Beijing Busted!

Location:	Beijing
Mileage:	13,000

Just a few words – we have made it to Beijing. We arrived in bright blue skies, hot temperatures and to a grand welcome party hosted by Kin One Lee, the General Manager of BMW Motorrad in China. We’re all numb, relieved, ecstatic all in one go. We’ve done it!

London to Beijing, via Tibet and Everest Base Camp

The Most Adventurous Overland Ride on the Planet!

Plunging into Chaos, Humidity and Heritage Sites

Location:	Xi'an
Mileage:	12,000

It’s all change now. Mount Emie is hot, sticky and humid and we wander through the tropical paths amidst monkeys and monks. We’ve lost the altitude and remoteness. But we’ve gained modern development. It’s tarmac all the way to Beijing now. This also means we are in the populated areas – congestion, pollution and McDonalds!!

Beijing is finally in our sights and it would be easy to lose focus. The other road users mean you just cannot. The traffic is mayhem, it’s chaotic, it’s from anywhere at any time. The smog and humidity is also getting to everyone. But the suicidal drivers are even more so. No one can quite believe the “muppetry” that is happening on the roads. This part of the journey is not pleasant motorcycling – it’s the miles we need to make to get to Beijing and pass through some of the most famous sights in China.

Chengdu and Xi’an are big tourist spots on our route to the north. There’s a lot of traffic to fight on our way in and out, but I dodge through some of the jams local style and have Darran and Robert playing at “Chinese Driving” too! Chengdu is famous for the giant panda reserve and Xi’an for the Terracotta Army. We devour a dumpling banquet and get to see the Chinese acrobatic shows and the famous “Changing Faces”.

I can tell we are all travel weary – we’ve got that build up of cumulative tiredness that is from being on the move in demanding and arduous conditions day in and day out. Today, Charles had an altercation with a driver when his pannier caught the other driver’s car. It almost led to fisticuffs and the police stepped in. That’s symptomatic of bad judgement that comes from being knackered. We’re only a few days to go and it’s time to remind everyone to take a breath and concentrate on getting to the finish line.

Beautiful Western Tibet

Location:	Mount Emie
Mileage:	10,800

Ahead of us lays another week of riding to get off the Tibetan Plateau and into Sichuan province and the World Heritage Site of Mount Emie one of four Sacred Buddhist Mountains. The next few days of riding are on tarmac and it is truly spectacular.

The scenery changes to a more lush green, the valleys, the mountain peaks are a combination of tropical and alpine. Riders describe it as a mini-Switzerland. I think it’s a bit like the Guatemalan Highlands. There are prayer flags fluttering at the top of every mountain peak and long bridges and we pass through many small rural villages.

Along the way we also see pilgrims on their way to Lhasa. Still with many miles to go they prostrate themselves along the road, standing and crawling and kneeling. It’s a humbling sight.  Pristine lakes, jagged mountains, gushing crystal rivers make this a magical place.

The tarmac eventually disappears and we are back on dirt. Buts it’s raining now, and it’s muddy and slippery. The road is narrow and we’re fighting for space with trucks and buses. The rainy season seems to have started early as we slither down the mountain to yet another bridge crossing. We’re lucky to be riding our bikes in Western Tibet – very few have been here and some places are not allowed to foreigners.

The final section of this route is demanding - small dirt roads, more high altitude mountain passes, more road works and there is more traffic now.  This is the Sichuan - Tibet Highway.  Its constantly affected by landslides and earthquakes.  It is one of the most dangerous roads in the world and it's obvious why.  The sheer drops, the tight sandy hair pins bends, how narrow the roads are. 

Lazy in Lhasa

Location:	Lhasa
Mileage:	9,400

It’s only a day of riding to Lhasa and an all tarmac one at that. It is also a timed check point road, meaning vehicles must not arrive at the next check point before a certain time or else they are fined. It is supposed to keep the speed down. The reality is all the vehicles pelt along as normal and then park up a mile or so before the checkpoint and wait until their allotted time. Ridiculous system! Luckily it does not apply to motorbikes. Aha!

We have planned three full days off in Lhasa and wondered if they was too much time to be off the bikes, but given the intensity of the past ten days everyone is relieved to have some rest. We also meet up with Max – Max was our only rider who due to altitude sickness had to be rushed to Lhasa for treatment and did not make Everest. He is gutted and is still not well enough to continue so his bike is trucked onto Beijing and he reluctantly has to fly home to recoup. It’s a sad moment for all when he leaves.

