I had a little bit of time in Delhi… I found street photography quite difficult. Despite the obvious potential it is the sort of place that completely overwhelms the senses… the noise, the crowds, the oppressive heat (at least at this time of year), the bad air (apparently now the most polluted city in the world – I was permanently chesty) and one is always fending off the not always welcome attention of the locals. Consequently relaxing …
Cycle Touring Archive
Spiti etc
Bikepacking through the stupendous Spiti Valley in the Indian Himalaya, as part of a two-wheeled exploration of the Spiti and Kinnaur Valleys.
The Hindustan-Tibet Highway
Winding it’s way northeast through the Himalayas of Himachel Pradesh, the rough, landslide-prone Hindustan-Tibet Highway is an engineering marvel and makes for a great ride as part of a longer bikepacking journey.
Transitions…
I’m really happy, got my Inner Line Permit. It had been on my mind a little because I kept hearing and reading all sorts of conflicting information regarding the application. As a solo traveller I would not have been able to get the permit from the government offices in Shimla or Kullu, and even had I been able to get a group of 4 or more together (the rules… apparently) it still depends on the …
Jalori La
Before I left home, and knowing there would be some significant stretches of asphalt, I did have a few brief doubts about whether the Surly ECR was the best tool for this journey… The Jalori La dispelled any remaining doubt about that, from the north side its final 15km or so are rough dirt rising at gradients up to around of 15-17% … the ECR exhibits a somewhat leech-like quality on such terrain, inching upwards …
On the road again (again)
It’s taken me 12 years to return to this part of the world on my bike mainly because of the journey to get here, it’s not a long flight, about 9hrs, but it’s followed by a 14-15hr drive (overnight bus or taxi) from Delhi on some terrible roads to reach the Kullu valley here in Himachel Pradesh. The right season for riding in the mountains also means that Delhi is an uncomfortable place to connect …
An ECR + Tubus Vega post
** A quick update on this post, a couple of years on, while I remember. I’ve since ‘cold-set’ the Vega rack such it fits over a 3″ Knard on Rabbit Holes without any adapters/risers and with about 1/4″ clearance each side. I cut a block of scrap wood to just a bit wider than the gap between stays at the tyre position. Wedge the wood in place. Bung a quick release through the mounting holes …
Lightweight bike touring gear list..
Over time gear changes (mostly gets lighter), personal philosophy changes, bikes change and as a consequence so does my packing list for a bike trip. The last time I wrote one (in 2011, here) it represented a pretty heavyweight outfitting for a long, partly off-road journey featuring mountains, deserts and the potential for really bad weather and as such is still completely valid to my mind even if these days I would probably leave some …
Dirt road touring / bike-packing Crete
I thought that, for once, I could perhaps make myself useful and scribble a general info flavoured post with info on maps and stuff – especially given that Crete is such an accessible destination with some absolutely fantastic riding that doesn’t require a big investment in time, messing with visas and so on. So..on that basis here it is.. Maps Crete is absolutely stuffed with dirt tracks and trails.. some harder to navigate than others but …
Archanes etc
I could quite happily have spent a week on the Lasithi Plateau… however with a flight on Wednesday it seemed like quite a good idea to arrive back in Heraklion (or rather the western beach suburb of Amoudara) on Tuesday afternoon leaving time for packing bikes, enjoying a post-ride beer etc… so that is where we are now, bikes are packed (something of a race against an approaching thunderstorm) and we can reflect on what …
Lasithi
After 9 days of riding without a break a rest day was in order…I’m lucky in that the temperatures have to be to closer to 40 degrees before I’m affected too much but even so the relentless climbing was beginning to take a toll. I would have liked one last high mountain camp but I’m not here alone so can’t have everything my way.. ;-) Instead a highly agreeable solution of one last big mountain …
To the east…
It’s warm… as I rolled up my tarp at 8am this morning on the little patch of sand on which we spent the night my thermometer was already showing 30 degs C… and by 2pm this afternoon it was above 34 degs in the shade… about 10 degs warmer than normal for this time of year… it makes riding a sweaty business but I’ve endured much hotter so really just a case of slowing down …
Psiloritis Traverse
Got some late afternoon shade and a mug of tea here in Zaros so time for a quick blog post I think.. it’s been a terrific couple of days, albeit hard ones, crossing the Psiloritis mountains. Legs were really quite stuffed this morning so basing ourselves in the quiet little village of Zaros at the foot of the range on the south side it’s been a day of local exploration… quietly spinning along fragrant dirt …
A quick post beer post…
Oh it’s so good to be on the road again, albeit just for a quick trip. Having arrived quite late last night into Heraklion today was reserved for things like getting up late, drinking beer in the sun while looking at maps, putting bikes together, finding supplies and so on. Easy. It is rather fun to be on the road in a modern European country for a change with well stocked supermarkets full of good …
The push to the open road
The open road beckons.. as I think about the need to disappear into wild and empty places again I’ve been thinking, well ‘dwelling’ is perhaps more appropriate, on what it is that draws me to such places. It is a true statement that to date I have never been happier than when ‘lost’ in some vast wilderness. The reasons behind that are many and complex and ones that I generally keep to myself… hence I do not …