This particular place was a critical part of the Silk Road. Mountains surround you everywhere. This made it a dangerous journey for traders. Some of these challenges in this place included contending with harsh climate , skillfully navigation through steep slopes, and avoiding slipping off trails losing trade items and lives.

This particular desert is known as the “ you go in, you don’t come out” desert. This nickname represents the many challenges traveling through this desert. Some of these challenges included sandstorms, being attacked by nomadic Hun bandits, and deaths by mirages.

The journey West from Kashgar began with a difficult trek between mountains. Travelers often experienced head aches, dizziness, and ringing in the ears caused by altitude sickness, lack of oxogen in the thin air of these high