Escape from Daliban

15th February - Dalbandin to Padag - distance - ascent 180m - av speed - current position 28,37N 65,07E

After a dusty night in our secure customs house we were eager to get back on the road. We hadn't slept well disturbed by howling dogs, rutting donkeys and a night watchman that shone his torch in our faces every hour. We were about to depart but our anxious escort held us back due to a demonstration on the street outside. It soon materialised that the locals were protesting about the lack of water. This south western corner of Pakistan ( Baluchistan ) appears relatively forgotten by the government. The towns do not have mains electricity or water hence the aggravated mood of the locals. We delayed our departure by a couple of hours warned that it was too dangerous to venture onto the main street. Nic in his role as chief coach quickly organised a much needed team cricket practice. When we eventually set off it was only to travel about four hundred metres before finding our way blocked by burning tyres across the road and a rather excited crowd. They surged towards us waving their arms frantically. In hindsight we decided that they were probably being friendly but by then we were back in our compound having another brew. Then we realised we had forgotten Dickie, left in the heat of the action with a van loaded with mineral water on the roof. Another hour and we were off this time taking no risks and circumventing the town on the bypass. Urdu for bypass by the way appears to be the same as in Persian – wait for it …… ‘ring road'!

It was probably our hottest day yet but we made quick time into yet another headwind. With every km the scenery became progressively more stunning. If we thought we had been through deserts already we were sadly mistaken. Rolling golden sand dunes provided for a spectacular back drop and camels sauntered by at regular intervals. The road narrowed to a single track and in places even this had been encroached on by drifting sand. We made our breaks short as there was little respite from the hot sun. At one tiny village Pauline leant her services to the locals helping to draw up water from their 50m deep well. Then much to Jamie's delight he was accosted by a man claiming to be the Pakistani football captain. We decided he was likely to be the first of many, similar to the numerous Iranian cycling champions we have met en route! Nevertheless they seemed happy entertaining each other for a few minutes while we ate Pauline's homemade Jammy Dodgers.

Dickie and Ro cycled with us all day alternating legs every 20km. The mountain draws closer everyday and as they are both aiming for the North Col they are keen to fine tune their endurance ready for the big push. After our late start a late finish was inevitable but we also managed some late afternoon footage of camel trains crossing the main road. We are now safely harboured in a Border Guards camp of commandos in a tiny desert outpost. Home for the night is a disused garage with a concrete floor. As I write Sarah is knocking up a crumble and Ro and Pauline a special risotto with a certain ‘je ne sais quoi'. I don't know what that means Sarah has just asked…….

Posted by Dom

Thanks Jamie...

14th February - Yakmach to Dalbandin - distance 58km - ascent 120m - av speed 26km/hr - current position 28,35N 64,20E

Whilst Jamie was still reliving his goal from the previous evening (I swear he has added on some metres and style marks to it), we made a slow start from the building which was called a Government Resthouse. If people think we are living the life of luxury they should see this place. It clearly hasn't been cleaned for about 3 years, with thick clouds of dust erupting from the floors when we walked on them, no electricity and no running water. If camping had of been allowed we would have jumped at it. Dom's facial expression when the owner said “Do you like my place?” clearly gave away his thoughts.

Pauline was feeling super strong today on this shorter leg and was keen to show the boys that her pace has rapidly improved and even tried to race Jamie and Sarah into town. Without wanting to give away the result of the sprint, all I will say is that Sarah came in second. With Dickie and Rowena doing alternate legs the team were rapidly at their destination of Dalbandin Customs House. Whilst Nic played street cricket with the locals to pass the afternoon away, every child in Dalbandin wanted to be photoed by the team – luckily we have snap happy Dickie to deal with situations like this.

A quiet day on the bike gives us the opportunity to talk about 2 key people on the EverestMax team. The aim of this trip is to get at least one member of the 5 strong cycle team to complete the entire journey from lowest to highest point on earth. Without the massive contribution from the support team this would not be possible at all. At times their role may be thankless but it is impossible to put into words the gratitude that we have for them. At every stop they are there ready for us with freshly prepared food, the kettle on, fresh snacks and a positive outlook on the day – even if it has been snowing all day, temperatures have dropped below freezing, we have no feeling in fingers and toes and have punctured! The food which is prepared is beyond our expectations and this is whilst they try to get out on the bike as much as possible to improve fitness for Everest. Dickie and Ro are a key aspect to our attempt on the last great overland challenge and for this we thank them. Okay so they have a strange relationship with the van (even taking into account the fun and frolics at border crossings and the numerous breakdowns), but I can almost forgive them for that as long as the freshly prepared fruit salad continues.

