We had a good early start this morning, not due to me, but Ralf and Marion are early starters and fair enough too. I was glad we got going.
Last night, we had wifi for a short time to send messages home. I received a message from Cameron, the guy from the US whom I met in Sary Tash. He had ridden all the way to Karakul (a massive effort) but needed an acclimatisation day after that. He was leaving at 9am and we got away earlier. (We were staying in different guesthouses). I told him the only way I’d see him on the road is if I left earlier than him.
Cameron is a really nice young guy who has completed the Greek MTB race this year and will compete in this year’s Silk Road Mountain Race. I’ll certainly be following his progress in that one.
Sure enough after 10kms or so, guess who caught up and rode with us for most of the day. It was good for everyone. When we stopped for some lunch, he rode on to scout out the campsite we’d picked out.
Along the way, we met Graham, an eccentric Englishman whom I’d heard about. People told me that he was struggling a few days ago, and to look out for him. He certainly sounded like he was struggling but chaotically executing his plan to get to China.
He’d just had a nap and literally appeared out of nowhere. It was great to chat to him but it was a lesson that everyone is responsible for themselves and their own well being. He can travel however he likes and do whatever he wants, no matter how foolish it seems to others. We wished him well and left.
The campsite was a long abandoned house with mudbrick wàlls that was hopefully going to keep us out of the wind. It did for a while, but then the wind changed 90 degrees and filled our tents up with fine dust and dirt. It was everywhere, and is something to get used to in this part of the world.
A German couple heading the other way stopped in and made their lunch in the shelter before heading off. We went and filtered some water for the evening and morning and did the usual camp chores.
Nearly at the end of the day, Graham appeared, came over for a quick chat and headed off up the pass. We watched him for quite a while, concerned for his safety. He’d never make it over today and we weren’t sure there were many campsites before it. He disappeared from view and we resolved to keep an eye out for him tomorrow.
It was a cold, windy, dusty night and packing up in the morning was a process of emptying as much of the dirt out of things as possible.