Dom gets Police reprimand

21st February - Ziarat to Loralai - distance 94km - av speed 25km/hr - descent 960m - current position 29,30N 68,45E

A few quotes have been made this evening including “The way you ride inspires me to ride better”, and “You make mountain biking look good”. Now I would hate to say who has said these about whom, but it is my diary entry so maybe some of the team are trying to get in my good books!

Being up in the mountains for the night meant that the team were greeted by a nippy frost whilst urging the sun to appear over the mountain range. The trail blazing mountain kings (aka “the boys”) chose to put their knobbly tyres on this morning so as to protect their back wheels on the rough terrain, and to give the girls a chance on the mountain climbs – where else would you find 3 true gents like this?

An early climb was a good wake up call for the rapid descent into the valley, with a few sharp S bends testing Jamie as he tried to push his bike to the max and catch the front 2 pace setters. Later in the day he joined forces with Dom and Nic to make a steep mountain climb look nothing more than a molehill – the old man they passed on the way up was clearly inspired by their cycling as he took to the heels of Pauline on his one geared bike trying to win the battle to the top. A photo finish it was…

The final stretch into the town of Loralai saw Dom get a Police reprimand, just after he claimed they said “Cycle too strong” in his direction. Crowded streets greeted the cyclists as they made their way to their final destination and the promise of tea with milk. What more of an incentive does Pauline need to get her legs going?

For the support team today, Dickie entertained and swapped life stories with Nooradin our customs escort (I have never seen Dickie so keen to get back on the bike tomorrow), whilst Rowena cycled the full leg into Loralai, clearly relishing the fresh air, the freedom away from the van and the long descents. She also enjoyed the latest shopping excursion in a hectic town whilst being watched by at least 40 people for every purchase.

The EverestMax cricket team was again on show making mockery of yet another Pakistani team. Whilst everyone played in a friendly manner, Rowena and Sarah decided to take the game to the opposition by going for big hits from the outset and taking out a few 7 year old aspiring Inzaman Ul Haq's – all done for the good of their country. Meanwhile Pauline entertained about 60 locals with her singing (?!), tricks and dancing. I will leave it all to your imagination….

Sarah has just created a wonderful vegetable burger recipe and with the help of chief chef Ro, they are meeting the hunger requirements of the team.

With Dom writing the diary entry tomorrow it just leaves me to quickly praise his biking style, his charisma, his wit, his sheer physical presence and his leadership skills. Then again why change the habit of a lifetime. But thanks for the kind words earlier Dom when you said my riding was awesome today! Always appreciated.

Posted by Nic

Has anyone seen the road?

20th February - Quetta to Ziarat – Distance 127km – Average speed 23.3km/hr – Ascent 700m – Current position 29,35N 67,45E

In true military style, our armed guards arrived at the guesthouse at 6:30am and we were on our bikes not long after 7:30am. Dickie's job this morning was to go back to customs and pick up the customs escort and Ro's job was to buy enough food for 5 hungry cyclists! If all went well we hoped they would be back with us by lunch.

During the first 30km we had 2 armed vehicles following us and during a short water break Pauline and Sarah even had an armed police officer accompany them to the toilet! However, during the course of the day the escorts slowly deteriorated until we were left with one man on a motorbike, who seemed more interested in shooting foxes than following us. This didn't actually matter as not once did we feel threatened and everyone is still amazingly friendly. We have been offered 2 games of cricket, invited for tea, spent lunch with a group of very friendly locals, and all in an area where according to the Quetta police, the population do not like Westerners!

As we cycled towards the mountains we passed through the most chaotic villages, where we had to push our way through busy market streets where all sorts were being sold, including a huge eagle. We headed up out of the valley and into some stunning mountain scenery where the gradient was gentle and we could still make good speed. We ate cold onion bhajees and drank warm coke for lunch whilst waiting for the van. By 1:00pm it was still not with us so knowing that we still had a long way to climb, we pushed on towards the high mountain village of Ziarat.

In the sweaty heat of the mid day sun we climbed up to a high pass. Nic resorted to cycling with one eye shut so as to keep the sun cream and sweat out of his eyes, and Dom and Pauline kept to a steady pace, allowing me time to set up the video camera to capture that award winning shot. We sped off down the other side of the pass, only to find that the road turned into a stony and dusty dirt track, making our descent slightly more time consuming then we had envisaged. Sarah, who was obviously paying far too much attention to the surrounding rock formations than to her fellow cyclists, decided to suddenly stop in the middle of the road forcing Dom to pull off an emergency stop, even with one brake out of action. Pauline, knowing that Nic, Dom and I have weak back wheels due to previously broken spokes, used this stretch of road to make her way into the leading pack for the first time, although nearly lost it when a camouflaged speed bump caught her unawares! Obviously a few of us caught some serious air from this bump – such are the skills of the Everestmax team.