Our journey towards Quetta continues and each day we can feel Kathmandu getting closer. The desire to get there is clearly evident throughout the team as we work towards a common goal. Everest is regularly in our thoughts and inspires us daily as we cycle what we hope to be the last five and a half weeks into Kathmandu.

PS Thanks for the numerous Valentines messages that have been flooding the EverestMax e-mail account. We are still trying to make our way through them!

Posted by Nic

Into a headwind (again)

13th February - Nukkundi to Yakmach - distance 114km - ascent 40m - av speed - current position 28,30N 63,45E

We were up in the dark in preparation for a long day in the saddle. Fuelled by piles of scrambled eggs, baked beans, roti bread, pineapple upside down cake, fig and cherry crumble and cold custard we were raring to go and faced the headwind at a brisk pace.

Being forced to travel in convoy has its advantages as Ro and Dickie can get on the bike much more easily and today they alternated every 20km leg. Cycling into a headwind all day for days on end is not easy. Pauline and I have developed a good system whereby we take it in turns to break the headwind, swapping every 3km or so, Dickie joined in on his 'legs' which was even better. Ro would have joined in but every time she got on the bike a truck turned up for her to surf!

There seem to be some misconceptions developing about surfing. We do not simply lasso the vehicle and get a tow! To start with you need to bust a gut to get up to a speed vaguely approaching that of the truck, then comes the tricky part where you need to peddle like mad, manoeuvre close into the vehicle and get into its slip stream, once in you then keep pedalling to stay up with the pace and you are usually only a couple of feet off the back bumper so concentrating is a must. Today was made more interesting by the dust and sand. The truck kicked it all up off the road so surfing was really cycling at 40km/hr or so in a sandstorm! Jamie and Nic are normally the surf kings but today they weren't coming anywhere near it, their reason?....Pauline, Ro and I, a.k.a. Bish, Bash and Bosh. From behind our weaving in and out looked a bit hickaldie pickaldie and quite dangerous, it was just a perspective thing.

Due to headwind, light, and stomach issues we chose to stop slightly short of our initial target. Dom's been feeling a bit off colour today but in true ug style still cycled 114km without any grumbling. Stopping turned out to be a great idea since over the back wall of our accommodation was a massive football pitch full of men keen for a game. We were split into mixed teams and so the game began. It was clash of the titans as Dickie on the attack met Nic standing firm in defence, Jamie ran around like a mad thing and eventually wore himself out. Pauline and I played in the knowledge that they wouldn't really tackle a girl or expect her to challenge a boy and they certainly wouldn't expect any shoving…..they soon caught on. The game finished as the sun set, it turned the sky a brilliant pink, one of the best we've had so far.

There's no running water or electricity where we're staying so strip washes and head torches have come into their own. Ro's cooked a wicked spicy curry and we are just waiting for the banana custard. Happy days.

Posted by Sarah

Happy Birthday Nic

12th February – Taftan to Nukkundi – distance 127km – descent 130m - av speed 22km/hr - current position 28,40N 62,35E

If only the blokes knew what Sarah had made Nic for breakfast, I'm sure we would have been quicker to get out of bed! Presented on the breakfast table was a superb pineapple upside down cake that had been prepared last night and cooked at 6am this morning. The pretty pineapple writing saying ‘31' didn't last long as we dived in, preparing ourselves for a long day on the road. Now those of you who think that I would play a trick on Nic because it's his birthday are very much mistaken. In fact the only trickster in the team was Pauline, who yet again seems to be the guilty face behind the old ‘rocks in your rucksack' trick.

We picked up our customs officer who is going to escort us to Quetta and after loading up the roof rack with water, preparing for quite a few days of desert cycling, we hit the hot and dusty road. Dickie joined us from the start today and apart from the odd truck that was kind enough to give you a face full of sand as it past, the road was unusually empty. We took lunch at a police check point – well by check point I mean a collection of mud huts with a kind of official looking man with horrendously bad teeth holding a rope across the road.

