Timetable for the Kerriya Shankou

(Mt. Mustagh Ata: later)

Date Startoutpoint/endpoint GPS, latitude (N) GPS, longitude (E)

Time......... on bike

 Startout/end time km GPS distance Altitude (m) Ascend Descend Gradient avg. up/down Cycling temp. C Weather Wind Remarks...................................................................
28.07.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
29.07.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
30.07.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
31.08.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
01.08.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
02.08.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
03.08.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
04.08.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
05.08.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
06.08.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
07.08.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - -
08.08.2002 Kashgar - - - - - - 1330 - - - - - - Andy sick, Honza have to give up because of stomacproblems
09.08.2002 Kashgar - Desert camp - - 4 h. 51 min - 99,5 - 1418 213 66 - 27-41 C - - Andy passed out while drinking softdrink, hot desert, problems with jannes pump.
10.08.2002 Desert camp -Yarkand - - 5 h. 52 min - 105 - est. 1420 86 260 - 27-50 C Skies Tail 50 km clean desert, policeencounter at hotel -> change hotel at night
11.08.2002 Yarkand-Desert camp - - 4 h, 34 min - 81 - 1436 226 33 - 26 -41 C Skies mild/strong head Andy take bus back to Kashgar, Nadine got pains.
12.08.2002 D. C.-Mountain camp (MC) - - 4 h, 4 min - 65 - 2167 724 21 - 22-41 C Skies Mild tail Leave asfalt, still in desert, mountains slowly starts.
13.08.2002 Restday - - - - - - 2167 - - - - Skies/rain None Climbed a hill, cityvisit, flashflooding in empty riverbed.
14.08.2002 MC-MC - - 4 h, 58 min - 51 - 2659 1139 668 - 9-22 C Rain/clowds Mild tail Crossing 3300 m. pass, landslide, rain, sleept in a cave, 3 kg. stone hit tent!
15.08.2002 MC-MC - - 4 h, 01 min - 44 - 3100 624 213 - 12-22 C Clowds Mild tail Bottom at pass at est. 2500 m, pass small town, uphill toward 5000 m. pass
16.08.2002 MC-MC - - 3 h, 22 min - 26 - 4015 894 6 - 10-36 C Sun Mild tail Cycling toward pass, Janne got stomacprobl. The heat is gone.
17.08.2002 MC-MC (2 km.after Mazar) - - 5 h, 29 min - 50 - 3805 926 1127 - 6-26 C Sun/clowds Mild tain/strong Head Cycling over 5003 m. pass, camp. Just after Mazar. I don't feel good.
18.08.2002 Restday - - - - - - 3805 - - - - Sun - I got giardia, take course, cycle to Mazar with Nadine, wash cloth, mice in tent at night…
19.08.2002 MC-MC 36*24.186 77*29.008 5 h, 07 min - 49,5 - 4088 471 196 - 9-32 C Rain/sun Mostly mild tail Weak due to course, follow Yarkand river, rain, eat at roadworker house, military road to India gone
20.08.2002 MC-MC (near Xaidulla) 36*24.472 77*47.966 4 h, 31 min - 43 - 4100 802 819 - 10-23 C Sun/rain Mostly head Cycle over 4950 m pass, fell stronger, CCTV film us, we camp in rain.
21.08.2002 MC-MC (after Xaidulla) 36*17.455 78*14.870 4 h, 27 min - 51 - 3765 307 585 - 16-35 C Strong sun/clowdy Strong tail, side/strong head Sandy road to Xaidulla, hot, buy supplies, stormy sidewind, Janne/Nadine argument
22.08.2002 MC-MC 36*12.561 78*26.905 3 h, 02 min - 27 - 4141 420 31 - 18-40 C Rain/ most sun mild/strong tail Really bad road, turn-off toward Karakoram pass/india, wash in 25 C creak, excited
