The Ultimate 5100km Solo Drive: 4 Defining Days (5-8) Navigating the G318/G317's Highest Passes Part 3
Part 3: Crossing into Tibet – Batang to Nyingchi (Day 5–8)
DAY 5: September 7, 2024 – Batang → Mangkang → Zuogong (Left Gong)
Entering the Real Tibet
Slept like a baby in Batang (2,800 m) — way better than Litang. Rule of thumb: always choose Batang over Litang for overnight if you have the choice. Litang’s 4,014 m knocks many people out and makes them want to quit the whole route.
Morning drive to the Jinsha River — the natural border between Sichuan and Tibet Autonomous Region. Crossed the brand-new Jinsha River Bridge (the old one was destroyed by floods years ago). The second my wheels rolled over that bridge, I was officially in Tibet.
Instant change: the mountains turned shattered and red, rock faces fractured like the earth had been ripped open. Landslides and mud-rock flows are common here — warning signs every few hundred meters.
First checkpoint: waited about 1 hour. Then straight to Mangkang (Mangkam) — the whole town is surrounded by flaming-red mountains.
Quick lunch, then tackled three monsters in one day:
- Yela Shan (Ye La Mountain)
- Jueba Shan (Jue Ba Mountain)
- Dongda Shan (东达山, 5,130 m) — the highest point of the entire G318 & G317 loop.
Stood at Dongda Pass (5,130 m) — my first time ever above 5,000 m. Construction everywhere, road half-destroyed, but the view made every pothole worth it. Felt like I had conquered something massive.
（The pulse oximeter is fine, just didn't get a good reading）
Downhill roller-coaster all the way to Zuogong (3,750 m). Body was exhausted from three 4,000 m+ passes in one day. First night ever sleeping above 3,000 m on this trip. Was a little nervous (remembering my severe reaction at 3,800 m years ago), but woke up perfectly fine. No oxygen rooms for me — this whole journey is also a test of how far my body can actually go.
DAY 6: September 8, 2024 – Zuogong → Basu (Baxoi) via the Terrifying Nu River 72 Turns
Woke up to thick fog in Zuogong — visibility under 50 m. Sent the drone up for some eerie shots.
Lunch in Bangda, then to the Bangda Grassland viewpoint — stunning. A lovely couple saw my drone photos, added my WeChat, and I sent them the files. Little moments like that melt away the loneliness.
Then came the infamous Yela Shan (4,658 m) again (different side) and the heart-in-mouth Nu River 72 Turns (怒江72拐) — the single most nerve-wracking stretch I drove the entire 18 days.
The road is insanely narrow, rock walls crumbling on one side, sheer drop to the Nu River on the other. Ongoing construction, potholes everywhere. Got stuck behind a convoy of slow trucks for ages. Finally lost patience and overtook one by one on blind hairpins — looking back, that was reckless. One tiny mistake and you’re gone forever.
Reached the bottom… and hit the worst traffic jam of the trip: 3 solid hours because of a small landslide repair. Sitting there staring at loose boulders above me, praying they wouldn’t fall.
Finally released, arrived Basu (八宿) around dusk. Tiny town, nothing to do — dinner, short walk, sleep.
DAY 7: September 9, 2024 – Basu → Ranwu Lake → Laigu Glacier → Bomi
The two hardest driving days were behind me — today felt like reward day.
Skipped breakfast (my 10+ year habit — science says it’s fine and my body agrees).
First stop: Ranwu Lake (然乌湖) at sunrise — mirror-calm water reflecting snow peaks. Did the west side (tourist center), lunch in Ranwu town, then the far superior east viewpoint. Sat on a rock for ages just listening to the wind.
Then the absolute highlight: Laigu Glacier (来古冰川) — a gigantic white dragon spilling into the valley. Walked the boardwalk, freezing air hitting my face. Pro tip: bring a drone and fly with a 100 % charged battery. Cold + strong wind drains power fast. I lost 3 drones in the past learning this the hard way. (Full drone survival guide coming exclusively for Lifetime Members.)
