Three wheels across the Himalaya

Some update

2011-02-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

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I'm back home now, and back to work. Didn't have time to do much update on the blog lately, but I'm working on it. I'll try to put some texts and photos online as soon as I can... If you read French, you can have a look at some of the articles on our adventures in Western Tibet :

   - Route 219
   - Tibet, c’est parti pour l’aventure
   - Premier checkpoint de nuit
   - Coup de pouce pour Mazar
   - Coming out sur la route du Tibet
   - Aksai Chin, immense désert glacial
   - Enfin au Tibet
   - Pangong Tso
   - Rutog, toujours en liberté
   - In trouble
   - Retour chez les Ouïgours (article à venir)
   - Friendship highway (article à venir)

Khumbu Trek

2011-01-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

       The article is coming soon ...

         ... until then, you can have a look
                at the photo album

News from Kathmandu

2010-11-28T23:37:00.000-08:00

Shigatse

After being kicked out of Tibet, we had to find a way to escape uygur mutton again and the Chinese authorities. Celine flew straight to Nepal while Pierre and I flew to Xining and took the train to Lhasa before resuming the cycling journey, with a permit this time. Of course, riding with an escort who tells you it'd be better to leave your gear in the car before each pass can be a bit cumbersome, and doesn't feel much of an adventure, but it's the requirement to get this damn permit and ride freely (i.e. "legally", theoritically free from trouble with the authorities) in Tibet. That said, it was worth it...

I was happy to be able to see Lhasa again, and all the changes that have taken place since February 2008. In retrospect, it would have been easy to cycle all the way to the border without the permit but now that we'd been arrested once, we didn't want to take a second chance sneaking through, at least not this year. Also it didn't take the guide long to understand we didn't need a 24hr nanny so we were given some degree of freedom, and even rode on our own for 2 days on roads that weren't good enough for the car ! Some news and photos on Pierre's webpage : Voyage Lhassa - Kathmandu.

Everest from the base camp

Sunset on 'Everest

1100km and a few passes later, we are now in Kathmandu, walking along its packed and turbulent streets. After over 2 months riding in the immense and deserted high plateau of Xinjiang and Tibet, the contrast is brutal. Things have changed since my last visit in 2007. Prices have more than doubled (maybe because this is now the high season?). Souvenir and trekking shops (mostly selling copies of famous western brands) have popped up like mushrooms, overflowing beyond Thamel, and most restaurants now display « free wifi » stickers. One thing seems unchanging however : the street vendors on almost every corner offering trinkets, tiger balm and marijuana ("Best quality good price").

We're now swapping our bikes for trekking boots, heading to the Khumbu. I'll try to put some more updates on the Kashgar -Ali road when I find the time.

Friendship Highway

2010-11-27T05:29:00.000-08:00

Coming soon ...

On the way to the forbidden land...

2010-10-26T01:37:00.000-07:00

Some quick news from Xining. Yeah I know, this is indeed not in Tibet (if you haven't bought an atlas yet, it's not too late...). After we spent one month cycling almost freely on the amazing Kashgar – Kathmandu road, the PSB eventually caught up with us shortly after Ali, a stone's throw away from Mount Kailash. Sent back to Kashgar with a police escort. 48 hours by jeep to backtrack what took us a month by bike!

Anyway, the adventure was well worth it. Plan for the weeks ahead: find a way to reach Lhasa and continue cycling to Kathmandu from there. Here are a few photos of the ride from Kashgar, no time for a complete report in English now, a more thorough update will come later. You can read a bit more on the blog in French : http://transhimalaya.blogspot.com.

Kudi La, first pass

Resting after riding at night through our first checkpoint

Stunning scenery in Xinjiang

Still far from Tibet

Pierre enjoying the corrugated road on a cold morning

Aksai Chin


It's a tiny bit cold in the Aksaï Chin (-25°C in the morning...)

Morning snow

Sunset (or was it sunrise ?)

Lake near Tielong. Sirengou in the background

Sunset on Sirengou

On the way to Qienshan La (5400m), soon in Tibet at last !

Stunning scenery upon entering Tibet proper (though culturally, it doesn't feel like Tibet)

Lugmo Lake

First Tibetan flags...

Road after our second checkpoint in Domar

Pangong Tso

Pass after Ali

More photos on Pierre's website:Route Kashgar - Ali.

Off to the mountains please!

2010-09-12T03:08:00.000-07:00

We were only supposed to spend 3-4 days in Kashgar, just the time to have some rest, update the blog et do some maintenance on the bikes, But here we are, still stuck at the friendly Old Town youth hostel for what seems to have been an eternity, waiting for 2 parcels that are supposed to be arriving from France. It's not that I don't like Kashgar but I feel it's time to move and I need some fresh air. We set off for the Karakorum Highway for a few days' ride up to Lake Karakul at the bottom of the Muztagh Ata, a beautiful 7534m peak. It's nice to be back in the mountains.

To avoid riding the same road twice (there's only one road so it's not possible to do a loop), we take a jeep up to the lake. This is cheating I admit, all the more so as the 220km back to Kashgar are mainly downhill... The summit of the Muztagh Ata seems so close! A nice long gentle slope as Pierre would say. Yeah, well it's still 7,534m!

Muztagh Ata

The area is mostly Kyrgyz, and some families settle by the lake with their herds for the summer. They also offer yurt stays so we stayed there overnight.

Karakul lake and the Gongur Shan (7719m) in the background

Back to Kashgar, Karakoram "Highway"

Sharing the road...

Pamirs, on the roof of the world

2010-08-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Message coming...

Going down Kargush Pass...

2010-08-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

Message coming...

Cycling in the Afghan Wakhan – Is there a road somewhere?

2010-08-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

When we told people in Ishkashim that we wanted to cycle to the Wakhan, we would always get the same answer: “bicycle, problem, not possible”, to which we invariably responded: “bicycle never problem, we go anywhere”. Well, that was before we actually saw the state of the so-called “road”…

It took us almost 4 days to cover the 140km between the small village of Wazed where we had ended the trek at the foot of the Big Pamir and the border town of Ishkashim.

After just a few kms, we encounter our first big river crossing. The boys go ahead to scout it out. It seems to be OK. Céline dives in, water up to her chest. I start crossing and end up both feet stuck in several inches of thick mud, water up to my waist, a tiny bit stressful! After a few trips back and forth, we manage to get all the stuff across.

I keep my helmet on, you never know what can happen these days!

This was the first of a long series…

Help !

No tarmac anywhere of course. The “road” often disappears under water, mud, sand or the occasionnal landslide. When there’s no mud or sand, there are rocks. The small streams or mud puddles that come before each sandy part are the worst… The transmission and brakes squeak and screech. I’m glad I don’t have rim brakes !

