Pierre Trowbridge

Xinjiang Cycle Tour: VeloTramp Summer 2017

June 14, 2017 by Pierre 9 Comments

The worst thing you can do to a person who struggles to make decisions is give them a lot to choose from. I know. I am that person. The problem is especially trying for me when I like all the things I am trying to choose from. This is the predicament I found myself in when trying to choose the route of my summer bike trip.

Xinjiang — Kashgar Grand Bazaar (Photo courtesy of Far West China)

Where to Choose, Where to Choose

There were so many amazing options to choose from that I struggled to make a final decision. I would think I had chosen only to wake up the next day and feel more uncertain than I had before choosing in the first place. It was a kind of buyer’s remorse: initially ecstatic followed the next day by feelings of wrong doing and regret. Eventually, using the factors of budget, weather, and time, I whittled away at a much longer list and got it down to three possibilities: Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China, Malaysia, and Vietnam. And after much deliberation I chose Xinjiang for my summer tour.

Xinjiang won in the end because it offered the most adventure, the greatest unknown. I love Vietnam and plan to ride the full length of the country some day. However, due to heavy summer rains and oppressive heat, I decided that summer is a poor time for that trip. Malaysia was enticing, too. It has a lot of great things to see and do and I hear the people are friendly and the food amazing. But it just wasn’t “wild” enough for my needs right now. It was too safe, too tame. It wasn’t “out there” enough. Like Vietnam, I plan to cycle there some day but it won’t be this summer. In the end, Xinjiang was the only choice for me.

Xinjiang in Brief

Xinjiang Autonomous Region is the western frontier of China and is the largest of the 32 administrative divisions that make up the country. At 1.66 million square kilometers, on its own it would be the 17^th largest country in the world after Libya and before Iran. Dense mountains, arid wastelands, and deadly seas of sand separate it from it’s neighbors. Led by the majority Uyghur people, Xinjiang is central Asian in culture, history, and location. They share little with their distant Han Chinese countrymen centered in the east and ruling from Beijing. This cultural distinction from the rest of China is one of the many things that draws visitors to this beautiful region.

I have already spent several hours poring over maps staking out towns and villages, and must-see attractions. I have created a route that satisfies all the itches that I hope this trip will scratch. The route reaches about 4000 kilometers to see all that I want to see. But I harbor no fantasy of riding all 4000 kilometers. Not in the time I have. My goal is to ride at least 3000 and use an occasional bus or train to make up the difference.

The Route

My trip will begin on July 5^th in the far west at the ancient city of Kashgar. Kashgar is one of the pearls of the Silk Road and a great cultural hearth. Long an important meeting place and center of exchange for east and west, Kashgar is home to the Grand Bazaar, the largest market in central Asia. It is also the site of the splendid Id Kah Mosque, and the Kashgar Old Town area which retains much of the rich cultural flavor of an age gone by.

From Kashgar I will proceed north first skirting the edge of the massive Taklamakan Desert before climbing into the tangled morass of rock that is the Tian Shan Mountains. Along the way, possible sites include ancient grottos that were home to thousands of early Buddhist texts, the Tian Shan Grand Canyon, and the vast and astounding grasslands of Ili. These grasslands, found high in the Tian Shan Mountains are some of the finest examples of alpine grasslands in Asia.

North to Kanas

The ride north will continue past beautiful lakes and mountains, interesting cultural sites, vast wastelands of sere parched earth, and sudden and unexpected forest until the road reaches the far northwest of Xinjiang and the gorgeous Kanas Lake. Kanas is not only a place of much natural beauty but also offers the opportunity to do a traditional yurt homestay with the indigenous Mongol and Kazakh people that call this region home.

From the northwest, the route will sweep an arc south east eventually passing near the eastern range of the Tian Shan and arrive in Turpan. Turpan (pronounced Tulufan) is the hottest place in China, where daytime temperatures routinely reach into the 40’s. The small city sits in the middle of the Turpan Depression. This is the lowest place in China. At 154 meters below sea level at Lake Ayding, it is the 4th lowest place on earth. Nearby is the Flaming Mountains. Here the red rock absorbs so much of the hot sun that surface temperatures reach above 70 degrees Celsius. Turpan is also home to many interesting cultural attractions such as Emin Minaret, the 2000-year-old Karez Irrigation system, and Jiaohe ancient city. Also, nearby to Turpan is Grape Valley. The grapes here are widely known as the sweetest in all of China.

