Yela Pass
▲ 4,195 mYela Pass tops out at about 4,658 m at the head of the famous 72 Bends, where prayer flags snap in the wind before the long drop toward the Nu River.
Day 13 of 20 · Act 3 · Into Tibet
Yela Pass · the Nu River 72 Bends
Bangda → Baxoi
4,658 m High point The legendary switchbacks
Over Yela Pass (4,658 m), then the route’s most famous descent: the Nu River 72 Bends, a stack of switchbacks that drops more than a kilometre into the canyon.
Landmarks
Yela Pass
业拉山垭口 · 4,658 m
The 4,658 m pass at the top of the 72 Bends.
Nu River 72 Bends
怒江72拐
A legendary set of switchbacks corkscrewing down to the Nu River — an icon of the 318 road.
Baxoi
八宿 · 3,260 m
A dry canyon town at about 3,260 m.
Stops along the way
3 scenic check-in spots on this stage — pull over at any of them for a postcard.
Nu River 72 Bends Viewpoint
▲ 4,240 mThe Nu River 72 Bends Viewpoint looks down on a stack of switchbacks corkscrewing more than a kilometre into the canyon — one of the most photographed scenes on the whole 318 road.
Nu River Bridge Memorial
▲ 4,554 mAt the Nu River Bridge Memorial, the old bridge pier still stands in midstream to honour the soldiers who died building it — and every passing vehicle sounds its horn in salute.
Questions about this day
What are the Nu River 72 Bends?
The most famous descent on the G318 — a stack of switchbacks corkscrewing more than a kilometre down to the Nu River, dropping from Yela Pass at 4,658 m toward Baxoi. It’s one of the iconic images of the whole road.
How many switchbacks are there really?
The "72 Bends" is the well-known name; the road famously coils down in dozens of tight hairpins. In the game it’s a long, dramatic descent you steer with tilt and brake your way down.
How do I ride the 72 Bends in the game?
Don’t just bomb it — lean into the tilt steering through the hairpins and feather the brakes so you stay on the road. It’s the payoff descent of the Tibetan high country and a signature postcard view of 318.
A shared postcard from Cycling 318
Ride your own 318
Cycling 318 turns the road to Lhasa into a daily, cozy ride. Check in at the landmarks, collect a postcard from each, and fill your 318 passport.
Coming soon to the App Store