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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The rain has stopped when I drive on, but has been replaced by a minor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.
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| 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