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Himalayan Air

Himalayan Skills Session – 23/10/22

You’d think that riding a Royal Enfield Himalayan thousands of kilometres through the treacherous roads of the Himalayas for the last decade would see me become quite adept at tackling the gnarliest roads on the planet. 

Riding across 400m suspension bridges of Nepal, on black ice-covered roads of East India, through fast flowing rivers of Ladakh in the northern Himalayas, and along cliffs, with 600m sheer drops in the Pangi Valley has certainly made me a competent off-road rider. But that’s it, I’m not a great off-road rider, there are always a few riders on my adventures that leave me in their dust. 

Motorcycle being ridden on a Himalayan roadIf I wanted to become a better off-road rider then I needed the help of an expert. I contacted Jason from Enduro Bikes WA and asked him to put together a Sunday skills session for the customers of Motomax who own RE Himalayan and the recently released RE Scram. Jason thought it was a great idea so he borrowed the demo Himalayan to see what it was capable of and then designed some exercises that pushed the riders’ abilities but not the bikes.

Rex sending it on a HimalayanWe met at Motomax in the morning and made our way to the training ground at Karragullen. The dreaded clouds were darkening with every passing moment. While Jason was taking us through the formalities, I caught glances of what seemed like near vertical trails up the side of a quarry wall. I thought they must be for high-powered enduro bikes, surely the Himalayan wouldn’t make it up there. 

Jason then led us into the quarry and we started our first exercise where we learned what to do when we can ascend no more. Basically one just takes their hands off the handlebars. What could be easier! I went first and promptly grabbed the clutch and front brake halfway up the ascent and slid all the way back down. This old dog needed more than one go at it to retrain his brain. Others learned from my incompetence and did a much better job. 

Rex jumping over logs on a HimalayanWe then learned how to descend by positioning our body over the front and just using the front brake. Once again, we all needed a few goes before we started to get the hang of it. It was then onto hill climbs at speed and getting some air. This was the most fun part of the day where we all got to send it on our Himalayans. From there, we learned how to ride over logs strewn across the trails. It wasn’t pretty but we all managed to do it and we certainly understood the technique so that we could practice it later.  

Rex getting air on a HimalayanAfter a bite to eat, Jason took us through the bush trails of the property where we got to practice all our freshly learned skills. Jason is a fantastic teacher, who nails the perfect mix of theory and practice. He explains why the techniques work, and why they are safer and then demonstrates how to do it. He would often describe how to do something and I’d think to myself that it wouldn’t be possible and then he’d demonstrate how it’s done, making it look easy. It gave me the confidence to give it a shot and then I surprised myself at how easily I was able to do it.

Rex Havoc sitting astride a motorcycle perched on a rock  with Perth in the backgroundI was flabbergasted that after riding for 25+ years I could learn so many new skills in just a few hours. This is a testament to the brilliant, personalised coaching that Jason provides at EBWA. Get in touch with Jason here https://www.endurobikeswa.com/

EBWA LogoThe Royal Enfield Himalayan tagline is “Built for all roads, built for no roads” which I’ll be putting to the test in 2023 with five Himalayan Heroes Adventures. I’ll tackle a glacier ride in Pakistan, ride down a dormant volcano in Mongolia, ride all the way to Everest base camp in Tibet, traverse the 600m sheer cliff roads of the appropriately named “Cliffhanger” pass in India, and then finish the year off by being the first person to complete the new Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. I have full confidence that with the skills learned at this skills session and the go-anywhere nature of the Himalayan, that I’ll be fully prepared for the time of my life.

Author – Rex Havoc

Rex is the founder of Himalayan Heroes and spends his time being a taxi for his kids, dreaming about a building a Bosozoku, having arguments with random people on Facebook while he’s supposed to be selling motorcycles at MotoMax, and leading motorcycle adventures in the Himalayas and beyond. Join him on his next adventure here: https://www.himalayanheroes.com/

This blog first appeared in two parts on the Roads are for Journeys blog

The next riders arrived in a mere five days. I had to decide whether to stick around in Delhi’s energy-sapping humidity or head back to the Himalayas for a few days of reconnaissance for a new motorcycle adventure. It was risky but I knew where I would have more fun, so I said to myself  “let’s do it”.

Waving goodbye to the last of the riders that I had spent the best two weeks of my life with on the amazing Cliffhanger adventure in the Pangi Valley , I made a beeline for the bus depot and a 13-hour overnight trip into the Himalayas.

