Yela Pass · the Nu River 72 Bends
Over Yela Pass (4,658 m), then the route’s most famous descent: the Nu River 72 Bends, a stack of switchbacks that drops more than a kilometre into the canyon.
Plan the day
Bangda to Baxoi — the road, food, lodging and gear for this stage.
Road & riding
Climb Yela Mountain (4,658 m), then drop the legendary Nujiang 72 Bends — 72 hairpins down to the Nu River — past the no-photo Nujiang bridge, then up to Baxoi. A descent you’ll never forget.
Food & resupply
Carry food for the bends; Baxoi has simple restaurants and shops at the end of the day.
Sleeping
Baxoi (3,260 m) has guesthouses; lower and warmer than the grassland — a decent night’s rest.
Gear & body
Cold pass, long brake-heavy descent: warm layers up top, and check your brakes before the 72 bends. Do not photograph the river bridge (military).
Landmarks
Bangda
The day starts on Bangda's wide grassland at about 4,120 m, where the G318 meets the north–south G214.
Yela Pass
The 4,658 m pass at the top of the 72 Bends.
Nu River 72 Bends
A legendary set of switchbacks corkscrewing down to the Nu River — an icon of the 318 road.
Nu River Grand Canyon
A deep, arid gorge with steep rock walls and almost no settlements for many kilometres.
Gamaigou
The foot of the bends near Buze village, where the long descent bottoms out around 2,800 m.
Nujiang Bridge
The strategic bridge over the Nu River at the foot of the 72 Bends — guarded, and strictly no photos.
Leng Qu River
A 92 km Nu River tributary joining near the bridge; the road follows it upstream toward Baxoi.
Baxoi Dry Canyon
A hot, dry valley dotted with patches of red danxia rock on the climb up to Baxoi.
Baxoi
A dry canyon town at about 3,260 m.
Questions about this day
What are the Nu River 72 Bends?
The most famous descent on the G318 — a stack of switchbacks corkscrewing more than a kilometre down to the Nu River, dropping from Yela Pass at 4,658 m toward Baxoi. It’s one of the iconic images of the whole road.
How many switchbacks are there really?
The "72 Bends" is the well-known name; the road famously coils down in dozens of tight hairpins. In the game it’s a long, dramatic descent you steer with tilt and brake your way down.
How do I ride the 72 Bends in the game?
Don’t just bomb it — lean into the tilt steering through the hairpins and feather the brakes so you stay on the road. It’s the payoff descent of the Tibetan high country and a signature postcard view of 318.
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.
Download on the App Store