A Paws for thought. Singlespeeding through Sri Lanka.

A Paws for thought – Singlespeeding through Sri Lanka.

There’s something about the sight and sound of rushing water that captivates me; be it the soothing chatter of a brook speeding through a shallow glide or, like today, the deep base of white horses breaking on a sun-soaked beach. Last night I was lulled into a deep sleep by it, and today I stood on its edge with a wash of cool, foaming, surf tickling my feet whilst I studied, mesmerised, the infinite variety of the forming waves, no two the same, ever.

It was 36 hours since we'd rolled into Tangalle, on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, on our local singlespeed bicycles; seven days after leaving Jaffna, in the north, 804kms of cycling now behind us. My bike sat in the shade of our simple but pleasant beach-side accommodation, its tyres half submerged in the soft white sand. It was a nice place to end an adventure.

Look out Nepal - Here's Nellie!

So far so good. My excellent friend Mitch Bryan dropped me off at Derby Railway Station, and with only a minor delay to the trains in Birmingham I boarded my flight to Doha seamlessly with the super efficient Qatar Airways. I scraped in on the 30kg luggage allowance with only 2.5 pouches of Aldi cat treats over the limit. The nice lady at check-in let it go, and the shop cat at Himalayan Singletrack in Thamel, Kathmandu was, later, very pleased.

The flight to Doha had barely anyone aboard and I had a row of three seats all to myself, that’s a rare luxury indeed for the frequent traveller; all I had to do was try not to fall asleep. Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh kept me royally entertained for quite a while. The inflight meal was a delicious Chicken Biryani, followed by an even more delicious blackcurrant cheesecake. I’m very happy about the improvement of inflight meals; I thought about the first one I ever had, on a Balkan Airlines flight to Bulgaria in 1984, it was so bad that on my return flight home I pretended to be asleep so that I didn’t have to eat it.

A Signal of Intent. The Sonder Signal Ti.

The Signal Ti is soon to be the latest addition to the Sonder(Alpkit) range of highly regarded, and highly capable, bikes.

I was in the very fortunate position to ride the final pre-production model during my recent trip to Nepal.

It is an astonishing machine.
Anyone who visited last September's Big Shakeout Festival or the recent London Bike Show may have spotted this bike already. I spotted it nestled innocuously at Big Shakeout and immediately interrogated Neil Sutton about it - in my mind it had Nepal written all over it.

2017 review. All or nothing.

It hardly seems possible that exactly a year ago today, shortly after returning from a 3 month trip to Nepal, I took ownership of my very own 6.4 acre parcel of ancient woodland. 

For the most part it has been a labour of love and an absolute joy... for the most part. (See here amongst other posts).

I do seem to have spent an awful lot of time at work in between trips away, and an awful lot of time working in the wood too (but that's a good thing). You can't enjoy the kind of travel that I do without working very hard to pay for it.

Rumble in the Jungle 2017.

“Do you fancy going out to Sri Lanka for The Rumble?” was a bolt out of the blue from my friend, the Race Director at Yak Attack(MTB Worldwide), Phil Evans. “In fact we’re going out three weeks early to recce the trails if you fancy that too?” was his second question.

“Erm… not sure. I’d like to… err… fuck it, yeah” My initial hesitation was due to the fact that I had an impending shoulder operation (which I’ve been putting off for four years) and really I needed to get it done. However, the “fuck it” principle came into effect and bypassed any modicum of common sense.

The timing was also perfect, I was working away in London and we would be flying out exactly a week after my contract finished.

Who's afraid of the Big Bad Yak?

The Yak Attack - the worlds highest mountain bike race - has something of a fearsome reputation; I'm about to shatter a few myths... well, kind of.
It seems that a lot of people are discouraged from entering because they think it is too hard for them. I'm going to tell you that it's not.
If you are reading this then you are probably considering entering so you've come to the right place. If you are a mountain biker and you're not considering it then maybe you should, it is one of those great, but ultimately achievable, life goals that will change the way you think about yourself and the world forever. Plus you will become one of only a tiny group of people that can say that they have, and you'll walk away with some lifelong memories (and friends) and a bunch of pictures that will make everyone you know green with envy.
Like this one for example: 

Wouldn't it be nice to have this hanging on the wall at home?

The green light.

"No Gain Without Pain" it says near the top of Cramp Hill; the final, brutal, climb into Haputale at the end of "Rumble in the Jungle" Stage One. I doubt whoever painted it knew that it would eventually greet a plethora of international mountainbikers in the last throes of the pain train during their baptism of fire on the lush island of Sri Lanka.

