Sunday 22nd August - Stepping it up a bit..

Decided to try out the local "club run" which goes from the end of my road every Sunday - have seen them a few times when I've stumbled out early enough to get the Sunday paper !

Thinking that I was now ready for "upping the tempo" I presented myself just before 9am.... to find I was on my own ! After a few minutes a couple more arrived and I got chatting to discover that this was the "elite" club ride and the "steady" ride started at 10am. Not to be deterred - given the group all agreed I'd be "alright" we set off at a fair lick up the A6. A further shocking discovery was that 3 or 4 of this group were part of "team Raleigh" and compete all over the place (not sure if its semi pro or what, I couldn't speak by now due to inclines!)

We were apparently heading for Kirby Lonsdale, which for those who dont know is actually in the next county to the north Cumbria i.e. a fair way from central Lancashire and this would be where we would have a cafe stop. Real killer of a lane around "Crock o'Lune" just north of Lancaster, but not too far after I spotted the 5 mile sign to our stopping point.

Or so I thought.

Straight though Kirby Lonsdale and continued north a few more miles / hills until eventually heading west then looping back south. I got the distinct impression there was vigourous debate about the pros and cons of various cafes but by now I would have eaten anything.

The actual cafe stop was just outside Glasson dock after 60 miles. Boy, was that carrot cake good. The legs seemed incable of ascending from that point in but I persevered (and was helped by guys waiting for me) and eventually rolled up home after 80 miles. Wow.

PS Did recover enough to go for an hours tennis coaching tonight !

Training Saturday 21st August

Went for a 3.5 mile run early evening- did ok, it was warm and sunny !

17th August MTB ride

Did a couple of hours off-road in the Purbecks with Blez. Glorious evening, terrian was quite tough, particularly the sandy bits - but enjoyed it and got in some all-important off-road training in preparation for those Nepalese trails !

Sunday 15th August

Colin and I headed up to the Trough of Bowland and decided to do it the "hard" way - which is anticlockwise, as will be ridden on Stage 1 of the tour of Britain on 11th September

http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/_ns_race/default.asp?section=stage1_route

this approach is much tougher than the other way but the reward is a fanststic descent all the way to Scorton.

Lovely weather and a great morning riding which brings my weekend mileage to 76 miles, cumulative 332 miles !

Training update 14th August

Had to pick something up from Blackpool so decided to earn some more miles by cycling there and back. Flat and quite fast, came back along the coast. 34 miles.

Still unsure about my new saddle there may be a need de "de-pimp" the bike unless it gets more comfy !

Training update Monday 9th August

Working away - went for a short run last night prior to my curry (!) but felt a bit shabby after a weekend of limited sleep. Circuit up & around Farnham park from town centre, hilly but only about 2.5 miles. Curry was more successful.

Camping Weekend in Yorkshire Dales

I'm going to class any bike activity towards my training, no matter what the circumstances..... so, this weekend I had a long standing camping weekend with my 11 year old daughter who I had somehow convinced to do a 21 mile bike ride as part of the weekend (on the alledged basis that the route was predominently downhill and you got the train back).

Camp set up successfully Friday night - we went to eat one of the largest pub meals ever at the Tan Hill Inn - the UK's highest pub (around 4 miles from where we were staying), which involved driving up a 25% switchback incline with the risk of passing sheep!

That set us up nicely for the bike ride in the morning, staring at Dent (the highest mainline railway station in England- spot the theme here) and cycling to Settle via the "iconic" Ribblehead Viaduct, as recently made (re)famous through the Harry Potter movies. We encountered lots of walkers, lots of rain and some spectacular views along the way - to quote a mototcyclist who asked if we'd take his picture (!) - "once you get to the top of this rise, you feel like you are on top of the world" it wa really like that, quite awe inspiring.

Got to Settle in around 2 hours and took the train back up to Dent - in my haste in disembarking managed to leave my back pack on the train with car keys, mobile, wallet etc. Thanks once again the the Network Rail staff (particularly the signalman who "chased" the train up the line for us) and managed to sent it back just over an hour later. For those who don't know, Dent station is probably one of the most remote places in England to be stuck with nothing but a bike and a camera, so "hats off" again to the honesty and effiency which re-united me & bag: it could have been so much worse!

Celebrated back at camp with beers (Gina had pop) and big BBQ !

Thoughts on training

Since completing the L2P I have eased off the intense cycling to a large extent - notwithstanding a couple of major rides (more of that later).

