A Texan in Tibet - Word!

 

A Texan in Tibet - The Bike

“Make sure that you always have the right tools for the job. It's no use trying to eat a steak with a teaspoon, and a straw.”
- Anthony T. Hincks

 

This is the bike I'll be riding.  This adventure model was released a few years ago to pretty good reviews.  It's manufactured by Royal Enfield and is (aptly) called the Himalayan.  Royal Enfield is an Indian motorcycle manufacturing brand with the distinction of being the oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production.  Enfields are manufactured in factories in Chennai, India and shipped around the world.  Honestly, when I think about reliability, my first thought is not "Made in India".  However, 95% of the bikes traversing the Nepalese and Tibetan terrain are Royal Enfields in one form or another.  If these bikes can hold up under those conditions, then who am I to question them? After all, I ride a Harley. But I digress. I've been told you can find Enfield parts in everywhere in Nepal,  I hope I don't have to prove that.  

I don't know how mine will be equipped in terms of bags and racks, but I'll manage.  I'm not overly impressed with the look of that seat, but I spend 90% of my time standing when riding off-road anyway.  The 411cc motor should produce all the torque I need and at 421 pounds, it's heavier than my dirt bikes, but still half the weight of my Harley.  The stock fuel tank is only four gallons, which could prove interesting, but the motor is fuel injected which will eliminate the need to alter the carburetor as I make my way into the upper elevations. All in all, I'm happy with this option and I remain optimistic.

A Texan in Tibet - I Found a Tent for the Trip!

Hopefully I won't have to sleep with my feet out of the tent. Share this Quote Zdeno Chara
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/tent-quotes_2

"Hopefully I won't have to sleep with my feet out of the tent."
- Zdeno Chara

 

 The color is a bit bright, but a little bush around the opening might make it blend in with the scenery.

A Texan in Tibet - Altitude Conditioning

‘’The most dangerous thing you can do in life is play it safe.’’
- Casey Neistat

 

I'll be spending the majority of my time in Asia above 5,000 feet.  In fact, the altitude during my second riding day will be above 17,000 feet and will go up an down as I traverse various mountain ranges.  I've snow skied at 12,000 feet and didn't realize any diminished capabilities, but the whole result of skiing is that the skier drops back into thicker air quickly.  Besides, that was more than fifteen years ago and I was twenty years younger.  But I digress.  According to the chart above, I'll be hanging out in the "Extreme Altitude" zone which sounds ominous, but at least it's not the "Death Zone", so I have that going for me.

They key to my stamina success on the Alaskapade and my Outback ride was preparation in terms of proper equipment and more importantly, with physical conditioning.  I lost a few pounds before Alaska and a lot of pounds during the trip, but for Australia, I was jacked when I landed in country; having dropped sixty pounds.  Of course, I had sixty pounds to lose because I had let myself drift into a horrible physical condition wherein my weight ballooned to 240 pounds.  Realizing I would fail miserably if I attempted the Outback crossing at that weight, I plunged into a disciplined eating and workout regimen that catapulted me into shape.  Ten years later, I'm not as fat as I was then, but it's not an overstatement to say I gained most of it back.  So here I go again.  I have all the exercise gear I need in my home and I have the healthiest food I could hope for at my fingertips. I just need to leverage both. I'm on my way and I am convinced that I'll be ready...at least from a weight perspective.

While Alaska and Australia presented physical stamina challenges, these trips did not include the altitude riding I'll face in Tibet.  Always one to be prepared, I started looking into various means of altitude conditioning and found that there is an entire industry built around it.  The foundation of preparedness is being physically fit and I'm on my way there. But, no amount of exercise and healthy eating will prepare my body for the physiological effects associated with increased altitude.  There are numerous options available in the marketplace that cost a fortune.  One such machine chemically alters the atmospheric composition to reduce oxygen content to specified altitudes, and costs about $5,000.  Not gonna happen.  Another alternative would be to have pints of my own blood drawn at my home altitude and then transfused back into me like pro athletes and climbers do, when I'm at altitude in Tibet.  I have plenty of blood.  I just need thousands of dollars and a professional medical staff.  Once again, not gonna happen.  It's no secret that I'm too big of a wuss to even get a tattoo, much less voluntarily endure 18-gauge needles repeatedly to exchange my own blood.  I found a less expensive and slightly less painful alternative.