Landslide :

Some rocks :

That looks hard work !

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On the left, posing for the photo, on the right moving on anyway I can
(or the other way round, I don't remember)

Some sand and mud for a change :

Sand and water :

Some more rocks :

Rocks plus water :

It can be fairly steep :

Sometimes, it goes down :

At some point, the road is cut off: a bridge is under construction. Good thing some Afghan workers give me a hand to go across.

Stay focused. And don't look down!

Wait, I'm coming!

To jump or not to jump, that is the question...

Everywhere we stop, it seems like we are the attraction of the day, especially near schools. People always love trying the tricycle.

I told you it was super comfortable !

In the evening, if there is no guesthouse in the village, people invite us to stay in their homes. This sometimes gives us the opportunity to try out new food like this wonderful "afghan fondue"…

On the last day, we rush as fast as we can (which is not very fast…) to get across the border in time. Everyone is longing for a shower and a good beer. At 4.15pm, 500m from the border, a car stops. It is the bloke from the passport control: “Border close 4 o’clock. Come back tomorrow”. Bad luck ! We have to climb the rocky road all the way back to the guesthouse, and wait yet another day for the well-deserved beer…

Nan, kefir and choy – a trekking adventure in the Afghan Pamirs

2010-08-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight in the tent, I'm reflecting on the awesome moments I've just lived in the past few days. It's hard to find words to describe my emotions.

We've been trekking for two days. The scenery is breathtaking. Walking is a bit tricky in places, especially when crossing rivers, but fortunately, the biys are always here to give us a hand.

Duct-tape plaster on a blister

The old Russian map - our only guide to find our route - shows some pastures. We see smoke in the distance, then a few herders' huts, 3-4 yurts, some yaks, goats and horses. It is a wakhi mountain pasture village. I get closer, a young child starts crying and runs to hide. I didn't know I was that scary! Note for a future trip: bring comb and mirror... We are invited to share 2 big bowls of kefir (some sort of goat yugurt), some salt yak butter tea (a foretaste of Tibet) and nan (rond bread similar to that found in India and in the rest of Central Asia). We offer some biscuits. It's the beginning of a long photo session. It's funny, but everywhere since we arrived in Afghanistan, people have asked us to take photos of them. They seem to love it. They also take photos of us whith their mobile phones when they have one.

Tea break

Choy and nan in a herder's yurt

These encounters are so far from the traditionnal images of Afghanistan we get in Western media! Even if the conversations are limited to the few tajik words we've learnt (both languages - tajik and farsi/dari - are similar, and Ricky with his tajik phrasebook has become our official translator), we learn a bit more about the lifestyle in the area which seems fairly similar to what I've seen in Ladakh or Tibet.

Yak caravan

The scenery is absolutely stunning. We climb up the last pass in snow. From there, the views on the Hindu Kush are beautiful. Pakistan is just a few kms away as the crow flies, a few days' walk via Broghil Pass. But the area is off-limits for foreigners.

Hungry mosquitoes as we climb the last pass

4790m, almost the altitude of Mont Blanc !

I really felt like living a unique experience. Considering the circuitous formalities, the complicated access and the political situation of the region, I don't think tourism is about to thrive in the coming years.

A few portraits of people we met:

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Here is also Pierre's photo album: http://ppb.perso.sfr.fr/Voyage/index.html,

and Ricky's journal: Around Tajikistan in 60 days

Salam Afghanistan

2010-08-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

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Updating the blog on the way is a real challenge, even bigger than actually crossing borders. What’s more, my small laptop seems to have given up the ghost for good. So I hope you will excuse the short articles. The number of photos will depend on the ability of the Chinese authorities to actually block the net here in Kashgar (this is where I’m doing all the updates from the past month, we didn’t have any other internet access so far).

Following the border with Afghanistan for so many days, seeing the colourful tiny small villages bustling with activity on the other side of the Panj river, I felt I really wanted to travel to that other side.

The visa was easily obtained in Khorog. The lady at the consulate was really nice and even offered us tea while we were waiting. Crossing the border from Tajikistan at Ishkashim was just as easy : our panniers were vaguely searched and our passports quickly stamped by the friendly officials. A few hundred meters after the border, some bloke tried to get money from us by asking for a bicycle permit, which we knew wasn’t needed. Ricky got the brilliant idea to show him the visa receipt the embassy gave us. That worked.

The formalities to travel further on once in Afghanistan proved a bit more complicated. They included meeting a few local officials, getting a letter of invitation signed by the warlord of the area who happens to be the chief of the army and probably the leader of the opium trade in the region, and paying 50$ per person to a go-between for the permit.

All this left plenty of time to wander around the small town of Ishkashim, which was a very interesting experience.

Paradoxically, the bazar has more supplies than that of the neighbouring tajik Ishkashim : honey from Iran, biscuits and sodas from Pakistan, fruits from the valley, colourful fabrics and clothes....

First stage, first pedal stroke, first pass, first encounters

2010-07-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

Setting off from Dushambe in the intense heat of the low plains of Central Asia. Can’t do any cycling between 11am and 4pm. Add to this the lack of training, some rough roads, a few landslides, a 3250m pass, numerous stops to admire the scenery or take photos, and bowels that have decided to take some liberties, the first few stages were rather short : 12 days to reach Khorog some 550km away... If I keep that rhythm, 6 months won’t be enough to cover the planned distance, I’ll need at least 12!

I am riding in great company :
Pierre (travelled with him last summer), Celine (friendly French Canadian girl who’s on a similar itinerary : http://freewheelinghimalaya.blogspot.com) and Ricky (friendly bloke from New Zealand crazyguyonabike). Sage who started with us is now going her own way towards Kyrgyzstan.

Except for an unfortunate encounter with a dodgey policeman who tries but fails to get any money from me in the small town of Faizabad, I find most Tajiks are lovely. Always smiling and helpful. People invite us to share a watermelon or chat around a cup of tea. Kids offer us apricots, cherries or berries. The language barrier can be a bit frustrating, but smiles and gestures do the job. We could easily spend the whole day drinking tea and chatting, but we’re already quite slow as we are...

In the evening, if there is no hotel, there’s always a family inviting us to spend the night and share a meal. It’s the first cycling trip in which I’ve got such a sense of hospitality. Our relationships with people don’t seem to be based on money, this is so different from other more touristy countries. It’s so pleasant.

The landscapes outside Dushanbe aren’t spectacular, but we quickly reach beautiful gorges. The climb to the first pass reminds me of the passes in the Alps with pastures and some snow-covered peaks in the background. As the road is blocked because of a broken bridge, there’s very little traffic. Fortunately, there’s (almost) no pb to cross it with the bikes, thanks to the local workers who give us a hand.