After a bone shaking couple of hours the road reappeared again and we could enjoy the last ascent up to Ziarat in relative comfort. By this stage the Ziarat police had joined us and they led us into the police station where we are sleeping tonight. But where was the van? Just as we were coming round to the idea of having no warm clothes and sleeping bags for the night, the Everestmax wagon drove over the horizon, putting a smile on Dom's face who was reliving the head gasket problems we had in Iran. Customs had been far more time consuming then expected but Dickie and Ro had caught up with us in the end, even if the journey did involve a couple of near crash experiences.

Posted by Jamie

Escorts

19th February - Quetta - stuck

Today has been another enforced day off as we are waiting for a Pakistani escort. As you know we have had an escort for the past couple of weeks through the eastern region of Iran and western Pakistan. The team are aware of the increasing presence in the media of the demonstrations in Pakistan and we have received emails expressing concerns for our safety so we though it prudent to reassure you that we are being as careful as possible.

We could of course stick our heads in the sand, put our best foot forward, stiffen our upper lip and carry on regardless. However, this would be rather stupid. Instead we have sought advice from local customs, local police, the Pakistani Home Office and the British Embassy in Pakistan. The first reaction from officials was that we should not cycle but rather get a train through Pakistan , obviously this is not an option for us. After a long day of negotiations yesterday, the police concluded that it would be safer for us not to travel independently for the next week, and that if we were accompanied by a police escort and stayed in police stations along the route then we would be in little danger. We have agreed upon an itinerary and the appropriate police stations have been informed of our imminent arrival. The Pakistanis have done absolutely everything within their power not only to help us complete our journey but also to ensure that is it completed safely. We cannot thank them enough for their support and generosity with their resources; they are not charging for the escort.

Before we embarked on this expedition all of us knew that we were going to be passing through some fairly inhospitable and dangerous places. The most notable of these was the first 600km through Pakistan finishing in Quetta. Far from being ambushed by bandits at every turn the route took us through some absolutely breathtaking scenery and we were always received with a welcome smile. The locals have been help in providing secure accommodation and at no point along this notorious stretch did we feel in danger. Of course situations change and a lot of ill feeling has been created by the cartoons printed in the Danish paper, Jyllands-Posten.We are told repeatedly by well spoken Pakistanis that the problem lies in regions with poorly educated populations as they do not distinguish between European nationalities. Nevertheless they trust the judgement of the local authorities and so do we. An escort may sound scary but we are simply erring on the side of caution, and trying to be as sensible as possible!

A quick note on today. We did admin…..all day. The highlight has been dinner; we ventured out of the hotel in rickshaws (Ro and Dickie's first time, how exciting!), to a very smart establishment with an all you can eat buffet which was out of this world. Beautiful food and excellent service all for less than $10 each. Jamie and Pauline went for a little and often through salad, pasta, meat and dessert. Dom showed great restraint and only ate until comfortably full. Nic and I were slightly more haphazard with puddings and mains all mixed and matched but it seemed to work. No beer tonight, we're cycling tomorrow!

Posted by Sarah

p.s. Congratulations Chris and Becks who got engaged this week!!

Cold beer and computers

18th February - Quetta - distance 0km - ascent 0m - av speed 0km/hr - current position 29,45N, 67 02E

Another day off and another chance to relax by the pool with a bottle of ice cold beer, snoozing in the warmth of the afternoon sun… Not a chance.

For a start we have been dreaming of ice cold beer for the last month (not allowed in Muslim countries) and understood that Quetta was the first place we were likely to find one.. still not entirely legal but apparently possible.. only to be very disappointed. The hotel said NO so the abstinence continues.

Our days off are not all that relaxing (apart from the wonderful late start - no need to be up at six thirty) and have now been renamed “Admin Days”.

Today I am going to talk about computers….

