Heading back to Nepal after last being there for 11 months during the pandemic lockdown of 2020 was a very exciting experience! Arriving in Kathmandu and catching up with long lost friends over Dhal Bhaats signalled the start of a new beginning and hopefully the kick off to some exciting Himalayan adventures planned ahead. After having both my last two overseas trips go off course due to Covid lockdowns in Nepal (2019/2020) and Africa (2021/2022) I came fully loaded to Nepal with two bikes, My Kona Libre gravel bike and Hei Hei full suspension, as well as trekking gear and hockey skates. Lets go! 👊.
First up was a Himalayan adventure on the Annapurna circuit as I tackled the Yak Attack, the Worlds highest Mtb race at 5416 meters 🏔️🇳🇵. This has always been a favourite way to wrap up a race year as the mountain scenery, culture and interactions with the Nepali racers and locals out on course is second to none. Having won the race 4 years in a row from 2016-2019 I was keen to try and keep the streak alive. The challenge this year was coming in from sea level with zero acclimation, as well as off a 3 week “rest” period after having a busy season chasing the Lifetime Grand Prix around the states, defending the title at the World 24Hr Champs in Italy, and competing in the Breck Epic, BCBR Gravel, and TransRockies Gravel Royale stage races.
The Yak Attack is one of the tougher races I do as over the 7 stages in the Himalayas we race around 300km, over 9000 meters of vert and hit a high point of 5416 M on Thorong La Pass. Nights are spent in cold teahouses, the terrain is rough and unforgiving, and ascending over such altitudes much faster then the recommended 500 meters a day means the body is constantly under stress. Coming from sea level, it was a rough go once over 3000 meters, although the body did adapt pretty well after the rest day in Manang at 3450 m. In the 4 other years winning the the race I did a one week acclimation camp each year which paid off big time.
This year over the 6 stages of the race, I’d capture four stage wins, with local Nepali XCO champion Suraj Rana winning stage one in Besisahar and the High pass day when my shifter cable froze, stranding my Hei Hei in the easiest gear all day. Luckily it was a good day to singlespeed as the majority of the first 5 km is a hike a bike over the pass, before hitting one of the longest enduro sections of trail in the World from 5416m down to Kagbeni in the Mustang valley below at 2800m. I would hold off Suraj until the final 10 km when the trail flattened out a bit, and he would put 10 minutes into me over the final few km as I spun at130 rpm! This year the trails were icy and snowed in over 5000 meters which meant a lot more hiking going up and a wild descent down the backside. There were crashes galore with cyclists and the odd donkey bouncing down the mountainside. Thankfully no one (or donkeys) were injured and everyone made it down to Kagbeni in one piece.
The last stage of the race was cancelled due to a national election, so I took the Nepalis on a favourite training loop in the Mustang. It turned into quite an adventure as someone built a road over what use to be a sweet trail. Unfortunately the road ended half way down a big mountain descent, leaving us with a sketchy hike a bike on goat trails to get off the mountainside. We were relieved to join the rest of the Yak Attack crew in Tatopani this evening to enjoy some hot springs and local apple cider. The next day my friend Usha joined me to ride the last 100 km out of the mountains to Pokhara, avoiding the long bus transfer, and catching up after 2 years of being apart. She fulfilled a dream of her own, getting to race the Yak Attack for the first time, and taking the title in the female division over Austrian Judo olympian Sabrina.
With the Yak Attack in the bag for a 5th straight year, a few rest days are being enjoyed here in the oxygen rich lakeside town of Pokhara. Recovery days are being spent catching up with old friends, fixing the bike, organizing gear and refilling the tank at the many great restaurants.
The plan now is to do a fundraiser to try and raise enough money to reopen a training Center in Kathmandu for the Nepali cyclists. Doing the Annapurna circuit in reverse, trying to break my own FKT of 20 hrs 33 minutes is the idea. It will be steeper then the other 3 years I’ve done this challenge and will provide a whole new experience. The fundraiser is now open here https://gofund.me/69fb2634
Over and out from the Himalayas!
