May 14, 2022: From Xingou to Luding, about 50 kilometers
It has been raining from yesterday to now, and the temperature in Xingou today is only about 14 degrees, while it was over 20 degrees in Ya’an yesterday. The temperature has dropped sharply.
I was originally going to take a rest day because it has been raining, and the clothes and shoes I got wet yesterday are not dry.
Finally, considering that there are only 50 kilometers today, as long as I cross Erlang Mountain, it will be all downhill to Luding, which is very easy to walk. I will persist and go against the light rain.
The inn is on a gentle slope, and some teammates didn’t bring rain boots. They waited for a while at the roadside store to buy rain boots. It has rained too much these days.
But I want to say that there is not much difference whether to buy or not. I am wearing rain boots, but in addition to not getting muddy, it is still wet. Climbing the mountain, sweating a lot, the rain boots are as breathable as the raincoat, and the shoes are also soaked with sweat.
On the way to Erlang Mountain, the road starts from a gentle slope, then the slope increases, and with the rain, the physical consumption is great. As I ride, my legs start to give way.
I was easily overtaken by the big brothers and sisters who set off together.
Erlang Mountain is indeed a tiring mountain road. When I get tired of riding, I get off and push, and when I’m not tired, I continue to ride. I took many breaks in the middle. We took a break after moving forward a section of the road, drank some cola or water. Cola is really a very good supplement on the road of cycling the Sichuan-Tibet line. Cycling consumes a lot every day, and cola replenishes sugar without water. When I’m tired, I drink some cola, which can alleviate the tired state, and then I persist for 2 kilometers, rest when I’m tired, drink some cola, eat something, and then continue to ride.
When I arrived at the entrance of the Erlang God Tunnel, the quick-dry long sleeves and cycling pants inside the raincoat were also soaked with sweat, and there was always sweat flowing out of the sleeves. To prevent hypothermia, I went to the toilet next to the square at the entrance of the tunnel to change the long sleeves for a dry short sleeve. When changing clothes, my whole body was shivering. The temperature of Erlang Mountain is too low. Finally, I wiped the sweat inside the raincoat with the wet long sleeves that were changed, put them on again, and felt a little better.
Then I crossed the Erlang God Tunnel with my teammates. Because it was during the epidemic period, there were not too many cars.
After coming out of the tunnel, the weather is much better, cloudy, with only a few light rains. There is a long uphill road after coming out. I got off and pushed, too tired, this slope is a bit long, and I am physically unable to support it.
After the uphill is over, we arrive at the Erlang Mountain viewing platform, and we start to add thick clothes. After that, there is a downhill road that lasts for dozens of kilometers. It’s especially refreshing without having to pedal, but don’t go too fast, press the brakes more, to prevent falling off the bike. Many cycling friends have experienced falling off their bikes on the downhill of Erlang Mountain.
I thought I would keep going downhill to Luding’s accommodation, but I was stopped by the epidemic prevention and control point.
When I was about to finish Erlang Mountain, there was an epidemic prevention and control point. Because I came from Shenzhen, and the day after I left Shenzhen, Shenzhen had 2 positive cases, so those from Shenzhen need to have 2 nucleic acid tests in 3 days before they can go.
In fact, I have taken nucleic acid tests for three consecutive days yesterday, the day before yesterday, and the day before the day before yesterday, and they were all negative, but they don’t recognize it here, and they have to do it again. I am also thinking that if every place does the same, and if every place has a 3-day 2-test, then it’s over.
Other teammates from other provinces left first, leaving the three of us from Shenzhen. Others who were intercepted, including motorcycle tourists and self-driving tourists, also need a 3-day 2-test like us. We went to have a nucleic acid test first, and then we all stayed in a small roadside hotel together. We paid for two days, 50 yuan a day.
Because it is in the mountains, the accommodation conditions are not good, and there is no shower. When we came, there were no beds left, and my friend and I could only squeeze on a bed. The socket could not charge, and there were basically no places to eat here, only instant noodles. There was a friend who traveled by motorcycle, and they rode back dozens of kilometers to buy some food. When they met us on the second floor of the hotel, they gave us a bag of sesame cakes, which we were very grateful for. Because we met and chatted the day before at a mountain road landslide. After putting our things away, we went to the supermarket below to soak a bowl of instant noodles for lunch, and then sat on the roadside bench to bask in the sun.
I thought it would be interrupted for three days.
At more than 5 o’clock in the evening, the epidemic prevention station issued a new policy. We had nucleic acid tests yesterday and the day before yesterday. If the nucleic acid test taken today comes out and meets the three-day two-test, we can go. Then we quickly went upstairs to pack up our things and asked the boss to refund the room fee for one day.
The result was originally said to come out around 9 o’clock, so everyone was waiting by the roadside, playing with their mobile phones, and brushing Tik Tok.
The result didn’t come out until 11 o’clock in the evening. After coming out, we still had to line up to sign before we could continue. Then when we arrived at Luding’s accommodation, it was almost midnight. The teammates who had arrived earlier had already told the innkeeper that we would arrive around 12 o’clock.
The boss was about to close the door at 12 o’clock, and when we arrived, he quickly cooked for the three of us. The accommodation includes breakfast and dinner for 80 yuan a day.
We stayed in a standard room on the third floor, just three beds. This is only the third day, lack of sleep, and fatigue has swept over the whole body. Blisters have started to grow on the mouth, and the legs and buttocks are so painful that they are hard to describe. When we finished bathing and went to bed, it was almost 2 o’clock in the morning.
Before riding the Sichuan-Tibet line, I told myself to be early rather than late, don’t ride at night, it’s not safe. I didn’t expect to have ridden at night twice in just three days.
Because of the special reason today, it is decided to take a rest day tomorrow.
The next stop: Zheduo Tang