The 13-hour trip turned into 24 hours when the bus broke down and a replacement bus was summoned, a river washed a road away and we had to walk to another waiting bus and then an accident blocked the road that created an 12km traffic jam. Fortunately, the bus had a TV and DVD player so we were entertained by watching a Bollywood movie…..3 times back-to-back at full volume! India is an amazing place that I find extremely hard to describe, but nothing is more difficult to explain than the plot of a Bollywood movie. If the CIA used Bollywood movies as a form of torture to get detainees to talk, they would have a much higher success rate.

A road washed away on the way to Manali
A raging river washed the road away

It was late, dark, and cold when the bus arrived close to my start point at Naggar. I had lost a day’s riding so if I were going to make up the time the following day, I would need to be well-rested and get on the bike at the crack of dawn. I don’t remember much of what happened between deciding to hit the bar for a quick drink and 9 am the next morning when I woke up but I’m sure I had a good time. About a decade earlier, I contracted Malaria the day before we crossed the Serengeti in Tanzania to deliver a lowered Toyota Hiace to its new owner. That morning as I jumped on my Royal Enfield, I felt pretty much the same as I did in the Serengeti. It felt like every bone in my body was about to explode but the only thing stopping it was every muscle in my body cramping up.

Route for Day 1
The planned route for Day 1 – 230km, half of it on dirt roads.

If I was going to make it to Kaza that night, I would need all 33 Hindu gods (as well as a few Buddhist deities) on my side. Google maps said it was just 230km (143 miles) and should take 6 ¼ hours but having ridden in the Himalayas many times, I knew that it was going to take at least 8 hours. I needed perfect weather, shallow river crossings, zero punctures, and to pass through the military checkpoints without a hitch.  With a thumping head and a breakfast of paracetamol and Ibuprofen, I made my way out of town and headed north along the Leh Manali Highway. Traffic was light and the hangover haze started to lift as I started the climb up Rohtang Pass.

 
 
Rohtang Pass
Just over the tree line on Rohtang Pass

Rohtang translates to something along the lines of “pile of corpses” or “field of corpses” and was so named by ancient traders who were fortunate to make it from one side of the mountain to the other. Like today’s Everest climbers, one can imagine traders 500 years ago hunkering down for the night with a chhang (barley liquor) and a charas or five, regaling the new boys with stories of how many of their colleagues they saw frozen stiff on the side of the pass. More recently, Rohtang Pass was featured in Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads when 3 of the 4 American truck drivers refused to drive the road for fear of altitude hypoxia. At nearly 4000m (13,058ft) it isn’t a particularly high pass, but you’ll certainly be gasping for air if you exerted yourself in any way.

Rohtang Pass visibility
Conditions weren’t great on Rohtang Pass

The lack of oxygen amplified my headache which made it difficult to stay focused. The clouds hadn’t lifted, visibility was 50m (54 yards), the road was wet, mounds of mud hugged the corners and in one spot, the water cascading down the mountain covered 30m (98ft) of road and was 50cm (1 1/2 ft) deep. It was fast flowing so I could not see the rocks under the water, but I was able to disappoint the locals on the other side with their cameras at the ready, hoping to capture a motorcyclist going for a swim. They cheered as I made it through unscathed and then cheered louder as I nearly rode off the cliff after a 20kmh (15mph) high five went wrong. 

Truck rollover on Rohtang Pass
A truck rolled over on Rohtang Pass. I could smell petrol.

Despite the conditions, I was making good time and sped across the freshly laid tarmac at the top of the pass (as much as a 24hp motorcycle breathing 40% less oxygen due to the altitude can muster) into blue skies. I could see the Rohtang Curves, a series of 32 switchbacks were free of the ever-present, snaking line of military trucks. A goods truck had taken a corner a little too quick and rolled into the guard rail. The gods were smiling upon me as I was now feeling alive and in the zone. The bike flicked from side to side, pegs scraped, and the brakes begged for relief. 14km (10 miles) along the river, I pulled into Chhatru and made a beeline for the solitary dhaba (a roadside food stall). Consisting of mud bricks and a tarpaulin for a roof, they only operated in the warmer months and stocked the bare necessities such as Maggi noodles and chocolate biscuits.

Blind mountain climbers
Unbelievable that these kids could climb two 6000m+ mountains in a week.

