So… This is it. As close
as I want to get to a solid route for 2014; following a discussion with my
cycling partner Ben Lewis. 8 months, 9000 miles, 18 countries. The line on the map marks the onset of what
promises to be a challenging, yet highly rewarding expedition from London to
India. Comprehending the scale of this journey is not easy, but the excitement
and anticipation is boiling the forefront of my mind. POSITIVELY STOVED.
The intention of this trip is adventure,
I fully expect purpose to stem from this. If you set out with a good intention
and back it up with knowledge and an open mind, often everything else will grow
around it. I’ve lived by this philosophy for a while now and can only praise
it. Flexibility is the key to keeping a trip interesting, I’m all for planning
but spontaneity can conjure the most worthwhile experiences.
Gabber-shizzle aside, the route will begin with a swift mission to
the coast from London. Channel crossing by ferry to France will be followed by
Paris and a short bouldering crush in
Fontainebleu. The route heads east from here to the Dunabe River in Germany via
Strasbourg and Munich. The Black Forest born surge
of water will guide us through Austria and Hungary, where stops in Vienna and
Budapest are expected.
After breaking away from the
Dunabe in central Hungary and powering
through the final European sections in Romania and Bulgaria, our prep for the
east will take place in Istanbul. All being well, we will leave behind Europe for the Caspian sea crossing
between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. The next stretch will head to Dushanbe,
Tajikistan; via Samarkand in Uzbekistan and the M-34 mountain pass from the
north. This stretch will require a flood of will power and motivation, it
promises to be dry and in the high 20’s, with
potentially scarce water supplies and a significant culture change.
The infamous Pamir Highway will greet us with an awe-inspiring backdrop, bringing us within metres
of Afghanistan as we surge towards Osh, Kyrgyzstan. From here we plan to head
east to the old city of Kashgar, China; before a colossal
voyage on the G219 to the
town of Lhatse, Tibet. Here, we drop south to Kathmandu, via the prodigious Everest Base Camp,
before a stint of volunteer work with an aim to improve the desperate
environmental state of the trekking region.
Single tracks will guide us through
~NE-SW striking Indian valleys of the Himalayan foothills before
we head west for the first time through Uttar Pradesh
and Rajasthan.
Our route through India remains uncertain at this stage and will depend upon
time / circumstances, though we aim to conclude the expedition in November
2014.
I am buzzing like a BEE on steroids.
G.
