The Wobbling Sprocket

Hey, Maryvonne and Doug Mack are featured on the front page of the Canon City Daily Record (Canon City, CO).

Cañon City Daily Record – High Adventure.

They got some plugs in for Far and Away Cycling!  They are right about the biking.  It’s not easy.  Lots of mountains and there was plenty of construction at the front end in Vietnam (it should be done by the end of the year).   If there was good news for us regarding the construction, it was that we were there during Tet and no construction was actually taking place while we were on the roads (and not much traffic either).

Chantal made all the arrangements for the climb up Mt. Fansipan.  The group included  Chantal, Robin Mason, Gwyn Kutz and the Mack’s.   They had some excitement that went beyond the climbing.  There was a forest fire raging on the mountain and they were the last ones allowed to make the trek.  While our group  was coming down firefighters (the military) were heading up.  The firefighters wanted the group to turn around and go with them to help fight the fire (“Ahh, sure, we definitely would…but we have to meet some bikers.”)

Fansipan is the tallest mountain in Vietnam at 3,150 meters (9th tallest in SE Asia).   According to Chantal, the biggest challenge of the climb was the steepness.  It gets to 60% so it is quite a scramble.  That didn’t slow Robin down.  She went to the summit twice…just for good measure.  The highest mountain in SE Asia is Mt. Hkakabo Razi (5,880 meters).  It is and located in Northern Burma.  We’ll keep that one in mind for a future adventure.

Fansipan may be our first trekking add-on for a bike tour, but it won’t be the last.  After the Sikkim (India) bike tour we have a 4 day hike to Dzongri planned….the better to gaze upon Mt Kangchendzonga, the 3rd highest mountain in the world.

Here are some picks of the gang scrambling up the mountain together with  a link to the article as it appears in The Daily Record.

Fanispan

L to R: Gwyn, guide, Doug, Chantal and Robin

****

Maryvonne and Doug

Maryvonne and Doug

****

Chantal and Gwyn

Chantal and Gwyn yukking it up in trek hut.

****

A scramble.