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.

Yak Attack - The Essentials (2018 onwards)

As a seasoned Yak Attacker I get asked a lot of questions throughout the year; what kit? what bike? what to expect?

I wrote a piece about this in 2013 (See here), most of which is still relevant, some of it is not.

After being involved in six consecutive editions I've accumulated a fair bit of experience. I've now pretty much got my own kit dialled. This is my attempt to bring everything up to date for the benefit of anyone planning to take it on. 

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.

The sound of silence. Yak Attack 2017,

For the first time in a while I was riding alone and I was enjoying the solitude and the simple pleasure of spinning the pedals at a natural pace. I rolled to a halt, mesmerised by the same view that had stopped me in my tracks exactly a year earlier. The low sun cast shadows across layers of barren mountain summits. Nothing stirred. Nary a parched leaf rustling on a twisted shrub, nor the bellow of livestock could be heard on this windless day.
Silence.
There are few places in the modern world where it's possible to hear nothing, nothing at all, the sound of silence. Nepal's sparsely populated Forbidden Kingdom - The Upper Mustang - a high altitude desert, is one of them, and it is intoxicating. I wanted to stand there forever and bathe in its glory. The electrifying, exhilarating, intoxicating sound of absolute silence.

Alas I couldn't, I had work to do. I pushed on the pedals, the gentle crunch of rubber on dirt seemed almost deafening.

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?

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

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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A Daring Deed indeed.

The stunning Rara Lake in Western Nepal.

Because I have been quite lazy of late I thought I should probably post a little update. I am in the process of writing several pieces for the blog. At least one covering some of my extended visit to Nepal and another one with some very exciting news to share.

Watch this space.

I have written a couple of pieces for Alpkit's Daring Deeds section. The first was a preview of my recent trip to Nepal...

Coffee, Curry, Cake, Beer, and a Bicycle.

...and the second is a travelogue of our time exploring the area around the rarely visited Rara Lake National Park in the Wild West (just click on the links).

Rara Hurrah

A curious couple and a curious cottage - Western Nepal.

It's not much of a blog post but there is plenty to come over the next few weeks as I get caught up.

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Yak Attack 2016 - The Prologue.

It's that time of year again where I cast my net over the entry list for the worlds highest mountainbike race and offer up a few predictions on the unpredictable outcome of this epic race.

The 2016 event is definitely the race of the year.

It's the Tenth Anniversary of "The Showdown in the Annapurna's" and it's all set to be a very special edition of this already legendary sufferfest.

It's also about to carve its way through the stunning Upper Mustang Region (for the first and possibly only time ever) with no less than 17 mountain pass's over 3500m and the almighty Thorong La at 5416m.

It may be shorter in distance this year at just 350km but the bite is undeniably worse than the bark. Grrr.

The front end of the mens pack is a snarling pride of stage-race lions.

It's going to be a true Clash of the Titans this year, the most competitive Yak Attack ever.
Could this be the year that see's an end to the Nepali domination of the top spot? Let's take a look...

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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Dear Diary... Nepal and other things.

I'd say life is definitely out there... you just need to go find it :)

I'm in a period of limbo currently.

This has allowed me to spend a lot of time day-dreaming and procrastinating; it's the perfect excuse for a dreamer such as I.

I really do have to make some solid lifestyle decisions at some point very soon.

I have made one solid decision recently. I have booked my flights for a 10 week trip to Nepal. Not exactly a solid lifestyle decision of course but it does allow me the grace to defer any real decisions until a later date. I'm hopeful that my current contract will take me right up to my departure at the end of September.

Newsflash: Yak Attack 2016.

The big news out this week, from Race Director Phil Evans, is the release of the new stage details for this years 10th Anniversary Yak Attack,

The rather appropriate tagline for the showdown in The Annapurna's is "Into the Forbidden Kingdom", reflecting the momentous decision to take the race high into the remote Upper Mustang region of Nepal.

10 stages. 350km. 15000m of ascent, and 17 mountain passes above 3600m. The high point, as usual, is the mighty Thorong La at 5416 breathtaking (literally) metres above sea level.

That's right - 17 passes above 3600m.

I'm going to stick my head above the parapet here and suggest that this years edition is probably the hardest mountain bike stage race on the planet in 2016; surpassing even the legendary IronBike for brutality.

