After last night’s storm and a very average sleep, I took my time over breakfast and enjoyed the amazing view. It was a beautiful day.
Camping where I did, meant that it was three days to Kazarman, something that deep down, I expected but we all overestimate our abilities don’t we ? After today, I realise that two days over this course for this old guy (and feeling older with every uphill pedal stroke) was simply a pipedream. Three was right for me so I tried to enjoy the day. After all, there was plenty of downhill right ?
It was crisp outside as I sheepishly peered out of the tent to an amazing view. The day was clear and sunny and I was in no hurry to leave my clifftop perch. Breakfast was followed by coffee then relaxing then finally packing and going.
That view. Oh boy it was nice.
While packing up, I noticed the carbon fibre cross beam at the top of the tent looked bent. The carbon looks ok, so I suspect the metal sleeve is a bit warped after the ferocity of the storm last night. I doubt it’s a problem. It just looks a little trail hardened and is now slightly easier to hitch the outer tent to.
It was uphill from the off, but not dramatically so as I wound my way up to the top of the pass. It was surprisingly close. Some nomads called out and waved me over, but it was nearly 11am and I’d gone about 3kms. I waved back apologetically. In retrospect, it was a very very good move not to dally.
I took the obligatory photos at the monument marking the pass but again put the tripod a long way away and had to do it again. Maybe I can’t think straight above 2800m ?
The descent started out ok, winding into a steep valley. As things flattened out, it got bumpier and bumpier until I was doing the now familiar zig zag over the road avoiding the big rocks and searching for some semblance of smooth road – another pipedream.
Again, the views were ever changing and amazing. I entered a canyon as the road continued downhill. After clearing the canyon, there was some traffic that sped past on the narrow road. You could watch the dust settle on everything in the minutes that followed any car or truck going by.
The dust was simply inescapable and all but one or two drivers flew past less than a metre from me which maximised it all. It’s crazy to be in the middle of nowhere and be dangerously close passed.
After 15kms, the downhill finished at a stream. If I’d made it over the pass yesterday, I had intended to camp here. I filtered some water from the stream, got out the chair and had lunch in the shade – lashings of peanut butter on bread.
It was uphill straight away. Seriously uphill was how my legs would describe it. And that’s how the afternoon transpired. More and more uphill with patches of smooth downhill amongst the rocks. There was deep large gravel outside the car tracks, so I simply had to ride on the rocks.
As I came to the first village in two days, I’d simply had enough and walked the final kilometre where I asked about a Magazin and water. I followed the directions and asked more people but in the end, it was a complete waste of 30-40 minutes and I had to get going.
It was another 7kms to the next village but there was a place to camp near a stream at about With low water, I had to hope there was water in the stream. It was getting towards 7pm by now.
I know things always work out, but today worked out beautifully. The campsite on iOverlander was a cracker, and there was plenty of water to wash in and filter.
I had enough time to get sorted, have some dinner and clean up before the sun went down.
The day was a hard one again, but I had a shortish ride to Kazarman, downhill or flat most of the way. Looking forward to a rest day !