This challenge is a little different to the L2P as so much of it is off road so I think a different target is required (for L2P I aimed at 500 miles in the 4 months prior - check out my L2P blog by clicking "Nigel - home")

I'm going to attempt another 500 miles on road plus at least 4 "serious" off-road / MTB sessions before November.

So - starting with the road miles I managed to get a kick start by going to a couple of family events by 2 wheels:

19th June - Preston to Chester (1 way) 55 miles and scary experience on "Runcorn Expressway). 55 miles

26th June - Preston to Market Drayton (Shropshire). 78 miles. Great cafe stop somewhere between Warrington and Whitchurch. Cumulative 133 miles.

4th July - waddington Fell with Mark - 40 miles. 187 miles cumulative.

THEN THERE WAS A PRETTY BIG GAP.....

1st August - Ribble Valley, Newton, Slaidburn, Grindleton with Colin. Great ride, weather held off - tough on the backside ! 48 miles, cumulative 235 miles.

Couple of off-road treks now planned.......... watch this space....

Itinerary

Day 1
London - Kathmandu
Depart UK on overnight flight.

Day 2
Kathmandu
We arrive in Kathmandu this afternoon and check into our hotel for a short rest followed by a bike fitting. We will meet our local team and listen to a briefing on the challenge ahead.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 3
Kathmandu - Bhaktapur – Swayambhunath – Kathmandu 47km approx.
We set off early out of Kathmandu city for approx 7km and into the Kathmandu Valley towards Bhaktapur. Today is a circular route bringing us back to Kathmandu again. The route will pass near the ancient Hindu pilgrimage site of Pashupatinath as we head towards the temple of Changu Narayan. Located at the top of a long ridge with mountain views, this temple is the oldest Vishnu temple in the Kathmandu Valley & believed to date back to the 4th Century. We will leave the bikes in the car park as we walk up to the temple. You will need a pair of long trousers or a sarong in your day bag in order to enter the temple. After the visit it is mostly downhill to Bhaktapur, an ancient town known for its historic temples and courtyards as well as pottery and other traditional handicrafts. Again, we leave our bikes as we walk into town for lunch. From Bhaktapur we head back to Kathmandu – an easy cycle but on busy roads.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 4
Kathmandu – Markhu 52 km approx.
We set off on the main highway through the suburbs of Kathmandu and head south towards the village of Pharping. This is a mountain day with 2 passes to climb and terrain is mainly stony off-road. The first is the toughest, the road starts to climb immediately as we pass temples and small villages. This is hard work but definitely worth it for the fantastic mountain views over the Kathmandu valley. The route becomes more rural as we climb to 1570m. From the summit there are amazing views of the Langtang peaks, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and on a clear day as far as the Annapurna mountain range. We finish the day at our lakeside camp in Markhu. Today will be one of the most challenging days as there are some very steep hills to climb, mostly on stony off-road terrain.
Overnight: Camp

Day 5
Markhu – Hetauda 80 km approx.
The hardest day is today as we tackle the long and steep climb to the pass, this is on tarmac road. We are rewarded in the afternoon though with a long 50km downhill stretch. We start with off-road climbing for 13km before we reach the quiet tarmac road. From here it is almost continuous uphill to the small village of Simbhanjang Pass, the highest point of this trip at 2435m. We enjoy a well deserved lunch at the pass before a very welcome downhill nearly all the way to the industrial town of Hetauda passing through small rural villages en route. Overnight Hetauda.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 6
Hetauda - Royal Chitwan National Park – Sauraha 73 km approx.
After yesterday’s challenges we relish an easier cycling day at lower altitudes and on a flatter route. We follow a river along a flat valley through farming land until we reach the Royal Chiwan National Park. We enter a subtropical region and the surrounding vegetation reflects this. Sal (hard wood) and Kal (silk cotton) trees line the roads all the way to the Royal Chitwan National Park. We arrive at the Park by lunchtime after a fast ride and enjoy lunch at the lodge. This afternoon will be free to rest and enjoy the beautiful sunset over the river. We overnight at a lodge near the park.
Overnight: Lodge

