Songpan to Emeishan
We were back in the bus from Songpan to Chengdu. It's funny to observe how even the long distance bus plays a role in the local community. The driver will wait for someone in the middle of nowhere or will pick a local and drop him off a few kilometres further.
The Bus Journey
The trip was as comfortable as our way up to Songpan. People spitting and vomiting due to some severe motion sickness. A poor lady was nose bleeding. A baby was crying at the back wondering when the madness will end. And the driver was incessantly horn honking to avoid potential collisions. We put our ear plugs in and tried to get some sleep even though the scenery outside the bus was astonishing - a range of green mountains dropping steeply into the river.
Rockfall Emergency
All of a sudden, we stopped. The road was blocked. After making hypotheses of what could have happened, and with nothing else to do, we walked up the road to see what was blocking the traffic.
A massive rock fall had buried the road during the night. Tons of rocks slid off the cliff and damaged the main roadway to Chengdu. Luckily, nobody was hurt but we would be stuck here for a while. Bye bye our connecting train at Chengdu and bye bye our hostel at Emeishan.
An hour later we heard a huge blast. The road engineers just used dynamite to blast away debris. Hopefully, we would not be sleeping in a bus tonight. Great news! As we were walking, the traffic was moving again. We were not close to our bus which probably was also moving - with all our gear and luggage. Damn it!
Race Back to the Bus
We ran like crazy. Our bus was still waiting in the middle of the road being overtaken by everyone else. The driver was not so happy and yelled some Chinese. Whatever, we were back on the bus!
We took a long time to get back to Chengdu but we caught our train and could enjoy a good night sleep in our charming hotel in Emeishan. What a day!
Traveling from Songpan to Emeishan
- Route: Songpan → Chengdu (by bus, ~350km) → Emeishan (by train)
- Road conditions: Mountain roads are subject to rockfalls, especially after rain or seismic activity - delays are possible
- Expected journey time: 8-10 hours by bus to Chengdu, plus 2-3 hours by train to Emeishan
- Motion sickness is very common on this winding mountain route - bring medication and plastic bags
- Keep your valuables with you - don't leave them in checked luggage on the bus
- Local buses often make informal stops to pick up and drop off locals along the route
- Bring ear plugs for the constant horn honking and to help you sleep through the chaos
- Despite the challenging journey, the mountain scenery along the route is spectacular
- Book connecting trains with a buffer - road conditions can cause significant delays
Note:
Pin These Moments
🚧 Rockfall Drama
Our bus journey from Songpan interrupted by a massive rockfall - engineers used dynamite to clear the road!
🚌 Mountain Journey
The challenging but spectacular route from Tibetan Songpan to Emeishan through stunning mountain scenery
🎒 Adventure Travel
When your journey includes motion sickness, rockfalls, dynamite, and a desperate race back to the bus!
Have you experienced a rockfall or road closure on a mountain journey? How do you handle motion sickness on winding roads? Have you ever had to run to catch your bus? Share your adventure travel stories!