Many people say that Sichuan is a leisurely and livable city, with fun entertainment, delicious food, and cute giant pandas. The leisurely Sichuan people’s living conditions are basically on par with national treasures. A day passes in comfort by drinking Baba tea and rubbing it with numbness. Therefore, the ancients specially admonished young people to "do not enter Sichuan when they are young".
Others say, "Bashan and Chushui are a desolate land" and "the road to Shu is difficult to reach the sky." The conditions in Sichuan are so difficult and remote that ancient officials would even write poems of self-pity if they were banished to Shu.
Sichuan in the Land of Abundance has always been a divided double-sided Sichuan. In this strategically located rear area, one side is surrounded by the center of the basin with a livable climate, and the other side is surrounded by the mountains and the surrounding areas of the basin.
Different geographical features and cultures have created completely different Sichuan on both sides, so even Sichuan natives don’t know much about Sichuan on the other side... What is it like over there?
Only those who have been there know:
They are majestic mountains, bitter cold plateaus, ancient glaciers, Haizi grasslands, virgin forests, different humanities, and devout beliefs...
Geographically, western Sichuan is dominated by the two Tibetan areas of Aba and Garze.Mysterious and simple Tibetan, Qiang, and Yi people gather here. In addition to the magnificent and charming natural scenery, there are also religious sites such as prayer flags, white pagodas, and temples. Architecture has a unique humanistic culture.
This trip is the first step to explore this great treasure in Western Sichuan. We chose Gongga Mountain in Ganzi, which is known as the King of Shu Mountains. It has an altitude of up to 7590. For various reasons, it is even higher than the rest of the world. The famous Mount Everest is more difficult to climb. Only 37 people have successfully climbed it in history, but 24 people have died during and after the climb.
For Tibetans, these snow-capped mountains are sacred mountains that they can worship and admire, but they do not think of conquering them.
Although the scenic spots along this route are beautiful, they are not popular. Only a few people know about them. They are only spread by word of mouth among outdoor travel friends. They are regarded as a hidden gem in Western Sichuan. There are no tickets for the small crowds, which is almost perfect for us.
00
Chengdu
You must not miss the hot pot when you go to Chengdu. When I was out of town, everything else was fine, but I was very annoyed when I ate hot pot. The hot pot in other places was expensive and unpalatable. I don’t know where I got the confidence to charge such a price.
There are many hotpot chain stores in Chengdu. I recommend Damiao Hotpot in Kuanzhai Alley and Lixue Hotpot ~. The one with a faucet is also very good and the decoration is also very beautiful. It is more interesting to take a Douyin or something.
If you arrive very early, you can go to the panda base early to see the giant pandas and go back to the hotel to sleep in the afternoon. But if you arrive late, forget it. Gungun is too lazy and goes to bed in the afternoon, which is not so fun ~
You must have a good rest this night. The altitude in many places in western Sichuan is getting higher and higher, so don’t get too excited and conserve your strength. If you don’t get a good rest, you will easily get high.~
01
Xinduqiao
The next day we took the Chengya Expressway to Ya'an and then to Kangding, Luding and Xinduqiao ~
The golden sand and water are warm against the clouds and the cliffs are warm, while the iron cables across the Dadu Bridge are cold.
Luding Bridge is the iron-locked bridge that the Red Army used to fly over. The Jinsha River below is turbulent. Now the bridge has been reinforced, but it still looks scary.
You need to pay 20 to go up the Luding Bridge, so I didn’t go up and looked panicked.
After leaving Zheduo in the west, you will find Xinduqiao, a "photography paradise".
Xinduqiao is actually close to Gongga Mountain, but it is not a good location for viewing the snow-capped mountains.
But the light and shadow here are very good, and the light and dark are intertwined. It is a very famous photography gallery. It can produce the same texture as oil paintings. It is a famous film killer. Basically, any photo taken will look good.
Overnight stay in Xinduqiao.
02
Leng Ga Cuo
The next day we started from Xinduqiao-Shade-Shangmuju-Lenggacuo-Yulongxi.
The main thing we visited today was Lenggacuo. Although it is called "The Frozen Teardrop of the King of Shushan", in fact Lenggacuo is a small place with no reputation. It doesn't even have a Baidu entry .
Its beauty is only spread by word of mouth in outdoor circles, because the reflection of Gongga taken in Wanghu Lake is very strange, more majestic than Zimei Pass, and more spectacular than Yaha Pass.
