Here Be Elephants

You can view fullscreen mode by clicking here

All of the following days were spent on the 213.

2010.10.22
Cities: Yuanjiang to Farmhouse
Distance: 15.2 miles
Total Ascent: 2170 feet
Avg Speed: 5 MPH

We set off around 1 pm today since we had to wait for laundry. The ascent was very steep which was compounded by heat. We were fortunate to find a very pleasant guesthouse / farmhouse on the side of the road before collapsing.

2010.10.23
Cities: Farmouse to Mojiang
Distance: 32 miles
Total Ascent: 2279 feet
Avg Speed: 5.8 MPH

Again, a lot of this involved a very steep ascent. There were a few 5-10 km descents but it’s mostly uphill. Mojiang can be easily identified by the mosque on a hill to the northeast as you enter.

2010.10.24
Cities: Mojiang to Tonguan
Distance: 43 miles
Total Ascent: 3373 feet
Avg Speed: 6.2 MPH

This day began with a good uphill stretch followed by a very long (20-ish km?) descent into a village called Tong’ai Qiao (there’s a bridge crossing a fairly large river at this point). Then it’s 26 km straight up a mountain to get to Tongguan, a miserable place.

2010.10.25
Cities: Tongguan to Babian
Distance: 18.6 miles
Total Ascent: 294 feet
Avg Speed: 9.2 MPH

Practically downhill (or flat along a river) all the way, we used this essentially as a day off after the intense climb the previous afternoon. Babian was a much more pleasant village in which to stay.

2010.10.26
Cities: Babian to Ning’er
Distance: 32 miles
Total Ascent: 2133 feet
Avg Speed: 7.1 MPH

Great road for the first half.. it follows a river or the expressway with gentle uphill and downhills. Second half as of October 2010 is a nightmare. The expressway wasn’t finished yet so you join the rest of the heavy truck and bus traffic on a single lane highway. It’s a fairly solid 15 km climb until dropping another 8 km into Ning’er (guessing on those numbers). Was raining for us and the traffic in China can be terrifying. Ning’er was previously known as Pu’er so the locals and the signage can be confused.

2010.10.27
Cities: Ning’er to Pu’er
Distance: 31.2 miles
Total Ascent: 1875 feet
Avg Speed: 6.5 MPH

We took what we thought on the map was labelled as the S102 in order to avoid the hell on the 213 we experienced the day before. Milestones on the road claimed we were still on the 213. The road was small and completely destroyed by trucks building the new expressway.. nearly entirely dirt, mud, and rocks. After 12 miles, it joined a larger road and the rest of the traffic… also claiming to be the 213. The conditions were identical to the day before. Decent climb followed by a 8 km downhill into Pu’er. Prior to 2007 Pu’er was known as Simao. Many locals still consider it such.