There is absolutely no doubt about that.  Of our tours, he has done the most challenging:  “The Beast” in Corsica and Tour d’Indochine in SE Asia (Vietnam and Laos).  In between those he is off doing other people’s most challenging stuff:  Gran Fondo’s, overseas trips to New Zealand, tours doing nothing but the big climbs of Europe.  You get the idea.

Sikkim will be right up his alley.  The Last Shangri-La is a climber’s paradise.

If Shawn looks serious about his riding, there is a reason for it. He is! He came in at 5 hrs 53 min in the Mountains of Misery. If you have done that ride you know what that means.

Here's Shawn near the Col de Bavella on our own tour of misery (and hypothermia), Le Beast in Corsica. It was worth it though. Corsica is a wonderful place to ride.

And here is Shawn on Tour d'Indochine. Piece of cake!

Just to bring back some memories. Here we are with Chez Maddy. What a great place. If you get to Corsica definitely check her place out. She's the one in the hat. :-)

We ALL decided we should get OUT of the bus before it negotiated this section.

This is our bus about to enter the most questionable little section. Notice I am taking a picture from outside the bus! The drop to the left....maybe 2,000 feet. I couldn't see anything to stop a vehicle.

The bus made it through ok.  However our little truck was another story.   It would lose traction as it tried to get trough what amounted to a deep depression in the road.   It would simply  lose traction and slide backwards.

However, our truck could not make it. It was too light and there was too much scrabbly rock and pot holes for it to make it up the incline. A couple times I thought our driverwas going to go over as he started to slide backwards.....

Since the truck seemed to be getting caught up on potholes, we undertook to repair them:

Who knew that we would have to do our own road repair!!!

Our pick-up still couldn’t make it through so we then decided to add some human ballast to give the truck’s wheels a little more traction…..

Click on the below a couple times.  It’s a video that should run (I hope) of our final success …..

Borang VideoDec 1, 2011Photos: 1

We left Kalimpong and climbed another 2000 feet to Lava. The road to Lava winds through huge tall trees. The views are spectacular and there was virtually no traffic and very few local residents. Those that were there looked to be eking out a tough existence.

We stopped at the monastery in Lava and saw something I had never seen before. There were a 40 or 50 monks the courtyard of the monastery, paired off facing one another. One would be kneeling or sitting and the other would be standing and the one standing would be talking in a very animated fashion and occasionally slapping his hands for emphasis. With all those standing and talking at once and with all the slapping of their hands it put up a real racket.

What we were watching were “Debates”. The monks are arguing various positions and thoughts about any number of subjects. Apparently, a debate can last a lifetime. The monk who is standing is making his case. The person kneeling or sitting goes off after he has listened and the next time around he gets to stand make his points in response. The slapping represents the physical side of the argument. There is the verbal and there is the physical. Hopefully, it never turns into more than the slapping of hands.

We ate at the monastery. Momo's and eggs provided by Norden, Roger and Neel. There were chicken momos and there were vegie momos. And they were steaming hot. That was very welcome as it was freezing cold in Lava at 7,000 feet.

From Lava, we had one of the world's longest descents out of the Himalayas and onto the plains of India. At 50k, it certainly is the longest descent that I have ever done. It took us the better part of two hours to go down. It rained a little on the way, but it didn't matter. We quickly dried out when the sun briefly appeared.

After arriving on the plains we stopped at an open air market. There were several hundred people all spread out in the open selling all sorts of things. There were great looking vegetables and spices, and live animals being butchered on the spot. Maryvonne and the local guides also encountered an elephant on the road.

Everyone stopped riding where we met the busy road. We took the bus from there to the Riverwoods Resort which located at the entrance of a game reserve. It was surrounded by an electric fence. We were told it was mainly to keep elephants out although a leopard made it onto the grounds once. The Riverwoods was a very nice place to end the tour.

