I met a lot of cyclists today and I love the conversations about why they’re doing it and where they’re going. Today, the state of the road came up in every conversation.
Last night, I decided not to do the Wakhan Valley. Part of me is slightly disappointed but I did it for some very good reasons such as :
• The first 2kms or so was easily the worst road I’ve ever cycled, and I’ve ridden some pretty bad ones.
• every body that I spoke to yesterday was very wary not to say don’t do it but nobody said they enjoyed it
• a Swiss and a Spanish guy both laughed and shook they’re heads even though they’d just completed it.
• a Dutch guy said that he was bleeding from the butt as a result of the constant corrugations which were unavoidable
• an Italian guy described it as hell
• over the last week, I’ve met far more who’ve done the M41 – Pamir Hwy route
• as I turned onto the Wakhan road, a motor cyclist gave me a series of warnings. The one that hit home was that there were no villages for the first 100kms and no water for 80kms. He’d taken 8hrs to go 150kms. His attitude was – if you must do it, good luck but please be well informed.
I’m glad I changed my mind. The M41 would give me 180kms to Khorog. Today was the hardest day with three climbs in 33 kms. The hardest hit 4274m, and while the road was better than Wakhan, for the most part it was utter garbage. That all changed about 8kms after the pass. That’s when the asphalt (I dribble at the thought of it) started, and will be with me for the remaining two net downhill days to Khorog. As Daniel from Italy said – you’ve done the hard work now enjoy the rest.
This morning when I got up, there was a second stray dog not far away. He’d joined the other one and they looked like siblings. It was cold and windy last night and I felt sorry for them, curled up in the weeds not far away. They stayed there too. One of them had learned that lesson last night.
I’ve got the coffee and muesli process down pat. Packing, on the other hand is not good. I keep deciding to move things around which doesn’t help. That’s possible as I eat my way through the food I brought for this leg.
I’d like to say it was nice having breakfast there but it was too cold to be comfortable. I yearn for warmer weather in the lower altitudes. Today would be my last day spent over 4000m and you simply don’t now how happy that makes me.
There was still a lot of work to do before that descent, so I packed up and got going. I should get up 2 hours earlier to allow for cyclist talk time throughout the day !
The first climb went on for quite some time. Luckily, it was early in the day and the steeper pinches weren’t a problem. It also put me up above 4000m and I felt comfortable and acclimatised. The views back over the lake were stupendous, and I met my first cyclist after completing only 500m. The shape of things to come.
After the initial asphalt had made me smug about my decision to come this way, the road quickly deteriorated to a rocky (big rocks) mess that had trucks labouring to find a way through, like me. Somehow you simply minimise the bumps as best you can and get through it. There were random patches of asphalt along the way, and though they were broken and deeply potholed, they made a nice change from the constant bumps.
It was a hard slog into a stiff, cold headwind all day, but the thought of getting down off this plateau encouraged me the whole way. That thought really kept me going regardless of the conditions. (Note from future self – almost at Khorog and I’m enjoying a coffee at my camp sitting in the sun at 7am – unthinkable for the past week or so).
The first pass was ok on a decent road, and the top revealed the task at hand for the next one. The road surface was clearly rubbish as the trucks laboriously made their way downhill. It looked like they were parked from distance but it had to be done. The lure of easy breathing and warmth was enough.
The second pass took quite some time and it was curious that it was actually a pass. I assumed it was because of the statues by the road, but the road continued up and up. It was mercifully gentle or I would have had to walk. The surface meant that I lost any rhythm with every pedal stroke.
On this road the truckies were great. There were far fewer of them and there was more road cameraderie happening. A lovely Korean couple stopped to see if I needed anything and they gave me a peach. It was insanely nice. Another km and I was over the top with only 6 more kilometres of this horrible road surface left.
It wasn’t too bad due to a fine layer of dirt and dust covering the rocks at the very edge of the road. My bum and wrists were appreciative and pretty soon, I was onto some half decent asphalt and heading downhill.
The headwind couldn’t dampen my spirits – this was bloody fantastic as I watched the altitude drop on my GPS.
I met Daniel from Italy and he told me about Jelondy. He’s on a long trip and a nicer, more relaxed guy, you’ll never meet. I couldn’t find the place he recommended but I pushed on to a hostel with hot springs but no english.
My miming skills were put to a stern test. Breakfast was acted out as sleep, wake yawn, eat – bingo 8am it is then ! Dinner was perfectly stodgy, and later I sat in the hot pool for 30 minutes. I felt sleepy but amazing on exit and collapsed into bed.
What a day it had been. Two days to civilisation !