It is also relevant to me this very week. My long awaited operation to repair my previously dislocated shoulder has the go ahead and I undergo keyhole surgery on Thursday afternoon. I'm looking forward to regaining normal mobility, but I can't say that I'm especially looking forward to three months of post-op recovery, or the immediate post-op discomfort come to think of it.

No Gain Without Pain. 

Talking, as we were, of Sri Lanka, I have written a two-part blog for the Daring Deeds section of Alpkit's website. If you fancy reading about my Asian adventure you can do so using the links below:

Jungle Rumble Part One.

Jungle Rumble Part Two.

Talking, as we were, of Alpkit/Sri Lanka, I got an email from AlpCol recently, asking me if I would consider doing a talk in The Yurt at their end of season outdoor festival The Big Shakeout.

It's sold out now so if you're are fortunate enough to have secured a weekend ticket you will be able to listen in on my adventures.

I'm finding the thought of talking adventure to a big tent full of adventurers a bit scary. Fortunately I can talk the back legs of a donkey, so once I get over the initial stage-fright I think I should be OK.  If not then my potential public-speaking career will be over on the night it begins. Thankfully The Yurt only holds about sixty people so my humiliation could remain well contained... ahh... they film the talks and put them on YouTube. Oops. Potential global humiliation then... Ho-hum.

Given that I may have some time on my hands for a couple of weeks I'm going to attempt to finish off one or two pending posts and reviews, and also refresh and update one or two other bits of the blog that have been niggling at my tiny brain.

I'm sure that you are now struggling to contain your excitement. Watch this space :D

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News: Yak Attack announces re-branding.

The big news this week is the announcement from Yak Attack about an essential re-branding process.

Here's what Race Director Phil Evans had to say about it on the Facebook Page:

"Yak Attack was originally chosen as the name for the world's highest mountain bike race, which was founded way back in 2007.
Since then the name Yak Attack has become synonymous with mountain bike adventures and challenges and has been used as a collective name for all our other races, adventures, and challenges.
As the company is growing incrementally as each year passes, we felt it was time to give Yak Attack it's identity back as being the "to-do" high altitude mountain bike race not only in Nepal but worldwide.
For this reason all our races, including Yak Attack, Rumble in the Jungle, Pokhara IV and all our mountain bike tours will now go under the umbrella of Mountain Biking Worldwide.
Over the coming weeks/months there will be a little bit of re-branding, website updates, and a whole new simplified application system.
We're very excited about the future of Mountain Biking Worldwide and look forward to welcoming riders new and old to our ever growing calendar of races, challenges and adventures.
Hope you like the new logo :-) © A Friendly Web Dude"

So there you go, everything in a nutshell.

If you fancy the adventure of a lifetime then sign up for one of their truly great races or have a look at the amazing guided trips that are on offer.

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A pebble in the pond. How young women are changing Nepal.

Al Seaton, Usha Kanal, Jenny Caunt, Roja KC.

Something is happening in Nepal. A wind of change is blowing, a gentle breeze that might yet become a tempest.

Sport, that great leveller of people, is beginning to make its mark. Tenacious young women like Ultrarunner Mira Rai and Mountainbiker Laxmi Magar have through their own efforts inspired other young women to dare to dream.

These dreams are then facilitated by people like Richard Ball from Trail Running Nepal, working tirelessly to promote running and running events, and helping and promoting the potential of Nepali athletes on the world stage. Richard, of course, makes a living from this, and rightly so, but he is also making dreams happen too.

Now we have Jenny Caunt, from Himalayan Singletrack, a mountainbike shop owner and tour provider based in the beating heart of Nepali tourism; Thamel, Kathmandu.

Jenny is also doing something remarkable. In the west we might call it progression, continuity, or something similar, we take equal opportunities for granted; in Nepal it is pioneering, it is the rejection of boundaries, prejudice, regression, in a deeply misogynistic society. She is empowering women to get involved in this completely male dominated industry, and she is giving them jobs - equal jobs.

And guess what? They're good at it.

Jenny is a very good friend of mine, and when she told me what they were doing I asked her to write me a little piece for the blog. I was proud of my friend and I wanted to help promote it.

What I got took me by surprise.

Jenny has written a very honest and open review of a transformation, and it isn't only affecting the girls.

She has thrown a pebble in the pond and the ripples are spreading.

I love this story, and I think you might love it too.

Jenny Caunt

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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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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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...

And now the end is near...

I've done my last day at work for a while. It's a strange feeling to walk away from a place that you've really enjoyed being at, knowing that you won't return. 