A company called Viking Strength manufactures a mask that limits oxygen intake and simulates altitudes from 2,000 to 18,000 feet.  It doesn't alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere like the $5,000 device, but it will make me work harder to take in the air around me.  I picked up one of the masks back in 2020 and trained with it on my elliptical, on my rower, and on my hikes.  I typically rowed three miles and climbed three miles five to six times a week.  I also put in a few walking miles in my pastures and the woods near my property a few days a week.  The training regimen became increasingly addictive as the results became more apparent. The pounds melted away and my stamina was over the top.

 

With the Viking Strength mask, I can selectively dial-in a gradual increase in the resistance in airflow through the mask as I continue to train over the next few months.  Some told me this mask and others like it were  all hype, but my experience five years ago disputed that and while at 62 years old the improvements are taking longer to realize, I see no reason why it won't help me now. The key is moderation and starting slow. It's worth a shot even if its only effect is making me look as ripped and badass as the model in the picture above <grin>.  I'm aware that I look like a heavy metal idiot headbanging to loud, fast music while I train. Now I can look like an even bigger dork while I train wearing my motorcycle riding boots and a "Bane" mask.

 

 

 

I'm hoping the mask and my training regimen will facilitate me meeting my physiological expectations, but as an added insurance policy, I'll be seeing a doctor and getting a prescription for Diamox. Climbers take it to prevent and reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness. Headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath are common when reaching altitudes above 10,000 feet.  I'll also be taking a portable pulse oxymeter with me to keep tabs on the oxygen saturation level in my blood.  This simple, $10 device, powered by two AAA batteries could be a real life saver.  If nothing else, it could validate my excuses for throwing up my toenails if my training is insufficient and/or the Diamox doesn't work.

A Texan in Tibet - Flight Itinerary and In-Country Routes

"Plans are nothing; planning is everything."
- Dwight Eisenhower

My flights are booked and already I have most of the daily routes sorted. Each days' stop could change depending on sleeping accommodations, terrain conditions, wanderlust, and my stamina. I had hostels and monasteries lined up back in 2020 and I'm working to confirm their availability in 2025 as some of the hostels didn't survive the plandemic, or they have changed management. The path from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp is one that is well-traveled and the locals are accustomed hosting foreign wanderers for ridiculously cheap prices compared to the rest of the world. Some of my routes will be far off the beaten path and that's where the monasteries come into play. A safe place to sleep and sometimes a meal can be had in exchange for silence and a nominal donation.

My plans for each days' routes will be posted as I can complete and verify them. My inbound flight route is below.

Outbound Flight Path - Dallas, Philadelphia, Doha, Kathmandu

April 12 - 13: Kathmandu Arrival

I am scheduled to land at 1:00am NPT, which will be 10:45 hours ahead of central time in Texas. Strangely enough, the time zones over there are sliced into 15-minute regions. And I thought our Daylight Savings Time habit in the US was odd...  But I digress.

 

Given my arrival hour, I suspect there literally won't be many sights to see, so I'm hoping to just be able to get a ride to my hotel. I'll be traveling for thirty hours straight though four airports; one of which is a complete third world shithole with a mostly bitter and unmotivated staff. OK, Philadelphia Airport isn't a complete dump bucket, but it is among the worst in the US. I could probably sleep standing up by the time I land in Kathmandu and if I can catch a few winks on my flights and after I land, then hopefully I'll awaken bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to function on local time.

 

I'll need to meet my local fixer in the morning and get a visa for Tibet through the local Chinese Embassy. "Red Tape" takes on a new meaning over there and the visa experience will probably be its own entry. I'll have all day the 13th and 14th to get over my jet lag, and I hope to have some sightseeing time after I secure my motorcycle rental. There are a few Americans over there from whom I can get some advice on getting around, and especially the Tibet border crossings.

 

This is all great on paper when in fact, the only things firm right now are my flight schedule and my motorcycle reservation. I still need to sort out several details and the list below will most certainly grow.

-International Driver's License

-Cell Phone SIM Card(s)
-Fuel Availability
-Inter and Intra Country Currency Exchange
-Chinese Customs Entering/Leaving Tibet

A Texan in Tibet - Daily Itineraries and Route Plans

"All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination."
-Earl Nightingale
 

Trip Day 3 - Riding Day 1 Plan
Kathmandu to Syabrubensi: 152km - 2,400 Meters Elevation

I think I have day one riding sorted out. Assuming no catastrophic delays, I expect about six to eight hours of riding and photo stops from Kathmandu to Syabrubensi, which sits at 2,380 meters/7,800 feet elevation.  No big altitude deal there, but I'll be traversing some pretty rough mountain passes above 5,000 meters/16,400 feet to get there.  My O² training mask regimen will apparently pay dividends on day one.

