Great article. I did the same trip a couple of years ago - it was possible to get past the checkpoint by bike if you said you were visiting Qiunatong. I was able to cycle up to the Tibet border and back quite easily in a day. I also think the Gongshan to Liuku section is worth cycling if you take it slowly. The scenery seemed nice to me! Especially worth it for the side trip to Laomudeng (thought I took my bike up there in a taxi). And if you are really crazy you can now cycle into the Nujiang from Deqen via the new De-Gong mountain highway via Yongzhi and Dimaluo. I haven't done it but this guy did: www.crazyguyonabike.com/[...]

Great trip. You're right about the weather - I did the same route in January when temperatures were perfect for cycling. A bit chilly up at the rice terraces, but nothing too extreme. It's also worth continuing for a couple more days from Yangyuan down the old Red River road to Hekou - very quiet because all the traffic goes on the new highway.

In Gongshan in Jan 2018 I was told that all tourist access to the Dulong has been suspended for at least a year, until roads and infrastructure are fixed.

Great project. I passed the lodge last year while hiking over to the Nujiang via the Sela Pass. Wasn't sure who owned/ran the place, so bypassed it and stayed in a terrible shelter higher up the valley - dirty and full of smoke from the fire. It was so bad I ended up camping instead. Read about it here: www.josephrock.net/2014/10/cizhong-to-dimaluo-trek-part-3-crossing.html