One passenger laughingly pointed out they thought they were roughing it on the
bus! Nevertheless, the water point owner was super kind and supplied us with a
flask of hot water and a spade of coals to keep us warm. This was all much
appreciated in the arctic conditions.
Mountain Camp - Ninglang – 74 km
I lay rolled up in my sleeping bag, waiting until the sun rose over the ridge.
Soon, tour buses arrived and time was spent trying to explain where we were
from and where we were going. Again, we were invited to pose for pictures with
them - an invitation repeated many times during our visit to China.
At a snail's pace, we moved up the mountain, slipping and sliding along the
cobblestones, and dodging stones rolling from the sheer mountainsides.
Landslides seemed a regular occurrence and, now and then, the path was
blocked leaving merely a tiny section cleared allowing traffic through. Eventually,
the cobblestones gave way to an excellent paved road after which better progress
was made.
Upon reaching the top (3,100 metres), a good descent awaited. By the time our
shadows had grown long, we coasted into Ninglang, the long climb (nearly)
forgotten. A room in Ninglang provided a luxuriously hot shower and plenty of
nearby food vendors.
Ninglang – Mountain Camp – 59 km
The mornings were, understandably, freezing, making getting out of bed a
struggle. Following an unsuccessful ATM search, we departed and immediately
encountered a mountain pass, not the only one that day.