The Long Goodbye: From Kunming to Urumqi

After almost five years in China, I’m preparing to move back to the U.S. But before heading back, I’ve got a month to spend saying goodbyes, and what better way to say goodbye than on the back of a motorcycle?

Between moving out of my apartment, heading back to the U.S. to wrap things up for work, getting the bike and gear prepped, and visiting friends, I haven’t had much time to put together a route. But I had a productive session with the atlas on my flight down to Kunming, so now I’ve got a GW250, GPS, a starting point, a destination and some ideas for the places in between – so that should be enough!

My main goals are to get back up on the plateau and to hit Tian Shan before finishing in Urumqi. It might look something like this:

[Since google has been harmonized, I had to use bing maps - which seems to have roads that my atlas doesn't have, and doesn't have roads that the atlas does! Not sure what that means - but these maps are just generalizations]

Yunnan: I’ve done Dali, Lijiang, and Shangrila – so I’m thinking I’m going to hit Shaxi and Luguhu this time.

Attachment 15512

Sichuan: Last time I did the S217: Shiqu – Mannigange – Ganze – Litang – Xiangcheng. This time I’m thinking about entering around Luguhu and riding past Yading and then over to the road Andre555 recommended that borders Tibet up to Batang and then routing up north somehow to Qinghai.

Attachment 15511

Qinghai: Last time I did a Xining-Golmud-Budongquan-Yushu loop. This time I’m thinking about going back to Yushu to see what it looks like three years later, and then heading NE over to Maduo and cutting down to Dulan.

Attachment 15509

Dulan to Urumqi: This I’m not sure how to tackle yet. I’ve looked at a southern route: Golmud – Ruoqiang/Charklik and then the G218 up north across the Taklamakan to Korla – and then a loop Kuqa-Kuytun-Urumqi. I’ve also looked a northern route through Dunhuang-Hami-Turpan and then Kuqa-Kuytun-Urumqi. The northern route looks interesting – but Turpan is over 100F/40C already! So I’m a bit wary about the heat in mid-July.

Attachment 15510

If anyone has any advice or recommendations, I’d love to hear them!

At the moment, my bike should be on a train somewhere between Tianjin and Kunming. Once it arrives (tomorrow, with any luck), I should be on the road within a day or two. I’m hoping to keep this thread updated from the road – assuming I can find internet once I leave Yunnan!

Looks great Pat. Sorry I can't join you, but I'm spending less and less time in China these days. BTW, good choice with a GW.

It's hard to believe 4 years have passed since Felix and I went through Luguhu. I'm sure a lot has changed since then, but the road going north was pretty epic, one of the greatest rides I ever got to do in China.

http://www.contactdi.com/2010/may/2010.jpg

You can look at the route we did from this link Zoom in on those ziggy lines, pretty crazy mountain roads. A lot of it was dirt back then, no idea if it's been covered in concrete by now. I don't think the roads on google maps are correct, back in 2010 all the paper and online maps were very wrong about S216. I would love to know what has happened in that area over the last 4 years.

http://www.contactdi.com/2010/may/2010b.jpg

Good luck on your return to the U.S., it's really not too bad living here.

Cheers
ChinaV

Day 0

Shorter on time than I was initially planning, I decided to ship the bike down to Kunming and start the trip from there. The shippers picked up the bike on Wednesday and I flew down a few days later, expecting the bike to be there on Monday. And then when Monday rolled around, they told me the bike was still in Chengdu! After a couple more days of anxiously waiting, I finally got the call from the shippers that my bike had arrived. I jumped on a scooter taxi and rode out to a trucking center:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3838/...f5939dee_z.jpg

And found my bike safely tucked away on truck:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2923/...a904392c_z.jpg

It was just a little too big and a little too heavy to simply push off the truck:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3898/...411dd03b_z.jpg

So the forklift went to work and I held my breath:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5033/...fa4e18a2_z.jpg

Safely out of the truck, they went to work on the crate:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5594/...deddb610_z.jpg

And found a cocoon inside:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5523/...f07e5065_z.jpg

They kept working, and a crowd gathered:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2898/...8dfd466d_z.jpg

And as the wrapping was peeled off, I was thrilled to see that the bike had arrived unscathed. I hopped on and was again pleasantly surprised to find that they hadn’t drained the gas out – I still had almost a full tank!

All in all, the bike was well packed and they got it there in perfect shape. My only complaint is that it took two days longer than they said it would (two days I was planning to spend on the road) – and initially told me that there was no need to crate it, as “they ship bikes all the time, and they don’t get damaged without crating them.” However, once the guys showed up to get the bike, the tune changed and that "I should prepare my heart (for damage) if I didn't crate it." I didn't want to prepare my heart for damage, so I went ahead and paid the extra 1000 to crate it up. So, 800 to ship, 1000 to package, they picked the bike up at my apartment, and I rode out to the shipping center when it arrived. And I got a couple bonus days to visit with friends in Kunming and hammer out a route (which is now in the process of being changed!)

