Steffi's China - Part Three - Wonder Wall
What do paper money, the compass and fireworks all have in common? Well they're all marvellous things to have come out of China. And you get the impression there's more to come, especially for the bike industry. Officially closed to foreign visitors until 1974, China now seems on the verge of a tourism explosion... currently the third most visited place in the world. There's so much to see, so much opportunity and so many interesting, friendly people. Pinkbike only had 10 days to strike the mountain bike gold with Steffi and while we found the good stuff (further evidenced this episode) it was a big regret we didn't have longer to cover all the spots we were hearing about across the land. Nevertheless, here we are lucky enough to be riding mountain bikes in China one last time, in the final installment of our grand adventure scoping out the many wonders of the Orient...
So from our Beijing stronghold we headed northwest, stopping a little short of Inner Mongolia at a mighty ski resort in the making. Currently with one solitary lift, Chongli aims to have 22 before you can say 'Shénshèng de gǒu shǐ ' (holy sh*t) and a plethora of upmarket hotels to back up the development. It is massively remote, a stone's throw from absolutely nowhere. And well, it seemed our visit was in the nick of time before the place went into hibernation for a long winter.
 |
 |
 | I didn't know 3 hours north of Beijing we would feel so close to the eskimos! Deep snow, poisonous animals and I didn't bring my thermals...or snake bite antidote- Steffi |
 |
'Through the clouds'... Great trail name, but there were none to fog our lenses on this bluebird day. We'd heard too many over the top warnings of the cold so far on our trip to take them seriously and were glad to have been travelling light... until this point. Chongli was absolutely far-gone polar and all that crying wolf left us in shorts and rain jackets in an arctic tundra.
Anyway, one good thing is how at this point on a journey like this you suddenly become aware of the amazing bond of professionalism that has developed between rider and photographer. A genuine respect...You're doing your job... I'm doing mine. A sense of 'we're nearly there; lets focus and see it through, behaving in as streamlined a manner as possible.'
 |
 |
 Professionalism at 50%. |
 |
 |
| 'Through the Clouds' is a legit downhill track; the longest and best made of anything we had discovered on our mission so far. The course begins with beautiful, flowing switchbacks out in the open and impressive views over the eerie terrain below. The lie of the land in this area, north of the Great Wall, is predominantly shallow peaks covered in long grass and great swathes of birch forest at lower altitudes.Thankfully the resort owner at Chongli is keen to have the biking keep a bit of buzz on his mountain through the summer months and has been greatly encouraging of all two-wheeling. Karen Zhang will run the Pinkbike Downhill Series here next year and it will feature as the longest track on the menu by some way. |
 |
| Steffi's upbringing in BMX shows through on the Oriental dirt as she pumps and airs, Olympic style. Chongli is as smooth as you like and despite big patches of snow it was actually super grippy and awesome fun to ride flat out. And it's a good couple of kilometers long. You wouldn't call it hugely challenging by Euro or North American standards, but it's hardly been touched after just a single race, so there's not a rut to be found on it. |
 |
 |
| Steffi swoops in, full trust for that treacherous, icy, white strip on the entry. Lower down the track meets the birch forest and tightens up significantly, before shooting out into the open again for a rocky last descent back to the lift station. |
 |
| I can't imagine a better first day of winter. Riding across the frost with no people for hundreds of miles around. It was like carving big turns on skis down the countless switchbacks! A few more tracks like this at Chongli and the bikers will start to outnumber the skiers in future seasons! Steffi |
 |
 |
| The metro in the capital is unbelievable... quiet, clean and easily navigated for 32 cents for as long a journey as your heart desires. Having said that, it may desire getting off a stop early as the pressure from being crushed by people starts to shut down your vital organs. All the bustle and madness of Beijing center was the antithesis of the peaceful lifestyle we had become accustomed to so far on our journey... Chongli, Dalian and particularly the ridiculously serene ShangBaHe forest park. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Inner peace found at the Forbidden City...no easy task if you've seen the crowds. 'Silence is a true friend who never betrays' - bit of very appropriate Confucianism for you there. |
| There's a super inspiring atmosphere to these ancient courtyards. Although it couldn't be busier, it feels like an island in the middle of the capital, where despite all the political and religious history there's a deeply spiritual vibe among these temples - Steffi |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Suffice to say there's nowhere else quite like China. It's as photogenic and fascinating as they come. Visitors beware of being dazzled by the options and ending up paralyzed and twitching in your hotel room, dribbling into the Rough Guide. In the absence of a nice well prioritized itinerary, a little direction helps, and our stomachs were steering us towards the smell of food.... Mmm what is that? Hotdogs? Enter the unbelievable Beijing Night Market. |
 |
 |
| When I first set foot in the night market I was excited by all the beautiful red lanterns and all the nice Asian jewelry. At second glance I quickly turned pale at the thought that anyone would eat such things. My eyes were met by a Chinese chef in a white overall, sliding live baby scorpions onto skewers Steffi |
 |
| What to say about this infamous food quarter in the heart of the city? Well first off...you gotta be hungry. No, let's say really, quite especially famished. |
 |
