I glanced up just long enough to vaguely appreciate the view of purple mountains on my left – but they did little to lift my spirit, as my every fiber was engaged in battling a fierce, gusty head wind which also rammed in brutally from the side from time to time. Slip streaming was out of the question as we were all unable to keep our bikes heading in a straight line and we often came close to disappearing down the steep road embankment.
The passing trucks added to the anxiety. The wind currents they created sucked and buffeted us, occasionally pulling riders in so close to the wheels that collision seemed inevitable. Thankfully, this never happened but the feeling of being slammed at random by an unpredictable, invisible force was scary.
My average speed dropped to 8 km per hour. The sky darkened and the temperature started to plummet. Knut stopped suddenly in front of me. “Enough†he said and disappeared over the embankment for a short sleep out of the wind. I marveled at his magical ability to do this.
I sat on the tarmac and glanced at the straight, slightly uphill road ahead. Was I seeing things? There advancing towards me was a distinctly Western looking character pulling a hand cart. When one meets any non Chinese in these parts, it is a happening – and this guy Chris was indeed an unusual one. He explained that he had been studying photography in Beijing for 2 years, and on completion of his course – he decided to walk home and take photos along the way. The catch was he lived in Germany and his journey home would take 3 years! We chatted, exchanged travel stories and bade each other farewell. I amazed at how normal he looked as he jauntily headed off into the distance.
This encounter was the turning point for me. Every inch I was now riding – he had walked.
The campsite was approaching as my hands and feet were losing all feeling. But not before I spied another anomaly to make me smile. For reasons unknown, the road builders of this desert highway decided to erect a series of life size animals along the way. Initially, I thought they were animals of the area – camels, bulls, but then the giraffe and kangaroos appeared. They are all painted a startling white by the road line painters- and the final specimen to make my day was a dinosaur!
Perhaps the wind is always such an evil force to contend with along this stretch of road that these bizarre animals ensure that no-one suffers a sense of humour failure!
Camping that night was yet another ordeal as the wind never abated. The racket of flapping fly sheets was thunderous – and caused Mike to comment that he felt like he was trying to sleep in a subway tunnel.
Dawn broke weakly. We crawled out of our tents. The wind was still pumping. And we still had 4 more days of 140 km each day. Would we survive?
Joan Louwrens
After a good rest day in Osh, with all the usual, hand washing clothes, reorganizing gear and of course, taking your bike into Shillington’s bike shop (bike and drive train must be clean or no service) and for better service bring a coffee, and of course checking out the local sights, we were all ready to get away from the flat roads and start climbing into the mountains.
This is where the real biking began. As soon as we were out of the city limits we were climbing. The roads started out ok and then quickly deteriorated as the construction that started over a year ago, is still getting started. We found ourselves riding almost the whole first day on rocky bumpy gravel road. The first 64km was almost all uphill, mostly gradual though and then the last 40km was mostly steep all terrain downhill “Yeehaaw Conanâ€
The mountains were breathtaking along with all the rivers that flowed down from them; we also saw our share of Kyrgyz cowboys, yurts, mountain goats and wild horses. Max managed to trade his two wheeled carbon horse for a real horse and herd cows for about 20mins this French Canadian knows how to experience the local culture!! The end of the first day landed us at a perfectly flat plateau beside a fresh, cold river with a panoramic view of the mountains. All the riders put there fat tires on this night, knowing what bad roads, steep climbs and unpredictable weather lay ahead.
Yesterday was probable one of the toughest days of the expedition, as far as challenging terrain, cold weather, steep climbing and serious consecutive dog chases goes. It was only an 85km day but we had to climb over the Taldyk pass which is at an elevation of 3615 meters!! The roads were 100% rock, sand, gravel, pot holes and busted up pavement. The start of the climb up over the Taldyk pass started at approx 57km from camp and ended at 67km.and the road conditions didn’t get any better on the climb up either. I think the toughest part psychologically was looking up about 2000ft and seeing a huge transport that looked the size of a child’s toy car starting its long slow steep descent down and you’re just starting your long slow steep ascent. You could also see the many switchbacks zigzagging back and forth across the pass leading up and you knew it was going to be two or three hours before you made it to the top!!! It took most riders on average about 3 hours to top out on the summit. Great views from the top and the best part was that it was all steep technical rocky road descent for the last 15km (one short climb in-between) all the way down the other side right into camp, that is what made it all worth it. As we entered into the small village of Sary Tas the huge snow capped mountains of the Chong Alau Range came into view just like a photo out of a National Geographic magazine. We spent the night sleeping in a Yurt, what a great experience, especially after seeing them scattered all over the country side.
