So the final day on the bike is here, a final 20km cruise down the jeep track - really just a glorified goat track. Bike is knackered now after two weeks of abuse, its been a real adventure and I'm glad my beat up old mountain bike stood the toughest test going.
Ambling through the villages and along the valley, all the children shouting the ubiquitous Namaste at us as we passed before alas David completed the full deck of cards by failing to keep a clean sheet, a nasty crash just a few KM from home, his helmet saving him from a trip to a Nepalese hospital. So all seven of us crashed at least once during the trip, most of them (mine included) low speed faceplant splats thankfully.
And then we arrive into Beni, we all stink and are grey from the mud - the air on the 4 hour bus ride back to Pokhara was rather ripe...
What a wonderful adventure in an amazing country, such a privilege and pleasure to have spent a couple of week on the road here. I rediscovered my love of the Himalaya and will certainly be back in the future. I discovered a love of trekking / hiking as well, I am sure I will do more of that as well but for now that's it - a little flight on Monday morning to see the big daddy of all mountains and then the long trip home. Hope you have all enjoyed the pictures.
From 5,400m just two days ago we've now biked all the way down to Tatapeni at 1,250m, from baron mountain top to the jungle where bananas lemons and limes are growing - needless to say my previously non-existent downhill skills are now a teeny bit better!
Today we followed what used to be the Annapurna trekking circuit, riding alongside and in the worlds deepest gorge - attracting tens of thousands of trekkers a year to what was one of the worlds best treks. Alas a few years back the Nepali government decided to build a jeep track to connect the remote villages along the trekking route (which at some economic level makes a lot of sense). Alas though the easiest route for the jeep track was to basically bulldoze the previous narrow and tranquil trekking trail into something resembling a road (well, sort of...). The trekkers responded by saying they had no desire to trek along a dusty old road and stayed away - the villages are now well connected, but now serve no-one, they are all but deserted, their tourism income virtually nil. The government seems alas to have shot their golden goose, all in the name of economic progress.
Arrived at Tatapeni this evening and paid a visit to the local hot springs, a great tonic to the weary body.
Last day of riding tomorrow, booo!
Muktinah to Tukuche
A very different day today from the sufferfest of yesterday. Legs tired today from the beating they took yesterday, and the conditions of the morning part of the ride were "challenging" to say the least, 30% inclines followed by 30% descents, all on loose sandy track - amazing views but way out of my comfort zone. Then followed by a ride down a rocky river bed which inevitably led to my first faceplant of the trip, straight over the handlebars into the rocky riverbed. Thankfully no hard done other than a few scratches and bruises. Amazing views all morning, surrounded by the high peaks.
Out of the riverbed onto the jeeptrack, a strong headwind and rolling road much more to my liking. Two more cycling days left now, gonna be sad to leave Nepal.
Day 8 & 9 - Muktinath (3,800m) to Annapurna base camp (4,200m) to Thorung La pass (5,400m) & back to Muktinath
Tears of remembrance
So Plan B worked itself out, we made it up the pass, all the way to the top at 5,400m where there stands a tea room. Two weeks ago the tail end of cyclone hudhud blew through this pass, trapping hundreds of trekkers at high altitude - 5,400m is proper high - higher than Everest base camp, higher than even military helicopters can attempt any rescue. Those trapped at the tea house faced a decision - go with a guide who said he would lead them down the mountain, or stay put and succumb to certain altitude sickness and hypothermia. Those who went down the mountain perished, along with many others, 39 in total. Those that stayed put survived. Hundreds of others were rescued but face amputations (frostbite) or trauma. This hike I did to that tea house constantly remembering those that both perished and suffered in conditions that were unimaginable to us on a bright clear windless day, you were in my thoughts all day.
Tears of suffering
Its never going to compare to the suffering faced by those on this Pass two weeks ago but our suffering started a full 15 hours before we even set foot on the Pass. At 4,200m we arrived at Annapurna base camp, our accommodation was "basic" - mud floor, mud walls and a corrugated iron roof. By 2pm on Tuesday when the sun went behind the mountain it immediately got cold. Real proper cold. By 5pm the whole group was shivering even inside four seasons sleeping bags. It was so cold overnight (around -18 degrees) that the inside of the windows iced up. Up at 4am, still -18 degrees and into layer upon layer upon layer - I had two trousers, 5 shirts / jackets, two gloves, two hats.