The others take the opportunity to explore the ancient city of Lhasa and the Potala Palace is on the top of everyone’s agenda.

Resting, checking bikes, doing laundry and catching up with loved ones at home also takes time. We are fully refreshed to start again. I’ve warned everyone not to let their focus slip. Getting off the Tibetan Plateau is as tough as anything they have done to date and the Sichuan-Tibet Highway is classed as one of the most dangerous roads in the world.

EVEREST!

Location:	Everest
Mileage:	9,000

So today is the day. EVEREST! We have the day to go there and back – the total sum of around 140 miles road trip. We retrace our steps to the entrance and then start a climb through plenty of dirt switchbacks. Round a corner and on the left there’s a view point. We couldn’t have had a more perfect day.

Everest was in the distance – a perfect peak set against deep blue sky. We stop and gaze in awe. It’s at least another 50 miles to get to its base. The riders peer out and see the staggering view of hairpins that awaits them. The ride has to descend into a lush green valley first, before then climbing back up rough and rocky road to get to the Rongbuk Monastery and onto Base Camp. We share the road with packs of yaks and little local 125 bikes. Then Everest comes into view.

My breath is taken away with the beauty of the highest peak on the planet. I’m privileged to be here a second time, to wander amidst monks and prayer wheels whilst birds swoop above my head and the gentle murmur of chant and prayer carry on the wind. But more so to share the moment with a inspiring group of riders – riders for whom this journey is a defining point in their lives, riders who could have easily given up and moaned at how tough it was, but didn’t. One member of our team is 70 years old, another only came back to riding a couple of years ago and we have a couple riding two-up the whole way – incredible.

With our Everest conquered in our own way, we head back to Dingri. A milestone Everest maybe, but there is still 4,000 miles left on this trip and they are not going to be easy ones. It ain’t over yet!

So close to the highest peak on the planet

Location:	Dingri
Mileage:	8,700

It was a freezing cold night and today we are straight back on dirt roads. There’s also lots of road works going on and the detours get very sandy. We’ve already had a few offs in the sand and lucky escapes each time, so everyone treats the road with respect. But it’s slow going – only 160 miles today, averaging no more than 20 miles an hour.


We’re at another small village and tea house, so there’s no respite from all the dust by leaping into a hot shower – just plastic bowls again. Everyone is knackered from the concentration needed to ride today. Given the cold we just bed down in our bags, complete with clothing.


Road construction continues unabated for the next day and the riding is just as slow. Unlike back home, there are no helpful diversions, simply find your own way. The next day improves; the weather is good, the Himalayas start to come into view and the sun is shining. We finally make the junction with the Friendship Highway, where tarmac awaits! Michael so pleased he just kisses the ground. The Friendship Highway is newly paved – it’s the direct route to the Nepalese border.

We pass the turning for Mount Everest, but that’s for tomorrow. We have a whole day set aside to go to Base Camp and back. The team are buzzing. Mount Everest will be a huge milestone.

Mount Kailash & Lake Manasarovar

Location:	Lake Manasarovar
Mileage:	8,500

There’s only another 60 miles or so of dirt today, around Lake Pangong – this lake is part of China and India and represents disputed territory. The road around it is more dust and dirt, but the lake itself is a beautiful mirror image.

Everyone is relieved to leave the dirt behind. The tarmac is brand new and leads into Ali, the provincial capital. Finally fuel stations as we would recognise them – except they won’t fill motorcycles up at the pump - and a room as we’d know it WITH a shower – expect that we have to wait for two hours for hot water!

The following day is a blessing for all as it is tarmac the whole way. We have a break at a local tea house for chai – some like it for others its too sweet!

We pass the holy Mount Kailash and spend the night at the side of Lake Manasarovar – the highest fresh water lake in the world. Like Kailash, the lake is considered scared – drink some of its water and your sins are washed away for one hundred lifetimes. Anyway it costs £20 to get lakeside – yes, £20, so we keep our sinful behaviour and most wonder up to the local Tibetan monastery instead.

There’s no showers again tonight, just a plastic bowl of warm water for face and feet and the weather looks like it is closing in. I’m cooking a past special for the team from the van.