Another good day of cycling...well I can say that now that it's done. Two 500 m passes today...the first was a long traverse and the second was switchbacks so we saw the entire climb from the bottom.
The entire day was cold, especially the second decent, my hands and feet got very cold and I stopped a few times to warm up. Going down was slow as it was switchbacks and the pavement was broken in many places. Holes deep enough to throw me off my bike if I hit them wrong going to quickly.
Yesterday we had the option to stay in a tea house or in our tents. As a result we had the dining area of the tea house where the owner started a fire for us after we arrived because it was cold. Just as we started to eat, two sheep herders came in, both men approximately 25 years old. They both had long hair which was braided and wrapped in a colourful cloth. They also wore a turquoise earring which is traditional for Tibetan men.
Through our Tibetan guide we were able to talk to them. Their meal was ramen noodles...the packages that you just add water to and stir, and several cans of coke. We had pizza for supper so we gve them a piece. The one liked it and the other one didn't. Too many flavours he said.
We were all huddled in the tea house and they were getting ready to go back out to spend the night. They did not have a tent, all they had was a blanket to either sleep on or cover themselves with if it's cold. Here we are at the end of May and it's very cold except for the few sunny hours in the middle of the day. They are very hardy for sure...I have no idea how many days in a row they will spend outside before getting back to their homes, potentially all summer long.
Not long before there were eight young nuns who were walking around the lake because it's considered a sacred lake. They stopped in for a pitcher of hot milk, and then continued their journey in the cold, windy night. We saw a few of them this morning, walking, as we cycled by. They will do this circuit once and I think it will take them several days to get around as there are likely many prayer stops. A dedicated life for sure.
So now that my day is done, I'm sitting in my warm tent, the sun is shining and I'm getting ready for a shower. I'm thinking about the young nuns on their pilgrimage and I'm thinking of all the sheep and goat and yak herders that we have seen throughout our travels as well as the women and men labouring on various construction projects. I hope that I can remember them the next time I'm complaining about my trivial problems.
Heading away from the lake, today is the
biggest challenge of the tour so far! We cycle 2 monster passes the first at
5,000m, the second 5,253m. The rest of the cycling is downhill to reach
Gyirong. This region of Tibet is known as the back garden of the Himalayas.
Accommodation: Camping
Maximum Altitude: 5,253m
Sleeping Altitude: 4,093m
Distance: 53km
The entire day was cold, especially the second decent, my hands and feet got very cold and I stopped a few times to warm up. Going down was slow as it was switchbacks and the pavement was broken in many places. Holes deep enough to throw me off my bike if I hit them wrong going to quickly.
Yesterday we had the option to stay in a tea house or in our tents. As a result we had the dining area of the tea house where the owner started a fire for us after we arrived because it was cold. Just as we started to eat, two sheep herders came in, both men approximately 25 years old. They both had long hair which was braided and wrapped in a colourful cloth. They also wore a turquoise earring which is traditional for Tibetan men.
Through our Tibetan guide we were able to talk to them. Their meal was ramen noodles...the packages that you just add water to and stir, and several cans of coke. We had pizza for supper so we gve them a piece. The one liked it and the other one didn't. Too many flavours he said.
We were all huddled in the tea house and they were getting ready to go back out to spend the night. They did not have a tent, all they had was a blanket to either sleep on or cover themselves with if it's cold. Here we are at the end of May and it's very cold except for the few sunny hours in the middle of the day. They are very hardy for sure...I have no idea how many days in a row they will spend outside before getting back to their homes, potentially all summer long.
Not long before there were eight young nuns who were walking around the lake because it's considered a sacred lake. They stopped in for a pitcher of hot milk, and then continued their journey in the cold, windy night. We saw a few of them this morning, walking, as we cycled by. They will do this circuit once and I think it will take them several days to get around as there are likely many prayer stops. A dedicated life for sure.
So now that my day is done, I'm sitting in my warm tent, the sun is shining and I'm getting ready for a shower. I'm thinking about the young nuns on their pilgrimage and I'm thinking of all the sheep and goat and yak herders that we have seen throughout our travels as well as the women and men labouring on various construction projects. I hope that I can remember them the next time I'm complaining about my trivial problems.
 |
| Shishapagma |
 |
| Lake |
 |
| Lake |
 |
| At first sumit with Ox |
 |
| Summit |
Maximum Altitude: 5,253m
Sleeping Altitude: 4,093m
Distance: 53km
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