Mount Everest Base Camp through 6 Chinese province.

[yempaul]

The Idea

In 2011, together with 5 other friends, my wife and I went 2 up on the triple black to Yunnan Province, China. That journey took us till Shangri La County. The experience and scenery was really spectacular back then. However, our China guide casually mentioned that the views in Tibet and Xinjiang were much more stunning than what we have seen. That comment triggered the desire to find out how amazing the view is as how a local claimed. Yunnan was enchanting but I was determined to see China's best.

As soon as we completed our adventure in Yunnan, I started some sketch of plans on my next ride. Xinjiang seemed far fetch initially, but after few weeks of close study on the map, along with the countless emails exchange with our China fixer, I figured out 42 days should be sufficient.

Having had one riding experience in China and the costs involved, I knew that keeping the group small will result in having to pay a ridiculous amount of money. Well, if it is low cost to ride in China, Boten immigration would have been busy with riders from south. So i need to be realistic on the cost requesting the Chinese fixer every single breakdown of what we are forking out for.

Taken at Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China in 2011

https://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/36059-Yunnan-Province-Southern-China

Preparation

Plenty of meetings were held. Initially we set on the number of participants to 12. Soon enough all 12 places were rapidly filling up . In the meantime, plenty of emails and phone calls were conversed with the Chinese fixer on the routes to be taken. Midway through the planning, a couple of riders expressed great interest to join the adventure. However, these riders could not afford to spare 42 days of leave. Thus, the entire plan was revamped with an additional 8 riders.

A new route was then planned. The entire group will ride from Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand-Laos-Yunnan Province-Sichuan Province-Qinghai Province-Xinjiang Province. The initial 12 riders will ride from Golmud to Kashgar via the Southern Silk Road to Karakoram Highway-Kashgar-Urumqi -Lhasa-Tibet-Everest Base-Kathmandu while the other 8 riders will break away from Golmud and head on to Lhasa-Tibet-Everest Base-Kathmandu.

As the fixer set on the dates for the documentations to be submitted, the team got around on countless of meetings and discussions on logistics and working out on the cost.

We also got around approaching distributors who's caught huge interest in our run and offered significant knock off rates in support of our expedition.

The countless gatherings, mass orders of parts and essentials, visits to embassies, delegation of tasks, application of necessary documents and at the same time shuffling with day time job that we are holding, There was never a single session where all the riders were present in any of the meetups. Not until the last gathering which was 5 days before departure.

15 August 2013 - The Advance Team

Our advance team of 3 left a day earlier where Fazlee and Kachuak on their 135ccs will be heading up on their own and rendezvous at Chiang Khong not after a little spin around the Golden Triangle. Yup you read it right, 2 mopeds along with the big trallies.

Doc Liang left the morning of 16th and will meet the rest later in Hatyai.

16 August 2013 - The Ride Began

16 August, the day of departure. Anwar had kindly offered to use Jurong West Sports Complex as the send off venue. A huge group turned up for the send off. Friends and families arrived that evening to bid the riders farewell and well-wishes. Very grateful we were.

17 August 2013 - Malaysian NSH - Hatyai - Chiangmai

Thailand's southern border of Dannok was busy as always on weekends so we opted out for "express service". RM15 should clear you off quickly and save you at least an hour of queuing up time. As soon as we cleared BKH - Danook border, we're headed for Hatyai Airport where the truck was waiting. The bikes will be transported to Chiang Khong and we flew to CNX on the same day. This arrangements allows us in preserving energy as our ride will only resume in Laos. Some had casually told me off that it's not adventure enough putting our rides on a truck. These people obviously haven't realized the effects of fatigue from serious long distance trips, and true enough, it started to affect us as we realized it later part of the journey. It's our 42 days and we chose our routes.

The boys had some time to explore Chiangmai. Lively city, big night bazaars and a great place to just explore the area. Some of our loved ones flew in to join us. But in the meantime, further north, the 2 mopeds traveled Northern Thailand.

Back in the south, in the wee hours along North South Highway.

That afternoon, we caught a flight for Chiangmai while Vin and Zainal spent the night in Hatyai since there's a small glitch with another truck. They took an early flight the next day.

18 August 2013 - Chiangmai

Took the day for scrumptious Thai food plus visiting old friends.

 

[yempaul]

19 August 2013 - Chiang Mai

2 nights in Chiang Mai and its time to move on. The 17 riders will head to Chiang Khong for collection and unloading of the bikes. All 20 riders will regroup there and head to Boten the following day. We hired 2 vans to get us there. Thanks to Francis Chua of Autocom for the arrangements.

While in Chiang Rai, we visited the white temple and hot spring before picking up Doc Liang who chosed a quieter place for his r and r.

20 August 2013 - Chiang Khong - Boten

Arrived Chiang Khong late evening. Finally the full strength of 20 riders gathered at Rimnam Guest House.

Getting the paper work done in Chiang Khong was exceptionally different from my previous crossings here. Apparently, now there is the custom conveyance form that needed to be completed. Laws that have been in place 20 years ago will be enforced from now on according to the officers. The last time I filled up those form were some 7 years ago in Chongmek border. It took us all 3 hours to clear the custom. Once all was settled, we rolled down for the barge.

After the barge crossing, the riders didn't have to wait long for paperwork clearance. The team had already engaged the service of a Laos guide who made prior arrangements for swift clearance. It is mandatory to have a guide in Laos if you are traveling in groups of 4 or more. This ruling was made known when I tried crossing Hongsa border earlier in January.
The charges for the Laos guide which includes caravan permit, insurance, easy clearance as well as police escort all the way to Boten was 2000 baht per person.

Along the way to Luang Namtha, a small mishap happened. A dog ran into Sess' path. Witnessing the whole ill fortune as I was 2 bikes away, there was nothing Sess could do to avoid it. The impact resulted in the rider doing a 360 deg flip once while the bike did a 360 deg flip three times. The poor dog died on the spot.

