"A different language heard with every 10 steps ... With pine-covered valleys leading up to snow-white peaks beyond, the Xiate Ancient Trail is ... the most beautiful place on earth..."

  Lush prairies, pine-covered valleys and sky-scraping snow-capped mountains form an untapped wilderness to make the Xiate Ancient Trail a jewel of Xinjiang

The Xiate Ancient Trail, one of the most treacherous sections of the historic Northern Silk Road, is famous for its flower-filled prairies, snow-capped mountains and glacier-fed rivers, as Alexis Hooi discovered on horseback.

Being one of the most geographically diverse countries in the world, China is the perfect playground for the nature lover. But as I discovered last summer, the joys of exploring its great outdoors are increased a hundredfold if you do it on horseback. So when I heard about the China Equestrian Association’s newest riding trip this year, I signed up immediately. As an added bonus, our group of 15 Chinese and Singaporean travelers had a mission of sorts — to retrace the legendary Xiate Ancient Trail in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, one of the most dangerous sections of the Northern breathtaking scenery.

The Xiate Ancient Trail is in Zhaosu county of Xinjiang’s Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture. East of the border with Kazakhstan Zhaosu conjures up images of end less grasslands against a horizon of snow-capped mountains.

The county is also known for being the home of the Ili horse. Crossed with about five foreign breeds and stock from the beginning of the 20th century, Ili horses rank among the top three breeds in the country and are prized for their speed and stamina.

We had our first taste of these stellar steeds at the starting point of our five day mission at Sailimu Lake. Sailimu itself is located in the Bortala Mongolian autonomous prefecture adjacent to Ili Kazak. Covering an area of more than 400 square kilometers and 2,000 meters above sea level, it is Xinjiang’s largest and highest alpine lake.

 Sailimu Lake, covering over 400 sq km and located more than 2,000 m above sea level, is the largest and highest alpine lake in Xinjiang.

After a late-afternoon ride on the pastures accompanied by local herds men and their flocks, we feasted on succulent roasted mutton, fresh local vegetables, tart pomegranate wine and the fiery Ili baijiu in a traditional yurt by the side of the lake deep into the summer night. 

The Xiate Ancient Trail, with its precipitous cliffs and deep valleys offered the perfect terrain for bandits targeting merchant caravans and was one of the most treacherous sections of   the   Silk   Road   that   skirted north of the Taklimakan Desert.

Xuanzang, the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) monk who made his way to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures and featured in the epic Journey to the West, is said to have made his way through here.

Before the advent of modern highways, the 120-km-long Xiate Trail was the major pass linking the region’s north and west. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the trail was also important for transporting troops and military supplies. The route was so important the imperial court assigned 70 households to carve steps into the rock and ice to maintain its accessibility. The Trail soon became known as a “stairway to heaven”.

Now, the Xiate Ancient Trail is famous for its flower-filled prairies, raging rivers and pine-covered valleys that give way to snow-capped mountains and it has gracefully acquired a new label — a “road to paradise”.

 Wild flowers bloom in the grasslands.

Local members of the Kazak, Mongolian, Xibe and Hui ethnic groups attest to the trail’s intoxicating beauty with tales handed down through generations. European explorers made their way back home from China through Xiate, they say, while careless or unlucky amateurs would occasionally lose their footing on the icy mountain slopes and plunge to their deaths.

Local horse trader and guide Ma Zhengxiang says the area is still relatively unknown to foreign travelers. “Not many foreigners know about this place and it’s not so open yet. Of course, that might change very soon,” Ma says.

But judging from the growing number of Chinese blogs extolling Xiate’s alluring beauty, the trail already has a firm place in the minds of Chinese wannabe explorers, whether on foot or horseback.

Many travelers to Xiate will first have to spend a few days on road, passing through Yining city, also known as Ghulja, as well as small towns dotting the fringe of Zhaosu’s mountain ranges. The rest stops give visitors the chance to savor the sweetly addictive kawas, a fizzy beverage made from honey and grain, and other local delicacies infused with the Central Asian tastes.

Horse culture is deeply embedded in these parts so travelers will also be able to pick up ethnic saddlery and other local souvenirs.

 Ethnic saddleries are popular items of local stores in Yining, where horse culture is deeply embedded.

In the days that followed, we slowly began to shed the shackles of city the comforts and our spirits soared with the wide expanse of the grasslands. We ventured deep toward the Xiate Ancient Trail on the last day, our horses breaking free amid the fields of wild lavender and orchids.

Riders give their horses free rein as they take in the beauty of the prairies around Sailimu Lake.

They also took us through pine forests, where the whistling of marmots mixed with birdsong to herald our arrival in their pristine territory.

Take a lunch break deep inside the Xiate Ancient Trail.

The scene soon gave way to raging gray rivers and slopes of shale and stone. But true to their pedigree, our horses made short work of these obstacles.

At 3 pm in the afternoon, on a mountain ridge nearly 3,000 m high, we suddenly heard pockets of ice on the surrounding mountain slopes breaking away into the deep valley below.

We stood before a frozen, river-like mass winding down the highest peak in the area.

It was the glacier that fed the main river along the Xiate Trail — and finding it meant that we did not have to go any further.

ON THE ROAD 

Day 1

Daylong bus journey from Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to Sailimu Lake in the Bortala Mongolian autonomous pre fecture. The region’s long summer days allow us to test-ride the famed Ili horses from late afternoon before sleeping in lakeside yurts.

Day 2          

Bus ride to Zhaosu county in the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture, passing through prefectural capital Yining. Pit stops to fuel up on kawas, mutton kebabs and other local fare. We also pass by national stables for breeding Ili horses before spending the night on the Zhaosu grassland amid grazing sheep and cattle, against a horizon of snow-capped mountains.

Day 3

We set off from the Zhaosu prairies toward the Xiate Ancient Trail on horses that would keep us company for the next three days in the open. Passing through verdant plains at the feet of the snow-capped peaks of the Tianshan Mountains, we head southward to find the opening to the Xiate Trail. We spend the night in yurts next to a tributary of the mighty Aksu River at the foot of the mountains.

Day 4

Our riding pack arrives at the opening of the Xiate Trail amid the mountains, before a 10-km long pass offering pristine mountainside pine forests along a raging river. A local herdsman and his family offer their yurt and log cabin for us to rest before we attempt the final stretch into the peaks of Xiate.

Day 5

Our horses take us deep into the Xiate Trail early in the morning and we give them free rein on the flower-covered prairies. They help us across swift-flowing rivers and precipitous slopes. We climb up to nearly 3,000 m above sea level and come face to face with the glacier that feeds the river. This is the Xiate Ancient Trail

Day 6 and 7

Bus journey back to Urumqi.