| You know when you just crave meat? Toasted starlings... that's perfect. |
 |
| Thanks for the offer my friend, but there's just no way... Now give me the donkey broth I asked for and I'll be on my way. |
 |
| Admittedly the Night Market is a bit far fetched with a stomach-churning thrill in mind... but I have to say not that much. The menus in China get pretty wild even on the high street. Rabbit tongues, bull frog, turtle and bull phallus all headlining. |
 |
| In the end it was one of those awkward dilemmas... Steffi's a vegetarian, really desperate for some sustenance and at this market, and in fact China in general, that was going to be difficult. A case of sheer hunger versus principles... And Steffi gets properly 'hangry'. Anyway something had caught her eye, a tasty morsel no doubt about it. |
 |
| So how does it work? Well you pick out your preferred snack creature, whether it be a sea horse, gecko or chicken fetus, any of which are likely to have been on display long enough to have gathered dust, the market stall man dunks it in his pot of boiling black oil for 2 minutes, offers a sprinkle of cajun (I recommend you accept) and it's ready to eat. And at no small price. Steffi's dinner cost the Pinkbike coffers $8 equivalent. Which was fine, I just explained she absolutely had to eat it all. |
 |
| True to say every stall owner is fully aware that squirming scorpions on sticks bring in the gobsmacked masses better than tasty noodles, although you can buy more sensible meals here too. Besides some western faces there were tons of hungry Asian, even Chinese visitors lapping it up, greasy squid juice dripping down chins, giant beetle legs poking out between teeth. Come on down if you're in the area, we'll buy you a family bucket of locusts on Pinkbike. |
| The feeling of a scorpion claw cracking between my teeth was worse than any bike crash for me haha! As much as I didn't want to disappoint anybody, I also absolutely didn't want to eat that spikey, black, chilli-topped, delicacy. No offense to these great chefs of Beijing! Steffi |
 |
| Just an innocent toilet stop on the road, surprised as we were to experience no repercussions of an evening eating Bear Grylls gourmet. We had time for just one more excursion and it must be said, of the many sites available in China you'd be a fool to miss the one they stamp for your tourist visa... |
 |
 |
| Estimates place The Great Wall at around 21,000km in length. So Pinkbike hoped there was inevitably somewhere fit for a bit of bike riding nearby. The struggle to find more than a short farmer's track in several hours search, led us to a more exciting concept...to take a spin on the marvel itself. |
 |
| To say I was impressed by The Great Wall is a true understatement. The word 'epic' has come to irritate me badly, but for once I was speechless to say something else as I looked out over it - Steffi |
 |
| Steffi surveys the scene at our chosen ride spot, an un-restored stretch of the wall at Mutianyu. Each section has it's own unique character through varying construction style and terrain. There's a recurring theme though; steep, winding and totally incredible to lay eyes upon. It's been built and rebuilt over the centuries hundreds of times, beginning as far back as at least 200 BC to keep out invading Mongolians. |
 |
 |
| It's hard to believe the gradients the wall spans. The steps are sometimes half a meter high on certain climbs...if still in tact. When it's just rubble, there's no chance you're getting up, especially not with a bike. We were told every year multiple tourists fall to their deaths at the wall and there was no need to doubt it, just best to keep a firm grip of the bike. Don't wanna lose a 2014 carbon Remedy over the edge. |
 |
| For those about to ride...we salute you (Steffi clearly anticipating a Chinese audience) |
 |
 |
| Riding the on the thousand year old ramparts is the stuff of pure fantasy. We were lucky enough to find some awesome little stretches to shred and stairs to drop as the sun went down on one of, if not the most breath-taking landscape on Earth. |
 |
| We wish we could tell you we rode for 10s of miles, up and over, railing the bends and airing gatehouses, but that really is entering dreamland... or at least your X-Box. The wall sadly just isn't passable in most places. Still we got a great taste of this fantasy and we were yet to drop into the most stunning set of flagstones we would find that day. |
 |
| A reflection worth a thousand words. |
| On our climb to the wall we found a sign which said, 'Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints'. Well we I guess we left our tire prints instead - Steffi |
 |
 |
| And through it all, you're my wonder wall... |
 |
| One more section before the sun dips. One more quad-destroying hike up a deadly-steep and dilapidated ancient staircase. |
| It's always so sad when you come to the end of road on any adventure, but not this time because I'm definitely far from finished with China - Steffi |
 |
| Last light at The Great Wall as the sun sets on Steffi's China. Hope you enjoyed the ride. |
Many Xièxiès (thank yous) are due to Travis Ott and Larry Wang at Trek Bicycles as well Karl Burkat and Karen Zhang of Pinkbike fame who each played huge roles in making this unforgettable trip a possibility.
Steffi's China Part One: www.pinkbike.com/news/Rice-and-Roost-Steffis-China-Part-One-2013.html
Steffi's China Part Two: www.pinkbike.com/news/Steffis-China-Part-Two-Panda-Mania-2013.html
www.steffimarth.com
nathhughes.tumblr.com
www.trekbikes.com
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
By the way, we are not eat spider and scorpion，maybe the weird food just for tourist.
No hard feelings, nothing personal to you Sith, we are all guilty, I've been there too, I still am to a big degree, but it's time to wake up.
Still... she's good looking, hehe
To explore China by bike is definitely on my wishlist.
@gaoxiang89, no more bullshit please.
Can only really be found/seen at tourist hot spots, where guess what? its the foreigners that eat all these rare and incredible creatures
2上长城骑什么心态
3大光圈照片确实好