Day 1: Kunming to Dali

In general, given how much work it takes to hit the road on the first day of a trip – my philosophy for the first day is: “It doesn’t matter how far you ride, it’s a success as long as you don’t end up sleeping in your own bed at the end of the day!” I did not follow this philosophy this trip – and scheduled a 400 km ride to Dali on the “Old Road.” 400 clicks on beat up mountain roads is a full day, so I wanted to get on the road early – but by the time the bike was packed and I was on the road it was 10:00 a.m.:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3908/...f9f2c80a_c.jpg

I had to ride through the mess that is Kunming traffic, but the promise of mountains loomed:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3914/...b6172a46_c.jpg

But first I ran into the classic China Road:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3913/...172eaa27_c.jpg

With the classic, ride-around too – lead the way scooter man!

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3873/...76cd8917_c.jpg

A lot of industry and construction coming out of Kunming:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3861/...8bbae378_c.jpg

And then… mountains! It’s hard to complain when you can ride for less than 100 km and be up in the mountains.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/...f5bcdaf3_c.jpg

And villages:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5513/...8f252857_c.jpg

And then I ran into this guy!

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3869/...1cb4fdc4_c.jpg

He’s from Shandong province – adjacent to Tianjin in the north – and had been riding his bike for three months! He’s on his way to Lhasa – and may spend a whole year on the way. “Where do you stay?” In a tent! Crazy.

The road continued through the mountains, and finally stopped for lunch:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2910/...b8b8fd0e_c.jpg

It was already close to three p.m. and I wasn’t even half way to Dali yet. I started doing the math, and it wasn’t adding up. Oh well! I stopped in Chuxiong to get an oil change, and then continued through a fertile valley:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3896/...f0b824d8_c.jpg

And the road continued to wrap through the mountains:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3921/...2e241717_c.jpg

And then emptied into a valley with lots of new houses:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/...860ec8b2_c.jpg

And tobacco farming:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3913/...29774dcb_c.jpg

The sun started to drop, and I was still a couple hours away from Dali… too close to stop, too far to make it in the daylight. The sun started to drop behind the mountains, behind this tomb-stone making factory:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2910/...42d6ecc0_c.jpg

And then I took my sunglasses off and realized it wasn’t nearly as dark as I thought - so I took a picture of aloe plants. I didn't realize it yet, but my whole face was severely sunburned and I would be in need of aloe the next day!

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3893/...a8a8546f_c.jpg

As the sun dropped, I started climbing yet another mountain! I had thought it was going to flat the rest of the way into Dali. The mountain climbed above the valley:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/...843f9d5d_c.jpg

And I stopped to get a picture of windmills at twilight:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3906/...195c6b43_c.jpg

And then it was dark and I was still on the mountain. Fortunately the road was good – so the main obstacle was trucks with their brights on. That, and when I rode through a little village, the road was full of people walking around on the street – not sure if they realized they’re basically invisible until the last second. I wound my way through the mountains, getting abused by the insects that flew out onto the road attracted by my headlight. And finally hit Dali:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3872/...af024c85_c.jpg

I road another 45 minutes up to the Jade Roo right across from the Old City – it’s a great place and allows bikers to keep their bike in the courtyard. 13 hours and 400 km later, sore and sunburned, I took a shower and sat down to a well-earned steak dinner!

Made it into Luguhu yesterday and have spent the day resting and licking my wounds -

Laojiahuo - The GW250 is great. I meant to update your GW250 post - "Is the GW250 the YBR killer?" If my experience in Beijing a few months ago was any indication - the answer to that question is "YES." Qili said they don't stock them because Beijing riders "don't recognize them" and the Datone shop I visited isn't stocking the new 250's - and hinted that they've had some conflicts with Yamaha that they're not moving enough units. The shop I went to had some old 125's and they pushed me towards the GW250. So far the bike has been reliable - but doesn't handle well in the mud - the fender is too close to the front wheel - I had a muddy day yesterday and spent a couple hours prying caked mud out of the fender just to get the front wheel moving! And the allen wrench that came with the bike is too big to remove the fender! Needless to say, I picked up the wrench today :)

ChinaV - Thanks for the tracks - I still go back and read your old ride reports from time to time. I hate to disappoint, but I think I'm going to reroute.. I bumped into a motorcyclist today and he said the road south of Litang to the fork between Daocheng and Xiangcheng is closed between 8am-5pm (you can enter before or after) - and is basically dirt.. which in the rainy season means mud! Instead, I think I'm going to route through Xichang and cut over to Kangding. Glad to hear living in the U.S. isn't too bad.. frankly, I'm looking forward to using a non-broken internet, soap in the bathrooms, drivers who stay on their side of the road...

Great RR coming... :popcorn:

But any chance you can resize the photos as they are taking a while to load (some are timing out)...

YMMV

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bikerdoc

But any chance you can resize the photos as they are taking a while to load (some are timing out)...

YMMV

---

Will do! I spent a good chunk of the afternoon wrestling with flickr and imgur trying to get everything to play nice together. I resized the images in the first post and switched to the "Medium 800x598" setting on Flickr - I'll keep an eye on it in case I need to further downsize..

