EP2 | Bingchacha (G219) Before It’s Gone—Go Experience It Soon

Today I want to share with you the Bing Chacha section of the National Highway 219 border route. I've ridden this motor route twice. I usually stay the first night in Lushui City, which is in Nuzhang Prefecture. The Bing Chacha route starts from Bingjiangluo in Nuzhang Prefecture, Yunnan, then goes to Chaolong in Zeyu, Tibet, and ends in Zeyu County Town. That's why it's called the Bing Chacha route. About 300 kilometers unpaved. Some sections are complicated, and there are a few natural sights too. It's also the shortest way into Tibet, so it's loved by many off-road fans and moto travelers. From Nuzhang to Bingjiangluo is 290 kilometers, all on paved roads, and the conditions are great. On the way, you'll pass Fugang County and Gongshan County. Many people here are new and Dulong, and Tibetans and other ethnic groups. If you're interested, stop and check it out. Once you reach Bingjiangluo, you officially arrive at the start of the Bing Chacha route. Many riders stay here one night before setting off. After Bingjiangluo Town, ride about 30 kilometers on pavement, and you'll reach the Yunnan-Tibet Border Checkpoint. You need a Border Area Travel Permit to pass through. After that, you enter the unpaved Bing Chacha section. This spot is Tiger Mouth. Next is the Chicken Claw Bone Tunnel. They say this tunnel was dug by hand back then. It's 840 meters long. It's one-way with only a few pull-outs to pass. There's no lighting inside, but with your headlights, you can still see the hand-chiseled marks. About 200 dalarm after the tunnel, the Washboard Road begins. It's very bumpy here, but the road is mostly flat. This video was recorded in May 2023. It didn't rain then, so the dust was heavy. Up ahead is Bing Chacha's first major hazard, Big Sand Slide. There's a service area here, so you can rest and take a photo and also check the rockfall situation. Many riders say crossing Big Sand Slide is not stressful. It's best to pass before noon. After noon, rockfall becomes frequent, which makes it harder to get through. Different seasons and weather change the real conditions a lot. Luck also plays a part. One time I waited here for 8 hours. Right when I was about to cross, a big truck came from the other side. During heavy rockfall periods, only one vehicle can pass. The truck hit soft sand and instantly got stuck. In that situation, if a motorcycle meets the truck head-on, you can't pass, and backing up is hard because the soft sand won't let you push. If rockfall keeps coming, it becomes extremely dangerous. You may have to abandon the bike. This drone footage captured the rockfall above Big Sand Slide. The jam started after 12 noon and I finally crossed at 8.30 pm. A full 8 hours. Even though it was risky last time, it's already in the past. When I crossed again in April 2024, they had started building a bridge near the service area. So this Big Sand Slide hazard will soon become history. About 9 km after Big Sand Slide you reach Chaolong Town. The main street is only 300-400 meters long. There's a gas station and food and lodging are convenient. Most people crossing this route choose to rest here for one night. If you want to go to Jiaying Village you'll. About 5 km after Chaolong there's an intersection. Go straight to Zeyu. Turn right to Jiaying Village or Zhuogang County. You'll also meet lots of private cars on this route. If you want to eat less dust, you'll need to speed up and pass them. But passing on unpaved roads is risky so ride within your limits. On the Bing Cha Cha route if it doesn't rain the dust is truly brutal. Luckily last year I wore a Revit. Sand 3 suit mostly in yellow so the dust didn't show much on me. Nuzheng Bridge 23 km to Chaolong. Saw Mill 52 km to Chaolong and shop. Xiongzhu La Peak 46.36 m 83 km to Chaolong. Muruo Village 103 km to Chaolong. Restaurant. Jiangle Pass No. 498 m 28 km to Chaolong. This is a snow wall, one of the route's biggest sights. Avalanches happen here often. After each avalanche bulldozers clear the snow away. Over time it forms a snow wall. At its highest it reaches 7 to 8 meters. Here an avalanche just happened. Rider rescued after avalanche. Rear tire cut by rocks. About 50-60 km from Zeyu Town. This section has a lot of sharp gravel. Several riders got punctures here. After the avalanche he got a flat tire too. Flat tire, flat tire. I don't know how to use it. Let me handle it for you. After that avalanche today we just got out and now the tire is punctured. Learned it this time? Yeah yeah. Now I get it. I'm a newbie. You just bought the bike right? The bike is new. Everything is new. First moto trip huh? And you've already made the new bike look like this. In the last 20 km before the paved road the dust is extremely heavy. Don't follow too close or visibility will be very low. After the dirt section ends ride another 17 km and you'll reach Zeyu Town. The Bingchacha route isn't very hard. How easy it is depends on the season and weather.