In the morning we all took the bus for the 2.5 hour ride to the Bagdogra Airport and said our goodbyes. Fede is headed back to Italy. Maryvonne and Jim and Keith are all headed back to the USA. Adrienne and Janice are going to visit the Taj Mahal; David has a week in Delhi to do some writing. Graeme, Clara and I are all headed to Laos for the next bike tour……Laos! Yeah, it is a tough job but someone has to do it.

A big thanks to all the participants for being so great. It was fun. The Himalayas have been a high for me in more ways than one.

Maryvonne making her way up to Lava

On our way to Lava

The view from Lava. It was cold! 7,000 feet

Headed to the Monastery at Lava

Some of the monks...debating.

....and one more thing!

It went on for awhile.....

OK, I was just joking.

We were bundled up!

Graeme captured all the style points at lunch in Lava!!

The descent from Lava is pretty much unbelievable...I had never done anything quite so long.

Keith...looking at "the big down"

The open air market

One of the vendors

Clara at the Riverwoods Retreat

Janice on the way to Bagdogra

An interested observer...............

On our rest day in Kalimpong, most people decided to walk down to town. It is 7 or 8 k and a pretty good hike. Clara and Keith biked down. On the way there were visits to the paper making village and a small monastery.

We each made our way to the Halumba Haven where we had a nice lunch and then visited Nyingmapa Monastery, high up on a hill above town. From the monastery there is a commanding 360 degree view. At 4pm the monks were also inside chanting and blowing horns. That creates quite the atmosphere.

We all bused back to the The Delo Tourist Lodge. Although in a spectacular spot 2000 feet above Kalimpong town, the government run Delo Lodge has sadly been neglected. It has very large wood paneled rooms, but nothing has been maintained. With a little more effort. It could be a terrific place.

The view from Delo

Nyingmapa Monastery above Kalimpong

At Holumba Haven for Lunch

Norden gave us a nice tour of the plants at Halumba Haven

...and we had a nice lunch there too.

This gentleman allowed me to take his picture on the way into Kalimpong. I love taking pictures of faces in India. Plenty of character.

Today's ride turned out to be great one. It didn't start that way though. I left the Teen Taely and rode a couple k down a very rocky road before I realized that I had left my camera battery charging in the room. I decided to go back for it. I found and then headed out again hoping to quickly catch up with the group. Powering up a hill my chain broke so I tried to make a call…no service….so I thought OK, I will walk up the hills and coast down like the Indians do. That actually works pretty well. After about half an hour though, Dawa, our local guide came back to fetch me. No real problem.

The back road down from Rumtek is very steep and riding in a truck is actually much scarier than on a bike. Brakes tend to overheat and the pedal starts going to the floor. We took a half hour break to let the brakes cool off.

We eventually caught up with everyone at the bottom of the hill. We had a short vehicle transfer to Rangpo where we crossed out of Sikkim, had a hot lunch at a local hotel and then began the ride to Delo. We went up through Chiconna plantations. Chiconna tree bark is used in the mfr of quinine. The road was great and there was very very little traffic.

at breakfast at the Teen Taley. The had terrific food they grew in their large garden.

I had mechanicals while Keith had animals while trying to get out of the driveway of the Teen Taley.

Their were some great views coming down from Rumtek

This little girl was checking me out from a safe distance when we stopped to let the brakes cool off.

We decided to send our big bus the long way around....with good reason. Some of the roads looked like they could come down.

After climbing from from Rangpo, we stopped at a bangalow for tea and cookies. The setting was as spectacular as the coconut cookies.

The Delo Tourist Lodge

The view from the Delo. We could not see Kangchendzanga from here as it was hazy, but on a clear day you can....in one scene you have the river up to the top in view....8.000 meters of elevation. This is one of the few places where you can see that.

We didn't realize until the morning, but the Indian Festival went all night long with fireworks and drum beating. It didn't keep me up though, I slept through most of it.

Since it is only 27k to Rumtek, we left Gangtok late…9am. That gave us time to do various things. David and I went across the street for a 30 rupee shave (US$.60) which is one of the greatest values on the planet. Others went to visit The Bakery for a real cup of coffee and the ATM.