Nice, photos coming through okay now. Not sure if it's because I'm at home with better Wifi than at the office, with Ch!na Unicom browser login. I like that SHAD box, had the same model on the CB500X I rode in Northern tahiland for 2 months beginning 2014. I liked how it was possible to unlock the box and be able to remove the key and still be able to open/close the box lid as needed. Very handy. The new Benelli BJ600GS-A's are coming fitted with those SHAD boxes on the arse end, aside from panniers/side cases.

Great work though and very interesting sites, and better than that lots of nicer looking weather than we been experiencing here in Zhejiang the past fortnight, rain, rain and more rain.

'scribed...

:popcorn:

[I made it into Xiahe today and have been wrestling with flickr again - after accessing it in Yunnan, I haven't been able to reach it again - apparently it's blocked, so I'm switching over to photobucket.com]

Day 2: Dali to Shaxi

Part of the reason I wanted to get to Dali on the first day was to give myself a short day two to Shaxi. Shaxi’s only 125 km from Dali, and since I’d heard good things about it, I wanted to have the better of the day to check the place out. At the same time, I had plenty of time to take an “alternative route” – bing, baidu, and my GPS were unanimous – go north and loop back down around the mountains. Staring at the map, I found a dirt road that crossed directly over the mountain – why go around when you can go over?

The day started on the flat road out of Dali between Erhai and mountains:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01594Copy.jpg

Past tobacco growing villages on the banks of Erhai:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01603Copy.jpg

A lot of rice in this region too:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01612Copy.jpg

Along with the mandatory road construction. Faceoff:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01623Copy.jpg

After navigating construction for a while, I turned off onto the “dirt road” that would lead over the mountain to Shaxi, but first, it led into a village:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01626Copy.jpg

I made a couple wrong turns:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01631Copy.jpg

Before finding the dirt:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01638Copy.jpg

The first section was actually paved for a bit, before hitting rocks:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01640Copy.jpg

The next section varied between medium rocks (above), small rocks that had been steamrolled, and brand new big rocks ready to be broken down! After bouncing through the rocks, I hit a pretty nice dirt track:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01644Copy.jpg

It wound around the mountain and I hit a small forest, with tombs (of the kings, I’m sure) in the trees:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01655Copy.jpg

I continued to follow the road:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01665Copy.jpg

And she finally revealed her name to me:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01674Copy.jpg

The road wound down the other side of the mountain into more tobacco growing regions:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01683Copy.jpg

Do these glasses make me look like a nerd?

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01679Copy.jpg

The road wound through the tobacco growing villages and then suddenly emptied out right into Friday market day in Shaxi!

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01691Copy.jpg

I pushed my way through the crowded market, found a hotel, and went into the old city. These guys are angry about something:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01700Copy.jpg

I found a plate of curry chicken on the main square:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01703Copy.jpg

Having missed lunch, I decided to make it up with a second dinner with this guy:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01706Copy.jpg

My face was bright, bright red and burning from the sunburn the day before. Feeling sorry for me, the server cut some aloe branches out of their garden, cut it up, and applied it to my sunburn – it felt great!

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01712Copy.jpg

And the day ended with a rainbow over the city:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01708Copy.jpg

Pretty good day!

Day 3: Shaxi to ???

The next morning I set course for Luguhu. The road out of Shaxi is beautiful, winding through the mountains and over villages:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01721Copy.jpg

And through small markets:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01728Copy.jpg

Handles better in the mud than my bike:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01730Copy.jpg


The mountain pass that leads to Lijiang:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01732Copy.jpg

In Lijiang I stopped to get an oil change and meant to get gas on the way out of town, but before I knew it I was out by the train station and then on a perfect road out of the city heading towards Luguhu. The road seemed too good to be true – and it was. Sure enough, before long I reached a barrier and a handwritten sign that said “Luguhu” pointing towards a dirt track that climbed a mountain. I assumed it would be a quick little detour, but it turned out to be a complete reroute – I had no idea what road I was on or where I was going, and my GPS wasn’t much help throughout the rest of the afternoon:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01754Copy.jpg

But the road turned back to concrete and was actually in pretty good shape most of the day. At one point I even saw a fisheye! I hadn’t realized fisheye technology had reached China yet, but here I was – seeing around corners like some kind of superhero:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01748Copy.jpg

And around every corner there were consistently beautiful views:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01751Copy.jpg

The road was great, but they’re still working on barriers - wood: softer when you hit the barrier, harder when you hit the valley below! I think I’ll take concrete :)

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01759Copy.jpg

Wherever I was, it was remote. My gas tank was emptying, my GPS kept telling me to turn around, I didn’t get the feeling that I was actually getting any closer to Luguhu, and so I stopped for lunch:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01762Copy.jpg

My little makeshift restaurant had a great view:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01764Copy.jpg

And storm clouds were gathering:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01765Copy.jpg

