[gpx-view category=”2005 Western Tibet Trip” gpx-file=”WestTibet-Route.gpx”]

Table of Days Cycled, Accommodation, KM markers etc along the trip.

The KM markers where they exist are the best way of finding places and knowing how far it is to the next place. All highways in China have a number and generally have distance markers (from the start of the highway) every 1 or 5 km’s

Well I’m finally home again, the final leg from Ali to Kathmandu in
some ways was the hardest.

I cycles about 1500 km from Ali to Kathmandu.

The weather on this leg was harder than before, with the start of
summer rain starts in the afternoon and it was sometimes still raining
in the morning. The rain makes starting in the morning much harder.

As I got further along the road to Kathmandu, there were more and more
tourists and more of the Tibetan kids start begging when riding through
towns. Tourists have a lot to answer for in central Tibet.

Its nice to be back in a clean place, even Bangkok seemed clean after
china, no more spitting on the floor, shitting of the street and all
those nice Chinese things.

Thanks to everyone I met along the way for the conversation etc, except
all those 4WD drivers who kept on trying to run me off the road. If
your in Tasmania sometime drop us a email.

Ive started to scan some of the 18 rolls of slide film I took, Ill try
and put them on a web site some time. Attached are two photos, one on
the border on Xinjang and Tibet (from the month before) and the other
one on the last pass in Tibet at 5100m where we camped and got
excellent views of Mt Everest in the morning.

Here is some of what happened over the month and a half of cycling,

1/7 – Depart Ali, camp at KM1114 opposite village in distance, 58km,
4:12,

The road south from Ali goes over a 4700m pass and is paved, which
makes for quite different cycling. I meet a Chilean cyclist who had
come from Lhasa bus had decided to bus out to Kashgar (which I can
quite understand).

After the pass its cycling in the first of some large valley floors,
with nomads grazing goats and yaks on the grass at the bottom of the
valley.

2/7 – Camp at KM 1152 42km 4:02,

The pavement ends just after the small town of Namru and just before
the top a the pass, so its back to to dirt roads for the next 1100 km.

I stopped to take some pictures of yaks around a lake and the nomads
invite me into there tent (much larger than mine) for yogurt, butter
tea and flat bread.

As well as the pavement ending, the KM markers are missing from the
road (as the road is now about 44 km shorter) and I don’t see any for
the next 400km.

3/7 – Camp at KM1230, 30km,

A day with very strong head winds, at one point I’m stopped at the top
of a rise by the wind and dust blowing directly at me, down the rise I
can manage 6 km per hour cycling hard, so I stop and wait for the wind
to stop.

4/7 – Camp in Tibetan nomad tent, 21km, 2:22,

It was a very slow day and I stop in several tents for tea and some
food, I’m feeling sick, so stop early when invited into a tent by a
family to sleep, it also rains over night.

The family give me rice, topped with yogurts and sugar, what an
excellent meal.

After the turnoff to a place south call Zandar (a big military and
tourist place) the road is worse and harder cycling for the next 500km
to Saga.

5/7 – Moincer guest house, 40km, 3:45

Feeling much better today, its wet in the morning, but feeling better I
don’t mind going on and going over the next pass. Over the pass its
mostly down a long valley to the town on Moincer.

Moincer is the first mostly Tibetan town I come across, it also has a
check point on the way in, so as I have a travel permit not I thought I
would try and see it if works, I push the bike under the wire across
the road which is the check point, and push the office door open. The
police man is asleep on the bed on the room, I make enough noise to
wake him up, he asks be to sit down (probably the only english he
knows), so I walk out again. So much for needing a travel permit.

6/7 – Camp 53km, 5:13

Trying to make Darchen, which is the next town with telephones and
tourists, mostly a flat valley floor to cycle on, and a pass 4900m just
before Darchen.

I camp in a excellent place by a river with views of Mt Kaliash in the
north.

7/7 to 9/7 – Darchen, 10km

10/7 – Camp OD 2514, 48km, 4:00

Through the towns of Braga and Hor with nice views of lake Mansenover
and Kailash in the west.

Its wet over night, but by mid morning things are dry and I get going
up the next valley.

11/7 – Camp OD 2547, 32km, 3:34

Not much energy today, the meal I had at Hor does not seem to be doing
it, its up the river and hard riding.

I have some Tsampa (tibetan yak butter tea, and rolled barley flour)
for lunch which helps a bit.

12/7 – Camp OD 2579, 32km, 3:36

Little water around, and I walk to the edge of the lake about 1 km
south of the road. Its still hard going up the valley.

Its very windy and wet overnight, the water is blowing through the wall
of the tent, I’m glad for the dryloft sleeping bad as its still warm
inside even though its wet on the outside.

13/7 – Camp OD 2622, 44km 4:13

Another pass and lunch just before the pass under the ground sheet due
to sago snow and rain.

I unpack everything and dry it out in the afternoon sun shine and camp.

14/7 – Camp OD 2667, 45km 4:02

Another wet start to the day, but things are a bit cleaner and get
packed up not too wet.

15/7 – Camp OD 2719 51km 4:16

I cycle into a tent village for the perfect cycling breakfast, butter
tea, tsampa (flour and butter tea) and yogurt.

The tourists are getting thicker now, they are good for some english
conversation, but some are quite painful at times, and they never want
to give be a lift or slow down when passing me.

16/7 – Paryang 13 km, 1:14.

A small town with guest houses, I decide to stop in town, wash a fix a
few things.

17/7 – New Zhongba, 30km cycled and lift for 30 km.

I get a lift when cycling out of a very small village by a small truck
going me way while Ill sitting on the bike thinking about the next pass
into a head wind. We arrive in New Zhongba after about 1 hr which was
nice.

New Zhongba is off the main road and had good places to stay, and at
one stage about 100 people around be looking at what I’m doing. The
only good thing about the town was it has fresh vegies, and has 5 km of
paved road going out of town.

18/7 – to Zhongba, 22km, 1:50

After 5km its back to the road made from river rocks.

After a bad nights sleep and not a good breakfast, I stop in the next
town with a headache for lunch and decide to sleep there to get some
good rest.

I meet 2 chinese cyclist cycling from Lhasa to Kashgar, they had much
less gear that I had so maybe the trip will be a lot easier.

First KM marker 1703 after Namru.

19/7 – Camp 61km, 5:25,

First 60+ km day for a long time better road and feeling mush better. I
stop just outside a village and only have one local visitor.

20/7 – Camp 43km 3:38

Wet start to the day, but good days cycling.

21/7 to 23/7 – Saga 31km, 2:51

Saga is at a cross road, a road comes directly up from Nepal and
another one from Lhasa. Its not a nice town, with shitting in the river
and a very strange feeling about it though. The rumor going around is
that there was plague in the down a few weeks before, they had to close
the town for a few days and kill all the dogs in the town. This does
not surprise me with dogs, people not washing, mice and rats, and
people shitting in the streets and all the waste going into the river.

I receive a message from Kirsten that she is in SangSang (a town down
the road) and cycling this way, from a note she gave to a passing motor
cyclist tourist who found me in Saga and handed to to me.

24/7 – Camp 56km, 4:37

Had permit hassels departing Saga, I had to play the waiting game, then
was told I could go, without a fine.

I get away from Saga as fast as I can and over the next pass and camp
in the rain by a nice river.

25/7 – PaDeng Cun, 40km

In the small town of Raga, the spedo shows I have cycles 3000km since
Islamabad.

This was about where I was expecting Kirsten to be, I was expecting
that she would be working her way up the other side of the pass on the
other side of town. It was raining and I stopped in town for a break
and tea, thinking to go on when the rain eases. I cycle out of town
after some time and starting to see what I think are tracks that could
be Kirsten’s, I cycle a bit more then stop and think about it for a
while, I decide to turn around and just check that she is not in town.
Once I turn around the kids in town indicate there is another cyclist
in town. I find Kirsten in the guest house across the road from where I
had tea, when I came into town I check the guest house so she must have
arrived while I was having tea.

26/7 – guest house, 15km, 1:22

Over the pass out of town and down the other side, with a late start we
decide to stop and rest in the guest house.

27/7 – Camp 41 km 3:42

Another pass only 4500m though.

28/7 – Camp 39km, 3:20

Through through the town of SangSang for an evening meal and to pick up
fresh vegies.

We camp and get a visit from some local young kids. In the morning its
very wet and the kids are back to visit and help packup. At one point
when Kirsten and I are in the tent to keep dry, the kids come inside as
well, in a tent much smaller than they are used to.

29/7 – Camp 31km 2:52

We spent most of the morning drying out gear after the wet night,
another pass to go over in the morning then mostly down.

At KM2061 I see my first tree in about 2 months and 1700 km.

30/7 – Camp 44km 3:43

After small passes we camp above a river with a monastery on a hill in
the distance.

31/7 to 1/8- Lhatze 64.2 km 4:46

Seeing more villages now with much more that just tents, houses etc.
Mostly down a long river valley to a flat plane to Lhatze. At KM2140
highway 219 ends (which I had cycled all 2140 km of it).

We cycle 10 km past town to some hot springs which was nice and I think
it was my first wash since leaving Ali.

2/8 – Camp 28km 4:21

Tough climbing all day from Lhatze almost to a the top of a pass. They
are re-building the road up the pass so the road is very bad, difficult
to cycle in parts and very wet.

We camp and Kirsten is exhausted.

3/8 – Camp 41km, 3:50

4/8 – Camp 44km, 3:36

no rain overnight.

View of Everest in the morning

5/8 – Hotel at hot springs, 51km, 4:13

rode the last 10km from Dingri (or old-Tingri) in heavy rain, but
knowing the hot springs were there it was not so much of a problem.

6/8 – Guest house, 42km 4:05

We meet two spanish cycists doing Lhasa to Kathmandu (via Everest base
camp) and spend the night in the same guest house in a small town with
them.

Mostly flat up hill on a good dirt road, but have a head wind for the
last 2 hours.

7/8 – Camp on Tong-La 37km 4:57

Last two passes both over 5000m.

But we bet to camp on the top of the last pass in Tibet, at 5150m. In
the evening the mountains in the distance have cloud around, and fog
comes in over night. However in the morning its clear and we have
excellent views of Mt Everest, Chu Oyo, Lhatse, and Sisabangfeng.

8/8 – Down to Zhungumu, 90 km, 5:57

Almost all downhill for 90 km down 2400m, down this amazing valley
starting above the tree line and ending in the tropical forest.

9/8 – to Dolagart, 68km, 5:23

About 20km in the pavement begins.

Over the border (and out of China) into Nepal, what I change, different
food, people that speak english, what a change.

Dolgart is at 600m, 4550m below where we were the day before.

10/8 – to Kathmandu, 55km

a few climbes back up to Kathmandu, I see how hard I can push up the
hills, and I just keep pushing its quite amazing.

Back in Kathmandu after 10 years, the hotel I stayed in 10 years ago is
still there. Kathmandu has good places to shop, and excellent food,
what a change from China.

When I got to Bangkok, I had the flight from Hell home, the plane into
Bangkok was delayed 15 hours from London, so another night in Bangkok,
and we arrived into Melbourne at about mid-night, only to miss my
flight in the morning.

Tong-La, 5150m, Final Pass in Tibet, looking forward to going down 4600m over the next 200km

Just a Quick note, Yes I’m still alive.

I didn’t end up taking the lift from Ali to Lhasa, I cycled the 1000 km
from Ali to Lhatse. I meet up with Kirsten 5 days ago in a very small
town 100 km from Saga, about 250 km from here and we cycles here
together.

We’re now restocked with food and a days rest and an afternoon in some
hot springs. Its off to Katmandu tomorrow which is about 400 km from
here, with three 5000m+ passes to go over. Luckly from the last 5200m
pass its down 4500m into Katmandu over about 200 km, should be easy
sitting on the bike for 200 km.

I should be home on the 18th of August then.

Breakfast Sangsang, Ngari Tibet

smallWTIB0837
Originally uploaded by Peter Janen.

Tent village of Samsang

smallWTIB0836
Originally uploaded by Peter Janen. Perfect cyclist breakfast,
Yak butter tea,
Tsampa (roasted barly flower and tea)
Yogert

Well after 1400 km from Kashgar, this is the next email stop and a few
days rest, its been 25 days from Kashgar with 19 days camping, although
the days not camping were generally with a dirt or concrete floor.

What have I been doing for the last 25 days? mostly cycling, averaging
50 km/day (some days down to 30 km due to snow and the altitude).

And we’re now in Tibet! there was no drum roll at the 5200m pass when I
crossed it, I did camp about 2 km from the pass into Tibet on the Tibet
side though.

I have the back rack broken in three places, unfortunately its aluminum
so probably wont take to welding back together. Its not a structural
piece and I will be able to work something out here to fix it.

Since I have some time here, and its very hot outside, Ill try and
day-by-day account.

2-6-2005 Depart Kashgar, Highway 315, 118 km to Camp.

Cycling along the southwestern edge of the Talkiman desert, on one side
the flat desert with sand dunes off into the distance and on the other
the snow capped 5000m peaks on the Kunlum shan mountains.

Camped just past a small town of Tamlikun 118 km from Kashgar. Cycling
in the late afternoon thousands on tiny insects were in the air and I
am covered in them. Its very dry and hot during the day here.

3-6-2005, 83 km to Shamche

Started early to avoid the heat (and what else is there to do) however
by the town of Diran its hot and I’m feeling sick. I sat around a
outside eating place in the shade until about 5pm to wait for it to
cool down and by stomach to settle. I cycle on past the ‘Maxbulak
tourist resort’, a eating place on a lake, and on to a large town on
Shamche and find the a very good hotel to have a wash and settle the
stomach over night.

4-6-2005, 72 km to Yecheng.

Nice riding I get to Yecheng, also known as Kargilik, I cannot work out
why it has two names and everyone knows both. This town is where the
western Tibet highway, highway 219 starts and heads into the mountains.

The road has been good traveling, very flat and a good surface although
many trucks and buses use this road going who knows where.

I have to stock up on food etc in Yecheng and there are no-longer any
big towns before Ali (about 1000 km away).

5-6-2005, highway 219, 83km.

Leaving Yecheng, there is supposed to be a check point to control
people going to Tibet this way. Part of this road crosses Aksay Qin
which was a disputed area on the border with India (this is now
resolved with India and its now part of China). I don’t see any check
point, only a sign ‘Foreigners are not allowed to pass this way to
Ali’, oh well who reads all the signed anyway.

Just at the start of highway 219, the road is blocked by the military
because a convoy is heading off (I see many of these along the road,
mostly caring Col or fuel). I think I’m not going to get through and
wait by the side of the road for about 20 mins and they open the road,
all the traffic clears and I’m off again.

6-6-2005, 65 km to Camp KM137.

The asphalt ends at KM93 and its dirt road over the pass

My first 3150m pass to cross, it winds its way up the hills from about
2000m and down again and I camp just after a small town.

The asphalt starts again at KM 133, its a perfect road up a nice
mountain valley.

7-6, 33km to Camp KM170.

Rain most of the night and its a wet start to the day, I stop for lunch
at Kurdi, a small truck stop and passport check point, no problems. Its
raining inside the restaurant and the floor is all wet, but the food is
ok, it not a little expensive.

8-6, 36km, to Road maintenance station, KM206.

Its hard going up hill and I get a tow from an excavator going about
the same speed as me up the kill (6 km/hr).

KM196 asphalt ends.

I’m invited into the road station for food and to sleep, very nice as
its at 4300m and there is a pass coming at 4885m.

9-6, 34km to Mazar.

Stop after crossing the pass in thmorningng where the road is just mud
and end up walking about 5 km stopping at times to clear the mud off
the wheels so they go around again.

I have food and sleep at the rest house (a place made frommaisonettee
and not much else) but the owner speaks someEnglishh.

I’m told I’m the 4th cyclist this year to pass this way.

Here the road splits either back to Tashkorgan (maybe) and K2 and off
to Tibet.

Its snowing and blowing in theafternoond so its nicer to stay in side
for the afternoon.

10-6, 43km to Camp at KM284.

Stopped due to cold and blowing snow and a dust storm (at the same
time). Me cycling computer is not working today, I think it got some
water in it, hmm I don’t think I can get that fixed.

11-6, 39km to Camp at KM324 abandoned road station.

Vary hard over pass of 4920m, up 800m and down other side to camp.

The weather is mostly good in the mornings and I get snow/dust/wind up
the valley around 2pm, then it will clear for awhile and snow a bit
more around dusk and clear over night.

12-6, 55 km to Camp at KM377.

My water is partly frozen in thmorningng and I have to repair my rear
rack. I stop for lunch at a town Xiadulla and meet twBelgianin cyclists
coming from Kunming.

Together we look around town to stock up on food, its there larger town
for 600km and my last chance also.

I cycle out of town some 15 km and camp.

13-6, 49km Camp at KM426,exhaustedd just after a pass.

I have my first wash in a stream for lunch and soak up the sun.

Just before the pass I see a truck with the mechanic with the head and
sump off the motor changing two of the little end bearings on two
pistons. They were just putting the head back on when I got there. They
had a stock of two min noodles, water and food which I assume was sent
in with the spare parts.

14-6, 46km to Camp at KM472.

I broke the back rack in the same place as the other side and have to
repair it in the same way with hose clamps and some scrap wire from the
side of the road. Its good to have many things on the side of the road
to use when I need them.

Today I crossed into the Aksay Qin area, a 5000m plusflattishh area for
about 300km.

15-6, 39km to Camp at KM510.

Rode into a town and gotbreakfastt from the road station andorderedr
some more before leaving town, 15 mins down the road I stopped to let
lunch digest and slept for an hour. I rode some more and had to stop
again to sit out a dust/snow storm. I started again in light snow which
cleared eventually and I camped at about 4.30pm.

16-6, 35km to Camp at KM545.

Crossed over a 5200m pass today, camped by frozen lake and used a lot
of petrol to melt snow.

17-6, 56km to Camp at KM600.

Made 35km to Tianshuihai military camp, waited until I could find
someone to give me some petrol. I was expecting to be able to eat here,
but there is nothing, 2 min noodles again for lunch.

I stop at about 4 pm due to heavy blowing snow, by 5 pm the snow
stopped and the sun came out, I stay camped. Its a high flat plane here
with small hills in the distance and mostly a desert.

18-6, 42km to Camp at KM638 (does not quite make sense…)

The ground is frozen to start with which makes good riding until the
sun melts it and it turns to mud and sand.

Stopped after lunch due to hail storm again.

19-6, 36km to Tielong.

Had a good feed to meat, vegies etc in a truck stop, it was bad weather
outside so I decided to stay the night in the dirt floor rest house.

20-6, 44km to Camp at KM718, just past pass to Tibet.

Started in sunshine, sago snow before the pass just after lunch (2 min
noodles again) where I stopped in a huddle for 1hr for the snow to
clear.

21-6, 47km to Camp at KM763,

Snow showers again, excellent lunch in a tent at a military camp of
Sumxi. Saw 4 trucks bogged just before the pass (5400m). It was
snowing over the pass (although melting when it hit the ground) and
another huddle under the small tarp from the snow for 20 mins after the
pass, which also cleared the headache.

22-6 74km to Camp at KM833.

Starting to see some life again, nomads around and coming down from
Aksay Qin things are improving, grass and wild life around now.

Make the town of Domar for lunch and find rice, sugar and sultanas.

23-6, 63km to Camp at KM895.

Downhill to Nyak Lake, not much water around before reaching the lake
though.

Camped by the lake with lots of bird life around.

24-6, 38km to Rutog.

Have a good lunch of fish in a tourist place (such as they are here)
where you can hire a boat to look around the lake.

Stopped in the biggest Chinese town for a long time for lunch, diner,
sleep and breakfast.

25-6, 41 km to Camp at KM973.

Good run, camp with Chinese cyclist who has come from Kunming (on the
other side of Tibet) who is very overloaded with paintings and all
sorts of things. I think he must have walked most of the way. He has no
cooker and is eating Tsampa (flower, butter tea and Sugar).

26-6, Arrive Ali,

Big town, clean hotel, and shower, all the good things in life. Time
for some rest, repairs and stock up on food again.

Looks like I have a lift from here to Lhasa, so that’s 1200 km I wont
get to put on the cycling map and 1200 km of dirt road that I don’t
have to cycle. Ill still get to see Mt Kailash and the Guge kingdom
(which I would not have seen on the bike. It should take about 4-7 days
to get to Lhasa.

Ill meet Kirsten in Lhasa and cycle from there to Kathmandu (about
1000km).

Mazar, Xinjang, China