Sand Dunes and Camel bones.

7th February - Shur Gaz to Nosratabad - distance 103km - ascent 800m - av speed 23km/hr - current position 29,52N 60,00E

Was it really only nine days ago that we were cycling into Naein in the snow, trying to keep ourselves warm, and watching everything in the van freeze solid...? Today couldn't have been more different.

We woke up to a warm early morning sun and made breakfast outside (excellent tomato scrambled eggs cooked by Sarah). It was going to be hot so the boys happily put on t-shirts and shorts while the girls begrudgingly wore long trousers, long shirts and headscarves… again! Luckily it seems to be ok to show your toes so flip flops replaced hot shoes.

Before we could go we had to start Martha.. She seems to be having a mid-trip crisis.. Her latest complaint is a dodgy battery connection and a distinct lack of spark! A simple push start was harder than we expected as she was also stuck in the sand. Dom broke into a sweat digging and everyone pushed but she eventually had to be towed out by the army. After jump starting her successfully we set off an hour later than planned.

We cycled in a group (I was finally on a bike again) with our army escort out in front and Dickie behind in Martha (she was forgiven her slow start as she managed another whole day without overheating). By mid morning the army left us which gave Dickie the chance to do some filming. The cycling was lovely - rolling desert with (sometimes) a gentle breeze. Just enough to take the edge off the heat. The scenery today was stunning...

The Iranian desert is different from the Syrian desert . There is much more sand. It is the way I have always imagined deserts to be. Vast expanses of sun baked earth, a blazing sun in a clear blue sky and every now and then sand dunes. At last, proper sand dunes, with ripples and ridges and everything. They began quite small, little drifts of sand behind bushes and rocks. But by this afternoon they were big, rolling dunes that caught the sun and invited you to play! After a lunch in the shade by an irrigation stream (and the inevitable water fight) we cycled past a great set of dunes. Jamie and Pauline were up them immediately. Sarah and I followed soon after. The sand was very hot underfoot and randomly hard then soft and deep, leading to some interesting running and falling. The ripples and sharp top ridges were straight out of Laurence of Arabia. The jumping and fooling around were definitely not. Nic and Dom missed out on all this fun as Pauline's shout of “SAND DUNES” was interpreted as “THANK YOU” so they ignored it and cycled on. We arrived 50 minutes later to find them very well rested!

With blazing sun comes casualties. Thankfully not cyclists (although Dom did have a “moment” late in the day when he fell off his bike for no apparent reason.. as you do.. which Pauline has reminded me three times to mention). The casualties I speak of are camels. Throughout the day we must have seen eight or ten dead camels by the side of the road. Skin and bones, dried in the sun. A sight which made us thankful we are not cycling this particular stretch in the summer. Winter is quite hot enough.

The scenery in the afternoon changed becoming mountainous and dramatic. The police caught up with us and escorted us to the end of the day. I had given in by then – hot and worn out. The rest of the team seemed to be finding it easier – well, it wasn't snowing and their gears weren't frozen so life was good. I was very glad to sit in the van resuming my role of film crew as for the next fifteen kilometres they climbed 500 metres over the mountains, through tunnels and finally, the reward, a long downhill to the police station at Nosratabad, our home for the night. We have pitched the tent and Sarah has cooked an amazing macaroni cheese. Not our most beautiful campsite but safe.

Posted by Ro

Home is in a soldier's desert fort

6th February - Bam to Shur Gaz - distance 113km - descent 490m - average speed 25km/hr - current position 29,07N 59,20E

After our rest day in Bam, the EverestMax team were back on the road commencing their final leg in Iran before heading into Pakistan. Today would also mark the team reaching halfway through the cycling phase to Kathmandu - a significant landmark in their quest to be the first to travel from lowest to highest. With the van packed (and starting fourth time) it was left to team leader and inspirational role model Dom (the cyclist of the 80's, 90's and present day) to lead the team out of Bam. Giving credit where it is due, he did set a good pace in the early stages (when the wind was behind us and it was downhill!), but it seemed as though he paid the price for this later as Pauline (sporting her much envied new MC Hammer trousers) left him straggling way off the pace for over 20km. Clearly the team were concerned for their galliant leader so they took it in turns to keep watch for him trying to keep the team together. Just imagine the relief that went round the team when he was spotted in the distance...