As my gas meter dropped to one bar, I started coasting any time I had a downhill and finally came to a sign of civilization - a gate to a park of some sort. I rode up to the gate and found someone to ask about how to get to Luguhu. And, as if conspiring with my GPS, he told me to turn around! “But I just came from that way! And I need gas!” He kept telling me Mingyin had gas – 22 km backward. “But I just came from that way and didn’t see any gas stations!” He kept insisting – and who was I to argue, after all, I had no idea where I was. So I typed Mingyin into the GPS, and sure enough, it was 22 km behind me. I turned around and set course, at least it was downhill and I could coast. And sure enough about 10 km later I reached an intersection I had barely noticed the first time through, the one intersection I had seen all afternoon, I had made a wrong turn! I went the other direction this time, and coasted shortly thereafter into a gas station that, I’m sure, has nothing but Grade A Petrol:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01770Copy.jpg

Things were looking up! My GPS now said U-Turn and go 373 kilometers, but a road sign said just 142 km! Needless to say, I went with the road sign:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01774Copy.jpg

The road continued to be spectacular:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01780Copy.jpg

And storms continued to threaten:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01789Copy.jpg

Running with (chasing) the lambs:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01792Copy.jpg

It was starting to get late and I was still hoping to reach Luguhu, but couldn’t resist taking photos:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01803Copy.jpg

The road wound round the mountain and began to descend into a valley. As I began descending, I started to see flashes of lightening and hear thunder. The storm was finally closing in. Twisties!

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01805Copy.jpg

And little did I know, Luguhu was still on the other side of the mountain across the valley:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01807Copy.jpg

By the time I had made my way down to the bottom of the valley and crossed the river it had started to rain. I rode through a small village and the road turned to begin climbing yet another mountain. My GPS finally picked up the road I was on, and instead of the 50 km to Luguhu that I thought I had left, it said 80. As I looked at the upcoming mountain, now shrouded in angry black clouds, a villager came out and said “It’s raining, go back to the village and stay in an inn!” The voice of wisdom. I turned around and found a small inn (i.e. a room with a bed) run by a Mosuo family. I had dinner, hung out a bit with some of the family, and to add to the ambiance, they gave me a candle – the power was out due to the storm:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01812Copy.jpg

I climbed into bed to the sound of rain pounding down on the sheet metal awning, hoping the storm would pass before morning.

Day 4: ??? to Luguhu

It didn’t. It rained all night long and waking up in the morning, it was still sprinkling:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01824Copy.jpg

And to add insult to injury, as I was getting ready to go, I tweaked my back lifting my case onto the back of the bike! It hurt, but wasn’t totally debilitating, so I limped around finishing packing the bike and rode back to the bridge I had crossed the night before:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01828Copy.jpg

And then rode back through the town to tackle the mountain. I rode up into the mist:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01831Copy.jpg

The storm had taken a toll on the mountain, and small landslides dotted the road:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01834Copy.jpg

But the rain stopped, and the mist gradually lifted:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01837Copy.jpg

And then I hit a thick patch of mud, with a stuck truck:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01842Copy.jpg

I rode through twenty yards or so and then got stuck myself. As much as I revved the engine, I couldn’t get the bike to move forward and the back kept sliding out. Fortunately, as a group of guys coming the other direction waited for the truck to get out of the way they got out to help me. In an attempt to lighten the load, we took all my gear off the bike and they took turns helping me push the bike through the mud. Slowly but surely we were able to get it out of the thick mud:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01843Copy.jpg

Exhausted, I parked the bike to rest and reload the gear. One of the workers at the sight came over and instructed me to “ride in the water because the ground is harder there!” Sound advice. I got back on the bike and took off, grateful for all their help and relieved to be through that little mini-ordeal. The dirt and light mud continued for a couple more turns and then with the asphalt in sight:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01846Copy.jpg

Are you kidding me?!

Literally inches away from the pavement, the bike slipped out from under me. I tried to lift the bike, but it was too heavy. I found a rock on the side of the road and sat. To make matters worse, there was basically no traffic on this road, so I assumed I was going to be in for a long wait before I could flag down help. If my back hadn’t hurt so much, I would have kicked myself. Several minutes later I heard someone yelling from up above the embankment. “Hallo! Can you help me?” I yelled back. We unintelligibly yelled back and forth and then this older gentleman cloaked in sheepskin emerged from the mist:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01851Copy.jpg

The two of us lifted the bike up:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01852Copy.jpg

And he walked off into the distance:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01862Copy.jpg

But now the bike wouldn’t start. I pushed the ignition and there was no reaction whatsoever. I assumed the engine was flooded and so I sat back down on my rock to wait. I waited half an hour, and it still wouldn’t start. I noticed the engine was still really hot, and even though the indicator light hadn’t gone off, I thought I’d burn some time by filling a discarded beer bottle with water and pouring it over the bike to cool it down:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01854Copy.jpg

I was bloody thirsty at this point and down to one gulp of water in my bottle. As the occasional tour bus would go by, I pantomimed drinking and after a few tries a bus actually stopped and gave me a bottle:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01856Copy.jpg

After an hour, I got back on the bike and… it started!

