The Silk Road was made up of multiple trade routes, over land and water, connecting from Greece all the way to the eastern point of China and South Japan, stretching over 4000 miles. There were three routes: the Northern route, which went westward to the Black Sea, the Central Route, which went westward to Persia, the Mediterranean Sea, and Rome, and the Southern Route, which went westward to Iran and India. Traders would not venture the whole route, but rather work in relays, exchanging good along the way. Every route was dangerous, and contained dangerous challenges. Deserts, mountains, and perilous weather would cause trouble along the way. The civilizations involved must have believed it was worth the danger, because from the trade occurring along the Silk Road, countries outside of China gained silk, spices, carpets, and ivory, while China gained gold, silver, bronze weapons, valuable gems, and camels. Early in the Silk Road trade, valuable horses and grape seeds were traded to China, a luxury for the Chinese who were separated from other civilizations.