Getting out of Kathmandu in one piece might  be the most challenging part of the entire day.  Once I get out of civilization, I should be able to let my guard down a bit and enjoy the ride.  The map on the left can be interactively viewed following this link.  Zooming in on some of the twisties along the path reveals some pretty interesting switchbacks through Langtang National Park. 

I would really prefer to ride the most northern route out of Kathmandu through Kakani, but April is a rainy month in Nepal and the remote mountain routes might not be passable.  I'm also not sure about fuel availability.  So in the interest of keeping to my plans and adhering to my basic survival instincts, I'll probably ignore Robert Frost and take the road more traveled...at least on day one.

 

 Trip Day 4 - Riding Day 2

 Syabrubensi to Kerung:  60km - 5,470 Meters Elevation

The plan for this day's leg is a short ride split into two segments.  An interactive map can be found here.  Once again, zooming in will reveal some pretty interesting switchbacks and mountain passes.

I will leave Syabrubensi and ride north about 25km/15 miles to the border.  I've read that I should expect hours-long immigration and customs formalities on both sides of the Nepal and Tibet border.  Kerung, Nepal is the last border town where I will finish the first riding segment, complete the Nepali emigration formalities, and push my motorcycle across the Friendship Bridge.  It seems to me that a real friend would let me ride across the damn bridge, but I digress.  Once across, I will (hopefully) meet my official Tibetan guide.  Chinese law prohibits me from leaving "unescorted".  After the Friendship Bridge festivities, I will clear Chinese Customs following what I am told will be a very thorough inspection of every piece of property I bring.

The second leg of the day from Customs to Kyirong town should be less than 35km/22 miles after which I will locate my night's lodging and chill out in what the locals call the "happy village".  The free time will also give me time to coordinate with my guide, do a little sight seeing, plan my next day, and acclimatize to the 5,470 meter/17,950 feet elevation.

 

 

Trip Day 5 - Riding Day 3 Plan

Kerung to Shegar: 340km - 4,280 Meters Elevation

Satellite views and written reports lead me to believe that this 340km/211mile leg could be among the most scenic of the entire trip.  I am planning to ride from Kyirong to Shegar with numerous high-altitude mountain passes, including Kungthang La pass, which rises to 5,236 meters/17,200 feet.  This should be the highest pass I traverse. Interactive link here.

The route should take me past Lake Peigu Tso, which sits at over 15,000 feet elevation (swimming is not on my agenda) and through the Tibetan town of Old Tingri that reportedly offers an amazing view of the Himalayas, Everest, and few other mountains rising above 8,000 meters.  There should be lots of photo ops, which translates in lots of stops, which explains a seven hour riding day for only 211 miles.  I can't blame the terrain, because the Chinese take really good care of the roads in Tibet.

The elevation at Shegar is only 4,330 meters/14,200 feet.  I'll bask in comparatively hick air and should sleep well that night.

 

 

Trip Day 6 - Riding Day 4 Plan

Shegar to Shigatse: 240km - 3,950 Meters Elevation

This will be another red tape day that includes motorcycle inspection for a temporary license plate and a vision test in order to get my Tibetan temporary motorcycle license.  At only 240km/150 miles, this will be another short day in terms of terrain traversed.  The first leg will be a scenic, albeit flat stretch of 150km/93 miles, followed by another 90km/56 miles over a small 4,300 meter/14,100 foot mountain pass into Shigatse.  The interactive map is here.

The second largest city in Tibet, Shigatse is described as a fairly modern city with a population of over 100,000 and sits at an elevation of 3,845 meters/12,615 feet.  Since I can't predict the amount of time I'll spend getting my license and plates, I'll make this my fourth day's stop and see the sights.  In fact, the delays could be substantial enough that I won't get my license until the next day.  If that proves to be the case, I will rise and shine and be the first in line at the police station on day 5.

The main attraction in Shigatse is the Tashilhunpo Monastery, which is said to have been founded in 1447.  I suspect I will get my fill of monasteries before this trip is over.  Shigatse is a primary gathering place for tourists heading to Everest, so I anticipate having the opportunity to meet and talk with plenty of people.

