Damage in transit
We reach Golmud, Qinghai Province, having spent three days on the train. Since we have arrived ‘at altitude’ comparatively quickly, we decide to rest for three or four days to acclimatize.
Gansu came and went. The bikes are now in our room at the Golmud Hotel. Some damage in transit. My headset lost a few bearings. We'll stay here for a few days and acclimatize. Then we're off to conquer the big pass: 15,910-foot Kunlun Pass (pronounced "koon-loon"). It is about 160 kilometers south of us. Issues of the moment: Get a permit to enter Tibet. Find ball bearings. Buy hats, sunshades, gloves and surgical masks. Sort all the gear and prepare packages for Lhasa and Beijing.