YU Fangkun recently became a grandfather, but he doesn't stick around to baby-sit his grandchild or play mahjong. He's out cycling in western China - solo.

"Riding is very tough, but I feel very good," says the slender and well-muscled 56-year-old Hangzhou resident.

Western China is arduous due to severe weather (hot, freezing, dry, sandy), poor roads and very limited accommodation outside of cities.

He only cycles routes he has planned out in advance. Most rides take a month and he returns home by train or bus.

He has rolled over much of western China, including Sichuan Province, Qinghai Province and the Qinghai Plateau, Tibet Autonomous Region and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He has taken one of the world's most challenging routes - from Xinjiang to Tibet.

Yu is now planning this year's route from Qinghai Lake to Lugu Lake in Yunnan Province in southwestern China. It covers spectacular terrain and many remote minority villages.

He wants to cycle across Tibet before he turns 60 and to travel from the capital Lhasa to Ngari Prefecture on the western border, where the average altitude is 4,500 meters. After he turns 60, Yu plans to ride in nearby foreign countries, such as Nepal and India, where travel is easier than in Xinjiang and Tibet.

"I cannot repress my desire to cycle a new route," says Yu. "It is like a climber who climbs to a mountain peak and sees a new higher, more beautiful peak. He will definitely challenge the new one.

"Moreover, time to me, a 56-year-old, is so pressing that I have to get going," he adds.

Yu does look younger than his actual years since he's in very good shape and goes to the gym every day. As a boy he loved sports and practiced martial arts and gymnastics.

He seems to have endless stamina. Three years ago when he was riding on Biluo Snow Mountain in Yunnan Province, all the locals traveled up and down by horseback. Not Yu. He carried his bike up and down. The highest peak is 4,000 meters above sea level.

"The backpackers called me Superman," he says.

Yu got hooked on cycling when he took part in the 1998 Triathlon Team (swimming, cycling and running). In 2000, when Yu and two fellows rode from Qinghai to Tibet, he says he felt "so close to heaven."

Since then, he's been on the move.

"I had no altitude sickness at all, and the route was easy for me, so I knew I could do more and do harder ones," he says. "And I prefer going alone as it is more free."

He has cycled around Guizhou and Fujian provinces and the Guanxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. He rode his bike from Hangzhou to Beijing and then to Shanhai Pass, one of the major passes of the Great Wall and part of the city of Qinhuangdao in Hebei Province.

In the late summer of 2006, he rode from Sichuan to Tibet, and in 2008, he took the much harder road from Xinjiang to Tibet.

The route is known for its hardship since the route through Xinjiang crosses the forbidding Taklimakan Desert, where the climate, unlike that of Tibet, is ultra-arid.

"Not even a blade of grass grows there," Yu recalls. "And the dry climate means people need more water, probably 10 times normal intake."

The daytime temperature is 20-30 degrees Celsius, but at night it reaches minus 15 degrees Celsius, or lower.

There are no restaurants or hotels, so Yu had to stock up on food and water when he reached a store. He slept in a sleeping bag inside a tent on a stony ground.

"The night cold almost killed me, that could be my worst memory," he recalls.

Yu rode for eight days before finally reaching a village in Tibet, and he kept on riding to Lhasa.

"Riding is torture, but that's why it is meaningful," he says.

"I am like a special solider ordered to carry a message, I must accomplish the task. In so many trips I never once thought of giving up since I knew I could make it."

The scenery in western China is splendid, especially in late summer when Yu always travels.

"Everywhere there's a landscape - sometimes with azure sky with piled clouds, snowy mountain sparkling golden in the sun, vast mountains of green and crystal-clear waters that mirror everything," he says. "These are things ordinary visitors won't see."

Using an ordinary Instamatic camera, Yu takes around 1,000 photos on each trip. He also keeps a diary.

When he's not in the saddle, he enjoys looking at his photos and reading his diaries. "The sense of success gives me the most happiness, and I think rich people couldn't buy such a feeling."

But he has also encountered danger. In 200 when Yu and his friends rode from Qinghai to Tibet, he was hit by a truck at a hairpin turn on the last day of the trip. His left leg was badly hurt and the pain robbed him of sleep for two weeks.

"From then on, I remind myself all the time that safety is always the most important thing," he says.

And in 2006 he was held up while crossing the border of Sichuan and Tibet, an area known for robberies. Two young men on a motorcycle stopped him saying they were out of petrol and needed money to buy more.

Yu figured they didn't intend to hurt him and said, "I have some food but little money." They wanted to check his bag but Yu told them that would be illegal and said the holdup had already dragged their hometown's name in the mud.

After that the men said they only needed 100 yuan, Yu said he only had 50 and could give them 10. "I gave them 50 yuan and they, astonishingly, gave me back 40 yuan."

Yu believes his genial attitude but tough tone helped him dissuade the robbers. "Some people who are held up give even their whole bag, which is very unwise," he says.

Yu says it's not necessary to carry a large sum, adding that he usually spends less than 50 yuan a day and some people spend 30 yuan.

That makes sense. Sleeping in tents, cheap inns or villagers' houses, eating local food and only buying what's necessary.

On average he spends 7,000-8,000 yuan per trip, including bike maintenance and transport back to Hangzhou.

Nevertheless, Yu likes to dress well on the road. Unlike some riders who wear old clothes, he prefers good-quality wear and vivid colors.

"Before departing, I carefully select my clothing, so I will look good even if I can't bathe for a month. After all, I am representing Hangzhou and even China, and looking good makes locals and other cyclers, including laowai (foreigners) respect me and my hometown."

Yu's tips for cycling out west

Packing light saves stamina, so only take necessities that include:

? Maps

? Sleeping bag

? Clothing for four seasons

? Tools for bike maintenance; definitely take brake lining and inner tube

? Torch

? Water bottle

? Food for two days

Don't take bread since it takes up a lot of space. Take nuts and compact biscuits, candy and sugar. Make sure to have food for two days, even if you plan to be home tomorrow - who knows what will happen next?

? First-aid kit, including bandages, anti-diarrheic and anti-inflammatory drugs.

? If you get altitude sickness, get to a lower elevation and get home fast.

? Safety first. Don't rush down a hill. Don't ride at night. Get up early so you can reach a village before sunset.



Also:

? You won't need a compass since there's only one road.

? You won't have a lot of baths, so don't take a lot of body wash.

? Don't take much cash, separate money in different pockets in case of robbery. Similarly, don't take fancy cell phones or expensive cameras.

? For Xinjiang, take a tent and as much water as possible.

? If you like drinking hot water, take a small burner. Black tea, grape sugar and orange powder can be added to water for energy.

? Staying with a local is great; don't be scared of the foods, which may look strange, but are clean (since locals eat it).



Before leaving:

? Get in shape, exercise regularly and build stamina.

? Maintain your bike.

? Prepare a detailed itinerary.