| Friday
17th March
From Kathmandu
to Barabise
altitude 995m
Distance 90 Km |
|
A
glorious sunny morning seemed appropriate as we
fiddled around making our last minute arrangements in
Thamel Kathmandu. We enjoyed a glorious breakfast at the Northfield Cafe
and were treated to a presentation of certificates and small gifts from
Peter Stewart and the guys at Himalayan Mountain Bikes. Finally after
halting the chaotic traffic of the small mainstreet of Thamel for one
last photo we were off. Well, we made it about half a mile before we
realised that one of our number had been delayed saying goodbye to a
random traveller at the roadside.
Andrew, Tim, Nick, Rich Scriven and I waved goodbye to Dean -
who will catch us up at Kodari tomorrow, and we ride off - like a
cavalcade of cycling cowboys - whooping and swerving to dodge the crazy
driving of Kathmandu.
We soon find that riding as 5 rather than the previous
2 is rather taxing - there is always something to hold
on for - a photo here, a broken pannier there and a
loose rack there. Within the first hour we have barely
covered 10k's - but it feels fun - a new stage in our
adventure is beginning. In the sweltering midday heat
we are brought to a grinding halt before Bhaktapur
when Tim gets a puncture - we suspect dodgy inner
tubes as there's no obvious reason - but soon we are
underway again - now climbing quite steeply towards
Dulikel. Our road is the Arniko Highway now - another
evocative Nepalese road name - and rightly so - we are
riding now away from the Indian Subcontinent - towards the longest climb
on the planet - up to the Tibetan Plateau. First though we find a
glorious descent from 1600m metres all the way down to the Sun Kosi
River at just 550m above sea level - how we fly down, and enjoy this our
last tarmac descent for a long while to come. We begin our climb on the
other side (which will culminate in an altitude of some 5100m - not for
a few days though).
We begin our climb up along the Bhote Khosi River and
in the embers of a warm and satisfying day we pull
into Barabise - 90km from Ktm - and just a day away
from the Tibetan Border - its nerve tingling stuff.
Will we or won't we - be able to cross the border -
will the Chinese let us in???
Richard.
|
