Wed 21st Sept

Hi from Nepal.

Just had a fantastic ride down from Tibet. Yesterday we traversed a high bleak plateau. Today was a wonderful contrast with a 40 km descent down a valley. This was quite sublime with huge waterfalls crashing down and trees becoming part of the landscape again after treeless Tibet.. It was also uninhabited so I felt I was descending in a secret world. 

We then left China by crossing the friendship bridge and our guides were happy to be home and we lunched on dhal bhat and lassi.  We then had a 40k ride that I thought would be gentle meander past paddy fileds  but the Nepali road is only single track, despite being a maor trade route  and so there were streams, landslides and potholes to negotiate. There was also a vitality in the Nepali villages. 

Tomorrow there should be dawn views of the Himalayas then a gentle ride into Kathmandu.

Tues 20th

We left ebc in cloud and wondering what damage might have been done to
the road by the earthquake. However all seemed ok. We visited another
monastery, again with very few monks and probably fading away. The
valley down from Everest is huge and bare with just a few signs of plant
life, a minimal plant life set, perhaps?.  We then had a picnic in a
green valley where a herd of yaks grazed and socialised. Then back up to
a high plateau at 4800 with perma snowy peaks above. There were more yak
herds and black nomad tents up here. We had a long off road ride down to
the valley. It is utterly bone shaking to be rock hopping on a bike.
Down in the valley there was a  Marshy area and we spotted a white
vulture and a blck and white crane We stayed in Tangli, a depressed town
full of skinny snarling dogs. Tomorrow is another day of high peaks.

Monday 19th Sept

Yesterday was an extraordinary combination of experiencing the awe of
Everest and then the mortality of the mountains. In the morning we all
biked the 4k up to the Everest base camp. On the Chinese side this is
rather severe. With some plaques that one can be photographed beside, a
prayer flag stupa and some names from this year picked out in stones. We
had an orgy of photos including the slow team. But I found myself
thinking about Laura and other people who have died. It is also
surprising that there is no memorial for previous climbers such as
Mallory. Apparently the Nepali side is brimming with memorials.

In the afternoon I chilled out in an almost abandoned monastery. In the
evening we were playing cards in the tent when it suddenly began to
shake. As we went outside we had an avalanche of stones descending.
We were experiencing an earthquake about 4 but because of the dark could
not see how much damage had been done at our site.

We consoled ourselves that this was a small quake but sleeping was not
easy. In the morning we heard that there had been a big quake in Sikkim,
to our south. What a dramatic end to an Everest visit and a reminder of
the power and instability of mountains.

Tibet bike ride Sept 17

I'm sending this post from an almost abandoned monastery just below ebc. Numerous prayer flags flap and there are several flag poles and numerous groups of square red and white columns.  Only a couple of monks tend the place and  I can see old decaying cells.

Yesterday we had a tough ride of 75 k uphill to reach ebc. I was only kept going by the prize of being able to say that I had biked to ebc! I was expecting a french style seasonal  campsite but instead there are about 50 brown yak hair tents, very substantial with sleeping benches along the walls and a central stove for heating and water. I was snug as a bug in my sleeping bag. However the camp looks not unlike a refugee camp because there are land cruisers parked everywhere. Despite years of travelling in Asia I was also surprised to find souvenir vendors both outside and inside the tents. And yes we finally saw mt everest in the evening sun. Huge, dramatic and with interesting ridges.

More about it tomorrow.

Tibet bike ride sept 16

Tibet is on Beijing time, despite being 5000k east. So this morning here was still a full moon at 7.30. The other advantage is that the evenings are long so I have walked around the villages where we have been staying looking at the homes and shops.

Today we had another pass, this time 5200 but not such a long climb because we were dropped off half way up. But it was still a 3 hour ride. We had been promised views of Everest but instead there was cloud. But we could still see the Himalayan chain. The descent was through a bare brown landscape with sharp dramatic edges to the rocks. We  stayed the night in a tiny travellers inn with all brightly painted chests filling the where all the women slept on carpets on the beds.

For the group it was a day of aggression and altruism. One of the young men became v frustrated at not biking every km and took it out on the guide. Fortunately in the evening he  aplogised to the guide and the group and we are probably stronger as a result. The altruism came from a fast woman cyclist who buddied the slowest member of the group up because she had not yet managed a pass. We cheered both of them at the top.

Tomorrow we bike up to Everest Base Camp.

Fri 16th Sept

Yesterday was described as the most difficult day with 84k and a 24k climb to a 5220 pass. As we left Lhatse the kids were going to school in their blue uniforms with yellow neck scarves. Off to learn to be model Chinese citizens. 

We biked up a long long valley that was narrow and still shaded but then opened out. I felt as though I should have reached the top but there was another 14 k of climbing. I only reached the top with the help of kendal mint cake and jan garbarekali khan. I was also spurred on by overtaking four young Swedish guys immaculalely equipped who were clearly shocked that a woman in shorts and a jersey could also be on this climb. 

We hoped to see Everest from the top but it was cloudy and cold. We had another fine descent, this time passing yak herds and nomads in black yak hair tents. We stayed in a small village that is the jumping off point for Everest Base Camp. It had a touristy feel - many restaurants and even a massage parlour.

 

Our Tibetan guide Ronsak has taken many tours to Everest but he is not tempted to cycle, he is also very diplomatic politically.