But try as I might, I couldn’t get it ride the last foot up onto the concrete. I quickly wore myself out again, and sat back down on my rock to wait for another car to pass. At last a car came by, and they stopped to help me push the bike up the last foot up onto the tarmac. As we pushed the bike, they realized that the front tire was totally cemented by mud and wasn’t spinning! At least I knew why the bike slid out from under me – and why I couldn’t get back up on the tarmac – the front tire was locked up by mud. We set to work digging mud out of the fender. I pulled out my tools to find the allen wrench to take off the fender, and of course the wrench that was included with the bike was too big! So we were left using sticks:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01858Copy.jpg

After another half an hour, we finally pried enough mud out to get the bike moving again. I graciously thanked the guys for their help and we went our separate ways. Sacred ground:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01860Copy.jpg

I was elated to be on the road again but just a few kilometers later:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01863Copy.jpg

I stopped to analyze this patch of mud, looking at different lines I could take. The curb was pretty clean, except for one really thick patch – which left me imagining falling into the ditch. I opted for the fairly beaten down center patch, backed the bike up about thirty yards to get some momentum going into the mud, and then:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01864Copy.jpg

Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was really too much. I barely even touched the mud and the bike went down! I unpacked my gear and was pleasantly surprised to find that I could lift it pretty easily if my gear wasn’t on the bike. I got back on the bike and sure enough, the front tire was locked up again. I went to work using sticks and my fingers to pry out mud. Sweating, panting for air, and almost out of water again, I had to stop periodically to rest and managed to pantomime another bottle of water out of a passing bus.

The mud felt hard as a brick underneath fender – and I really could barely even reach it with my fingers. It was already two p.m. – I had been on the road since 8 a.m. – and had only gone 30 kilometers so far, and probably only about two in the last five hours.

I didn’t think I could get the mud out with my fingers and so I decided to try and flag a ride down to next city, still 50 km away, to get the right tools. I got the cover out, covered the bike, and saw an approaching truck. I flagged them down – and it was the guy who had told me to ride through the water!

Three guys jumped out and they immediately went to work on the mud. One of them found a nearby puddle and a littered water bottle (not mine!) and began spraying water up into the fender. Slowly but surely, caked mud continued to fall out of the fender, and eventually they told me to get on the bike and give it try.

I jumped on, started it up, and… it moved! Relief washed over me. I turned it around and road half a kilometer back down the mountain and then back up hoping to knock out some more mud. Returning to the mud, I picked the line down the middle again, and the four of us pushed the bike through to the other side. I was so happy.

My heros:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01866Copy.jpg

The guys waited for me to repack the bike and told me to go ahead first to make sure I didn’t have any further problems. I thanked them, took some pictures, and then was on the road again. The road was good the rest of the way and I tried to appreciate the first signs of Tibetan culture:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01868Copy.jpg

And a valley with a village and flowers:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01871Copy.jpg

And reaching the first city at Luguhu, I immediately stopped for a bike wash:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01874Copy.jpg

Fully formed bricks fell out from under the fender and he had to go back to the fender three separate times to get all the mud out. Once the bike was washed, he turned the hose on me and sprayed down my pants and boots. Good as new!

And soon enough I finally saw Luguhu:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01882Copy.jpg

Not me:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01887Copy.jpg

And quickly made new friends:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01889Copy.jpg

Nine hours and ninety kilometers later, exhausted, relieved, cold, wet, and hungry I made it a hotel. I showered (hot water!) and found a restaurant for dinner. The owner struck up a conversation and I told her about the day I had just had – and she told me she had a set of allen wrenches I could have. Things were looking up!

All in all, I wasn’t sure what the day meant yet, but it was definitely a gut check. What happened? Why were just a couple patches of mud such a set back? Did this mean I had to avoid all mud? (The answer would end up being no :) ) I was already planning to take a rest day in Luguhu, so I planned to use the next day to do route planning.

In the meantime, there’s nothing like a touch of adversity to remind us how dependent we are upon each other and how often total strangers are willing to go out of their way to help. The list of people who helped:

The four guys who helped push the bike out of the mud, the mysterious old man who emerged from the mist, two bus drivers who gave me bottles of water, the two guys who helped me get the mud out from the front fender, the three other guys who helped me get mud out of the fender and push the bike through the last spot of mud, and the owner of the restaurant who gave me a set of allen wrenches.

Incredible.

Hi Pat
Well done to sick it out and to get over all that mud! Did someone say on here what a great choice of bike The GW was to do this trip !!! IMO it a street bike and here in china you just don't know what's Around the corner ! As you have found out , just done a trip and still on the trip from Hainan to Thailand and rode into Yunnan as well but more south , someone on MCM did post and said he Could not work out why I am doing this ride on a 125cc YBR G when I have a CF 650 TR If a May Pat can I post a few pictures of some of the road condition I came across 3 weeks ago Like you some was very bad but unlike you Pat the YBR G just plough through the Mud with no And will say "lucky" no falls . I would like to say to other people who are thinink about rides in Yunnan province ( this time of year wet season) like mine and Pat think about what bike will be best !! Street bikes with street tyres no no
A big engine 650 TR with street tyres no no no
Even a full off road trail bike which don't have a good size tank IMO no , but a good ADV bike with some dual sports tyres will be fine , I am just so happy I dint take the TR now

Attachment 15587

Attachment 15588

Attachment 15589

Attachment 15590

Attachment 15591

Just a few more pictures if you don't mine


Attachment 15592

Attachment 15593

See how the correct tyres help !

