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.