After a good night, I departed earlier as the hotel also offered no breakfast and I was happy to use my deposit of Cookies with the coffee the hotel offered.
To cut it short, this was maybe one of the best (or at least most interesting) riding days so far. Mainly for two reasons.
First: a good national road with surprisingly almost no traffic (I became a bit suspicious and was not disappointed).
Second:, one of the most breathtaking sceneries through the mountains and valleys of Sichuan. I wish only, there would have been some sun as it was cloudy all day, however, not a Single drop of rain. Roughly one hour into the ride, I came to a fork where road signs pointed right to Lishan, but both navigation systems pointed straight ahead. As the road was really good and only built recently I simply followed the navigation. It went higher and higher towards 3,000 meter, had to pass two open bars, clear signs that this road is closed during winter or other times (there had been some major mud slides and rock falls), then out of nowhere a three km long dark (absolutely no lights) tunnel came up, gladly, halfway I saw a truck coming the other way, what could only mean it goes somewhere. The problem was only, the Garmin and OSM navigation got completely out of track, however Amap, the Chinese navigation apps showed sturdy a road ahead until we came to a closed tunnel entrance when the road suddenly turned onto an old single lane dirt track. The last village was 20 km away and there was no sign of anything else ahead. However, another truck approached from the other side, we managed somehow to pass each other without pushing each other off the dirt track and I kept going. These are then the moments where you discuss with yourself, what will be conditions you will turn around to drive back all the way to that last fork some 30 km or so back. This was clearly the old, single lane road, now completely broken down in some parts. Anyway, things got better and not very surprisingly, the end of the blocked tunnel and the road appeared again and after a bit of needed momentum to get up the ramp I was back on the road again. I guess the tunnel was never finished or some accident forced a closure of the tunnel and the detour via the dirt track. An easy explanation, why no other car and only very few trucks took that route. The reward was almost no traffic, on a new road through those stunning mountains rolling on good speed and good asphalt towards Lishan, still 3 1/2 hours away. I need to get the videos from my helmet camera and try to cut out some pictures or short sequences.
It’s hard to put it in words, but it’s a bit like driving through those chinese paintings, with these deep gorges, vertical mountains, along creeks and rivers, which finally turn into wide streams. It was simply stunning. I finally made it to Lishan, after a couple of desperate pitstops at the petrol stations, after I followed the advice to drink at least two liters more in high altitude, what , in the cold air (12°C), only means you do not sweat it out but have to visit a toilet every 2 hours or so. On one of those stops, I got invited to join the station staff for a simple lunch and they asked me all kinds of questions of where I come from, where I’m going and so on. It was teal fun. And even in those remote areas, there is always somebody who can speak and understand a bit of English and the rest is done with the translator app.
Have not seen a lot of Lishan, but can say, ot has a lot of good vibes street life under thick and old trees, with people sitting and chatting and eating and drinking along those roads. Plenty of chic looking coffee shops and restaurants.
However, I booked a hotel a bit outside in the high Bamboo grooves and I was not disappointed by the hotel design. Absolutely chic, modern, functional in a very rural setting, somewhere hidden in a valley.
I will see what dinner will be and I know already it will be noodle soup for breakfast.
Well, I just got my dinner, yummy looking noodle soup
Here is the road book briefing for today’s trip:
Tomorrow: Meigu → Leshan (Day 12)
– Route: 214 km / ~3h13m — descending from Yi Highlands into the Sichuan basin
– Hotel:Leshan Zhuyu Hidden Luxury · Mountain View Designer Hotel (乐山竹雨隐奢·山景设计师酒店)
– Kurviger: https://kurv.gr/5vmpL
⚠️ Road Notes
– Rougher asphalt, remote S307 through Yi territory
– Dense fog likely in mountain passes — 10–20°C, dress in layers
– ⛽ Fuel: Stations sparse between Meigu and Leshan — fill up before departure
Day After (Fri 12 Jun): Leshan → Chengdu
– 152 km / 2h23m — easy highway ride back to civilization
– Hotel: Holiday Inn Express CHENGDU WUHOU NEW CITY by IHG
– Kurviger: https://kurv.gr/3xWeM
️ Diamox Status: NO ALERT
– 2-day altitude forecast: well below threshold (Leshan ~350m, Chengdu ~500m)
– First >2,500m not until September — no action needed
– Pill count: 36 (decremented from 37)
Dinner in Leshan — Top 3 Picks
Leshan is one of Sichuan’s great food cities. All in 市中区, walking distance from the hotel:
1
• Restaurant: 冯三孃翘脚牛肉
• What: Qiaojiao Beef
• Why: THE signature Leshan dish — cross-legged beef hotpot, legendary
2
• Restaurant: 记老四钵钵鸡
• What: Bobo Chicken
• Why: Leshan’s other classic — cold skewers in numbing chili oil
3
• Restaurant: 九九豆腐脑
• What: Tofu Pudding
• Why: Local breakfast/snack institution, silky-savory comfort
Also worth a look: 崇州曾老五兔头 (rabbit head) and 刘二孃味精素面 (MSG noodles).
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Summary: Easy descent day into Leshan — one of China’s best food cities. Fog is the main hazard. No altitude concerns. Enjoy the qiaojiao beef — you’ve earned it after the Yi Highlands. ️
Ok, no beef, as I’m really happy to have a Sichuan noodle soup for dinner at the hotel.
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