In 2001 Tim spent four months riding a motorbike from London to Kathmandu. He had only reached Saltzberg when he heard news of the 9/11 attacks on America but with no access to media other than the World Service on a tiny SW radio, he decided to continue with the journey and the planned route through Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

 

He spent time in the battlefields of the Balkan States where towns such as Mostar and Sarajevo had yet to be rebuilt. A crash on the Black Sea coast of Turkey left him with a broken foot, but this was only confirmed ten days later, after he had repaired the bike. Luckily it was the right foot so he was able to ride with the plaster cast, crossing into Iran and travelling south to the Pakistan border. By now the political and military situation in the Arabian Gulf was ‘hot’ and sadly required a hop across to Mumbai.

 

The journey through India was hectic, colourful and extraordinary, travelling through the desert landscapes of Gujarat and Rajasthan and then east as far as Varanasi before turning north to Kathmandu. The end of the road came at Jiri in the foothills of the Himalaya with the journey into the mountains continuing on foot to stay with a sherpa contact and hand over funds he had raised for the local school.

 

The 15,368 km journey took 101 days and ended with magnificent views of Mt Everest.

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