Gaoersi Pass · Gongga in Sight
Over Gaoersi Pass at 4,412 m, with the snow giant of Gongga (Minya Konka) on the horizon, then down the dizzying "Sky Road 18 Bends" to Yajiang on the Yalong River.
Plan the day
Xinduqiao to Yajiang — the road, food, lodging and gear for this stage.
Road & riding
Over Gaoersi Mountain (4,412 m, now eased by a tunnel), then a long descent into the Yalong River valley to Yajiang. High-plateau views all morning.
Food & resupply
Yajiang sits low in the gorge — a warm valley town with simple restaurants; eat and rehydrate before tomorrow’s big climbs.
Sleeping
Guesthouses in Yajiang by the river; the lower altitude here helps you sleep before Litang.
Gear & body
Big temperature swings — cold on the pass, mild in the valley; layer up and down through the day.
Landmarks
Xinduqiao
The day starts in this high plateau town famous among photographers as the "Light and Shadow Corridor."
Xinduqiao Light and Shadow Corridor
A poplar-lined valley of Tibetan farmhouses and golden light, beloved by landscape photographers.
Gaoersi Tunnel
A 5.7 km tunnel bored under Gaoersi Mountain, replacing the old high pass road.
Gaoersi Gongga Viewpoint
A platform on the old pass road where, on a clear day, Gongga's snow crown fills the horizon.
Gaoersi Pass
A 4,412 m pass with a clear-day view of Gongga, the highest peak in Sichuan.
Gongga (Minya Konka)
The “King of Sichuan’s Peaks” at 7,556 m, glimpsed from Gaoersi on a clear day.
Gaoersi Descent Meadows
Rolling alpine meadows and grazing yaks line the long descent off Gaoersi Mountain.
Bajiaolou Valley
A green river valley around Bajiaolou township, deep below the high pass.
Yalong River
A powerful tributary of the Jinsha, its jade-green water cutting the gorge below Yajiang.
Yajiang
A town clinging to the steep banks of the Yalong River.
Questions about this day
How high is Gaoersi Pass?
Gaoersi Pass is 4,412 m. On a clear day you can see Gongga (Minya Konka), the highest peak in Sichuan, from the top.
What is the Sky Road 18 Bends?
A famous stack of switchbacks that coils down from the pass toward the Yalong River and Yajiang at about 2,640 m. In the game it’s a long, winding descent — lean into the tilt steering and feather the brakes through the bends.
Can you see Gongga from the route?
Yes — Gaoersi Pass is the route’s clearest window onto the Gongga snow giant, but only when the weather cooperates. Catching the peak out of the cloud is a matter of luck and timing, both of which the game simulates live.
Ride your own 318
Cycling 318 turns the road to Lhasa into a daily, cozy ride. Check in at the landmarks, collect a postcard from each, and fill your 318 passport.
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