June 5th, from Lulang to Bayi (Nyingchi), approximately 72 kilometers.
I took a rest in Lulang yesterday and wanted to take some photos, but I got caught in the rain twice.
The morning here is humid with a lot of fog. After waking up, I went to the courtyard to wash clothes with a washing machine. It was almost 10 o’clock, and I went out to take photos. But within less than 5 minutes, it started to drizzle. I walked 1 kilometer in the rain to take photos and hurried back when it started pouring.
At around 3 in the afternoon, I saw the weather had cleared up and went out again, but within less than 10 minutes, it started raining again.
I’ve concluded that when visiting Lulang, if the weather forecast indicates light rain or showers, it’s best to carry an umbrella when going out.
Today’s journey is a total of over 70 kilometers, with the first 20-odd kilometers climbing over 4000 meters of Sejila Mountain, requiring an elevation gain of over 1100 meters, which is a bit challenging. After reaching the pass, there are about 30 kilometers of downhill, followed by nearly 20 kilometers of undulating roads to Bayi Town (now Bayi District of Nyingchi), with an overall moderate difficulty.
Got up at more than 7 in the morning and didn’t leave until after 8, eating egg noodles at the restaurant at the intersection for 20 yuan a bowl, which is relatively cost-effective here; I ate here yesterday too.
The weather is really nice today, the sun is out at more than 8, sigh! It rained when I was resting yesterday, and now that I’m leaving, it’s sunny. That’s really considerate.
Set off after breakfast.
Although it’s sunny, the clouds are still quite thick.
A long uphill out the door to Luobu Village.
There are many restaurants by the road, and many of the names include “stone pot,” probably influenced by the local specialty of stone pot chicken. I originally planned to eat stone pot chicken, but after reading many reviews, it doesn’t seem to be much different from regular chicken, so I didn’t go to eat it.
Then a long uphill climb to where the picture is taken.
Today’s first half of the journey from Lulang to the Sejila Mountain pass is about 24 kilometers, all uphill. I took 4 breaks today. The morning is still quite cool. I have a severe stuffy nose today, and it’s hard to breathe. I have to stop every 5 kilometers to wipe my nose and then drink some water.
Behind the sign is a scenic area of Lulang.
There are archery ranges and horse riding fields by the road.
At 9:05, there are still 58 kilometers to today’s destination, Nyingchi, continuing uphill.
At 10:50, after passing the 4115 km sign on National Highway 318, there is a bend where I saw a police officer feeding monkeys biscuits by the road, so I stopped to rest and recorded two videos.
The view at this bend is relatively open, with undulating, continuous high mountains in the distance.
After a short rest, continue on, at the 4116 km mark on National Highway 318, now 9 kilometers of uphill to the pass.
2 kilometers left to the pass, continue climbing.
Arrived at the Sejila Mountain pass at 12:15.
Stayed at the pass for over 20 minutes. Normally, I wouldn’t stay at a pass for more than 10 minutes. Today, because there is an easy 32-kilometer downhill after this, there’s not much pressure, and there’s plenty of time.
There are many snack sellers at this pass. I bought a fragrant milk tea for 8 yuan, but I couldn’t see Namjagbarwa Peak; the clouds were too thick.
The Sejila Mountain pass is over 4500 meters above sea level. The weather is good today, and it’s not cold at the pass.
Ready to go downhill at 12:40.
32 kilometers of continuous downhill is exhilarating, but some parts of the road are very bumpy, so I had to keep tapping the brakes. However, the speed was still quite fast. Later, I calculated that it took only 1 hour for the 32-kilometer downhill.
At this point in the picture, the road sign indicates 27 kilometers of downhill remaining.
There is a Niyang Scenery Viewing Platform halfway up the mountain. I didn’t stop and continued downhill. On this downhill road, you might encounter some yaks; be careful not to go too fast, as colliding with one could be quite costly.
Arrived at Nyingchi Town，the downhill road is over. After Nyingchi Town, there will be undulating roads.
There are about 18 kilometers left from Nyingchi Town to Bayi Town (Bayi District of Nyingchi City, today’s destination).
The last ten kilometers or so are mostly gentle flat roads with a few uphill sections; the difficulty is not significant. There are many trees by the roadside, probably willows, giving a bit of pastoral scenery.
I passed by a few scenic spots along the way; I can’t remember their names. They are all next to National Highway 318 and have signs indicating the scenic spots.
Seeing this sign means I’ve arrived in Nyingchi City. There are more than 4 kilometers left to our accommodation, and there are still 403 kilometers to Lhasa. The road conditions in Nyingchi City are very good; they are all flat.
Arrived at the accommodation point at 14:45, the Ferry Inn, a standard room for 90 yuan, 45 yuan per person, not expensive.
Arriving in Nyingchi feels like going from the countryside to the city. Except for the first few cities after leaving Chengdu, Nyingchi is the largest city I’ve encountered along the way. There are takeouts, food, everything you need.
After tidying up my things, I quickly ordered two cups of milk tea and half a watermelon on Meituan, enjoying it while it lasts.
Tomorrow: from Nyingchi to Gongbujiangda, about 130 kilometers. The guide says it’s basically a gentle uphill road, not too difficult. There are only three days left to Lhasa! Thinking about the journey I’ve taken is not easy.
I won’t talk anymore, I’m going to order another cup of milk tea…