After some adjustments on the bike, it was good to go while the rider suffered some bruises. Apparently the Dainese took the brunt of it. The rider was still in high spirit though. Strong chap, and he continued the rest of the journey without a windshield and broken panniers. Well done Sess!! Not that the roadkill didn't matter much. But it was a big dinner for a family who picked up the poor dog.

Due the accident, the troop arrived Boten late. The mood was a bit somber but Sess assured us he's OK and ready to continue.

Total distance covered from Chiang Khong to Boten : 230 km

21 August 2013 - Boten - Jinghong

After clearing custom, we headed to Mengla. This is the town where we need to get our Chinese license. We arrived at the traffic police at 1145. Unfortunately, the office was closed for lunch from 1130 to 1500 pm. So the whole group along with Mr Wong had to wait till the office resume work after lunch. The process for the paperwork started at 1500 only. It was a long drawn out wait.

It was slightly past 5 pm when all the processes and inspection of the bikes were completed but the licenses were not ready. Mr Wong sent the troop off while he waited for the license to be handed out. So the troop headed to Jing Hong to spend the night.
Mr Wang arrived Jinhong an hour before midnight.

Total distance covered from Boten to Jinghong : 160km

22 August 2013 - Jinghong - Jinggu

We set off from Jinghong as early as 0730 hours. The road we rode on were full of tight corners. There was also intermittent rain throughout the ride which leads to the road being very slippery.
A few hiccups occured along the way. There was another man-hit-dog accident. This time it involved Kassim. I was glad to see that this time both the rider and dog were safe.

A second accident involved Hazrin. He skidded on the slippery road resulting with his bike being dragged to the side of the road. Due to the accident, there was a hold up of 2 hours. Since we were behind time, we tried to ride on the highway only to be caught and escorted back to the next exit. Motorcycles are not allowed to use Chinese highway by the way.

We arrived in Jinggu at 1800hr after covering an estimated distance of about 300km.
Checked in Gold Well Hotel for 600 yuan per room.

Route : Jinghong - Pu'er - Ning'er - Jinggu

We sneaked into their National Highway but was escorted out soon after. Motorcycles are not allowed into their highways.

Jinggu town

 

[yempaul]

23 Aug 2013 - Jinggu - Nanjian

Our ride today was from Jinggu to Nanjian ( 80km before Dali ) via Zhenyuan and Jindong. A total of 300km covered. We rode through back roads with about 40km of dirt road. Lunch stop was at Zhenyuan.

Another misfortune when one of the rider involved in a head on collision with another car. Rider and bike were fine but the car was not so. An early settlement was agreed on a handsome sum.

We had to forget about putting up in Dali and head for next town of Nanjian as it was getting dark . Checked in Xing Shi Li Business Hotel for 120 yuan per night.

Received a call from Doc while refueling about a head on collision.

Quick settlement between the rider and local driver before we moved off.

24 Aug 2013 - Nanjian - Dali - Lijiang

Today we rode from Nanjian to Lijiang with a stop over for Dali for lunch and a short walk in Dali Old Town. The distance covered was 348 km.

We set off to Lijiang Old Town right after lunch, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. We were hold up for a couple of hours when a rider accidentally filled up his tank with diesel. Took us about an hour to rectify that problem. It rained heavily upon reaching Lijiang. We had yak for dinner nearby and walked about the Lijiang Old Town.

Unesco World Heritage Site

25 Aug 2013 - Lijiang - Shangri La

We spent the cool morning doing a bit of warm clothing purchase and enjoyed watching the locals doing their routine in Lijiang Old Town.

We set off to Shangri La about noon and made a stop to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. The scenery was simply breath taking.

Distance covered from Lijiang to Shangri La : 180 km

Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Then another tragedy struck, a local car was in one of the rider's path while overtaking and didn't manage to duck back into his. Big hold up. Rider broke his wrist and his triple clamp on his Triple Black snapped into two. Police and insurance representative came in and decided that the rider needs to be compensated but both parties have to head back to Lijiang for re- assessment.

Mr Wang ordered us to proceed further while he accompany the rider back to Lijiang. It was not an easy decision but the rider realized his journey ends right there. He had to succumb to one fella's poor driving judgement. Said our goodbyes reluctantly and felt so helpless as there was nothing else we could think of for him to continue.

We had quick dinner as it was late arriving Shangri-la. At a steady high elevation, some of us were already feeling the effect of AMS.

 

[yempaul]

26 Aug 2013 - Shangri La - Xiangcheng

Today's ride took us to the start of bumpy road condition and unfavorable weather. There was the occasional drizzle. The first 80 km was a very big and good road with well-lit tunnels. After that the road gets bumpy with a few unpaved road. There was a junction where it splits the direction to Tibet and Sichuan province. There was a section of about 50 km where the road was narrow with many live-stocks roaming.

The last 100 km of the mountain road was slippery with tonnes of hairpin corners. The total distance of about 300 km took us to an elevation of 4200 m.
With all the rough terrain and weather conditions, we have the awesome and breathtaking views to compensate for.

We arrived in Xiangcheng town late evening at a low temperature of 8 deg C. There are a lot of Tibetan influence on the locals' homes and costumes.

27/28 Aug 2013 Xiangcheng - Xinlong

Our destination today - Xinlong via Litang. Most of the riders will remember Litang vividly. They should have plenty to say about this stretch. Some love it, some will give it a miss the next time. This 353 km route offers the worst road conditions by far. It was a record travelling time of 16 hours. There were sand...mud...gravel...ruts...rocks. However, it gives us the best scenery ever up to this point. Its like those you see in the National Geographic channels. We were travelling along the western of Sichuan where according to locals, were part of Xizang or Tibet once upon a long time ago.

We rode to an elevation of 4600 m and lowest temperature clocked in was 7 deg C.
It was raining as we made our way to Xinlong. The ride to Xinlong had many of the riders trying to keep our bikes upright. Among us , there was like a total of 15 drops.