With 3 eager, or was it bored, soldiers wanting to escort us for the rest of the day, Dickie decided that it was time he got on the bike again. What he forgot to tell Rowena was to keep the van out of deep sand as it would probably get stuck! Yes, the van had to pushed out of the sand by our 3 soldiers - the things that Rowena does to get men in uniform working for her. Sarah was clearly enjoying the next 2 legs on her bike, and the team made great progress to their resting place for the night - a soldiers desert fortress! Yes, tonight we are staying in a desert fort occupied by soldiers - an ideal spot for us and it feels so good to be back camping and getting the adventure back on track after many hotels, or kebab houses. The much hyped volleyball rematch between Dom/Pauline and Nic/Jamie unfortunately never took off due to the need of a neutral ref (no Sarah, you are not neutral!) - no more dodgy decisions for the mixed team representing the older generation. Don't worry guys, us youngsters are ready whenever you are and you will see that we never lose...at anything!

If I was to write this report and didn't mention Jamie's fall the team would likely lynch me. However he is my roomie and when there are people around who are always looking to play tricks (no names need to be mentioned), it is vital to keep your roomie onside, and I have promised him that I will wait on the summit of Everest to take his summit photo. So let's just say that he wasn't going too fast, the drop to the gravel was only about 10cm but somehow he managed to do a dramatic fall which had the rest of us in fits - note the concern for his welfare! But being the cheerful chap that he is he just sat there in shock, wondering how he could succumb to such a school boy error... Maybe I have taught him too well on this trip - he is now neck and neck with me at the top of the leaderboard for falls, but at least I know my bike is cleaner..

Tomorrow will see the team pass through the 4000km mark which is a great achievement so far especially taking into account some horrendous weather conditions in Turkey and Iran. With Kathmandu now less than 4000km away it seems as though real progress is being made. The Marin bikes have proved to be excellent and well suited to the task at hand and we are most grateful to Marin for their generosity in sponsoring the bikes. Despite the joking and "friendly banter" about Dom, he is a great leader and has kept us on track so far as we all work towards a common goal. But can he maintain his cycling form to stay with the team to Kathmandu... Maybe it is time for him to get the proper cyclist hair cut that is worn by the 2 riders in the EverestMax team that he most aspires to be like.

Posted by Nic

Rebuilding Bam

5th February - Bam - Rest Day - Current Position 30,05N 57,20E

Our day visiting Bam started aptly with an Earthquake at 0700. No-one actually noticed it but when we were told it acted as a stark reminder of why we are here.

Leila an English graduate from nearby Kerman and Abdoulreza, a resident of Bam, worked for Merlin in the aftermath of the Earthquake were to be our guides. On the morning of 24 December 2003 Leila had been a graduate for just 10 days and Abdoulreza a happy law abiding citizen when the earthquake stuck. Their lives were about to change dramatically.

Abdoulreza soon found himself at the bottom of a pile of rubble, his house collapsing on top of him. His family lay beside him screaming in pain. He thought he was going to die. For 5 hours he couldn't move and struggled for every breath. His family was taken for dead and it was only when emergency services were sent to clear the bodies that they were rescued. He and his family were lucky, they all survived. Aboulreza had suffered a broken wrist, his wife a broken leg and his daughter had a severe chest injury. For a day they were placed in his yard whilst they awaited an ambulance. Abdoulreza and his wife were driven to a hospital in Kerman and his daughter to Marbad. They would not be re-united for 40 days. Leila was soon employed as an interpreter to help the distribution of aid. Elsewhere in the city there was carnage. Estimates of the death toll vary greatly; initial reports stated 100,000, official reports state 30,000 but the locals believe the figure is much closer to 80,000. Whatever the figure, the lives of the people of Bam and the surrounding area will never be the same again.

Merlin was the first NGO to arrive on the scene. 24 hrs after the quake they set up tents to distribute food, blankets and medical aid. One community they particularly looked after were the Afghanistan refugees. Initial aid appeared to be directed at locals so without Merlin's help the refugees would have endured terrible suffering.