With a full stomach, it was time to imagine I was Toby Price and give the suspension a workout on the 30km (20 miles) of dirt road and river crossings to Batal. I was feeling good as I rode into town, so intended to continue, but the place was a hive of activity, so I stopped to see what was going on. A tiny lady with weathered, leather-like skin, smiled a toothless grin as she handed me a chai. Standing next to a well-dressed n Indian gentleman, I watched as a class of early secondary school children get off a bus. The children milled around in an odd way that held my attention. As they started to unroll a banner, I turned to the gentleman who I gathered was their teacher, and asked if they were on a school camp. He smiled as he pointed to the two peaks in the distance and said, “those two peaks are both over 6000m (20,000 ft) and these children are going to climb both of them this week.” I was impressed but my jaw dropped when I saw the unfurled banner which read “Kolkata school for the blind mountain climbing club”. Incredulously, I said, “They’re blind and they’re going to climb not one but two mountains in a week” to which he replied “They understand English and have excellent hearing” which was his way of suggesting that I should lower my voice. It was a life-changing moment for me; anytime I feel like an obstacle in life is unsurmountable, I think back to those kids and get inspired.

Looking down the Spiti Valley
Carved out by glaciers, the Spiti Valley remains one of the most impressive sites in the Himalayas

With over 70km (50 miles) to go, I got back on the bike, crossed the river, and climbed up and over Kunzum Pass – 4550m (14,931 ft).  Descending into the northern end of the Spiti Valley, the engine was purring as the tires struggled for grip on the twisting narrow rolling ribbon of a road. With empty roads, no police, and a rapidly descending sun, it was time to channel my inner Rollie Free. The Spiti locals didn’t need to see me in my budgie smugglers so I kept my clothes on and crouched low to see what the old girl would pull. The speedo showed 130km/h (80mph) which was a little too optimistic, much like my mum was when waiting for my school reports. The bright blue sky checked out for the day as dusk rolled in and turned everything a shade of grey. 8 hours after I left Naggar Castle, I pulled up in Kaza, home to the iconic Key Monastery. I wanted to test the romantic notion of staying in a 900-year-old monastery however, there would be a mutiny if I put paying customers in an alcohol-free dormitory with basic food and shared bathroom facilities after 8 hours on the road.

Key Monastery
The sunsets over the Key Gompa (Monastery) at 4166m (13,668ft)

After a ripsnorter of a day, I was as rooted as a Koala in a bushfire. On a cloudless night, standing on the monastery roof with a cold beer and a fragrant bidi in hand, I could see all 4548 stars in the Milky Way. Truly an unforgettable experience that every motorcyclist should experience. It wasn’t long before the rock-hard mattress and thick blanket were beckoning me. I didn’t fight the feeling as I let the night sweep over me, closing my eyes completely content.

If I was staying in a bigger town, I would have been woken by barking dogs and the call to prayer at a local mosque. If you’re going to be woken by religious fanatics, then choose the soothing Buddhist chants over the screeches of a cleric that make listening to Cardi B an appealing alternative. Jumping out of bed like a springbok, an old one with arthritis that had been trodden on by an elephant, I creaked my way to breakfast with the monks. As I dipped my khambir bread into my butter tea, I thought about the day ahead. It was foolish to expect two perfect days in a row but if I was going to try and fit a normal 4-day ride into 2-days, then I needed to hit the frog and toad straight away. I didn’t have the time to wait for the gas station to open so I found a driver of a tourist minibus and I slipped him 1500 rupees (about USD20) for him to fill my tank from his backup supplies.

Motorcycle taking a break in Spiti Valley
Stopped for a quick photo on the way into the Spiti Valley.

Yesterday I stuck to the road I was familiar with on the south side of the Spiti River, but I’d heard that the newly completed Chicham Bridge on the north side was said to be one of the most spectacular bridges in the world and the highest in Asia. I wanted to see if we should include this section for riders on our Middle Land and Top of the World adventures. The road to the bridge was a narrow sinew of licorice sliced out of the side of a mountain that climbed up an imposing gorge, certainly not suitable for riders with acrophobia. As I rode along the cliff, I could see a series of switchbacks on the other side of the gorge and thought I must be close to the bri…  whoa! No words can do the view of or from the bridge justice. This route was definitely making its way into future itineraries.