Attachment 15594

Attachment 15595

Attachment 15596

Have a save trip Pat thanks for letting me post some pictures

Pat, you are experiencing the typical problem with doing any distance in China. The roads are simply dysfunctional. Massively overloaded trucks smash the roads being a former truck driver I know that many times they are running double any kind of reasonable axle weight, and using piss weak tiny engines (probably they think to save money on fuel = myth) so the roads need to be rebuilt at least once every 5 years or properly maintained every year. With a lazy unaccountable government who'd rather traffic paid for using the freeways the suddenly have road repairs with no thought to road users or any diversion given, this usually in the summer. So we do the math, 20% of the roads will need to be rebuilt every year, but they only do this half the year, therefore about 40% of the roads are under repair. So in theory we can ride road bikes on a tour in China, in reality in the summer you're gonna need a dirt bike, or road/trail bike. Maybe a modded front mudguard and a road/trail tires are what you need!

I think that designer front mudguard needs a hacksaw! :icon10:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ZMC888

Pat, you are experiencing the typical problem with doing any distance in China. The roads are simply dysfunctional. Massively overloaded trucks smash the roads being a former truck driver I know that many times they are running double any kind of reasonable axle weight, and using piss weak tiny engines (probably they think to save money on fuel = myth) so the roads need to be rebuilt at least once every 5 years or properly maintained every year. With a lazy unaccountable government who'd rather traffic paid for using the freeways the suddenly have road repairs with no thought to road users or any diversion given, this usually in the summer. So we do the math, 20% of the roads will need to be rebuilt every year, but they only do this half the year, therefore about 40% of the roads are under repair. So in theory we can ride road bikes on a tour in China, in reality in the summer you're gonna need a dirt bike, or road/trail bike. Maybe a modded front mudguard and a road/trail tires are what you need!

I think that designer front mudguard needs a hacksaw! :icon10:

---

Now you understand why I didn't take the TR ZMC888 :riding:

:popcorn: Your RRs will be missed Pat.

Enjoying this one very much. Thank you!

Ride Safe......

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ZMC888

Pat, you are experiencing the typical problem with doing any distance in China. The roads are simply dysfunctional. Massively overloaded trucks smash the roads being a former truck driver I know that many times they are running double any kind of reasonable axle weight, and using piss weak tiny engines (probably they think to save money on fuel = myth) so the roads need to be rebuilt at least once every 5 years or properly maintained every year. With a lazy unaccountable government who'd rather traffic paid for using the freeways the suddenly have road repairs with no thought to road users or any diversion given, this usually in the summer. So we do the math, 20% of the roads will need to be rebuilt every year, but they only do this half the year, therefore about 40% of the roads are under repair. So in theory we can ride road bikes on a tour in China, in reality in the summer you're gonna need a dirt bike, or road/trail bike. Maybe a modded front mudguard and a road/trail tires are what you need!...
:icon10:

---

+1

************************************************** *
Pat, really a great RR and escape... :bowdown:

TIC... :seesaw_smilie:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by prince666

Now you understand why I didn't take the TR ZMC888 :riding:

---

You can buy road/trail tires for your TR or a CF.
http://www.pirelli.com/tire/us/en/mo...subtype%3Droad

Thank you for the link , for sure these tyres would help in the mud , but not convince it would of been wise to take the TR and you still have the problem with all the mud getting stuck up under the
Front wheel mud guard and I am sure with road/trail tyres would of made things a lot better with the TR !! But one way to find out , try them :riding:
Look how much mud got stuck under Pat from mud guard

Attachment 15597

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by prince666

Thank you for the link , for sure these tyres would help in the mud , but not convince it would of been wise to take the TR and you still have the problem with all the mud getting stuck up under the
Front wheel mud guard and I am sure with road/trail tyres would of made things a lot better with the TR !! But one way to find out , try them :riding:
Look how much mud got stuck under Pat from mud guard

Attachment 15597

---

True, lots of mud got stuck under his mudguard, but my NK mudguard is a traditional shape and sits about 4cm over the tire. Suzuki seem to have made a front mudguard with tighter tolerances at about 2cm, and an unorthodox shape, fine on most roads, but on Chinese 'under repair' roads and extra bad luck the type of cloying mud this is clearly posing a hazard, obviously not something that the Suzuki test riders imagined. :eek2:

The German dude who rode to Germany on a YBR250 said that he did it on the stock tires, but wished he'd put a road/trail tire on the front as it washed out slow speed on a bunch of different loose surfaces and had him eating dirt on 2-3 occasions. We I think can agree that most of the time a road bike with road trail tires is a good option, but maybe not always perfect.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pat

It was already two p.m. – I had been on the road since 8 a.m. – and had only gone 30 kilometers so far, and probably only about two in the last five hours.

