-
- Between 2008-2012, I have accumulated thousands of kilometers and hours
exploring the South Korean peninsula. Although politically and geographically land-
locked between North Korea and the turquoise waters of the northeastern Pacific
Ocean, I've successfully completed numerous cycling adventures in South Korea,
as well as, independent expeditions across western China and Outer Mongolia.
Looking back to 2009
From Gangneung City, Gangwon-do where I live with my family, I have ridden to
Busan, Gyeongsannam-do Province (5 times in 2009 alone, 20 days, 2000km)
meeting other cyclists while out riding.
I have bicycled from Seoul to Gangneung through Seoraksan National Park. I have
cycled from Seoul to Andong to Daegu, I have cycled from Ansan to Daecheon Beach
Boryeong and Byeongsanbando National Park. I have cycled many places in between
on simple bicycles.
I have cycled on Deokjeokdo Island, I have competed in the Korea Randonneur SBS
(Seoul-Busan-Seoul) 1000km, 75 hour bicycle endurance race (finishing 478km in 26
hours*), I will return to the event in 2012 and make a second attempt.
Pursuing an interest in cycling and promoting the activity here in South Korea, I have
built a website dedicated to Cycling in Korea, it's called the Korean-World.
Every month, approximately 3000 international guests visit this adventure blog,
enjoy free updates about adventure cycling, expeditions, all packed with ideas to
launch other expeditions. I intend to share all this information and links to many of
my favorite blogs, linking other explorers and adventurers free of charge.
Details of the expedition, HimalayasX2011:
3200km/1800miles by bicycle, 500km by hitchhiking, 3240km by standing-room only train*, 1028km bus*
7968km of extreme travel with a bicycle, train, bus.
I encountered local cultures, languages, food, transportation and used old paper maps as navigation.
This was not an expedition about crossing the longest distances (world circumnavigation riders have done all that).
Body weight: before expedition= 95kg. completing expedition= 70kg.
Objectives of this expedition were about:
*learning to document expedition travel in a journal
*learning to record video and photos that can illustrate, as well as educate from life experiences on the road
*to experience places that I have seen through maps;
*to experience some of the world's best desert highways, mountain routes while challenging the terrain, climate,
topography and elevations (above 4000 meters)
*learn to ride a bicycle self-sustained for an extended journey without ride support, backups, or sag wagons.
*to raise awareness of several, non-profit organizations
*to build networks with other explorers and share
*to prepare for future expeditions
*to live to face my inner fears, overcome physical and mental challenges and
to live my dreams while on an independent journey.
Travel Route:
Starting from South Korea, I crossed the Sea from the Incheon ferry terminal on a
passenger ferry to Tianjin (30 hours), after I cycled through Beijing, visited the
Summer Palace and Forbidden City, and Chairman Mao's mausoleum, and made new
friendships with many Chinese and found help from other international people while
visiting the capital of China.
I bought a train ticket for Urumqi, Xinjiang/Uyghur Autonomous Region and stood
with my bicycle for 36 hours (3240km), the overcrowded train ticket cost 50,000
Korean Won, an alternative to a 1,500,000won flight to Urumqi airport from Korea.
Finally, I arrived at the start of the cycling expedition, Urumqi, Xinjiang/Uyghur
Autonomous Region of western China. From Urumqi, I immediately started out cycling
in the open desert highways.
From the city of Urumqi, you enter the Borohoro ranges of the Tian Shan Mountains,
these high deserts contain rivers winding through the giant sand colored mountains,
complete with camels walking these tracts, both roads and rivers to the locals.
After crossing the Tian Shan ranges, it's desert again in continuum. I managed to ride
the G314 Karakoram Highway which runs parallel to the original route still used by
locals, a bumpy route, but not the worst in the area.
Along the highway, there were long stretches without settlements or villages.
If you needed water, it was best to ask passerby's on the highway, which is why I
stayed close to this route.
I met two Chinese friends before crossing the Tian Shan, and I promised to visit their
families in Korla, this happened to be a great diversion for the expedition.
More deserts and finally the oasis that is Korla, a mixture of Uyghur and Chinese
cultures, a mixture of foods, music, languages, and development projects, a new and
old city, modernizing in China today.
Once the weekend passed by in Korla, it was a long ride back to the Tian Shan, to
reach Luntai. This is the last official Uyghur settlement entering the Taklamakan
Desert (455km after Luntai/552km from Luntai to Mimfeng).