Chicham Bridge in Spiti Valley
Chicham Bridge in the Spiti Valley is the tallest in Asia

I’d been on the road for less than an hour when about 2 miles from Kiato, the side of the mountain I was riding on, moved. It was like when sand forms mounds after you let it fall from your clenched hand, except the grains of sand were the size of basketballs and were bouncing down the mountain to the river below. If I had skipped my breakfast with the monks, I’d be buried under the landslide and probably not found for another 500 years like the mummified monk in Gue.

Riding along the cliffs of the Spiti Valley
Riding along the cliffs of the Spiti Valley

The road was covered in boulders and dirt for about 50 yards, but it appeared passable. I needed to decide quickly whether I was going to risk crossing the landslide or backtrack 50 miles and lose nearly 3 hours. Having just read Richard Branson’s “Screw It, Let’s Do It” I took it to heart and decided to risk it. The debris hadn’t settled so it was going to be a struggle as the bike sank past the rims. The clutch and throttle got a hiding as I desperately tried moving it forward. My heart was in my mouth as pebbles bounced down the mountain and ricocheted off my helmet. With one eye on the rocks above and the other on the river below, I finally scampered to the other side with both myself the bike panting for oxygen. That escapade had cost me 30 minutes so, with no time to dwell on my luck, I made a beeline for Losar and back up to Kunzum Pass, where I’d give the bike a break by turning the engine off and freewheeling the 6 miles down to Batal.

The bridge at Batal
Notice the raised reinforced sections where the truck wheels go.

As I turned right onto a bridge, I saw a rider wriggling underneath their motorcycle. The bridge wasn’t completely flat as there were raised wooden planks on the wheel tracks which the rider had misjudged. I stopped, lifted the bike off the rider and we rode the 150 yards into town. I was welcomed with a wide smile exposing the betel nut-stained teeth of the owners of the dhaba. Eating Betel nut gives one a buzz equivalent to six cups of coffee along with minor side effects such as oral cancer and flesh-eating tumors.

Be sure to stop at the Batal Dhaba
Very proud owners of the Batal Dhaba

I ordered a bowl of Maggi Noodles ignoring the fact that they had been banned for 5 months for containing too much lead. They aren’t good for you but they’re like a high five for the mouth. Washing the noodles down with bottomless cups of chai and I was ready to tackle the second half of the day. With 70 miles to go, I could make it home by sunset with a quick stop 20 miles up the road before attacking Rohtang Pass again.

Crossing a River in the Spiti Valley
Crossing a River in the Spiti Valley. Keep your speed up, momentum will get you through.

Leaving the other motorcyclist to gather their confidence, I head off along off on the dirt roads which are surrounded by bus size boulders. About halfway I ride up to a wide fast flowing water crossing that is much deeper than the previous day. I stopped to try a pick a safe line and notice that my front tire is losing air quickly. I knew I had a spare tube in my backpack, so I fished it out to find it’s only a 19-inch tube. The bike had a 21 inch front and a 17 inch rear, so I screwed that up. I whip the wheel out and am busily levering the tire off when I notice the motorcyclist that I had helped earlier was heading my way. I wave them down to ask if they had a spare 21-inch tube, but they kept going straight into the water crossing. The quizzical look on my face was quickly replaced with a stifled laugh when they went tits up in the river. I kept working on the tire and stretched the smaller tube onto the rim and got the tire back on and the wheel in place. It was about 800F and I was out of drinking water so pumping that tire up with a small hand pump took it out of me. I was completely cream crackered.

Boulders are bulldozed out of the road to create this road.
Check out the size of the boulders lining the road!

I’d lost another hour, but I needed to stop at Chhatru for water and the imaginary sustenance that Maggi noodles provide. As I exited the dhaba, a minibus pulled up from the direction I was heading. The people that piled out seemed overly excited as they pointed back up the valley. I followed their gaze and saw my worst fear, a black cloud completely covering the valley ahead. When I say black, I’m talking about a black that would make Anish Kapoor jealous. It was heading our way and frankly, I was more than a little nervous. I didn’t have the time to head back, I was already running late, and riding on the “pile of corpses” road in the dark isn’t the smartest decision. Maybe it was the altitude affecting my decision making or maybe Richard Branson had wormed his way into my brain, but I headed to the bike to put my wet weather gear on…except it was gone. The occy strap holding them in place was missing so I assume it fell off after I fixed the tire. 