Photos

Then we reach the Pjang river marking the border with Afghanistan which we’re going to follow for 250km. Some tarmac at last! A few tank wrecks can be seen by the side of the road, reminders of the past wars.

Photo

The Afghan side is dotted with small villages. All this seems a bit strange. We are on a real road, in a country which is of course less developed than back home but where people have access to water, electricity, mobile phones and some sort of comfort. Just on the opposite side, a few dozens meters away, are entirely isolated villages with no proper roads linking them to the rest of Afghanistan, adobe houses. People walk or ride donkeys from one village to the next, waving at us, even sometimes inviting us for a chai. How the hell do they want us to swim across?!? It’s both very close and very far. On the Tajik side lie what must have been trenches during the war with small towers overlooking the river. The army is still very much present. I wonder how the conflict could possibly spread all the way here. The Afghan villages are cut from the rest of the country by high mountains. On the river banks, a tiny mountainside path sometimes fades away in rockslides.

Photos

We eventually reach the small border town of Khorog. At an altitude of 2000m, it is cooler. I’m taking a couple of rest day in a comfortable guesthouse. Shower, bike maintenance, internet. Back on the saddle (so to speak) tomorrow, going to Ishkashim, visa in hand to go trekking and cycling for a couple of weeks in the Afghan Wakhan. Then back to Tajikistan, heading towards the Pamirs and Southern Kyrgyzstan, only route to China open to foreigners. No internet before reaching Kashgar in China, probably late August. No news till then.

New Adventure

2010-05-30T01:13:00.000-07:00

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ICE has offered me to test one of their new trikes for my Himalayan adventure. After some long thinking and hesitations, I eventually made up my mind on the Adventure with front suspension and a few upgrades (see below).

I received it last week and set it up during the weekend. It looks absolutely beautiful. The construction quality looks outstanding and so does the paint and very nicely finished welds.

Improvements / upgrades from my former QNT :

- folding : almost everything's already been said about this masterpiece of engineering. I will just add that it's really cool, and will be useful to pack the trike for transport.
- front suspension : will smooth out bumps and holes, making a very comfortable and worry free ride.
- parking brake : I used a strap to block the front wheel on the QNT, the parking brake will be more practical. Also it can be used a drag brake on long steep descents.
- much better turning angle (this was the weak point of the QNT)

The trike was pre-assembled so I didn't have much to do, it took less than 2 hours before it was ready for riding. First impression are very positive.

The Adventure feels very comfortable. It is much higher than the QNT, which is one of the reasons why I chose it over the Sprint, but significantly shorter. I feel less vulnerable on the road in this position (esp regarding dog encounters…). I haven't ridden it at high speeds yet to see how stable it is. I have the feeling the rear frame is stiffer than on the QNT, and I am actually riding significantly faster than with the QNT (maybe it also has to do with the higher riding position? Or the fact that the elastomere is new?).

I will write a longer review when time exam is over.

New ICE trikes

2010-01-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Ice has released their new models which everyone had been waiting for :

the Sprint (reminds us of the QNT)

the Adventure (higher seating)

and the Vortex with a 26" or 700 rear wheel (no suspension).

Everyone looks forward to trying out their new front suspension ! Their new website looks cool too, and there are some of my pictures in the gallery.

A few videos

2009-12-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

Now that I have at last learnt how to convert videos into .flv and I am able to insert a video clip, here are some videos. Who said a tricycle couldn't handle bad roads ? On 2 wheels, I would have fallen off a dozen times !

Track/road on the way to Pangong Tso :

River crossing on the road to Pangong Tso :

Truck in the Morey Plains (mini-video with still images) :

Fording a stream in the gorges before reaching Pang :

Going down Baralacha La :

Photo album

2009-10-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

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Some photos of our summer 2009 adventures in Ladakh on Pierre's website:

- Keylong - Tso Moriri

- Korzok Gustor Festival et climbing Mentok

- From Tso Moriri to Leh

- Pangong Tso and Nubra Valley via le Wari La

- Markha Valley trek

Here is a photo album put online by ICE on Flickr :

Slide show created with flickrSLiDR.

Anne Dussert's trek across the Himalayas

You'll also find photos of other trike owners' adventures.
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Pangong Tso - Wari La - Nubra Valley

2009-08-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Nice motto, which we had to make ours...

After waiting for our permits for 3 days, we set off from Leh at last. We've arranged to have the permits dropped off by Manzoor (the manager of Virgo Travel to whom we address many thanks) somewhere on the road to Karu, best compromise we found to avoid having to wait yet another day. To pass the time during these forced days-off (and also because I'd had a bad cold for more than a week), I went to see the local doctor. Diagnosis in 3 minutes flat : "You cough a lot, antibiotics". Hum... Well for less than £3 all included (syrup, paracetamol, antibio), it's hard to complain...

Choglamsar, Shey, Thiksey, Stakna, Karu. I now know the road almost by heart. Going downhill makes things seem much more pleasant. Manzoor catches up with us just after Thiksey with the golden tickets. Noone stops us at the 1st checkpoint. We start climbing the first big pass (Chang La 5360m) and find a not so pleasant camping spot in one of the loops at 4000m.

The next day, I still cough and most of all feel absolutely shattered. After 2 hrs I've hardly climbed 200m, there are more than 1000 left, I give up, sorely disappointed, and I accept - for the 1st time - to get on a truck. Feeling of failure, intensified by the long wait for a vehicule that will eventually take on board bike plus pilot. 2 hrs later while I'm still by the side of the road, I see Pierre who's riding back down to see how I was doing (well not so good...). Just then, a police truck agrees to stop at last. We both get on. I sit in the cabin with the driver while Pierre and the bikes are at the rear amidst scrap metal. The road is impressive seen from higher up. The precipice always seems very near... At one point, we see - coming in the opposite direction - another truck carrying the wreck of what must have been in the past - before probably jumping off a cliff - a military vehicule. "Ah, single lane roads" says our driver, laughing and pointing at the smashed wreck. We drive backwards down the road, looking for a wider place where we can pass each other, wheels on the verge, then past the verge... Well I definitely don't share this sense of humour. Ending the trip here, in such an ungraceful way... No, I don't want to think about it! After 20 minutes of hazardous manoeuvring up and down, we eventually drive off again towards the pass. Phew !

We finally reach Chang La !
5360m according to the Indian road sign, our GPS says 5380m. Who's right? Quick snack at the top. We unload the bikes. Going down is hard work. I feel sore all over my body. The 35kms to reach Tangste seem to last for ever. We stop at the 1st guesthouse, and I slip under several layers of blankets. shivering with fever. The rest of the trip is promising indeed !

