Day 2. Mengzi to Lao Cai
2013 Lijiang to Zhongdian (Shangri-La)
Well planned to be a 2 day cycle on the back road from Lijiang to Shangri-la with a short hike with my students on in between. Nice idea but stupidly i did not come prepared with cold weather rain gear and nearly froze.
Day 1
Plan was to ride about 100km from downtown Lijiang to Botanical Garden, walk up that, then cycle on north to the old ferry at Daju. Cross over the river there and cycle to a Inn on Tiger Leaping Gorge (HutiaoXia). Morning went well and then started to rain.
Lijiang to Botanical Garden-Original2
Misty walk 1000m up the botanical garden and down
Then cycled to about 3000m, well out of breath. Started to head down the hill and got seriously cold and shivering so hard i had to stop and find shelter in a workmans cafe.
My students picked me up in the mini bus and too wet and cold to carry on so drove the rest of the way. Missed a good cobble stone uphill and nice downhill to the ferry.
Lijiang Botanical Garden to Tina’s Tiger Leaping Gorge2
Day 2
Nice hike along the gorge.
Day 3
Thunderstorms forecasted for the day so gave up on the 150km up-down up-down back route and went for the easy 110km climb up to Shangrila. All going well till i hit the top and then the rains started, temperature dropped, winds picked up and i got seriously cold again.
Could not feel my feet (waterproof socks just kept in water that had rolled down my leg) or my fingers. Just kept pushing on till i got there. Seriously happy to be off the bike at the end of it.
Anyway plan to do the back route again in May of next year when less rain and the flowers full out in bloom. Anyone interested, will rent a car / driver to take the gear as well. From airplan looked like some seriously interesting rides west of Shangrila going down into a valley 2000m below (guess Yangtze river). Nice 5 day trip. Will also bring the proper gear as well as not interested in being seriously cold.
Friends place we will stay next time
Planned route for 2014 May trip
Read More3. Lao Cai to Sapa
A short day uphill. Tough grade and a bit of walking. 1st part quite steep and hot. Second more relaxed but slow.
Tired. Great hotel. Great lunch. Great nap.
Read More