2 riders took a wrong turn ended up 190 km away from the main pack. They had to put up the night in another town of Yajiang.
Another rider traveled half this journey on his own. At one point of time, there were like 5 separate groups , huffing and puffing trying to get to Xinlong.

Xinlong is a wet and muddy town and majority of the people are Tibetan They probably don't receive much tourist on their own. We seem so alien to these people.

We stayed at Wang Jiang Hotel for 160 yuan per night. We had to park our bikes at a military camp as the local police assured us that it was not safe to park our bikes outside the hotel. One restaurant in particular waited up till the last group arrive. It was almost midnight by then.

The first group arrived just after sunset whiles the last, a couple of hours before midnight. All riders except 2 arrived Xinlong town that night. They apparently headed east towards Chengdu. After confirming that they are some 190 km away, and with the conditions of the road, we knew that it won't be an early departure for us the next day.

28th Aug Xinlong

Today we decided to move forward to the next town, Gandze. However, we waited for the 2 riders to join the pack and by the time they arrived it was almost 4pm.

On top of that there was some issues with some of the bikes which was the result from the previous day's ride. The problems are such as front brake failure, battery problem, deflated tire, fork seal leak, broken mirrors, flying panniers, fuel pump failure and wet smelly socks. We tried to fix all the problem and to make matters worse there was a blackout in the town and the pump station could not work when we were departed. By the time the whole matter was resolved, it was close to 7pm. So we decided to spend another night in Xinlong.

We informed the local police who then instructed that our bikes be parked at their quarters' compound.

Then some bike issues arisen It didn't take long for us to decide that we have to spend another day in Xinlong.

29 Aug 2013 Xinlong - Maniganggo

We set off in the morning towards Gantze Town. We had some water crossing along the way. As always we were surrounded by magnificent views of snow capped mountains in the background. We stopped by a small town to charge the battery for one of the bike.
Gantze town brings a new traditional flavor of the tribes and minority. Their costumes look pretty much like one of the South Americans natives.

From Gantze, we made our way to another town of Maniganngo. Colours decorated this Tibetian Village. This unique town will have their electricity supply shut off at the stroke of midnight everyday.

We stayed at Manigangepani Hotel for 180 yuan per night.

The whole ride for today had covering a distance of 210km and to an elevation of 3755m. The temperature there was about 12.5 deg C.

 

[yempaul]

30 Aug 2013 Maniganggo - Xiza

Today's ride was another yet tough ride for us. The terrain were basically sandy..rocky... muddy due to occasional rain. The traction control on the bike was of little use. There were occasions where we are only able to ride at 20km/hr. No matter how skillful one is, we seems to have no control over the bikes on muds. Not to mention the number of drops. Among many bike issues were flat tires, starter relay problem and bikes with leaking fuel. Travelling on the mountain roads which were muddy and rocky had our bikes sliding.

The other group left a couple of hours earlier as we decided that we will wait for the power generator to come on. And up to this point Doc Liang was already two towns ahead. He has been pushing ahead from everyone else two days ago, alone.

We traveled along the mountainous road of the Tibet settlement of this western Sichuan Province to as high as 4000m . Not many foreigners traveled this road according to locals. They prefer the east area of Chengdu. As we travel close to the Tibet borders, the influence is apparent in the people, language as well as culture. And the scenery offered there was simply magnificent.

The difficult terrain is slowly taking a toll on us and the instances for photo taking were steadily declining.

Soon after we move off from the checkpoint, A GSA simply lost its juice. Numerous cranks and jump start wouldn't get it started. It took some close to 3 hours for us to troubleshoot and suggested that the cells should be the culprit. While the guys were busy attending to the bike, I received a call from the other group of an accident which happened to the other group. This time it sounded serious as the rider was brought to a hospital some 200 km north. Time was running out as we anticipated that it's going to get cold come nightfall so we hired a local tractor to move it to the next town much to the disappointment of the rider.

The X1R came next as we were about to move. Carburetor was heavily leaking petrol. Since it's a much lighter bike, we decided to tow it up. The Ducati volunteered. To make matter worse, it started raining and the earth became muddy and too slippery.

Again, it was difficult to maneuver in mud and the bike simply glided over when descending. No control whatsover. My road tires made it worse and the Heidanau K60 on others didn't fare much better. It became too dangerous even when everyone went easy on the throttle. As the rain kept pouring, the mud got worse and some even suggested that we seek refuge at a local Tibetan tent and continue the next day. The next town, some 50km away but that felt like forever. We got another tractor for the Yammie as it was too difficult for the Ducati to pull it down.

Wet and shivering cold, we reminded everyone to keep close till we get to the next town for the night. The rain stopped when we got to low land.

We checked in a guesthouse midnight in a tiny trucker town of Xiza. No shower facility, open air toilet with no supply of water. But those thick blanket was like god-sent. We cramped in 6 people per room.

31 Aug 2013 Xiza - Shiqu

Morning spent on fixing all the affected bikes while few of us took a short walk round town. The GSA needed a new battery and up the truck it went. The next big town will be in Xining. The GSA will have a stopover in a town of Xiwu. Since it was closed to 3 pm, and from Doc Liang's review of the road condition, I decided that the next stopover will be a nearby Shiqu. I asked the two most fittest rider, Ejat and Mus if they can accompany the GSA for Xiwu and soon after they suited up and was on their way along with the GSA.

In the meantime, was in contact with the other group. Rider suffered 5 broken ribs and a punctured lung. Mr Wang was on the way to attend to him from Kunming. Plans for Medical Evacuation already in process.The bike was placed in a police station near Shiqu county and Mr Wang had asked our assistance to retrieve the bike when passing by.

