Tian Shan

The Route:


A long climb to start with. Actually one of the longest in China and therefore also in the world. Good asphalt and little traffic all the way. Some bumpy gravel roads, but mostly good road conditions. Lots of aggressive dogs in parts, arm yourself with rocks and don't expect any help from the nomadic population, even if they see you're under attack (strange...). There are never a day without possibillities to buy some food. Water is usually plenty. Beautiful landscape all along the route.

Graph:
wpe27.gif (7911 byte)

Distance Altitude Km Markers Comment
0 910 Wulumuchi Airport
38 1120 Bridge
48 1260 x
51 1295 The Center of Asia
52 1305 Sardaban Xian
58 1405 x
61 1455 707 Small city
68 1590 713 x
75 1670 720 x
83 1770 728 TO
85 1790 730 x
90 1835 735 canyon starts
95 1970 740 end canyon
98 1965 743 mil camp, multiple to's
105 2060 750 what a view!
107 2070 752 hell! Everything
111 2135 756 even worse? Everything + gas station
115 2205 760 difficult to find campspots
119 2385 764 x
120 2350 765 x
125 2445 770 x
135 2775 780 steeper
136 2855 781 no more asphalt
137 2895 782 x
138 2955 783 x
139 3035 784 x
140 3100 785 from here on: good camping + water
141 3170 786 x
142 3210 787 x
143 3270 788 x
144 3325 789 x
145 3385 790 x
146 3470 791 x
147 3510 792 x
148 3535 793 x
149 3600 794 rest. Glaciology station
150 3650 795 switchbacks starts for real, NO more camping!
151 3685 796 x
152 3755 797 x
153 3820 798 x
154 3870 799 x
155 3915 800 x
156 3965 801 x
157 4005 802 possible to camp on ridge east side of pass!
160 3845 805 x
165 3570 810 from 407 camp poss.
170 3325 815 416 rcc
175 3145 820 x
180 2920 825 village, nothing
185 2755 830 to to right switchback climb, looks interesting!
187 2700 832 to to the left, good road.
188 2675 833
192 2605 837
205 2300 850
215 2090 860
225 1920 870
231 1860 864/551 Balgontai, everything
242 2050 540 X
252 2305 530 X
262 2625 520 X
272 3025 510 X
274 3075 508 Only fragments of asphalt from here on
282 3160 500 X
287 3310 495 Pass, steeper last 2 km
292 3160 490 X
302 3110 480 X
310 3060 472 RCC
312 3035 470 X
322 2915 460 X
325 2875 457 LP
330 2915 452 Rest, shop
331 2920 451 HP
342 2685 440 X
345 2660 437 X
347 2640 435 X
356 2700 426 River/Bridge
362 2655 420 X
372 2665 410 X
376 2660 406 Vill, rest, shop, TO
378 2655 404 X
382 2770 400 X
386 2955 396 Bridge
390 3070 392 Pass
402 2595 380 X
412 2215 370 Asphalt
418 2090 364 Town, everything
427 1945 355
442 1875 340
450 1670 332/776 TO
454 1765 780 X
459 2020 785 X
464 2205 790 X
469 2395 795 X
474 2545 800 X
479 2695 805 Passmarker
480,5 2685 806,5 Passmarker
485 2555 811 Flattens out
492 2495 818 TO
507 2445 833 Bayanbulak, everything
513 2425 839 LP
524 2485 850 X
534 2495 860 X
554 2455 880 Bridge TO
564 2560 890 X
571 2595 897 Rest, shop, leaving the plains
574 2615 900 X
584 2710 910 X
594 2860 920 X
599 2920 925 X
604 3040 930 X
607 3165 933 Tunnel start
609 3190 935 Talamat tunnel/pass
614 2925 940 X
620 2615 946 End/start switchbacks
624 2485 950 X
628 2410 954 Dalong town
632 2455 958 Big Dragon Lake
633 2380 959 Little Dragon Lake
637 2160 963 Korgan, rest, Switchbacks
666 1805 992 Shops, rest
674 1715 1000 X
676 1715 1002 Yaxkhotan, rest, shops
683 1660 1009 Agi, gas station
699 1530 1025 Tian Shan "Grand Mysterious Canyon" tourist resort
717 1435 1043 Agi Xian
728 1555 1054 Gas station, rest, shop
740 1400 1066 TO to Aksu
749 1285 1075 Devil's Gorge Xaldarang
760 1120 1086 Oasis town of Xamalbag