A Dhaba in Spiti Valley
Its always a welcome relief to take a breather and refresh yourself in a roadside dhaba

As I climb on the bike, full of adrenaline, the minibus driver rushes over and says “sir, sir, too dangerous, very big storm”. In perfect English, I say “sorry, no English” and took off. I see the locals wobbling their heads in my mirrors. I take it as a sign of respect for my bravery and not my stupidity and carry on into the valley of death. I can see a wall of rain coming at me faster than I am heading towards it and when it hits, it’s like being underneath a fire fighting aircraft when it releases its load. With the sun now blocked, the temperature dropped to below 600F and I was soaked to the core.

Sun breaks through the clouds over Rohtang Pass
Sun breaks through the clouds over Rohtang Pass

With about 40 miles until civilization, my adrenal gland was working overtime. The single-cylinder Royal Enfield kept thumping away and I was as focused as I’d ever been. I was only halfway up the side of the valley when the sun suddenly broke through the clouds. The storm cloud had passed over the top of the valley rather than come down the valley. Coming from the flattest continent on earth, I was used to seeing a storm for many hours, not disappear in ten minutes. It was a ferocious ten minutes but with the sun shining again, I got a second wind and was feeling great as I opened the throttle and kept it pinned across the top of the pass. I couldn’t tell if the local tourists at the top were waving at me or telling me to slow down but I definitely saw heads being wobbled.

A motorcycle leans into a left hand corner high in the mountains
When you’re in the zone, everything is so easy. It becomes unconscious competence.

Being “in the zone” is an overused term by people who often don’t understand what it means, let alone have experienced it. A few years previously, I was riding with my brother in the rain on the very same road. We were hyper-focused on the undulations of the road surface, the errant animals, and the oncoming vehicles. It was like a video game where everything was in slow motion and you could predict which direction the cow or the car was going to go. Nothing slowed us down as our speeds got faster and faster and all sense of time disappeared. While some people become drug addicts because they chase their first high, I have chased that first “flow” and am now totally addicted to riding in the mountains. I was “flowing” for the next 20 miles until I rode below the treeline.

A Royal Enfield taking a right hand corner
Scraping pegs was done for the day, it was time to slow down.

The bike was purring perfectly with the torque pushing me out of tight corners and the agricultural suspension bouncing me around like an epileptic on a pogo stick. The tires squealed on down changes and when the front let go a couple of times, I had saved it before knowing it had happened. It was like an out of body experience and my brain was processing crazy amounts of stimulation with ease. With the sun bouncing off the top of the mountains and just over 10 miles to go, I slowed down and appreciated everything that had happened and how fortunate I was to be able to share these experiences with others.

One must always keep their wits about them on the Rohtang Pass but especially so in the afternoon. Groups of young men will overload an 800cc Suzuki Alto (twice as heavy as a Harley and about the same power) head up to the lookouts for a smoke of the good stuff and have one too many drinks. Sometimes they want to race you or run you off the road for kicks. As a rule, I only take riders over the pass in the morning but as I was alone, I decided to run the gauntlet.

There were several Manish Andretti’s on the road that wanted to race, high on a cocktail of altitude, Manali Cream, and testosterone. Like having a picnic on train tracks, the potential for disaster was enormous so I declined their offers and moved over to let them through. I was aware that I might have been a little fatigued after squeezing a 4 day 260-mile trip into 2 days. There were people from the USA on airplanes already heading to Delhi that were relying on me to pick them up in 42 hours. The time for unnecessary risks was over.

Speed Thrills But Kills roadside sign
Never a truer word was spoken

I was below the treeline when I rounded a lefthand switchback and noticed a few people standing on the outside of the curve overlooking a mangled guardrail to the area below. It didn’t occur to me immediately that someone or something had Evil Kneiveled off the road into the forest below. A few switchbacks later and an ambulance pulls out in front of me, siren blaring. I sit behind it as we come across hundreds of cars all stopped on the side of the road. The traffic jam snaked its way down the mountain for at least a couple of miles. No one was moving except the ambulance and I in prime position right behind it. When the road narrowed and we slowed down to a crawl, I could see the bystanders gawking into the ambulance and taking pictures. There was something fairly gruesome inside. It was then I realized it was probably the driver of the vehicle that slingshotted itself off the side of the mountain, probably one of the lunatics that I had declined to race down the mountain.

