My backyard

[bigdamo]

Thanks for the photo. It looks like you are living near the Russia border i.e. somewhere near 185 Company.

Why do you need a driver's license to ride a bike in Xinjiang? Not many people borders in the countryside.

I should be back in Xinjiang in 2010 and will catch up with you how everything go.

Franki I have a hellva long way to go before i can get close to your standard of photography.

I need a license because if i have a accident and its not even my fault the consequences are pretty heavy up here for me anyway plus I would like to go across the border and come back at some stage.That being said I am starting to get a bit jumpy not having my own transport.

This is the first time in alot of years that I don't have a motorcycle.As I said to my wife if I can't go and ride a bike I start to get on edge.

We went down to Urumqi for a few days and I went to the Taklamakan Rally headquarters we spoke to your mate(the one with the pony tale) one of the organizers of the Rally.He and his team are great bunch of people.

I am closer to the Mongolian border about 350 klms away.

I am about One hour from Urumqi by car at 180klm an hour.

About two or one and half hour by bus from Urumqi depending which idiot driver you get.

By the way we went to heavenly lake( great place for photography and Hiking) probably only a hour from Urumqi by motorcycle.

Well worth a look when you come back up here.Tip stay up on the mountain overnight.

see you when you come up.

[Franki]

Franki I have a hellva long way to go before i can get close to your standard of photography.

I need a license because if i have a accident and its not even my fault the consequences are pretty heavy up here for me anyway plus I would like to go across the border and come back at some stage.That being said I am starting to get a bit jumpy not having my own transport.

This is the first time in alot of years that I don't have a motorcycle.As I said to my wife if I can't go and ride a bike I start to get on edge.

We went down to Urumqi for a few days and I went to the Taklamakan Rally headquarters we spoke to your mate(the one with the pony tale) one of the organizers of the Rally.He and his team are great bunch of people.

I am closer to the Mongolian border about 350 klms away.

I am about One hour from Urumqi by car at 180klm an hour.

About two or one and half hour by bus from Urumqi depending which idiot driver you get.

By the way we went to heavenly lake( great place for photography and Hiking) probably only a hour from Urumqi by motorcycle.

Well worth a look when you come back up here.Tip stay up on the mountain overnight.

see you when you come up.

Thank you for your compliment, I am still a learner myself when it comes to photography.

You are right about the driving license issue. It does eliminate many risk if one holds a valid D/L. And I can certainly understand your feeling for not having a bike to ride. I have been riding for 40 years and I have no idea of how to take public transport even in Hong Kong.

So you live somewhere near Qitai area. Mr. He (everyone calls him Laoda, meaning No. 1 or big brother) is a very nice guy and well known in China. If you wish to participate in the Rally, he is the person to talk to.

I have rode my bike up the Heavenly Lake in 2001. I stop going there now because they started to charge an entrance fee.

I will surely contact you when I come visit Xinjiang again.

[bigdamo]

Wow forgot about this here is some winter shots.general mountain shihezi 013.jpggeneral mountain shihezi 017.jpg

[bigdamo]

[bigdamo]

One for you chinabiker I know you ski.They had a foot of snow in 3 hours.I scored big time.Skiing to good to stop and take photos.

[chinabiker]

Cool, thanks for the skiing picture. What's the name of that resort.

I know that from the amount of natural snow, Xinjiang is un-beaten.
Resorts in NE China (Yabuli, Baidahu, Changbaishan, ...) have too low temperatures and me thinks that the standard and temperatures of the resorts in Beijing - actually Hebei - is highes.
There are 3 good resorts now in Chongli, Zhangjiakou, Hebei with high speed lifts and really nice slopes.
The bunch of resorts in Beijing are over-crowded.

[ZMC888]

Wow Damo, nice skiing! Do they open the lifts to the top? What is the usually all inclusive cost?

[bigdamo]

"What's the name of that resort".Silk road international resort.40 minute drive out of Urumqi base of the Tian shans.I was there mid week after it had snowed all night and was still snowing that day so the roads in were dangerous we rang the resort to see what the roads in were like and typically the first try was "we don't know" after an hour latter we tried again and this time it was "people are driving in so it must be OK" so I don't know what the crowds would normally be like but that day was OK and most could ski/board real good.Looks like I'm going back tomorrow so see what the crowds are like on a weekend.