Accommodation conditions in Tibetan areas are not very good. There are only small rooms renovated by local people in their own homes. Sometimes you can't book a room or even just a bed. Hot water is guaranteed, but other things are not guaranteed. If possible, it is recommended to camp in Lenggacuo. Lenggacuo is very suitable for camping and you can see the super beautiful stars at night. But it’s very cold at night on the plateau, so be sure to wear thick clothes to avoid catching a cold.
The altitude of Lenggacuo is 4500 meters. The probability of altitude sickness is still very high. Be careful not to exercise strenuously ~ The mountain road is very difficult to walk, and the altitude climbs quickly. It is recommended to go up the mountain on horseback +It will be more comfortable to hike down the mountain.
03
Zimei Pass
Let’s play around with the surroundings today~
Quanhua Beach, Zimei Pass...
These are must-visit places in Gongga Township.
Quanhuatan is an alpine valley meadow, which is similar to Jiuzhaigou Valley and has large and small calcified colorful pools. It is fifteen minutes away from Lenggacuo and is very close. In spring, the lakeside will be filled with pink Gesang flowers. The water and plants in the pool are dependent on each other, and the sea of flowers is everywhere outside the pool.
Quanhua Beach is 23 kilometers away from Zimei Pass. You can go to Zimei Pass first and then Quanhua Beach, or you can go to Quanhua Beach first and then return to Zimei Pass.
The road to Zimei Pass is also very difficult. This is also the reason why we signed up for a group tour. The road after Zheduo is more difficult. It will be much better if there is a familiar driver to lead the way. It will be really scary to drive there by yourself.
From the winding mountain road to Zimei Pass, you will pass by three white calcification pools. As you continue walking up from the calcification pond, you can see the clouds and mist gradually increasing in the mountain stream.
Until we reached the pass, we saw a large sea of clouds in front of us. The white clouds seemed to be in a fairyland, and our friends started to get excited.
Although the sea of clouds is also very beautiful, the most important thing is that the majestic peak of Gongga Snow Mountain is looming in the clouds and mist and has never revealed its full appearance. We set up our camera to take a few photos of the sea of clouds. stop Come down and wait for the clouds to dissipate.
In fact, whether we can disperse depends on luck. If we don't disperse all day long, our trip will be in vain.
Fortunately, I'm lucky. Towards the end of the day, the flowing clouds gradually broke away.
The spectacular snow-white peaks of Gongga are displayed in front of you.
This entire stretch of white mountains is the king of snow mountains in Sichuan. From this angle, even the snow line is clearly visible, and you can take a photo of it and it will be a blockbuster.
Because the weather was not very good that day and the sun refused to show up, we almost gave up hope of seeing the sun shining on Jinshan Mountain.
But the goddess of luck favored us again. When we had almost picked up everything and were about to return, a ray of sunshine suddenly broke through the clouds.
Immediately after the clouds broke through and the sun rose, the solemn and sacred golden light gradually illuminated the snow peaks.
Rizhao Jinshan is as spectacular as a miracle!
04
Chengdu
Start going back to Chengdu today.
Depart from Yulongxi.
Everyone is basically still immersed in yesterday's scenery and miss it very much.
The itinerary is almost the same as when I came here, so I won’t go into details.
The fish in Yucheng Ya'an is very delicious. If you didn't eat it when you came here, you can try it today.
Arrive in Chengdu around 4pm.
Over.
PS:
1. In plateau areas, you must pay attention to sun protection and use physical sun protection. If the ultraviolet rays are too strong, your skin may peel after a while.
2. If you want to go camping, you must bring good equipment. It is very cold at night. You also need to bring lighting equipment and equipment for shooting starry sky. The starry sky is really beautiful.
3. The altitude of Lenggacuo is too high, so you should act according to your ability. It is recommended to go up on horseback. Climbing the mountain will be very tiring when the oxygen is thin. If you are not in good health, it will be very uncomfortable if you get high. Riding is the best way. It is better to ride at the beginning, otherwise the price will be the same if you ride in the middle.
4. Leng Gacuo and Zimei Pass are both beautiful to take photos with. Be careful not to get excited when taking photos. Jumping around can easily cause high reflexes ~
5. Prepare motion sickness medicine in advance before departure. The road back to Shangmuju is not very good. There are some gravel roads and it is very bumpy. It will be tragic if you get motion sickness.
6. Our western Sichuan is really beautiful. There are unexpected views everywhere, welcome to explore more~