To pass a bit of time we started up a small game of football with the guys who man the check point. England Vs Pakistan . With skilful players such as Walters, Clarke, Rouan and Sanderson representing England the victory was inevitable. However when they decided to bring their secret weapon onto the pitch, the pitch being the road and the secret weapon being a camel, we decided it was time to get back on the bikes.

25km down the road we stopped to refill our water bottles at the top of a small incline. Dom scrambled up onto a small ridge to get some footage for his action packed Everestmax film, and Pauline, Sarah, Ro and I attempted to summersault off a nearby dune. I thought I came off worst with some very sandy eyes, but then I saw Pauline's attempt and Sarah's head dive – need I say any more!

Nic, going back to his personal training days encouraged Dickie through his first 100km day and then Ro jumped on the spare bike for the final stretch into Nukundi. With a little help from the master she managed to catch her first surf and it wasn't long until we were directed into our home for the night, another police compound.

Posted by Jamie

From Kebabs to Curry in 300 yards

11th February - Iran/Pakistan Border - stuck - current position 29,00N 61,20E

Border day.. again...!!

We no longer predict how long it will take or try to work out how much of the previous country's paperwork will be dismissed as useless, or how often we will be told that it is "no problem" only to discover that everything is a problem and that it will take many days and thousands of dollars to sort out. These days we go in with an open mind, expecting the worst but hoping for the best. Today we got both.

We finally left Iran without much trouble. All the hard work had been done the day before by Dickie and Nic. Today we got the final stamps on our passport and at last entered Pakistan. Instantly all sorts of things changed. For a start most people here speak reasonably good English (with the wonderful Pakistani accent that English people fall into when trying to sound Welsh!) Language has been one of our greatest hurdles at border crossings. Just yesterday we were relying on one man to translate everything that was being said. Without his help we would have been floundering. To be understood and to understand the conversations going on around you is great and instantly speeds things up.

Another thing that changed is the tea (chai). So far tea has been served black, in small cups or glasses, with an ever changing and interesting selection of sugars - lumps, broken chunks, crystals and flavoured wafers. In Pakistan we were immediately offered tea. Nothing new there... but the tea that arrived was thick and white and very sweet. It seemed to be made with condensed milk and was delicious. Pauline is in heaven - she knows the word for milk in every language. In true British style we have been known to bring our own milk so we can have a proper English cuppa with our breakfast. It seems we may no longer have to.

Trucks.. these have gone bananas. They have been getting progressively more decorated throughout Iran with painted sections and reflective strips. Upon entering Pakistan the first thing we came across was a lorry park with the most fantastic trucks I have ever seen. They are a whole new shape, very tall with an open back and curved top. Every inch is covered with intricate patterns and paintings. There are incredible additions on the front, back and sides, supporting brightly coloured hanging arrangements made up of chains and reflective discs. Each one is a work of art. The drivers seem rightfully proud and jostled for position when photos were taken. We will have to wait and see if they drive them any more carefully than the Iranians - somehow I don't think they will but at least if they dont have any lights at night we will still be able to see them - they light up like Christmas trees when you shine a torch on them.

The best change was the welcome we received. The customs men were most polite and helpful. Suggesting a cricket match at 5pm, we agreed, wondering if it was a joke. We turned up at five to discover that they were quite serious. There was a small cricket strip in a car park at the back. Flanked on one side with a Mosque, on another by a fantastic selecton of trucks and with quite a crowd of interested locals who came to watch, we practised for a while before dividing into teams - a mixture of English and Pakistan on both sides. We played two matches, five overs each, five balls an over. The locals were very fast and very accurate. They claim to play every day and it showed - they were lethal with each other but were kind to us. Dickie shone as the biggest hitter getting more than one right out of bounds. Pauline matched him for the number of runs but in a style entirely of her own. Jamie turned out be to be an excellent bowler, not as fast as the locals but very accurate. He managed to get out three people, all of them English!! Dom admitted that he hadn't played cricket for eighteen years....! Sarah managed to get right underneath a very high ball, catch it, fumble, drop it, almost catch it again but finally lose it in a flurry of arms and legs. I turned out to be excellent in practice but very unspectacular in the game and Nic was a very gentlemanly bowler and a thoroughly competent batter but did miss a gift of a catch. The final result was a draw and we are invited back again for a game tomorrow. We had to refuse as we are finally cycling again... but we did say yes to a fantastic dinner of curry and lively banter. Finally we have left the kababs behind.

