SGL LH D3
To Gongshan
S:5 R: 0 to 5 H:4.
Amazing ride in one day, joining the three rivers. Jinsha (upper Yangtze) to Lancang(Mekong) to Nu (Salween) rivers. Mixed surface, from good tarmac to terrible construction roads.
The start, the hill climb, and the descent from the Yangtze to the Mekong were on great roads with nice views. Then, on the Mekong, an unexpected detour from the route after chatting with the locals. A tunnel is open, only accessible by small motorbikes and cycles, leading to the Nu River. So I gave it a go, thinking I might have to turn back at any point. 1000m climb on mostly gravel, a tunnel, and a long downhill to the Nu River on construction roads. Then a ride north along the Nu River to Gongshan. It’s one of the most scenic river gorge rides anywhere, and this ride gets into my top Epic China Ride List 🙂
206km +3200m -3700m max2900m
Not planned to do in a day, but when the opportunity comes, why not ride the Three Parallel Rivers Unesco area in a day? This area is said to be home to 25% of China’s species and is an amazing place to explore. Search the area online, it’s an interesting read. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Parallel_Rivers
The start of the day from the Yangtze, Tacheng area, to the Mekong was on great roads and nice views. A detour halfway off the main road led to a nice secluded agricultural area, a puncture, and a nice noodle lunch in a village at the top of the pass. A long winding downhill to the wide, lush Mekong.
Then, there was an unexpected detour from the planned route after chatting with the locals. A tunnel is open, only accessible by small motorbikes and cycles, leading to the Nu River. Warnings about how rough the road is due to landslides and construction, but it would save me a day of hiking and biking, and possibly not being able to get over on a more northern, unknown gravel road over the mountains. So I gave it a go, thinking I might have to turn back at any point. 1000m climb on mostly gravel, a very dark tunnel, and a long downhill to the Nu River on construction roads. I don’t really advise doing the tunnel section until construction is complete. Once done, maybe one of China’s top 10 climbs? For now, take the South, flattish road in and North Mountain Road out.
The north section of the Nu River is one of the most scenic river-gorge rides anywhere, a must-ride. About 15 km east of the Myanmar border, China is secured by a wall of 6000m plus jagged mountains. The Nu River, 3,000 km long, starts in Tibet and ends in southern Myanmar, not too far from Yangon. The last time I was in this area was about 10 years ago, and I put my bike on a donkey and hiked for 2 days to cross the range! Gongshan, the town in the north where I stayed, has an interesting border feel. Today, I had to take a day off due to the rain and not wanting to do a 4000m pass in wet, cold, cloudy conditions. A unexpected visit to the local Friday market made for a interesting day, otherwise catching up on some work and rest. Back to altitude tomorrow 🙂 A little nervous about that. This summer, I’ll post some good routes here and will be back to explore some of those gravel passes, maybe with a mountain bike.
SGL LH D3：三江交汇
前往贡山
S:5 R: 0 至 5 H:4.
一天之内完成的三江交汇骑行令人惊叹。从金沙江（长江上游）到澜沧江（湄公河），再到怒江（萨尔温江）。路面状况参差不齐，既有良好的沥青路，也有糟糕的施工道路。
起始段、爬坡路段以及从长江下行至湄公河的下坡路段，路况极佳，沿途风景优美。随后在湄公河畔，与当地人闲聊后，我意外地偏离了原定路线。有一条隧道已开通，仅限小型摩托车和自行车通行，通往怒江。于是我决定尝试一下，心想随时可能得折返。在以碎石路为主的路面上爬升1000米，穿过隧道，随后沿着施工中的道路长下坡抵达怒江。接着沿怒江向北骑行至贡山。这是世界上风景最壮丽的河谷骑行路线之一，这次骑行成功跻身我的“中国史诗级骑行清单”之列 🙂
206公里 +3200米 -3700米 最高海拔2900米
虽然原本没打算一天内完成，但既然机会来了，何不趁机一日骑行穿越联合国教科文组织认定的“三江并流”保护区？据说该地区拥有中国25%的物种，是绝佳的探索之地。上网搜索一下该地区，会发现很多有趣的内容。https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Parallel_Rivers
从长江沿岸的塔城地区出发，一路向湄公河骑行，起初的路况极佳，沿途风景如画。中途离开主路绕行，带我进入了一片幽静的农田，途中遭遇了爆胎，最后在山口顶端的村庄享用了一顿美味的面条午餐。随后是一段蜿蜒曲折的下坡路，通向宽阔而郁郁葱葱的湄公河。
随后，在与当地人交谈后，我意外地偏离了原定路线。有一条隧道已开通，仅限小型摩托车和自行车通行，通往怒江。虽然有人警告说，由于山体滑坡和施工，道路状况很差，但这能让我省下一天的徒步和骑行时间，而且可能无法通过更北边那条未知且崎岖的碎石山路翻越山脉。于是我决定一试，心里想着随时可能得折返。这段路程包含1000米的爬坡（多为碎石路）、一条漆黑的隧道，以及沿施工道路长长的下坡路，最终抵达怒江。我并不建议在施工完成前走隧道路段。等修好后，这或许会成为中国十大经典爬坡路线之一？目前，建议走南侧相对平坦的道路进，北侧山路出。
怒江上游段堪称全球最壮丽的河谷骑行路线之一，绝对不容错过。在距离缅甸边境以东约15公里处，中国境内耸立着海拔6000米以上的嶙峋山脉，形成一道天然屏障。怒江全长3000公里，发源于西藏，终点位于缅甸南部，距离仰光不远。我上次来这一带大约是10年前，当时我把自行车捆在驴背上，徒步两天才翻越了那座山脉！我在北部的住处——贡山镇，有着一种有趣的边境氛围。今天因雨不得不休息一天，毕竟不想在湿冷多云的天气里翻越海拔4000米的山口。意外造访当地的周五集市让这一天颇有意思，其余时间则用来处理积压的工作和休息。明天就要重返高海拔地区了 🙂 对此有点忐忑。今年夏天，我会在这里分享一些不错的路线，届时将重返此地探索那些碎石山口，或许会骑着山地车去。