 

 

Trip Day 7 - Riding Day 5 Plan

Shigatse to Gyantse: 90km - 3,900 Meters Elevation

Depending on how my Day 4 plan went, I will either head for Gyantse first thing in the morning, or I will spend the morning at the local police station jumping through hoops to get my temporary driving license.  If the latter proves to be the case, I will make the short 90km/56 mile ride to Gyantse after lunch.  If that red tape shakedown was not enough, the short ride will probably seem like eternity because of the 40km/h (25mph) speed limit imposed by the traffic police.  I'm told there are regular speed traps and patrol cars to strictly enforce the speed limit and that simply paying the fine is not an option.  I have no plan to find out that the acceptable option might be.  I've waited years to make this trip.  A couple of slow roll hours will not kill me.  the interactive map can be found here.

In contrast to Shigatse, Gyantse is said to be a pastoral town that remains untouched by modern expansion.  This could be a quaint and cool thing, or it could really suck.  Either way, I'll spend the night at a comfortable 3,900 meters/12,800 feet.

 

Trip Day 8 - Riding Day 6 Plan

Gyantse to Lhasa:  350km - 3,650 Meters Elevation

This should be an interesting route with plenty of remote back roads and a particularly tricky mountain passage.  As such, fuel management and awareness will be paramount.  If my plans hold, I should ride about 350km/217 miles to Nagartse via the primitive, rocky Simi La pass at 4,200 meters/13,780 feet and then over the newly-paved Karo La pass at 5,010 meters/16,400 feet.  Temperatures at both passes are said to be cold, even in the summer.  Cold temperatures and thin air should make for a challenging, yet interesting day of riding.  The interactive map can be seen here.

Lhasa is a cultural center of Tibet and having ridden six days straight, I plan to take the next day off for some rest.  A day off the bike in Alaska and Australia was a welcome respite on those trips.  It will also afford me the opportunity to sort through my videos and images and maybe do a little writing.  I expect decent Internet access, so I hope to update this blog.

 

 

Trip Day 9 - No Riding Planned 

Hanging Out in Lhasa

"Sometimes the best solution is to rest, relax and recharge. It's hard to be your best on empty."
- Sam Glenn.

Assuming I will have stuck to my previous days' itineraries, this should be a day of rest and respite from the bike. After all, Even God took a day off. Some sights I want to visit include the iconic Potala Palace, the tourist shopping trap known as Barkhor Street, and the Dreprung Monastery. I hope to also find some western cuisine! I'll try to leverage the day off to do some writing.

 

Trip Day 10 - Riding Day 7 Plan
Lhasa to Sakya: 410km - 4,025 Meters Elevation
Currently, my plan is to backtrack towards Shigatse, but skip the Simi La and Karo La passes and traverse a northern route.  This route from Lhasa to Shigatse City is roughly 280km/174 miles, but I plan to bypass the city premises and continue on the outskirts, heading another 110km/68 miles southwest towards Sakya, which sits at 4,025 meters/13,200 feet elevation.  The entire day will only be about 255 miles.  I'll find my lodging and see how much time I have left to see the local sights.  The interactive map can be found here.

 

 

 

Trip Day 11 - Riding Day 8 Plan

Sakya to Rongbuk: 255km - 5,200 Meters elevation - Everest, Baby!

The plan is to ride out from Sakya early and ascend the Gyatso la mountain pass.  At 5,248 meters/17,217 feet, this is the highest pass on this section of my trip and is said to be one of the nine most treacherous roads on the planet.  I think this is due to its altitude more than the actual surface conditions.  From there, I will descend back down to Shegar where I will have stopped on riding day three and then ride out towards the main road to the Qomolongma (Everest) National park.

I will be arriving in the Everest National Park area during the peak climbing season and as such, I anticipate pretty rough environmental conditions and really dusty air on the dirt road leading to the Rongbuk Monastery. The road from the monastery to the town of Rongbuk is said to be well-maintained blacktop.  Traffic will probably be a nightmare, but at least the road is paved.  The whole day's riding should only be about 255km/158 miles.  It's the traffic and repeated switchbacks that tend to lull riders into a sense of complaisance.  This grasshopper will have to focus.

Check out the interactive map and zoom in on the twisties just south of Tingri. 

