I thought of that .. but i was trying to work out the therm value of shite ,, but couldnt see how it combusts
Gael warning on the Pamir Highway
- Thread starter simondippenhall
- Start date
Rather that than eating them
Simon,
I am absolutely loving your reports - especially the photos of people and scenery. Brings back many memories. Five years ago today I was in Murghab. It felt pretty adventurous just being there, even if it was on the Globebusters trip. The way you’re doing it seems so much more real.
I doff my cap to you sir…
I am absolutely loving your reports - especially the photos of people and scenery. Brings back many memories. Five years ago today I was in Murghab. It felt pretty adventurous just being there, even if it was on the Globebusters trip. The way you’re doing it seems so much more real.
I doff my cap to you sir…
Thanks for sharing Simon excellent report.Continued safe travels.
Apparently they burn really well, as do the cow patties that they make in India, hand mixed and dried in the sun stuck to the walls:
Attachments
Our village home stay had a room we could sleep in and one for us to eat in with our host - this was fortunate as my continuing cough (caught at beginning of the trip) meant I was coughing continuously for 3 hours during the night - so much so that after two hours I crawled into the eating room and slept there so as not to disturb Gary…who, remarkably, said he heard nothing (whilst I thought I was expiring, perhaps exacerbated by the altitude).
Anyway we had a lovely breakfast including rice pudding (to which our host added yak butter) and set off on our way after slipping a proper financial thank you into our host’s pocket, and set off on our way back to Murghob some 250 kms away.
The trail was pretty poor but I was surprised by the wiggling of my bike so asked G if he was experiencing the same. He said No so I stopped to check:
I had a puncture and of course it was the rear wheel
.
So this would be our first real test as I had repaired a motorcycle tubed tyre puncture precisely once (and Gary never). I would rather have had a good night of sleep first but hey ho such is the life of a UKGSer nomad
.
So after finding a place by the side of the track we set to work, grateful it was early in the day before temperatures fell
Record the position of the various spacers and adjustments.
The famous stick is wielded in anger:
A scenic spot for a one legged motorcycle
Not going to be many passers by here!
Now to get the tube out.
We were glad to be double handed as we ended up using the bike centre stand to push the tyre casing into the ‘valley’ of the wheel so we had a shot of getting (the famous) “Simon’s tyre spoons “ inside
The tyre to take it off the rim.
Miraculously we managed to fit the new tube and not pinch it - we took a lot of care not to nip the tube and both G and I have a lot of experience with bicycle punctures and tubes.
As this appeared to be a pinch puncture, we took care to inflate the tyre a bit more (whilst chuckling that was ‘the skinny guy’ who had the first puncture!)
Then we were off again - little more cautiously in my case - but as the road was so poor Gary reckoned he could go faster in the adjacent trail.
Which he did - until a couple of wipe outs on sand persuaded him to slow down and avoid the sand
This was the second wipe out - a high sider which gave G quite a knock.
However he is nothing if not a battler so were soon on our way, Gary about 90% sand and 10% human at this point.
All of course in the most fabulous scenery- we have been very lucky with the weather so far in Tajikistan
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Anyway we had a lovely breakfast including rice pudding (to which our host added yak butter) and set off on our way after slipping a proper financial thank you into our host’s pocket, and set off on our way back to Murghob some 250 kms away.
The trail was pretty poor but I was surprised by the wiggling of my bike so asked G if he was experiencing the same. He said No so I stopped to check:
I had a puncture and of course it was the rear wheel
.So this would be our first real test as I had repaired a motorcycle tubed tyre puncture precisely once (and Gary never). I would rather have had a good night of sleep first but hey ho such is the life of a UKGSer nomad
.So after finding a place by the side of the track we set to work, grateful it was early in the day before temperatures fell
Record the position of the various spacers and adjustments.
The famous stick is wielded in anger:
A scenic spot for a one legged motorcycle
Not going to be many passers by here!
Now to get the tube out.
We were glad to be double handed as we ended up using the bike centre stand to push the tyre casing into the ‘valley’ of the wheel so we had a shot of getting (the famous) “Simon’s tyre spoons “ inside
The tyre to take it off the rim.
Miraculously we managed to fit the new tube and not pinch it - we took a lot of care not to nip the tube and both G and I have a lot of experience with bicycle punctures and tubes.
As this appeared to be a pinch puncture, we took care to inflate the tyre a bit more (whilst chuckling that was ‘the skinny guy’ who had the first puncture!)
Then we were off again - little more cautiously in my case - but as the road was so poor Gary reckoned he could go faster in the adjacent trail.
Which he did - until a couple of wipe outs on sand persuaded him to slow down and avoid the sand
This was the second wipe out - a high sider which gave G quite a knock.
However he is nothing if not a battler so were soon on our way, Gary about 90% sand and 10% human at this point.
All of course in the most fabulous scenery- we have been very lucky with the weather so far in Tajikistan
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Fabulous stuff! Why did they not want photos taken?
Two comments…
1. Good job you took good care of the stick
2. I hate sand
1. Good job you took good care of the stick
2. I hate sand
Brilliant write up Simon,
you have the patience of a saint,
you have the patience of a saint,
Two comments…
1. Good job you took good care of the stick
2. I hate sand
Richard: I made sure the stick, tyre spoons and hand pump were safely in my pannier
. The hand pump was useful as the electric pump had not been charged .Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Of course. That would make sense. Plus a hangover from Soviet days, I suppose? Taking pics on the Norwegian/Russian border was tricky 10 years ago. (It'll be a lot more sensitive now!)
Carry on Simon! And thanks for your efforts.
Just found and started reading this thread this afternoon. What a great read, thankyou.. Looks an amazing adventure.
Safe travels.
Safe travels.
Yep - you can’t beat a good old hand pump…Richard: I made sure the stick, tyre spoons and hand pump were safely in my pannier
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Gary dusted off and puncture repair intact, we set off again to Murghob where we intended to refuel, lunch and drop off at the hotel as G had mislaid his Montana GPS and wondered whether he had left it there. Sadly they didn’t have it but they did have my toothbrush and toothpaste, and also provided an excellent lunch of soup and dumplings.
G also took the opportunity to hose down his bike and his dusty helmet, something which may be at the root of our loss of communication thereafter….he can hear me but his Sena microphone may not be working.
Leaving Morgan our destination is Kara-Kul lake, 130 kms ride and much climbing away but a rapid and enjoyable ride despite the long day
Gary and a driver at the Homestay Erkil in Karakul.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
G also took the opportunity to hose down his bike and his dusty helmet, something which may be at the root of our loss of communication thereafter….he can hear me but his Sena microphone may not be working.
Leaving Morgan our destination is Kara-Kul lake, 130 kms ride and much climbing away but a rapid and enjoyable ride despite the long day
Gary and a driver at the Homestay Erkil in Karakul.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Next up is the Kyzyl-Art Pass at 4,260m and its infamous No Mans Land descent between exiting Tajikistan and entering Kyrgyzstan.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I hope its dry for you and not too snowy
Done that. Lovely day at the top. Snowing at the bottom. Don’t worry, only three of our group fell off in the no-man’s land mud - plus me in the snow leaving the borderNext up is the Kyzyl-Art Pass at 4,260m and its infamous No Mans Land descent between exiting Tajikistan and entering Kyrgyzstan.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great ride report as usual Simon, I can't believe the hospitality of the locals. I had forgotten how poor the standard DR650 lights are as I don't usually ride mine in the dark.
Similar threads