23.08.2002 MC-MC (military road) 36*14.409 78*27.245 6 h, 38 min - 61,5 - 3856 1061 1323 - 11-31 C Clowdy/Rain Strong tail/strong head Cycle over 5133 m. pass, good road!, stopped by military landcruiser, follows us back for hours, we give up on this road
24.08.2002 Restday 36*14.409 78*27.245 - - - - 3856 - - - - Sun Mild Restday, wash cloth, bikerepair, relax, plan what to do now.
25.08.2002 MC-MC (30 km.before Dahonglutian) 36*08.869 78*56.709 5 h, 20 min - 53 - 4099 620 346 - 20-37 C Sun mild/strong head/side Cycling over 4288 m pass. Strong sidewind, buy watermelon. Water difficult to find.
26.08.2002 20 km. After Dahonglutian 35*53.949 79*19.718 5 h, 02 min - 49 - 4520 545 137 - 7-27 C Sun/rain None, mild tail cycle to Dahonglutian with Nadine, restaurant woman reconnice me from last year, problem finding water
27.08.2002 MC-MC (15 km after pass) 35*31.933 79*31.881 5 h, 19 min - 50 - 4833 747 385 - 5-29 C Sun, hailstorms Mild head Going over 5211 m. pass into Aksai Chin, hailstorm, barrenness, desolation, love it
28.08.2002 MC-MC (77 km after pass) 35.01.787 79*40.855 5 h, 54 min - 63 - 4954 226 82 - 7-29 C Hail, sun, rain Medium head Hailstorm, flat climb, passing army camp, thunder, separation
29.08.2002 MC-Tielong - - 5 h, 22 min - 57,5 - est. 5100 320 124 - 6-28 C Sun, rain Mild tail/head early start, easy uphill, snowmountains, reaching Tielong alone.
30.08.2002 Tielong-MC 34*39.097 80*18.080 2 h, 15 min - 21 - 5105 265 262 - 6-23 C Sun, rain Mild tail/head Writing, discussion, 5350 m. pass, bad weather
31.08.2002 MC-Sumsi (1 km after) 34*25.827 80*22.675 3 h, 58 min - 38 - 5219 349 215 - 1-18 C Rain, snow Mild tail/head Cycling along huge lake, reaches Tibet borderpass, reach Sumsi, meet japanese biker, camp away from beds in restaurant
01.09.2002 Reconnaissance day - - - - - - 5219 - - - - Snow, clowdy None Restday, truckride 120 km in reconnaissance for turnoff into Chang Tang, conclusion- cycle back again.
02.09.2002 Sumsi-MC 34*38.622 80*51.009 4 h, 12 min - 35 - 5185 312 318 - 8-23 C Sun, clowdy Mild tail Cycle back to pass, use wrong turnoff, find trucktrail, find hot springs at campspot.
03.09.2002 MC-MC - - 3 h, 44 min - 33,5 - 5220 238 182 5%, 5% 7-23 C Sun, clowdy Hard tail/side Buy sampa from shepard, long wide vally, pass river, camp next to old campinggound
04.09.2002 MC-MC 34*48.540 81*19.440 4 h, 58 min - 51,5 47 5027 101 241 5%, 4% 9-21 C Sun, few clowds Hard tail Cycling wide vally, lonely Kiang, antelops in high speed, follow river, cycling around lake.
05.09.2002 MC-MC 34*59.263 81*27.986 4 h, 26 min - 33,5 27,7 4980 112 126 5%, 5% 8-19 C Sun, clowds Hard tail/side Follow trail, reach Bandag Co, gone too south, going north, dragging bike, tired
06.09.2002 MC-MC 35*06.526 81*26.628 4 h, 37 min - 19,1 13,6 5268 421 152 6%, 5% 5-19 C Sun, clowds Medium tail, weak side Find trail, going over 5350 m. pass/hill, decend down to river, find small trail again, getting colder
07.09.2002 MC-MC 35*12.359 81*32.663 4 h, 34 min - 18,3 14,2 5499 343 102 5%, 6% 3-15 C Clowds Weak tail Follow river, crosses icy river, up/down river plateau, 5502 m pass, reach glacier
08.09.2002 MC-MC 35*21.525 81*37.099 4 h, 50 min 10.30/18.30 18,5 18,3 5426 71 111 4%, 5% (-1)-14 C Clowds, snow Weak tail Snow all morning, cold walk on glacial morane, deep sump very exhausting.
