– Adventure Touring –
My initial days in India continued as I had left off – badly. I took a taxi across the city with my bike to find that, despite the website still selling bus tickets to Manali, a massive storm had triggered some huge landslides, cutting off the town and making travel impossible. My taxi driver worked … Continue reading Heaven or Hell
The shared camaraderie between tourers had been an integral part of cycling the Pamir highway, which, had been lost ever-since crossing the Chinese border. If there aren’t many foreign tourists there, then vaulting the border into Pakistan was definitely one hurdle too far. Nobody cycles here – not even the locals. In a country split … Continue reading Keeping cool & Kalashnikovs
If two bordering countries truly presented a cultural ying and yang, it would be China and Pakistan. One country forced us onto a bus to cross the border, the residents of the other cheered us over the line into the new land. Voicing all our thoughts at the back of the bus were a group … Continue reading Cycling into Shangri-La
If you ever catch me riding a bike, I'll be wearing a cotton cycling cap. I bought my first one five years ago and have worn them religiously ever since. Over my time touring, a nice little story unfolded so I decided to write it up and send it to the guys who make all … Continue reading New Article for Prendas Ciclismo
Stationed high in the mountains of China’s Xinjang province, in the peculiar ‘border’ town of Tashkurgan, I’m doggedly writing away in an attempt to finally catch up the blog! It’s been a while. I’m going to try keep this one short and snappy but hopefully get across the strange sentiment that has occupied us the … Continue reading Oh hi Dad
Before leaving the UK, cycling had become a therapy of sorts whilst temporarily transitioning back from university life to plan this trip. It gave me a fresh perspective on the surrounding hills, quaint villages and countryside that I’m lucky enough to call home. Crisp early morning’s exploring the Chilterns would become savoured hours in the … Continue reading Detouring
Khorog’s Pamir lodge is an infectious place, both the ‘Tajik bug’ and a true cyclists camaraderie became epidemic through those walls over my time there. The place emanated with a true traveller’s atmosphere, tales of the Pamirs told over worn maps splayed out over table tops, leading to many a speculation of what lay ahead. … Continue reading First Forays Above 4000m
I wrote this post on Facebook after hearing of the terror incident in Tajikistan. I rode through there just a few weeks ago and had the pleasure of meeting two of the wonderful people who unfortunately were involved in this horrendous incident. "Before leaving to cycle around the world, I was repeatedly told how … Continue reading Terror in Tajikistan
I realise it’s been a long time since writing my last post on here - apologies to any eager followers out there (Mum) who have been craving a fix of yet another ‘troublesome’ tale of me bumbling through central Asia. I hope this will suffice. Already, just flicking through my diary entries from the start … Continue reading The Authentic Tajik ‘Experience’
There are two things that make life on the bike interesting: freedom and variety. In fact that’s probably a distillation of what makes life in general interesting, when mixed in with a healthy dose of challenge. Uzbekistan so far was definitely lacking in the variety department but mentally, the desert had proved challenging. Now finding … Continue reading Just deserts