 
There are 17 of us in the group, 6 women, age range 32 - 71yr mainly UK. 8 people have come with friends, 3 are fundraising (cancer, mencap, bikeability). -it is also quite a competitive group, bristling with meters. I am forming a slow group.

Thur 15th Sept

Yesterday we biked 150 km and climbed a pass of 4100m. It's the longest ride I've ever done, helped by being in a peleton part of the time. There was beautiful early morning light on Shigatse when we left. The countryside then became very dry and treeless, very reminiscent of Afghanistan with low villages and old forts up on ridges. We lunched on a dry river bed and then paused at a road sign saying we were 5000 km from Shanghai. What a potent reminder of China's size. 

We then had a steep, steep climb. At the top I looked out on the bare mountains and felt as though I was on the top of the world. We had a beautiful descent into a greener valley. We stayed the night in a very impoverished town, Lhatse which is famous for its karaoke bars.

The stars of our group are our 2 Nepali guides. Kumar is tiny and is a great encourager. He has a different adjective for each day today was the longest, tomorrow is the most difficult. His assistant OJ is Nepal's mountain biking champion age 23 and this is his first visit to Tibet so he is photographing himself and the group everywhere. He is also tiny and exceptionally fit, he would love to power up the passes but is the back marker so helps the slow ones. Must be like babysitting for him.

Thurs is tough with a 5220 pass to climb.

Wed 14th Sept

Rest day in Shigatse yesterday. The guide book was very dismissive of the town but I enjoyed being there. It is a town of three parts, the famous monastery, the old Tibetan section and the brash new build of the Chinese section. Pilgrims were prostrating outside the temple and then buying huge bags of butter. The monastery was huge with different chapels, one with a 26 m high Buddha and clearly a very important place for our guide. 

We then followed the pilgrims' route, a 3 mile chain of prayer wheels. In the old town the Tibetan architecture and poverty was reconisable with no electricity or water for the houses built round courtyards. The market was full of felt slippers. The new Chinese part was ultra 21 century with concrete and glass buildings with shops for mobile phones and sunglasses.

The group is gelling and the fast ones are going slower and the slow ones faster.
A major irritation for me was loosing my camera in Shigatse. It had the card with all my photos so far with some nice ones of Tibetan people.  Fortunately I also brought a spare camera.

 

Today we have our longst ride150 km with 2 small 4300 passes.

Tues 13th Sept

Yesterday was gentle day just 94 km on the flat. We started off with a visit to the monastery where the monks were chanting and then climbed a stupa for great views of the town and mountains. The barley was all being harvested by hand and the reapers sheltered under umbrellas for  lunch. 

The whole area was poor and the only other vehicles were land cruisers with Chinese tourists. As we biked into Shigatse the river was crowded with washerwomen and bathers. Having a rest day here. 

Mon 12th Sept

Good day yesterday. We climbed up a long valley to a bleak snowy pass at 5100 where it was even too cold for the yaks. Then traversed alongside another glacial lake with beautiful blues and greens. The bare mountains are like instant geology lessons. Climbed up another 4300 pass where the electrity pylon was decorated with flags. Then a fine ride along a high valley with ripe yellow barley and fortress like houses. 

Spent the night in  gyanste where Younghusband had his stronghold. Now turned into a anti Britsh museum.  Did 104 km yesterday. Slept well. 

Sun 11th Sept

First climb to 4800m was eased by a lift up the pass but was then a steep climb and getting enough air into my lungs was a problem. However my snail approach paid off and I was not the last up! At the top there was a vast collection of colourful prayer flags and tame yaks for photos. Below us was a bright blue glacial lake that we then biked around. We then stayed in a rather sad town where all the official buildings were aggressively Chinese in design.

Sat 10th Sept

65 km along the valley. Beautiful scenery with a fast flowing grey blue river and mountains, autumn just starting with some yellow leaves.  Excellent cooked lunch of rice and veg curry 

(yak for the meateaters) under the trees by the river. We stayed in a village guest house with a courtyard. The village houses had wonderful finely carved doorways with painted wood, metal grilles with gods and double doors with huge door handles. 

First big climb today.

Fri 9th Sept - Lhasa day 3

Visited the Dalai Lama's summer palace, a beautiful group of stone buildings set in woodland. inside were murals of Bhuddist and Tibetan history. There was a picture of the 14th Dalai Lama but sited behind a bed so people would not be tempted to photograph it. The palaces  were also colourful with pots of English flowers (dahlias, marigold) which had been put there to spruce the place up because Lhasa has just hosted the national yoghurt festival. In the afternoon we visited a monastery where young monks were debating theology, some with kung-fu like actions. 

I then did last minute shopping of a woolly hat for Everest Base Camp. I think we are all a little nervous about the biking and the altitude.

Fri 9th Sept - Leaving Lhasa

Leaving under clear blue sky after stretching exercises and testing our bikes. Shaistse in 4 days... 

Thur 8th Sept - Hi from Lhasa

Lhasa is a beautiful city, low stone houses and surrounded by mountains. These are treeless and some have a green hue from the summer grass. 

Yesterday saw too many chapels and gold covered dalai lama tombs in potala palace. Dark and oppressive despite the butterlamps. The monks interpret the religion for the people.  Made me glad of martin luther and cromwell. 

Short bike ride this afternoon. 

Wed 7th Sept - Hi from Lhasa

Good ride in Kathmandu, mostly nice group, one woman who is very self centred.

Now in Lhasa, mild chest tightness only and fine today. Tibetan landscape amazing.