If you have unlimited time – if you already know Xinjiang – if you really love adventure travel – then you can probably skip exploring the region with a tour.

The geological sights along the Karakoram Highway were varied and contrasting: Rugged mountainscapes, sand marshes, crystal clear lakes, glaciers, green marsh lands. Although I’m not an expert on geology, it certainly piqued my interest to research more about what I saw along my journey.

“Sometime in the future when others will ply the KKH, little will they realize the amount of sweat, courage, dedications, encourage and human sacrifice that has gone into the making of this road but as you drive along…” – Karakoram Highway Memorial Plaque

As the competitors ran, walked, hobbled and limped across the finish line, there were cheers everywhere, but also a lot of tears. A lot. (And a strange feast of food and beer at 10 a.m. because after 250 km, there are a lot of people who just want a cold one)

I spent the week asking locals about what they thought about 150 people completing a race through the Gobi Desert, where they run or walk for 250 km in one week. Usually the villagers would nod and sometimes stare at the competitors’ strange, spandex clothing.

The Gobi March is a seven day, 250 km rough country race through parts of the Gobi Desert and for 2010, the race goes through the Turpan Basin area. Since 2003, the organizing RacingThePlanet has hosted the Gobi March, which is one of four 250 km desert ultramarathons in a series called the 4 Deserts