From Turpan the plan is to head east across the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert to the small city of Barkol before ending in the oasis city of Kumul.

Lots to See? Better Take Lots of Camera Batteries

These are just a few of the many highlights that this journey through Xinjiang offers. They are too many to list here. And that doesn’t consider all the unknown things that are out there waiting for me to discover.

Last year I rode in Gansu and Qinghai. Many of my favorite moments were discovering the unknown wonders and beauty that I happened upon. They are not things that are marked on any maps or appear in guidebooks. Yet their beauty provides a type of wonder that the expected cannot.

That is not to take away from the many things that I already know from photos. In these cases, the excitement comes from wondering how they will look in person. How it will feel to see them? Can those grasslands really be as beautiful as they appear in pictures? Will I see the mountains that I have seen in pictures? Or will I see something different, perhaps even more wondrous than I imagined? Even in the known there is much that is unknown. And that is so exciting. And of course there are the people that I meet along the trail. People with warm smiles and open hearts. People that share a moment of their life with me that make any journey complete.

This should be an epic journey full of incredible sights and wonderful experiences. I can’t wait to begin this trip and share it with you. I hope you will all come along with me. Feel free to bring a friend.

See you soon in Xinjiang!

A Day in the Life of the VeloTramp in China: Riding

April 11, 2017 by Pierre 7 Comments

Zao Shang Hao (Good Morning)

The early morning was shrouded in the lingering mists of the morning rain. I prepped my machine and headed out. It was a Saturday with no classes due to provincial examinations in preparation for the national exam in June. It was a free day, forecasting a sunny day, and I planned to make the most of it.

Tea in China — This village relies primarily on tea and bamboo for its survival

The main reason I moved to Jianou, a small city in the low mountains of north central Fujian province in southeastern China was for the riding. It has not disappointed. I can head off in either of the cardinal directions and find excellent riding. In each direction, there are a myriad of small arteries branching off the main route. Each leads to new adventures and discoveries. On this day, I head south toward the tea fields of Xiao Qiao. (Read Here). I have been to the area before but today I hope to find a new path to explore.

Shortly after I cross Shui Nan Qiao (South Water Bridge) the sun breaks through the curtain of silvery mist. The suns rays spread like great arms stretching across the sky and the grey recedes before it. The vanquished pall exposes a speckless sky. The temperature soars and all around me coats are shed and everyone walks just a little taller and just a little lighter as if a great and long borne weight has been shed. People have been waiting for a day like this to offer a respite from the heavy rains of spring.

Into the brilliant sun, I speed. My legs pump rhythmically. The bike works perfectly. There is not a sound but the hiss of tires upon the asphalt. My heart races with the effort, and sweat covers my body. A smile breaks on my face. This is bliss. This is why I came to China. Call it vindication or validation or what you will, but it is days like these when the universe feels perfectly aligned, that all the decisions made in a life, whether good or bad, seem fated, because they lead to this day.

A long climb lies before me. I power up the challenging slope out of saddle until my legs tire and I am forced to sit. As soon as my legs feel rested it is out of the saddle again. I ride for enjoyment yes, but I also ride for the physical challenge. It is the test of will and endurance as much as the freewheeling bliss that makes riding so addictive for me. My 2-month summer vacation will be here soon. I am planning a significant ride. I must be ready. This day is just one of many between now and then.

After cresting the hill the beautiful tea fields of Xiao Qiao come into view. Then begins a long descent with speeds exceeding 60 kilometers per hour. The wind cools my sweat slicked body and the exhilaration of the freedom of flying covers me in goose flesh. I scream into the world ahead, “Woo!” as the joy in my heart cannot be contained. Man, I love this so much.

