August 2008.

I'm back in Denmark after another off-road bike trip in Tibet. I crossed nearly 1.000 km through Tibet's high alititude no-mands land in Chang Tang together with two Swedish friends in 54 days before we were arrested by the police in the first town we came to. After a week of intorrigations we were send out of China.

During the trip we didn't see any human beings for 39 consecutive days and summited two unclimbed mountains, 6388 m. and 6436 m. - the first one standing as a good candidate for being one of the most inaccessible mountains in the world outside the polar regions.

I lost 13 kg. during this trip partly because food was running low by the end. I started out with some 37 kg. of food on the bike but had 40 grams left when we met the first humans again.

REPORT AND PICTURES YET TO COME.

"All true wisdom is only to be found far from the dwellings of men, in the great solitudes; and it can only be attained through suffering. Suffering and privation are the only things that can open the mind of man to that which is hidden from his fellows". (Igjagarjuk, Greenland).

I try to look elsewhere but mostly find myself in barren parts of the Tibetan plateau on my bike amongst mighty mountains or on rough windswept high-altitude plains, places I lost my soul to.

Strangely, the harder a journey is, the more I enjoy it afterward. My strongest inspiration is explorer Sven Hedins accomplishments in Tibet one century ago.

In total I have done 9 bicycle trips in Tibet and more than 19.000 km. on the Tibetan plateau by bike. In other adventure catagories I could mention climbing 6.965 meters mt. Aconcagua and biking in Argentina and Chile.

I will go back to Tibet next year again for cycling. Next spring is dedicated a 2.000 km bike trip on the bone (!) road in East Siberia if things turns out right. A trip across the Greenland Inland ice has been postponed one year.

Among the more crazy things I have done by bike are:

- cycling at 7008 meters on Mt. Mustagh Ata in Westchina's Xinjiang province to set a Guinness record in altitude cycling. Here I also set a personal record in biggest ascent by bike when cycling/carring the bike from 1300 meters altitude to 7008 meters, nearly 5700 meters climbed with my bike. For the Danes: Here a link to an article I wrote in danish for the Travellers Club Magazine.

- done more than fifty 5000+ meters passes in total by bike. I love cycling really high passes - passes being over 5500 meters. I have done 8 different of those: see here for more details.

- solocycling 1200 kilometres south down to Lhasa on the Golmud highway in ROARING headwind in January - the coldest month of the year in Tibet (had down to some - 35 C at night - the tempearture occationally drops down to - 45 C in this area). Mentally very draning. Lost 9 kg. in 24 days.

- spending 4 days "cycling" over a 5604 meters mountainpass in No Man's Land in Northwest Tibet, a few days later followed by an insane 4 days, 30 kilometres long, 2600 meters deep descent (with less than ½ kg of food left) through a nightmarish rivergorge in the Kunlun mountains down to the outskirt of the Taklamakan desert.

- before the little adventure above, we were escorted 20 kilometers out of the western part of Chinese Kashmir by furious Chinese military officers when we wanted to make a detour into a highly sensitive military zone in order to visit the legendary Karakoram trade pass. This attempt must mark the all-time topperformance for any Tibet cyclist in terms of optimisme, ignorance and naivity.

- cycling twice with other cyclists in Tibets Chang Tang without seeing human beings for 14 days. Crossing Tibets Chang Tang solo with 35 kg of food on my bike without seeing human beings for 19 days before I ran into four astounded Chinese goldiggers. Thereby - as far as I know - Im the first to do an unsupported solo crossing of the area. Hard fysically, extremely hard mentally. Wolfs howling outsite my tent at nighttime gave a comfortable feeling of not being alone.

- cycling on the Karakoram Highway in Northern Pakistan while the country was on the verge of war with India in 99'. Massive military convoys passing me, soldiers with deep empty eyes, locals talking about war within days. Interrogated by the Pakistani Intelligence Service for my presence in the area. Happy to arrive into China!

- cycling in a salt storm on the southern shore of a salt lake in Tibet. Had salt taste in my mouth even the day after.

- cycling 7 kilometres in 150 km/hour headwind (worst hurricane in Denmark in one century). Got a bit worried when roofparts started falling down around me. Stupid, but I simply had to try it...

- been attacked full-on by a big bull while cycling in the middle of the secondlargest town i Denmark. Fortunately, my bike suffered less damage than my ego...

- etc....

A world full of opportunities Martin Adserballe, Denmark PS: If you got any comments or questions - please mail me on: martin#adserballe.com (please replace # with @).

FUTURE:

Whatever happens, I will come back to the Tibetan plateau from time to time. I know that. The plateau is an integrated part of who I am.

But I don't want to be a monotraveller, I also want to go elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the entire world has been congured by humans and mashins - a 6x6 landcruiser has been driven to the south pole - a helicopter has landed on the summit of Mt. Everest. However, despite being envious on past explorers unending uniqe opportunities, there are still some great adventures around and I will do my best to hunt down the ones I like.

Ranking highest is a crossing of the inland ice on Greenland with pulk - maybe as a preparation of a bike trip to the south pole on the "road" established from the McMurdo base near the coast to the Scott-Amundsen base on the south pole.

Other thoughts on the future, cross the US from coast to coast on roller-skates, try a 8.000 meters peak - maybe 8.201 meters Cho Oyu, a bicycle ride on the bone road in Siberia during wintertime, etc....

Dangerous thoughts some would say, but if I have to adapt fully to Danish welfare socity, being forced into a lifetime 9-4 office job, it will become my death!

I need space - I need full-on adventure - no more no less.

Updated: 6th marts 2008.