Rode a short distance of 75 km from Xiza to Shiqu. Once again we had to ride on bad road with billions of gravels plus rain. This time the gravel was more difficult to handle. Shixu stands at an elevation of 5005 m; the highest by far. Arrived here shivering due to rain and wind, breathing was getting more difficult. Even mounting and getting off the bike was taxing.

Had an early night as we are expecting spending more time next day at the police station and transporting it to big town of Xining.

1 Sept 2013 - Shiqu - Maduo - Qingshuanhe

Rode from Shiqu - Xiwu - Maduo - Qinshuanhe today covering a distance of 205km. Stopped for lunch in Xiwu town and met up with the other 3 guys who went ahead accompanying the GSA . Up till this point, we have officially crossed over to Qinghai Province.

The treacherous terrain we had to go through had resulted in some of the rider's trip ending rather prematurely. 2 bikes will be transported to Xining where the a transport company will send it to Kunming for shipment back to Singapore at a later date.

Another trucker town where there's no shower facility and the toilet is at your convenience. The GSA came back to life after we swapped the KTM's battery. He couldn't be any happier and he rode happily until the worst case happened at Everest Base Camp.

 

[yempaul]

2 Sept 2013 - Qingshuihe - Gonghe

The distance we covered from Qingshuihe to Gonghe was 520 km. No bike issues except for a side stand bypass on the 650 Dakar so we decided to push slightly further today. We haven't been following the itinerary for the past couple of days so another day won't hurt I guess. So Gonghe it will be, based on the recommendations of Mr Wang's driver.

The first 30km of our ride were off road full of light gravels and badly damaged broken concrete road, and the rest of it was a pretty good straight road. The highest elevation we rode for today was 4855 m. There was also a lot crosswinds along the journey. The scenery along this route was purely mountains and grasslands.

The petrol stations in Qinghai province requires all motorcycle owners to fill up a can and have them manually be filled with petrol some distance away. And as we later discovered, it applies in other provinces like Gangsu, Xinjiang and Tibet as well.

3 Sept 2013 - Gonghe - Xiningg

Today's ride was supposed to end at Zhangyu. Not to strictly adhere by it, we got the Dakar to fix it's leak problem since Gonghe is a big town with big workshops.

We passed by many scenic area including a range of snow capped mountains and managed to sneak into Qinghai International Highway but was stopped upon reaching Xining and was told to exit or risk being arrested. The officer warned us a few times so this time comply we did.

We were already about 16 km away from Xining Town when we received a call from our guide informing us that it was snowing heavily up north in Zhangyu. His car was fully covered with snow and hence he advised us to stop riding for the day. We turned back to Xining town and checked into a hotel. 154 km for today.

Town of Xining

A ruling in this province which states that foreigners must stay in in hotels approved by Chinese government to house foreigners (guesthouse is a no no). Since all of us are starting to feel the fatigue of riding, we decided to check in a 5-star hotel to rejuvenate.

4 Sept 2013 - Xining - Zhangye

We had big spread for breakfast. It's nice to see everyone in jubilant mood during breakfast. Clean toilet and warm cosy bed, so nobody was complaining. They even asked if we could leave slightly later than normal. I was more than happy to oblige.

We crossed over to another province, Qangsu, for a town called Zhangye. Total distance covered today was 325 km
The road travelled today offers the best ride in China; perfect road, perfect view, perfect condition. Not that we dread off road, but we have been travelling through unpaved road most of the time in Sichuan province. It was quite refreshing to be presented with well paved tarmac.

We passed 4 snow capped mountains. It was a great feeling seeing everyone smiling when we reached the mountain where it snowed. Exuberant, everyone was seen hi fives. Don't blame us, it was the first for everyone riding in the snow.

5 Sept 2013 - Zhangye - Jiayuguan Great City

The weather was about right. Temperature was 21 deg C and it was comfortable to ride without the thermals. The 240 km which we traveled today took us through barren land to the Jiayuguan Great City. We're expecting the desert anytime soon. Checked in a hotel in Jiayuguan town and soon after we started the engine again for a short ride to nearby Jiayuguan Great City few of us dump the bike for a camel ride.

6 Sept 2013 - Jiayuguan - Dunhuang

Before we left for Dunhuang, we had a stop at The Great Wall of China. Some history lesson by Mr Wang, the last bit of western GWC ends in Jiayuguan. We spent some time there and left about 130 pm. We took the secondary road which were half gravel and half broken road but managed to sneak into Gangsu National Highway for about 120 km. However, one of the Duke kept losing air pressure so there were quite a bit of hold up time.

We arrived Dunhuang town rather later than expected but were greeted with colors decorating the town. There were lots of activities with people walking around and hanging out in eateries way past midnight.

From Wiki: Jiāyù Guān; literally "Excellent Valley Pass" is the first pass at the west end of the Great Wall of China, near the city of Jiayuguan in Gansu province. It has also been called "Jiayuguan Pass"; however, this form is redundant since "guan" means "pass" in Chinese. Along with Juyongguan and Shanhaiguan, it is one of the main passes of the Great Wall.

The pass is located at the narrowest point of the western section of the Hexi Corridor, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southwest of the city of Jiayuguan in Gansu. The structure lies between two hills, one of which is called Jiayuguan Pass. It was built near an oasis that was then on the extreme western edge of China.

And soon after, we got news of the other group who set foot on Mount Everest Base Camp.

7 Sept 2013 - South Gobi Desert

We were greeted by 3 Chinese GS riders this morning who learnt of our presence in Dunhuang town and came by for a visit. Spent sometime getting acquainted with them.

Since the Duke won't be out so early, and the next town some 500 km away, I decided that we will spend another night in Dunhuang and use the time for sightseeing. We swooped hotels with the ones with WiFi and after lunch, we went for the sand dunes of Gobi desert.

We took a track off the city for about 15km away to get to the southern Gobi Desert. The boys had loads of fun playing sand.

