An unbearable fine road


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1. Beijing 02.04.08

2. Beijing 03.04.08

3. Beijing 04.04.08

4. Beijing 05.04.08

MAP 1 Beijing-Yingxian

5. Beijing-LouCun 06.04.08

6. Lou Cun-YudouCun 07.04.08

7. YudouCun-Laiyuan 08.04.08

8. Laiyuan-Wangzhuang 09.04.08

9. Wangzhuang-Hunyuan 10.04.08

MAP 2 Yingxian-Taiyuan

10. Hunyuan-Dai Xian 11.04.08

11. Dai Xian-Xinzhou 12.04.08

12. Xinzhou-Taiyuan 13.04.08

MAP 3 Taiyuan-Linfen

13. Taiyuan-Pingyao 14.04.08

14. Pingyao 15.04.08

15. PingyaoHuozhou 16.04.08

16. Houzhou-Xiangfen 17.04.08

17. Xiangfen-Hejin 18.04.08

MAP 4 Linfen-Weinan

18. Hejin-Heyang 19.04.08

19. Heyang-Dali 20.04.08 Heyang-Dali

20. Dali-Xi'an 21.04.08

21. Xi'an 22.04.08

22. Xi'an 23.04.08

23. Xi'an 24.04.08

24. Xi'an 25.04.08

MAP 5 Weinan-Hanzhong

25. Xi'an-Mazhao 26.04.08

26. Mazhao-Yangxian 27.04.08

27. Yangxian-Mian Xian 28.04.08

28. Mian Xian-Ningqiang 29.04.08

29. Ningqiang-Guangyuan 30.04.08

MAP 6 Hanzhong-Mianyang

30. Guangyuan-Jianmen Pass 01.05.08

31. Jianmen Pass-Zitong 02.05.08

32. Zitong-Loujiang 03.05.08

33. Luojiang-Chengdu 04.05.08

34. Chengdu 05.05.08

35. Chengdu 06.05.08

36. Chengdu 07.05.08

37. Chengdu 08.05.08

38. Chengdu 09.05.08

MAP 7 Mianyang-Maoxian

39. Chengdu-Dujiangyan 10.05.08

40. Dujiangyan-Miansi 11.05.08

41. Miansi-Maoxian 12.05.08

42. Maoxian 13.05.08

43. Maoxian 14.05.08

44. Maoxian 15.05.08

45. Maoxian 16.05.08

46. Maoxian 17.05.08

47. Maoxian 18.05.08

48. Maoxian-Chengdu 19.05.08

49. Chengdu-Chongqing 20.05.08

50. Chongqing-Wanzhou 21.05.08

51. Yangtze River 22.05.08

52. Yangtze River-Wuhan 23.05.08

53. Wuhan 24.05.08

54. Beijing 25.05.08

55. Beijing 26.05.08

56. Beijing 27.05.08

57. Beijing 28.05.08

58. Beijing 29.05.08

59. Beijing 30.05.08

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English Version 32

Saturday 03.05.08
Jianmen Pass

It has been raining all night and it’s still dripping. My bike has disappeared and the landlord doesn’t understand ANYTHING. I put it in the reception and just locked it, when I saw the gate to the road being locked. It was actually locked already when I came back. But the smallest boy from the restaurant who accompanied me shouted so loud someone came to let me in. But where is the bike now?
It takes long before a woman who knows appear. It’s been locked up in a room.
The rain has stopped when I drive on, but has been replaced by a minor storm. But it blows up through the gorge, so it’s mainly a tailwind.
The day is unbearable. This road, that Chinese cyclists describes as good (it must be because it’s paved and the pavement is intact), looks like it’s been smoothed with a plough. The views and the surroundings are the only positive things. It’s a shame you’re bound to looking at the road all the time.
After climbing one climb after another I can see waving low mountains looking like something in Germany. The descent to Jiange is awful. I can’t just let it go because of the uneven road. My luggage is hopping and popping and I don’t want anything to break.
Jiange is an ugly town. It’s been raining for some time, now it’s raining more heavy, but just when my trousers are all wet it stops. Climb after climb 5 and 6 on the scale.
 


Even the green Sichuan is a bit hazy A red temple I passed near Zitong

 

At last I’m up again and the pattern repeats down to Liugou. Don’t think it can’t get any steeper – it can. Once I’m standing in the pedals and only manage because it’s no for long. At a time I think I won’t have to go all the way down to Wulian – yes, unfortunately.
Then new climbs for 5-6 km. In the afternoon the sun starts shining and it gets hot.
At last there is a part where the road doesn’t ascent and descent SO much. It looks like France now. The whole day I’ve been waiting for the road to get better – it HAS to. But it takes 100 km before. The distances on the map are not correct – it’s much longer!
From Qiqushan Temple it’s a nice concrete road and it goes down, down, down, but the town it not in sight. I end this half marathon (there was at least tailwind some of the way) with 112 km. If it hadn’t been for the views the day would have seemed wasted.
And according to the Chinese cyclists I met it should continue like this all the way to Chengdu.
Maybe I catch a train?
 
112.61 km
13.30 km/h
8:27:51 h
48.0 km/h

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