Bikepacking the Annapurna Circuit 2022

Back to the Himalayas! 

We have been craving another ride on this great mountain range since our Ladakh cycling trip last 2019. Cycling in the Himalayas has been the most intense experience we have had on the saddle. Immense landscapes, remote location, high elevation, cold climate, unfamiliar culture, majestic natural views - worthy to return to despite the physical and logistical challenges.

And so, when the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions were relaxed, we took vacation leave from our jobs, cashed-in our savings and year-end bonuses, packed our old mountain bikes, filled our dry bags with gears and winter clothes, took a flight to Kathmandu, Nepal, and cycled the Annapurna Circuit.

Day 11, Lower Mustang.

Bike Touring and Bikepacking Campsites in the Philippines

 A Google Map of secure campsites in the Philippines for adventure cyclists.

URL: bit.ly/BikeCampsitesPH

Disclaimer: This is a crowdsourced map. Do your research and contact the campsites in advance. 

Cebu Loop Bike Tour 2021

This is our first long bicycle tour after almost two years of COVID-19 quarantine restrictions. On November 2021, the Province of Cebu announced the loosening of travel restrictions for inter-island tourists with vaccination card as the only requirement. With that news, we immediately readied our bikes and gears and headed for Matnog port.

There is now a roro (roll-on, roll-off) ferry that services the Matnog, Sorsogon- Bogo City, Cebu route three times a week. The boat departs from Matnog (and Bogo) at midnight with travel time of ten to 12 hours. This is a welcome development for bicycle tourists from Bicol visiting Cebu and the Central Visayas - and for Cebuanos visiting Bicolandia. Bikes are free of charge - just remove the front wheel before climbing to the passenger deck.

Boljoon Church

Everesting Cycling Challenge 2021

On June 6, 2021, three young “pandemic cyclists” from our town Irosin, Sorsogon, Philippines attempted the Everesting cycling challenge and were able to finish with impressive time results. They trained hard for the event and were fully supported by the local cycling community. As we fed, hydrated, encouraged, and monitored the progress of Vicson A., brothers Airru E. and Lucky E., I silently committed to myself that I would also attempt this vertical cycling challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic was still out there, and I have nothing else better to do.

The Everesting Challenge for cycling is simple: pick any hill anywhere in the world and complete repeats of it in a single activity until you climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mt Everest. For the uninitiated, read more at the Everesting website and at Wikipedia. 

With Ed B, 70 years old, and completed the Half Everesting.

Samar Island Loop 2019

The more the merrier! Nineteen cyclists from Sorsogon rode the third largest island in the Philippines during the Holy Week of April 2019.  The coastal loop of Samar is 731 km from Allen to Catbalogan, to Balangiga (with stop-over San Juanico Bridge), to Borongan (skip Guiuan), to Gamay, then back to Allen. It was a light and fast 5-day ride averaging 146 km per day. Hot, plenty of climbs, dawn to dusk rides, kind Samar people, good food, scenic coastal seascapes, and good wide roads almost all the way. My first bike tour with a loaded road bike. 

A happy and noisy crowd, at Matnog port

Cycling the Indian Himalayas 2019

To eyeball the mighty Himalayas is a childhood dream of mine. To cycle its high mountain passes with its rarefied air and fluttering prayer flags, to sit still in Tibetan Buddhist stuppas and temples in its secluded valleys, to attempt to summit any of its 6,000+ meters snow-clad peaks… And why not? Let’s go!

Descent from Baralachala, photo credit to Rak Ssr (FB)

Cycling the Roof of Luzon - Part 1, 2019

This ride is a field test of our cold-weather trekking gears and newly-installed bike parts and accessories. Gearing up and testing for that planned high-altitude Indian Himalaya ride, and Benguet in February is the coldest and the highest you can get in the Philippines. Four mountain bikers from Irosin, Sorsogon (me, Kareen my wife, Tyrone and Paulo) once again took leave from day jobs and rode two long bus rides to revisit the roof of Luzon. This ride is a 5-day loop of Baguio City – Bokod – Kabayan – Atok – Baguio City (with a side trip to Mt. Pulag).