We first went to a medical house about 5km outside Bam in a small village of Baghtamak . Here Merlin, with the help of Terre Des Hommes (TDH), a Suisse charity rebuilt the Medical House that provides support for 3000 families. The house was small, simple and clean. The staff of 2 can deal with basic support and medical aid. Difficult cases are referred to the larger medical regional health centres where greater care is available to cope with the day to day needs. In all Merlin and TDH jointly rebuilt or refurbished 32 Medical Houses and 4 Health Centres. Independently, Merlin rebuilt a further 7 Health Centres alone. Mr Barani who had been on the staff for 24 years was positive about the future but felt that without the aid of Merlin the Medical House would not have been rebuilt. We had a similar response from the small community of Darzin some 35km from Bam. The people of Darzin are poor and couldn't afford to rebuild their medical facility. Merlin are one of the few NGO's that made a conscious effort to help the rural communities. Patrick Parsons a manager for Merlin for over a year told us that one of the main problems that faced them was the temperature. At night it was down to -10°C and during the day it was up to 30°C. In the heat of summer it was up to 50°C. Providing equipment and clothing to cover such extremes was very difficult. Another problem was the construction of the roofs. Traditionally, Iranian roofs have been very heavy. Merlin wanted to build for the future and be prepared for another potential disaster. Construction techniques had to be tailored and the builders trained. Merlin also undertook to train nurses. In all they trained 198 nurses and deployed them throughout the area.

Merlin have now withdrawn from Bam and the surrounding area but Patrick continues working in the area for World Vision, building even more health centres. He says that he is very proud of the work he has done with both charities and feels that it is reassuring that the money donated to Merlin goes to the people that need it and not to those that manage them.

So what lies ahead for Bam? Akbar our guest house owner is adamant that Bam will be rebuilt in 2 years. The foundations have been laid for 80% of housing within the city, all the schools have been rebuilt and are full of happy children, and they are particularly proud of their 3 new hospitals. Generations have been lost and the adult population drastically hit. This has left many children without homes and the elderly without families to care for them. These problems are being addressed by the Iranian Government who has started new initiatives to deal with the problem.

There is an immense strength and energy within the city and there is a definite will to succeed. The people of Bam have suffered immeasurably and will never forget the earthquake but they are moving on. With your continued support and donations, the young children pictured will have a future.

I think we have all been touched by Bam and its resilient people. We have been privileged to see the work of Merlin and other NGO's within the city and are glad to support them. When you next go down the pub, please spare a thought for the people here and in Pakistan who continue to rebuild their lives. Your money will make a difference.

Posted by Dickie

Distance Is No Object!

4th February - Mahan to Bam- distance 168km - ascent m - av speed 26km/hr - current position 30,05N 57,20E

What a fantastic day!!!!!!! But it didn't start that way. The van (aka 'bag of bolts', 'scrap yard on wheels' oh yes and Martha) needed a push start but fortunately that fulfilled her attention deficit for the day, much to Dickie's relief.

As for the the cycling, we were ready for a long day and we got it...168km. Jamie and Nic decided not to add rocks to Dom's sack to help his training programme today as they thought the distance sufficient. They really do look after him! Another very proud moment came for Jamie when two of his proteges of surfing trucks (Dom and I), flew past him with style and speed. It must be the ultimate in teaching fulfillment to see your students surpass your own ability. Nic however, remained as my personal tutor as we caught the same truck later when we saw that he had waited for us when we had pulled out for a break. His day was either boring or he liked the idea of helping flagging cyclists up a very long hill. Nic's next lesson was on how to present a very smug smile when surfing past our great leader Dom. I am pleased to say my smugness developed very quickly. We passed Jamie who's proclamations of 'purist surfers don't book drivers!' were lost in the wind as we sped past (his complexion was a tad green, I hope he wasn't ill).

After the big hill, the rest of the day was a fantastic mix of down, flat, cross wind and tail wind. The scenerey became more and more dramatic which gave us great filming and photo opportunities. Ro was back on top of the van capturing the moment on video while Sarah kept disappearing to get it through her SLR.

