Himalayan Cycle 22 — Farewell Kathmandu
The end of an amazing experience with a wonderful group
23-09-2014 – Tuesday.
Back at the Radisson, Kathmandu. Last time I was here Kathmandu seemed rather strange, chaotic and exotic. The chaotic bit hasn’t changed but now it now seems reassuringly familiar and (almost) civilised.
Perhaps some of that was the rather westernised ‘bubble’ that the Radisson represents but a glance out the window soon reminded you where you were. I had a room with a very Kathmandu view.
Bike (back) in a box time
24-09-2014 – Wednesday.
After breakfast—a leisurely and delicious breakfast—it was time to pack up the bike. My bike box had survived the overland journey from Lhasa, so I just had to scrub off the mud, pull it apart and pack it.
“Are you sure this bike has been across Tibet, it looks brand new!”
I guess a cycle workshop in the Radisson car park isn’t an everyday occurrence. We had a few local observers watching us work!
Fire & Ice, twice
After packing it was time for lunch. Although we were going there for dinner Nic, Tim & I decided it was a good idea to check Fire & Ice standards hadn’t slipped while we were away.
Besides, for the last week or so of the trip I’d been craving that salty No. 25. La Marinaro anchovy and olive pizza enjoyed on the previous visit. The pizza was divine, even better accompanied with chilled beer and followed with gelato!
I didn’t really need another Kathmandu traffic photo but had to capture the astonishing sight of a man in a wheelchair (middle of photo below) negotiating this busy intersection. He was about halfway across when I arrived, traffic dodging around him.
Might seem crazy but with no crossing, no wheelchair friendly footpaths and no hope of the traffic stopping for long he had no alternative.
Bat Girl Kathmandu
Even though it wasn’t raining a close encounter with bat guano, earlier in the day, prompted Nic to deploy her umbrella walking under the ‘bat trees’ on the way to dinner.
Thought it looked cool against the traffic headlights but was amazed how well my phone (a Microsoft Lumia 1520) captured it. Just had to turn the flash off (compare flash on) to get one of my favourite photos from the trip
Farewell dinner
The Nepalese crew joined us for the farewell dinner at Fire & Ice. It was great they could come—apparently considerable journey for some—as we celebrated an awesome trip and Jan’s birthday!
It was a great dinner and, perhaps no surprise, I had yet another No. 25: La Marinaro anchovy and olive pizza!
Farewell Kathmandu
I was flying out mid-afternoon (with Bas, Eric & Kirsten) and B was leaving a bit later (headed for Aus.) so we all shared a shuttle bus. My day began with soft alarm 'coos' from the pigeons perching on the ledge outside my window.
The farewell breakfast
We met for a last breakfast before heading our separate ways. A year or more in the planning, a few weeks in the living, and now it was over but for a lifetime of memories.
Flying out, just.
Our trip to the airport was uneventful until we hit gridlock traffic. It wasn’t far from the Pashupatinath Temple we visited earlier in the trip.
The Kathmandu traffic management response seemed to consist of several Policeman giving conflicting hand signal directions at each intersection. Apparently, a VIP visiting to the temple meant they’d completely stopped traffic on the main ring road off which the airport access runs.
Although we had allowed, normally, ample time at one stage wondered if we would even get to the flight. It worked out OK in the end, must add the woman running the Malaysia Airlines check-in desk at Kathmandu was efficiently awesome.
Home, then straight to Hospital?
By the time we got to Kathmandu it appeared I was one of the lucky few avoid the “Survivor Tibet” lurgi. I still maintained that until I stepped of the plane at home in New Zealand feeling OK I couldn’t regard it as a victory.
My sister met me at the airport and seemed a bit flustered. I thought it was just because the parking monitors were hustling her out of the short-term pick-up area (had taken me a while to get the bike out to the kerb) but not so...
While I was doing the dangerous stuff in Tibet, safely, at home my Mum had fallen—hanging out washing—and smashed her shoulder. It happened the previous evening, about the time I was leaving Kathmandu, and she was in Hospital awaiting surgery.
After a brief pit stop at home, literally a shower and change of clothes, I was off to hospital, visiting!
Post Trip
The bike
Rapid Rob was as good as new, better for the Tibetan Mudguard (Update 2025: which I can now say lasted several years). I had it serviced and reverted to the factory hydraulic brakes, was swapped to cable brakes for the trip on recommendation of the organisers.
The odometer showed 1228, it was about 400 when we left but I don't think, due to changing tyre pressure/diameter, the distance was at all accurate. Craig & Bob GPS recorded ~1207km and I rode as much as them.
The Rider
Riding was tiring but not in the way it is in NZ. I think the breathing restrictions mean you never really got the 'burning legs' a steep hill in NZ gives, plus the actual gradients were pretty mild—for trucks—so hills were long rather than steep.
It was just more an overall tiredness that made you stop. Had to drink a lot, found (from climbing book) you breathe out 200ml fluid an hour just normal breathing at the altitudes we were at. We had soup, juice and tea/coffee/milo at every meal plus emptied the 3 litres I was carrying on the bike most days!
Despite eating far more than I ever would at home, there was quite a bit less Robin when I got home. I think just the effort of being at 3500-5000 metres was part of that, then add cycling.
When I started training for this trip, I weighed 72 kg
Craig & Bob's Blog
Craig and Bob bike tour - Lhasa - Nepal | www.crazyguyonabike.com
We rode over 750 miles [1207km], climbed more than 17,500 ft. [5334m], achieved a high elevation of 17,200 [5242m], camped at 14,000 – 15,000 ft. [4267-4572m] for 3 weeks
Robin Capper
