Almost at Mount Everest 7th June

Fresh start to the morning but clear blue skies and we are back on familiar surface of traditional gravel roads to get through a few more mountain passes.


The observant amongst you will have noticed that the Ortlieb bag is missing from the pillion seat, which contains sleeping bad, thermorest etc. This is now in the van as it is hotels all the way. Yippee and no more homestays . Don’t get me wrong the hoestays are ok but a shower at the end of the day especially when it is dusty is very welcoming.
The locals use these tracks all the time and we cam across a guy with his wife and son, the best bit was when they cam to leave and it was very twisty, he rode the road and the wife and child walked down the hill. Now there is equality.


Up and down through mountain passes on gravel unsurfaced roads, so much better than the half constructed roads for the last 300 miles. Smiles all round from everyone as the sun was shining not too hot yet as well. The usual obstacles on these unmaintained roads which add a little bit more to the concentration especially with our best friend “SAND”

We are running close to the edge of the Himalayas and we start to see lots of mountains and the road works seem to be starting up again. You can see the road we will be travelling down in the background. The big mountain is Mount Xixabangma at 8013m high


he terrain is very strange here as you go from frozen mountains to sand dunes with half repaired roads. Then another check point which we all have to pass through together and this means waiting.
On the other side of the barrier was about 30 Toyota LandCruisers with trucks and these had come up the Friendship Highway from India through Nepal. They were on a pilgrimage to Mt Kailash we i mentioned the other day.
In the distance were more coming and thus will cause problems through the construction detours, for the other guys from our group who had not turned up at the check point yet


Through we go and onto the construction road which is the worst we have been on so far and the detours are long, like 4 miles riding along the road you should be on but is blocked off .
Finally we get to the friendship highway and we all stop to admire the smooth warm qualities of “TARMAC”
After so many days of having every bone in your body rattled, i could have done cart wheels down the road but unfortunately not in these boots (that’s my excuse anyway)


Ok lets make some progress and get to the hotel in Dingri where we will be stopping for the next two nights. This does take us past our turning that we will be taking tomorrow for Mount Everest Base Camp (EBC). The sign does say 101 km to EBC but we will see what that is all about tomorrow


Lets get to the hotel for a shower and food and rest for tomorrow which apparently is a little demanding.
OH must get fuel at the petrol station in Dingri and it is 93 Octane, Lovely Jubbly

8612 miles – Dingri, Tibet