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From July 28 to August 4, 2025, from Duku Mountain Road to Ürümqi
Storming the Tian Shan
July 28th we leave our camp after a rather unsettled night of rain and wind. We begin the climb to the second peak of the Tian Shan mountain located at 3500m. After 6 hours of effort we set up our tent at about 3100m. The day has been difficult and we are tired. Some very kind Chinese people offer us food.
We continue the ascent of the Tian Shan the following day. A very long climb with lots of cars. We go through another tunnel, to arrive a second time at 3500m. The spectacle is beautiful, we are surrounded by snow-capped peaks that culminate at over 5000m. After immortalizing this moment, we attack the descent for about 50km. It is quite impressive with many switchbacks. You have to be careful because the slope is steep and on a bike it goes very quickly.
We’ll end our day 30km further down and settle into a yurt located near a restaurant. The atmosphere created by the restaurant owner is festive. There we meet Hugo, a French cyclist, and about ten Chinese cyclists, including Jiang. A very quiet night in the middle of nowhere, with no internet or electricity from midnight.
New 50km descent
Wednesday, July 30th, a nice photo shoot before leaving the Chinese cyclists we met the day before. We have one more small climb, the last of the Tian Shan, during the climb we are joined by Jiang, a Chinese cyclist. A new and final descent of 50km and we end the day in the town of Dushanzi. We settle into a small hostel reserved for locals.
Endless police checks.
The following days we continued driving with Jiang towards the large city of Ürümqi. The road was fairly ordinary with a lot of traffic. For three days we alternated between small roadside restaurants, where we were the main attraction each time, and hotels where we slept.
Little happens during these three days, apart from the sometimes interminable police checks in the hotels where we stop. The checks are also combined with not-so-discreet surveillance during the day. Police officers regularly follow us for hours, a few hundred meters away and with their flashing lights on. We finally reach Ürümqi after three days.
Ürümqi big city
Ürümqi is a very large city with nearly 5 million inhabitants. A new city, and like all those seen previously, it’s an open-air construction site. Hundreds of towers are under construction, endless avenues, and very heavy traffic. We take the metro, which is exemplarily clean and ultra-modern, to visit the city and its large bazaar. A very typical Chinese place. A bazaar where everything is in order and it’s clean. The crowd is mainly Chinese.
All metro passengers are screened by security gates at each entrance. Although the system is tedious, it’s very reassuring. People demonstrate exemplary patience and discipline.
We meet Alina, a Chinese woman with whom we learn a lot about the organization of her country, a very rich moment of sharing.
Met :
- Jiang with whom we rode for several days
- Hugo, a cyclist, is constantly cycling around the world. To support himself, he works as a cabinetmaker whenever he needs money.
- A group of Chinese cyclists traveling around the country.
Our journey: We covered 435 km over the past 7 days. You can follow our journey continuously by clicking on this link or by consulting the map on our blog.
Did you know: In China, having a child out of wedlock is illegal. This can be punishable by a fine at birth and subsequent deprivation of certain administrative rights. However, with the decline in the birth rate in China, this rule is changing for the better.
