Image from the web
In June and July this year, we drove a B-type motorhome around the Kunlun Mountains of Tianshan. When you reach the Tasha Trail, it's easy to pick up the horror. If it weren't for the help of a group of riders, I really don't know how to come back.
When it was time to express thanks, I found that there was no contact information. At that time, I was bent on dealing with the dangerous situation, and actually forgot to add a WeChat, leaving a deep regret. There is nowhere to put the gratitude in my heart, so I have to come to the Internet to dry it.
The origin of Tasha's horror begins with mistakenly entering the ancient road. When formulating the "road book" of the tour, considering their age, they naturally default to the first place: bad roads and dangerous roads do not go! The Tasha Trail was not on the itinerary, so it was not studied, and some understanding was gained afterwards.
The so-called Tashkulture Road is a passage between Tashkurgan (Ta County) and Shache County (Uqi State), showing a southwest-northeast direction, with a total distance of about 300 kilometers. Start from the Pamir Plateau and plunge into the hinterland of the Kunlun Mountains. The first half is accompanied by the Tashkurgan River, and the second half is accompanied by the Yarkand River. The vehicle travels through the canyon, with steep peaks on the left and wild rivers on the right, boulders hanging upside down overhead. There are landslides everywhere, and many sections have been damaged by flash floods. Where is the highway, it is clearly a dangerous tiger mouth!
The predecessor of the Tasha Ancient Road was a convenient road for people and livestock, which was called the Kaqun Ancient Road at that time, and was one of the southern roads of the Silk Road. More than a thousand years ago, when Xuanzang returned to the east through the passage, he made a pact with the king of Wushu to promote the Dharma for three years, so he cut a short road and trekked through it.
That day, I came down from the Panlong Ancient Road and headed to Shache Jinhu Yang. In addition to the reverse sharp bends, the road conditions are always better. Tell the co-driver's sister-in-law that the road conditions in Xinjiang are good on the Internet, and it seems to be true. My online name is Cat DeLi, and netizens jokingly call her Cat Sister-in-law.
By the time we arrived at Lake Bandil, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. At the fork of Bandil Lake, the navigation stubbornly shows: detour kashgar to Shache, a journey of about 700 kilometers. But on the map, it is only about three hundred kilometers to take the county road. A U-A Toyota also hesitated at the fork in the road. The rider looked at the "Road Book" and said to us in surprise: You two are so old that you dare to take the Tasha Ancient Road!
Is this the Tasha Trail? Don't be too good! After a gentle stroke by the rider, it was instantly filled with the confidence of the fans. Hurry up and encourage the cat sister-in-law to say: It is rare to take a trip in this life, or follow them? The riders didn't dissuade us because they hadn't walked through it and didn't know what was ahead.
Small bridge to Tajik villages
The scenery along the way is super spectacular, like a fairyland. In the open area of the canyon, the river slows down, nourishing the idyllic scenery, which is the homeland of the Tajik people. Kunlun Mountain, the ancestor of ten thousand mountains, the mysterious altar of the Queen Mother of the West, is indeed extraordinary!
Laid-back herd of cattle
There is a saying: "The eyes are in heaven, and the body is in purgatory." "Beyond the depths of the canyon, the road conditions are getting worse and worse. The road surface is narrow and wide, the roadside rocks are falling continuously, and there are landslides. One second I was still boasting, and the next second I began to complain: such a road is not repaired? If you don't repair it, even if you don't repair it, the falling rocks should always be shoveled off, right?
Walking through the canyon bends, it is like drilling into the intestines of the West Queen Mother, twisting and turning endlessly, can this still go out? There are sporadic cars that meet, and the reverse direction can drive over, and it should also be able to drive past, and the heart is a little more solid. Increased the intensity of the throttle, hoping to penetrate the canyon as soon as possible.
Boulders that collapsed down
Around eight o'clock in the afternoon, at the bend of the bow on the bank of the Yerkand River, a large pile of landslides was encountered. There have been people who have forced their way through, and two ruts have been crushed. After visual inspection of the scene, it is judged that it is prudent to pass by cautiously. The cat sister-in-law directed in front of the car, and the cat brother drove forward. But the accident still happened, the right front wheel planed up the rubble, and the nest itself fell, and the footboard was against the stone.
