasa to avoid overexertion.
The picture was taken when we were more than 60 kilometers away from Lhasa. The white clouds looked very beautiful, and since they were above the flat landscape, I took a photo while riding.
Just 60 kilometers left to Lhasa.
At 15:55, I passed by a farmland and saw dark clouds ahead. I was a bit worried about the rain, as today is the last day. I had just thrown my raincoat and rain boots into the trash can after lunch. Alas
At 16:42, I finally reached the area with dark clouds. There are about 35 kilometers left to Lhasa. With strong winds and rain, I quickly stopped to put on the hood of my jacket to somewhat shield myself from the rain, as the rain hitting my face made it difficult to see the road.
Then I accelerated through the rain, trying to quickly get out of the area covered by the dark clouds.
At 17:00, I arrived in Dazi County, which is about 20 kilometers away from Lhasa and is now a district of Lhasa City, almost adjacent to the urban area of Lhasa.
Although the rain has stopped, with the sky half white and half black and a few lingering drops of rain, I decided to ride the remaining 20 kilometers as quickly as possible, aiming to reach Lhasa as soon as possible.
At 5:30 in the afternoon, I arrived at the Lhasa checkpoint for a nucleic acid test and ID verification. After passing the security check, I had to come back and push my bike through again.
After entering the urban area of Lhasa, there are about 16 kilometers left to the Potala Palace. Due to the heavy traffic and traffic lights in the city, the speed is not very fast.
At 18:30, I was just 1 kilometer away from the Potala Palace.
At 18:40, I arrived at the entrance of the Potala Palace and took a photo before rushing to find the guesthouse.
Today was really exhausting; my eyes are full of bloodshot. I cycled 180 kilometers and climbed a mountain with an altitude of 5000 meters. From Chengdu to last night, I thought it would be unlikely to finish the last 180 kilometers in one day because the most I cycled in a day before was 130 kilometers, and I was almost exhausted. Fortunately, I made it through today and arrived 2 hours earlier than expected.
I shaved my beard before departing, and I haven’t shaved it during the trip, which has been 29 days now. I originally planned to keep it as a memento for the finish line. Now that the journey is over, after taking the photos, I will shave my beard tomorrow morning.
Since there was only one bed left at the 57 service station, I found a nearby homestay with better accommodation conditions, which usually costs 150 yuan per night. Because I was a cyclist, they gave me a discount and charged 120 yuan. After settling in, I ordered takeout for dinner, took a shower, and went to bed, really looking forward to a good rest.
On June 10th, the next day, I woke up quite early and ordered breakfast through a food delivery service, which included spicy soup, fried dough sticks, and buns; I was starving.
After finishing breakfast, I went to the 57 service point to collect my medal and certificate, and then returned the mountain bike I rented from 57. It was 800 yuan for 30 days.
After returning the bike, it was a little past 9 a.m. I headed to Barkhor Street and followed the people doing the kora until I reached the Jokhang Temple, after which I walked around the temple as well.
Lhasa experienced a bit of rain this morning, but by noon, the weather was still scorching。
At around 11 a.m., I went to take photos of the Potala Palace again. I had planned to go to Medicine Buddha Mountain to take the photo like the 50 RMB banknote, but when I got there, there were too many people taking pictures. Since I had taken a similar photo when I came to Lhasa by train in 2018, I decided not to take it again.
After passing through several security checks, I went back to the Guangming Teahouse for tea and lunch. I ordered a small pot of sweet tea for 12 yuan and a bowl of pork Tibetan noodles for 7 yuan.
It took us two a long time to finish the small pot of sweet tea.
It was a little after 2 p.m. when we left the Guangming Teahouse. The weather was hot and sunny, so we planned to go back and rest. Thank you for following the travelogue over these two days.
This Sichuan-Tibet Line cycling trip is officially over. I’m planning to stay in Lhasa for 4 to 5 days to rest before returning to Shenzhen.
Upcoming plans: I’m going to visit some monasteries and see what the weather is like. If the weather permits, I’ll go to Namtso Lake for a day and see if I can photograph the Milky Way at night.
When one thing ends, another begins. I’m looking forward to the next autumn cycling/motorcycling/driving trip on the Sichuan-Tibet Line. Due to a leg injury and other reasons, I didn’t get to fully experience many places this time, which wasn’t satisfying enough.