As the slope lessens and the speed begins to drop I switch into high gear and power down the road. A couple of bends and straightaways later and I am in a small village that doesn’t show up on my maps. I take a right onto the village streets. Soon, I have passed through the town and find myself on country roads amidst terraced tea fields and tall groves of bamboo.

Xia Wu Hao (Good Afternoon)

Often when I ride into places like this I am struck by the realization that it is quite possible that I am the first foreigner that has ever stepped foot here. Certainly, the many looks of astonishment and uncertainty I get speak to the fact that for many of the people I encounter I am the first white person they have seen in person. Just think of that for a moment. I see this as a great privilege to be that person who initiates “first contact.”

I also take seriously my burden of being a good ambassador to the people that I meet. It is important to me that their first encounter with a foreigner is a positive one. It can pave the way for future engagements. I have met people who have had great encounters with other foreigners and I have met people whose encounters have been less than ideal. The difference between their respective reactions to me is both startling and telling. I don’t ever wish to provide the negative experience.

A short time later with a few twists and turns thrown in for good measure, I am deep into a land I have never seen before. Perhaps no one of my kind has. It is so quiet here. So serene and peaceful, and wonderfully beautiful. I pass several villagers, farmers mostly, and greet them all with a cheery “ni hao” (hello) or xia wu hao (good afternoon) and a genuine friendly smile. It is with a sense of awe that I see this world. The great fortune that is bestowed upon me to be able to experience this is not lost upon me. Every returned hello is like a great gift. Every smile received is like unimaginable riches.

The road, which is nothing more than a concrete path not wide enough for a full-sized car, soon twists its way amongst towering bamboo and eventually springs into a wide valley draped on every side by steep tea terraces.

I sit for a few moments and enjoy a snack and some water and soak in the scene before me. Such rich experiences. Such great fortune. At moments like these I feel rich beyond my wildest dreams.

I take a few pictures and head back. Heading home. I have been baking in the hot afternoon sun long enough. There are three tubes of sun cream and one newly purchased spray-can of sunscreen at home and somehow, I can’t seem to manage to remember to take one with me. I will try to remember next time.

Wan Shang Hao (Good Evening)

Quickly I pass by all the people and places that I passed just a short time ago and soon find myself back on the main road. Lots of hellos and waves along the way. The ride home is leisurely save one long sweat busting climb, but soon I am back in the city. Up next is a nice shower, a home cooked meal, and a nice glass of wine with my book on the balcony.

How is it possible that this has become a normal day in my life? How is that something that just a few short years ago I would have considered to be so extraordinary and unimaginable, so unreachable, has become an integral part of my life? I guess I did something right somewhere along the long and winding road that has been my life. I think all it took really, was the audacity to believe in dreams, and the courage to live them. It is indeed a dream.

Until next time.

A Song for the Road: Music From My Cycling Playlist

April 4, 2017 by Pierre 4 Comments

There are many different reasons to ride bike. It may be for enjoyment, or for exercise. It may be for travel, or it may be to pick up a few things at the supermarket. To me it doesn’t really matter what the reason for getting on the bike is. I enjoy them all.
I also like to listen to music when I ride. Not always, but there are times when a good song just livens up the day. And different types of riding have different songs that just suit them to a tee. So, without further ado, that is to say, without my usual long winded circuitous preamble, here is a list of songs I like to listen to when I ride.

1. Jessica- Allman Brothers Band

I am not a big fan of the Allman Brothers but you just have to love Jessica. This instrumental gem is perfect for those days when I am just free wheeling loose and easy through the countryside enjoying the warm spring sun. Rolling hills are nothing when this beauty is blasting, as I rise from the saddle and push right on through maintaining high speeds, even passing the occasional e-Bike. Move over baby, Jessica is coming through.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRDivUb5EeA

2. Barracuda- Heart

This powerful Wilson sisters rock tune is a great song for those days when I am riding for exercise. The adrenaline surge begins with the first notes of the guitar solo intro and kicks into overdrive when I slip my hands into the drops at the opening drum roll. The high tempo drives me to push with my all over hill and through straightaways as my heart races.

