Cycling to Everest Base Camp in 1986 with James Baile (Re-visited)

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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