Cycling through Hulunbuir (4) - weather and climate

Every time before going out, it is necessary to first understand the local climate conditions and characteristics, such as altitude, temperature, temperature difference, rainfall, etc. Before going out, check online and consult. Hulunbuir is more than 600 meters above sea level. At this altitude, no one will suffer from altitude sickness. The temperature in Hulunbuir in July is generally 15-26 degrees, with not much rainfall and only brief drizzles. Hulunbuir is a high-latitude area, and the daylight hours are particularly long in summer. Because it is located in a grassland, there is less rainfall and the ground is open, so the wind can be particularly strong. We have taken these into consideration, but some aspects are beyond our expectations. The most impressive ones are the long days, fierce winds, ruthless sun and erratic temperatures.

1. The long day

On July 16, when I arrived in Ulanhot, picked up the bicycle from the courier, assembled it, and started riding on the road, it was already past 11 a.m., but it was In this way, I actually rode 114km in half a day in the afternoon. In fact, it’s not my fault that I ran fast, the average speed was only 13km/h. It’s also not my fault that I arrived late. I arrived in Debs at 21:40. I know, some people are saying, isn’t 21:40 too late? In fact, it’s really not too late. You know, when I was on the road at 20:30, my brother who was drinking in Suizhou asked me where I lived. When I said I was riding on the road, he was shocked and asked, are you crazy? I smiled and said, don't worry, fortunately, the sun has just set in the sky. Previously, in Kashgar, Xinjiang in 2006, when I called my child at 8pm, I said there was still sun in the sky, but she said I was lying. But now we are in the Northeast. In terms of longitude, it is at least two time zones away from Xinjiang, and it is even east of Hubei. Only then did I realize that latitude has such a great impact on sunrise, sunset and daytime.

However, this is not the most surprising thing. After I found a hotel to stay in, I asked the waiter what time it would be for the next day and if I wanted to get up earlier and set off. I thought she would say six o'clock or five o'clock, but she said three or four o'clock, maybe three o'clock. I was afraid that she didn't hear the question clearly or that I heard the wrong answer, so I asked it three times, literally three times. The curtains didn't block out the light very much. It was really only after three o'clock when I was woken up by the bright light outside the window the next day. Oh my god, I'm really convinced. It seems that I have to go to bed early in the future, otherwise I won’t have enough sleep time. In the Northeast, not only does the sun rise early, but it also sets late. In the Arctic Village in the summer, not only does it light up at three o'clock in the morning, but there is also the afterglow of the setting sun in the sky at ten o'clock in the evening. Of course, as for winter, it’s another extreme.

Look, this is the sky and road in Debs at 4:30 in the morning.

2. Fierce winds

In addition to the long daylight hours in Hulunbuir, another memorable thing is the strong winds. Although there are not many chances to encounter strong winds throughout the whole journey, except for the windy afternoon on the 21st when we arrived at Xinzuo Banner and the day when we visited Hulun Lake in Xinyou Banner on the 23rd, the rest of the weather was windless. . However, it still remains fresh in our memory. On July 21st, we set off from Deutsch at 4 a.m. with clear skies throughout. But when we were still about 20km away from Amugulang Town, where Xinbaerhuzuo Banner is based, the sky suddenly became dense with dark clouds, and within a few minutes there were strong winds, and then it started to rain heavily. The wind on the grassland is no better than the wind in the Jiangnan area. There is a flat plain and strong wind without any barrier, making it almost impossible to move. Even though we all put on raincoats immediately, the wind still filled our necks, and we were almost unable to move while the bike was swinging from side to side. Even if we pedaled hard on a flat road, the speed was less than 5 kilometers per hour, which was slower than walking. When I got off the car and tried to push it, I felt that the car body was even more unstable, and it was not as stable as riding a bicycle. The pain and discomfort at that moment was truly beyond words. But we firmly believe that no matter how difficult or painful it is, we have to get to Amugulang Town at night. We must not freeze to death in this wilderness and feed the wolves. Fortunately, the wind and rain in the grassland come and go quickly. Within half an hour, everything was calm. In the distance, we saw distant lights again. We know that the brightly lit place is our destination tonight.

But why are the lights always so far away? The vast expanse of grassland, the air is so good, no pollution, strong penetration, and good sight lines, so what we think is within reach is actually still ten or twenty kilometers away.

When we arrived at Hailar to load the car for express delivery on July 29, the owner of the car shop asked us if Hulunbuir was okay? Are you coming yet? Dahongshan said: "Okay, beautiful, come again." The boss gave us a thumbs up and said: "You guys are awesome, you are the first rider I met who said he would come again. In May last year, a The rider came to ride for a day and then sent the bike back, saying what kind of bad grassland it was, what the hell was the weather like, what kind of bike was it riding on when it was so windy?” Afterwards, I told Dahongshan that the guy didn’t have a good strategy. In Hulunbuir in May, the temperature is low, the wind is strong, and the grass has not grown yet. What are you looking for? Indeed, only by doing your homework and being fully prepared can you play well and ensure safety.

3. The cruel sun

When we ride bikes at home, even in summer, we usually use sun protection very carelessly. At worst, we can find a shade tree or a corner in front of or behind the house. It will be cool if you hide for a while. Anyway, if you want to hide from the sun, you can find a place at any time. But when riding on the grassland, the sun is something that people both love and hate. It is really difficult and basically impossible to want good weather, beautiful scenery, and no wind, which is conducive to riding, but not to be exposed to the sun. Do you know where is the best place to hide in the shade when riding on the grassland?

