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The (Iced) Tea Road: Lhasa to Yunnan

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Asia » China » Yunnan » Shangri-La
December 23rd 2007
Published: January 11th 2008
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I am wearing most of my clothes; leggings, trousers and waterproof over trousers, 5 tops, a down jacket and my over jacket, plus two hats, 3 pairs of gloves and 2 pairs of socks. My fingers and toes are still completely frozen, but none of this is bothering me as the amazing night sky full of stars is reflected in the big river which is gently flowing past me on my right. The moon rose at about ... Read Full Entry



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Erika Bird and Robin Searle
Banchory to the Bosphorous by Bike
Banchory to the Bosphorous by Bike
We are Erika and Robin from Scotland and in April 2005 we quit our jobs and set off to cycle from Scotland to İstanbul. We reached İstanbul in October 2005 having discovered that cycling truly is the best way to travel and so decided to keep going beyond the Bosphorous...... We had never cycled any long distance before but had been wanting to travel for a long time and had finally saved enough and realised ıf we didn't set off now we never would. We decided cycling would be the best form of transport as we wanted to learn more about the countries and people we passed through at a s... full info
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IciclesIcicles
Icicles
A Warm WelcomeA Warm Welcome
A Warm Welcome
The family who took us out of the snow at Rawu
Village at Rawu LakeVillage at Rawu Lake
Village at Rawu Lake
Another Snowy ClimbAnother Snowy Climb
Another Snowy Climb
The road up after Rawu
Road ConditionsRoad Conditions
Road Conditions
Near the top of Dokha La. It was about 11 am and our water bottles were freezing even in the strong sunlight.
More SnowMore Snow
More Snow
Near the Dokha La
Small Cyclist Big RocksSmall Cyclist Big Rocks
Small Cyclist Big Rocks
The tarmac ends after Baxoi, as we follow this river down towards the Salween River.
The Mighty Salween RiverThe Mighty Salween River
The Mighty Salween River
Some of the 72 Switchbacks!Some of the 72 Switchbacks!
Some of the 72 Switchbacks!
On the way up the Gamma La after the Salween.
Flowing snowFlowing snow
Flowing snow
Up high in the valley near Bomda
That's what I call a cold water wash!That's what I call a cold water wash!
That's what I call a cold water wash!
Snow blockageSnow blockage
Snow blockage
Well the river was still flowing, but amazingly there was more and more ice and snow even though we were droppingin height!
Erika on IceErika on Ice
Erika on Ice
Theroad to highest pass, quite stressfull.. shame you can't see the wind in a photo.
Dungd LaDungd La
Dungd La
The Highest pass on our road, it had taken a full hour todo the last 3 km on this terrible ice.
The Valleys get Narrow and Steep SidedThe Valleys get Narrow and Steep Sided
The Valleys get Narrow and Steep Sided
Mekong Far BelowMekong Far Below
Mekong Far Below
Our First glimpse of the Mekong and a view to the mountins we have to cross next...
High again after the MekongHigh again after the Mekong
High again after the Mekong
You can't tell that there is a massiv drop to the river between us and those distant mountains.
Another Stunning PassAnother Stunning Pass
Another Stunning Pass
The pass before Yanjing and the Tibet Border
WowWow
Wow
Happy Erika Happy Erika
Happy Erika
and people ask us why we cycle...
Lang Sang RiverLang Sang River
Lang Sang River
aka the MEkong. We rejoin the mighty river.



12th January 2008

zsteve
S

What an awesome journey
Great photos and such a wonderful experience for you. I look forward to reading about your next adventure ... keep them coming!
12th January 2008

jimguru
Jim R

Awesome!
Yes, I am in awe of your journey...what an incredible trip....and nice to know that there a few "holes" in the bureaucracy that let you cycle through. Maybe it indicates a slightly more relaxed attitude?...which if true, could lead in the future to a more welcoming official attitude to adventurous tourists. Maybe some high level officials should read blogs like this and realise that they actually inspire people like me (who are too old/busy/unfit etc to do such a bike-ride) to think about visiting such wonderful lands.
14th January 2008

Arnab
Armand

i was pretty close to you guys...but on the other side lol... at Yumthang and Yumsedong at North Sikkim...not allowed to cross border! lol!
30th January 2008

Kirsty Pickering
non-member comment

Hey. I have just read your adventures and they make my mtn biking seem pretty lame - I prefer to take the lift to the top of the mountain before I dive off. Really glad to see you are doing so well and not locked up in a cubicle somewhere being nerdy! It looks like you made an awsome choice.
10th July 2010

corinne d. lloyd-moody
non-member comment

you guys rock!
I stumbled upon your blog while searching google for the distance on foot between Aqaba and Cairo. I'm watching "Lawrence of Arabia" here in San Diego, California. You two are now my heroes. officially. I thought "long way round" was unbelievably gutsy. It's nothing compared to what you two are doing. My husband has a spinal injury, but surgery after surgery we keep saying we'll take one big fabulous trip when his back feels stronger and we can enjoy life again. You've inspired me to do something that scares us, something epic, something we'll remember for the rest of our lives. Thank you. Stay strong, love each other and keep on pedaling!

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