I feel better in the morning, though still tired. We plan a short ride today so as to get some rest (about 40K, +/- 400m height gain). But there are quite a few rivers to ford, including a big one with water up to the knees and a strong current that forces us to unload the bikes and carry everything by hand. Pierre does all the job, an absolute gem that man ! The arrival on Pangong Tso is tremendously beautiful, the landscapes are breathtaking:

We decide to continue all the way to the village of Spangmik which marks the end of the authorized area. Impossible to go any further. The light is superb. Gee, if everything goes as planned, in about a year, I should be on the other side of this lake, in Tibet, some 80 miles from here as the crow flies, but several thousands of miles away by road ! Of course, needless to say there are plenty of rivers on the way...

Getting a bit wet, are we ?!

Back to Tantse the next day, after a short and troubled night, spent for the most part at the toilets "in the open", my body rejecting the syrup, paracetamol and antibiotics altogether. No comment! Fortunately, the ride is short and kinda downhill (slightly). We cross the big river earlier than the day before, which makes things easier, even if several jeeps are already stuck in the middle.

Videos coming soon

We now have to climb back Chang La in the other direction. I've perked up again, and Pierre offers to carry one of my panniers to as to balance strengths.

Tarmac is soon replaced by packed mud and gravel, with some serious inclines. We reach the pass, without the help of a truck this time, but fairly late (almost 6pm). Just the time to swallow a hot tea offered by the military who look after the road, and put on all our warm clothes, we set off for the descent. The night comes early after 7pm, so we opt for the same camping spot as on the way up, and stop just before it gets too dark.

We aren't behind schedule, so that leaves us a couple of days for Wari La. This little-used road leading to Nubra Valley coming from the village of Taktok goes over a 5300m pass. Hard to find any accurate information on the exact altitude, length or slope gradient. All we know is that it's supposed to be the toughest pass of our itinerary ! We plan a short day by way of a rest day before climbing the pass strictly speaking. Short break at the Taktok monastery to pick our permits for Nubra Valley (dropped off by Laurent, a French bloke I met in Leh last summer and who spends several months in Laddakh each year). We actually ride more than 4 hrs (on good tarmac) to a camping spot around 4650m (almost 1000m altitude gain today!), on a small grassy plateau overlooking the valley, with a small river, perfect for the shower and water supply. We get a glimpse of the pass which seems to be close just above us, and the loops leading up there.

Hum, well... doesn't quite look like tarmac here, does it !?!

Early start for today's 700m ascent. The goal : reach the pass before midday. The gradient and the state of the road will decide otherwise. I am forced to get off the trike and push on several occasions, sometimes as long as more than 100m. The end is real hard. I eventually reach the summit around 2pm, tired but very happy.

..Youhoo, Wari La here I am! .......

A long descent is awaiting : 60km / 2200m down, with inevitable streams to ford and a few more climbs along the river Shyok.

In the village of Khalsar, at the entrance of Nubra Valley, we are greeted as usual by a dozen onlookers. Some enjoy playing with the horn while others try to understand the mechanics of the tricycle. The long sentences in Ladakhi are punctuated by "gears", "steering", "brake". The conclusion is always the same: "First time I see this cycle, very good". Bad luck for us in the evening : there is not a single bottle of beer available in the whole village. After the multiple "dry days" in Leh, we will be - once more - deprived of a well-deserved aperitif.

Short tour in the valley the next day. Pierre goes up to visit the beautiful monastery in Diskit while I take a rest in the village (already seen it last summer). We cycle past the sand dunes near Hunder, and try to see how far we can possibly go towards Pakistan. The answer is quick to come : not very far ! A bridge outside Hunder, guarded by armed military who don't seem to be there for fun, and a sign "Cautious, no visitors allowed beyond this point" deter us from trying to go any further. That's too bad.

Break in the sand. In the background on the right, the Nubra Valley goes up all the way to the Siachen glacier, at the border of Pakistan and China, highest battlefield in the world. On the left, the Shyok river flows down to the lower plains of Pakistan.

It's now time to get back to Leh. We decide to give ourselves 2 days to cover the distance of 120kms and the 2200m climb. On the road to Khardung La, the last pass of the series, a jeep with Indian tourists coming in the other direction stops by: "Two French people coming this way. Cycles same same like yours but a bit different. Two wheels". Hum, we look forward to meeting those 2 Frenchies who ride reccumbents on Ladakh's roads. In the Nubra Valley, they're really gonna think French people have funny bicycles.

Camping around 4300m by a river above Khardung village. What a surprise early in the morning, while we stick our heads out of the tent to check on the weather : we see - hardly 100m away - a wolf. No time to take out the camera, it's already gone far in the mountain. It's the 2nd time we've seen one (the 1st time was when we camped in the Sarchu Plains just down Baralacha La). This is quite surprising so close to the roads which are - to some extent - fairly used, and only a few kms away from houses.

We meet at last our fellow country(wo)men at the North Pullu checkpoint, before Kardhung La. They spent the night there, around 4600m. Nathalie and Michel are actually on the road for 8 months (http://migrationsenbent.fr), coming from Kazakhstan, via the Pamirs and the Karakoram Highway then continuing towards Nepal. We exchange on the subject of bikes and travels. They climb up around 7-8 kmph with their loaded bikes where I'm closer to 4-5 kmph... Better be real fit to ride a 2 wheel bent on Ladakh's roads! For the others, there's the tricycle...

We start off again towards the pass. The last few kms seem amazingly easy (well it's true that Pierre still carries one of my panniers on the long cimbs). Nothing to do with Wari La or Chang La. It's so much easier (and the road is so much better!). We get there for lunch time. Traditionnal picture under the sign "highest motorable road in the world", this time with loaded bikes. A hot tea and a piece of Lindt dark chocolate with almonds, and we're ready to go racing downhill ! 40km non-stop to Leh (including 30K of good paved road), a real treat. Nice reward after all the efforts of the previous days!

Khardung La,

2009-08-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

World's highest motorable pass (5606m)...

... This is at least what the Indians claim, and what can be read on the sign at the top, even though the GPS seems to be a little less optimistic (5,360m "only"). Still a fair climb : +1850m on some 40kms.

Departure 6.30am for me as I'm dead slow, 8.30 for Pierre who catches up with me after only 25km just before the South Pullu checkpoint. No permit? Well, no... didn't think we needed one just for the pass (I didn't have one last summer). Passports ? Oops, left them in Leh... Hum, things don't look too good! After 1 hour negociating with the Sikh policeman on duty, and letting him try the tricycle, we eventally manage to talk him into letting us through.

