Cycling Diary (Ali Ring Road): Day 49 Qi Bo, Ren Gang (37 kilometers on foot)

Day 49 5.20 Ren Gang Qi Bo (Tarchin) (37km on foot)

The sunshine "Jinshan" in Gangrenboqi hangs on the prayer flags, the 5600-meter Zhuo Ma Lashankou, the world of ice and snow, and the cliff goes downhill. The discussion of faith turns to the mountains until late at night. . .

Wake up at 7 am and get up in a hurry to get dressed. We agreed to go together at 7: 30 yesterday, which seems impossible. It's sunny, and the sun hasn't fully risen. We can directly see Gon B?rge Ring from the house where we live. While eating, wait for Rizhao Jinshan. With the rising of the sun, Gangrinpoche Peak gradually became clear, and suddenly the golden sunshine filled the summit. Magical golden yellow, so dazzling. Rushed out, stood in the cold wind and took two photos, and hurried back to the warm room. Through the window, Gon Rinpoche soon changed from golden yellow to white, and only a short period of time revealed the "Golden Mountain".

Although we were lucky enough to see the "Rizhao Jinshan", it did not fully stimulate our energy. My little brother and I are lazy and sleepy, and we don't want to start at all. In desperation, I sent a message to my sister in Lhasa to let them go first, and we arrived later. It is true that they were too tired yesterday to reach the scheduled time.

It didn't leave until around 8: 20. After crossing the bridge, I walked along the only path for a while and found that there were actually many people on the slope not far ahead. It's strange, why are there so many people suddenly? It was rare yesterday, but it seems to have popped up today. I found two sisters and got there. The slope is so steep that it is difficult for everyone to climb it. The sun didn't shine before climbing the mountain. At this time, it shines warmly on the body, and the "seal" of physical strength is slowly solved. The trip to the mountains began.

My brother's stomach has been a little uncomfortable since morning, and his physical strength can't be released. It may be the reason for drinking red bull in the morning. It's too cold. I brought two cans of red bull and gave my little brother one. He drank it directly, and I usually don't use red bull to supplement my physical fitness unless I have to. Beijing girls climb harder and slower. My little brother, Sister Lhasa, and I stop to wait for her every time we climb a mountain. I think I have good physical fitness and can help others as much as I can, so I put down my backpack where the three of us stopped to wait for my Beijing sister and went back to help her carry it, just like last night. Sister Beijing asked me to go first, without waiting for her. So I went to the place where my backpack stayed before I arrived, put down her backpack, and then walked forward with my backpack on my back. After that, it was like this. I enjoyed it. It's a sense of accomplishment to watch others panting, and sometimes I can even surpass them twice in a row.

Tents appear from time to time on the road for tourists to rest, eat, sell snacks and oxygen bottles. In a tent, Sister Lhasa asked for a pot of sweet tea, and we had a tea rest in the tent. Tibetan sweet tea tastes like brewed milk powder, very sweet, without the smell of butter tea, which is very suitable for the taste of most foreign tourists. Take a break, continue to set out, or the previous mode, stop, return, backpack, and then turn back. In front is the highest Zhuomala Pass, which is also the difficulty of climbing the mountain. Because of the high altitude, it is prone to hypoxia or high reaction. Many mountain changers will bring their own oxygen bottles, and people are constantly seeing oxygen along the way.

Not far from Lashan Pass in Zhuo Ma, a very interesting or friendly thing happened. Because after putting Sister Jing's backpack on the side of the road, the three of us will continue to move forward until Sister Jing reaches the place where she put the backpack. When the three of us were walking and chatting, Sister Lhasa saw a person's backpack very much like Sister Beijing's. A young Tibetan man, carrying a girl's backpack, stands out. Sister Lhasa is more and more like a girlfriend's backpack. I have recited it many times and I feel very fond of it.