A roadside sign with Peep Peep Don't Sleep, Drive Don't Fly
Someone wasn’t paying attention to the signs

The Ambulance silently made its way down the mountain with me behind it, passing the stationary cars backed up for miles until we came to a commotion at a roadblock. The crowd descended upon the ambulance like a NASCAR pit crew and before we knew it, were waved through by a police officer. As the Ambulance pulled across to the left, a pickup truck with its tail down, pulled in behind it. The police officer tried to block the road but I grabbed my chance and skirted around him, gesturing wildly and shouting “I’m with them” pointing at the ambulance. I noticed there were two basketball-sized rocks on a sheet that was covering something in the back. As we would go around hairpin bends, the rocks would slide and whatever was under the sheet was working its way loose. The pickup hit a pothole, the rocks slid towards the cabin, taking the sheet with it, exposing a couple of lifeless feet.

A few Suzuki Alto's in need of repair
Riding past a few Suzuki Alto’s that have seen better days

I guessed that the owner of those feet had departed this world when he speared through the guardrail earlier. While he was getting colder and stiffer, his friend got the comfy seat in the ambulance. The road ahead still had plenty of twists and turns so when the pickup swung from one side to the other, so did the feet on the back of the tray. I followed the pickup for about a mile when it came across a speed bump a little too fast and the body in the back got airborne. The feet rose in the air, uncrossed, and then gracefully crossed the other way as they came back down. I didn’t want to hang around any longer in case the pickup hit another speed bump and I ended up with an unresponsive passenger draped over my handlebars. Whipping out from behind the pickup, I twisted the throttle and headed for home, my mind replaying the events of the past 48 hours. I had made it home in time for a shower and a feed before getting on the midnight bus back to Delhi.

The combination of the bus engine droning and swinging from left to right along the mountain roads meant that I promptly gave into my exhaustion. As I closed my eyes, I knew I had made the right decision in Delhi to “let’s do it”.   

A Royal Enfield Classic being jumped off a bridge.
When in doubt, say “Let’s Do It”

With all 2020 adventures postponed until 2021 and the Coronavirus situation still growing, let’s do some crystal ball gazing and see what Himalayan Heroes adventures might look like in 2021. 

Crystal Ball 2021

First, let’s check the data from where we are from and where we want to go to.

Coronavirus Data 29th July 2020
Note: To get to Tibet, one has to travel through Sichuan province in China or through Nepal.

 

Looking at the data above, it is clear that some countries are yet to bring the situation under control with India, Pakistan (and the USA) being the standouts. It is anyone’s guess when we’ll be allowed to travel to those countries, let alone them being safe enough to travel to.

Let’s focus on the four countries where we have a good chance of going to in 2021.  

Nepal

Talking to the team in Nepal, they tell me that lockdown restrictions are lifting. However, when i look at the data from WHO, I see the number of cases have been on the rise since May. Maybe the government have found the lockdown untenable and are adjusting to the “new normal” by easing restrictions. Tourism makes up 9% of the GDP so there must be pressures to open up again. (For comparison, tourism makes up 3% of Australia’s GDP and 75% of that is domestic)

Travel restrictions are in place until further notice.

Mongolia

Looking at the data alone, Mongolia seems to be doing great with no deaths attributed to Covid19. The team in Ulaanbaatar said (sp) “we eat lot of meat, specially horse meat in winter, that give us good immunity system :)”. They are certainly strong. We will watch with anticipation. 

Travel restrictions are in place until 31st August 2020 but could be extended further. 

Bhutan

Bhutan have handled the situation very well; closing the borders with India very quickly. It’s a stunning country and among the happiest in the world that everyone should visit once in their lifetime. For a motorcyclist, the scenery, perfect mix of sealed and unsealed roads, cultural sites and tantalising food, it is a dream adventure riding destination. The absence of traffic lights, speed cameras and police striving to reach quotas is just a bonus.

Travel restrictions are in place until further notice.

Tibet (China)

With only a single case (long since recovered), Tibet is probably the safest place to be …unless you’re American…but that’s another story. The team there are certainly keen for us to come but our challenge is not getting into Tibet but out of our own countries and into China. We have the option of riding North from Kathmandu, Nepal over the Himalayas into Tibet. We’ll play a waiting game and assess the situation closer to the date. 

