Hiking｜My diary of western Sichuan

DAY0: The first unexpected experience in Chengdu

It was already 11 o'clock in the evening when we arrived at Chengdu East Railway Station. Weige rented a car online in advance, contacted the staff and informed us that the car had been delivered and parked in the parking lot. We arrived as soon as we left the station.

After picking up the car from the high-speed rail station, we set off to meet A Ming, who arrived at the airport at about the same time, for a late-night snack. There are not many people at the food stalls at 12 midnight. As soon as the dishes were served, two young men at the next table called me: Miss, I'm sorry to disturb you. Are you an engineer?

I buried my face in the bowl and was concentrating on drinking porridge, and something flashed through my mind: My little friend, do you have a lot of questions❓

The young man explained: That's it. Looking at your outfit, we're betting on whether you work in engineering. Look at your shoes and pants. We used to wear them when going to construction sites. To be honest, I am a Party A employee.

The companion opposite him answered: I am still Party B.

I looked down at the quick-drying pants and hiking shoes that I had just put on in order to save some luggage, and I felt a bit dumbfounded. He said half-jokingly, I am really engaged in engineering. What are the benefits of betting on me?

Party B is a big guy from the northwest. He has been drinking for half the time and his tongue is no longer very sharp: It’s just a new arrival. Just treat it as a friend. I’ll buy the order for your table!

It was our turn to be confused, and we stopped the big man from the northwest: "I really don't need it, I really don't need it." Before the stool is warm, strangers are rushing to pay. This city is really magical!

I couldn't stop him from paying the bill, so I told him to add him on WeChat. The big man from the northwest waved his hand: Don’t even think about transferring money to me if you don’t want to add it!

It was almost midnight when I returned to the hotel and took a shower. I took inventory of the equipment:

I brought two backpacks, 50L for heavy use and 20L for light use. I borrowed my sleeping bag from a friend. It was -20 degrees Celsius for Tianshi Reindeer, which was just enough for camping at the high altitude in early May. Most of the others were purchased from Decathlon’s official website. I don’t go on heavy hiking trips a few times a year, so I saved as much as I could.

The planned route is relatively rotten and the hiking time is relatively short, so the proportion of food and pots is more. Because I didn’t carry too many public supplies along the way, the backpack was not very heavy, and I didn’t use knee pads. The only mistake I made was that I didn’t bring a snow glove. The snow was so thick that it didn’t even reach my knees.

Although there seem to be many types of shampoo, they are actually 15-30ml samples, which are thrown away after use, and once in the mountains, there is no chance to take a shower and wash your hair. Disposable underwear is especially recommended for long-distance trips, especially places where it is inconvenient to change, or for lazy people like me.

Personal equipment list

DAY1: An unexpected surprise and embarrassment a hundred kilometers away

When I first set off in the morning, my plan was to go to Ya'an for breakfast. I remember it was the first stop of riding the Sichuan-Tibet Line. It was a 170-kilometer outdoor journey of blood and tears.

It’s much easier now. We can sleep just after getting in the car. The drivers are all our brave and hard-working male teammates.

Chengdu is really a city where no matter what kind of cars you see on the road, you won’t find it strange. The cars on the road are not cars. Looking around, you can see the cycling dreams of passers-by everywhere.

A few hours later, the usual holiday traffic jam changed my expectations for breakfast in Ya'an to "Let's find a place to rest our stomach."

Pavlovsky said: When you are hungry, eating shit will taste fucking sweet.

After eating, I took the expressway and arrived in Kangding around 12 noon. Kangding is the capital of Garze Prefecture and the transition zone between the Sichuan Basin and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The first time I entered the city, I wondered when the thangka murals on the mountain were built. I didn't seem to notice it when I came last time. The layout seems a little different? A few people pointed at the building they were passing by and said excitedly, I lived here before!

Thangka murals on Guoda Mountain

The only thing that hasn't changed in my memory is probably the Kangding River.

The ice and snow water flowing down from Yala Mountain and Yala Yingcuo Holy Lake is the Yala River. The Yala River and the Zheduo River meet at the foot of Guoda Mountain and embrace each other eastward, which is called Kangding River. After flowing to Luding, it is the Dadu River until it merges into the Yangtze River.