We set off again after a hearty plate of noodle soup and one more hour break spent talking with the 6 other cyclists who also attempt the climb today. Tarmac ends after a few kms. A military convoy of some 30 trucks offers us yet another forced break by the side of the road, not in the best setting of all (dust and exhaust fumes). The road slightly worsens, but the tricycle handles the obstacles remarkably well, even though the rear wheel looses traction a couple of times.

We finally reach the top in the afternoon. Traditionnal picture in front of the sign "world's highest motorable road - 18380ft (5606m)". Nice hot tea to warm up, and we're ready for the fun ride down back to Leh, though the first few kms are a bit rough. Then the last 30 kms of good tarmac feel great! Short break to retrieve the cards we left left as a "deposit" to our friend the Sikh policeman who takes the opportunity to play with the tricycle again.

We arrive in Leh late in the day, tired but glad to have met the challenge, hands down.

Indus Valley

2009-07-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

The next day, we're on wheels again, heading towards Leh via the Indus Valley. We put the bikes at the back of a pick-up so as to avoid the first 20kms of gravel and rocks outside Korzok that we already had to undergo on the way there.

We need 2 days to reach Leh (69 + 104 kms) , and it's now good tarmac, quite relaxing. The only pass (Namshang La, 4,900m) seems easy as we are now well-acclimatized to the altitude.

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Then we start the long descent along the Indus, which is far from being downhill all the way...

...

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Arriving in Leh, back to civilisation and pollution...

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Mentok - Goal 6000m

2009-07-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

One of the goals of this trip is to climb up Mentok, a 6000m peak accessible from Korzok, hence we are going to be able to use - at last - all the kit we're been carrying around since the beginning (ice axe, crampons, harness, rope etc). We set off for 2 days of adventure. We find a perfect camping spot around 5,300m, with water nearby. Early start in the morning (3 am) for the final climb. We reach the 6,017m of the main pass around 7. Small snack at the top before walking down to the tent for a well-deserved nap. Back to Korzok in the late afternoon for a comforting and fortifying dal bat (rice and dal). We are tired, but glad to have reached the 6000m. Tomorrow, we're back on the road.

Tso Khar - Tso Moriri

2009-07-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Permits in hand, we head back to Tso Khar. We wake up early to go get the 4.30am bus to Keylong. A 6 hr bus ride and a 2 hr walk later, we are back at the dabha. We retrieve the bikes and decide to move on. This break may have made us lose 2 days, but it has also pepped us up thanks to meals of lasagna, tandoori chicken with chips and salad, and banana pancakes! So we set off for new adventures in top shape despite the short night.

The first kms of tarmac right after Tso Khar are quickly ancient history. Follow 2 days of sand, washboard and stones (with some short respite near Namshang La which is paved), and 2 passes around 4,900m before we reach Korzok.

The tricycle still causes a sensation, as always,
especially among nomades on the High Plateaus.

Unusual encounter

The best tested technique in sand :
towing the trike with a strap tied to the front boom!

Tipping over on sandy banking.
Should have paid more attention to the incline of the road.

We stay 1 1/2 days in Korzok for the festival which attracts all sorts of nomads (tourists and locals alike...):

Forced break

2009-07-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Quick message from Leh where we are forced to a 48 hr halt. After much hesitation, we left our bikes at Tso Khar to come and get the necessary permit to enter the "inner-line zone" (border area with China). The checkpoint being just before our final destination (the village of Korzok, by Tso Moriri lake), we don't quite fancy being turned back a few hundred meters from our goal, and having to cycle several days on rough road to get back to Leh. So we go for the legal way.

Keylong - Tso Khar

2009-07-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

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Day 1 : Keylong - Darcha

Short day, trying to acclimatize to the altitude. Rainy weather and fairly muddy road:

Day 2 : Darcha - Zing Zing Bar

The sky has finally cleared up and we cycle along the Bhaga river before the climb up Baralacha La, our 1st big pass (almost 5,000m).

First stream to ford:

Starting the climb up Baralacha La:

Beautiful tarmac where we had found some real rough road last summer, but it doesn't last long (up to ZingZing Bar)

Taking a break above Zing Zing bar

Camping spot

Day 3 : Zing Zing Bar - Baralacha La - Sarchu Plains

Climbing up Baralacha La :

Salutary rest:

Last few kms up to the pass on beautiful tarmac:

Passage between 2 massive snow-walls:

Last picture break before the summit:

Reaching the pass :

Going downhill, we are slowed down by some obstacles on the way:

Beautiful landscapes

Great camping in the Plains

Tests of videos :

I fixed a a compact camera (Panasonic Lumix LX3) onto the seat of the tricycle on a ball head and tried to film the road going down Baralacha La. The videos are too big to be uploaded on blogspot, so here are the links :

www.transhimalaya.fr/blog/video/P1020676.mov

www.transhimalaya.fr/blog/video/P1020684.mov

Day 4 : Sarchu Plains - Gata Loops

Early start (as usual) in a beautiful morning light:

Stop in Sarchu, the tricycle is very popular, as always:

"If you are married, divorce speed" (hum, double meaning here...):

Some bit of bad road:

Climbing up the des Gata Loops amidst the trucks, bad timing:

Nice camping spot once more:

Day 5 : Gata Loops - Nakee La - Lachalung La - Pang

Photos and story coming soon...
Here is already a video :

Day 6 : Pang - Morey Plains - Tso Khar

Mini-video made from 8 images

Waouh, that'swhat I call sand:

Some washing and servicing after a hard day!

First stage

2009-07-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Article to come

.....

Carrying the box :
Not so fast ! I can't follow !

Pierre, as a strong man,
manages to get by on his own.

We carry on by bus the next day all the way to Keylong, on the other side of Rothang La. We don't regret skipping this bit given road conditions (mud, road works, loads of trucks and jeeps).

Reassembling bikes at the guesthouse in Keylong :

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Preparing for Mentok

2009-06-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

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Here are some photos of our training session in the Ecrins National Park last weekend (taken by Pierre):

Here is a list of my equipment

2009-05-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

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Tricycle :

- ICE QNT 20", with rear suspension, fully equipped with front mudguards, headrest etc

- Transmission Shimano XT with bar ends. Triple cranset (22/24/44) with short cranks (152mm) and 9-32 cassette

- Sturney Archer drum brakes

- Marathon Plus 20x1.75 tyres. First, I considered using a BMX tyre at the rear for a better traction on tracks, but after trying Schwable Jumping Jack and Maxxis Max Daddy, I found that drawbacks on road (friction, noise) outnumbered advantages on tracks. I will see after this summer's test if changes are needed.

UPDATE after one summer cycling in Ladakh : I am satisfied with the Marathon Plus. Though they look thin, they do a good job.

- ICE rack :

...