In addition to being great for training runs, Barracuda is also a favorite for racing through city traffic, powering through sharp bends and racing like a demon as I weave in and out among the cars and buses that I leave in my wake.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4nWy8pmIM4

Hello Vietnam Cycling — Hoi Van Pass, Da Nang, Vietnam

3. Roam- The B-52’s

A great song for the beginning of a journey of discovery. Found on many “Top Travel Songs” playlists, Roam is a peppy high tempo 80’s tune that just sends me steaming down the highway.
WARNING! Due to it’s somewhat saccharine nature this song may cause severe irritability if consumed at the end of difficult riding days when you had to grind for every kilometer into a strong headwind. Reserve it for the bubbling-with-excitement moments at the beginning of a ride.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNwC0sp-uA4

4. Stealin’- Uriah Heep

This hard rock ‘run for your life’ song from the band that everyone loved to hate is one of my favorites for powering up big hills. The tempo is perfect for rising out of the saddle and attacking those long climbs. Thighs burning, heart racing, music pounding. Cool lyrics too. Stealin’ when I shoulda been buyin’.
Note: Don’t take my love of this song as an admission of any foul play. I don’t know any ranchers. (see lyrics in link to catch my drift)

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRaMwsasl8

5. Take Me Home, Country Roads- John Denver

The perfect companion for a wistful ride through the countryside. This song is ideally suited for blue skies and long winding roads into unexplored territory. And also for those days when maybe you feel just a little homesick for family and friends and a little home cooking. And hey. It’s John Denver, right? The man loved the Muppets. What more can I say?

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTeUdJky9rY

Goodbye Winter — What better way to get to a beautiful place like this than on bike, motivated by a nice song, than ride?

6. Horse with No Name- America

An especially poignant and enjoyable song when I rode through the desert in northwest China last summer. This classic from the 70’s that I first learned while listening to A.M. radio driving back and forth to softball tournaments has long been a favorite. It is a great riding song for any time or climate, but I find it best when I am exploring new places. And yes, after two days in the desert sun my skin certainly did begin to turn red.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2naehMUQpQY

7. Going Up the Country- Canned Heat

The unofficial anthem of Woodstock is a beauty tune for riding. I just love this song when I’m in some open rolling country and can enjoy a sense of freedom as I race into the great unknown. It is almost impossible to stay sitting down when it comes on my playlist. Invariable I rise from the saddle, drop my head, and push my cadence to the highest limit I can. Joyous.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf0Dm-OaTNk

Cyclimng China — Lunch break in a small Chinese village

8. Society- Eddie Vedder

“It’s a mystery to me. We have a greed, to which we have agreed.” I could have picked any number of songs from the Into the Wild soundtrack to add to this list, but I decided to choose this anti-consumerist title to represent the whole. Into the Wild is a movie about an American college grad, Christopher McCandless, who stepped off the usual path we follow through life to one less travelled.

The song speaks to me so vividly as it does because of my own path less travelled that I have been living on these past few years. I no longer own a car and have no desire to ever own one again. Most everything I own that matters to me can fit on my bike. Anything else is disposable.

So, when I am riding and this number comes up on my playlist, I dream. I dream of the next ride into the unknown. I dream, and I plan, and I hope, and I always leave behind something. Things that I don’t need. Things that I have carried too long. There isn’t enough room on the bike for those kinds of things. “I hope you’re not lonely, without me.”

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_0M9-_qDaA

9. L.A. Woman- The Doors

This Doors classic is a natural fit for racing along the highways and bi-ways. Its high tempo is a great pace setter, and the breakdown and build up of the “Mojo Rising” section is perfect for the transition from flat riding to hill climbing. And as the tempo builds again the lyrics are like having Jim Morrison as a personal trainer urging me up the hill as he screams, “gotta keep on risin’. Risin, risin.” Finally, the mojo reaches climax and tumbles back into the first verse once more before racing to the finish. Definitely one of the best riding songs there is.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbfG_-jFDhQ

Cape Breton Cycling — Nothing compares to freewheeling through beautiful countryside

10. De Ushuaia a la Quiaca- Gustavo Santolalla

A beautiful instrumental song from the Motor Cycle Diaries soundtrack. Motor Cycle Diaries is the story of Che Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado and a motorcycle ride they took together through South America in 1952. Guevara was transformed by the extreme poverty and injustice that the indigenous peasantry he encountered on the journey were subjected to. It was this that placed him on the path to becoming a revolutionary.

