[Yossarian]

Greetings my friends. I am writing this in a shack in Keylong, after trying to ride my bike across Ladakh with with a friend who is nearly as stupid as me... 

I have a few bits of advice for anyone who might have been thinking of attempting something similar:

Trying to ride a full suspension bike loaded with various kitchen appliances across a plain at over 5000m, uphill, into a headwind, when it's getting dark and cold is a most humbling experience.  And one to be avoided.

Indian truck drivers drink lots of cheap rum. Especially when driving. Bear this in mind when you try to overtake one.

Hitchbiking is a wonderful sport, and one that i intend to participate in for many years to come.

Always carry more loo paper than you think you could possibly need...

More tales and photos to follow.

[Bubba]

Good luck Yoss!

[soapy]

you'll soon get out of the toilet roll habit, water and left hand will be much kinder on your swollen sphincter

[Yossarian]

actually, unlike my previous mission of this kind (calais to morrocco) i have so far not required the services of dr ibuprofen gel, father anusol, or nurse calomine.  but with 5 days in the saddle pending and 330km or so of rough indian roads i won't hold my breath...

i might get a lama to bless my bottom though.

[SA Chris]

or a llama to lick it.

Be careful out there.

[Johnny Brown]

Effort. I used to sit next to this guy in A-level chemistry

[Yossarian]

that guy is hardcore.  i bought the crane brothers' book (journey to the centre of the earth) yesterday, and i was quite impressed by them too. cut down chopsticks no less...

we finished the cycling the day before yesterday, pushing up a very steep hill into chamba, in 37deg midday sun. we'd been kicked out of a government resthouse that morning at about 5am. the manager bloke came in shouting something about police, and his dog was growling so aggressively that we decided not to fight our corner.  so a nice early start, but 60 miles in the indian sun with nothing but a hangover, 1 small bottle of 7up and some coconut biscuits wasn't much fun.

some photos here of stage 2 - not mine, but pretty fine anyway - http://www.pbase.com/cassgilbert/sach_pass_northern_india

the downhill from that pass was truly awesome. can't see how it could be anything other than a misery on a hardtail, but with a load of suspension and "you're on camera" mode fully engaged, it was the best. videos and pics to come, when i get home. actually, come to think of it, we were faster downhill than every other form of transport we encountered. well, apart from falling goats...

[soapy]

unfortunato access denied..

can some kind sole purlease c'n'p a sample..?

[dontfollowme]

Looks awesome:

[SA Chris]

Does indeed.

[soapy]

very funny, you pair of wags

 

[SA Chris]

Wasn't meant to be funny, I just obliged you by cutting and pasting a sample, as requested.

[Houdini]

How can you post pictures of bikes & landscapes?

Easy!   My compoota wurks!

Get some!!

[soapy]

pbase blokked 


ah well, it's only yoss..

[Yossarian]

patience my soapy friend...

[the_dom]

Effort. I used to sit next to this guy in A-level chemistry

Met Al when he came through Cape Town a few years ago. Nice guy.

[Yossarian]

I can't believe I still haven't got round to finishing the story / posting the pics of this trip.

My latest adventure out here in Vietnam has just ground to a rather sorry conclusion. I was trying to ride my road bike from Hanoi to Saigon, in a couple of weeks. Despite it pissing with rain most of last week I managed to ride 521 miles in 5 days, run over a cow (ok, a really small one - it ran alongside and then stuck its head under my front wheel), develop some eyewateringly bad saddle sores, and lose 5 kg (some of this could be skin loss, see previous).

Unfortunately, my knee went pop halfway through the last day, and my incredibly overloaded saddlebag unhitched itself soon after. I pressed on regardless (with the luggage now swinging from a variety of zip-ties) and spend the last 30 miles riding down the hard shoulder of a very busy motorway. In the dark.

Since then I have thrown in the (travel) towel and have admitted defeat. If only the French and the Americans had given up as quickly as me...

Anusol? What's Anusol?

[soapy]

oh dear yoss


chin up

[Yossarian]

and i didn't even get interviewed by an obscure asian tv station this time...

Ho Chi Minh TV : Hewwo
Y : Hello
HCM TV : Why have you come to our countwy with you shiny bicycle?
Y : I am here, on behalf of Sesame Street, to promote the letter R.
HCM TV : The letter wwweeeaar?
Y : No, R. As in R. As in randy, rapist, relegation, rupture, Rentokil.
HCM TV : Wip my stocking?
Y : Exactly.
HCM TV : Wevvy impwessive. Bye bye...

Or something like that...

[soapy]

elmer fudd interviewed you..?



wewwy wewwy impwessive

[Yossarian]

Da howaww... da howaaww...

[Yossarian]

Right - some of the Ladakh pics at last...



Around the top of the Taglang La - about 5300m (we had cheated and got a lift up)



Halfway across the Moray Plains. Because it was flat-ish I didn't think it was going to be a big deal, but into a vicious headwind at 5000m it was bloody miserable.



A tent camp with our Executive Suite not quite visible.



A very long and winding road.



At this place (called Jispa) we met a load of Russian politicians who were being given a guided tour around Kashmir. The guide was some ex spetsnaz bloke who looked like he was hewn out of Siberian granite...



The Gata Loops were a huge set of hairpins down the back of the Lachalang La (I think). We cut straight down between them, overtaking motorbikes and infuriating jeep drivers.

[Nibile]

wow.

[Yossarian]

My (rather overloaded) steed.



Another pass that we got a lift up. Riding downhill fast at 5600m was somewhat tiring.



Despite appearances this guy was actually quite good at driving his truck.



Nearly at the top of the Sach Pass. We'd spent the night in a roofless and collapsing roadmenders hovel, which was bloody freezing but had quite a nice view.

[Nibile]

the truck driver is sandokan isnt he?

[SA Chris]

You look like a trendy hunchback in th second B & W pic.

Bloody impressive pics.

[Yossarian]

That's my bodyguard. I'm in the red fleece looking cold a few pics further down...

I've got some video that I need to edit too. However, when experimenting the, erm, handlebar mounted filming the camera took a bit of a tumble and as a result quite a lot of the footage has suffered.

[Houdini]

I read much faster than you type, Fo Sho. 



Chop chop!

[Yossarian]

yes, over a year and i haven't finished yet...
however, i feel more guilty that i haven't got round to sending maharishi the photos. they very kindly gave me a free pair of trousers and i have cruelly taken them and not held up my side of the deal.
i WILL finish it sometime though.
actually, the film footage is quite amusing. i just need some time so i can chop some sense into that bollock...

[Houdini]

i WILL finish it

Aye, be great to know if your anusol/Ibu unguent made it in the long term.