Day 53 / 54. Sunday. July 17.

 River Canyon To Jalal-Abad Home-Stay

Distance:  112 km

Cumulative Distance: 5960 km

Time: 7 hrs 22 min

Speed:  14.6 km/hr

Feet Climbed today: 5115

Cumulative Climb: 133,521  ft 

AHR (Average Heart Rate) 

Punctures so far: 2.     

Altitude tonight: 2805 ft.

Another glorious day in the mountains with scenery and sunshine but a tough start.

Not a great sleep last night but that may well be a factor of altitude (6600 feet) but still refreshed as the alarm went off. Quick muesli breakfast over looking the river and on to the road by 6.20. The first 2 km was a gradual descent (on rough broken road) of 100 m, a quick right-handed hairpin and the climbing started.

This is to be the longest toughest climb of the tour, and on rough gravel. From that hairpin to the top of climb was a rise of 1100 metres vertical and all in one piece, no flat pieces or short downward parts. Within half an hour of starting I had all the layers off and the headband on to soak the sweat. That road just kept rising and turning and twisting. I did stop a few times just to look back and indeed I walked for two short very steep, very rough sections. In fact I passed out 5 riders who had set out before me from camp.

At various turns on the road up, there were yurts with people utilising summer grazing. It was mostly young kids who were bringing in cows and drawing water; but they always responded with a smile to calls of ’Hello’. One family had just finished the milking and cows on their way back out to a green patch.

The van passed (no stones flying) and left a dust trail as it turned the corners ahead. Generally satisfying to look back down on the part completed, but daunting to look up ahead at what still lay ahead.

Finally, after 16 km of struggle, the road began to level off and the crest appeared. Relief .......and elation.

Rob arrived just a few moments later and jumped in; unusual for a man who refuses to be photographed. Great to realise I had climbed over 3000 feet in one go. It took 2 hrs 16 mins at average speed of 7 km/hr.

Next job was to do my duty as conqueror of the Pass to give it an appropriate title. It just had to be Conor Pass (Kyrgyzstan) and not to be confused with Conner Pass (Kerry). I gladly collected stones to record the naming. And they're still up there proclaiming the fact.

Reality kicked in with the realisation that only 18 km had been done and another 100 to do before the end of the day. The view of the long serpentine down would have been lovely if it was tarred road. But it was rough gravel also and so curtailed any speed. 18 km of slow and sometimes scary descending with hand aching from constant feathering of brakes.

At times the road further ahead seemed to disappear totally, but peeping over the edge, there it was directly below. Some lovely mountain scenes along here although too much contrast between shadow and bright sunlight to record. Anyhow, I was sparing the camera battery that was showing very little power left after 6 days.

A bridge at 41km announced the end of the descent but another less demanding climb appeared ahead. In time I reached the crest of this one, but withe no stones in the vicinity I went organic in naming this one Saoirse Pass. I was so proud to have named these Passes after our five grandchildren that I’m so looking forward to meet when I arrive home on Tuesday evening.

After lunch with the mercury was still rising I was still on the rough gravel road. In the next village there was a stretch of tarmac from one end to the other which then dropped down into a deep gorge. Lovely going down but punishing to climb out of, but at least it was on tarmac.

From the top of this gorge, our notes spoke of a gravel road right onto the edge of Jalal Abad. Those notes were based on last year’s scouting trip but the Chinese road builders have been here since and I had a smooth passage for the next 40 km. T’was possible to tip along at over 30 km/ hr.

A few turns no junctions and all arrived at rendezvous point for tonight’s Home Stay. While waiting a few beers went down easily all by themselves. On the way to our house I passed through a public park and I counted four wedding parties being photographed. And a number of stretch limos waiting for them.

 Six of us are in one house, actually a guest house and the owners have no English so very little interaction. But I did present the lady of the house with another Ireland pennant as she served up our dinner.