A whole bunch of landslides
The engine fell silent, and the cat brother and sister-in-law looked at each other. The cat's cheeks were flushed, and her hair was about to stand up. The cat brother is too late to be afraid, the brain is spinning rapidly, how to deal with it? Only by padding the wheels can the pedals be detached from the stone. Jacks work hard, can't stand the heavy pressure, rocker buckle slippery! This cat brother is dumbfounded, right?
A bent foot pedal that is stoned
More than an hour tossed down, blocking four cars and a motorcycle. The rider brought a jack and helped move the stone pad wheels. Riders suggest that when throttle, everyone pushes the cart together. The coordination trumpet sounded, a big foot of throttle slammed down, and after a mess of cars and people, they finally got out of trouble. Listen to the thank you of the cat sister-in-law outside the car, the volume is obviously high octave.
It is impossible to go back, and the road ahead is not known. The hour hand points to twenty-two o'clock, and it is already the local evening. There is still sunset on the mountain, and the sky is about to darken. The cat brother's heart was a little tight, his eyes did not dare to blink, and the steering wheel was firmly grasped. The cat sister-in-law has a word in her mouth, what word do you want to ask? Riders and netizens understand.
Still in the bow bend, the headlights illuminated the collapse again. On the outside is the abyss of the river, and there are canine tooth boulders inside, and the cat brother is secretly bitter in his heart. Fortunately, the one that overtook had already passed through the landslide, and the rider was helping to direct it. The cat brother carefully turns the direction, and the wheel swings in centimeters. The tires were pinned to the stones, and the body shook back and forth, leaving marks on the left rear wheels.
Canine tooth marks on the left rear hub plate
When I crossed the collapse site for the third time, the outlet of the gray water tank was supported. The cat brother laughed awkwardly, how many landslides are there? There have been many landslides since then, and there is no story, so it is not recorded. The rider quickly greeted the rider and came over to take the handle and push it again.
Traffic Tunnel No. 1
After passing through the No. 1 traffic tunnel, the road conditions are obviously much better. The front car drove very fast, the cat brother bit tightly in the back, and there was no sign of a turn. The rear lights have long gone, I hope there is nothing wrong, ah, distance between each other.
At this time, a three-fork intersection appears, which is clearly to be tested. There are no signs other than "Construction Ahead". In which direction should we go? I had to gamble on the size of it, and I didn't go to the one under construction.
After a moment of blindness, I could no longer hear the sound of the river. Did you go to the wrong fork in the road? Or should I leave the valley? There are police lights flashing in front of you, go and ask the police comrades. This is a duty point, the cat sister-in-law hurried to inquire, but after shouting for a long time, no one came to take care of it.
If you don't have a head and no brain, will you open it more and more wrong? At this time, it is already one o'clock, or park the car to rest, tomorrow ask clearly and then go. Closer to the duty point, there are police lights shining, which seems to increase the sense of security.
When I was making instant noodles, there were headlights dangling in the distance, and three cars followed. Are we not wrong? Or did they go wrong too? The rider came up and said that in another hour's journey, the road would be better. There is a danger in parking in the mountains, so let's go together. Let's go, let's go, let's go, follow the convoy, and feel a lot more at ease.
This section of the road was badly damaged, with gravel after gravel, and four cars on the winding mountain road, like a team of penguins walking. Where did so much water come from? Are the peaks on both sides high? A black ancient midwinter, I can't see anything clearly.
After passing the last checkpoint, I finally passed through the Kunlun Mountain. The riders said goodbye to us, and they had to drive eighty kilometers to the terminal station, Shache County. Then let's go to Shache, anyway, there is no sleepiness.
By the time Shache County parked, it was already three o'clock in the morning. At this moment, I completely relaxed, and I felt a little pain in my hand. Seeing that the cat sister-in-law could not swallow the instant noodles, a look of shock and uncertainty.
Goodbye Tasha Trail, I will not walk for the second time in this life. The B-type motorhome crossed out, which is also a bit remarkable, right? Thanks again to the riders for their help! And to ask netizens a soul question, is it worth crossing the Tasha Ancient Road like this?