13-Jul-2011 -- This is the third incomplete attempt on my bicycle trip along the Great Wall of China. The story starts at 41°N 115°E. The previous report is 40°N 105°E.

After two unsuccessful attempts in a row, I was determined to reach this one. I got up at 4:30 AM and started cycling at 5:15 AM in the village Ayannurigusumu (巴彦诺日公苏木) located 100 km east of the confluence point. In order to get to the confluence, I had to always stay on the desert road 317. Although trying not to waste any time, it was almost midday when I came in the vicinity of this confluence point, which is certainly the worst time for visiting a desert point during summer. Since I was exhausted after the 100 km ride, I first needed to ride past the closest point to the confluence in order to refill my supplies and my stomach with food and water in the village Hudehuduge (呼德呼都呼格), also called Mènggēn Bùlāgé Sūmù (孟根布拉格苏木). In a Jiǎozi Restaurant I got a double portion of homemade dumplings followed by a water-melon, two ice-creams and three milk-teas (Nǎichá 奶茶).

Now my stomach was satisfied and the hunt was supposed to begin. The GPS device showed a beeline distance to the confluence point of 12.2 km. The previous night I had observed a track in Google Maps that would go south-east up to a distance of 7.5 km. So I cruised around town in order to find this track. However, there was no ride-able track. All I got while surrounding the village was a flat tire. After repairing it, I was already exhausted again. Slowly but surely my confidence to visit the point shrank. Without confidence my determinedness also vanished. Suddenly I came to the point where I found the alternative (which was to skip the confluence and keep on cycling) more attractive than walking 24 km round-trip through the sandy desert at 35° C.

I continued the bike trip to Yǎbùlài (雅布赖) and stayed the night there.

CP Visit Details:

• Distance to an asphalt road: 10.2 km
• Distance to a track: 7.5 km?
• Distance of parking the bike: 12.2 km
• Distance to houses: 12 km
• Time at the point of return: 12:30 p.m.
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 11 km
• Topography: slightly hilly
• Weather: sunny, 36° C (according weather report)
• Description of the CP: 12 km beeline south-east of the town Hudehuduge (呼德呼都呼格) in the Autonomous Region Inner Mongolia.
• Given Name: The Dangerous Heat Confluence

Story continues at 39°N 102°E.