Hiking to the "Cliff Village" on the "Sky Ladder" requires the use of both hands and feet.
Cliff Village Travel Guide
1. Introduction to Cliff Village
Atulie'er Village, also known as "Cliff Village", is located in Zhaojue County, Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province. The village is situated on a cliff at an altitude of over 1,400 meters, with a vertical height of 800 meters from the ground. Villagers used to rely on 17 dangerous rattan ladders to get in and out, but the government has now built a 2,556-step steel ladder. Construction began in August 2016 and was completed in November. The completion of the steel ladder has allowed the connection of the national power grid, telecommunications signals, and running water to the village at the top of the cliff.
2. Travel Route
From Xichang, the whole journey is about 150 kilometers.
- First, take a section of provincial highway winding up the mountain, with a winding road that tests driving skills.
- Then take the national highway, which is in slightly better condition.
- Then take the provincial highway again. After Zhaojue, the road conditions are extremely poor, with bad roads and low-chassis cars having difficulty passing. The latter section of the provincial highway is narrow and has many cars. During the day, there are many large trucks and passenger buses to Leibo, making it difficult to overtake.
- Construction at the junction of the national highway and the second section of the provincial highway, with traffic released after 12:00. One way takes about 5 hours, with a wait of about 50 minutes.
3. Hiking Experience
- The climb requires the use of both hands and feet, and it takes about 3 hours to get to the top. The steel ladder is quite thrilling in some places, but you can deeply appreciate the greatness of its construction.
- As the altitude increases, the view becomes wider, and you can enjoy the magnificent panorama of the surrounding mountains and valleys. When you see the blue houses, you are almost at the top. There is a mountain spring between the blue houses and the top of the mountain.
4. Precautions
- Safety first:
- It is strongly recommended not to go alone, find companions to look after each other, some places are more dangerous.
- People with acrophobia should not go, but can view from afar.
- Time arrangement:
- It is strongly recommended to set off two hours before dark, as the return bus stops running at 1:00, and it is inconvenient to drive after dark. If you can't get to the national highway before dark, the car chassis requirements are high.
- Item preparation:
- Prepare gloves and sun protection clothing, many places have slopes of 70-75 degrees, and you will basically have to use both hands and feet to climb later.
- Bring a bottle of water, which can be replenished along the way.
- Food and accommodation recommendations:
- The owner of the small shop on the mountain is simple, used to be a village teacher, warm and hospitable. Accommodation is 50 yuan per person, Coke instant noodles 15 yuan, local chicken 300 yuan, the price is relatively reasonable, after all, the items are carried up.