The exit to the Taklamakan Desert was reached in 5 days, 552km, 6 pieces of Nan
bread, 1 bowl of noodles (cooked at a well station), oatmeal, raisins, apricots, H2O
It doesn't take much to cross the desert with only a small food supply, it's definitely
enough. It's hot and dry, it requires patience and planning to be out in the sun, or
taking cover under a sign post in the middle of the day, under a survival blanket on
the side of the road, sleeping in a pump station, or napping under the sunlight on the
side of the road, which road was it?
The Tarim Desert Highway was built and maintained by Sinopec and China Petro, and
the purpose to keep the oil coming out of the ground.
There are 108 wells across 552km of the Taklamakan desert, although the water
causes bowel irritation (nothing stays inside believe me, this would explain the small
ration of Nan bread), H2O provides basic hydration.
The Taklamakan Desert is a relatively flat landscape, but you will ride over rolling hills.
At night, the sandstorms would whisk across the desert floor and flat treacherously
against the thin walls of the tent.
I enjoyed my time in the desert, and went on to ride the G315 Southern Silk Road,
through some amazing villages and towns along with the Uyghur cultures that have
flourished there since centuries ago.
After Yecheng, I leave civilization and the G315 and follow the S219 towards the
Himalayas.
This section of highway had all disappeared into a collosal road construction project
when I arrived here, I navigated on the stone and dirt tracks, dodging transport
trucks and heavy machinery run by sun-baked road construction workers.
Everywhere along this route was dusty, dry, but the people I encountered were
friendly. Further up in the mountains, I hitch hiked with mining workers and spent a
night sleeping at their camp. I repaired my rear wheel, already cracking from the
elevation changes, hard road conditions, and weight of the panniers.
As I reached the Himalayas of Xinjiang Province, China on my own, it was one of the
greatest moments in my life.
The expedition continued from Cudi Mountain of the Himalayas to Kashgar, where I
flew out to Chengdu, Sichuan Province to begin the second stage of the expedition.
Independent travel has been restricted in Tibet for many years, making the journey
either dangerous or illegal according to the Chinese officials that govern there.
The HimalayasX2011 expedition was completed in less than 60 days, an independent
expedition, self-supported and self-sponsored too. The expedition wasn't about
setting a world record for cycling, it was intended to become an educational journey
supporting several non-profit foundations that are involved in community
development, good will missions, and charity.
While living and teaching English in Korea, cycling has become more than a hobby, it
is a living adventure that is continually growing and challenging me.
Brian Perich - Explorer, Adventurer, Teacher, Father.
- RECENT ACTIVITY
- RECENT ACTIVITY
Navigation
- TransCanada Trek 2021 "ToTheRockTour" 2021
- Exploring ICELAND by Bicycle 2016
- My Mongolian Expeditions
- Mongolia X 2012
- To The Rock Tour 2013
- Mongolia Reloaded
- Himalayas X 2011
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- Zen Cycling
- Cycling in Korea Images
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- Inspiration Zone!
- Sponsors
- Pamirs Expedition
Sunday, November 6, 2011
HimalayasX2011, Western China Expedition supporting IDEAS & ETE [stage one, Urumqi, Tian Shan Mountains, Taklamakan Desert, Karakoram, Himalayas]
Ted Simon Foundation
About the Korean-World Author
Brian has completed his second mountain bike journey, MongoliaX expedition - Crossing Mongolia 2012, an unsupported mountain bike MTB expedition across 2500km of Outer Mongolia from Ulanbaatar to Altai Taven-Bogd National Park bordering China, Russia and Mongolia.
In 2013, as a sequel to a trilogy of cycle tours, Brian enjoyed a more leisure bicycle tour onboard his Koga-Miyata World Traveller seeing the northern tier of the United States and western Canada covering 3400 kilometers / 2000 miles in 30 days. This North American cycle tour was called Totherocktour. Enjoying the adventure of bicycle travel and every great conversation started while traveling on the road - has refueled his inspirations to cycle around the Earth. In 2013, while he cycled solo from the Great Lake State of Michigan, United States to Banff National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. He weaved through local communities and reconnected with friends, family and community after spending almost a decade in Asia.
Brian is now supporting several non-profit foundations through expeditions: IDEAS Foundation of Canada IDEAS is the acronym for Intestinal Disease Education and Awareness Society which supports the IBD community, those suffering from IBD-inflammatory bowel disease, also known as Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis.
Thanks for visiting my Journal from Asia
Brian's friends have also been...Cycling in Korea!
Cycling in Korea, Warning: always wear a helmet! (I gave mine to my friend)
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