09.09.2002 MC-MC 35*27.353 81*43.182 4 h, 22 min 10.40/19.00 13,5 14,2 5334 175 234 5%, 8% 1-21 C Clowds, sun Mild tail Jannes contact solution frozeen -> -17 C or less last night. Reach flat Kerriya pass at 5604 m. decend 250 m.
10.09.2002 MC-MC 35*31.677 81*51.917 3 h, 49 min 10.40/18.15 15,3* 15,4 5120 137 377 6%, 7% 3-19 C Sun, clowds Mild tail Start early to walk on frozen ground, pass over big bumps, muddy again, reach pass, camp.
11.09.2002 MC-MC 35*35.927 81*45.875 3 h, 49 min 10.30/18.30 13,7 12,1 4983 407 507 7%, 7% 0-19 C Sun, clowds None Find trail, walk over 5513 steep Atotam pass, exhausted, find old Kunmindang road!, camp in snowstorm.
12.09.2002 MC-MC 35*43.871 81*38.142 4 h, 14 min 10.30/17.30 24,3 18,8 4737 228 428 5%, 6% 0-17C Clowds Mild head Early start, follow river, crosses 5022 m.Topolato roadpass, see a wild yak, reach Achik Kul basin, camp early.
13.09.2002 MC-MC 35*53.617 81*27.261 5 h, 40 min 8.30/18.00 27,1 24,4 4750 432 432 5%, 10% 0-19 C Clowds None, mild head Early start, crosses 5137 m. Atoto Dawan pass, Donkey skeletons all over, steep decend, exhausted!
14.09.2002 MC-MC 35*59.618 81*28.682 3 h, 57 min** 10.00/17.30 11,7 11,3 3980 25 844 5%, 8% 5-15 C Clowds Mild head Wide rivervally narrows into nightmare river gorge, camp early solo, food very low.
15.09.2002 MC-MC 36*02.708 81*28.080 3 h, 46 min** 10.30/19.15 ?* 7,5 3292 155 613 6%, 10% 6-23 C Clowds, sun None Janne and I pissed of at each other, going solo, nightmare place, 1½ hours searching for way around waterfall, completely exhausted, camp with shepards.
16.09.2002 MC-Pulu 36*11.177 81*28.854 5 h, 32 min 10.00/18.00 ?* 19,8 2550 319 1099 6%, 10% 8-33 C Clowds, sun None Gorge easier, difficult to follow sheeps, find Kunmindang road again, find Pulu with help from a local, foodparty with goverment inspectors being bribed by locals.
17.09.2002 Pulu-Yutian-(bus) - - - - - - - - - - - - - See all facilities in village with inspectors, Get a ride for free to Yutian, bus toward Urumqi, awake all night to make waypoints for later.
18.09.2002 Yutian-Urumqi - - - - - - - - - - - - - Arrive in Urumqi, buy cloth, shower(!), eat at nightmarket. Dutch Johan Hersink been at the hotel 5 days before.
19.09.2002 Urumqi-Beijing - - - - - - - - - - - - - Haircut/shave, fly to Beijing, try to get a seat to Denmark in airport, eat
20.09.2002 Beijing - - - - - - - - - - - - - Eat, trying to get a seat to Denmark
21.09.2002 Beijing - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sick, foodpoisining, helped by Indian restaurent servant.
22.09.2002 Beijing - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sick, foodpoisining, helped by Indian restaurant servant.
23.09.2002 Beijing - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fell better, trying to get a seat to Denmark in airport
24.09.2002 Beijing-Denmark - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get a seat as last passenger 30 min before departure. Fly to Denmark.

Remarks:

I used 5 days less in year 2001 to cycle from Kashgar to Sumzi, but it was no fun riding!

"Altitude" is altitude camped at, measured by GPS.

"Cycling temperature" is temperature in the sun according to my bicycle computer.

* The constant stop and go confused the bicycle computer and sometimes caused direct GPS distance to be bigger than cycled according to bicycle computer

** The bike computer was on standby while lifting the bike over rocks, stones, through the river, ect.

© Martin Adserballe 2003