L1 – Boduoluo Forest & Yak Meadows Tour
Leave the Old Town crowds for the hills beyond Lashi Lake: 30 km on an Amflow e-MTB through moss-covered old forest and limestone yak pastures, up to 3,426 m, with the motor doing the hard part of the climbing.
Full day tour | 30 km at 2,700–3,426 m | Amflow full-suspension e-MTB | Simple lunch included
Bike
Amflow PL full-suspension e-MTB, sized to your height
Guide
Local ride guide for the whole day
Lunch
Simple lunch on the mountain
Getting there
Your guide confirms pickup time and place in Lijiang on WhatsApp the day before
ALTITUDE: This ride tops out at 3,426 m, about 1,000 m above Lijiang Old Town. Spend a night or two in Lijiang first, drink plenty of water, skip alcohol the night before, and tell your guide at once if you get a headache or feel dizzy.
Important Note – Early Departure: If a customer leaves the tour before the scheduled end, all shuttle service and bike transfer fees will be paid by the customer.
Boduoluo is a small Yi village in the hills beyond Lashi Lake, west of Lijiang, where the high ground runs out toward the Jinsha River, the upper Yangtze. The ride climbs from about 2,700 m to 3,426 m through old forest where the trunks are wrapped in moss and the branches trail pale-green strands of old man's beard lichen, then breaks out onto limestone meadows where yaks graze between grey boulders. From the ridge you look across to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and down toward the Jinsha gorge. Around 30 km and 806 m of climbing, with a simple lunch on the way. You'll pass no ticket gates, no boardwalks and no tour buses.
Is this ride for me?
30 km19 mi
Total ride distance
806 m2,640 ft
Total elevation gain
3 / 5
Difficulty
波多罗原始森林
The first long section of the ride climbs through old mixed forest above Boduoluo, and it is the part most riders talk about afterwards. Trunks and fallen logs are wrapped in thick green moss, and the branches trail long, pale-green strands of old man's beard lichen, which only grows like this where the air stays damp and clean. The track is dirt, soft with needles and leaf litter, with roots and the odd rock to pick through. The Amflow's suspension takes most of it, and you can walk any bit you don't like. This is where most of the day's 806 m of climbing happens, between roughly 2,700 and 3,400 m, so choose an assist level that keeps your breathing easy rather than one that makes you work. Your guide stops wherever the light through the trees is good. In May and June rhododendrons flower on the slopes. From June to September the forest is often in mist: very beautiful, but the roots turn slippery, and wild mushrooms come up everywhere. Look at them, but don't pick or eat any. Bring a waterproof layer in the rainy months; it stays cool under the trees all year.
波多罗高山草甸
Past the last of the trees the forest opens onto grassland scattered with grey limestone boulders and ringed by fir forest. Black-and-white yaks graze here and mostly ignore passing riders; give them room and don't ride between an adult and a calf. This is the easiest riding of the day: wide grass, gentle gradients and space to ride side by side, which is where most of the group photos get taken. The meadows belong to Boduoluo, a Yi village of 27 households and about 80 people. The Yi are a different people from the Naxi of Lijiang Old Town. Their stone marker calls the place a 'potato factory', after the potatoes that grow well above 3,000 m, and besides yaks the villagers keep horses, mules, cattle, pigs and sheep. The grass is greenest from June to September. In autumn it turns gold and the forest edges go red and yellow. There is no shade out here, and at this altitude the sun burns faster than it does at home, even when the air feels cool, so wear sunscreen and sunglasses and keep drinking water.
Gallery
Pro guides
Riders first. Guides second. Experience China's hidden routes like a local.
Rob is the founder of CycleQuest China, with 25+ years of cycling and tour experience and fluency in Mandarin, Guilin dialect, Cantonese, and English. Rob's lead sports are road cycling, mountain biking, downhill cycling, outdoor rock climbing, snowboarding, and golf.
Hou is a bike mechanic, cycling experience tour guide, and RtR Education Program instructor. Systematically trained in Chengdu, Hou specializes in high-end road bike assembly, internal cable routing, and fine-tuning Shimano Di2 drivetrains.
Snow is a cycling experience tour guide and event operations specialist. A former mechanical engineer, Snow has independently led 60+ cycling events for 1,000+ riders and logged over 80,000 km of road and gravel riding.
Testimonials
Real stories from riders and families who explored China with us.
