[Multiple photos, long article] 15-day Qinghai-Gansu Super Loop Photography - 7 - Golmud - Kunlun Mountains - Maqin

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Golmud - Kunlun Mountain Pass - Golmud

Accommodation: Hanting Hotel Golmud

Dining: City restaurants

Route: G109. 300km.

Woke up in the morning, had breakfast at the hotel, and decided to take two days to rest in Golmud. Since that was the case, we decided to wander around the city. Overall, it felt not very big. The traffic lights at the large roundabout intersections were a bit confusing, and I wasn't sure if I had violated any traffic rules. The security guard downstairs was shooing away car owners who came in without parking spaces, not allowing random parking. Later I learned that the city is working to be recognized as a civilized city, no wonder. In this city, I saw many shopping mall brands, clothing brands, and restaurant brands that are familiar in other big cities. It's a western city that has everything.

Golmud is a hub for Kunlun Mountain trips, so today we also wanted to go see the Kunlun Mountains. However, we hadn't made the necessary preparations, so we could only go as far as the entrance and then return.

Driving south from the city, you can leave town and head along G109 (Beijing-Lhasa Highway) toward the Kunlun Mountains. Not far along, we reached the section managed by Tibet Highway, it seemed like we were entering Tibet again (last time was on the first day when we arrived in Xining and drove a section of G6 Beijing-Tibet Expressway).

Soon we entered a highway checkpoint. We told the traffic police that we weren't going to Tibet, just going up ahead to take a look and then return. We quickly passed registration. After passing the checkpoint, we could see the Golmud River (the upper section is the Kunlun River) flowing nearby. The riverbed was wide, and the water was very calm, because there are several hydropower stations upstream that have dammed the water. On the opposite bank, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway runs parallel to G109, with some diesel locomotives running on it.

Continuing along G109, you would reach the Sanjiangyuan National Park, Hoh Xil, and Tanggula Mountains. But we only planned to see the Kunlun Mountains. Learning that there was also the Kunlun Mountains National Geopark ahead, we wanted to check it out as well. Since we always take a while to get going (mainly me), it was actually already 4:00 PM after we passed the checkpoint, so we didn't have much time to go far.

⬇️ This photo was taken on the way back. Actually, we passed here at 4:20 PM, but because Yun was sleeping, I didn't stop the car.

We didn't enter the Kunlun Mountain Pass because it was too late. But next time, we will definitely go in and take a walk. I checked some information; currently, from the scenic area entrance to the innermost West Queen Mother's Jade Pool (Black Sea), it's a one-way distance of 100 km on a two-lane asphalt road.

The Kunlun Mountains can truly only be described as majestic. After seeing so many mountains over these days on the road, no other mountain could be described with the word 'majestic' except this one, the ancestor of all mountains.

At a viewpoint near a hydropower station, we also met two motorcyclists. They had a doll on their bike, very cute. We chatted briefly; they were on a half-month trip entering via Highway 318 and exiting via Highway 109.

After taking some photos, we headed back. In the evening, we needed to wash up and rest well, as we would be entering the grasslands next. Finally we were leaving the vast Gobi Desert; I was already extremely dry.

Golmud - Maqin

Dining: Roadside meals, county town spicy hot pot

Route: G6, G6015. 600km.

Today we left Golmud. Had breakfast at 9 AM, then drove east along the other direction of G109 Beijing-Lhasa Highway, planning to get on G6 Beijing-Tibet Expressway, then transfer to G0615 Dema Expressway at Xiangride Town. That is to say, today was basically all highway. The next target was to go to Lianbao Yeze, a total of 900 km from Golmud, which is comparable to a cross-province trip in the eastern region.

Since it's a high-altitude mountainous area, we couldn't drive the 900 km in one day, so we chose Maqin as a midway rest stop.

⬇️ Just as we were about to leave the eastern part of Golmud city, the last fork in the road was called 'Pluto Road' — what a sci-fi street name!

At around 11:30 AM, we passed through a section of mountains that looked very similar to the Black Mountain Gobi. Compared to the Lenghu-Mangya section, the ground here had more vegetation.

At 1:20 PM, we rested and ate at the Yikegaoli Service Area. We also met the two riders from yesterday. The service area was still under construction, only providing the space, no food service, only hot water and restrooms. So we could only eat the self-heating rice we had prepared. A few minutes later, six young people, about in their 20s, came over. They seemed to have just started their trip. They had a toast together, wishing each other a happy trip. They had prepared all kinds of food but didn't finish it, leaving a table full of trash and left. Yun and I looked at each other and shook our heads.

⬇️ My lunch

Met the riders from yesterday

G0615 Dema Expressway was a highway unlike any I had seen before. Perhaps considering the scenery along the way and the difficulty of construction due to the terrain, there were no emergency lanes throughout, but parking bays were very dense. I estimated about one per kilometer. This allowed people to basically stop on the expressway to enjoy the scenery.

At 4:00 PM, we passed the Wozhuoyi Pass, elevation 4445 meters. This was probably the highest altitude I recorded on this trip. I felt fine physically. On the road before and after the pass, there were tall black poles. I guessed they were to help people see the road location when there is snow.

After the pass, it was downhill. Ten minutes later, we saw a turn ahead, and at the end of the turn was a blue lake. We wanted to choose a nearby parking bay, but found the angle wasn't good enough and not close enough, so we continued forward, thinking there must be a viewpoint ahead.

Sure enough, we arrived at a viewpoint. This viewpoint was the most awesome one I had encountered on a highway; you could even drive down to the lakeside. A herder was stationed there, charging 5 yuan per person to walk from her pasture to the lake.

I looked it up; this lake is very large, called Dongge Cuona (Dongge Cuo Na), and landscape buildings are under construction.

We met a couple with a kitten that looked about 2 months old. The kitten walked with a regal demeanor. After a brief inquiry, it was a kitten they had picked up in Tibet, and they planned to take it home with them.

After playing for an hour, we returned to the car and continued the journey. Around 6:00 PM, we saw a snow-capped mountain ahead. After driving for an hour, at 7:00 PM, the snowy mountain finally came into view. This was the Amnye Machen Snow Mountain, the closest snow mountain on this trip. Then we entered a snow mountain tunnel, and began night driving.

Arrived in Maqin at 9:00 PM, had a serving of spicy hot pot. Found a small hotel to stay in; the room had heating, which was quite unexpected. Later I checked and found that Maqin only shed its poverty county designation last year.

We didn't go to Zhagana later, considering the time was really tight; we'll go again in the future.

Next: Maqin - Lianbao Yeze - Maqu

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