Journey to Tibet - Mongolia - Australia: Chutsu

Today is our first major test - riding over the Khamba La pass, a 35km climb which peaks at 4900 meters, then straight down to Yamdrok Lake. We started just after 9am and already cars, buses and trucks were zooming and blowing fumes right at us. Slow and steady...remember it's 35km. The climb isn't so bad, it's the elevation that's killing me! Switchback after switchback, the view gets more beautiful and majestic. At each turn, we can see the valley floor stretch in one direction and continuous switchbacks the other direction. About 20km into our climb, we stop at a small prayer stones/flags that has an amazing view of the valley below. No time to rest, back on the bike to finish our climb and have lunch at top of the Khamba La. The next 15km was shear hell...I felt like I was suffocating with every breath! My heart rate is at max, my fingers are numbs from lack of oxygen, my legs are screaming for more oxygen...and my head just pounding. Did I remember to take my EPO? We're now taking more frequent breaks to catch our breaths, thankfully the view just gets better and better. Yaks are grazing along the side of the mountain and looking at us as if we're some crazy herders on bikes (yup, the crazy part is correct). Finally we reach the top of the pass and what do we see...a beautiful turquoise lake that stretches for miles (kilometers) with snow capped mountains behind it. Now we haven't really reached "the roof of the world" yet, but this is damn close! The guides have prepared a "picnic" lunch for us - basically sitting by the shoulder of the road and enjoying a vacuum-packed chicken drumstick, bread and Tang...yum! The next 15km is what I've been waiting for all day - downhill! We wait for the military convoy to come up to the pass, so we can scream down some crazy-arse switchbacks at +50 kph! Now that was fun! Once we get down to the lake, the road turns flat and view gets more stunning, where we can see "Everest"...wait, it can't be Everest! Maybe it's K2? Of course, that's it...but wait, it can't be K2 either! We didn't care, the view was just magnificent. We were awed by the peak hidden by the clouds and talked about how amazing Everest will be when we get there in few days. We continued on for 20 more kilometers before settling down at our next campsite, near the lake. Mat and I are completely exhausted from riding over the Khamba La but elated knowing that we just completed our first mountain pass in Tibet. Tomorrow, we climb our second pass, Kora La...just peaking at 5000 meters. I'm going to need a good night rest and dream of new legs and lungs!