The entire soundtrack is a masterpiece of Latin American musical sounds, but to me this one is the most beautiful. The title alludes to a section of the journey from Ushuaia to Quiaca, two cities in southern Argentina. Ushuaia happens to be the terminus for the Pan-American cycle journey that I dream of. So, you can imagine what I think of when I am riding and listening to it. But, more than that, it is for me a song of discovery, and a song that highlights the romantic nature of the journey. And when it comes right down to it, as a traveller, I am definitely a romantic.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMSwgG4UOWo

Vietnam Cycling — There is no way that I would rather get here than ride

Cycling Dream Trips: Subject to Change

March 21, 2017 by Pierre 11 Comments

The weather doesn’t exactly inspire dreams of cycling. Thankfully, my book does.

I am sitting on my balcony and looking out into a dense night fog. It is rainy season here in southern China and much of the days and nights are shrouded in the velvet mists that linger on after the rains have come and gone.

Rainy season is a time when things seem to never dry, and if they do manage to dry, it seems to take forever. Laundry can hang outside under shelter for days and still be damp. The ceramic tile in the bathroom always has a sheen of moisture clinging to its cold smooth face. The mirror, steamed by the shower and still glazed hours later, fares little better. Every piece of cardboard and paper in the apartment, from the cereal box in the cupboard, to the book I am currently reading, The Revenge of Geography, has become soft and even soggy from the ravages of moisture. It is a land where rot grows and prospers like rats during plague.

Dream Trip — On the road in Bana Hills Vietnam, February 2016

I know what you might be thinking. The Revenge of Geography? Yep, that’s what I am reading. It is written by Robert D. Kaplan, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a contributing editor at The Atlantic magazine. It is a book that demonstrates how geography has throughout history helped shape and determine the rise and fall of empires. It goes further to propose that even today, when many historical geographic impediments and barriers can be overcome by technology, temporarily at least if not permanently, geography still has a say in the determination of nation states, greatly influencing decisions of foreign policy and international economic strategy.

Dream Rides — Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, BC, Canada Photo Courtesy of wallpaperswide.com

I can imagine how uninteresting this must seem to many of you, but to me it is a wonderfully lively and engaging read. Then again, I have been a geography nut since I was but a young boy in primary school when I got my hands on an old Oxford Canadian School Atlas left at my house by my mother’s brother Eric who was still in high school. My love of geography is what has driven my life of travel. It combines so well with my love of cycling and that is without question my favorite way to see the world.

It is taking me a long time to get through this book mostly because I keep pulling out a map and looking at all the places mentioned in the book and being swept away like I was by the maps of my childhood and youth. The central Asian Steppes, Iranian plateau, the Mediterranean world of southern Europe, North Africa, and the Levant, and a host of other places that give rise to thoughts of amazing places that I have yet to see but for whom my desire has not waned since childhood. If anything, driven by the success of recent travels, that desire has increased.

So, after having said all that, I want to present to you, in no particular order, a short list of my dream bike trips.

Iceland

Iceland is an adventure cycling and photography dream come true. Whether it’s the majestic falls and canyon at Gullfoss, the dreamy Blue Lagoon hot spring and spa, or Vatnajokull National Park, a glacier whose name seems to command the old Norse gods themselves, amazement abounds in every corner of the country. And with Route 1, or the Ring Road, circling the entire island it is perfect for a summer of touring and camping. There are plenty of official campsites to take refuge in and many unofficial ones also. The high northerly latitude makes for long days with daylight stretching late into the evenings which means lots of hours in a day to make some mileage cycling. My heart skips a beat just thinking about it. I wish I could go right now!

Silk Road

I was fortunate last summer to ride a small part of the Silk Road in northwestern China. Rather than slake my appetite for this dream ride, it only served to drive me crazy with thirst.