Today was our last full day unfortunately in Kyrgyzstan and our last day on the rough roads (all the riders with touring, cross and road bike are happy) We luckily woke up to clear skies, but it was still crisp and cold, the riders were all bundled up in layers this morning planning for the worst of weather but hoping for the best. Once again the snow covered mountain vistas were unreal and seemed to give you an extra flow of energy all day long. We got a excellent clear view of the famous Lenin Peak(7134m) this morning (the most climbed of all seven thousand meter peaks) Although the roads were rough once again today we only had 57km to go. We are camping tonight in a beautiful plateau with a great view and we are only 20km from the Chinese border. We are hoping for a smooth transition out of Kyrgyzstan and into China tomorrow morning.
Every border seems to be an adventure and everyday is another epic!! You will hear from us again in Kashgar.
Counting down the borders!! Since the last blog we have crossed from Tajikistan back into Uzbekistan, and yesterday after a 175km ride we crossed the last of the three days, three borders epic!! We are now in the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan, this city boasts that it is over 3000 years old and older then that of Roam!! No one knows for sure the exact age, but it has a recorded history for a few thousand at least. Our border crossing back into Uzbekistan didn’t go as smoothly or as quickly as we had hoped for, what started off as a quick start ended in almost a four hour crossing. The riders had a 90km ride under their belts by the time they arrived at the border, then after the long fun process of getting across they still had a 50km ride, blindly following only that of bright orange flagging tape with no directions to their unknown evening resting place! At the end of the day every thing all worked out and by 6:30pm everyone was filling their faces with home made Uzbek Pilaf!!
Yesterday had the riders finishing their second century ride (100 miles) of the expedition so far. With no head winds and relatively good roads, everyone made it into Osh “Kyrgystan†before dark. Bill although has been on a “pedal†nightmare, but his resourcefulness never ceases to amaze me. Bill's right pedal kicked the bucket about seven days ago when we were riding into Samarqand, no problem for Bill; he managed to convince some local man to sell him the pedals right off his bike after taking the guy's bike for a test ride. But a day or two later the left pedal started to crap out on him, no big deal for Bill a clunky pedal wouldn’t bother him, until yesterday that is when the pedal stripped his crank arm and then broke apart and fell off!! Bill has this amazing aura about him that always seems to attract many strangers to his side, and if they are not giving Bill food or tea, they are welding his broken pedal to his crank arm right on the side of the road for no charge and then having him come in for some tea!!! Bill made it through all the hassles of the day and arrived into Osh by headlamp. Bill you’re a machine!!
The next six days will be the most stunning as we are now heading into the mountains of Kyrgyzstan (just to the north of the Pamirs) and gaining tones of elevation. This is where the roads deteriorate into rocky crumbly dirt and old pavement. We will literally be riding into the middle of nowhere. The daily and evening temperatures will drop significantly as we get up to elevations of 3600m and climb over three major passes. We can expect snow and rain, wind and no luxuries of buying drinks and snacks along the way! Now we are talking expedition!! If all goes well we will be crossing the border into China in four days and we will take a rest in Kashgar after 6 days of riding. There is no cell reception for the next few days and there will be no chance of getting on any internet, so for all the friends and family at home, don’t worry if you don’t hear from us for a few days!!
“Pain is weakness leaving the bodyâ€!!
If yesterday was an incredible ride then today was an incredibly amazing ride! There were four mountain passes, clear blue skies and snow capped peaks. It began with a crisp, clear and icy morning and a touch of Dixie Chicks. Then a bumpy and rocky ride that went up and down all the way through to the border checkpoint. After that, joy of all joys, there were paved roads all the way through to the campsite (only 3 kms worth but after 54km of bumps it was heaven!). Along the way the riders saw ranges of snow covered mountains and rugged rocky crags dotting both sides of the road. No one could have asked for a better ride than this one today. Pure bliss, pure heaven, pure joy and for those without shocks, pure agony, but the views were oh so worth it! Our campsite tonight has a 360 degree view of the mountains and although it is a wee bit chilly, a huge bonfire makes life a bit easier. It is the views that cap the day off as one of the best we have had yet! Riders spent the afternoon walking the rolling hills towards the 7000m ranges, sitting and admiring the views, cleaning their bikes (after a day of dirt, the bikes are rattling and squeaking like never before), hunting for their passports (tomorrow is our border crossing into China), writing in their journals, drying out damp gear and generally just hanging out and enjoying the mountain air and mountain sunshine. Tomorrow, another border crossing into yet another country, our last for the trip.
