Back in 1986, two Englishmen in their early twenties flew to Delhi with brand new mountain bikes and a paper map, and set off to ride through the Himalaya. James Baile takes us back nearly 40 years to a trip that saw him carrying his bike over three high mountain passes, reaching Kalapattar at 5,545 metres as one of the first cyclists ever to do it, and crossing into India solo after his riding partner's frame gave out.

Highlights from the episode:

• Two 20 year olds, no maps of their own making, no local language, and a bike that had barely existed as a category three years earlier
• Two weeks of carrying rather than riding, before the terrain eased into Namche Bazaar
• Reaching Kalapattar at 5,545 metres, among the earliest cyclists to have done it
• The transition from cycling with a friend to riding solo across northern India
• The hospitality of strangers shown throughout the journey
• Five days in McLeodganj giving Tibetan kids bike rides outside the Green Hotel

Follow along with James' future adventures via his instagram - @JamesB.Adventures

This episode originally first aired on Feb 01 2025.

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Ever wondered what it's like to cycle across a mountain range? Well in 2023 I loaded up my bike with gear and set off from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean at St Jean de Luz, to cross the Pyrenees mountains all the way to Argeles-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean Sea.

The route we took was a mix of the Classic Raid Pyrenees road bike and touring routes and we took nine days to complete the crossing. All up it was 803kms, 24 Cols and almost 18,000m of climbing.

You can watch the visuals behind this adventure via our Raid Pyrenees video series on YouTube

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

Support the show

Buy me a coffee!

I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

👉 CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)

👉 Zorali

👉 Helinox

👉 Ombraz

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Ever wanted to go bikepacking in South America? This episode is for you. After being laid off from her job in Barcelona, guest Marta Ballús decided to take back control of her life by loading up her bike and taking an adventure in South America. I spoke to her while she was nine months and over 9,000 kilometres into her solo South American journey. A trip taken to help her reclaim her confidence and learn to trust herself.

Marta's mantra on this trip is 'Do what scares you until it doesn't'.

Highlights have included:

Southern Chile/La Carretera Austral: Her emote and rugged starting point heading south

Argentina desert: So boring she ditched the bike, hitchhiked instead and learnt to paraglide

Peru: Demanding bikepacking routes

Bolivia (Salar de Uyuni): Cycling across the salt flats and seeing the sunset and stars in the night sky was like a dream.

Colombia: Brought with it a tropical climate and an explosion of exotic fruits.

Ecuador: Where she witnessed the incredible strength of Indigenous women doing hard physical labour

Galapagos Islands: Unique wildlife experience most bikepacking journeys never get to see

Follow Marta's future adventures via her instagram @MartasWay

Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike.

Support the show

Buy me a coffee!

I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

👉 CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)

👉 Zorali

👉 Helinox

👉 Ombraz

Follow us on Social Media!

• Instagram - @SeekTravelRide
• Facebook - Seek Travel Ride
• YouTube - @SeekTravelRide

Seek Travel Ride Newsletter

Leave me a voicemail message

Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music