 

[yempaul]

8 Sept 2013 - Dunhuang - Huatugou

For the next couple of days over 1500 km, we rode across desert much to our excitement. Now although 90% of it are good tarmac, the desert offers a different kind of challenge. Hallucinations, mirages, heat exhaustion and shadows of weird things. The crosswinds were some the worst I've experienced.

For today, we rode a total of 530 km, to the town of Huatugou. The temperature changed drastically over the day. It got freezing cold in the morning and blazing hot by noon.

9 Sept 2013 - Huatagog - Ruoqiang

We set off for our next destination right after breakfast. Today we are heading to Rouqiang, 350 km away. According to our guide, Mr Wang, the route we took today is still along Gobi Desert. According to him too, after we passed by a place called Miran, we will be travelling on the Ancient South Silk Road.

The first 60 km of our ride was on very vast sandy road plus construction passage. We took about 2 hours to clear the 60 km.

We crossed over to Xinjiang Province today. Police checks became more frequent. Passed through some of the best view.

11 Sept 2013 - Minfeng - Hotan

We wished Mr Wang goodbye and the affected rider best of luck as they left Minfeng for the start of their 1,300 km journey in a chartered car. I can see the disappointment in his face but he tried his might to hide them as kept saying he will be all right. My last parting word " Let's hope that some kind soul will return your passport in the meantime."

So we immediately look for a truck for hire.

We head back down to the police checkpoint as suggested by Mr Wang as all vehicles will stop there for we should have a bigger chance of finding a truck.

After a couple of hours wait, we realized that most trucks will only arrive town later in the afternoon. But Mr Wang's resourceful driver called us saying he found a small pick up in town heading towards Kashgar and the driver was wiling to accommodate.

The night market offers refreshing cultures of Uighur people on display. The enchanting whistles played on flutes by the streets and the costumes they put on along with their unique and exclusive features doesn't give you an impression that you're in China.

Back in the hotel, I rang up Mr Wang for updates.

Mr Wang: " Sess left for Beijing"
Me: "So fast? So when are you joining us?"
Mr Wang: " Not so soon. Your friend didn't give me any transportation fare. I am now in a cramped bus on the way to Kashgar"
Me: " What? Did he pass you his share of payment for the trip?"
Mr Wang: " No!! He told me to collect money from you! You're to pay for his share!."
Me: " What??!! How could he do that??"
Mr Wang: "I don;t know. I see you in Kashgar to talk about your friend."

As soon as the line was off, I called Sess up. Not answering. Something's definitely wrong. He wouldn't do such things. Decided to sleep it off and try again tomorrow.

12 Sept 2013 - Hotan - Kashgar

Covering a distance of 490 km from Hotan to Kashgar. Our ride today took us across Taklimantan Desert, where the landscape was a simply vast formless desert stretching out to the horizon. We had some sightings of a few camels from a far distance. Other than that it was just oasis and a big spread of desert sand. The highest temperature recorded for that day ride was 38 deg C. Not that we complain since we wanted to ride the desert so much, but the blazing heat and the absence of clouds made this one long stretch to the pinnacle, a little bit demanding.

Turning up in Kashgar, I sensed everyone's joy and satisfaction. Words of encouragement and wishes of congratulations were going around. A big achievement for everyone.

Kashgar, during its days, was the main trade hub of the ancient Silk Road, and was also the region international commerce region where Chinese and foreign merchants gathered. It is also the Silk Road hub that connects China with Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan via two high altitude mountain passes.

In the meantime, Sess was avoiding all my calls.

 

[yempaul]

13 Sept 2013 - Day trip to Karakoram Highway and Karakul Lake

Today's ride took us about 190 km away from Kashgar to the famous Karakoram Highway and Karakul Lake. The scenes were magical. True to its mystical features, every turn of the road was coming into us. There was never a dull moment. We traveled close to Afghanistan and Tajikistan boundaries.

The locals as we discovered were of Tajikistan descendants . We managed to get up close and personal with some of the animals too.

Brief info on Karakoram Highway as described by Wikipedia
The Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world.It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram Mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass at an elevation of 4693 m. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions in which it was constructed, it is also referred to as the 'Eight Wonder of the World'. The highway cuts through the collision zone between the Eurasian and Indian plates, where China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan come within 250 km of each other.

We had a hold up for almost 2 hours at this police checkpoint for failing to produce third party insurance documents which Mr Wang was holding on to. But he managed to get in contact with the police chief in Kashgar who eventually made us wrote an indemnity letter. It was worth the wait as later, we were presented with many of remarkably mesmerizing scenes of the journey.

We're headed back to Kashgar with a regret of not staying the night in the tent by the lake. I told them to save it for Everest Base Camp.

While I parked the bike upon reaching the hotel, heard a whistle directed at me from a distance. It was Mr Wang sitting at the hotel's cafe. There he was, I thought and I have an apology to offer for what he's been treated by one selfish person. Then while walking over, I caught a glimpse of the person sitting next to him. Startled, I paused and gave an astonished look. Both of them immediately burst into laughter.

I was surprised but happy to see our guide and Sess who had lost his passport, waiting for us, laughing their heads off. Immediately Sess pointed at Mr Wang " It was his idea!! ". Mr Wang just couldn't stop laughing for the next 5 minutes. They had pulled a prank on me. This old man got me.

Apparently, a young shepherd found the lost bag containing the passport and all the documents, returned it to a police station . The boy managed to get in touch with the police before Sess flies to Beijing.

Luck was sure on his side. His bike was also still somewhere in Kashgar. He managed to get everything back in time to continue on the trip with the team. One soap opera, not much on the prank although I was a little angry but we're back to 11.

That night I accompanied Sess to retrieve his bike

 

[yempaul]

14 Sept 2013 - Kashgar - Urumqi

We spent the first part of the day exploring Kashgar Town before catching an afternoon flight to Urumqi. We visited the Id Kah Mosque, the biggest mosque in Kashgar. Id Kah Mosque was first built in 1442. It is distinctive for its yellow walls and Central Asian architecture.