In my impression, most of the rivers in the city are gentle, but the roar of this river can be heard from a distance, and the water is fast.

kangding river

This stop had a purchasing task, so the troops were divided into two groups: Minli, A Ming and I went to the market to buy ingredients, while Weige and Dingxin drove to the supermarket to buy some necessities.

The cherry blossoms in early May are blooming brightly and brilliantly. Following the guidance of the locals, we walked down the Kangding River and arrived at Guoda Food Market, which has the largest yak meat trading market in Kangding.

The three of us faced a row of stalls with bloody yak heads hanging on them, and for a moment we didn’t know where to start.

Lean meat is 40 yuan per pound, and ribs are 35 yuan per pound. The price is much cheaper than pork. The boss dropped the bag with an ax for 175 yuan, which was thicker than my arm. When I took the bag, I could smell the aroma of yak meat stewed with potatoes.

Prepare two or three days of food, including meat, vegetables, fruits, and road meals. As soon as the two teams gathered, I looked at the bags of flatbreads that everyone bought in advance and fell into deep thought. I probably wouldn’t be able to finish them all even if I were to cross the Taklimakan Desert.

By the time we got back on the road, nearly 2 hours had passed. The itinerary in the afternoon was a little tight, but unexpectedly there was a traffic jam on Zheduo Mountain. But then the surprise came unexpectedly, and it started to snow heavily in the sky.

A carload of southern children had never seen such large snowflakes before. They were so excited that Gao Fang immediately followed. Especially Dingxin, who has climbed up to the skylight and started howling, unable to hold him back.

As we drove higher and higher over Zheduo Mountain, the scenery on the roadside gradually changed from green to white, and the temperature became lower and lower. When we parked at the pass, we had to take out our down jackets and woolen hats and put them on.

Going down from the pass, the altitude gradually decreases and we reach Xinduqiao. Sunset is approaching and the meandering river circles the village. Setting up a small table and folding chairs to make a pot of tea by the river is one of the joys of life.

But our destination is not here. We want to go to Yaha Pass to watch a snow mountain feast before the sun completely sets.

Passing through Jiagenba Township, the road to Yaha was full of mud because of the snow.

When we were still a few kilometers away from the pass, an oncoming car stopped us, saying that there was a broken car on the road, blocking the way, and the snow was thick and it was difficult to walk without snow chains. We might not be able to get down all night.

After listening to the dissuasion of well-intentioned people, we thought about it and decided to give up the last few kilometers and return the same way.

Dusk gradually enveloped the entire land, and it had been 12 hours since we set out in the morning. Everyone was hungry, and their mental state was not very good due to the high fever. They still had headaches after taking an ibuprofen.

When we drove to Shad Town, we finally found a small hotel owned by a local to stay. After unloading my bag, I felt completely miserable. I simply washed myself and fell asleep with my head resting on my tired head.

DAY2: Day and night in Lisohai

When I woke up and got out of bed the next morning, I felt like a robot that had just been unplugged and recharged, resurrected with full health.

After collecting my bags, I was ready to go breakfast.

A portion of casserole powder plus a boiled egg

Although the weather forecast shows that it has been raining for the past week, the weather is still good every morning. Today’s mission is to go camping in Lisuohai. Lisuohai, located southwest of Gonggar, is an excellent location to take photos of Gongga’s reflection.

It is said that compared to Lenggacuo and Sanencuo, the lake water in Lisuohai is bluer, and if you are lucky, you can see the sea of ​​clouds.

Parked the car in Shangmuju Village, left the unnecessary things in the car, and prepared to go into the mountains.

Lisuohai is about 4,500 meters above sea level, and Shangmuju Village is the starting point for hiking. The whole journey is about 11 kilometers. After reaching the Lisuohai Pass, you can go down another 2 kilometers to see Haizi.

After walking a few hundred meters, I saw that the road had been dug up, leaving only enough space for people to pass on foot or on motorcycles.

During this season, most of the local villagers are digging Cordyceps in the mountains. The price of a cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps cordyceps Cordyceps 18-25 yuan

After all, it is the peak season after the epidemic subsides, and tourists coming to Lisuohai have become one of the sources of income for the locals.

If you don’t want to hike up the pass, rent a motorcycle in Shangmuju Village to take you up. The round trip only costs 300 yuan.

The one-way trip by motorcycle takes about half an hour, but the road up to the pass is not easy. Not only is the road narrow, but there is also a steep slope on the other side. If you are not careful, you and the car will fall down together.

