The Nomad | How a trek across China’s Badain Jaran desert put everything into perspective
- Traversing 170km across the beautiful but barren landscape, adventurer Ryan Pyle wonders whether he has bitten off more than he can chew
- Accompanied by 16 camels and little else, the escape from the trappings of urban existence brings with it a gentle fear but a great night’s sleep
I toss and turn in my sleeping bag. Chapped lips and a dry, swollen tongue make speaking next to impossible. Sipping cold water from my bottle helps me recalibrate. Dry crusted eyes crack open to see sand in my tent, boots in the corner and energy bar wrappers strewn nearby.
Why are my legs so sore? Which country am I in? Why am I in a tent? Why does that tent smell like wet dog? Wait, that smell is me. I haven’t showered in days. I begin to piece it together, as if I am at the scene of a crime.
I unzip the tent and a cold breeze rushes in, China’s barren Badain Jaran desert all around. I am now fully awake and remember everything. Today, like yesterday, will be ruthless.
Morning routines out in the wild are magical. In nature, I sleep so deeply that when I awake, my mind and body take a moment or two to tune in. By comparison, when I am in the city, I often struggle; too much to eat, too much to drink, not enough exercise and not enough sleep. But out among the endless rolling sand dunes of a desert, when I am filming and trekking and climbing, it’s the opposite; too much exercise, never enough food and I sleep like the dead. It’s a condition I’ve grown addicted to.
However, magical morning rituals aside, it is apparent that this time I have bitten off more than I can chew.
We are at the midway point in a 170km (105 miles) traverse across the unforgiving Badain Jaran.