Ancient Tea Horse Road - Tiger Leaping Gorge - Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge

Number of days：4 days
Time: January
Average cost: 5,000 yuan
With whom：a person
Tour kinds: semi-free travel, hiking
Updated: 2023.01.30

The next day, we set out from Teacher Zhang's Inn and hiked to Zhonghutiao.

There are actually two routes to Zhonghutiao. We started from Teacher Zhang's Inn, walked up the 168 Warriors Ladder to the exit, and then took a bus back to Teacher Zhang's Inn. We also met some people walking down the exit (traveling the other way), then walked to the Jinsha River and back to Teacher Zhang's Inn.

I personally think that starting from Teacher Zhang's Inn is more exciting because the mountain path is more rugged and burns more calories. Going in reverse means you'll have more descent than ascent.

The fee to Zhonghutiao is 15 yuan, which is at your own expense. We set out from Mr. Zhang's Inn, braving a strong northwesterly wind that day, all the way to the Jinsha River, the valley floor. The main attraction of Zhonghutiao is the scenic Jinsha River. The entire hike can be completed in three hours. P.S.: Rumor has it that if there are colorful clouds in the sky, there will be strong winds that day. So, although we were blown around that day, the colorful clouds really did accompany us all the way. The river here has seasonal flows: the water is more turbulent during the high-water season and less turbulent during the low-water season. The water also has a different color in each season. After enjoying the beautiful riverside scenery, there are two other routes: the First Line of Sky and the 168 Warriors Ladder. If you're traveling independently, you can explore both. We chose the 168 Warriors Ladder. There's a rest tent at the entrance, where you can enter the scenic area at your own expense for 15 yuan. The ladder is almost vertical at a 90-degree angle and is made of iron. The staff at the rest tent are responsible for maintenance, and the 15 yuan entrance fee also covers this maintenance fee. There's an elderly woman selling drinks, fruits, and nuts at the top of the ladder. She's 62 years old and walks seven hours every day to sell her wares. So I spent 15 yuan on a bottle of Red Bull, genuinely worried about running out of energy. The ladder looked easy, but it wasn't easy to move my legs. The guide wouldn't recommend climbing sideways, and the strong winds that day made my heart race. My hands and feet felt weak, and I had to cling to the pole tightly, fearing I'd fall. Reaching the top felt like a resurrection; getting stuck midway would have been a death sentence.

This completed half of the return journey. Next came the awkward moment of scrambling all the way up the mountain without a trekking pole. Later, I found a branch to use as a trekking pole, which eased the pain.

The exit was quite open, the sun was bright, and colorful clouds followed us. After reaching the exit, we could take the bus back to Teacher Zhang's Inn.

This marked the end of the second day's trip.