to "Coliseum" campsite: yurts everywhere

July 28, 2016

“It’s a coliseum of mountains” Jo says as we find a campsite surrounded by mountains. We’ve followed the Gulcha river downstream all day, first climbing, then going downhill fighting a headwind, and rain.

Our breakfast is ready at 7:00 am. In addition to us and Jo, there are three German and one Dutch cyclist staying at the guesthouse. Two Germans are headed the same way we are, to Osh, the Dutch and one German are headed to Kashgar, China. The border is only a day’s cycling from here.

Out of Sary-Tash we have to climb over a double pass, with the promise of the reward of a long downhill towards Gulcha. Then one more pass into Osh. The first pass is a long slog, 8% grade but it is on smooth asphalt. The hillsides are bright green; cows, horses and sheep everywhere. After we reach the summit at about 8km there is a short but steep downhill. Children are selling plastic bottles with fermented horsemilk by the roadside. The kids are great, they just speak enough English to ask “what is your name?” and want their pictures taken.

The second climb is harder, a headwind has started up and is trying to push us back. At 15km we reach this summit. The view is great, the road switchbacks down into a steep valley. We’ve seen this image on several other cyclists’ blogs, but have to take our own photos. After a short food break, the wind is blowing hard and cold, we descend to the Gulcha river, and start following this river through a green valley full of yurts and “wagon-houses”. The wagons look like they were pulled out here by soviet trucks, then left to slowly fall apart. Some have lost their wheels and are sitting on stone walls or just some blocks. Children are everywhere and come running to the road once they spot us. Some shout a couple of words of English, some hold out their hands for “high-fives”.

The wind picks up and we have a horrendous headwind for about 15km. The road drops steadily downhill but we ride in a pace-line pushing hard to keep moving. There is one 8% climb of 1 km, the strong wind pushing Rachel going slowly in the wrong direction, she walks. Only a few other short hills. All the signs for uphill are 8%, Rachel wonders if that’s true or that is the only hill sign available. After another lunch break in a bus stall the wind subsides, but it starts to rain. We make much better time in the steady but soft rain. The road continually crosses the river and each crossing is signposted.

At about 75km, we stop at a restaurant to have a warm meal. It appears we might be camping in the rain tonight and we don’t feel like cooking. We order, but the brusque owner has her own ideas on what we should eat. When we do not order one of the dishes she had pointed out, she seems annoyed and retreats to the kitchen. A little later we get our meal, including the dish we did not order…. It all tastes great, a soup with large chunks of beef and a potato eaten with bread. Two dishes with some kind of dumpling filled with meat and onion.

Outside the restaurant is a water source where people are filling up their bottles. We fill up our waterbag and ride another 4km. The new road goes over a slight hill, while the old road is still visible lower following the river a bit closer. Just below the old road is a plateau where we pitch our tents mostly out of sight of the road. Like in Tajikistan, we are not too concerned about staying hidden, typically at least one or two herders walk by just before sunset. (Today as well). Jo has been breaking spokes in his newly built rear wheel (don’t buy a new wheel in Dushanbe, that guy is a hack). We replace the spokes, tighten and true the rest of the wheel.

Just as we are finishing our coffee dark clouds appear and a good rainstorm breaks. We retreat back into the tent after another good day of cycling.