Rongbuk & Everest

Depending on traffic and the time of day that I arrive, I will try to hit the Everest Base Camp on this day.  If not, I will ride there on Riding Day 9 before heading back to Kyirong Town.  My night's accommodation will be at a basic monastery guest house at 4,980 meters/16,340 feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip Day 12 - Ride Day 9 Plan

Everest Base Camp - Kyirong: 286km - 5,200 Meters Elevation

This day is kind of up for grabs and really depends on how Riding Day 8 goes.  If I didn't hit the Everest Base Camp on Day 8, I will do so on day 9.  If this is the case, it could make for a very long riding day heading down from the Rongbuk Monastery to Everest Base Camp with all its traffic and then backtracking up again.  From Base camp, I'll ride back through Rongbuk, through Tingri across what is described as the highest plateau in the world (4,384 meters/14,380 feet), and then northwest to Kyirong Town at a mere 2,700 meters/8,900 feet elevation.  The interactive map can be viewed here.  Unless something unplanned happens, the night spent in Kyirong will be my last in Tibet.

 

 

 Trip Day 13 - Ride Day 10 Plan

That's why I'm going to Kathmandu
Up to the mountain's where I'm going to
And if I ever get out of here
That's what I'm gonna do 

K-K-K-K-K-K Kathmandu
Really, really where I'm going to
If I ever get out of here 
I'm going to Kathmandu - Bob Seger

Kyirong Town to Kathmandu: 161km

If all goes to plan, this day will start with a short 24 kilometer down to the Tibet-Nepal border.  Here, I'll repeat (in reverse) the immigration process of crossing the Friendship Bridge, bid farewell to my Tibetan escort, and complete the Nepali Customs process.  The rest of the day will be consumed by riding back into civilization and down to Kathmandu where traffic signals, lanes painted on the roads, and signs are all mere suggestions that are pretty much ignored by the locals.  I will have negotiated some of earth's highest mountain passes and some over-the-top crazy terrain, yet riding out of and back into Kathmandu will probably prove to be most dangerous parts of the trip.

Depending on my arrival time in Kathmandu, I'll return the Himalayan and check into my hotel to decompress and prepare for my return to the States on April 28th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Trip Day 14 - Mission Accomplished?

"It always seems impossible until it's Done."
- Nelson Mandela

My departure from KTM airport isn't until the evening and if all has gone to plan, I should spend this day packing for my return, hanging out in Kathmandu, and maybe doing a little shopping.

 

 

 

 

Veterans Day - Humorous & Heartwarming

Here's nine minutes of your life you won't mind not getting back.

 

Everest? Again? Really?

"We will either find a way or make one."
–Hannibal

Yeah, really. In 2016, I returned from Australia physically crushed from the injuries I sustained there during my eighteen-day dirt bike trip across the Outback. I persevered through fifteen days of hell to make it to Fremantle after getting clobbered on a sand dune in the Simpson Desert on day three. While I was successful in reaching my goal of riding east to west from the Coral Sea to the Indian ocean, I did so in abject misery, which negated the triumphant sense of accomplishment I should have felt; an emotion that I had felt upon returning from a very successful solo Arctic Circle motorcycle camping adventure in 2011.

So in 2018, I cooked up this (some say crazy) scheme to ride a motorcycle to Mount Everest base camp. By 2019, I had all the logistics sorted out and the trip was a go. I trained like a mad man and was in the best physical condition of my entire life. I even had abs. Then China and Faucci unleashed COVID and the world came to a stop. My trip was canceled and dream was shattered. Unlike many, I still had my health and looking back, perhaps my physical conditioning lended a hand in my not ever catching the virus. In the five years since, I've let my conditioning slip. OK, it's more like a landslide, but the one thing I did do was refuse the jab and that is probably the best move I could have made towards sustaining my health. But I digress...

Here we are approaching 2025. I'm turning 62 years old and am just a few months away from retirement to maintain my small farm and volunteer around my rural community. There will probably be an entirely separate blog for that. My Rural Retirement YouTube is registered, but I haven't created any content yet. Stay tuned.

I've decided to follow Dylan Thomas' advice and "not go gentle into that good night" just because I'm retiring. While age, finances, and farm responsibilities can be restrictive, I feel like...no, I know I have one more good adventure in me - and I am going to take it. I reached out to the in-country fixer in Nepal that was helping me before and have arranged to pick up a motorcycle in Kathmandu. I also booked my flights and while I'm not looking forward to the 30+ hour travel duration each way, I know it's a means to an end to realize a long-awaited goal. My corporate travel will have hopefully ceased long before I fly to Nepal, so maybe I'll be in the mood to fly.  If not, it's nothing that Xanax can't fix. I still have a tremendous amount of logistics to sort out, but I'm up to the task. I also have an uphill conditioning battle that I have no choice but to win.

As a goal-driven man, I'm stoked to planning this adventure again. It also provides much-needed writing fodder, so stay tuned and check back here for updates. I'll be writing even if no one is reading.