We did a 34km loop along the river and had a wonderful time. The bikes were in great condition and the staff were very helpful. Pick up and drop off was organised for us, a seamless experience all in all. Definitely recommend.
Cami — HK
I had an amazing experience with Cyclequestchina. I rented an e-bike for the day, which came with a Dji 360 camera and bags. The overall quality was very good and I had no issues at all. The pickup at the store was smooth. Before handing over the bike, everything was well explained and I could even choose a route with maps that included popular scenic points accessible by following the GPS. I returned the bike to the store after completing a full round trip. The staff were amazing and I would recommend this experience if you want to see the major scenic points in Yangshuo by yourself.
Noor G — FR
How was your guide — pace, language, local knowledge? Our guide, Ivan, was the best! He took us on safe paths, looked out for us- and even stopped for us when we wanted to take a photo. In addition- we had our 4 year old daughter with us and he knew when we had to slow down, or be careful- he was extra cautious. My favorite part of the trip was when we stopped for a cold beverage- the view was beautiful, and the drinks were delicious. Ivan was very knowledgeable about the routes, and where to go- this tour was so so great. We did the E bike and that allowed us to enjoy the scenery and mountains, without getting too tired. We also got some amazing photos from Ivan at the end- great photos to help remember how beautiful and fun it was! We can't wait to do another tour with this company!!
Aly — US
T3 – Yulong River + Jinbao River
Excellent bikes, really rich selection of routes recommended and great advice from the bike hire staff. Route chosen absolutely brilliant and planning to go back soon to do a longer one. Absolutely fantastic, cannot recommend highly enough.
Amy - Brit living in China — GB
The experience of renting the bike tour with CycleQuest was incredible. Our guides, Ivan and Snow, were incredibly attentive, competent, and delightful. They took photos, organized the bikes, and handled everything to ensure our day was perfect and completely safe. We plan to return to China and will book Cyclequest’s services again. I will definitely recommend them to friends.
Nara Saad — BR
What a fantastic tour it was by far the best one we have done throughout our one year trip. From start to finish . We were picked up at our hotel in a luxury minibus for us and our 3 brilliant crew . Our driver our cycling guide and our organiser. The equipment was all brand new and immaculate. We stayed in 5 different hotels all excellent . The lads helped us choose food in the restaurants for lunch and dinner. We often stopped for local snacks in the mountains. The cycling routes were amazing the views and local culture were spot on. We did over 300km over 5 rides to altitudes of almost 5000km some days were a bit cloudy but it didn’t stop us we really got a true feel for scenic China . Their organisation and planning and communication was also excellent .We also felt we were on an action movie photo shoot with the number of photos that they took . The trip far exceeded our expectations!
Nicola and Paul — GB
7 day e-bike cycling tour through western sichuan mountains
The pickup and return were super smooth, the bike was in fantastic condition and ready to roll, and riding to Shaofeng Mountain and Jietan Temple was an absolute blast!
Ratno — ID
We had the most amazing 4 days I can remember 🧡 🚲— thanks so much!!
Jack
Whilst staying in Yangshuo the 3 of us booked the 66km e-cycle tour with Cycle Quest China through our hotel (you can of course book directly with them) taking in rice and lotus fields, incredible mountain views, experiencing the natural wonders of the Yangshuo area as well as a fantastic local lunch in a tiny village where the fish, chicken and vegetable’s were so delicious as a result of the local mineral water spring and local farming methods. We had the absolute best day with our expert guides. It was very well coordinated with regular rest and hydration breaks. We were very well taken care of and had the most amazing experience, we are already looking at booking again! Cannot rate this company highly enough! Excellent! 🌟 🚲
The Hanson family — New Zealand
66km e-cycle tour
The team were very helpful in making sure we got exactly what we needed
UK cyclist — GB
Destinations
Our most requested service for global riders. Ride deeper into China's breathtaking landscapes on our bespoke, multi-day e-bike itineraries. We design exclusive routes away from heavy traffic, immersing you in local culture and hidden natural wonders.
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A great ride demands great equipment. We do not compromise on our fleet. Whether you are tackling mountain trails or cruising scenic river valleys, our fully maintained, high-performance bikes are ready for the challenge. Our Premium E-Bike & MTB Fleet Includes: Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Amflow, Fnix. Every bike is meticulously serviced by our in-house mechanics before every tour to ensure perfect performance. ( Beijing, Guilin, Yangshuo, Chengdu, Dali, Lijiang, Wuhan )
