Softly softly catchy monkey

Taking the long way round has it’s ups and downs (did you see what I did there?). With 139km under our belts already (Pokhara to Chame) we are very pleased to see that our just giving page is also off to a very promising start. Once again, thank you to everyone who has already donated, every penny will be spent wisely on Nepali families and communities in need.


Many of the jeep tracks along the lower parts of the Annapurna Circuit are in the process of being buried, washed away, rebuilt or resurfaced. For resurfaced also see covered in beautifully arranged massive sharp, pointy rocks that have been broken by hand. The older parts of the track are well worn and rideable, by this I mean earth from landslides and floods has filled in the massive gaps between the rocks or that the ever present waterfalls have washed some of the rocks away leaving a slightly less punishing muddy single track that weaves between the remaining boulders. 

The new surfaces are great news for jeeps but bad news for us. The result of all this? We are often in stealth mode, pushing the bikes up hill too tired to speak.

The further we move away from civilisation and the quieter we become and the more the local wildlife reveals itself and it is really rather beautiful.


The walking route looks amazing with “fun bridges”, single track and interesting overhangs.  Much of this is off limits to the bikes at the moment for practical reasons; carrying 25kg of bike and luggage under one arm up massive boulders or along narrow cliff-edge paths takes its toll on your body very quickly, so a whole day of this kind of exertion needs building up to. We have about a week of riding and acclimatising to go before our only option is the walking route.

Snow capped peaks now fill every view and we have the occasional glimpse of Annapurna II (7937m). We can feel the air becoming thinner, time to stop and put some acclimatising hikes in.We 

If you haven’t already, you can support us through our JustGiving page raising funds for Community Action Nepal.

3 thoughts on “Softly softly catchy monkey

  1. Lovely blog again guys and stunning photos! I’d be in pinch flat hell on those rocks!

    Love you guys x

  2. So many amazing pics this time – love the one of Monst and the flags! And a real sense of the mega-challenge ahead. You guys rock. However pic 5 reveals that you actually have a sherpa carrying all your gear! Fake news!! The Bear Grylls of charity cycling!! 😉 be safe and keep it up X

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