This uncle met us not far from the starting point and asked us if we wanted to take his motorcycle up there. There was no charge. He was just digging Cordyceps along the way.

After some polite refusal, we met him again on the way. At this time, he was already holding seven or eight freshly dug cordyceps in his hand.

It was my turn to regret it. If I had followed up just now, why would I have walked so far to dig up cordyceps and even earn back my travel expenses?

Freshly dug cordyceps

As the altitude gets higher, hiking with weight gradually becomes strenuous. Although the temperature was only in the single digits, I was still sweating slightly while walking.

As soon as I took off my down jacket and jacket, a gust of wind made me feel cold, and I felt cumbersome when I put them on.

Maybe Lisuohai is not as popular on the Internet as Leng Gacuo. After walking for most of the day, we didn’t see any group of hikers entering the mountain.

However, there are many photography enthusiasts who rented motorcycles with lenses on their backs to take pictures of Gonggar.

Only halfway through the journey, the altitude has already risen to 4,000 meters. The group of people who went up on motorcycles in the morning have already come down one after another. After inquiring, we learned that the snow at Lisuohai Pass was up to the knees, and Haizi was covered in ice and covered with heavy snow, so nothing could be seen.

After observing the surroundings, the environment is good and it is close to the water source. Everyone unanimously decided to camp on the spot, get water to start a meal, and then pack lightly to see the scenery after eating.

Choose a location and set up camp on the spot

pitch a tent

Tonight's campsite

After setting up the tent, we took the ingredients and went to the river to wash vegetables and cut meat. Today I had tomato and egg noodle soup for lunch, and yak beef stew with potatoes for dinner. In order to stew the meat, I bought a pressure cooker from Guangzhou and brought it back.

Cutting meat by the river

When you're full, make a pot of tea.

Due to severe hypersensitivity and severe headache, I decided not to go up to the pass after the meal and stayed in the tent to sleep. A Ming also decided to stay at the camp and stew the meat for the night.

In the end, there were only three of us left to go together. Seeing that it was getting late, we took a ride on the motorcycle of a passing villager.

I am a young man in his early 20s. I chatted on the road and learned that he is a sophomore at Sichuan Police University. He is now taking online classes at home every day, and school has not started yet.

Knowing that we came from Guangdong, he begged me to teach him a few words in Cantonese. I was a little embarrassed: "What did you say?"

The young man chuckled: "Every country has its own national anthem"! I suppressed my laughter, thinking that as a northerner, I should be able to deceive outsiders with my Cantonese skills.

After speaking, the young man was convinced: Yes, yes, this is it.

Then I said, let me teach you another lesson: Eat dog shit!

Hahahahaha we both laughed.

Motorcycles drove up from below, and some slopes reached almost 60 degrees. Looking back in the distance, our camp had become a small dot.

Driving further up, the snow on the mountainside has not completely melted yet, and the road has been turned into a cement road by the passing wheels. After turning a few more turns, the air gradually became thinner, and the road was already covered with thick snow. There was only one wheel mark, and there was a cliff on the right. If you were not careful, you and the car might fall down together.

Moreover, the car also bumped up and down according to the road conditions. I held on tightly to the car for fear that my valuables would be thrown out.

road covered with snow

In the distance is Gonggar, half covered by clouds

While still at the bottom of the mountain, I learned from the villagers that since the epidemic, it has been snowing on the mountain and it is impossible to go up. It just happened that the weather started to clear up in the past two days, so we were really lucky.

However, this luck did not last until now. Although the weather was good when we arrived at the pass, Gonggar was still covered by clouds.

Dingxin’s magnificent kneeling

In addition to a few tourists on the pass, there was also a row of local young men who had just come up on motorcycles, talking and laughing. On the right side of the mountainside, you can see a road extending downward, which is the last 2 kilometers to Liso Sea.

Wei Ge walked over and took a look. The snow was as thick as his knees, and it was impossible to walk without a snow cover. Moreover, several people were indeed in normal condition and lacked oxygen.

The wind at the pass was strong and the temperature was dropping with the sunset. I saw that there were at least 2 hours until the sun shines on Jinshan Mountain. I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t bring a headlamp. It was almost dark when I walked on. So I decided not to wait. Withdraw first. ‘

The way down the mountain is to walk back, which takes 1.5 hours. If we add the distance from the starting point to the campground, the total hiking mileage on this day is about eight or nine kilometers.