We took the back way out of Gangtok. I can't say it was great. There is traffic, pot holes and lots of switchbacks. It was damp as well. Once we crossed the river, though, things improved and we had a nice ride up to Rumtek. It is a fair climb. We arrived around 12:30pm at the Teen Taly Resort and had a wonderful lunch. The Resort is an Eco Garden and they grow their own food. I can't recommend it enough.

After lunch, some rode their bikes and some walked over for a tour of the Rumtek Monastery. It's an important Monastery with a lot of controversy and contention over who controls it. Apparently, a 1000 years of wealth were brought here from Tibet. There has never been a public accounting of what is here and what isn't.

After the Monastery tour, some of us rode more and others relaxed and explored around the resort.

It's dark outside now and no moon and no lights at all. I'm charging up my cell phone so I have some kind of light so I don't kill myself on the walkways here. I forgot to bring/buy a flashlight. I should know better.

We only have a couple more days of riding. Tomorrow we head to Delo just outside Kalimpong, where we spend a couple nights and then we descent down onto the plains again.

David getting a shave in Gangtok. A shave in India is one of the best deals in the world. $.50 or so.

Rumtek Monastery

This young monk was playing with a super ball in front of the monastery

On the way to school

View from my room at the Teen Taley Eco Lodge

Freddy and David rode their bikes to Rabongla while the rest of us took the bus.  Our bikes were all piled on the truck and we didn't extract them…easier to start in Rabongla.

On the way, we stopped at the large Borong Monastery where there are 900 monks in residence. It is quite an impressive place with a massive complex with the Monastery ringed by low single story residences. Inside there is a gigantic gold Buddha. There wasn't much happening while we were there. No chanting, studies or prayers. The monk were basically just hanging out. As you might imagine, one feels a tad bit conspicuous wondering around in bike attire in the midst of 900 monks.

We all pretty much misjudged how long it would take Freddy and David to bike to Rabongla. They covered the 20k in about an hour and a half. That was only half an hour slower than the bus ride. The road is the sort where biking it is a lot more pleasant than riding in a vehicle and almost as fast. I think next year we will simply all bike it. We might stay an extra day in Borong as well. There is a paper making place near by as well as the Monastery and it is a good spot to simply take in the splendor of th Himalayas with no one else around.

The 40 foot tall Buddha statue outside of Rabongla is still under construction. Projects, of an kind, in Sikkim are not completed quickly. There is little earth moving equipment and everything is done by hand….from hammering big rocks into gravel, to mixing cement, to heating up 55 gallon drums of tarover an open fire and spreading it over the road with old pots and pans. Labor is plentiful and there is a desire to put people to work.

From Rabongla we took the “low” road to Singtam. “Low” is a relative term. The road is chiseled into the side of the mountain. In some spots, the rock face is directly above you. If you'd like a cold shower, you simply stray under the stream of water flowing fromt them as you pass by. In a lot of places water is flowing over the road rather than under it. That has a lot to do with why the road disappear during the monsoon.

We had a packed lunch in Singtam right next to the new Teesta River Dam that is being built. It is huge undertaking (also moving very slowly). A bunch of gets gathered to watch us. They got a few sandwiches and a civics lesson from Maryvonne on the importance to the environment of disposing trash.

We all took the bus to Gangtok as we needed to take the main highway and it is too busy and dangerous to ride a bike.

We are staying at the Chumbi Residency. It has wifi in the lobby which is just good enough for Skype so if you haven't heard from someone that you expected to….stand by.

Fede has had an effect on us as we have all chosen to eat at Rasoin (she's vegan), the recommended “Pure Veg” restaurant. All the restaurants are either Pure Veg or Non-Veg. The latter seems a little overly broad to me. India, in general, is a good place to be a vegetarian.

Tomorrow is a rest day in Gangtok.