Possible to travel but subject to 14 days mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

NOTE: If you’ve paid a deposit for a trip 2020, then your deposit has been carried forward to a future trip of your choosing. In accordance with WA Consumer Protection advice, Himalayan Heroes has extended the travel credit indefinitely rather than limit it to 12 months.  

I look forward to riding with you in 2021 and hope you’re safe.

Rex Havoc

Himalayan Heroes : Have you booked for 2020?

Doing my part : Rex puts his body on the line

Sources:

2020 is postponedAll 2020 adventures have been postponed until 2021
 
At the start of the year I was optimistic that some trips in the second half of the year would still proceed. However, when I got back from the Stairway to Heaven adventure in Nepal (catching the second last flight out!) in March, I immediately postponed all 2020 trips until 2021.

While some in the industry were still promoting trips and have since closed their doors, I made an early call to stop taking deposits and postpone all 2020 trips. It turned out to be the right decision as it allowed riders to focus on preparing to weather out the storm, travel at home and look forward to 2021. 

If you’ve booked a trip for 2020, then your deposit is carried over for a 2021 trip. As these are extenuating circumstances completely out of my control, I am not able to refund deposits and will be providing 100% travel credit. The terms and conditions says “the full value of your deposit will be credited to a future trip to be booked within 12 months of the start date of the initial booked trip” however, I’ve taken advice from WA Consumer Protection. They said they want to see businesses be flexible with their terms and conditions and make an effort to listen to and communicate with reasonable client requests at this time.

In alignment with the above advice, I’ve extended the travel credit indefinitely rather than limit it to 12 months. As per normal, there are no charges or change fees to rebook or swap trips.

Monthly email newsletters will now be quarterly where I will make announcements on future trips and everyone who has paid a deposit will receive an email about the next available trip. 

Stay safe and I look forward to riding with you in 2021.

Rex Havoc

Himalayan Heroes : 2021 and Beyond

Doing my part : Rex puts his body on the line

It was early March when I started getting phone calls from the riders who would be joining me later in the month in Kathmandu. All of us were excited about our upcoming 12-day adventure to find the Stairway to Heaven in the Mustang Valley, Nepal. The questions were all the same “Is the trip still going ahead with the Corona Virus situation?” The answer was “Of course, Nepal doesn’t have any cases of the virus, she’ll be right”.

Holi Festival in Kathmandu
No one in Kathmandu was concerned about Corona Virus during the Holi Festival

We started the adventure, by walking the streets of Kathmandu, taking photos of the toilet paper supplies in the local shops to post on social media as it seemed the virus was turning people into panic buyers and hoarders. Being isolated from the madness was great, however, the talk around the table each night inevitably turned into a Corona conversation. After a few beers, it turned into a zombie apocalypse conversation but that’s another blog post. 

Watching the sun set at Chitwan National Park
What a great end to the first day on the road.

Sitting on the banks of the Rapti River at Chitwan National Park, enjoying a well-earned Gorkha beer while watching the sunset on the backs of crocodiles, we were interrupted by an excited waiter who was shouting “Rhino, Rhino!”. A bull Rhinoceros had decided to walk through the outdoor restaurant we were sitting in. It was a great start to an adventure but once the excitement died down, the conversation circled back to whether we would be able to get out of Nepal.  

A Rhino walking through a restaurant
Lucky we were on the balcony when a Rhino decided to walk through the restaurant

Our intermittent internet access was telling us the virus had taken hold in Australia and was out of control in the UK. With a few days to go, a few of us got word that our return flights had been canceled. Now we weren’t just scrambling on the Himalayan roads but were now scrambling to find replacement flights. Our wives and partners took the reigns and came to the rescue, speaking to travel agents and scouring Skyscanner for any available flight so we could concentrate on getting back to Kathmandu as quickly as possible.  

Motorcycles descending a muddy road into a puddle
Coming down a steep, muddy road into a puddle. What could go wrong?

I was able to book a flight (at double the usual cost) with Singapore Airlines who promptly told me that they’d overbooked and I needed to find another flight. “No problem”, I said, “just refund the money and I’ll keep looking”. To which they replied, “Sorry, we can’t offer a refund but if you jump through all these hoops, we can offer a credit in 3 weeks”.*  There were 4 seats left out of Kathmandu so I grabbed one at 3 times the usual price and I caught the second last flight out before Nepal went into total lockdown. 