Nine hours and ninety kilometers later, exhausted, relieved, cold, wet, and hungry I made it a hotel.

---

An all too common experience that is somehow strangely satisfying at the end of the day. It sucks when you're in it, but those will always be my best memories of China... strange people coming out of the woodwork to help a traveler in need. Great stuff Pat, thanks for sharing and making me realize that the China I loved is still out there (bad roads and good people).

Cheers!

ChinaV - "bad roads and good people" - that about sums it up! It's what I love about China too. One minute I'm shaking my fist at a truck who just blasted me with his horn and the next minute I'm parked on the side of the road and talking to a truck driver who's inviting me to come to Anhui and spend Chinese New Year with his family!

Day 5: Rest in Luguhu

The next morning, I wandered around looking for breakfast and found a place that had a little steamer out front full of breakfast items. I opted for hardboiled eggs and potatoes, and as I was eating I saw people coming out of the nearby shops to take advantage of the garbage truck:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01896Copy.jpg

After breakfast I walked back along the lake and past these women enjoying a morning chat:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01900Copy.jpg

And then went back to the restaurant that I had stopped by the night before to route plan. I talked to the owner a bit more about local road conditions and she told me about her friend who was on a motorcycle tour up to Qinghai Lake. And then soon after, he walked in the front door! Turns out, he had just gotten back the day before. He had ridden the eastern part of the plateau up to Xining and then back down through Shiqu – the route I had been considering. We sat down over the atlas and talked roads – scenery, conditions, construction, etc. He confirmed that the road up to Litang was closed except in the very early morning and late evening and that the infamous road between Shiqu and Mannigange was still a mess. As we poured over the maps, potential routes gradually started to form – east over to Xichang and then up to Kangding and then inwards to Litang or Danba or any other of a number of cities. My goal was to get back up on the plateau, and he confirmed that these areas were very much the Tibetan Plateau.

Hard at work:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01898Copy.jpg

After he took off, I spent the afternoon wrestling with flickr (which wasn’t blocked, oddly enough) and plotted a course to Xichang and then Kangding. My plan was to ride to Kangding and then plan the rest of the Sichuan portion of the trip there.

Day 6: Luguhu to Xichang

I woke up to another drizzly day, packed the bike, and stopped by the stupa on the way out:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01909Copy.jpg

And took in one last look at the lake:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01910Copy.jpg

Sometimes it takes more dynamite to make a road than it does to maintain one (and in China, sometimes it takes more dynamite to tear down the old, misbuilt road in order to build it again):

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01920Copy.jpg

At some point I crossed into Sichuan and the road followed a river most of the day with potential rockslides hemmed in:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01929Copy.jpg

But there were mountains to climb too, and bee keepers conveniently keeping hives of bees just off the road – riding past, I’d keep my mouth tightly closed and listen to the bees pinging off my helmet.

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01938Copy.jpg

I climbed the mountain up into the mist. As I reached the summit it started to rain and visibility dropped to just 10 meters. Right at the summit there was a restaurant, so instead of dodging trucks that suddenly emerged from the mist, I decided to stop for lunch. Sichuan: the legendary birthplace of Kung Pao Chicken. Having eaten Kung Pao Chicken at least three to four times a week for the past five years, I was giddy with excitement walking into a Sichuan Restaurant – in Sichuan! But as they say, the highest high’s and lowest low’s – I walked in, ordered, and was informed that they were out of chicken! Bent but not broken, I asked if they had Kung Pao “Meat” – and I was in luck! Minutes later I was eating the best Kung Pao Meat (pork, I think) I’d ever had. (If you want to see pictures of meals, you'll have to add me on WeChat :) )

Location, location, location:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01941Copy.jpg

After lunch, visibility was still basically zero, so I carefully wove my way down the mountain, dodging construction and trucks as they popped up out of the mist. Eventually I descended out of the fog and the road picked the river back up again:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01952Copy.jpg

And went through a couple long tunnels:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01959Copy.jpg

Most of which had lights on the inside:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01961Copy.jpg

And all of which opened back out into the rain:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01963Copy.jpg

Eventually the road turned away from the river and as I approached Xichang became a standard “entering a Chinese city” road. I rode into the city in the light rain, found a hotel (Ibis – a chain, highly, highly recommended!), and set out on a successful (and delicious) search for Kung Pao Chicken. All in all, despite the generally rainy weather, it was a nice smooth ride – and after the mud bath of a couple days ago, it was just what the doctor ordered!

Day 6: Xichang to Kangding

The next morning the weather had cleared and I set course for Kangding. Before long I was back on a mountain, and stopped for a peach:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01967Copy.jpg

I accidentally asked for a pear (梨) and the farmer laughed and said, “These are peaches (桃)!” Despite the confusion, I ended up with three peaches freshly picked from the farmers' field, and then they refused payment! Feeling good, I picked up some speed, only to get pulled over the cops!

