Not Long Now!

Where do i start

Finally got round to starting this blog of my decision to have an Adventure or as my wife (Di) calls it, a mid life crisis.

Two years ago i was having a look at the Globebusters website at their Alaska to Patagonia trip (TransAm), when i noticed that they were looking at doing the "Silk Route East" and the trip would take about 10 weeks as opposed to the Alaska to Patagonia taking 23 weeks.

Plausible trip, as i would not be too long away from my Wife and business, which will be left in the capable hands of my three fellow Directors. (the business, not the wife)

I did ask Di if she wanted to come along but when she knew that it was not 5* it was a big fat "NO"

So i signed up and thought, well i have got 2 years to get terms with it and to save up and pay for it

Last year in June it started with an off road training weekend in Wales at the BMW off road training school with Si Pavey. Great fun and to see what R1200GS's can really do in the dirt. This was also to see if you were up to the riding standard to be able to cope with the severe conditions we will encounter.

This was then followed in September with an Advanced riding weekend.

The final weekend get together was in January with the sorting out of Visa applications and kit preparation.

State of play as of today, i now have all my visa's for Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan, Azerbaijan and China with the imminent sending off for Turkmenistan. Yes people, these are real countries and most from the former Soviet Union and i have not just made them up

The bike an "08" R1200GS Adv, is all prepped and ready to roll and have just got it booked in next week for all the fluids to be changed and a final check over

Have done a packing check and believe it or not i have got everything i need in the two panniers from various clothes for hot and Cold climates, layers of riding gear to a pile of Immodium. Hopefully the food will not be that bad

Five weeks today, i will be crossing the channel with 14 other victims ahem, i mean "adventurers" to start 13,000 miles of overlanding to Beijing.

Schedule in brief is:

17th April Start from London Ace Cafe

18th April South Germany (my Birthday)

23rd April Turkey, Istanbul

30th April Georgia, Tblisi

4th May cross the Caspian Sea

5th May Turmenistan

8th May Uzbekistan

14th May Tajikistan

22nd May Kyrgystan

27th May China

2nd July Beijing

The trip will take us through China, for 6 weeks and will visit base camp of Mount Everest (Not sure why Sir Edmund Hilary had so much trouble getting there) at 5000m Altitude to the Terracota army and the Great Wall.

I wish everyone a very hot summer while i freeze my nether regions off in the Himalayas

So fingers crossed for nothing to happen before the start to prevent me going

Also big hugs and kisses for my wife for supporting me through my need for an Adventure (mid-life Crisis)