- 1 side bar with 1 handlebar bag on the left + 1 side bar with airzound and a bottle holder on the right :

- Tools and spare parts : nothing original here. 1 pump, 1 inner tube, 1 kit with patch and glue, 1 tyre-lever, 1 chain-tool and a few chain-links, 1 brake cable, 1 derailleur cable, a few allen keys, 1 spoke wrench, 1 light screw driver, 1 Leatherman multi-function knike CS4, 1 hypercraker custom-made by ICE, some screws and bolts, a piece of metal wire, duct-tape and bits of old inner-tubes to make straps, 2m of dynema thin cord, 1 derailler hanger.

Luggage :

Needs:

1) carry about a 40 litre backpack that I need for treks
2) everything must fit in the panniers so as not to have a mess hanging here and there on the rack
3) the weigth must be correctly balanced on the left and on the right, and split between rack and seat to avoid putting too much strain on the rack.

Hence the solution :

Left side :
- 1 fully waterproof MSX pannier (20 litres)
- 1 Alkura handle-bar bag on the side bar (papers, small snacks, compact camera, emergency medecine to avoid having to dig in the rear panniers looking for ventoline or paracetamol)

(photo source : http://www.expemag.com)

Right side :

1 40l backpack inside a home-made side pannier. As it's a 1st try, I used cheap tarpaulin (150 gr/m2), sewned and reinforced with duct-tape to have something stiff and waterproof. Hermetical roll-on closure system at the top (making it possible to reach the content of the bag without undoing everything). The pannier rests partly on the rack thanks to a quick-lock system hijacked from a pair of Ortlieb frontrollers, and on the back of the seat with a big elastic strap. The back of the pannier (esp the part where the quick lock is screwed on) is reinforced with plastic ( a piece of crazy carpet cut and screwed inside the pannier). In order to be able to lock the bag, I added 2 small metal rings, making it possible to use a padlock. Also possible to pass the cable of the cycle-lock thru the rings.

..

..

The pannier is bigger than the backpack alone, so I'll be able to fit in the handle-bar bag and have only one single piece of checked-in luggage in the plane (+ MSX pannier as a hand baggage).

In the backpack : camping and cooking stuff, hiking boots, crampons, ice-axe, harness. Bike tools and spare parts in the upper part of the bag, easily accessible while on the road.

UPDATE after one summer cycling in Ladakh : This tarpaulin pannier proved both good and bad :

Good because it did the job it was supposed to do (carry the backpack and the junk stuff that didn't fit anywhere else...)

But :
- it wasn't fully waterproof. Ok for rain, but water got inside from the bottom when we crossed rivers.
- the cheap tarpaulin isn't strong enough (I knew it wouldn't, it was just a proto)
- it was too big
- I actually needed 2 straps to hold it (1 horizontally, 1 vertically) which wasn't very convenient (takes too much time to attach and undo + makes it impossible to reach the content of the bag while riding), otherwise it would touch the wheel and derailleur and even touch the ground at some point.
- the weight was actually not properly balanced (this is a pb I have to tackle)
- and it looks very ugly on the photos ... ;-(

Now I consider the following solution :

2 MSX rear panniers (40 litres) + 1 fully waterproof backpack tied on the rack, lengthwise. The French compagny Crazy Fish makes an interesting model that I might be able to use ->

The only trouble with this solution is that the whole weight will be on the rack. According to what ICE told me, this shouldn't be a pb as long as I don't have more than 25kg.

I'm also looking at Ortlieb's recumbent panniers which are fully waterproof, but way above my budget :

source : http://www.therandonneeshop.com

Other solution that I'm seriously considering :

Extremtextil has in its catalog some fully-waterproof heatsealable TPU coated fabric that would be perfect for a pair of home-made panniers (480 gr/m2 black/silver et 370 gr/m2 orange). I have received some samples which look very good, and I am working on a tarpaulin prototype.

Camping :

- Mountain Hardware Sprite 1 tent, slightly modified (lighter version). Not fully satisfied with this one (it's good and light, but the inner room is not very practical). Still thinking about what I should do for thee "bigger trip".
- Thermarest Prolite 3 (120cm), perfect !
- Vallandré Swing 900 down sleeping bag which has done its time. Gotta find a new model for the big trip, looking for something slightly warmer (Rab Quantum Endurance ? Valandré Freja ? Triple Zero Astagou 1000 ?)

Clothes & co :

- 2 technical short sleeve tee-shirts
- 1 long sleeve merino tee-shirt
- 1 windstopper sweat-shirt
- 1 down jacket (UPDATE : finally didn't take it)
- 1 goretex jacket
- 1 pair of ultralight hiking trousers
- 1 pair of warmer windstopper trousers
- 1 pair of goretex overtrousers
- underwear
- 2 pairs of trekking socks (1 merino, 1 light)

- 1 pair of merino gloves
- 1 pair of waterproof gloves
- 1 pair of waterproof sealskinz socks with merino inner (to wear in the sandals)
- cycling gaitors (Decathlon)
- 1 hat

- SPD sandals
- helmet
- 1.8m cable-lock for the bike (with alarm)

Toilet bag and medecine :

...

For trekking :

- hiking boots
- 1 aluminium ice-axe
- aluminium crampons
- Camp ultra-light harness
- a pair of walking sticks (can't walk without them. Too bad, it implies carrying an extra 400gr!!!)

Misc :

- Nikon D90 + 12-24mm + 85 f1.8 + 1 spare battery + 1 charger
- Compact Panasonic LX3 + 1 spare battery + 1 charger (same cable as for D90)
- 2 4 Go SD cards
- 2 16 Go SD cards
- 1 gorillapod
- 1 eeppc 701 + 1 external drive
- 1 Rhodia A5 style netbook + pen
- some photocopies of maps (Nelles India North, Ladakh Olizanne) (the rest is scanned)
- 1 book (this year, it'll be Lolita by Nabokov, which I'm supposed to read for my studies...)
.

The project

2009-05-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce myself : Nanette, with my bike (doesn't sound that good in English, but it rhymes in French...).

And here with my trike :

After several trips - which always seemed too short - in the Himalayas, I really felt like doing a bigger journey, taking time to explore the region more deeply, to meet the people. Of course, travelling by bicycle seemed obvious to me, for the ideal pace it provides, and the pleasure I take in it. The trigger point was when I discovered recumbent bicycles (and particularly trikes). Chance meetings did the rest.

The project :

I want to travel across the Himalayas to continue exploring the world's highest roads, across Northern India, Tajikistan, Kirgizstan, Chinese Turkestan, Tibet and Nepal, for 8 months, this time on a reccumbent tricycle and on foot.

