What a day!

Left Emei Mountain to head back to Leshan to pick up the main road towards Kunming stopping off on route for the night.

All started well enough, if a little damp – all my clothes are wet as it has been raining non stop for days and it’s so humid, trying to get anything dry is impossible. It’s definitely the rainy season. The Sichuan mountains were as stunning as ever. The towns and villages are a little scruffy and dirty; it doesn’t look like the new market economy has reached here yet.

Then we find that the main road is closed. No reason is given, but judging from the heavy earth moving gear that’s in the area there’s been a big land slide. So we get shunted onto Chinese B roads. The sat nav and route maps are no use, so we rely purely on local directions. I spend the next 4 hours out of the saddle and on the pegs as we barrell along dirt roads through the mountains. The surfaces are unreal.

• Old cobbles – covered in mud and gravel
• Rock – covered in mud and gravel
• Mud – covered in mud and gravel

A big ravine on my left and a solid red rock wall on my right. Scarey but loads of fun.

The mud is bright pink! I guess as a result of the red rock it’s been ground from … and it’s slippery as snot on a door knob (my thanks to Andy Lessels for that delightful analogy)

We finally hooked up with the express highway and I pulled my usual stunt to get past the barriers so the last two hours were a little more sensible.

Just ate a huge Chinese Hot Pot with the lads, washed down with a few beers and dog penis vodka (seriously). Off to bed. Knackered. Knees are shot after today.

Nice flat road tomorrow …. I hope