Route in brief: Qitai – Jimsar – Fukang – Urumqi – Kuqa – Aksu – Akqi – Kashi
2400km | 19000 altitude meters
Our path
We managed to create a rudimentary map of our tour so far. So here it is, our Mongolia and China route!
Towards Urumqi – trying to overcome our culture shock
We cross into the northwestern region of China – the least populated area of country and rich in different ethnicities. The Gobi dessert is located in the region as well as the snow covered peaks of the Tian Shan – reaching until 7000 meters.
For China you need to be prepared, best have some cash changed, your alipay set up, working VPN and an accommodation booked for the first day. We kind of knew that and tried to arrange everything but didn’t change any money. So we stand here in the first town after the border, with no ATM accepting our cards, phones and apps (although prepared) not working. And wherever there is a lost tourist, officers will be close by. After some hassle we managed to arrange everything. Although every small shop used alipay or wechat we learn quickly that cash will also be accepted, which makes it easier for us as our phones seem to struggle as much as we did with the country change. In the evening we enjoy some delicious food, which is a big plus after Mongolia. So many fresh fruits and veggies! Super yummy!!
So far so good, we head further west – with the usual headwinds. From here on it we will switch gravel, washboard and mud for steaming asphalt roads. The following days we decide to ride as fast as it goes to Urumqi from where on we plan to head towards the Tian Shan Mountains. Long days are ahead of us in a hot and arid landscapes and wherever we would stop, for buying drinks or taking a break we could be sure that a couple minutes later police would pass by for the usual passport check, questions about routing and intention of travelling – everything recorded on phones or a bodycam. Very friendly and often we are gifted water or chilled drinks. With the heat and the fences in the open landscapes the cities become our oases. A paradox for the both of us. The perfectly shaped city parks with sprinklers provide shade and anonymity during the long days. Along the roads the small shops and restaurants often have lovely gardens. Tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins and of course melons decorated the entrances of the shops. Around 600 km, many, many melons later we arrive in the capital.
Urumqi is the capital that is farthest away from any ocean. A young, modern city with nice parks which we explore. A lot of food and some sightseeing later we take off to finally explore the mountains (or so we think).
(Trying to) cross the Tian Shan Range
What followed was a rather confusing experience of checkpoints, stops, road closures and redirections. Trying to reach and cross the Tian Shan Mountain Range we experienced many road closures, got turned back on 3 (almost 4) cross sections / passes that lead over the mountains. The chinese whispers with different county police has started as we leave Urumqi. One district advises us a different route which then again is closed or not „suitable for cyclists“ upon arrival.
We drive a few kilometres on the S101 a scenic road at the foot of the mountains with amazing landscapes. The next day we encounter one more roadblock and we head back into the valley with disappointment. After the unplanned detours we take the western most road to cross the mountains and follow the „most beautiful road“ of China (the G217) which indeed was spectacular winding through canyons, meadows and via 3000 meter passes – leading towards the way where we were supposed to head to further in the east. Spectacular, yet, overcrowded with cars and we experience a few very uncomfortable passing and overtaking manoeuvres. It was the start of the holiday season in China and so many local tourists roamed to the region to rent SUVs or Jeeps. On the bright side we meet a lot of local cyclists – apparently it is a big thing to conquer this road 🙂 who knew! Gladly we share a camp-spot with a local cyclist.
Our goal is Kuqa, what used to be important city along the silk road. We shall encounter one more road block for foreign tourists – as we head in that direction. On this section the options are going back 400km (but there would not be any other option heading south we haven’t tried) or cross the border into Kazachstan. With the explanation that police in the other county specifically directed us to this route and having no alternative the officer told us to wear our buffs and pretend to be local cyclist. The scenery on this route was amazing, however as we knew we should not be here we tried to pass the county as quick as possible. Just before reaching our next break day (having crossed into a different county) we visit a tourist highlight along that way – the Red Canyon. We camp out in the parking lot of the entrance, blending in with many local tourists.
We arrive in Kuqa and spend two days in the city, sightseeing and of course eating! The food is an absolute highlight – we go strong with at least one melon a day.
A bikepacking hack: A melon is the perfect bowl for muesli and in case your coffee cup is dirty it works as a cup as well
Continuing south our next aim is another city along the silk road, rich in history – Kashi / Kashgar. In burning heat we cross meadows, many fields and follow the northern route close to the border to Kyrgyzstan. The road becomes quieter as soon as we leave of Kuqa which is a huge relief for us. Controls continue at every village and at every stop where we buy food. We pass by Aksu, Uqturpan, Wensu and Aqki.
Already in the back of our minds was the option of crossing into Kyrgyzstan and enjoy unpaved tracks and mountain passes. Seeing the 7000 meter peaks did tickle our curiosity even more.
We continue to Kashi, another Silkroad highlight. While we’re excited to explore ancient Kashi our excitement for crossing into Kyrgyzstan grew more and more and we arrange transportation to Kyrgyzstan. The old town of Kashi is a tourist hotspot and apparently it’s the thing to do a photo-shooting in the old town of the city dressed in an oriental costume. We stroll around of whats left of the old town, listen to some live music, enjoy the great food and arrange a few things for our bikes. Then it is time to leave – via bus this time – which shall again be more complicated than expected.
Thoughts about this journey
Just coming from Mongolia, it is fair to say that we did have a culture shock. We did feel uncomfortable travelling in this area, not grasping the situation. Frequently being checked and getting filmed when cycling. Everyone was always super friendly. However the amount of controls left us confused. We expected having to register for accommodations, getting passports controlled at the county borders and checkpoint but we could not understand why sometimes we would checked and photographed on every village control point and then again in village (sometimes within an hour twice or three times). We can count the times when we didn’t have a control or had officers waiting next to us while taking a break (didn’t matter if it was on a pavilion roadside, a market or in a restaurant). In the cities we would not experience this, so often we jumped from one town to another for breaks. We got picked up once while camping out in a remote area. So we stayed in many accommodations because camping didn’t feel right or we couldn’t find places because areas were fenced in. The random road closure, the confusing information about roads; which differed from one county to another; brought up the constant impression that we are doing something wrong or going on a road we are not supposed to be. All of that made this stretch quite challenging and we leave with a lot of open questions.
Woanders 