Two and half years ago I got a phone call for a short term project - "Three weeks work, four at the most". I'd worked there a couple of times before and was familiar with the people and familiar with the drill. I didn't anticipate two and a half years to be honest, but I've loved it for the most part.

Progress, however, means that I won't return; production is moving out to the far east - Vietnam - and the south east - Essex. The world keeps turning. That's life.

It has provided me with a decent income and plenty of flexibility to pursue my passions.

Today I fly to Nepal for ten-plus weeks. It's been worth it. I'll miss the people, some of whom I consider to be good friends and not just colleagues, but we'll meet again.

People, friends, characters.

You can travel all around the world and see the most amazing things but you will always remember the special people more than anything else. The memories you make in life are almost always connected to people. I like people.

How to: Hike-a-Bike Thorong La, Annapurna - Yak Attack.

Other than "Which bike?" and "How to train?" the question I get asked the most about Yak Attack is how I carry my bike over Thorong La.

I have written a few times previously that my preferred method for this most testing of stages is to porter my bike attached to a rucksack.

In past years I used an Osprey Atmos 35, this year I'll be using and testing the 2017 model Osprey Stratos 34 (release date is February 2017).

Partner announcement: Osprey Europe.

I'm delighted to be able to announce that Osprey Europe are once again partnering me with some product support.

I will be testing two new products during my Autumn 2016 trip to Nepal.

The Stratos 34 Rucksack and The Talon 6 Lumbar Pack (both due for release in February 2017).

I have been using and recommending Osprey Packs for many years (as a paying customer).

My Atmos 35 Rucksack (review here) has done thousands of miles around the world; sadly this has now been discontinued from their product range. I looked at suitable alternatives and The Stratos 34 is very similar. Likewise my trusted Talon 8 Lumbar Pack (review here), which has also done thousands of miles of trail running and mountain biking, hasn't been available for some time due to a streamlining of the range which saw the Talon 4 and Talon 8 usurped by the current 6 litre model.

Thankfully they were happy to supply me with one of each to test and review so that I can continue to recommend a current product to my readers. If they are up to the job (or not) you will see an in-depth review on my return in December. First impressions and early use suggest that Osprey have hit the ground running as usual. I'm dead impressed so far.

News: Tour of the Dragon - Bhutan.

The results are in for this years 7th Tour of the Dragon in Bhutan.

An epic one-day mountainbike race in The Himalayan kingdom that covers a daunting 268kms with over 4000m of ascent, and four high pass's - Kiki La 2870m - Yotong La 3430m - Pele La 3430m - and Dochu La at 3150m.

The top three positions in the mens field were all scooped up by Yak Attack racers. That bodes well for an epic scrap come November when they will all be toeing the line for this years 10th anniversary edition in Nepal.

Canada's National Champion - Cory Wallace - took the top honour in commanding style with a 37m 54s lead over nearest rival Rajkumar Shreshta (Nepal) followed by Roan Tamang (Nepal) a further 17m 25s back.

The racers were faced with appalling conditions for the first 150kms. 

In Cory's own words: "Unforgettable day racing in Bhutan today. Thick disgusting mud for the first 150km, monsoon rain, then some epic climbs with a destroyed bike to finish the day. Top 5 hardest rides of all time in my book".

I think that says it all.

Results from TotD facebook page:

7th ToD winners- Men Category.

1st Cory Wallace (Canada)- 13 hrs 2 min 5 sec.

2nd Rajkumar Shrestha (Nepal)- 13 hrs 39 min 59 sec.

3rd Buddhi Bdr. Tamang (Nepal)- 13 hrs 57 min 34 sec.

Women category

All the women did not cross the the 4th pass (Dochula) before the cut off time.

Riders preparing to start at 04.00am local time.

Canada's Cory Wallace crossing the finish line after an epic days racing.

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Bargain cycling tour in Nepal!

Here's something for anyone fancying a trip to Nepal this Autumn.

My friends at Himalayan Singletrack have some late deals with a whopping 15% discount on offer.

Jenny Caunt and Santosh Rai operate one of the longest establish and most respected Mountainbike tour company's in Nepal.

This is a great opportunity to ride with them and see some of the amazing trails and sights that Nepal has to offer.

If you're lucky you might even be guided by Aayman Tamang, one of Nepal's elite international mountainbike racers. (You might even bump into me, now wouldn't that be a treat! :D)

Follow the links below to contact them for more details.

You can read all about them here:

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Yak Attack and Stage Racing. What bike?