I can't believe the snow here other parts of the world they say it won't snow when it gets below -15c here it still snows at -25c and it is incredibly light.They don't have snow ball fights or make snowmen/women here in December,January and February why because when you pick up a handful of snow and pack it down your left with nothing it is so light and stays that way for weeks.They are just now having snowball fights and making snowmen/women because it is warming up to around 0c.

The cost to rent and ski for 4 hours is 170.00rmb 150 if you have your own skis.But I think my wife got those prices wrong I think it was 120 for 4 hours with your own gear.The ticketing is a scan system but you can just ski to the mid station where nothing is checked so you can ski all day.But SSSHHH don't tell anyone.

Yes there is a chair lift to the top black runs and you must have a helmet to get on that chair the other lifts you don't need a helmet.They sometimes close off the top of the mountain and access is only for the race squads so I am told.

[ZMC888]

The problem we have around here is there are a few short runs, all snow cannoned. Mostly they are just beginner hills a few of them have a top section which is maybe a blue or mild red only 100 meters, but something to ski on at least. What happens is that drunk Chinese guys always show up and insist on skiing from the top to show how manly they are and just crash, and often hurt themselves (same thing at go-kart tracks) so the management get annoyed and close the top for 'safety reasons', meaning that it is pointless skiing on a bunny hill because I can't get up enough speed to even do turns, and have to go home.

I went to Jilin Dongbei one year but it was so cold that it was just hideously icy and almost unskiiable. Harbin doesn't appeal as it is a bit to famous and jacks up its prices accordingly, I'd be really happy with red or blue runs over a kilometer or so.

Sounds like a good destination, what are the hotel prices like? How many chairs lifts are open at any one time? How many kilometers of piste? Can you rent modern ski for a price, or are they all 1980, 1990s skis and boots?

Do you need a ski helmet or any kind of helmet?

[bigdamo]

You can stay near by 5 minute drive. The Hui rent out their 2 bedroom houses. My friends stay there in summer for 300rmb a night I don't know how much in winter I can find out for you.There are many of these houses for rent and it did not looked like many people were staying in that area when I was there so I would think it would be cheaper.We had dinner there 4/5 dishes enough to feed 4/5 people for 200rmb.We probably could of gone cheaper but we like to eat well.

There were houses on the slope I'm guessing you could stay at but some seemed to me to have no power.I have no idea on the pricing on these or even if you can stay there they might be a rich person holiday house.What looks like grass patches on the slope up the back is actually a group of houses.

Urumqi is a 40/50 minute drive away and you can take a bus but your probably paying 200rmb for a room in a nice hotel there.

2 chair lifts down the bottom .One goes a short way up for beginner/intermediates the other goes further up and is an intermediate run it has a good length and pitch to it and I would just ski down to the mid station and get on there that run was quite long I guess if you skied it top to bottom it might be a kilometer long.I did it a few times and you would get tired if you did it all the time.You don't need a helmet for these chairs.

I don't know about the helmet thing I'm guessing you want to use your MTB helmet.I guess that would work he just touched my head (I was just wearing a beane under my hooded jacket) and he said sorry no helmet no ride.My ski helmet looks like my MTB helmet just with ear flaps.It's cold up there though so just wearing your MTB helmet you might feel the cold more.

There is a carpet lift thingy for beginners. These lifts are open all the time.

The other chair starts half way up the mountain and goes to the top black runs off that and you must have a helmet to get on that chair.From what I gather this chair is not open all the time to the general public I think the race squad use it a bit.

The elevation is 1500mtrs base to 2300mtrs peak so if you had a helmet and can ski black runs you could get a lengthy run from top to bottom.I think your legs would be burning abit by the time you got back to the chair anyways.

The price to rent modern ski gear skis and boots (2010)was 170rmb that includes lift ticket for 4 hours but I'll double check on that for you sometimes my wife gives me a bum steer.I thought I read somewhere that it was 300rmb for renting ski gear and lift ticket for the day.Rent for anhour and just ski from the mid station up they didn't check me.

It is a new resort and all the infrastructure was international standard. I would say the terrain ain't no Whistler or park city but to ski it for a few days would be good