Today also marked the beginning of our R&R and our bikes be transported down to Lhazi before catching an evening flight to Urumqi.

Info on Kashgar by Wikipedia

Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis county-level city with approximately 350,000 residents and is the westernmost Chinese city, located near the border with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Arriving late night, we checked into the Bo Er Ta La Hotel for 300 yuan.

15 Sept 2013 - Urumqi - Almaty

We spent the day going round the capital of Xinjiang province and caught an evening 24 hours sleeper bus to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

That night was a long bus ride to the border of Huocheng.

16 Sept 2013 - Urumqi - Almaty

It was early morning at the border. We were ready to cross over but somehow they were some problems with the documentations. It was not very clear then as English was rarely spoken. We waited like 6 hours just to clear both customs. The Kazakhs seemed to have brought a lot of luggage from China and the baggage clearance was chaotic and disastrous. Lots of shouting and shoving. We didn't have much problems though as they treated foreigners very well, By the time we arrived at Almaty was very late at night.

17 Sept 2013 - Almaty

Spent the day just exploring the city of Almaty and it's beautiful people.

We were wandering aimlessly after lunch since a visit to a travel agent bore nothing since they don't speak English. Luck was around when we bumped onto a group of local students majoring in language, They were on a way to a scenic spot of Koctobe and invited us to tag along. The boys didn't refuse.

18 Sept 2013 - Almaty - Urumqi

Today was a visit to a big wholesale market of Barahoke before catching an evening flight back to Urumqi. Kazakhstan was totally a different culture, language and lifestyle.

Almaty, in my opinion is a clean city with lots of beautiful people. The people of Kazakh possess unique and exotic outlook of Korean, Arabic and European look. They appear to be apprehensive at first but they were more than helpful once they know of your real intention. They speak mainly Russian or Kazakh.

We might have appeared weird to them as they don't normally receive Asian tourists. They are fascinated seeing our dark and tanned feature. Short time in Kazakh but definitely refreshing.

It was a 5 hour transit from our next flight to Chengdu so we sprawled around to catch some winks.

19 Sept - Urumqi - Chengdu

We boarded the first flight out of Urumqi to Chengdu for another evening flight to Lhasa. Mr Wang has arranged for our Tibet permit to be handed before our flight to Lhasa. All tourists heading to any point of entry into Tibet needs to provide this precious document where prior arrangements was made 3 months earlier. Chinese government has strict requirements on all entrance into Tibet. The actual plan was to arrive Lhasa on the same day.

Our flight to Lhasa was unexpectedly cancelled at the very last minute due to bad weather in Lhasa. The airline put us up at a nearby hotel and will inform us of the next flight to Lhasa. Immediately I worked out the next possible itinerary.

They checked us in a hotel set in a similar Hongkong Gangster Movie 'Young and Dangerous'. Too many vices activities going around. The dinner nearby was good though.

 

[yempaul]

20 Sept - Chengdu - Lhasa - Lhazi

We received news from the airline that our rescheduled flight will be at 0630 hours. Great i thought. Not much to make up for lost time.

We arrived in Lhasa surrounded with banks of peaks and 11 eager individuals craving to run Tibet after the much appreciated recess. Our rides were waiting some 230 km away in a town of Lhaze. So in the meantime, we go public but not before a visit to the famous Potala Palace. Quoting Mr Wang's convincing refute; “You haven't been to Tibet if you don't visit Potala Palace".

Earmarked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the historic site offers inspiriting insights of the history of Dalai Lama(s) and his teachings. Due to the overwhelming enthusiasts they receive every day, all visitors are only given an hour of pilgrimage of the site.

A chartered bus prearranged by Mr Wang awaited us as soon as we left the palace.

Our Tibet guide, Phun Tsok greeted us at the airport. Now another regulations for visits to Tibet will require all tourists to engage a Tibet guide. Not any Chinese guide but a local Tibet guide and on top of the existing permits entering China, Tibet also calls for additional permits like an 'Alien Travel Permit among a few.

After lunch we were off for Lhaze.

We arrived Lhaze to an anxious Mr Wang and all the bikes covered with road dusts. Checked in De Xi Hotel for 230 yuan.

21 Sept - Lhaze - Everest Base Camp

We bade goodbye to Mr Wang who was a paramount figure in ensuring the group still advance even after numerous counts of misfortunes. Ironically as our official guide, he spent half the time not being with us but in hospitals, police stations, vehicle inspection centers amongst a few places and then after, in numerous modes of public transportation exhaustively trying to reconcile with the team. He could have easily point his finger on us and blame it on our riding styles instead of luck but in his most accurate statement which I recalled, " Don't worry Ibrahim, it is my job to help you guys. I will settle this problem, You continue with my driver but be careful". Those proved to be most re-assuring when calamity took place and the setbacks piled up one after another resulting in undesirable casualties. He is not one who goes by the itinerary religiously but gives variance in times when preference is a privilege but he does on critical times when needed, stressed that other alternatives are not an option. In short, this 2nd acquaintanceship with him re affirmed my perception of him being honest, direct and realistic.

We left Lhaze for Old Tingri but was interrupted by the power outage the town was experiencing during our usual morning re fuel. So we head back into the town when the attendant suggested a kiosk which carry a generator.

Of all the 6 Chinese province, The Autonomous Region of Xizang or Tibet must be one most lawful and authoritative territory. Apart from the various permits, our activities are closely monitored as well. When we arrived hotel the previous night, soon after, two police officers turned up to check on us. Even for fuel refilling, all consumers are required to register with the district police before they are allowed to buy petrol. They are normally located at the entrance of the kiosk under a makeshift tent. Time consuming in my opinion. Park vehicle near the entrance, register with the police, look for a can, walk to kiosk with can, fill up, pay up, walk back to vehicle and refill. Most of the time, you are only able to find 2 cans at most. 3 on few occasions. And a full can is not sufficient to fill up the entire tank on our bikes.