This brings me back from the best to the worst. We apparantly need an escort through the whole of Pakistan. They will provide this for two days but then say we must go by bus!! Martha is still in a quagmire of buracracy.. when we reach Quetta in four days we will discover if it is possible to continue with her at all.... in the mean time I have painted the EVERESTMAX logo on her bonnet. We haven't given up on her yet.

Posted by Ro

Border Frolicks or a load of ...... Rubbish!

10 February - Iran/Pakistan Border - stuck - current position 29,00N 61,20E

I do not know why my blog seems to come around border crossings but here we are again in a number of ways. As I write we have been unable to cross into Pakistan for some 29hrs. The cyclists are free to go, but without support it would be unwise to travel unaided through this region. We have also had a significant increase in temperature over the last week and cycling is becoming thirsty work and the team are unable to carry enough fluids alone. It therefore left us with the choice of everyone else crossing the border and resuming the taxi support that worked so well when I tried to fix the van in Estfahan, leaving me to try and sort out all the paperwork and join them in due course, or having a rest day. Having a spare day up our sleeves, and still on track for our Kathmandu deadline, the latter decision was made with the hope that we would make some progress today.

Zahedan is a mere 85km away and the home of the transport police who very helpfully told us 2 days ago that our papers were in order and that we would have no problem crossing the border into Pakistan. Yesterday we were told that unless we got a stamp from them we were going nowhere. Being a Friday and the main day of celebrations of their month long religious festival I had little to no confidence at all when Nic and I set off for Zahedan. This confidence was re-inforced when we were told to wait for 20 mins at the border gate for our first escort. 30km further down the road we had a further 30 minute wait and so the pattern continued until 4.5hrs later we arrived at the Transport Police building having had 7 different escorts. Knowing that the border closed at 3pm we knew our task was hopeless.

Much to our amazement, the offending paperwork was completed in 5 minutes and we were soon back into the rhythm of driving for 5 minutes and waiting for 30. Luckily the journey back was done in a record 2.5 hrs so we do have some sanity left. Sure enough the border was closed but we have spoken to some Pakistan officials and they have assured me that we will have no problems in the morning. My cup being half full, I of course believe them.

Whilst we were away Jamie taught the girls some new tricks with the hacky sack and on our return they were eager to demonstrate their new skills. We reached a new team record of 7 passes. Quite pathetic I know but you should have seen us yesterday. Dom spent much of the day doing accounts, admin and leadership stuff so was glad of a bit of fresh air to finish the day.

Tomorrow we will attempt to cross into Pakistan at 9am, bringing an end to our Iranian adventure. Iran has been a wonderful host to EverestMax and will have a special place in our memories. The country is vastly different from the one politicians like to paint and I urge you to consider it as an alternative venue for your next holiday. You will not regret it.

Posted by Dickie

Bored At The Border.

9th February - Zahedan to the Iran/Pakistan Border- distance 94km - descent 450m - average speed 24km/hr - current position 29,00N 61,20E

Early rises are becoming a nasty habit. Anybody would think we were on a hard core expedition! Up at 6am as our escort was booked for 7am. Off we went and unfortunate timing means we are making another border crossing on a major festival. Tomorrow is the big day so we hoped to get to the actual border (only 75km away) by lunchtime to give us the afternoon to get through. Yes we are an optimistic mob. We left the hotel and managed a few kilometeres before we came to our first beauracratic obstacle in the form of change over of escort at a police check point. We had an unknown amount of time to wait so out came the brew kit and the hackysack for some team training. Jamie dazzles us with tricks from a mispent gap year which we are all trying to emulate during any dead time. Dom's agility and Sarah's grace and Dickie's panache were the main attraction of the game...

Cyclists were off and into one of the strongest headwinds of the trip for the first part of the morning. I convince myself that either staying up with the boys or a good headwind is exactly what I need for Everest training (only 7 weeks away). Nic led the way and today was one of the first times we have cycled as a pack using the leaders drafts to pull us along. Of course Sarah and I did our turns at the front but feel it is important for the boys to feel needed and let them have the longer stretches. Ro joined us for a long stretch and enjoyed the benefits of the 'pack'most of the time until the speed outweighed the draft. We must be getting fitter!