So we asked the Tibetan youth politely and found that it was not his backpack. It turned out that he found a backpack on the side of the road and thought it should be a pilgrim's, so he gave it to me by the way. Thank him very much, but we hope he can put his backpack in a place full of prayer flags before Lashankou in Zhuo Ma. Maybe he didn't understand what we said, but he was still very enthusiastic, carrying a backpack and walking straight ahead, pointing to the front. After a long walk, Sister Lhasa reacted that the Tibetan youth seemed to have put his backpack in Lashankou, Zhuo Ma, but there were prayer flags in that backpack, which needed to be hung in front of the mountain pass. So let's catch up.

My little brother finally caught up with the enthusiastic Tibetan youth at the place where the prayer flags were hung. When we all arrived, the two sisters took out the prayer flags in their backpacks. They carry the biggest prayer flag and need to hang it in the highest place. Just as we were about to hang the prayer flags, a group of people came down from the mountain. It was really a group of people and horses, seven or eight people and four horses. In front, an elderly woman looks very weak, which should be a high reaction. People around helped her arm and walked hard. Perhaps this is the only pilgrimage of the old woman, even if it is difficult and uncomfortable, it must be done with both feet.

Hanging the prayer flags, Sister Lhasa fully shows the temperament of a woman, and of course it is also the embodiment of an outdoor talent. Hang the simpler end first. The simplicity here is only relative. The slope you need to climb is steep and the thick snow is slippery. I wanted to help her hang this end, but she wouldn't let me, so I had to hang it myself. The other end is more difficult, and only two people can cooperate with each other to hang it. The snow is really thick, and I don't know what's under it. It may be a stone or a gully. I will try it step by step. It's hard to get up, and it's even harder to get down. Finally, I helped her hang up the prayer flags, which are the highest of all. The two sisters were very excited to see their prayer flag hanging on the top. My little brother and I just looked up and didn't show much other feelings. Maybe it's just that we don't understand what this means yet.

There was an episode when hanging the prayer flags, and several familiar faces appeared. Just a few buddies from the new Tibetan cycling team. They arrived in Tarqin last night, turned to the mountains early this morning, and met here at noon. After a few words, they continued to walk up, and I continued to hang up the prayer flags. After hanging the prayer flags, Lashan Pass in Zhuo Ma is not far ahead. When I went up the mountain, I joked with my little brother that maybe the snow here has never melted, so we may be stepping on snow decades, hundreds of years or even longer ago. Brother also joked that maybe hundreds or even thousands of years later, if human beings want to know us now, they can only learn from these snow-covered prayer flags.

12: 40, finally arrived at Lashankou, Zhuo Ma. Zhuo Ma Lashankou is the highest point of the whole mountain trip, with an altitude of more than 5,600 meters. It was full of prayer flags and roared in the strong wind. When the two sisters arrived at the mountain pass, they dispersed Long Da and bowed down to the holy mountain. My little brother and I didn't show any special performance, just quietly watching some behaviors and ceremonies that are a little strange to us, but more solemn and sacred.

Down the mountain, my little brother helped Beijing sister share the weight of a sleeping bag in her backpack. My sister's backpack is not heavy. It once contained food, prayer flags, Long Da, etc. Now all these are gone, only two portable sleeping bags are left. But for people who are physically exhausted, even a little weight can't bear it. My backpack is the heaviest and contains all kinds of things you don't need. Who has never had an outdoor hiking experience? This is a waste of time. Needless to say, sister Lhasa's outdoor experience, brother Guangzhou has also had many outdoor hiking experiences.

First it was a steep downhill, and then it entered a magical world of ice and snow. There is thick snow all around, and there is a small lake at the foot of the mountain in the distance. The ice on the lake is crystal clear in the sun. Cross a river, thick ice. I really wanted to slide down the ice on the river, but I gave up at the thought that the result might be broken into pieces.

On the way down the mountain, I met a buddy who looked "dying", and her husband kept giving him oxygen. This guy's skin is very white, but the whole person is close to collapse, making his face extremely white. His voice is almost squeezed out of his throat, hoarse and weak, and he will stop to rest after a few steps. Typical high reaction, and it looks serious. Don't ask about the situation. My buddy is from Shanghai and has never experienced such a high altitude. Sister Lhasa, who is experienced in fighting against high altitude, happened to take medicine with her to relieve high altitude and gave it to her senior brother. My husband thanked us. In this case, my husband can't really do anything except keep giving him oxygen. Most backpackers live at high altitude from birth, and it is really impossible to understand this symptom.