Arriving home to surprisingly no temperature checks at Perth airport it was straight into 14 days of self-isolation. I used the time to notify all riders who were booked for 2020 that all adventures were postponed until 2021. It was obvious that we were in this for the long haul so I needed to find something to do. I enrolled in a short course at RMIT University (just graduated yeeha!) and started looking for work (what the hell is LinkedIn!) and I noticed that the non-profit organisation Linear Research was looking for volunteers to participate in a Covid-19 Vaccine trial

I’m always up for an adventure so thought that I’d step up and see if I could contribute in some way. I went to the screening and was selected as a suitable participant. My first dose was on the 24th of June and there were zero side effects. The media were very interested in the vaccine study so I was interviewed by three TV stations about my role and motivations.  The second dose was on the 15th of July and again zero side effects. If it all goes well, we might have an idea of its efficacy by the end of 2020. 

Rex and Jayden Rogers the CEO of Linear Research
Rex was interviewed by channels 7, 9 & 10 along with Jayden Rogers, the CEO of Linear Research.

In short, the 3 reasons I decided to get involved are…

  1. The sooner we can find a vaccine, the sooner I can get back to doing what I love which is exploring amazing countries with fantastic characters from around the world. If that means I have to put my body on the line then I’m up for it. 
  2. I learned early on that when you give, you feel better about yourself. These are incredibly stressful times, especially in tourism where the two other Austalian-led motorcycle touring companies shut down leaving thousands of riders without trips and thousands of dollars out of pocket.  We all found ourselves with zero income overnight. It isn’t doing anyone’s mental health any favours so I know that if I’m helping others (potentially millions of people) then I feel better about myself.
  3. Of course, getting compensated for your time spent in the trial is a nice bonus. 
Snowfall in Tatopani
We planned to go over those mountains but the weather in the Mustang Valley had other ideas

I can’t wait to get back out there on a motorcycle to explore the Mongolian Steppes with Kate Peck, the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan, and ride through Tibet on BMWs with friends. Having a cup of hot chai while at Mt Everest Base Camp is going to be an amazing reward in 2021. 

Riders crossing a suspension bridge in Nepal
The best part about crossing a suspension bridge is being able to turn around and do it again.

Keep looking to the future and I hope to ride with you soon.

Rex Havoc

*As of 30th July (17 weeks later) Singapore Airlines still has not responded to a request for a refund or credit for a future flight. 

There’s something about the magic of the open road; seeing an unfamiliar place for the first time and experiencing it in an authentic way. A Himalayan motorcycle tour is without a doubt one of the most unique and thrilling ways to experience Asia and the Himalayas. And here’s why it so magical.

 

1 – Make friends

The friends you make on a Himalayan motorcycle adventure are friends that last a lifetime. Traversing these roads together cause you to let down your guard and forge genuine connections with amazing people you wouldn’t otherwise meet.

 

2 – Step off the beaten path

Sure you could go to your 50th resort and spend your days lounging on the beach or by the pool barely getting to know the culture of the place you’re visiting. But wouldn’t it be much better to have an authentic experience in a lesser-traveled location?

 

3 – Explore different cultures

Our Himalayan motorcycle tours are typically organized around the local culture, ensuring that you get a taste of the culture and really have an opportunity to engage with the locals so you can learn more about them.

 

4 – Feel inspired

Once you tackle the Himalayas on a motorcycle you will leave the adventure feeling like you can do anything. And you will be right. It’s an empowering experience that we encourage you to take with you when you leave.

 

5 – Many great travel stories

Most great travel adventures are filled with stories you take with you and a Himalayan motorcycle adventure is no different. You’ll have many tales to tell once you get home. 

 

6 – Be at one with nature

When you face the open road on a motorcycle it’s just you and nature. Snow-capped mountains, roaring streams, expansive meadows, and unexpected glimpses of local wildlife. And that’s a beautiful thing to experience. 

 

7 – Learn about bike repairs

These motorcycle adventures generally go on for days. And while we have trained motorcycle repairmen on each tour, you will find yourself picking up a tip or two and learning more about the machine you’re riding on. When you get home, you’ll know more than the average rider. Those tips may just come in handy.

 

8 – Because you’ve been dreaming about it

You know you want to. Every time you think about going on a motorcycle adventure through the Himalayas your heart skips a few beats and you get excited. That feeling is enough of a reason to go. Getting to strike it off your bucket list and forever knowing ‘I did that’ is priceless.

 

So the only question remaining is when are we seeing you?