The Long Goodbye: From Kunming to Urumqi

[Pat]

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.

YN Map.jpg

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.

SC Map.jpg

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.

QH GS Map.jpg

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.

XJ Map.jpg

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!