Wed 6th Oct
Today we have a 45km rocky road to Rombok Monastery, 7.5 km short of the Base camp. Reportedly tougher day than yesterday including a 900m climb to Rombok at 5050m (our highest sleep). Again the ride got the better of me and after 23km of rocks I jumped on the bus. Iain, Nick and John pressed on. Not quite so cold this morning and less shadow so I survived with John (Aus)'s poly pro wollen gloves.
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| Prayer flags at the side of the track |
Not our vehicle thankfully!!
Some great views on the rough road into Everest. Our Tibetan driver who had been to the Base Camp 8 or 9 times in the past 12 months said that this was the first time it had not been concealed by cloud. We are very privileged.
When we get to the Rombok monastery the views are even more stunning.
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| Our camp at Rombok |
We all pass on a tour of the Monastery as although it is the highest in the world it apparently has little to offer. After dinner and some candid shots we settle in for a cold night at 5200m.
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| Me |
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| Nick |
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| John (NZ) |
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| Ian |
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| Iain |
Thursday 7th Oct
Morning freezing again after a restless night (reading from 6 to 8am). Four of us head off for the Base Camp, with Ian taking the bus. 3.5k to the car park (half way) with Kungchok welcoming me offering his sleeves for me to try to get some blood flow back into my hands.The Car Park was the furthest tourist vehicles (other than bikes) could go. Bus or walk options from there to the Base Camp. A number of souvenir traders were operating.
The final 3.5k were a tough rocky climb.
It was a struggle but I eventually made it having a couple of recovery breaks on the way.
The compulsory group photo - bikes in the air and OCF ride tops on display- Everest in the background but with a lot more cloud than yesterday.
We walked up to the hilltop viewing area where there were a number of tourists. A Californian there gave me 100RMBfor the cause and also contributed tissues to handle my leaky nose. I tried a few phone calls and eventually got through to Simmone for an emotional conversation.
We headed back and being mostly downhill I took the lead and got back to the halfway carpark about 5 mins before Iain and 10 mins before the others. I had an interesting bargaining session for a pendant -he started at 30 and I started at 10. He eventually gave in at 10 and when I gave him a twenty he started picking up other things to add to my purchase and consume the twenty. I put the pendant down and took back the twenty. He gave up and offered the correct change. I think we were getting quite good at the bargaining game.
We made it back to the Rombuck Monastery - 2hrs up the 7.5k and 30mins back.
Lunch was on and then we packed the bikes on the two vehicles for the 100k drive to Tingry. A long slow drive over a rocky track with the 2wd van getting stuck a couple of times.
The trip included a hairy drive along the edge of a ravine which had us all a bit nervous.
At the end of the drive a nice fenced grassy camp site with views of Everest and other peaks in the distance.
Friday 8th Oct
Very cold start for a modest 58k flat to undulating ride today. Some great mountain view along the road.
Other interesting views along the road.
At the end of a fairly short day another great riverside camp site and a couple of friendly Yaks.
Sat 9th Oct
With a potential 85k ride including two passes and lots of wind to Nyalum, Sanjeeb had planned to bus everyone to the top of the second pass, he predicted a 7pm finish if we rode. Nick and John (NZ) wanted to ride the whole way and Sanjeeb eventually agreed. Nick and John(NZ) would be covered by one vehicle while Iain and I would ride from the top of the second pass.
I took a few pictures on the drive to the top of Thang La meeting up with some other cyclists on route.
I headed off with Kunchok's coat again to protect against the freezing temperature and bitter wind. Iain and I headed off with varying and increasing wind conditions. It would have been a great down hill run for 55k dropping 1300m to Nylam apart from the head wind and cold. At times we were pedalling to keep rolling down 5% declines.
We got into Nylam about 1pm. Accommodation here in a guest house. Two big rooms with 6 short beds in each. Toilets but no showers. There was building work going on with some concrete form work being constructed. Girls mixing and bringing the concrete to a guy on a ladder who threw buckets of concreteto the first level where it was poured. The guy on the ladder entertaining everyone with his singing.