After bidding farewell to that buddy, Sister Lhasa said that that kind of small oxygen bottle could not solve the high reaction at all. In order to cope with the high reaction, it is necessary to continuously inhale oxygen, and the oxygen must reach a certain concentration. Only the strapped oxygen bag can be effective, and the oxygen content of this oxygen tank is already very low, and the concentration is not enough, which can only be slightly relieved. Then I found an oxygen bottle on the side of the road (this phenomenon of littering must be condemned), shook it and felt the air pressure. I pressed the button and put it in front of my nose. I didn't feel anything special. Although I said goodbye to that buddy, I was still worried about his situation and kept looking back at his position. Although he has passed the highest mountain pass, the road conditions behind him are not good. We can only pray that he will recover slowly.

The thickest part of the snow completely submerged the shoes, making it very difficult to walk. After the world of ice and snow came out, it was a steep downhill, close to the vertical hillside, full of big stones and all kinds of rubble. I walked ahead, and soon I distanced myself from the three of them. I couldn't see where the road was, and I didn't find the three of them when I looked back, so I had to go down the vertical rock wall. Carefully look for every stone that can be used as waste, and try to stick your body on the rock behind you, because if you are not careful, your center of gravity will tilt forward a little, and you may fall straight. This is definitely the hardest road I have ever walked. It is not a road at all, but a cliff full of rocks.

It is difficult to get down from the "cliff" and look for them later. No one is there. Facing the cliff, there is a path on my right, that is, the left side of the "cliff", which winds up and people come down from it from time to time. After waiting for a while, I didn't see them coming down, so I decided to go up and look for them. The cliff can't go directly, I can only go up along the path. The man who climbed up and asked if he had seen the three people together didn't answer. After getting negative answers one after another, I think they should not have taken this road, otherwise they would not have never appeared, let alone been seen. So I turned around and thought about whether I should climb a steep cliff to find them. Before the finish line, I saw my sister Lhasa standing not far away and hurried over. It turned out that they took a path on the right side of the cliff. Sister Lhasa tried to stop me when I was up there, but I already went down. When she came down, she saw me climbing up again. She knew I was going to find them and sent me a message, but I didn't see it. The downhill slope they took was a gentle slope, which was relatively easy and safe.

Soon, brother Guangzhou and sister Beijing came down one after another. It's 3 o'clock now, and I'm hungry, so I sit on a stone and eat. The difficult journey has basically ended, and the next road is almost flat, although the road conditions are still very bad. Not long after I left, I saw a building being built by the road in the distance. I didn't see the architectural explanation until I got closer. Buildings like hotels built in India should be for Hindus. After all, Gangrinpoche is also a sacred mountain of Hinduism, and many Hindus come here to turn mountains.

The situation is the same as when climbing the mountain in the morning. All three of us are in good health except Beijing sister. Walking and chatting, Beijing sister is constantly left behind by us, and we have to stop and wait for her from time to time. However, I admire my sister in Beijing. She is in poor health, very bad, but she has always insisted and never said give up. At first, she would stop to have a rest, but then she just stopped to have a rest and walked slowly. When she stopped to wait for her, she didn't stop after catching up with us, but kept walking. Passing her again, she told us to go first and walk slowly by ourselves. Maybe I'm afraid I won't have the courage to get up again after stopping, so I keep walking, even if I walk slowly.

After that, I stopped at a Tibetan teahouse to have a rest. A pot of sweet tea, a bowl of Tibetan noodles for each person, very small bowl. Beijing sister's feet are blistered. Treat them a little, put on shoes and continue walking. When passing by a small bridge, my little brother felt sick in his stomach and it was convenient to find a place. Sister Lhasa and I went first. After a while, no one came back. After waiting for a while, I saw my little brother and Beijing sister coming together. Beijing sister's physical strength is close to the limit. My little brother helped her carry her backpack directly, and only saw a bag behind her and a bag in front.

