Tibet is located on the southwest border of China. It is the highest place in the world and has become the roof of the world. The unique natural geography brings different scenery and different ethnic customs. Due to the high altitude, Entering Tibet is not an easy task. Let me share with you the Tibet self-driving tour route map.

In January 2016, I drove out of Lhasa with my two dogs, Diudiu and Timo, through the long no-man’s land of the Qinghai-Tibet line in winter, passing through Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, and back to Yunnan.

Because I was afraid that the altitude would be too high and the altitude would be serious, and because it would be troublesome to bring a dog with me, I didn’t eat, drink or sleep along the way. I wasn’t completely sure before setting off, but how could there be so many uncertainties in life? grasp.

Every time I watch it, I feel like I have walked through it all over again, so be brave enough to do what you want to do, and never give up before you work hard.

I have met many people recently, and some people told me: exercise until you can do nothing, and run until you can move yourself. I may not be able to reach such a state, but I am still willing to work hard for everything I love.

Leaving Tibet (1)

In the third year of living in Tibet, I also began to consider leaving.

Friends around me returned to the mainland from Lhasa one after another. First it was Sister Hua, then the waiter and the master, then Juan, then Xiao Shang, and finally Xiao Yu - she was my friend. The earliest friend I met in Tibet.

(February 17, 2017, too many magical stories have happened to this group of friends made in Tibet.

Sister Hua returned to Shenzhen early, doing The small business raises two big babies.

The four girls we rented together back then: I, Xiaoyu, Juan, and Xiaoer, lived happily in four provinces. I met the two on the road. A handsome guy: Master and Xiao Shang married Xiao Er and Xiao Yu respectively. As for Juan and I, we continue to live a single life raising single dogs. Well, to be honest, I never mind how you show off in WeChat Moments. Love, Juan, what do you think?)

Xiaoyu is a lighthouse of my life in Tibet. Her departure is due to the long-term plateau life, and some abnormalities have appeared in her body.

My physical condition has also begun to deteriorate. In 2014, due to frequent travel between the mainland and Tibet, I was hospitalized twice for lung infection. A friend of mine who has known me for many years came to see me. He said something that still haunts me: "What's the use of retiring at the age of 40? When you retire, all our classmates will still be working, and no one will play with you. When we retire, your body will probably be too early Just say goodbye to the world."

Okay, okay, I admit that I was still poked at that time, and my words were rough and unreasonable, which strengthened my determination to leave.

Although I later made new friends, the loneliness inside me did not diminish at all. They were here, and I felt that my home was still there. But they were all gone, and Lhasa became more and more like Lhasa to me. In a strange city, I started to work crazy overtime, because once I stopped, I had nowhere to go.

If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools. Now that you have decided to leave, you need to have a plan that makes you feel less guilty.

Wanting to cross the Qinghai-Tibet Line in winter is not as simple as driving thousands of kilometers on the straight and spacious highways along the eastern coast. It requires crossing a large no-man’s land, not to mention that I have no companions. Also taking care of my dog ??along the way. So, first thing, plan the route.

Route planning

The route out of Tibet is extremely simple. There is often only one road connecting one place to another, and there are very few branch lines on the road. It is almost impossible to get lost. However, you still need to record the route to prevent the car from breaking down on the way. Know the distance before and after and make a rescue plan. Also, start paying attention to the weather and road conditions half a month before departure to know in time whether the mountain is blocked by heavy snow. , or if the route needs to be changed. Fortunately, none of the problems I worried about came up along the way.

The descriptions of the routes in various guides are very detailed. Instead of printing them out and throwing them away, it is better to hand-draw a copy to deepen your memory and keep it as a souvenir.

This is a map I drew by hand. About the choice of route. There are four routes in and out of Tibet: Sichuan-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet, Qinghai-Tibet, and Xinjiang-Tibet.

I came in via the Yunnan-Tibet Line, and the dangers of Tongmai cannot be explained clearly in a few words. (The Tongmai Bridge was opened to traffic in 2016, and the Tongmai Natural Bridge no longer exists, but it had not been completed when I set out.) Furthermore, the Tongmai Natural Bridge Still haven't figured it out. Half of the Sichuan-Tibet Line overlapped with the Yunnan-Tibet Line, and it still needed to go through Tongmai, so these two routes were abandoned. The Xinjiang Line in winter is the road of death and is impassable. Besides, I have no reason to go to Xinjiang instead of going far.