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01970Copy.jpg

I knew the routine, having just spent a few weeks in the police-state known as the United States of America and being pulled over twice in the period a week – once on a bicycle! I took my lashes with his stick (better than a fine) and got back on the road, only to hit this traffic jam:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01973Copy.jpg

A One Truck Bridge with one truck and a swarm of motorcycles, scooters, horses, and pedestrians all trying to cross at the same time! Fortunately the man in the middle of the picture (not the cops) took control and shouted everyone back out of the way (present company included). 20 minutes later there was enough room to allow the truck through – followed by a long stream of cars – and the scooters and motorcycles tensed waiting for their opportunity to cross.. and then as soon as there was a gap, the flood gates opened, and a sea of scooters and bikes streamed across the bridge, right past the protesting officer who was screaming: “The bridge isn’t unblocked yet!” Not one to be left behind, I joined the stream and rode to the other end of the bridge, only to find that, just as the officer said, the road was not unblocked yet:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01975Copy.jpg

Another twenty minutes later and the truck backed up enough to allow the bikes through single-file. I squeezed through and rode happily past a traffic jam that had backed up several kilometers. The road was in perfect shape and followed the highway most of the day. Making good time again, I stopped for lunch under the highway:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01977Copy.jpg

Like the day before, the road followed a river through nice scenery and villages nestled in the mountains:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01980Copy.jpg

I stopped at a designated scenic view:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01990Copy.jpg

And eventually reached Luding – home of the Luding Bridge, the site of the historic, if highly debated, crossing of the Communists under gunfire during the Long March:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C01999Copy.jpg

At the bridge, I bumped into some Chinese riders on their way to Lhasa – or to be more precise, a car, a motorcycle, and a scooter – quite a crew. I asked where they were from, and they said Shandong! Impressed, I assumed they’d been on the road for weeks – but they told me they had left just four days before! Ahh – the highway. We decided to ride together for a bit, and soon after they pulled over to fix a blown fuse.

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C02006Copy.jpg

We were on our way soon enough and I came across this sign: “Pooping and peeing is strongly prohibited, violators will be fined 50 RMB.” Serious crime deserves a serious fine.

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C02008Copy.jpg

As I neared Kangding, the scenery grew more dramatic:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C02014Copy.jpg

Signs of Tibetan culture more prominent:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C02017Copy.jpg

And the chances of rain skyrocketed:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C02015Copy.jpg

I rode into Kangding just as it started to sprinkle. It was a bit chaotic – narrow one way streets, rain, cars, scooters, pedestrians, and mix in a heavy police and military presence and I was a bit disoriented. I was waiting to get popped by the cops again as I rode laps around the city, and through at least one pedestrian mall, looking for a hotel. I eventually found a hotel with a parking lot, unpacked the bike, and set out in the rain for dinner (Kung Pao Chicken).

Day 7: Rest and Route Planning in Kangding

I really enjoyed Kangding. It’s surrounded by mountains and a river runs right through the middle of town:

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/...C02019Copy.jpg

Wanting to learn more about the nearby roads, I stopped by the Zhilam Hostel, run by an American guy Kris and his family. It turned out that he rides too – and had a wealth of information about almost all of the cities in Western Sichuan. Atlas in hand, I plotted a route northwest through Tagong up to Luhuo and then across to Maerkang and then through Hongyuan to Ruoergai. It wouldn’t bring me back to Yushu – but it would mean taking all new roads that I hadn’t ridden before and seeing a new part of the plateau. So with a new route in hand I headed to the Malaya Tibetan Restaurant (highly recommended) for a dinner of yak and potatoes.

"the China I loved is still out there (bad roads and good people)....."
.....and girls vomiting from buses into your motorcycle helmet. :puke:

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ujian-for-beer

Or so I thought. This is when everything went to shit. So I'm coming through one of those little towns where everyone with a sense of entrepreneurship has set up some kind of roadside business, effectively cutting traffic down to a lane and a half. There's a bus in front of me that's stopped for no apparent reason, so I move left to go around. Just as I start to pass, a passengers head comes out of the bus window spewing barf in all directions. It's unavoidable, and she manages to cover a good portion of the bike and my helmet. Naturally, my face shield was open due to the traffic jam, so I got a good face full. Yuck, it was almost making me puke. I stop a couple hundred meters up the road and try to de-puke my bike and riding gear. I seriously debate throwing my helmet away as the smell was just revolting. Just a little after the puke incident, the road turns into a construction project gone wrong and my mood is not getting better

Nostalgic moment. Hope all is well with you. Now back to Pat's Long Goodbye!

I passed this on Highway 199 in Oregon this weekend. Got me thinking back to those fake cops you mentioned...

http://www.contactdi.com/2014/opc.jpg

The next time I'm back in China I'm going to rent one of those little blue trucks and go steal one, throw it in a container, and ship it back to the U.S. :naughty: Should look great on my front lawn :lol8:

Be safe and keep the photos coming, this ride report is definitely one of the best we've seen, and you're just getting started with the plateau, so it can only get more epic.

Cheers!

Hey Pat. I'm new to the forum and I gotta say i'm loving your ride report so far. Really inspirational stuff. Eagerly awaiting updates

:popcorn: