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).
