Roof of the World |S2-EP11|

Welcome back to another unforgettable day on the ROOF OF THE WORLD. I left Australia on 13 April 2025, chasing a dream to ride all the way to Pakistan on my 'Roof of the World' journey. Today is 20 May 2025. It's been 37 days on the road. As I rode through my seventh day in China, I suddenly realized just how far Pakistan still was. The journey ahead remained long, but every kilometre was bringing me closer to the dream. Today's ride marks a major milestone in this incredible journey across China. Leaving the spiritual city of Shangri-La behind, I head north towards Deqen, knowing that tomorrow I'll officially enter Tibet and begin riding across the legendary Tibetan Plateau. The excitement is real, but so is the altitude. For the first time on this adventure, I could genuinely feel my breathing becoming more difficult. Every breath reminded me that the Roof of the World was no longer just a dream on the map, it was right in front of me and the road was only going higher from here. Following the spectacular G214 National Highway, the road dropped thousands of feet into deep river valleys before climbing all the way back up again in less than 200 kilometres. Within a few hours I descended almost 5,000 feet, only to climb straight back to high altitude again. The rapid elevation changes put incredible pressure on my ears, but every turn rewarded me with scenery unlike anything I had ever experienced. One moment I was riding through dry, rugged brown mountains that looked almost like another planet. Minutes later the landscape transformed into lush green valleys with snow-covered peaks rising above them. Then, just as quickly, the mountains changed again. It felt like riding through several different countries in a single day. Along the way, I visited the magnificent Songzanlin Monastery, admired the incredible First Bend of the mighty Yangtze River, and finally stood before the breathtaking Meili Snow Mountains. Dominating the skyline is Kawagebo, standing 6,740 metres above sea level, one of the world's highest unclimbed sacred peaks and a mountain deeply respected by the Tibetan people. I met another Honda Africa Twin rider, the third Africa Twin I have seen since entering China. From spotting one on a transport truck, to meeting a rider at the Chinese border, and now another adventurer on the road to Deqen, it felt like meeting family far from home. I even had a fun run with a CFMOTO rider as we carved our way through the mountain roads. Today also introduced an important new chapter of the expedition. As we prepare to enter Tibet, Chinese regulations require an additional local Tibetan guide to accompany us throughout the region. We welcomed our new guide, Dawa, who will travel with us across Tibet while our original guide continues leading the expedition. Within minutes, Dawa gave me a new nickname. Instead of calling me "Janj," he called me "Janja." Somehow. I think the name is going to stick. As the sun sets over Deqen at 3,400 metres above sea level, tomorrow marks the beginning of one of the most anticipated chapters of this entire expedition. Tomorrow. The gates of Tibet open. The real climb to the Roof of the World begins. Enjoy. 🏍 Motorcycle: Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT 2018 – IBEXX 📍 Route: Shangri-La → Songzanlin Monastery → First Bend of the Yangtze River → Baima Snow Mountain → Meili Snow Mountain → Deqen 📏 Distance: 173 km ⛰️ Overnight Altitude: 3,400 metres 🌏 ROOF OF THE WORLD – Season 2 | Australia to Pakistan #rooftheworld #rotws2 #tibet #deqen #meilisnowmountain #kawagebo #yangtzeriver #songzanlin #g214 #tibetplateau #africatwin #adventureriding #china #yunnan #4x4engaged #styledbyjanj #88daysofmylife