Ian hadn't ridden so once settled the three of us headed into town to explore. We found the public bath house and for 15RMB had agreat hot shower which was very well received.
Nick and John(NZ) made it into town by about 5pm , thankfully not as long a ride as Sanjeeb had predicted..
To solve the short bed problem, Iain and I rearranged our room so we could sleep across three beds pushed together.
Sunday 10th Oct
We still don't know the result of the replayed AFL Grand Final played 8 days ago!!
Got away about 8.45 for a great down hill towards the Tibet/Nepal border at 30k. For the first 20k I tail gated our bus getting way ahead of the group. Dropping very quickly with scenery changing dramatically and getting warmer.
The border, in town built on the slopes of a canyan, Zhangma/Kodari was total chaos. Trucks have to unload on one side and have goods ported accross to the other side for reloading to new trucks. It took 2.5hrs from entering the town and getting out the other side. We sadly had to say farewell to Kunchok and the other tibetan crew at the border. Tibetans can't get passports to get out of greater China.
The actual border, a bridge across the river was swamped by officious armed chinese soldiers.One got upset with Nick loitering and looking over the bridge. On the Nepali side we had to go through Nepal immigration which was quite quick and painless. The last 30k from the Border to our final night stop "The Last Resort" deteriorated considerably with some very rough stretches, some with no protection barriers between the road and 100m + drop to the river below.
Again steep descent, raipidly changing vegetation and temperature. By the time we reached The Last Resort the temperature was 23 -25 (started the day at zero). During the day we had dropped nearly 2.5k over less than 60k.
The Last Resort, accessed by a suspension bridge 150m above the river, is an unbelievably tropical paradise with people sunning themselves on lush lawns, exotic camps, plunge pool, sauna, bar etc all in tropical vegetation surrounds. We all passed on the $120 option to bungy jump off the bridge. Magically at the lower altitude, taste and appetite returned and we all enjoyed beer wine and two great meals.
We learnt that John (aus) had been unable to get an earlier flight out of Kathmanduand had been in a hotel 15k out of the city for the last 10 days. We'll pick him up during the bus trip in the morning.
Monday 11th Oct
Great nights sleep, shower and fantastic breakfast, then the bad news. A truck had rolled blocking the road about 8k down the road.With some phone calls Sanjeeb managed to organize a Land Cruiser to drive down from the border,pick us up and run us to the site. We could then hump our bikes and gear to our bus waiting the other side of the accident.
When the vehicle arrived it became obvious that there was not enough room for our bikes, gear and us so we decided to hike. One and a half hours of brisk walking got us to the crash site jst as Sanjeeb had got all our gear to the bus.
Long drive towards Kathmandu with a stop to pick up John (Aus) in Dulikhel where he has been resting up for the last two weeks. We pull in to his hotel and find that he left in the morning. We press on to Kathmandu and head straight to the MTB hire place to drop off the bikes. Our drive from there toSan Sara hotel (normally a 10min walk) takes 30 mins with coppers preventing right hand turns at critical junctions. Enjoyed a beer at the hotel then did some last minute shopping picking up some gifts and a couple of original oil paintings.
We had our last supper at Thamel house restaurant on the top floor sitting on cushions.
The great meal included a number of shots of a powerful liqueur pored from on high.
Part way through the meal I heard reference to "Pegasus Pete" from across the room. It's Louise, a girl I've met on numerous Australian bike rides. A small world indeed. Louise has been in Kathmandu for a few days waiting to get a helicopter flight out to start a trek.
We get back to the hotel about 9.30 after a great final night.
Checking in for our flight out of Kathmandu in the morning was interesting with Nick being held up for 30mins because he was travelling on a British passport and had no re-entry visa for Australia despite the fact that he is an Australian resident. He eventually got through a few minutes before boarding. A 4 hour wait in Bankok where we said goodbye to John(NZ) and explored every inch of the airport.
I arrived home having left 8kg of me back in Tibet. A fantastic experience.