The Silk Road was not one road but many. It was a network of trade routes that were central to the economic and cultural exchange at all stops between the Asian far East and the Mediterranean. It is upon these routes that Marco Polo travelled from his Italian home across central Asia to the courts of the Khan in China. In fact, Marco Polo once visited my small Chinese home city of Jianou. A statue of him stands proudly in a park only a short walk from my apartment. Just one more thing to drive that wanderlust of mine into overdrive.

My preferred route along the Silk Road would be the one that starts in Istanbul, Turkey. From there it would be a ride across the country exiting it in the east into Iran. From Iran, my route would take me northeast through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and into Tajikistan. In Tajikistan, I would continue the route along the Pamir Highway which would take me into Kyrgyzstan. The Pamir Highway is considered by many travelers to be the last real wild frontier and is considered the Holy Grail of cycling adventures.

In Kyrgyzstan, I would cross the border into China near the ancient city of Kashgar. From there it would be a sweeping, gently arching ride to the northeast through the Taklamakan Desert before the arch turns over and plunges like a blade through the heart of China eventually arriving at the sea in the southeast.

What an epic adventure this trip would be. I only hope some day that I can place my tires on this route and see the many amazing places along its breadth. It gives me cold shivers just thinking about it.

Cross Canada

I happen to believe that I am from one of the greatest countries in the world. It’s beauty and people are unmatched anywhere, so how could a west to east ride across my home not be on this list.

The preferred way to ride this mammoth country is west to east, due to the prevailing winds of summer . What better way to begin than by riding through beautiful British Colombia with the majestic Rockies providing highlight after highlight. From here it is a whip across the Prairies, the breadbasket of Canada. The journey would then cut through the Canadian shield in northern Ontario, down into Quebec, and into the Maritimes. From there it is a ferry crossing to my home province of Newfoundland and Labrador. What better way to end an incredible journey than arriving at your home town. I can’t think of one.

Namib Desert, Namibia

The Namib Desert in south western Africa is one of the most sere and unforgiving places on the face of the earth. It is the oldest desert in the world and a place of much incredible beauty and a dream adventure cycling route.

Whether it is the Gondwana Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world, Namib Naukluft Park where the red dunes of Sossusvlei push right to the oceans edge along the infamous Skeleton Coast, or the chance to safari in Etosha National Park and see lions, rhinos, leopards, and elephants, there are many things to arouse great excitement. Man, I am never going to sleep tonight!

North to South: A Cycling Odyssey

Simply put, this would be a 30,000 kilometer multi year journey that would start at Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, and conclude in Ushuaia, Argentina overlooking the Magellan Straight. It would pass through at least 12 countries and provide such beautiful views that I can scare imagine, or hold my heart in my chest when I think of it. Taking on a route of such enormity is an intimidating prospect, but what stories would the traveler have after such a journey as this.

Vietnam

I love Vietnam. It may be my favorite place in the whole world. I have visited twice and on the second trip, I spent 10 days cycling through the central region. That 10 days ranks as one of my favorite trips. There are several stories on the website about that trip such as the one about riding what I call “The Hello Highway.” http://pierretrowbridge.com/riding-the-hello-highway-1051-2/

But there is so much more to see in Vietnam. I would cherish the opportunity to ride along the Mekong Delta, or the terraces of Sapa and meet the people there and capture their lives in photos. I also have an interest in more obscure places like Dien Bien Phu which is where the demise of French Colonial control of the country began in stunning and demoralizing fashion. Then, there are great natural wonders such as the Caves at Pha Nong-Ke Bang or the great sand dunes at Mui Ne, and Halong Bay. And of course, my beloved Danang that I love so dearly.

So, that would be my top 6 dream cycling trips. There are many, many more rides that I could think of that would stoke the fires of my imagination as these do. If you ask me again in a month or so, the list will probably be different. So, honorable mention must go to New Zealand’s South Island, Morocco, cycling a classic Tour de France route, South East Asia, the Karakoram Highway, and a route that would follow the development of Christianity from it’s earliest days in Palestine to the extremity of its reach in western Europe (In addition to a geography nerd, I am also a religious studies nerd, having majored in the discipline at university.)

Wait a minute. How is cycling New Zealand not in the top 6? Hmm. I will have to get back to you. Until next time.

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