Day 7
Mugling – Marckichok – Bandipur 22km approx.
This morning starts very early (6am) with an elephant safari in the park. The Park is a natural habitat for tigers, rhinoceros, leopards and wild bears. We return to the lodge for breakfast and then transfer 2-3 hours to avoid the busy main road to Markichok. We have lunch and start the day’s cycling. First we cycle 10km along the main road to Pokhara where the roads are more suitable for cycling and we are away from the main stream of traffic. Small local roads take us on a very steep uphill for 8km to reach the stunning mountain village of Bandipur, an ancient trading post untouched by modernisation. After an amazing sense of achievement from the climb, we will have time to explore the village before we continue the final 1km to our camp located on a plateau above the village. What a fantastic setting!
Overnight: Camp

Day 8
Bandipur – Pokhara 77 km approx.
We continue our journey to Pokhara, starting with a descent before joining the main road with some long uphill sections. After the towns of Dumre and Damauli the road heads over the River Seti and continues all the way to Pokhara with some uphill in stretches. The scenery becomes more and more impressive as we near the end of the ride. It is possible to see most of the mid-western Himalaya at close range as well as great contrasts - from snow capped peaks to green subtropical forest and paddy fields. Pokhara is nestled in a valley in the shadow of the Annapurna Mountains and on the shore of the Phewa Lake. It is the country’s most popular tourist destination after Kathmandu and here we cross the finish line as we approach our hotel in Pokhara.
Overnight :Hotel

Day 9
Pokhara - Kathmandu
Internal flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu (1 hour approx) arriving in Kathmandu. Optional tour available. Tonight we enjoy a celebratory meal. Overnight Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel

Day 10
Flight Kathmandu - London
Daytime flight from Kathmandu to London.

Inspiration

Following the London to Paris cycle ride which I did in May with around 25 other "like minded" individuals the charity representative who did the ride with us sent the following email:

Having just returned from Zambia I thought it would be nice to give you a quick update on my visit to Macha and give you a first hand account of where the equipment you have funded will be going.

Macha is simply a remarkable place. It is a Chiefdom is a rural area of Zambia with a total population catchment in excess of 100,000 people. Outside the boundaries of Macha people are still living in mud huts with thatched roofs but once you get to Macha the transformation is quite remarkable.

In Macha you have Schools, a Hospital, a Nurse Training School, a Maleria Lab, IT Training Centres, remote Medical Centres and even the beginnings of a Radio Station. It has taken Macha about 8 years to make this much progress and Computer Aid has provided most of the IT hardware that underpins this growth. However Macha continues to grow and the demand for modern IT equipment remains high.

The most pleasing thing to see was that the operations management and planning is undertaken by local people who have been trained up to run things and shape their own futures and destiny. In terms of development Macha has the essential qualities of local ownership, sustainability and potential for replication. Economic and business activities are on the increase due to the knowledge, information and training people can access via their PCs and the internet.

Computer Aid has sent it's first solar powered (shipping) container to Macha which, under their 'Help My Neighbour' initiative, they have decided to locate in one of the remoter outlying areas of Macha. We will continue to send more PCs (via our local NGO partner Linknet) and associated equipment to ensure progress is sustained and continues in the areas of education, health and agriculture.

For me it was particularly pleasing to see how much pleasure the kids got from being able to use PCs and understanding what a difference they are making to the future prospect of all the people in Macha. Many school children in Zambia still complete thier education never having seen a PC and this has devastating consequences on their future employment prospects.

So once again thanks to all of you who took part in London to Paris, it was worth cycling up those hills!

This really resonated with me in that the effort that I had put into training and fundraising was making an almost immediate and real difference to people's lives.

So, when the opportunity arose to make a further contribution via the Nepal event, I was pretty keen to sign up.

The hard bits now are the fundraising (I'm really conscious of lots of competing worthy causes out there plus my friends' and colleagues' incredible generosity very recently when I did London to Paris) plus the training, of course!

Background

Back in May this year I cycled from London to Paris as part of a team of 25 to raise money for the charity Computer Aid International. Computer Aid International acquires computers and laptops, refurbishing them and sending them to not-for-profit organisations in the developing world, for use in agriculture, health and education.
That event raised a significant amount of money for the charity (around £40,000) which has already been utilised in a major IT deployment in rural Zambia.
I have had direct feedback from the charity about the real difference that this has made to the people there, and this has inspired me to step up to the next challenge to further assist this cause.
At the end of October 2010 I will undertake 6 days of challenging, largely off-road cycling in the Kathmandu valley, again to raise funds for Computer Aid International.
This is a great cause and a huge personal challenge so I hope you or your business can support me (or at least enjoy reading about my preparation)

Here is the link to my charity fundraising web site: http://www.justgiving.com/N-Britton

Thanks for your support !
Nigel