© The penny farthing by Peter Jackson. Lookandlearn.com 

I'm often asked by potential racer's what bike I consider most suitable for Yak Attack.

Hardtail or full-suspension? Aluminium, carbon, titanium? etc.

So I thought I'd give a few thoughts on the matter.

First of all, if you are thinking about taking on The Yak Attack then just do it.

Anyone can do it. It is considered extreme and that is a fair tag but it's not so extreme that it's unattainable for most people. If I can do it so can anyone else.

You will need to have a reasonable level of fitness and bike handling skills but you certainly don't need to be anywhere near elite level to take part in, and enjoy, the adventure. The most important ingredient to finishing Yak Attack is grit.

The best laid plans... #DestinationUnknown

My life is a series of best laid plans, some of which magically materialise, and some of which don't. It's always life itself of course that dictates the direction and flow of my best laid plans.

This year for example I had to cancel my attempt at the Tour Divide Race in America because of the change of circumstance in my living arrangements (it was a timing issue rather than a homeless issue). This lead on to plans for an impromptu bicycle tour and an ultramarathon which were then partially dissolved by the opportunity to go to Nepal again.
See what happens? Life is fluid, so I go with the flow.

And so... This is where I'm currently at, and this is the plan...

I fly to Kathmandu at the end of September for a jolly old adventure of ten weeks. Ten whole weeks of dossing around, riding my bike, and making a nuisance of myself.

It's a very good job that it's cheaper to be in Nepal than it is to be at home.

I plan to have a couple of days in Kathmandu, recovering from the rigours of long haul travel, meeting up with friends, and sorting out permits.

I then plan on heading for the Annapurna circuit and The Upper Mustang region (so long as I don't get lost again, see here) to recce the new Yak Attack route, 

I might then head for the lakeside city of Pokhara for some R&R. I haven't spent much time in Pokhara and I'd like to get to know the area a little more. Also it has considerably less air pollution than Kathmandu and I'd like to avoid the dastardly "Kathmandu Cough" before Yak Attack heads out of town.

I then plan to cycle circuitously to Kathmandu for the race registration and stuff.

Yak Attack will be all encompassing for about three weeks and I'll hang in KTM for a few days after the race until everyone has departed.

I might then hatch a plan to cycle to Chitwan for a week or two. They have elephant and rhinoceros in Chitwan. I have met elephant and rhinoceros before but I've haven't met them in Chitwan.

That's a lot of plans. A lot of plans that might get unplanned and replanned into other plans. Who knows man? I'll just float with the tide and see where it washes me up. A man with a flexible plan :)

The Elephant Patrol

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Israel - The Promised Land? Mad dogs, Englishmen, & Israeli's go out in the midday sun.

©Yoram Hen

Preconceptions, no matter how hard you try to resist them, are always very different from reality.

Israel is a country that gets a lot of press, that carries with it some political baggage, and some hefty misconceptions.

It is a country considered by many to be nothing more than a virtual desert wasteland.

It is also considered by many to be something of a war zone.

I was asked on more than one occasion why I was going there. 

As I was to find out during my trip it is far from either.

What I actually found was a safe, modern, vibrant, country with a pristine and diverse landscape.

A landscape that is cherished, invested in, and very clean. It is one of the cleanest countries I have had the pleasure to visit.

I met warm and welcoming people who were excited, and proud, to show me the best that their country has to offer, and it definitely has a lot to offer.

I even saw a wild tortoise (wild in the free-roaming sense, not wild in the angry sense). I'd never seen a tortoise in the wild before.

It is also remarkably accessible from The UK. My five hour flight from Manchester to Tel Aviv cost £180 return with easyJet, and a very reasonable £70 for my bike (which allowed up to 32kgs).

A five hour flight, a two hour time difference, and visa-free entry,  makes it a very realistic option for a short (or long) winter break. I flew out on Thursday lunchtime, arrived in Tel Aviv around 7.00pm local time, enjoyed four fantastic days of mountain biking, and flew home on Monday evening. No jet lag, no hassles.

In the early part of last year I was introduced to Yoram Hen and his brother Michael, by mutual friends in Kathmandu, and we, in turn, became friends. He regaled me with tails of epic singletrack in his homeland.

In November I bumped in to him, once again, in Kathmandu, and he extended to me an invitation to go out and see them for myself. I was bewitched by his photographs and videos and so I took up the offer. I love to visit new destinations, I love to visit friends with my bike even more.

And it just so happens that my friend Yoram has an encyclopedic knowledge of Israels burgeoning trail network. How could I refuse?