Joining road warriors' journey to the west

A 4,000-kilometer, 11-day road trip from Beijing to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau connects China's forests, mountains, deserts, grasslands and tundra. Erik Nilsson takes the wild ride across the nation's north to explore the landscapes, wildlife and cultures its geology and geography sire.

The yak kicked me. It was my fault. I'd disembarked from the wrong side. Turns out, at least in Qinghai province's Qumarleb county, you mount and dismount yaks from their left.

The animal's hoof repeatedly punched into my leg like a jackhammer.