What a ride! We had all four seasons in one day today; sun, wind, sleet, snow and rain! There was also an incredible mountain pass with the promise of more to come tomorrow and the next day. From our beautiful campsite by the Gulca River, the riders headed out and began climbing. The scenery made the day an adventure. The roads, the climbing and the weather made the day a challenge. Many photos were snapped throughout the morning, hot tea was served at lunch and a nice storm hit early afternoon with wind gusts, snow, icy rain and a severe drop in the temperature. Riders stopped and added layers of clothing, munched energy bars and packed the cameras away. The clouds had hidden everything and the support vehicles were busy going back and forth checking to make sure everyone was ok. The snow-capped peaks were hidden and the villages seemed empty as the weather drove everyone indoors. The riders kept on cycling along up the hills and along the plains towards the village of Sary Tash which sits at 3300m. By 5pm, everyone was in camp and either sheltered in the Yurt Hut, in the nearby house (which had a heater) or around the stoves as the snow continued to fall and cows, dogs, horses and children cruised around checking us out. By 8.30pm everyone had moved to their respective beds for the evening to shelter, keep warm and sleep. And dream of an incredible day’s riding!
The Silk Route cyclists are currently pedaling their way through the spectacular scenery of rural Kyrgyzstan after enjoying a rest day in the city of Osh. The roads have been variable; sometimes flat and smooth but more often than not there has been a lot of climbing on rough, challenging roads. Indeed, tomorrow they will bike through a pass at 3600m on roads that are in very rough shape. Tonight, however, they are camped beside a quiet road next to a fast-flowing glacial stream, enjoying the views and the cool air. The influence of China is startng to become apparent, in the food, the dress and the population. Next stop, the legendary Silk Route city of Kashgar!!
I have made it to Bishkek the capital of Kyrgyzstan after a harrowing two day drive from Osh over some amazing mountains and passes.
I am pleased to have made it as there were warnings of avalanches (and possible closing of the road) but more importantly was my driver, was a former KGB man, a former motorcycle racer and a Sport Grand Master (a title given to excelling athletes in the former Soviet Union and a man who blamed the CIA for the disintegration of the Soviet Union) and I think he thought he was going to get even with the West by driving the vehicle as if he was racing his old motorcycle and scaring me to death.
My last update was from the "grand" city of Samarkand. As we all know there are several ways to skin a cat and there are several roads that one could take from Samarkand to our next major destination Khodjand in Tajikistan. My plan, and the plan for the Tour, was to take the most direct route. There was one hitch, the border crossing on this route was closed to foreigners several years ago.
My contacts in Uzbekistan said that this was no longer so. My contact in Tajikistan said he was not aware the the ban has been lifted.
So there was only one thing to do...find out by myself.
It turned out that this flat and boring/unattractive route with many checkpoints is still not open to foreigners. This required a detour of a 90 km, the last 60 of them parallel to a road that has been under construction for the three years and looks like it will take another three to finish.
This means that the Silk Route bikers will now take a different route to Khodjand; a route that will be stupendous in every sense of the word and will take us through a 3,360 meter pass. The road maybe terrible but the view, ah the view!!
Tajikistan is the poorest of the former Soviet Union Republics and this is quite visible. The country is slowly recovering from a civil war but it will take lot of effort to get it back on its feet.
From Tajikistan, it was back to Uzbekistan a quick and simple crossing (for which I would pay later) into the famed Ferghana valley.
The valley is very fertile, heavily populated and quite flat with good roads. I was through the valley in 24 hours and all went well at the border until the Uzbeki custom man asked me for my custom declaration slip that was given to me at my first entry into Uzbekistan, taken away when I left and entered into Tajikistan. Some heavy and prolong negotiations eventually solved the problem.
I write this simply to announce (first warning!) to all of our participants that you must ask and fill the declaration papers on each entry into the country.
Otherwise you will pay.
If you plan come to Kyrgyzstan, you better enjoy high mountains. At least a third of the country is above 3000 meters high. Our route goes through the southern part of the country into China through a 3,600 meters pass which was completely covered by snow. Besides being stopped for a few minutes by a crew that was trying to straighten up an overturned truck we had no difficulties crossing the pass and driving to about 80 km from the border, or as far as I was allowed to go without the special entry pass.
From the pass, it was back to Osh and then the drive to Bishkek.
Today is the 2nd anniversary of the overthrow of the government that has ruled since the break up of the Soviet Union.
There are celebration planned, but also quite bit of tension in the air as there are still many unhappy campers in this country - so I am off to take a look.