Lunch was a veritable feast again, apart from the flatbread which became a very good frizby. That is until a car pulled over and told me in very explicit body language that what we were doing was bad and looked to the sky. I took the hint and explained to the team. Ro was not having a stranger come and tell her what to do with her flatbread and so threw it defiantly but with style. Then I told her that the strangers were police men...........oops 'Maybe I'll go and rescue that lovely flatbread.'

On a personal note, I was listening to a sad song on my IPOD when I saw a sign that said 25km Bam. It suddenly hit home that our journey was entering a place where over 30 000 people died in an earthquake only 2 years ago. Whole families were wiped out. I couldn't imagine losing one member of my family without a tear coming to my eye. How are these people coping now? Merlin is one of the charities that we are raising money for and they played a big role here after the disaster. I felt glad we are not only having a great time but can actually know we are helpinga genuine cause. With so many disaters happening in the world, it is easy to forget and move on to the next one. But we should never forget any disaster and the impact it will have on communites for years to come but also the good that it brings out in human nature. I was talking to a man from Bam and he said the people of Iran were fantastic and somebody from every town was sent to help. Some of them are still here and slowly their world is coming back to normal. It is a humbling and inspiring experience to even be here.

Posted by Pauline

Fields of gold

3rd February - Rasfanjan to Mahan - distance 157km - ascent 412m - av speed 21.2km/hr - current position 30,05N 57,20E

The cycling today was relatively simple. The road was flat for most of the day and the headwind, though present throughout the morning, wasn't as strong as it has been. The main obstacle was the distance, 95miles (157km). We settled into the normal routine where Pauline set a steady pace, Nic did his best impression of a labrador dashing ahead at every opportunity, and the 25km legs passed pretty quickly. Dom and I caught a lovely surf towards the end of the day, Jamie tried to muscle in and push me out of the stream but thankfully chivalry prevailed. It says something for our fitness that we can now do 95 miles and be up for a longer day tomorrow.

By far the best part of today was the scenery. It was absolutely stunning. We're still in desert but the mountains are closer than they have been for a while. The higher peaks have a dusting of snow but most are a rusty brown colour sculpted into peaks and furrows. The desert plains changed throughout the day from scrub land, to avenues of pistachio bushes (a.k.a. green gold) reminiscent of French vineyards, to rippled sand and then back to scrubby bushes.

The scenery was undoubtedly helped by the weather; another day of sunshine. While the boys were in shorts and t-shirts the girls couldn't get quite so comfortable. We are entering one of the most traditional regions of Iran and so we must abide by the dress code, ¾ length sleeves are no good, they must be full and of course legs and hair are to be covered. While this may seem cumbersome, the attention we would bring on ourselves by not sticking to these rules would be much more invasive. It would be good to be able to don some new shoes of the sandal variety but I'm not sure if they'd approve – we'll have to find a local who speaks a bit of English and ask.

The only unpredictable part of the day was Martha; having managed the 600km drive to catch us up she started overheating again today. Eugh. However the support team still outdid themselves. Now back into hot weather Ro, aided by Pauline her chopping assistant, provided pasta salads and buckets of fresh fruit which was a winner and makes all the difference, particularly on the longer days. Dickie was keen to get on his bike and blast out some of his pent up frustration from the past 4 days but his rear derailleur has been bent moving the bikes on and off the roof. Nic and Dom did their best to fix it (i.e. took a hammer to it) but it needs a more delicate touch.

We've just arrived in Mahan, a friendly place with quirky chimneys on the houses and a lovely mosque. The showers are hot, dinner's on the table with a ‘malt beverage' and the crumble's cooking in the remoska cooker so I shall leave it there.

Posted by Sarah

He's Back

2nd February - Anar to Rasfanjan - distance 103km - ascent 105m - av speed 22km/h - current position 30,25N 56,00E

With the van still in Esfahan (although hopefully leaving today), Ro organised yet another taxi to support us throughout the day and we were on the road by 9. There was not a cloud in the sky and at last the sun was hot. It seems hard to believe that when we left Dickie 4 days ago we were worried about icy conditions and today we were seeking shade during breaks.

