Hello!
Me with my friend are planning to drive from Kunming to Shangri-la on a rented car.
So we did our research and found that post on baidu.zhihu
"9月2日一早，我们离开了四川，前往香格里拉。翻越大雪山的路真的很差，路上满是大小石头，坑坑洼洼，所有大车小车都小心翼翼。然后，出事了，小车底盘被托了，遭遇开始了！
“11点多第一时间给神州租车客服电话报告，在客服指导下报警报保险。神州的修车点远在大山外300余公里的丽江，拖车过来可能要8个小时，那会是半夜了，大雪山上实在不安全。在协商1个小时后，神州同意我们自己联系拖车公司先将车拖到香格里拉市区。约120公里，拖车费2000”
Question: Is road conditions there really that severe or those guy who wrote it just decided to go on offroad adventure in some remote desolate place on cheap sedan?
They post says they came from Sichuan. And hey, in early September, not in midwinter. They write the road was narrow, bumpy and bad. Maybe they came along the road from Yading, that area. Thats a fabulous road, but not always easiest thing. Nowhere in the post it says they went from Kunming to Shangrila, even recently, so the research you guys did, was not too well done. Its just about some people who broke their car there and got some minor panic. If you are two laowais planning to rent a car and drive, you may want some research on that as well. Anyway, the road from Kunming to Shangrila is really easy thing. Not severe at all.
@Peter99 Thanks! Btw can you please tell me if there is snow at Shangri-la this time of the year?
Not only in Shangri-la, but also at Tigers Leap Gorge.
We need to decide which pair shoes to take for hiking :)
From KM to Lijiang is a divided medium highway.
From Lijiang to SGla is a regular highway (on coming traffic) but road condition is perfect. Above 3000m some sections
of small side roads can have frosty pavement if the area doesn't get sunshine all day.
Boots and clothes
It's been dry this winter so no snow anywhere. Frost is present above 3000m without sunshine.
Expect 5oC or lower mornings and 22oC in the sun.
It can be very cold in some hotels.
Weather looks good into the new year.
As 2020 comes to a close, a good piece of Yunnan news we may look forward to for next month. The new highway linking Lijiang and Shangri-la is slated to open, cutting travel time by at least half, to around 1.5 hours by car.
I have booked my Big Yellow Taxi.
Anyone know if it's open yet? Lijiang to Shangri-la?
A friend in Lijiang reports that the new Lijiang-Shangri-La highway opened in December 2020. Railway for same still under construction. Friend says no vaccine needed for travel to either city. But tomorrow never knows.
The new Lijiang to Shangri-la rail opens this month. Regular train rail, currently not for HSR.
Spanning a distance of 139km with 13 stations, the word is the views in certain sections are spectacular.
This new rail line offers additional transportation avenue for reaching the popular Tiger Leaping Gorge and Haba Snow Mountain.
