Self-driving tour of the North and South Sichuan-Tibet Line (13) The twists and turns are also a precious memory.

Self-driving tour of the North and South Sichuan-Tibet Line (13) The twists and turns are also a precious memory Changdu, Tibet 2024.9.13 Cloudy to cloudy, temperature 7-24 degrees, the highest altitude of the day is 4809 meters; National Highway 317-Provincial Highway 302-National Highway 349. It was late when we arrived at the hotel yesterday, so I'm making up for it now. First, I'd like to correct the location mentioned in the previous article. Bianba County, where we arrived yesterday, is still part of Changdu. Today, we entered the second city-state of Tibet - Nagqu. Don't people often say, "Walk all the bends today, and life will be smooth from now on"? In fact, this is just a good wish and blessing. Travel is like life, smooth and fulfilling, and rugged and bumpy, always go hand in hand, as was the case on the way yesterday. If you continue to drive west from Dingqing on G317, you can reach Nagqu relatively smoothly, but there are not many attractions along the way. We took in the advice of fellow travelers and temporarily left G317 to take a less traveled route, adding difficulty and being mentally prepared. We set off from Dingqing to Bianba around 8:00 am yesterday. The information on Gaode and Baidu navigation was different, and after asking several local people, we finally confirmed that we would take the "shortcut" along Provincial Highway 302 (Figure 1). Of the 234 kilometers, nearly 200 kilometers were "washboard roads", winding through mountains and valleys, crossing the highest point of the Walashan Pass at 4809 meters (Figure 2, refreshing the height), turning left and right, winding up and down, the road was not only bad but also dangerous (Figure 3). Due to natural disasters during the previous rainy season, many sections of the road were damaged by mudslides or subsidence (Figure 4), and although emergency passage was available, it was still difficult to drive. In some places, there were cliffs and abysses below, and even experienced drivers drove carefully and with trepidation (Figure 5). There were also showers on the way, making the situation even more complicated. The difficulty was beyond expectations, and it was the most difficult and longest self-driving trip we had ever taken, thrilling and unforgettable. This Provincial Highway 302 is unlikely to be paved and repaired in the near future. If you are planning to visit nearby, it is recommended to avoid this road during the rainy and snowy seasons (Figure 6). The Nu River accompanied us on our way (Figure 7); after crossing the bridge in the distance, we entered Bianba County from Dingqing County (Figure 8); barley fields on the opposite hillside and farmhouses completely different from the style of most Tibetan houses here (Figure 9). Around 4:00 pm, we finally "broke out of the siege", having driven for more than 8 hours, with an average speed of only over 20 kilometers. As soon as we arrived at Bianba County, we turned onto National Highway 349 and soon arrived at the "Three-Color Lake" scenic area and checked in. I will post the tour information later.