First of all, Xiaofu’s chassis is really low, and the Qinghai-Tibet line is in the best condition. Secondly, the Qinghai-Tibet line is a safe route for transportation in Tibet in winter, so it will not be blocked for days and nights. Third, I also wanted to go to Golmud to meet my friend Lin Zhi, Eagle, so I finally decided to go to Qinghai-Tibet.

The closer the departure date is, the more I miss my hometown. In the winter in Tibet, places without sunlight are extremely cold. But my room happens to be on the shady side, on the same side as the kitchen. At noon when the sun is shining brightly, the faucet is still in this state. On January 1, 2016, I submitted my resignation application and started purchasing things I would need on the road. There are many icy and snowy roads in winter, so anti-skid chains are essential. The altitude along the way was around 4,500 meters, and I needed an oxygen bag. Then check the condition of the vehicle, tires, brakes, etc. ?

Xiaofu and Diudiu, taken in Nagqu. Thank you for walking with me and never leaving me. ? It took me three days to stuff all my luggage into the car (after all, after living there for three years, I knew nothing about separation at that time), leaving only a space of less than half a square meter for two dogs. , they were wronged along the way.

The day before departure, I went to the clinic to fill the oxygen bag with oxygen, made a large pot of yak jerky to satisfy my hunger on the road, and then went to the supermarket to replenish some food. Finally, take a look at the Potala Palace.

Let me take another look at you, from south to north. ?

Words written before: ?

After "Exodus from Tibet (1)" was released, many friends left me messages in the background, saying they were not afraid of my long journey. Appreciate risky behavior. Some girls even left a message saying, "You can go in and out of Tibet, and you can make cakes when you go out. You have broken my heart." Wow hahaha, even though there was no reply, I couldn’t help but be happy. ?

In fact, maybe the road was too tense. Once my nerves relaxed, many of the thrilling feelings I felt at the time soon faded away. Until one day I saw such a paragraph in the circle of friends.

Some friends may not say anything at the time, but then they suddenly say something and I am instantly moved. ?

That feeling when the brakes fail in the snow and your back is soaked in less than 10 seconds, that feeling when you pass through a long no-man’s land at minus 30 degrees Celsius and don’t dare to stop and turn off the engine, that feeling. It was like coming down from the Kunlun Mountains, turning hundreds of turns, crossing countless bridges, and still not seeing any lights. It was like scenes from a movie being replayed in my mind.

Leaving Tibet (Part 2)

In early January 2016, I completed the resignation procedures and planned to leave on the 20th. After the 10th, my homesickness became more and more intense, and by the 14th No. I simply thought that since everyone is yearning for a trip that can be done at a moment's notice, why can't we go home at a moment's notice?

So on January 15th, I prepared oxygen bags, anti-skid chains, Rhodiola rosea, some food and water, stuffed the two dogs into the small gap in the back seat, and then stuffed myself into the driver's seat .

On the first day, the destination is Golmud, about 1,200 kilometers, and the plan is to drive for 24 hours.

After several serious traffic accidents last year, the speed limit in Tibet has become more stringent, basically controlling it to an average of 40 yards and a curve of 30 yards, and the penalties for speeding have become more severe. It was no longer realistic to walk in the middle of the night and have dinner in Golmud the next evening, so we could only set off in the evening.

The altitude of this road is extremely high. Most of the roads are above 4500m above sea level and pass through large areas of no man's land.

The first stop is Nagqu, with an altitude of 4500m. I have been to Nagqu many times. Every time I will start to have high fever in the middle of the night and I will have to go to the hospital the next day, so I must not stay here overnight, otherwise I may I couldn't get out, so I had to trek 1,200 kilometers to rest in Golmud, which is at a lower altitude. ?

At 19:50, I took one last look at the sunset in Lhasa and left reluctantly.

At the checkpoint out of the city, the handsome Tibetan guy had been working hard all day and was about to fall asleep. The cars in front of me were whizzing by without anyone stopping them. I stopped anyway and insisted that the handsome guy give me a speed limit strip. Later it turned out that my choice was extremely wise. ?