On the road to Gangtok

On the road to Gangtok

Some kids on the road to Gangtok

We left Yuksom and headed up the other side of the Valley. Along the way we ran into Luke from Belgium on his fully loaded bike. He is in his 3^rd of 5 weeks of biking around Sikkim. We don't run into many solo bikers out here as the going is just hard, hard, hard with weight on the bike. Luke was carrying some camping gear and some food so he had a full load. Not only that he was pedaling in sandals with no cleats.

Luke told me that he had tried to get a permit to enter North Sikkim to either Lachen or Lachung and had failed on both counts. North Sikkim is apparently still closed as a result of the earthquake. He did make it as far as Mangan, but that is where the checkpoint is for North Sikkim.

Luke had departed that morning from Tashiding and later in the morning we stopped in Tashiding to visit the monastery. To get there you have to climb a rough road a couple kilometers and then walk a few hundred stairs. As usual, there were monks in the monastery chanting and blowing a couple long horns. Of all the Monasteries we visit it is, by far, my favorite. It is both haunting and eerie. It is impossible not to be impressed.

From Tashiding we descended to the river and then had 25k climb to Rabongla. From there we piled into the bus for a lift to Borong. The ride had some excitement as the road is washed out in parts and our pick up had to make attempts to make it up a steep section. That may not sound like a big deal, but when you are at 2100 meters and there is nothing but air one side it gets your attention. We all got out of the bus and engaged in some road repairs (throwing rocks in the holes) before there was success.

We had a nice evening in Borong. If you ever get to this neck of the woods, go right through Rabongla and visit Karma at the Borong Resort. We had toombas full of chang (millet beer) while sitting around a campfire talking about Buddhism and other assorted topics.

Most of the gang....sporting our Sikkim jerseys (the locals like them!)

View on the way to Borong

Here is Luke on his loaded bike. It is VERY hard...but he has 5 weeks and no schedule.

Checking our the Monastery at Tashiding....my personal favorite

Tashiding Monastery

The old capital of Sikkim is an interesting place to say the least. Back in 1657, the first Chogyal of Sikkim took to the throne here. The coronation throne survives to this day and the spot where it sits is haunting with a huge mossy tree standing behind the throne and prayer flags all over.

We took the side trip up to Kepechary Lake for lunch on the way here. The ride was nice, but I'm not sure we really needed the additional 20k. Everyone did it so it must have been ok. The additional 20k turned the day into 60k. Yeah, I know, you think that is nothing. It is nothing normally, but in the Himalayas the distance is not all that meaningful. The road surface and the grade mean everything. The 60k was a full day.

We all made our way over to the 1657 coronation spot to check it out and then had a nice dinner at the Tashi Gang. Adrienne and David enjoyed a couple of Toombas full of the traditional millet beer. You add hot water to the millet in the toomba and then suck the fermented water from the bottom with a bamboo straw. It's a pleasure that you definitely need to try at least once. It's the scotch on the rocks of Sikkim.

Yuksom is now the trailhead for treks to Dzongri and Goeche La which offer terrific views of Mt Kangchendzanga. That means there are yaks and horses and porters a plenty here in the streets. Quite a show really. The shopping is not bad here either. You should pass on the dried yak cheese though. It's basically like sucking on a lousy tasting pebble.

Some interest has developed in making our support vehicle an express bus to the final destination for those not wanting to ride a bike. That is not going to happen. However, there are public jeeps which can get you from A to B for a few rupees. Chantal and I have used them a lot in years past. I am kind of hoping someone has the moxie to go for it. I'd like to hear the stories!

View on the way to Yuksom

Some fans on the side of the road

There are plenty of these on the road...dislodged by the earthquake.

The 1657 Coronation Throne in Yuksom

The Chorten just outside the Tashi Gang Hotel in Yuksom

Dinner at the Tashi Gang in Yuksom

Jim N. on the balcony at the Tashi Gang in Yuksom

This is our bus...we have plenty of room. There also is a truck for the bikes.