When we hiked up to base camp on Wednesday and turned the final corner to face Thorung La I immediately knew there was no way I was going to reach the top, a trail zig zagged through the snow as far as the eye could see. I went for a 30 minute trip up the hill later on and that confirmed my view, way too tough for me, I've never trekked before, let alone up a mountain. But I said I would join the others for the 5amdeparture and just do an hour or so before turning back. Which turned into 2 hours and I was still going strong amid the most incredible beauty and tranquility. Experiencing sunrise whilst on the side of a snowy mountain is really really special, a magical moment. Then I found myself at the front of the group, and then it was just me out front on my own, alone with not a soul or sound (apart from a distant avalanche that rumbled across the valley...). And then the sun finally hit the trail and warmed bodies and souls and I knew even though I was only half way up that I was going to reach the top - and in doing so would be the first person over the top from our side of the pass that day - that felt pretty cool for a boy from the flatlands of cambridge.
I've been above 5,000m twice before and I know the suffering that follows - an hour of the most incredible sufferfest - a few steps forward, stop, catch breath, repeat times 1,000. Suffer Suffer Suffer. Repeat...
Tears of joy
Step by exhausting step the top got nearer. But so many false summits. I thought I was only 20 minutes away and stopped to chat to someone coming down after crossing from the other side. Nah, an hour still to go he said. That was annoying... But then later others were stopping and shaking my hand, telling me only one more false summit, a few more minutes and the tears of joy came, the summit was reached. An incredible experience and over the next hour or so all of the rest of the group also made it to the top and safely back down again, a joyous end to a tearful day.
Kagbeni to Muktinah (altitude 3,700m).
Leaving the valley floor immediately after breakfast and heading up all morning, the garmin read 800m of ascent, 6m of descent. A lovely climb scrabbling up a jeep track, rough and loose surface but never too steep to have to push, working hard all the time but plenty of photo stops to admire the massive peaks all around us. Into Muktinah by lunchtime for a lunch of yak burger and chips before a free afternoon to wander around town and the local monastery where I built a little cairn on the side of the mountain, thinking of family and friends back home.
Not quite sure what the plan is from here, its now one day at a time - the main issue seems to be that since the disaster a couple of weeks back because the other side of the pass is closed (for recovery of bodies etc) then as no-one is coming over the top to our side then the villages further up our side have closed up shop (no business etc), so even though we can go further up the pass there is nowhere to stay. We are all keen to keep going as conditions are lovely, but what will be will be. Yak steak tonight for tea, yum.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6fvf3zahghyquvc/AADYB_QlHGLSNa4yp9MEwA5Ja?dl=0
Pokhara to Jomsom (fly) then Jomsom to Kagbeni (bike).
What an astonishingly pretty day. Up at dark O'clock to catch the 6.30am flight, a little puddle hopper for a 20 minute flight up the valley into the Annapurnas. Even Pokhara airport was pretty beyond words and walking across the tarmac seeing the snow capped peaks all around us brought a tear to my eye.
The plane was climbing all the time - at times getting terrain alerts flash up as the terrain rose up quicker than the plane could climb, with giant peaks towering on both sides of us, and then in the last 30 seconds it levels off and lands at Jomsom, altitude 3,000m. It took 2 journeys (the plane just goes back and forth) to get all of us up, and a third for all the bikes to arrive, before a breakfast in Jomsom and then an easy hours ride up the river valley to our home for the evening - it really is a room with a view.
DChisapani to Nagarkot, 32km
Our last day on the circuit above Kathmandu before a whole day drive tomorrow. A whole day drive not to our next destination but simply to the airport... Being in a developing country teaches you that everything is relative - its only 200km to the airport but we expect that will take 7 to 8 hours given the road network and state of said roads.
Also on matters relative - "Nepali flat" is a wonderful expression, generally used to describe stuff you can actually just about ride up without being sick. "Hilly" basically means unridable. "Tough" means unwalkable. Today was mercifully easier than yesterday, shorter at 32km and all of it just about rideable. Still a few falls and spilt blood from the others, I stayed upright once again. And then we hit TARMAC and I immediately went from the back of the pack, suffering down rock laden riverbeds, straight past the other riders and flew past the lead guide who gave me a friendly growl as I dropped him on a particularly steep bit of road and disappeared up the hill, a lovely climb that for once saw me smiling and the rest of the group suffering nicely as they grovelled up to the top. All good fun, finishing off with a go on the local villagers bamboo swing.