First stage in the summer 2009 in Ladakh (Indian Himalaya). After a first cycle-touring trip in the region on an up-right bicycle (summer 2008), I would now like to go back to Northern India on three wheels. This trip to familiar ground in the summer 2009 will enable me to fully test the trike and make all the needed adjustments before undertaking a longer and more demanding journey. It will also give me the opportunity to explore some remote parts of Ladakh, including the newly open Wari La road and set a record by taking a tricycle to 3 of the highest motorable passes in the world (Kardung La officially 5606m – Chang La 5360m - Wari La 5328m). I also plan to do some trekking in Zanskar and some climbing (Mentok II 6090m, and maybe Stok Kangri 6153m).

I'll start the journey with Pierre who will ride with me from Keylong to Tso Khar and Tso Moriri. From there, we'll attempt climbing Mentok II.

Itinerary and schedule

1) Indian Himalaya (Ladakh - Zanskar) - July/August 2009
2) The Pamirs (Tajikistan - Kirghizistan : from Dushambe to Osh, then Tashkurgan pass towards Chinese Turkestan) - July 2010
3) North Karakoram (Chinese Turkestan and North Pakistan : from Kashgar to Gilgit return, via Karakul lake and Hunza valley) - August 2010
4) West Tibet (Kashgar - Lhasa via Mount Kailash) - September/October 2010
5) Friendship Highway (Lhasa - Katmandu) - November 2010
6) Trek to the Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Peak - December 2010

Back to Europe via the Transmongolian (January 2011)

Recumbent tricycle

I first had the opportunity to discover recumbents during a cycling trip in the Alps when I happened to stop at M5 in Doussard. I immediately fell in love with the tricycle for its comfort and its stability. It is fun, original and a very friendly means of transportation, creating great interest and even fascination. It will thus allow me to break many cultural barriers. I believe it is a fantastic way to access areas that are rarely visited.

Here is the Trice QNT that I will be riding. It is made by the English manufacturer ICE (Inspired Cycle Engineering Ltd) and was set up with the help of Céline Trousseau (Cyclociel, a recumbent bike shop in Lyon) :

More information on the project on the website :

www.transhimalaya.fr

Fun ride in the Aravis

2009-04-08T01:43:00.000-07:00

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I've just come back from a cycle touring trip in the Aravis, with a two-fold purpose : climb my 1st "real" pass with a fully loaded tricycle, and test a new tent footprint.

Starting Sunday morning, obviously later than expected ...towards Saint Pierre Faucigny - Petit Bornand. This is the 1st time I have ridden this route in this direction, as I usually ride down coming from Colombière pass. I discover the beautiful Eveaux Gorge to which I had never paid any attention. Lunch break in Entremont at the excellent "Auberge Au Coeur des Monts" run by the friendly Sophie and Jerome (04 50 03 52 48). Arrival in Grand Bornand earlier than planned (despite the late departure and the long lunch break), I decide to go for a ride towards the Boucher Valley. Night at L'Escale just for the sake of a splash in the pool, feels terrific after a good 1st day pedaling.

A late afternoon thunderstorm soaks the tent and turns the ground to mud, so as to give more meaning to the test of the new tent footprint... not very convincing!

I start - for once - a tiny bit less early than expected... Today's goal : ride my 1st real pass with a fully loaded trike, Croix Fry pass (1477m). It climbs gently, I feel good. Final ascent amidst the fir trees before reaching the ski slopes. Riding on a small gravel track up to the restaurant, I have the confirmation that the rear wheel doesn't lose traction when the trike is loaded (2 panniers on the rear rack). Lunch at a table outside : hearty pot-au-feu (beef and vegie stew) so as to get some strength back.

Absolutely fabulous ride down on the Manigod side. The road climbs again a bit up to col du Marai, then gently goes down all the way to Faverges where it merges with the Annecy Lake cycle path. I stop for camping in Doussard. Tent set up under a stormy shower, the night is going to be wet once again... But fortunately, the camping spot by the lake is beatiful, and the sun is back in the morning.

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Quack Quack

On the last day, I once more set off fairly late (after taking some photos of the ducks and swans)! Quick stopover at M5 to say hello. The cycle path is very pleasant as usual (outside weekends of course). Back home after a picnic by the lake.

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Winter Ride

2009-02-24T01:54:00.000-08:00

For lack of time, I haven't put online the results of the first tests of the QNT. But I can already say that my first impressions are more than positive.

Here are some photos of the brillant winter tricycle-touring ride in the Ecrins National Park on February 13-15 (organised by Alain, along with Christine, Gabriel and Anne-Do, Jacques, and me of course) :

Me on the left (I know, not easy to recognize),
Christine and Anne Do in the foreground

Me, Anne Do and Jacques

blablabla...
(Anne Do and Christine in the foreground,
Gabriel and Jacques in the background)

Base camp : Desert in Valjouffrey

Beautiful sunset above the camping spot

Warming up as we can around a camp fire

Everyone has their own technique to take the tricycle back up to the road

We left from Moulin Vieux (just after the Alpe du Grand Serre coming from Sechilienne) for those who know the area), and rode to Desert in Valjouffrey, some 50km way. Hilly roads, but not too hard, on quiet country lanes, clear of snow most of the way. Still a fair climb at the end of the day. Some packed snow on the road and a little bit of ice here and there, but only on flat portions or downhills. No problem of traction (no spinning of the rear wheel) contrary to what i had thought. Probably the weight of the luggage improves the grip. The tricycle behaves brilliantly. Better anticipate braking though, especially before bends, or skidding off the road is garanteed. Stability is amazing (easy racing down around 40 km/h on hard snow/ice). This trip would have been impossible on a 2 wheel-bike without falling off a dozen times.

Camping at a spot called "desert" (just below the last village up the valley). Beautiful sunset. It's bloody cold, but everyone's got good equipment. Alain lights a comforting fire, enabling us to melt the frozen water in our bottles, and warming our hands and feet. Starting the stoves is problematic. My Camping Gaz stove dies. An aging hose on a multifuel snaps with the frost. Fortunately, Alain's Primus works brilliantly, it will be used by the whole group. Lesson learnt : it's better to have a good fuel stove in working order and checked, and a 2nd one for back-up if possible.

Hard to get out of the sleeping bag in the morning. –17°C, it's bloody freezing! After a hefty breakfast and some hot tea, we fill the thermoses and set off. The first long downhill from Valjouffrey feels bitterly cold. Every inch of skin left uncovered is immediately cryogened. My down jacket makes miracles, but I have to ride with my big snow boots on (I kept the inner boot warm in the sleeping bag during the night) because the cycling shoes + overshoes prove insufficient in spite of the supposedly warm Merino socks. I'm gonna have to seriously think about the pb because Western Tibet might be a tiny bit cold (-10/-20°C in October) !!!