On the way out, a tour guide saw me jump in the car alone and asked, “Brother, you really doing this solo?” Gave me a big thumbs-up. Smiled, started the engine, and rolled on.
Overnight in quiet little Bomi (波密).
DAY 8: September 10, 2024 – Bomi → Nyingchi (Linzhi), the “Jiangnan of Tibet”
Early start again. First stop: the jaw-dropping Sutong Horseshoe Bend on the Palong Zangbo River — a perfect U-turn carved into the canyon. Stood on the cliff edge in morning mist — pure awe.
Thanks to a road-repair WeChat alert the night before, I left extra early and beat the single-lane traffic — I was literally the 5th car in line.
Quick spin around Lulang Gongcuo Lake, nap in the car, lunch in Lulang Town, then drone up over the massive Lulang Forest Sea. Clear day — could’ve seen Namcha Barwa (7,782 m) from the viewpoint, but like 99 % of visitors, it stayed hidden in cloud. No regrets — its mystery is part of the magic.
Last pass of the day: Sejila Mountain (色季拉山, 4,728 m) — chilly, but after 5,130 m it felt easy.
Rolled into Nyingchi around 3 p.m. — Tibet’s green, mild “Jiangnan”. Ordered delivery, chilled in a square, wrote notes so I wouldn’t forget these days.
Summary: The Legendary Batang → Basu Core Section – The Most Epic & Demanding Stretch of G318
This ~360 km segment from Batang to Basu is universally regarded as the absolute heart and soul of the southern Sichuan-Tibet Highway (G318) — the most dramatic, most beautiful, and most dangerous part of the entire route. In just two driving days you cross three world-famous rivers and conquer four major high-altitude passes, including the highest point on the whole G318.
Four Monster Passes You Must Conquer
- Lawu Pass (拉乌山) – 4,338 m
Your first big climb after entering Tibet from Mangkang.
- Jueba Pass (觉巴山) – 3,940 m
Not the highest, but insanely steep switchbacks plunging straight into the Lancang River gorge.
- Dongda Pass (东达山) – 5,130 m
Highest point on the entire G318 main line — the ultimate test of car, body, and mind.
- Yela Pass (业拉山 / Yela Mountain) – 4,658 m
Immediately followed by the world-famous Nu River 72 Turns (怒江72拐 / 99 Bends) — one of the most visually shocking road sections on Earth.
Three Mighty Rivers You Cross
- Jinsha River (金沙江) – New bridge marks the official Sichuan → Tibet border.
- Lancang River (澜沧江 / upper Mekong) – Crossed near Zhuka after Jueba Pass.
- Nu River (怒江 / Salween) – Bottom of the 72 Turns; end of the scariest continuous descent.
Town & Overnight Sequence
Batang (Sichuan) → Mangkang → Zuogong → Bangda → Basu (八宿)
(Recommended overnights: Batang or Mangkang → Zuogong → Basu)
Hard-Earned Advice from Someone Who Just Did It Solo
- This section is complex and unforgiving. It’s not about whether you can drive — it’s whether you’ve ever driven at 4,000–5,000 m altitude with crumbling roads, zero guardrails, and sudden weather.
- Check road conditions every single night via local traffic WeChat public accounts or road-condition groups.
- Never drive tired. Fatigue + thin air + bad roads = disaster. Every proper night’s sleep is literally an act of responsibility toward your own life.
- Book hotels & parking ahead (especially Zuogong & Basu).
For anyone without plateau driving experience: the in-depth, no-BS plateau self-driving survival guide . will be released exclusively in the Lifetime Member area very soon. One single tip from it can easily prevent a life-threatening mistake.
Next stop: Lhasa — the holy city is waiting.
Four days, four worlds: from the raw, broken gates of Tibet to glacier tongues and emerald rivers. Tomorrow — Lhasa at last.
Next part: the holy city, Potala Palace, and the long journey home via G317.
Stay tuned — the roof of the world is calling louder than ever. 🚙🏔️
(End of Part 3)
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