This expedition is entirely computerised. We believe we are the first expedition of this kind to update a website daily… We have with us two Apple Mac iBook laptops (very kindly sponsored by Western Computers in Cheltenham) which we use every day for downloading photos - over 5000 so far!!! - writing emails, preparing sponsorship letters and press releases, sorting out accounts and sometimes watching DVD's. We transfer a lot of this information to a PC laptop, which we are able to connect to the BGAN (thanks NSSL for sponsoring us with this vital piece of equipment). The BGAN searches for satellites to create an internet connection allowing us to update the daily news page and send and receive emails - even when we are in the middle of nowhere (which seems to be quite often these days). We have satellite phones (also NSSL), which although expensive, allow us to call home - worth every penny to talk to friends and family. We also have two video cameras that get used daily and need recharging every evening… The generator, given to us by Honda… ensures all our equipment is fully charged every night ready for the next day. It also means we have been able to produce the most fantastic selection of puddings whilst camping.

Whenever we find a town (with electricity) we look for an Internet Café. Whilst we have our own computers they are in great demand and often time is short. Internet café's allow us uninterrupted hours online to answer emails and check our finances. Dismiss any images you may have of smart café's that have fast, efficient computers and serve frothy cappuccinos.. Today in Quetta Today Jamie found one that charged 10 rupees (10 pence) for an hour.. it was so slow he managed to catch up four days of his diary whilst waiting for pages to download, finally managing just three emails. Pauline and I found one over the road with three rather old computers. It cost 25 rupees an hour and was in a tiny, dim room divided roughly into compartments with dusty curtains which when pulled left you in the dark as the lights didn't work. There was also a very interesting smell towards the back. The man in charge however was delightful. He was about 70 years old, wore the traditional Pakistani dress of baggy trousers, long shirt and waistcoat, had a white beard and a small round embroidered hat. For no extra charge he brought us the most delicious cup of sweet green tea. We liked him.

At the hotel today Sarah defiantly read a book in the sun all morning. In the afternoon she went to work. Before the expedition began Dom asked her if she could take on one small task… she is now our resident computer expert. With the help of Kenrick back in Cambridge she has been transformed from novice to geek in six short months, rebuilding the website using pages from the site that Dom created over two years ago. She has sensibly taught to us how to update the daily news page - after she had a near burn out at the beginning of the expedition. Writing the text, downloading and adding pictures, transferring it to a web page and then sending it through space to your living rooms via the BGAN usually takes at least two hours (six if Dickie is writing it!) Nick was very keen early on to learn how to do this… The BGAN has to be outside, pointing south east and can sometimes take hours to connect with a suitable satellite.. a barrel of laughs at minus 29 in Bostanabad. Once a week a new page is built from scratch and personal stats and photos are uploaded. We are able to send photographs and thank you letters to people along the way that we have met and who have helped us. All this takes time and patience.

It is a constant challenge for us but the feedback we receive makes it all worth while.

We know from our stats that 400 people a day are logging on and the number is increasing daily. We mostly receive emails from loved ones but also from total strangers who are inspired by the expedition. This is very encouraging. Keep reading and if you know anyone who needs a laugh with their morning cup of coffee.. tell them all about it.

Enough… This has taken too many hours to write and I still have to send it… But it's ok.. Dickie has done well…. Beer at last.

Cheers.

Posted by Ro

Mountain Passes

17th February - Nushki to Quetta - distance 148km - ascent 700m - av speed 23km/hr - current position 29,45N, 67 02E

Pakistan was today having a National day of protest against the recent published photographs back in Denmark so it was advised that we set off early. Therefore, following a luxurious night, courtesy of the Nushki local constabulary, we set off for Quetta at 0730, leaving the town sleeping soundly on their day off.

The mountains soon unfolded ahead of us and the climbing began. It was with deep jealousy, sympathy and regret that I drove Martha up the long winding road which rudely kick started the lungs of the cyclists. Rowena, feeling a lot better was determined to get in the saddle, so being a gentleman I let her take this first stage. It is amazing how generous you can be when confronted by an early morning climb.

Nic was in his element today and far too chirpy. Much happier in the mountains than the flat desert, he set an admirable pace that the whole team try to follow. To a neutral observer it is noticeable how much stronger the team are now compared to the early hills in Turkey. Pauline drops her head and pedals like fury, headphones on, wailing merrily to all within a 50m radius, Sarah no longer bounces up hills but gracefully turns on the power, Dom looks like he is on a Sunday afternoon stroll as his cadence never seems to get over 20rpm and Jamie mixes between sprinting towards his next outdoor convenience and filming platform to playing tricks on anyone nearby. Rowena and myself are yet to develop any style other than putting on our best war face and going for it. With 6 weeks to go to the Himalaya we may just get there in time and with Nic's hard training I have confidence.