The subsequent trip formed that my sister Lhasa and I walked in front, and my little brother and sister Beijing walked behind, not far apart, and the vision was within reach. Soon my sister Lhasa and I talked about some topics about faith. Sister Lhasa, an Anhui native, has lived in Lhasa for many years and runs an inn. Tibetan life and religious beliefs have a great influence on her. Along the way, we can see that both sisters are people of faith, hanging prayer flags, scattering Long Da, bowing and so on. Although the road around the mountain has closer contact with kowtowing pilgrims, there are still many puzzles about them. It takes at least ten days to kowtow to the mountain. Pilgrims are unkempt, wearing thick protective gear and holding thick boards in their hands. There are traces of every time they bow down on the road, so clear and so vague. There is a child about three or four years old who may not know the meaning of kowtowing at all, but whenever an adult bows down, he will kneel down with him.

I don't know what they are for, or what they are pursuing, and what can this bring them? Express your doubts. Sister Lhasa asked, then what are you riding so hard for? I choked for a moment. Perhaps this is not to pursue anything, and there is no interest, just to finish it. There is no sense of mission, let alone responsibility and obligation. You just need to know what you think in your heart, and then practice it with the simplest and most direct actions. Perhaps this is the most concrete, direct, authentic and valuable expression of faith.

At 9 o'clock in the evening, after turning a big bend, the national highway 2 19 has appeared in the distance, only about 4 kilometers away from Tarqin. It was getting dark, and the temperature suddenly dropped a lot. We decided not to go separately, but together. Beijing sister is still insisting, mechanically repeating the pace, not daring to have any other unnecessary actions, and the whole person is nervous, as if the soul is out of the body. At this time, we thought of our Shanghai buddies who were anti-high. I wonder how he is now and where he has gone. Our speed is very slow because we stop and go. Several Pakistani buddies who kept carrying oxygen up the mountain far surpassed us, but by this time they had already surpassed us. But I didn't see my Shanghai buddies catch up. If I don't keep walking this late, have I found a place to live?

Idle and cold, I began to count the stars in the sky. At first, there was only one gloomy sky, then two or three, and then I couldn't count it. Soon, the sky was full of stars. At the last two kilometers from the village, we decided to let our little brother go back to the hotel first, and my sister Lhasa and I walked forward arm in arm with my sister Beijing. Every time we walk, my sister Lhasa and I have to change places because our arms are a little sore after a long time. By constantly changing posture, let the left arm and the right arm take turns to rest. Sister Beijing has been apologizing to us, saying that she dragged us down. We must continue to comfort. Then I remembered my little brother's words, "Everything is the best arrangement". Although I delayed my trip, I experienced many differences. Isn't this the windfall and fun of changing mountains? If it's just me and my little brother, maybe we can finish the trip in the afternoon, but how can we remember this mountain trip more deeply?

After 10 in the afternoon, I escaped from the darkness and finally entered the main road of the village. The street lights are very bright, most shops are closed, and some are still open. I'm beginning to worry about whether dinner is free. After all, it's very late. At about 1 1, we finally arrived at the hotel where my little brother and I stayed. We are the last guests. My little brother has just arrived and is sitting on the bench to rest. When I was on the mountain, my two sisters said they would invite my little brother and me to have a big meal. For my little brother and I, as long as we are full, it is a big meal. Food is abundant, with fish and meat. Really hungry, completely ignoring the image. The two sisters ate less, and then they watched my little brother and I eat. Our eating habits and appetites really scared them.

I feel full and my whole stomach is full of food. After dinner, send the two sisters back to the hotel. Know each other for two days, go to the mountains, and then have a big meal. It's perfect. When I came back, I went to the toilet, forgot to tidy up everything, and lay down on the bed. I've never fallen asleep so quickly. My brother and I are in the same state. It's past 12 midnight.