Gulang - Yongchang 135km

I had a great nights sleep in my 50RMB truck stop for the night. That morning also revealed to me the stunning views of the mountains I’d ridden past the day before. The clear morning sky allowed me to see the sheer enormity of this mountain range.

I had a great morning basically rolling downhill and made really good time to Wuwei. As I was going along so well I decided that instead of going into Wuwei for lunch I’d just keep going and try and make it to Yongchang as early as possible.

The Truckers stop where I stayed

The incredible mountain which once again a camera simply cannot do justice

It usually goes that the mornings are tougher than the afternoons, today however was different as I struggled to find any sort of rhythm. The afternoon was made worse by the fact that I lost my camel pack. For those who don’t know a camel pack is basically a mini rucksack which has a water bladder inside and a long straw which means you can drink without having to stop. I’ve never been much of a fan of using one for cycling but I thought I’d give it a go as I head out towards the desert. It was my own fault that I lost it. The weather had been as per usual very changeable and I’d slipped my sweater into the pack instead of into one of the panniers. As the weather got colder I decided to stop and put it on again. While doing this I took time to have a quick snack, stretch of the legs and a drink leaving my pack on the floor. I was back on the bike in no time but only a few minutes down the road I realized to my horror that I was without the backpack. I did an abrupt U-turn but by the time I got to the place I’d been somebody had already stopped, picked it up and made off with it. I was a little annoyed to say the least, anyone who had passed me along that section of road would surely have known it was mine and simply left it but this wasn’t the case. To make matters worse I’d also put my ‘big’ and more powerful pump in there as I’d given the tires and quick blast of air earlier in the day.

Feeling slightly downhearted I arrived in Yongchang. I suppose I’ve gone over 40 days now without losing anything so I haven’t done too badly and the camel pack isn’t a massive loss. Replacing the pump might be slightly harder as the mini pump I have is really only for use in emergencies.

On the plus side today was the day that saw me pass the 2000 mile mark, a small milestone I know as there is still a very long way to go.

3218.6km......but 2000 miles sounds better!

A well stocked supermarket, noodles, warm shower and Internet did go some way however to lifting my spirits at the end of another long day on the bike.

The never ending G312