Day 18 - The Last Resort - Kathmandu

Distance – 105kms
Max Altitude – 2200m
Riding time – 6 hours

Big climb, unfamiliar heat, chaotic traffic and oh so much oxygen in my lungs. The day began just after 8.30am (crossing the bridge from the resort pictured right) and it was pretty fast going for the first few hours as I snaked down through the lush valley. At about 40kms in I hit the day’s big climb – 26kms – which started out OK but got progressively steeper. I was starting to feel it with heat being an unfamiliar factor.

The traffic was also mad, and you had to listen carefully as you climbed to make sure that you didn’t come into a narrow section of road at the same time that a large bus did. There were a few close calls. I did manage to get some encouragement along the way – Tom, Rick, Astra, Toby and Kim were part of a group that I had met at the Last Resort and they shouted some encouragement out of the window near the top. It was a good boost. I saw Ian and Liz at the top of the climb (they’d headed off the day before) and we rode together for a couple of kilometres but then I decided it was safer to press on. 15kms from the centre of town the roads turned to complete chaos. There were no clear lines of traffic and vehicles were all moving at different speeds: pedestrians, cars, scooters, bicycles and trucks. The best way to progress was to keep a high speed and ride aggressively to hold your place in the vehicular ecosystem.

I didn’t have a map of Kathmandu – a city of 3 million people – but it wouldn’t have helped as there are no street signs. I used the compass and got a running commentary of motor bike riders as I rode to find the Thamel district. I was able to track down the guesthouse I was looking for without having to get off my bike – a reasonable achievement given the mayhem on the roads. I took a celebratory photo to mark the end of the journey (below).

After arriving I checked out some mountain bike shops, indicating that I was prepared to sell mine to avoid the excess baggage. It also turns out that the Nepali Mountain Bike Championships are on Saturday, and I decided to enter. I also cleaned up the bike so I can shop it around tomorrow.

I also caught up with the hiking group who had encouraged me on the hill, and went out for pizza dinner. I was really grateful to them for including me as they didn’t have to let me tag along but I really appreciated the good company.

Kathmandu is mad, as there are no clear footpaths and vehicles fight with pedestrians for space. Every second shop sells mountaineering equipment, Tibetan artefacts and jewellery, but shopping isn’t really my thing.

I am satisfied by what I have done, but daunted by the return to reality. As Tibet becomes more distant I have reflected on my impressions:

• An amazing place to visit but not somewhere that will bring me back again and again
• Chinese authority hangs over you constantly, and creates a strange feeling of semi-paranoia
• The environmental conditions on the plateau are extreme, and you quickly forget the power of the wind, cold and altitude to make life difficult. It is a hard place to live.

The Tibetans are a people that I feel for. They have lost their independence and seem to have given up fighting for it. The begging was particularly distressing and I feel for the next generation of Tibetans that grow up thinking that this is an income. I don’t blame them but find it incredibly sad.

I am also glad I did this trip when I did. In three years the road will be paved between Lhasa and Kathmandu and the frontier feel will no doubt go with it. New hotels will rise as Chinese tourists do the trip in sedans, and the people along the way will see none of the spoils.