Can you see anything from the picture above? Yes, the shade under the street sign is where we take a short rest. The 20cm wide shade created by street signs, billboards and even telephone poles is an excellent place for us to take a rest and protect ourselves from the sun. We have later communicated with car enthusiasts in Shenzhen about this, and it coincides with it.

Look, when we usually ride, our equipment is like this. Does he look like a Japanese? Ha ha. However, this hat helped me a lot throughout the whole process. With it, I basically didn’t get tanned much during the whole process. Dahongshan, who was traveling with us, did not like the trouble, so he fished for three days and dried nets for two days. As a result, his facial skin was burned and peeled. This hat not only accompanied me throughout the entire Hulunbuir journey. In 2019, he also accompanied me throughout the entire journey around Qinghai Lake. It is a practical merit hat!

As for the rain on the grassland, to put it simply, the chance of rain on the grassland is still very small. Even if it rains, it usually stops soon. It will not rain like in the south. It may rain. It lasts for a few hours or even a day. Therefore, if you are going to ride there in the future, bring a disposable raincoat or a jacket. You don’t have to worry too much about rain.

4 The capricious temperature

As for the temperature, Hulunbuir in July is very cool. Most of the time, the temperature is 15-26 degrees, making it a rare summer resort. However, the temperature difference between morning and evening is large, so a spare jacket will be enough. I remember that during the summer vacation in 2017, I went out on July 14th and returned home on August 2nd. During this period, the high temperature in Suizhou continued to reach 38-40 degrees, but I was in Hulunbuir and completely escaped that high temperature period.

Of course, there is no high temperature period on the grassland, and the highest temperature during the day basically does not exceed 30 degrees. Due to the low humidity, even if you feel hot, as long as you sit in the house or in a cool place, you will immediately feel cool or even a little cold.

Here, I would like to mention one place in particular, and that is Enhe. Look, this is Eun He.

The full name of Enhe is Enhe Russian Ethnic Township in Ergun City. It is the only Russian ethnic township in China. It is located in the northwest of Hulunbuir City, surrounded by mountains and separated from Russia by only a water. The geographical location is around 51° north latitude, which belongs to the alpine area. In the Treaty of Nerchinsk between China and Russia in 1689, the Ergun River was demarcated as the border between China and Russia. However, before this treaty was signed, the Russians had already crossed the Ergun River to graze, cultivate, and pan for gold on the south bank. . After the treaty was signed, the Russians withdrew their troops and dismantled military forts, but thousands of gold prospectors were still active on Chinese territory. Starting from the second half of the 19th century, more Russians poured into China. At the same time, "guandong invaders" from many provinces gradually came here, and most of them joined the ranks of gold diggers.

During the more than 100 years when the two ethnic groups lived together, many Russian girls became the wives of Chinese gold miners. In addition, after the Russian October Revolution, many Chinese immigrants in Russia returned to the country with their Russian wives and children and settled in Enhe Township and its surrounding lands.

Enhe is the only Russian ethnic township in my country. It is a gathering place dominated by Russians and Chinese-Russian descendants. There are mainly three ethnic groups: Han, Russian and Mongolian, of which Russians account for 30%. Here The houses that residents live in are typical Russian-style wooden houses called "wooden lintels". Most of the places here still retain relatively intact Russian culture and living customs. You can appreciate the exotic customs and taste Russian-style food without going abroad. Enhe is very quiet and peaceful. Whether it is the architecture, people, customs, or products, everything is full of exotic style, and the consumption is not expensive. There are clean and tidy wooden houses and B&Bs everywhere. Once you go, you will definitely fall in love there.

Eunhe, is everything okay? Not entirely, it’s just that it’s too cold in the summer. We passed X904 from Heishantou, and the temperature was still about 26 degrees halfway, but when we arrived at Enhe at night, it was already less than 15 degrees. It feels cool on the body. At night, the temperature is only about 10 degrees. After dinner, Dahongshan said we would go shopping, but I said it was too cold, so I huddled in bed alone watching TV and checking my phone. I heard a friend say that when they arrived in Enhe, they saw the lady cooking the food wearing a cotton-padded jacket, and a bunch of people were laughing at her. They thought, this is summer, and it’s still over 20 degrees during the day. But the lady boss just smiled softly and said, you will know how powerful it is in a while. Sure enough, during dinner, the temperature was only 6-8 degrees. Everyone was shivering from the cold and ran to the street to buy down jackets. By the time the first person to buy clothes went back to call his companions to come back, the down jackets had been sold out.

Therefore, friends who go to the beautiful Enhe must be mentally prepared. By the way, the Vika House we live in is really nice. The house is clean, the environment is good, and the boss is also quite nice. Want a phone number? Oh, by the way, 15648058802, 15648058812. Of course, I don’t know if the phone number has changed now, but you can find it on the map.

The "symbol" written at the back of the cycling friend is an expert in the cycling community in Suizhou, Hubei. We often ride together in the Suizhou cycling team. The year before last, he rode on the Hulunbuir Prairie with "Dahongshan", another cycling expert in Suizhou. Recently, he compiled his cycling diary of the year and published it on QQ space. With his permission, I posted it on the platform unchanged. Today, I share episode 4 with you.