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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Consume less, live more. Plant more trees.

#DestinationUnknown - Independent Short-Haul Travel - Packing and the Pitfalls.

My son Dan in Luang Prabang, Laos; proving you can travel anywhere with 35 litres.

So now that we've booked our impromptu flight, sorted out some cheap accommodation, and figured out how to transfer from the airport it's time to look at how we're going to pack efficiently.

I'm going to look at suitable packs, the type of clothing that is best suited to travelling, essential items that are worth considering, and the sort of shit that you might be tempted to carry but shouldn't!

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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