Then she presented herself from a distance.

We were supposed to cover a distance of 194 km with about 100 km off road. However, our guide brought us to the south gate route which is longer but with only 70 km off road thinking this will save us time. But the treacherous trail was packed with plentiful huge rocks. Most times, I was strenuously trying to keep the bike upright and only managing low speed travels on this highly demanding terrain. Fatigue sets in fast on this grave backbreaking trails and the thin air contributed a significant extent to that as well. I was lucky but few others took some heavy punch.

One third to the end of the journey to the Everest Base Camp, I was travelling alone. The harsh terrain strategize everyone to ride at their own pace for fearing of tipping over. At this stage, lifting the bike would be a distressing ordeal. Even getting off the bike begs for hard gasping of air. There was a point, out of a sudden, the lethargy, faintness and exhaustion brought out fear. I was anxious if I was on a right track. There seemed to be no road at a certain junction and it was all 'bash through' protocol. We were stringing along the cable lines atop that should lead to the base camp. Until a tiny settlement, I was uttering 'Qomolangma' to the locals and they nodded in affirmation that I was on the right path.

Meanwhile, the majestic peak of snow capped mountain kept peeking on me.

Ultimately, I found the last checkpoint.

It was joyous. Accomplishment of the pinnacle triumph. I took some time to admire the beauty and reflect on the conquest. Thanked the Creator a million times for my witness of his alluring grand accessory. In my own words, it's orgasmic. The military officer reminded me that it's still another 5 km before i arrived Qomolangma Base Camp or famously known as Mount Everest.

The tent costs 60 yuan per bed. I tucked in without removing any riding apparels except for the boots. I anticipated the cold was going to get on me.

That night I was fighting for air. Sleeping was difficult. I was contemplating for medical evacuation but even to cry out seemed a gruesome effort. It was almost impossible. It turned out I was not the only one. And the cold was awful.

22 Sept - Everest Base Camp - Zhangmu

Taken at 5 am by Anwar

We left base camp by 10 am. This time we took the north gate which was about 100 km off road but more manageable. We took about 4 hrs to clear that route. After that, there was another 244 km of good road to Zhangmu Pass. The whole ride took us to an elevation of 5035 m passing through 5 mountains along the way with the prospect of spectacular scenes. We also had to go through a total of 4 police and military checkpoint. Quite stringent in Tibet. Some significant jaw dropping backdrops as we took the north gate.

Then a rider discovered this on his tire.

We were back on good tarmac when the fragmented tire gave way. We sourced for a truck to transport the bike to Zhangmu Pass. This delay caused us to ride about 100 km in the night. About 70 km before our destination, another bike stalled. We waited for the lorry which was transporting the earlier bike to arrive so we could load the second bike.

Zhangmu is a border town with lots of tourists transiting from Nepal to China. It is a unique town sitting by the valleys of the mountains.

 

[yempaul]

23 Sept - Zhangmu - Kathmandu


Today would be the final leg of our ride which covers the crossing of China - Nepal border and ends in Kathmandu. Prior to the trip, I spent an extensive amount of time inquisition for regulations of foreign vehicles entering Nepal. Most websites mentioned the need to carry one but i had a couple of friends who entered the same border equipped with it but was not asked for. There's one which mentioned it is only recommended but not necessary to have. A call with Automobile Association of Singapore suggested we get one but knowing the ridiculous amount we have to deposit for it, an acquisition of CdP is not an option. But finally after a couple of months, i managed to get hold of a 600 over pages of Nepalese Immigration Import Regulations which confirms that a foreign vehicle entering Nepal without a CdP requires to fulfill their temporary import regularities which includes paying a small fee. So i got it printed out and brought them along.

Morning was a busy day for 2 riders as they look for workshop in hope to get the bikes running. But as expected nowhere in Zhangmu carries a tire for the GSA and a fuel pump for the Dakar. So up the lorry they went again.

A bridge separates the 2 countries

Was expecting hold up in China but we cleared soon enough. On the other hand the issuance of temporary import customs in Nepal took all day and we were only good to go by 6 pm. 30 km of bad road along the valleys and was told by the villagers that it's good 90 km after that. So we wasted no time.

Filling up import papers

The first 30km of our route was a badly damaged road. After this stretch, the road was paved but with lots of potholes. The ride from Kodari border to Kathmandu brought us through villages along the fast flowing rivers.

We settled for the night at a district called Thamel. We checked in Hotel Nana for 1100 rupees per night.

24 Sept - Kathmandu


Totally different vibes in Nepal. Language, outfits, habits and contrasting cultures. Hotel Nana was recommended by the 8 man group who scouted well for this place. We spent the morning having roof top breakfast while waiting for a shipping agent whom I contacted before departure. He was coming in to take measurements on our bikes for crating.

Measured at basement carpark

While the carpenter took off to prepare 11 crates, we walked Thamel.

25 Sept - Kathmandu


We booked a day tour for white water rafting the night before. First time for most of us.

For a whole day event costing USD 20, I thought it was quite a steal. The boys certainly had fun although 2 of them donated an Oakley shades and a camcorder to the river bed.


26 Sept - Kathmandu


After breakfast we were headed for airport cargo complex prepare the crates. Ejat made his way for airport to catch a flight home.

That night we scattered around for shopping and some were seen just picking some corner joints for a good dinner.

I got this for a cool usd 10


27 Sept - Kathmandu - Singapore


It's day 42 and it was time to go home. Although I could have wish for more days, but there's a couple of people back home who can't wait for this day.

The good people of Hotel Nana. Not a fancy place but the staff made the difference.

Had a brilliant time in Nepal. Good natured people and relatively cheap for tourists. Loads of fun trolling down Trisuli river for white water rafting. The people certainly possess more charm than their fairer skinned neighbors. Poverty is more prominent but the people offer friendship and good will. The children in Tibet waves and ask for money, the children in Nepal waves to say hello.