So a great eventful day coming out of the mountains. Tomorrow is my last day, day 54 of 54. The distance to Osh, as the crow flies is less than 50 km, but Uzbekistan juts into Kyrgyzstan here and so our trip will be just over 100 km. But no climbing and paved all the ways so should be in journey’s end by noon.

Thank God for the health and thank Godfor the energy.

Day 52 / 54. Saturday. July 16.

.   Canyon Camp to River Canyon Bush Camp 34.

Distance:  107 km

Cumulative Distance: 5848 km

Time: 8 hrs 51 min

Speed:  12 km/hr

Feet Climbed today: 7280

Cumulative Climb: 128,406  ft 

AHR (Average Heart Rate)

Punctures so far: 2.     

Altitude tonight: 6600 ft.

Another great day in the mountains and fantastic scenery again. And I completed two missions. Today was the heaviest day’s climbing of the whole tour, 7280 vertical feet (2200 m) i.e. Galtymore twice and more.

So keen was I to get going that I got up too early; mixed up breakfast time. My tent was a little removed from the other tents so at least I didn't awake anyone. Had been a calm night and a great refreshing night’s sleep.

Directly from the camp today it was climbing straight away for 6 km on gravel. My shadow was directly ahead so it was difficult to pick a safe sure line. It curved around a few hills before cresting.

Then a long drop into another beautiful scene. The morning light really caught the slopes and shapes of the hills.

Shortly after this, as I was in behind a bush attending to nature, our own van went by and sent a stone straight into my mirror as the bike lay well off the road. Really missed it for the rest of the day. Raised the issue with Tour Leader to enable me to replace it. I have been using a rear-view mirror since 2001 and consider it essential for safety. Now I have two days trying to know what's going on behind depending on a shattered mirror.

After 20 km it was into another long climb weaving around hills and never seeming to end. But, I knew it crested after 12 km and I had a job to do. I welcomed the top at 2010 metres and celebrated the achievement. Seeing it was nameless I felt entitled to name it for posterity and wrote the new name in rocks......Eimear Pass.

From Eimear Pass it was an 18 km descent of a technical nature. At first it curved around the slopes ahead but at the bottom it passed through narrow gorges. Ron and I reached the bottom together and rested a while gazing into another muddy fast-flowing river.

Only town of any size on today's route was Kazerman which also has a goldmine nearby, though none of us saw any sign of it. Our road doesn't go through the centre but it was paved or being paved for a brief section. Here I stopped and uploaded yesterday’s blog as I ate an ice-cream to cool down. Already I had been on the road nearly 5 hours and just 65 km done.

After lunch the second big climb started initially along a stretch of road construction. Here got a shot of a Beetle-type load of hay careering down the hill. After 2 km it was back onto gravel as the road began to rise. The real serious part was a 10 km climb in blistering heat. I stopped every 5 km for a light snack and hailed the van for extra water as it passed. I had the road totally to myself as many riders again opted out at lunch or shortly afterwards.

Beautiful scenes on both sides when I got an opportunity to lift my eyes from the few feet ahead. But I was on a mission again and kept pushing those pedals to reach the to in order that I’d have the honour of naming the Pass.

In due course, and after buckets of perspiration the crest appeared ahead at 2500 m. I yelped with joy and satisfaction and then proceeded to perform the naming ceremony......Helen Pass. And inscribed in stones so that all will know.

The drop down from Helen Pass to camp was still rough and demanded full attention. Eventually camp appeared below by a river, a welcome sight. I had been out for just over 11 hours but enjoyed the trip.

At Riders Meeting it was announced that tomorrow we’ll be on Homestay in Jalal Abad i.e. Groups of us staying and eating with a number of local families. So, this is my last night in the tent. Ah! I’ll miss my little blue one-bedroom home for 34 nights. I’ve got into a set routine for each evening and morning and a set place for everything.

A very satisfying day in beautiful hot surroundings. And two Passes named after two lovely ladies.

