Announcement: Laxmi is going to Sri Lanka.

We are very proud to be supporting, in partnership with The Yak Attack, Nepal National Champion Laxmi Magar's late entry in to this years "Rumble in the Jungle" mountainbike race in Sri Lanka.

Laxmi is a great friend to all of us and she is a truly inspiring role model to women in Nepal.

Laxmi was hoping to spend some time racing in The USA but for some inexplicable reason she has again been denied an entry visa despite a concerted effort by many supporters, in particular the wonderful ladies at the Soul Sister Cycling group.

Once we heard the news it was a simple decision - Let's get Laxmi out to Sri Lanka.

Laxmi racing at the 2016 "Rumble"

You can see more from Laxmi on her social media pages, please give her your support:

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You will be able to follow her progress every day during the race from June 13th to 16th here:

RITJ2017 Leaderboard

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Consume less, live more. Plant more trees.

The times they are a-changing. Springing into Springtime.

It seems an age since my last woodland blog. A lot has happened in the last two months; the Lesser Celandine and Wood Anemones have flowered and withered, a vast carpet of Bluebells then sprouted, flowered, and are now also on the wain. They have been replaced by Ramsons (Wild Garlic, delicious), the enchanting Yellow Archangel, Greater Stitchwort, and now after a day or two of light rain the Ferns have burst forth all over the place. The Springtime is a wonderful time to be at the wood.

I completed the construction of my compost toilet (more of which later), cleared some large fallen tree's, and installed a gate and some small sections of boundary fencing (for insurance purposes).

And best of all I have had a few friendly visitors popping along to see what all the fuss is about.

News: Yak Attack - Pokhara IV Stage Race.

Yak Attack has announced a new four day stage race that will be taking place on the trails around the lakeside city of Pokhara in Nepal. The Pokhara IV.

Pokhara is a great destination. Situated on the banks of Fewa Lake, and with magnificent views of the surrounding Annapurna Massif, it is Kathmandu-lite. Less people, less traffic, less pollution, and with a really laid back atmosphere. It's the kind of town you head to for a couple of days and end staying a couple of weeks.

The trails around the outskirts of the city have a great reputation and this could prove to be a fantastic race. It's also a great introduction to mountainbiking in Nepal and should be less intimidating and thus more attractive to many riders than the legendary Yak Attack itself.

The Pokhara IV stage race will be based for its entirety in the city and will comprise of a six night stay and four stages. This means that it is possible to fly in to Kathmandu, take part in the race, and fly out again in less than ten days days; although I'd advise a longer trip to take in some of the superb short treks around the area.

This is what Yak Attack have to say about it:

Pokhara IV is a 4 day mountain bike stage race based entirely around the lakeside city of Pokhara.

Each stage will take riders on a different loop out into the Himalayan foothills on trails rarely ridden, all of which give outstanding views of the surrounding mountains and lakes.

After completing each stage riders return to the same hotel and can enjoy all the luxuries on offer in the tourist enclave of Lakeside Pokhara.

•  6 days / 5 nights
•  February 10th to 15th 2018
•  4 stages of approx 50km per stage
•  5 nights accommodation in Pokhara
•  Full race support, including water stations and route marking
•  Coach transfer Kathmandu - Pokhara- Kathmandu

Best of all the entry fee for the inaugural race is a measly $395. That makes it one of the cheapest stage races on the calendar.

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Consume less, live more. Plant more trees.

A (silly) walk around Bluebell Wood.

A few days ago I decided to film an impromptu walk around the wood using Facebook Live so that people could see how beautiful it is. I was very excited and got a bit carried away :D

For those who haven't seen it on our FB page here it is for your amusement.

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Consume less, live more. Plant more trees.

Wherever the wind blows.

Life in the last year or so has been something of a whirlwind (slightly more than it normally is).

During last Summer I moved house. At the end of Summer I finished a contract that had lasted two and half years and took off on a trip, at very short notice, for almost three months in Nepal. The Nepal trip concluded unexpectedly with me being at the sharp end of helping to run the 2016 Yak Attack Mountainbike Race.

Two days after returning from Nepal I purchased a 6 acre wood with a friend, which then ended up being a solo purchase. Then my Uncle offered me a ten week contract rebuilding a fire damaged recycling plant in South-West London, which happened to start just five days after formally signing for the purchase of the wood, and ended up being a sixteen week contract.

During this time period I, unexpectedly again, ended up with a small shareholding in Yak Attack (due to the overwhelming generosity of others). Shortly before finishing my contract in London my friend Phil Evans (Yak Attack head honcho) asked me if I would like to help out with this years Rumble in the Jungle race in Sri Lanka which quickly escalated into a month long pre-race expedition to check the condition of the trails and to reconnoitre any potential new ones.

See what I mean? And breathe...