When I came back, I slumped down on the stool, too tired to breathe. The main problem was the lack of oxygen and headache. After drinking a few sips of hot water, I climbed back into the tent and huddled in my sleeping bag to rest.

Thanks to a pile of firewood collected during the day, several other outstanding teammates started making a fire to stew meat before dark. When I woke up, it was completely dark, and the aroma of yak meat came out of the tent.

prepare for dinner

Sit down and never want to get up again

The temperature in the mountains dropped below zero at night, and even though I was wrapped in a down jacket and a jacket, I was still shivering from the cold.

I was like a little flying insect that pounced on the light. I never wanted to leave the campfire, and no one could try to pull me away.

The broth carefully stewed by the chefs exudes a charming aroma, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is delicious.

Unfortunately, no one had much appetite due to feeling unwell. I managed to eat a few bites of potatoes and a bowl of soup, but I couldn't eat any more.

Yak meat stewed with potatoes

After eating, we boiled a pot of boiling water, and each person filled a pot. After extinguishing the campfire, we got into the tent. At this time, the stars in the night sky seemed to jump out, shining brightly.

Tonight, the task of photographing the starry sky was given to A Ming, and we fell asleep.

Although I didn’t see the sunset in Gonggar and the reflection of Lisuo Sea as originally planned, the starry sky under the snow-capped mountains made up for the regrets of this day.

DAY3: Leng Ga is wrong, you are different from the photo.

After a dreamless night, I opened the tent door and saw a layer of hoarfrost hanging outside. The breath exhaled from the tent condensed into frost and stuck to the outside of the sleeping bag. Thanks to this -20 degree sleeping bag, otherwise I might have frozen to death last night.

Frost on the tent roof

It seems that everyone is in good condition and has regained his previous vitality. I heated up the uneaten beef last night and cooked a vegetable soup, which is today's breakfast.

After eating and packing up the tent, we will hike down the mountain today and drive to our next destination, Lengga Co.

Generally speaking, I only really get into hiking mode on the second day. At this time, the road becomes boring, the pace speeds up, and no one wants to talk.

A group photo before going down the mountain

Walking in silence

The way down the mountain is an idyllic scene, with tinkling streams flowing by your feet. And we are finally going back to the human world.

When we walked to the house in front, we reached our starting point yesterday and the end of this section of the road.

When we got back to the car, we kept sighing, how nice it was to sit still. So the big guys decided to give up today's plan to heavily equip Leng Gacuo and switch to light equipment.

It takes more than an hour to drive from Shangmuju to Bangmujid. The car had just parked at the foot of the mountain. As I watched the chattering tourists walking by, I suddenly didn’t want to go up.

When we reached the starting point, the entrance was blocked by local villagers with a barbed wire fence. If you want to go up, the ticket is 20 yuan per person. Riding a horse up the mountain costs 300 yuan per person, and there is even a long queue of people waiting to rent horses.

From the beginning to the end, every step I take is engraved with two words: regret.

On the way to Lenggacuo

In order to avoid the flow of people, the teammate leading the way opened a cross-cutting route. It was okay at first, but mentally I didn't want to accept the day's itinerary. As I walked towards the back, I began to resist physical progress, and the steps under my feet became heavier and heavier.

on the crosscut road

All I can think about is, why is my grass different from what I see online? Is this really the way to Lenggacuo? Am I sleepwalking?

What was originally a mountain road of several kilometers one way has finally come out of hard mode. The feeling of suffocation can only be relieved by stopping to drink water.

Snow step by step

As I walked, I took a closer look and saw that there was such a thick snow. My shoes were all wet. Looking up again, there were still crowds of people on a parallel road on the right.

Until there was no trace of a road under my feet, and there was no way out when I looked back. The altitude continued to climb, and my despair continued to increase, but the scenery I could see was extraordinary.

Wei Ge and A Ming were the pioneers, followed closely by Minli. Dingxin and I walked in tandem without any motivation.

When I reached the last slope and victory was in sight, I came back to my senses. How did I get up this road? The thought that my brain keeps sending to me is don’t leave, and the signal sent by my body is that I can’t walk anymore. As another bystander, I am dragging my soul and body up like a dog to death. , the moment I walked to the pass, I even figured out Freud’s instinct theory.