As we left Anar we cycled through fields of pistachio plants and out into a vast arid plain with mountains now only visible in the distant haze. According to the school group me and Nic were teaching English to yesterday, this area of Iran is one of the largest exporters of pistachio nuts in the world.

Sarah got a puncture during the first 25km that gave the rest of us time for a round of hacky sac. Pauline seems extremely keen to improve her hacky sac skills and was very pleased when Dom joined in as she claimed he made her look good!

After a superb lunch break we headed on towards Rafsanjan, leaving Nic to catch up as he was stuck talking to some inquisitive truck drivers.

The hot conditions meant for some of us it was time for shorts. Dom however was still stuck in his Polaris leggings after ripping his shorts whilst trying to get on his bike, and had a scarf around his head after burning himself yesterday. Lets just hope that I don't have to teach him to sew as well as teaching him to truck surf.

News from Dickie is that after a series of ‘final tests' the van is fixed and after a very long and tiring drive he should be with us by 8:30pm. This is a great relief as our 30 day visas are rapidly coming to an end and we still have over 700km to go till the boarder. With the van back in action we can start stretching our legs again and we hope to get to Bam (320km) in 2 days.

Most of the afternoons cycling was taken up gathering footage for the everestmax film. With a newly laid and unused road at are disposal we made full use of the mirages and with Ro filming we also tried a bit of formation riding. The idea was simple, as Ro sat in the middle of the road we would ride in a straight line towards her and peel off left and right as we pass. The problem was that we forgot to tell Pauline which way was left and which way was right. Somehow Rowena survived the ordeal and even managed to save the bowls of green rice pudding that was given to us by a family driving past.

We found a hotel, went for some food and just as Pauline was making tea, Dickie arrived with a very much improved beard. We're back together, we've got the van, and all back on the road tomorrow.

Posted by Jamie

Surf's Up!

1st February - Mehriz to Anar - distance 119km - ascent 9m - av speed 23.6km/h - current position 30,50N 55,10E.

Spending a night in a kebab house wasn't such a good idea after all. In a desperate attempt to get an early night we were all in our bags by 11pm but the kebab shop owners had different ideas and proceeded to shout, sing, and hold farting competitions in celebration of our presence until well past one in the morning. Sarah not 'being amused' had to be restrained from going down to 'sort them out'. Lucky for them! We thought revenge would be sweet first thing as most Iranians are not early risers. However they were at it again before 6am. Feeling a little the worse for wear we hit the road in glorious sunshine and headed out into the desert. Our steady progress was short lived as a ferocious cross wind hit us and slowed our progress to about 15km/h at times. There are only two solutions in this situation - go slow and accept it will be a long slow day or look for a 'truck surf' to aid the progress. Normally this is the domain of Nic and Jamie but today a lorry going at a steady 50km/h appeared right on cue. After a few seconds of manic pedalling I was in the slip stream and my average speed increased three fold. Jamie did his best to hitch a ride but with a desperate cry of "I can't keep up....!" he was gone. Once again youth gives way to experience in these situations!!

An early lunch stop of Ro's delicious rice salad allowed the wind to subside a little and the afternoon brought better conditions. Pauline sped off feeling very liberated before realising she had left her rucsac at the previous stop. This was nothing to Jamie's predicament of being caught short without any toilet paper in the middle of the desert. How he coped we have no idea but I'm sure he can reveal more in his blog tomorrow. A small town en route presented the chance to see a spectacular new mosque being built.Once we were through the 80km mark the wind did an 'about turn' and we had to change our tune as it became our best friend again, pushing us all the way into the small town of Anar, our stop for the night. This time there was no desperate search for a bed this time with Ro already having located a small hotel on the outskirts of town. Jamie and Nic made a quick foray into town to change some dollars but ended up joining an 'English evening class' of fourteen year old girls. They were gone for some time......

Do check out the updated photo gallery where we have posted previously unseen photographs from the expedition. If you would like to purchase any all proceeds will go towards our three supported charities.

Posted by Dom