Tibet 2006

Some news about the situation in Tibet and the routes leading there. All below info is from cyclists who have been there recently. Some I have met personally, some have mailed me.

• Xinjiang Highway
  Seems to be no problems there at all. Some bikers have been stopped at the checkpoint in Kudie, but only for a passport and visa check.
   
• The East - Yunnan/Sichuan to/from Lhasa
  The rules there seems to change all the time and at times it seems like there are no rules and all action from the PSB is carried out on a random basis.
  Some have been arrested, held, questioned and sometimes sent back or/and fined in: Baxoi, Zogang, Bomi and Bayi. Also one couple was stopped in Markam when trying to go to Lhasa from there.
  Keep a low profile and don't stay overnight in any city. I would be careful also in; Gongbo Gyamda, Nyinchi and Rawu. Maybe nothing happens to you, but better play it safe. The situation is 100% unpredictable.
   
• Golmud Highway
  Here's the year's surprise!
  The Golmud Highway has always been the safest way to enter Tibet. Not anymore it seems like. I got this mail 2006 08 29.

RIDICOULOS!!!!

The Austrian/Japanese couple was stopped 10 or so Km before the Kunlun
pass..... Then escorted back to Golmud, riding with a black car following,
must be shit. They folllowed them all the way to Golmud, ok, the last 50 Km
a second car came and they had to put the bike on it and go to Golmud.

to the Foreigners enter Tibet reception center... the name already. There
interviews, 4 hours, they hadn't entered Tibet yet, but even the plan is
illegal...... then they wanted to check the luggage, they said ok, we want
to call the embassy, so after calling the big boss they decided that
checking the luggage maybe wasn't necessary.

Ridicoulous! So now they are cracking down on Golmud-Lhasa?????? With cars,
not checkpoints, they were stopped by a normal car. If it's checkpoints ok,
but with cars.... almost impossible... Have you heard anything about that?
Railway thing I guess, or maybe just normal developpment. Ok, I can KIND of
understand them not wanting people coming in from Kashgar or Yunnan, but
fucking Golmud? Easy ride, 700 chinese do it every year, if you have health
problems it's not too difficult to get out again. Fucking joke, better go
there and smash some faces!!! Ok, no problem for you since you go in through
the Chang Tang anyway..... Might be the only way left soon if they continue
like that! Morons!

The master better.

I also met a person who had been stopped at the checkpoint about 30km out of Golmud. He wasn't brought back to the "Tibetan Reception Center", but he was told to cycle back. He passed the checkpoint later that night and had no problems on his way to Lhasa. Telling from the mail, he may have been lucky. Mobile checkpoints is really no fun.