The snow we had encountered on some portions on Saturday had completely melted when we passed on Sunday. Good thing as the climb back up to Sievoz would have been a tiny bit tricky had there been snow on the road. Back home at dusk. A jolly good weekend.

No technical pb except a loose roulette wheel on one of the trikes (not mine ;-)) but it had nothing to do with the cold. No frozen cable nor derailleur (though the trikes slept outside in the snow). Only Jacques had a studded rear tyre onhis Challenge.

(Thanks to Alain for his photos, I had unfortunately forgotten the batterie for my camera!).

More update when I find the time…

First ride today!

2008-12-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

First ride : some twenty kms, mainly on a cycle path. I finished mounting the trike on Wednesday but could only try it on the parking lot because there was much snow on the roads. Today, the sky cleared up at last. I finished work at noon and went cycling in the afternoon. Only 20-25 km, but enough to realize I’m not quite ready for climbing any pass! I need to build up some muscles…

First report: as expected, the trike rides fantastic. It is very comfortable and easy to handle. I rode mostly on cycling lanes, flat and smooth, with no particular problem. Some bits were snowed in and impassable, so I had to get off and push a couple of times. Going uphill was definitely hard work (and VERY slow), but this should improve with training.

I rode on the road a bit, found it a bit stressful at the beginning being so low, but only met a few cars that weren’t driving fast anyway. One of them was looking at me instead of the road, and I thought for a second that they were heading for the ditch… I also rode on a small track for a couple hundred meters, the trike behaved much better than I thought it would. Actually, I could hardly feel the bumps and holes. The only thing was that I got stuck twice because it was slippery and the rear wheel wasn't giving any traction.

I will still have some adjustment to make (the rear derailleur was not correctly tuned, the front mudguards moved a bit, and I'm not sure the front boom is perfectly adjusted yet).

Oh yeah, I forgot, my feet did get cold! But there might be another reason than a faulty design on the trike… I’ll try not to forget the overshoes next time I ride in cold weather!

All in all, I ‘m delighted with the QNT !

Who's riding ?

2008-11-05T07:03:00.000-08:00

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Anne DUSSERT

Currently a high school teacher in a small town in the French Alps, I am fond of travelling, cycling, photography and anything which has to do with mountains. I grew up reading Alexandra David-Neel's narratives of her adventures through Tibet.

My first encounter with the Himalayan high plateau was in 2005. I immediately fell in love with this enchanting and fascinating world which inspired me some long term photographic work. I returned in 2007, and in the winter 2008 for a short cycling trip in the Lhasa area. First 5000m passes, intense emotions ...

The Indian Himalaya then offered me some wonderful ground for adventure in the summer 2008 : 1,300km and 20,000m of climbing, by bike and on foot across the regions of Spiti and Laddakh.

On the strength of this experience, I now set off for the new adventure "Transhimalaya - three wheels to the roof of the world".

Previous adventures and travels :

.......
Cycling across fields, ...................Mountain biking in Guangxi.
Yunnan (China), 2005 .........................(China), 2003......

........
....The Reunion, 2004 ................Madagascar, 2004 .................... Finland, winter 2003

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Canada, 2003 .................... Benin, 2000 ..................... Mali, 1999

summers 1998, 1999, 2000 : humanitarian- oriented projects in Burkina Faso (renovation of a children's hospital in Ouahigouya, then set up of a summer activity centre for kids, supported by the NGO "Jérémy" and several partners). Publication of a photo report on Burkina Faso in the French magazine "Photo Amateur".

1998 - 2002 : based in Cayenne (French Guiana). Several trips to the Amazonian basin (French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Brazil). Trekking in the Andes (on the Venezuela side). Several photo exhibits.

.........

Sept 1996 to April 1997 : Gap Year, backpacking in the Pacific (L.A. – French Polynesia – Fiji – New Caledonia – New Zealand – Tonga – Samoa – Hawaii)

Summers 1992, 1994, 1995 : Working and travelling in the United States as part of the "Work and Travel" programme (summer jobs in Colorado, New Mexico and Hawaii, followed by some travelling across the US and Northern Mexico).

1993-1994 : Erasmus student at the University of Liverpool, England.

Eté 1991 : First big solo trip away from home, to French Guiana.

Itinerary

2008-10-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

1) Indian Himalaya (Laddakh - Zanskar) 1,200 km by tricycle and 10 days of trek, climbing Mentok (6000m and something).
See pages Ladakh 2009 of this blog.

2) The Pamirs and Wakhan (Tajikistan – Northern Afghanistan - Kirgizstan : road from Dushambe to Osh, with a side trip on the Afgan side of the Wakhan Corrigor, then Irkeshtam pass towards Chinese Turkestan) 1,200 km by tricycle and a 7 day trek.

3) North Karakoram (Chinese Turkestan – North Pakistan : from Kashgar to Gilgit, via Karakul lake and the Hunza Valley) 800 km by bike and 10 days of trek (Hunza Valley, Batura glacier).

4) West Tibet (Kashgar – Lhasa via Mount Kailash). Without a doubt one of the hardest cycle-touring roads, bordering the Taklamakan desert, crossing the Kun Lun mountains and the controversial Aksai Chin desert above 5000m of altitude on several hundreds of kms. I will stop by Mount Kailash, the most sacred mountains for Bouddhists, Hindus and other religions, for a trek along the kora. 3,250km by tricycle and 4 days of walking.

5) Friendship Highway (Lhasa – Kathmandu via the Everest Base Camp). A cycle-touring classic, with some more 5,000m passes and spectacular scenery. 1,350km by tricycle plus a 2 day trek.

6) Trek to the Nepali side of the Everest Base Camp (3 weeks of trek during the winter time).

7) Sikkim (region marking the Eastern edge of the Indian Himalaya, and the end of this adventure) 500km riding the tricycle and 4 days trekking before heading back home.

This itinerary is subject to change depending on the situation in Tibet as well as in Pakistan, which change from day to day.
.

Calendar

2008-10-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

The first stage (test ride in real conditions) took place in Ladakh during the summer 2009. See pages Ladakh summer 2009 on this blog as well as the photo albums and a few videos.

The big trip is scheduled to start in July 2010.

Rough schedule :

Pamirs and Wakhan : mid July - mid to late August 2010.

North Karakoram : mid to late August- early to mid September 2010

Kashgar - Lhasa : mid September - late october to mid November 2010

Lhasa-Kathmandou : early to mid November 2010 - early to mid December

Népal : December to early or mid January 2010

Sikkim (Inde du Nord) : January 2011

I was able to try the tricycle for the first time in December 2008. The training has been taking place in the Alps since January 2009 with several cycle-touring rides and a few passes (approx 5,000km):

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