By the end of tomorrow we’ll have dropped down out of the mountains.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy. 

Day 51/54. Friday. July 15

  Naryn to Canyon Bush Camp 33.

Distance:  140 km

Cumulative Distance: 5741 km

Time: 8 hrs 38 min

Speed:  16.2 km/hr

Feet Climbed today: 5610

Cumulative Climb: 121,146  ft 

AHR (Average Heart Rate) 110 bpm..........approx

Punctures so far: 2.     

Altitude tonight: 5740 ft.

Wonderful days cycling but things were looking bleak last evening.

At 6 pm yesterday evening the weather forecasted was for rain this morning and clearing in afternoon. But the rain came early between 7pm and midnight and so, clear warm day all day today.

Lying in the tent from 6.30 and in bed by 8 with rain pattering down on the tent it's a very lonely claustrophobic place - hoping a strong wind won't make matters worse; trying to keep things from touching the sides etc. I finally got to sound sleep around 10. It was a sodden tent that I packed away this morning and didn't enclose it inside my bag but strapped to the side.

For the first 80 km today we left town and followed Naryn River which showed all the results of yesterday's thunder rain. On my left for those 80 km were clay cliffs, sometimes looking attractive under the morning sun but also showing the effects of water erosion over the years. This was a long straight road, reminiscent of Kazakhstan in many ways.

To make matters worse, I knew this was the last of the pavement for four days. Often enough I just hopped onto the gravel shoulder for a bit of comfort.

Above, you’ll notice the approx Average Heart Beat. My Garmin has packed in completely now. For the last few weeks the altimeter in it (for feet climbed, gradient and altitude) was not operating and I depended on others to supply such information. Possibly the heavy rain as I arrived in camp yesterday got into the card and fried the device. So now I fall back onto my back-up Crivit that works off the front wheel supplying distance, average speed and cycling time.

Just 5 km outside Naryn a 100 metre climb served as a warm-up, just one switch-back. After that just long straight stretches till lunch time at 80 km.

At 80 km just after a village the pavement ended and the gravel started. A number of police on the streets in that village and I found out later that the prime minister was due to pass that way later on. Also heard that Angela Merkel had been in Kyrgyzstan yesterday.

From lunch time (till Sunday evening) it's gravel all the way. Gravel means checking your line of travel all the time and clouds of dust from cars. 20 km of this till the real work of the day started.

At 100 km with four and a half hours cycling done I faced into a 25 km climb to an un-named pass. A couple of km of gradual ascent and then the switch-backs started, must have been over 25 of them.

Looking up ahead didn't give any indication of what lay ahead. It was only when I got up near the top and looked back down that the picture became clear. What appears in the photos is just a sample. On some of those turns I dismounted and walked a few hundred metres. An opportunity to admire the beautiful view beneath me. Quite a few of the cyclists didn't cycle the second half of the day at all and packed it in at lunch. This section of the road (and the first 65 km of tomorrow's route) is a summer-only road; only open to traffic from May to September. 

Felt elated to eventually arrive at the summit -2800 metres (9240 feet) and  had completed the challenge. Being an un-named pass on the maps I felt entitled to name it and wrote its new name in stone - Oisin Pass. It's still there on the ground for all to see.

Now for the 15 km gravel descent to camp. The mountains ahead and sky didn't look inviting and possibly rain would be my lot on arrival in camp again. Didn't happen.

I put on the jacket as descents normally are cooler. Not here. Being on gravel the descent was as cagey as the ascent - constantly picking lines and avoiding stray rocks and piles of gravel. Around all the switch-backs down I was just at about 12 km/hr. So off came the coat. I stopped a few times to take a shot of the view ahead or to look back. Beautiful. 

Tonight we are camping in a canyon with a little stream - great for a refreshing wash after a dusty day. No rain tonight so a good chance of a long uninterrupted sleep. Will need it with big climbs for the next two days.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.