Entries currently stand at 74 riders. A figure almost as astonishing as the race stats themselves.

I hope that the race can continue to have a grassroots family feel to it even with the elevated number of entrants this year.

There are plenty of familiar faces returning for second, third, fourth, or more bites at this indomitable cherry.

There is the welcome return to the fold of high profile elites this year including Cory Wallace (Canada), Yuki Ikeda (Japan), and Sonya Ewonus - nee Looney (USA).

Other returnee's include such lovely people as Steve Edwards, Wendy Lyall, Brian Sweat, Paul Cooper, Zoltan Keller, Tania Tryhorn, Sonam Drukpa, Matt Rousu, Pete McCutcheon, Zbigniew Wizner,  and Tetsuo Shimoda.

My very dear friend and great adversary Tyler McMahon returns again for his record (for an international rider) fifth consecutive race. 

Nepal's great ambassador, role model, six-times National Champion, and five-times winner of Yak Attack, Ajay Pandit Chhetri will of course continue his unmatched and incredible run of having raced in every single edition.

I'm really looking forward to seeing plenty of my old friends, and meeting plenty of new ones too.

Did I forget to mention that I'll be there too? :D

I'm assisting Phil with officiating the race again this year and I can't wait. so much so that I'll be off out to Nepal at the end of September. Keep an eye out for my dispatches before, during, and after, the event.

In the next couple of months I'll be researching all of the riders and I will post my, now annual, prologue, discussing the likely movers and shakers, and highlighting one or two people to look out for.

If any riders wish to contact me with a few details I would appreciate it very much. The best way is via the Chase the Rainbow Facebook page.

Please consider giving your support to NCRR - Nepal Cyclists Ride to Rescue.

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All of the details for this years event can be found here

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Yak Attack - 2015. Inside out.

The NorthFace Nepal Yak Attack from TheYakAttack on Vimeo.

 ^^^ Check out the new video ^^^

Yak Attack 2015 was a very different experience for me this time. Race organiser Phil Evans asked me if I would be interested in supporting him with the day-to-day running of the event in one form or another.
We've become good friends over the last four years and I jumped at the chance to be involved. 
(For those that don't know; Yak Attack is an 8 day mountain bike stage-race held in Nepal and is considered to be one of the toughest races in the world). 

2015 had been a tough year in Nepal. The devastating earthquakes in April & May decimated not only communities but also much needed tourism. This was swiftly followed by a long and still ongoing border blockade, a political crisis caused by a short-sighted, and divisive, new constitution, and deep political corruption, that has resulted in chronic shortages of essential goods and fuel.
For Phil Evans to be able to convince and cajole 29 riders to take part in the race is nothing short of amazing, especially considering it was on the verge of being cancelled at one point.

I have actually raced it three times previously; in 2012, 2013, & 2014, and with mixed results I might add!
In 2012 it was part of a bigger adventure; the first half of my trip was spent trekking the "Old Expedition Route" from Jiri to Everest Base Camp with my friends Dave Slater and Wilco Voulon after which I stayed on in Nepal and took part in the race, more for the adventure than for racing.
In 2013 I decided to do it again to actually race it proper and see how I could do. Unfortunately it ended in disaster with a high speed crash on Stage Six which resulted in a dislocated shoulder!
Fortunately (sic) that year the race was being filmed as one part of a documentary series for Channel Five in the UK and I made a cameo appearance for all of the wrong reasons.
(You can read my account of that here in Part One and Part Two).
So in 2014 I had to return again! Fortunately it went well and I finished the race in one piece and happy with the performance I put in.
And that was supposed to be it for me, "No more!" was the cry!
But it's a special event, it is one of those races that pulls you back again and again. I'm not the only one with this affliction either, several international racers have returned two, three, and even four times. Paul Cooper, Yuki Ikeda, Peter Butt, Andre Deplechin, Sonya Looney, and Tyler McMahon are all multiple veterans.
2016 will be the Tenth Anniversary and it is set to be very special; if it can be pulled off logistically then the race might well have some new stages in The Forbidden Kingdom of Upper Mustang. I may or may not go back and race it once more; but then that's it, no more!!! Hahaha :D
This years event was definitely the best one yet, for a multitude of reasons, read on to find out all about it.