Although some electronic camera equipment has been used in Tibet, manual inspection of speed limits is still the mainstream. There are only four roads in and out of Tibet, and the strict three-in-one inspection system at gas stations in most areas, so we often joke that even if we steal a car in Lhasa, we will not be able to drive out of Tibet. ?

During the three years in Tibet, I never thought about buying theft and rescue, and I never worried about it. This is the Lhasa that I miss deeply. ?

At 21:40, we arrived at Yangbajing. The temperature dropped from 5 degrees Celsius to minus 2 degrees. There was a gas station in Yangbajing. The gas station and the roadside were full of various heavy trucks. , the parking lot is really full, at least forty or fifty cars. ?

Only music and the snoring of two dogs accompanied me along the way. There is no need to say anything about the long road ahead.

At 23:25, when we arrived in Damxung County, heavy snow fell in the sky, and the temperature dropped to minus 7 degrees. The snow fell harder and harder, and soon it covered half of the wheel. ?

There are two very high speed bumps in Damxiong County. I was deeply impressed because the first time I went to Nagqu, I hung up the chassis there. ?

As we approached the speed bump, I stepped on the brakes. ?

In the snowy world, there is a vast expanse. As if the brakes failed, the tires stopped, but Xiaofu's speed did not slow down at all, and he continued to rush towards the speed bump in a daze. ?

As I passed the speed bump while wiping the chassis, I felt a chill on my back and a shock in my heart. I grabbed the steering wheel and didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, I remembered the snow driving skills I had read online before setting off, so I lightly applied the brakes little by little, and slid for dozens of meters, stopping at the gate of the Damxion County Government. ?

The temperature was extremely low, but my back was wet and I broke out in a cold sweat. The car body was out of my control. It was so scary. Where was the ABS and the anti-lock brakes that were promised?

I parked the car in the middle of the road with a confused look on my face, but there was no snow at all. There was no intention of stopping, and it went down harder and harder. ?

Maybe it was a Tianliu guest, and I was really scared. I happened to be in the center of Damxiong County at that time, so I simply stopped the car, got out of the car and went to a small hotel on the roadside to knock on the door. ?

The first one is full. The second one is full. At the third house, no one opened the door. ?

What should I do? Is it possible to live in the car? Will it freeze to death? The two dogs got out of the car happily and went to play in the snow. I sat in the car and worried.

This is a photo taken when it started to snow. At that time, I thought it was fun and took out my mobile phone to take pictures. Later, the blizzard covered half of the tire, and I was so frightened that my body became stiff and I didn’t dare to take any more pictures.

No, no, no, calm down and call your colleagues in Naqu.

(Thank you Xiuqing for still not sleeping so late)

——Will it snow in Nagqu now?

——No.

So I decided to move on. ?

There were piles of snow on the side of the road. They were probably swept away by the road maintenance workers during the day. The cars in front of them crushed the snow into thin ice. I gradually became familiar with the snow. The car's behavior is extremely tense.

Coupled with the long and straight nature of the Qinghai-Tibet Line, sometimes there is still a difference of more than ten kilometers, and you can see the high beams of large trucks on the opposite side. It is so bright that I almost go blind, and my heart is always Ten thousand grass-mud horses roared past, and I couldn't help but greet the whole family silently in my heart.

In this way, the speed of the car did not dare to exceed 40 yards. Nagqu is 300 kilometers away from Lhasa. It usually takes up to 5 hours to get there. This time, it feels more and more elusive.

While passing through Gulu Town on the way, cars without speed limit strips were fined and parked on the side of the road. I was secretly glad that I insisted on asking for a speed limit strip and was allowed to pass smoothly.

The biggest difference between Tibet and the Mainland is that no matter how desolate the Mainland is, you can at least see a few lights when driving at night, while in Tibet, you can only see a few stars. This is not even a no-man’s land. One or two It is common to see no trace of human habitation for hours.

The black night is not black with stars, but pitch black. When the light shines out, there is no response or any reflective object, just nothingness, as if entering another layer of space.

Eight hours have passed, and before I reach Nagqu, the night is getting deeper and deeper. ?