Land Rover - Journey of Discovery

Journey of Discovery - Tashkent to Taraz

The Journey of Discovery has been demonstrating the vehicles' off-road capabilities on the rugged roads through Uzbekistan, before returning to the tarmac for a stop-off in Tashkent.

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Journey of Discovery: Aurora Sanitorium

The Journey of Discovery team venture on with their expedition, crossing paths with a second head of state, the President of Mongolia. After a brief detour they continue the presidential theme by visting a luxry health spa once frequented by the region's ruling elite, including Gorbachev and Yeltsin, before sampling some of the more adventurous treatments the spa has to offer.














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Journey of Discovery: Cholpon-Ata

Having left one of the world's most unique spas, the Journey for Discovery team meet up with some real masters of travelling. Teaming up with some of Kyrgyzstan's traditional semi-nomadic community, they learn the intricacies of constructing a yurt and spend the night in real nomadic style. All on the shores of Lake Issyk-Köl, the second largest alpine lake on earth.

Journey of Discovery: Cholpon-Ata to Naryn

The Journey of Discovery team pick up a new piece of memorabilia on the trip, an exquisite, hand-made, felt rug. The traditional Kyrgyzstan "Kochkor" can take up to a year to produce, so the team were honorued to have one produced in double time, commemorating the journey and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. With the precious cargo on board, they celebrate Easter by skirting the idyllic Orto-Tockoy reservoir and heading East toward their final country, China.

Journey of Discovery - Naryn, Kyrgyzstan to Kashgar, China

The Journey of Discovery team cross the border into their final country of the trip, China. The unpredictable Torugart pass between Kyrgyzstan and China is finally pronounced clear of avalanches. After three weeks of worrying and a stringent border check, the team are in Kashgar and have the final destination, Beijing, in their sights.












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cristeaandm a scris: Journey of Discovery - Naryn, Kyrgyzstan to Kashgar, China

The Journey of Discovery team cross the border into their final country of the trip, China. The unpredictable Torugart pass between Kyrgyzstan and China is finally pronounced clear of avalanches. After three weeks of worrying and a stringent border check, the team are in Kashgar and have the final destination, Beijing, in their sights.

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ai o karma de la mine pt postarea asta, let me dream on ....

Si de la mine una.....

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Journey of Discovery: Kashgar

The team arrive in Kashgar, their first city in China. A network of traditional bazaars and markets, this place used to be an oasis on the famous silk road. The team sample the sights, smells and numerous handicrafts this vibrant city has to offer.

Journey of Discovery: Kashgar to Korla

Less than a week to go before its appearance at the Beijing Motor Show and the millionth Land Rover Discovery is still pushing on through the remote Western desert of China.

Journey of Discovery - Naryn, Kyrgystan to Kashgar, China

For the last 3 weeks, reports from the 3700 metre Torugart Pass – one of the main overland border crossings between Central Asia and China – have been worrying.

The Journey of Discovery was in Moscow when word came through that the pass through the Tian Shan mountains was closed by a massive avalanche. For a week. With our China entry permits issued for this remote frontier with Kyrgyzstan, we had no viable option to make it to our final destination, the People’s Republic and it’s capital, Beijing.

By the time we were in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and even Kyrgyzstan all seemed well. Spring and the snow melt had not produced more landslides. Until 72 hours before we were scheduled to make the remote and challenging crossing 2.5 miles above sea level all seemed well. Then came ‘that’ call.

“The pass is closed,” was the word from our local coordinator. “Another avalanche.”

I lay awake in my yurt on the shores of Lake Issy Kul, trying to work out how we might make the Beijing Motor Show on time if we had to wait another week for the pass to open . With every calculation of time, speed and distance the maths never worked out. We would miss our target.

But 24 hours before we had to completely re-think our trip, word came through. The Chinese had cleared the road. We were on.

Torugart is truly one of the most magical and challenging frontier roads in the world. Rough and rutted and flushed with snow melt and rubble, it is a road for the brave. It lies like a broken black carpet across the tops of mountains, which are linked to the south with the Himalayas.

We fuelled up in Kyrgyzstan with enough reserves for the drive to the border, and back if required. We carried 2 days of food and water and checked our satellite phones for security.

So thick was the dust that each car had to drive over a mile apart. Every half hour we would stop to check all was well. As lesser vehicles lay in pieces by the roadside we felt fortunate to have Land Rover technology and comfort beneath us.

Four hours from the last town in Kyrgyzstan, we reached the barbed wire and look-out towers that marked the border. Tensions always rise at this stage. Not that we had anything to hide but it is never a relaxing, taken-for-granted exercise.

Details of the formalities are best not shared whilst we are still on our journey. Likewise we have no photos or film of the border crossing.

To give you an inkling, it took four hours to get ourselves, our kit and the One Millionth Discovery out of Kyrgyzstan and into our 13th and final nation on this Journey of Discovery.

Every second of the four hours and every question, form and search demanded was worthwhile because, as I write this we are in Kashgar. We have passed the final frontier in this monumental journey. We are in China.