A group photo of the last three who came up

People came up, but the scene in front of them was disappointing. I didn’t even bother to pick up my phone and take a photo. There was no Haizi, no Rizhao Jinshan, because there were too many tourists, and everything looked dirty.

Leng's fault that others see

The cold fault that someone else’s dog saw

And the cold fault I saw

Campsites we saw

At this time, I was like a person who was about to meet someone I was dating online, only to find that the picture in my hand was very different from the person I met. At the same time, because the time cost and difficulty of dating are not small, the disappointment of failed expectations is suddenly amplified 10 times.

But then I thought about it, if I want to see the beautiful natural scenery, I have to rely on the weather and luck. When a landscape photographer is looking for a good photo, the right time, place, and people are all indispensable.

When going down the mountain, there was only one belief in my mind, to return to a warm house and have a full meal. So the last few kilometers were almost running.

It was always cloudy and sunny in the mountains, but when we got in the car, it started to rain. On the way back, I just felt sleepy and couldn't muster the energy to say another word.

I checked a few inns on the way, but they were either full or in average condition. After much deliberation, I decided to go back to Shangmuju Village and found a Tibetan B&B. I borrowed the kitchen from the owner and was quick to cook and help the boys.

Borrow the boss’s kitchen

a sumptuous dinner

This is a typical Tibetan architectural style yard. The main activity areas of the owner's house are on the second floor, including the kitchen. The boss and his family were watching TV around the stove and watching us cooking with great interest.

Butter tea instead of wine

At four o'clock in the morning, I was woken up by Amin's voice call: Come out and see the Milky Way. Minli and I struggled up from the bed. As soon as we raised our heads, we were instantly fascinated by the starry sky in front of us. The Milky Way, which is so clearly visible to the naked eye, can generally only be seen in the second half of the night.

Staring at this scene, I suddenly remembered a sentence: "I have the entire universe I want to tell you, but I can't spit out half a star when I open my mouth."

But before the romance in my heart could overflow, the coldness in my hands reminded me to go back to bed and sleep!

DAY4: Leaving is for the next reunion

Although it is early May and the temperature in Guangzhou is enough to turn on the air conditioner, when we wake up in Ganzi Prefecture every day, we are still wrapped in down jackets and living in winter.

There is no hiking trip planned for today. The destination is Gongga Township, 4550 meters above sea level. Zimei Pass. It is said that Here is a closer look A great place to visit Gongga Snow Mountain, the king of Sichuan Mountains.

The huge mountain in front of me and the thick snow made it difficult for me to find the right words to describe it. Excitement filled everyone's nerves, and they even forgot about the high body reaction caused by running.

A few people looked at each other and wondered if they could wait any longer. Then they carried the stove and gas tank on their backs and climbed to the nearest high ground: "Make coffee and drink it!"

There is a base station not far from the pass. Although it is on a deserted plateau, the mobile phone signal here is even better than in the toilet of my company.

When I drove up from the bottom of the mountain, I saw that the entrance was already under construction. Soon it will be planned as a scenic spot and charges will be charged.

Although it is really delicious to make coffee and drink it in the ice and snow, it will accelerate blood circulation and cause serious symptoms of high blood pressure. This is not recommended for those entering the plateau area for the first time.

plateau barista

For those of us who live in summer for 8 months of the year, we finally couldn't resist the temptation and started playing on the snow slide, building a snowman, and even rolling down the mountain while walking.

Happiness does not move alone. Accompanied by wet clothes and a slight high reflex, this snow carnival ended.

On the way back to Kangding, I finally saw the Rizhao Jinshan that I had been thinking about for the past few days.

When passing by Zheduo Pond, I went to soak in the hot springs again. There is something strange about this feeling of returning to my old place.

Just like you met this person 7 years ago, after so long and such a long distance, you meet an old friend again today. You are not who you were back then, but you are still you, and he seems to be still the same person, or maybe not, but you meet again. (This paragraph is definitely to make up the word count)

Zheduotang Hot Spring

Kangding cherry blossoms at night

When I return to Kangding at night, I used to be reluctant to leave every time, but now I know that if I want to switch to another life at once, it requires dedication behind the scenes.

After the Marvel heroes returned in triumph, they continued to update their armor in every ordinary day, just to prepare for the next battle.

Finally, it is customary to take a group photo of all members:

Do you want to climb mountains together? The kind that can take photos for you!