Hin's 2nd C.O.U.N.T. 1,000,000 steps (Sep 3rd – 26th, 2010)

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2. Booming start!

Thean Hin Ooi <ooithin@gmail.com>  Mon, Sep 6, 2010 at 12:11 PM

Finished the Sanguankou track yesterday.

This journey is turning out to be an adventure.

Missed my planned feast at the world famous "Chen mapo towfoo" in Chengdu because the "Now everyone can fly Xtra long" delayed my trip by 9 Xtra long hours. Was supposed to arrive at 13:40 but instead got into Chengdu at 22:40hrs.

Got to Zhongning (world renowned wolfberry - guoxiwang) on Sep2 and met up with my guide and travel companion - an angry young British HongKongese man in a hurry).
 

03/09/10. 11:50 – 14:30.  Blocked from getting to Point1 : 37 43 12.2N 10 46 37.8E (about 40km NE of Zhongning), and decided to go to 37 31 10.8N 105 33 27.3E (1km from Tianjia Wazi, Ningxia) and started @11:50, hiked the Qing GW. Finished @14:30 at Yushu Xia, Zhongning village. (7.8km). Stayed the night at Qingtongxa.

Sep3 started for Point1 of the Sgk track and was greeted with booming sound (gun salutes?) in the distance. Walked towards the wall and 200m before, was confronted by 3 young PLA (People's Liberation Army) soldiers blocking my way - the whole area is cordoned off for military exercise (to celebrate anniversary of China's liberation from Japan?). Even taking off my cap and showing my "1Malaysia army crew cut" couldn't persuade them to let me thru. (Najib must do a better job on his next China visit). Well it did generate some empathy but these young boys couldn't make the decision.

We then backtrack to Zhongwei (near my last year's track) and managed a 7.8km (13,997 steps) hike. On the way back to the nearest hotel, car was stopped for 2 hours by the Ningxia police. Apparently over the guide's car registration and boundary permits - was eventually sorted out, very much the Malaysian "you help me, I help you" way.

Decided to skip Pt1 and resume walk from Pt2 the following day, hoping that the military exercise does not extend to there.
 

04/09/10. 08:00 – 16:05.  Started at 37 56 38.3N 105 47 55.1E (12 km from Qingtongxa) – 38 10 11.03N 105 46 8.81E (16km from Huangyicun), right inside the Helanshan windfarm. 30.7km.

Sep4: Got near Pt2 and the car stalled (fuse problem), took a ride from a passing car and started the hike. Could hear the canons and guns behind me and my guide told me to look out for the PLA. I'm to take off my bright green T-shirt (better still go naked so that I can blend into the brown wall) and walk behind the wall on the Mongolian side.

Saw motorbike track and fingers crossed that it's not the PLA scout - could I stand up to the PLA with my 1Malaysia walking stick (Najib?). Went on without much incident (barely any soul on the wall - sorry, there were souls along the scattered tombs). On nearing the Helan Windmill farm (my stop - Pt3), 3 platoons of soldiers suddenly appear, each carrying the distinct red flag, charging and throwing grenades at imaginary enemies. I quickly ducked and scrambled across to the Mongolian side and sneaked away.

Eventually I reached the Helan Windmill farm to the welcome of the waving giant fan turbines     (hundreds of them, each capable of generating megawatts of electricity). As it turned out, the farm has accommodation, so we decided to stay the night here after walking 46,468 steps.
 

05/09/10. 06:30 – 19:00.  Helan Windmill Farm – Hei Zha Zi Wan. To Yinchuan for the night.

Sep5: Started at 6:30am and said goodbye to the waving fan turbines. Took a diversion and followed the wall up the Helan Mountain to an elevation of 1,542m. What a climb, what a sight, what a scary scale down the slopes of loose rocks and shales - slipped a few times. Came back down and resume the hike along the wall reached Pt4 at 17:30. Climbed up to the mountain sentry point of Sanguankou (3 passes gate) at a height of 1,757. The rain and thunder came and had to quickly descend, was soaked right thru. One could see the 3 passes and just beyond (on the China side) was a huge flat plain. This was the point where Ghengis Khan crossed and overran China. This was also the point where the Mongols came and sacked the Western Xia Empire in year 1227. The Xia dynasty lasted 190 years with 10 kings and the only trace of this great empire was the Emperors mausoleum with 9 huge tombs.

Managed 62,207 steps and this complete the Sgk track.

06/09/10: Taking the day off, allowing the guide to fix up his car before embarking on the next track.

Until the next change, when I completed the 114km Yanchi track ... cheerio and all the very best.

Regards,
Hin

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