What have these people got in common? Two shipping managers, a marketing company CEO, a graphic designer, a housewife and a brace of investment bankers. Well, a few things actually. We’re all in our forties and fifties and we all live in the UAE, for a start. I would say all of us can ride a bike, but actually one of us can’t. What we certainly have in common, however, is a desire to help a small Nepalese charity build a new orphanage for their children. And to that end we’re getting together this summer for a charity expedition that we hope will raise some funds for the construction.
We’re a mixed bunch in abilities, from Richard and Catherine who are experienced Alpine cyclists to wobbly me, and Mita who will be with our back-up team, unless I can find her a pair of training wheels for adults. (Anyone?). But where to cycle, was the question. I needed a challenge.
I put it all down to boredom. Mita and I have a unique way of getting ourselves into trouble. We don’t rob banks or mug old ladies. But every now and then, when we’re bored, we start plotting. “How do you fancy… “ and we’re off. First it was Kilimanjaro for Mita’s 50th birthday. Then it was an Everest Base Camp trek. How to top that? Then a little bird whispered: “Lhasa … Kathmandu… Bicycle… 22 days.” Oh yeah! It seemed such an impossible thing, just the thought of it made me dizzy with fear and dread and excitement. As something I couldn’t possibly achieve, it was, of course, like a red rag to a bull.
I am still shocked that anyone else would want to join me on this crazy ride, but we are now 7 in number. Which brings me to the final thing we all have in common: we’re obviously lunatics. There are 5 mountain passes over 5,000 metres high, for goodness sake, plus the world’s second longest downhill cycle ride (two and a half days – yes!!).
It’s just training isn’t it? I keep telling myself that. The benefits will outweigh the pain. As Richard says,” I love cycling, I love travelling and to put them together and cycle somewhere I’ve wanted to see since I was a child, is unbelievable. And we get to help a good cause at the same time.” And he’s right. Even if I booked a holiday in Tibet, I’m not going to see all the wild, remote and beautiful places we’ll be visiting, and at a bicycle pace too.
There is much to see. We fly up from Kathmandu, and have 4 days in Lhasa, sight-seeing by bike for acclimatisation purposes. Or that’s what they say. I reckon it’s so they can check how decrepid we all are and whether they should put the air ambulance on standby. Then we’ll be crossing the great Tibetan plain, poking our noses into monasteries, villages and ancient temples along the way, skirting great lakes, trying out yak riding, and staying in nomad camps and tea houses, as we climb steadily to Everest Base Camp.
I’m told that the Chinese are so busy road-building this year, that by the time we get there most of the track will be tarmaced. But, you know, I’m glad. Three things worry me: high altitude, steep hills and bad road surface – getting them all in one hit seems a bit fierce. When I reach the first of those 5000-metre mountain passes, at least I’m going to be glad I’ve got a decent surface under my tyres.
I’m sure I shall be last to reach camp every day. I don’t mind. I’m built for comfort rather than speed, but our leader, Siling, I know personally, and he and his team from The Responsible Travellers will do a fantastic job for us. And we have full technical support and 4WD back up all the way, of course. Hhmm… now I think about it, anyone got a tow rope?
Want to give it a go? We could do with a few more lunatics. Read on…
THE TRIP DETAILS:
Duration: 22 days
Departs: 29th July, 2011
Accommodation: fully catered camping and B&B tea house
Cost: £2095 (Dhs. 12,400 at current exchange rates) plus Air Arabia flight SHJ-KTM
Sponsorship: participants are expected to raise minimum Dhs.3,000 in personal or corporate sponsorship
Bike: take your own or hire one of their Trek bikes
Website: www.trekkingfornepal.com
The travel company: www.theresponsibletravellers.com
Charity: www.missionhimalaya.org (although their site is currently under re-construction as I write this)
The orphanage project: http://trekkingfornepal.com/trekking-for-nepal/the-charities/index.html
Published in May 2011