At the border, Dickie did his stuff escorted by Nic who is kind enough to not see a man going into a lion's den of bureaucracy alone. Meanwhile us slackers made ourself at home on a hot and sticky day in the shade of the building. It wasn't long before we got the idea this could take some time so before Martha was taken for more 'checks' we got the cooker and supplies to keep us entertained for the foreseeable future. When your head set is programmed to get ready for delay, it really does mean you can chill out much more easily and we now seem to have it down to a fine art. Between banter, cups of tea and rice pudding we managed to kill several hours quite easily.

Dickie and Nic returned but to cut a long story short, we are stuck here tonight and potentially for a couple more days due to a festival and the transport police making a mistake on our forms. So we are now in 'No Man's Land' between Iran and Pakistan in a very basic hotel, but enjoying a spectacular sunset and awaiting some decisions tomorrow. We will either be on our way or we will be really good at hacky sack. Watch this space...

Posted by Pauline

Bandit Country!

8th February - Nosratabad to Zahedan - distance 111km - ascent 280m - average speed 23km/hr - current position 29,30N 60,50E

We are now approaching the final leg of our journey in Iran and doing it in some style. This south-eastern area of the country is not considered entirely safe for independent travelers, so we have had the precaution of a police escort for the last two days and today was no exception. Keen for an early start we were up at 5am and were on the road just over an hour later. After a chilly first few km, we enjoyed the sunrise above the mountains, our first while cycling, and were soon warming up. Our escort chopped and changed during the day as relays of police vehicles and soldiers kept pace with us. They were all friendly and keen to do their best to guard our safety. It has rather restricted our normal flexibility as the van also has to drive at 20km/h (our normal cycling pace) to stay with the escort. Ro managed this very patiently and still managed to take some film whenever possible, while Dickie took to the bike for the first 70km. Jamie filmed for the cyclists today nipping ahead wherever possible to grab some footage. Thanks to our prompt start we arrived in Zahedan early, having covered a hilly 100km by lunchtime. Pauline even cheekily surfed the Mercedes police car for the last 5km. Foreigners are still a bit of a novelty here and we attracted quite a crowd while searching for a hotel. Eventually we opted somewhere decent after knocking 60% off the initial price, and are now enclosed in relative luxury. Much to Sarah's delight we even have an ice cream bar in the lobby! All a well deserved reward after the efforts of the last few days and weeks. No sooner had we arrived than Dickie and Nic headed for the police station to begin the long paperwork process for exiting the country tomorrow.

The town is basically the last in south-eastern Iran, and is set amongst a stunning backdrop of parched desert and distant mountains. We are now only 90km away from the border with Pakistan, and Afghanistan lies barely 30km to the north. Many of the security concerns we have encountered stem from our location. There is a steady influx of Afghan refugees and Pakistani immigrants passing illegally through the area seeking the greater wealth and stability that Iran has to offer. Immediately on leaving Bam three days ago we certainly felt that we were entering a relatively wild and untamed region. However, what is reassuring is how efficiently we have been monitored and looked after. Nevertheless it is certainly the most 'sensitive' area of our journey and we are all read to move on. Tomorrow we should enter Pakistan, the fifth country on our expedition and another step closer to achieving our goal. The team is performing superbly and I cannot praise their efforts highly enough. Cycling through Iran alone is a major challenge. In less than a month we have crossed a country three times the size of France, enduring freezing conditions, illness and all the challenges that an alien culture can bring. Being over halfway is another major psychological boost and we are even starting to think about the delights of Kathmandu and the mountain itself.

However there is still a long way to go and we need your support as much as ever. On behalf of the team I would like to thank all those who keep us entertained with their regular emails and updates from home. Also those who have become official supporters and are thereby helping us directly to complete our journey and support the charities we are raising money for. Visiting Bam showed us the value of the work MERLIN has completed. Do have a look at our charities pages for more information. There are people working there for little reward but who are making an enormous difference to people's lives. Remember that the proud residents of Bam lost everything in a matter of seconds and that legacy will remain with them for years. Apart from the obvious good work that charities undertake, the local population were stunned by the generosity and attention of Westerners, and that we should care for their welfare at all. Bam is recovering slowly but northern Pakistan is currently enduring far worse. In the aftermath of the earthquake there a few months ago, their population who had far less to begin with, is suffering terribly in a harsh winter.

Please help to spread the word of what we are trying to achieve and many thanks for your continued support.

Posted by Dom