Pokhara does sound enticing. Should be flipping the calenders once I'm home.

It was pleasing to see familiar smiles and laughter. Comfortably soothing.The accomplishment was great feat for us but having friends and families consistently offering support makes it extremely meaningful and worthwhile.

We had a good team. I owe a lot to them for this completion. Their spirit, endurance, brotherhood. On many occasion, I learnt a thing or two from these chaps. They even managed to put on their biggest smile after 16 hours of ride through 360 km of off-road. They offer whatever they have in times of distress. They put the needs of others before theirs. We had frequent change of plans due to many unwanted events and not once they voiced any unhappiness. Often, we compromised quickly. My job was made easy by these brothers who understands the concept of group adventure touring. As for me, these guys did most of my jobs. These guys are my Kashgar heroes.

It was an extremely a great journey. Seen plenty through that non tourist route that makes me ever so grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to witness His creation on the other side of the world, to realize the values of life and what He has given to me and my family, to appreciate them, my loved ones and being loved by them. I don't have that much money but He made me realized that I have much more than what money can give me. I am sure these have been said a lot from the wise ones, but hearing is different from believing. I'm rich enough with those virtues and blessings upon me.

We saw children walking miles and miles to get to school. We rarely see that in Singapore, as most of them would have a seat in a school bus.

We saw children using scrap yard items as toys. In Singapore, we have futuristic playgrounds with parents or domestic helpers supervising.

We saw mothers tending to a push cart stalls with toddlers playing underneath.

We saw a family of father and daughter living off their car selling vegetables by the roadside. In Singapore, they would be referred to Ministry of Community Services.

We saw a house with just 1 single wall for the occupants to lean on. The other 3. Was not constructed in the first place. In Singapore, it's not fit to be called one.

It was an eye opener for most if not all of us.

Till the next one.

You can check out the video compiled by Anwar



For full coverage of pictures and documentaries;

http://yempaulantonio.blogspot.sg/2013/02/kashgar-adventure-journey-begins.html

http://yempaulantonio.blogspot.sg/2013/11/kashgar-adventure-journey-continues.html

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

This is an amazing journey. Your perseverance and ability to deal with all the problems and situations that arose is truly commendable. The trip in itself was an accomplishment. The fact that you did it with so many bikes made it truly epic. Thanks for sharing. I am in awe! :thumbup:

 

[yempaul]

SilverhawkUSA;294330 wrote: This is an amazing journey. Your perseverance and ability to deal with all the problems and situations that arose is truly commendable. The trip in itself was an accomplishment. The fact that you did it with so many bikes made it truly epic. Thanks for sharing. I am in awe! :thumbup:

Must admit, big group = big headache. Glad it turned out well.

 

[TonyBKK]

Wow, what an epic life altering journey! Such a challenge for both man and machine! I trust the injured riders made full recoveries- the fellow with with broken ribs and punctured lung especially!

I must have missed it, but somewhere one of the scooters went missing? Impressive to see the other scoot mixed in with all the fancy big bikes! If you were to do it over again, would you take such big bikes? Seems something smaller and simpler like a KLR650 might have been easier?

Mad respect to you and your mates for pushing all the way through! Thank you so much for sharing this inspiring adventure!!

:happy1:

 

[DavidFL]

Yempaul - amazing trip & report. :thumbup:

Hats off to you guys. :clap:

Almost too much to digest - I've yet to read it all; too much info & photos..:clap:

Sorry we did not meet up on the return. Next time.

Fantastic report & trip.

Thank you very much.

 

[Rod Page]

Brilliant tale of adventure & woe. Best read of the year.
GREAT effort, Mr Wang!

 

[yempaul]

TonyBKK;294452 wrote: Wow, what an epic life altering journey! Such a challenge for both man and machine! I trust the injured riders made full recoveries- the fellow with with broken ribs and punctured lung especially!

I must have missed it, but somewhere one of the scooters went missing? Impressive to see the other scoot mixed in with all the fancy big bikes! If you were to do it over again, would you take such big bikes? Seems something smaller and simpler like a KLR650 might have been easier?

Mad respect to you and your mates for pushing all the way through! Thank you so much for sharing this inspiring adventure!!

:happy1:

Yes all injured riders are recovering well now.

One of the Scoot rushed home midway in China. No bike issues, just need to settle things immediately back home.

The KLR650 should do wonders ... I am eyeing on the DR650 next. Certainly an option. Basically 80% of the road we traveled were good tarmac. It was challenging in Sichuan and the way to Mt Everest. But i won't deny that a smaller bike would make the ride slightly easier especially on those hard terrains. We are just suckers who succumb to manufacturer's marketing strategies.

 

[yempaul]

Davidfl;294454 wrote: Yempaul - amazing trip & report. :thumbup:

Sorry we did not meet up on the return. Next time.

.

David

I live far South, so my only way for every trip is up North. There's always the next time.

 

[yychow0812]

Respect bro. What an epic journey and adventure. How are you going to top that? Baikal Highway next?

 

[yempaul]

yychow0812;294469 wrote: Respect bro. What an epic journey and adventure. How are you going to top that? Baikal Highway next?

Now ... you're giving me ideas ...

 

[yempaul]

New videos nicely done.

 

[TonyBKK]

^ First vid blocked due to copyright... Watching the second one now

 

[TonyBKK]

Good stuff! Trip of a lifetime!
Love this video:

 

[yempaul]

TonyBKK;297368 wrote: ^ First vid blocked due to copyright... Watching the second one now

Was told of the same thing ... but you actually can if you play it from a lappie or PC ... not from smart phones ...

 

[TonyBKK]

yempaul;297379 wrote: Was told of the same thing ... but you actually can if you play it from a lappie or PC ... not from smart phones ...

Tried on pc and ipad, no joy...