The route took us through 3 mountain passes, starting in the Sarlath Mountain Range and finishing in the Central Brahu Range. Lak Pass at 1950m was the highest point of the day and provided a wonderful view of the mountain plain for over 50 miles. Sporadically along the route we came across military or police check points. Immaculately turned out and proud guardsman politely take our details and offer us chairs and water. It reminds me of images of colonial British India. Officers mess, and other English signs bring smiles to my face and every so often my mind drifts to carry on up the Kyber which is rather harsh. These welcome breaks allow us more time to track the progress of the Winkler. It took him 8 days to cycle from Taftan to Quetta and us only 6, even with the sick puppy Dom. We are catching up fast. Quetta, the biggest city in Baluchistan marks a third of the total distance for our journey through Pakistan. Winkler here we come!

Sitting in our hotel garden earlier sipping tea and re-living days of old, Sarah gave us our biggest laugh of the day as we taught her a little about British history. She is now fully aware that the Elizabethan, Georgian, and Victorian eras are named after the sovereigns of the time and that our present monarch is not named Queen Modern II. Sorry Sarah but a Cambridge education leaves you open to abuse.

Posted by Dickie

Sunshine, Sand and Whirlwinds

16th February - Padag to Nushki - distance 102km - ascent 230m - av speed 25.6km/hr - current position 29,05N 65,58E

Another spectacular day for biking in Pakistan! We left the 59 Wing base by 8:30 with a very big thankyou for their garage space (it really was a very nice floor and plenty of ventilation with such big doors) and even our illustrious and intrepid leader was feeling on good form so he was back to trying to keep up with me. Full marks for trying.

Dickie was on his high intensity training programme with Nic as his personal coach and reached 500km with a very big puff and a smile and a better heart rate.

Jamie our football and hacky sack show piece was on a mellow yellow day having over done it playing football with every local who had 2 feet and a look in their eye since the border. Even Dom was in front of him!

The geography yet again is just breathtaking and variable. Today we had undulating sand dunes, flat plains, an oasis with palm trees and rice paddies and mammoth mountain ranges as the backdrop to it all. Of course the odd camel caught our attention being the only ‘wild life’ apart from the odd bandit who are so well camouflaged, we don’t even believe they exist anymore.

The women we have seen today were so refreshingly colourful from anything we have seen for a long time. There was a pick up truck with about 15 women and girls in the back singing and playing a flat drum, waving at us and wearing a beautiful array of colourful sahris. They are still incredibly camera shy. I stopped to have a chat….bit of poetic licence to say chat, more like a series of gesticulations, punctuated by my 3 words of local lingo. Anyway, the ladies were all laughing (hopefully with me rather than at me) and they suddenly turned and ran amid nervous squeals. Ro had pulled up behind me and pulled out the camera - their reaction said it all. They were not offended and continued with our banter once the point was made.

Lunch was in the shelter of a deserted shack in the middle of nowhere. However you can guarantee that there will be a crowd within minutes that appear from nowhere and either stand and stare or chat among themselves from a distance or just get in there and start asking you lots of questions in their own language. If I was one of them and suddenly saw a bunch of weirdly dressed white people on bikes with a one colour van ie not heavily decorated with paintings, chains and ornaments, I would come rushing out too…it is all relative.

Our bike maintenance shop was open over lunch (Nic and Dom) and they managed to mend spokes, flats and generally save the world while eating and drinking in their allocated time slot.

Ro meanwhile was off on a mission to catch on film the whirlwinds that were going past us periodically. We were a bit worried at one point that if she went too close she would be off to join Dorothy. Fortunately she kept her special red shoes at home.

We are now incredibly comfortable in a very large empty room with a superb concrete floor. It is amazing how needs dictate which floor is ‘superb'. Our stop off town has no room in the guest house so the police have offered us space. So yes, we can all say we have spent a night in a police station now. We do in fact have 3 cells across the courtyard from us but only 2 occupants and neither look in the slightest bit scary…define scary?! Sarah is particulary chuffed as she has voiced an inclination to stay overnight in jail…………..another goal fulfilled with EverestMax!

Posted by Pauline

Escape from Dalbandin

15th February - Dalbandin to Padag - distance 112km - ascent 180m - av speed 23.4km/h - 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 thoght 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