BLAZING NEWS WINTER 2015

NE India – Full Steam Ahead!HERE AT Blazing Trails, we have been organising the finest two-wheeled Himalayanexperiences for the past 15 years and to celebrate we’ve decided to add a new route to ourmountainous portfolio, a tour that takes us far from the regular Indian routes. The Darjeeling& Sikkim Tour is an adventure set in the Eastern Himalaya that is high on historical interest,incredible landscapes and typically twisty mountain road riding.

An internal flight will take participants from Delhi to Bagdogra in West Bengal, before joiningthe Himalayan Railway for the trip up to the bustling colonial hill station of Darjeeling, whereour trusty Royal Enfields and views to some of the World’s highest mountains await.

From Darjeeling the road-trip carries us into the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim, India’s least populous state, away from themajor tourist trails and to within 15km of Tibet. Journeying through incredible mountain scenery, we will visit tea plantations,charming villages and the beautiful, colourful monasteries of this overwhelmingly Buddhist state.On returning to Darjeeling there will be the opportnuity to ride the UNESCO-listed steamrailway to Ghoom, enjoy views of Kanchenjunga (the planet’s third-highest mountain) andto shop, browse and eat in this lively hill town’s bazaars.

We are planning just the one Darjeeling and Sikkimtrip in 2016 (November) and places are limited.Interest in this tour has thus far been high, so tosecure your place do not delay. All the necessaryinformation is on our website, but if you have anyfurther queries, don’t hesitate to contact us atinfo@blazingtrailstours.com,or call on: +44 (0) 5603 666788.

Free-Shirts

YOU MAY have noted from the top of this mailthat we have changed our company logo andhope it meets with approval. Sunshine,mountains and motorcycle travel are what we areall about and so felt we needed a logo that betterrepresented what we do…

Quality gratis T-shirts featuring the spiffing newdesign will be issued by courier prior to eachAsian tour; for African tours they will greet you onarrival.

Colours will be limited to whatever we choose(probably olive, as salivated over by ourpredatory model) and there will be a range ofsizes to select when you book, plus an option tochoose between male and female styles.

Anyone not booking a tour, who is absolutelygagging to swagger around in this fine, highquality apparel, can order a shirt, or extra shirts,by mailing jaras@blazingtrailstours.com. But theywon’t be cheap, oh no. Ordering and courieringsmall numbers is an expensive andtime-consuming business, so a shirt to the UKwill cost £18.

What Did You Think Of.... Spiti Valley?WAITING QUIETLY in the far north of India lies Spiti, a magical valley, a place of surreal beauty that nestlesagainst Tibet, bridging the border between Hindu and Buddhist cultures. To get there, high Himalayanpasses must be crossed, precipitous roads negotiated and climatic challenges endured.

Most of us working at BT think our Spiti Tour is the best we do in the Indian Himalaya, thanks to the blendof adventure, culture and brain-busting landscapes.

Our circumnavigation of the valley begins and ends in historical Shimla. Travelling to the north, the routewinds across the Himalayan foothills before following the frothing Sutlej River into the district of Kinnaur,where things get seriously steep, the road carved into the vertical rock face.

By riding day four, the road climbs through a series of crazy switchbacks, reaching 12,000ft at Nako, beforedescending into Spiti Valley itself, where the landscape changes radically, from green lushness toaltitudinous desert where many ancient monasteries and charming villages can be visited, all linked by

sinuous roads that carry you through the most other-worldly of landscapes. The huge, snow-capped, sand yellow mountains are carved-crazy by cobaltrivers, with white-walled Tibetan villages scattered among them.

At the Spiti River’s source rears Kunzum Pass, at 15,000ft the highest point of the road. There are more huge passes, rough roads and river crossings tocome on the return to Shimla, but by now you’ll be a master of your Enfield...

So Spiti Valley is no pushover to ride to, but is it worth the effort?

“Reaching Spiti Valley can be quite a challenge,” says guide Adam Lewis. “Landslides can break up the road surface and you’re almost gauranteed somemud and a fair few river crossings, but it is always worth the hard work. Spiti is the real Himalayan gem, with few tourists, mind-warping scenery, hugecultural interest and the most amazing roads.”

“It can get a bit scary and there’s some discomfort, but the place and the trip are awesome all-round,” says Sue Dowle, who rode pillion with partner Kenon their third BT trip. “The scale, stark geographical beauty of the scenery and thousands of years’ of Buddhist history made me feel I knew little aboutthe world. The only downside we found was the long journey to get there but the standard of food and accommodation is pretty good considering theremote location.

“Ken says he found the riding challenging, especially with me pillion when there were river crossings or mud. I felt OK, found the ride amazing andalways find Enfields comfortable. There was never a dull moment, so many highlights and always something to marvel at.”

HOW FAR? 750 milesHOW LONG? 14 days, including two down days

HOW MUCH? From £2349 exc’ flights; £2999 with

WATCH A VIDEO OF SUE’S TOUR HERE

Product Test

Sidi Adventure Boots, £314.99

THE SPEC:Rugged leather boots, with Gore-Tex GTX membrane, shin and ankleprotection and a beefy great sole. Also has removable/washable insoleand arch support. Available in black, black, or black.

THE TEST:Nine months and 20,000km of day-to-day riding, researching routes andleading tours in South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho come rain or shine.These boots have waded rivers, crossed scorching, 45-degree deserts,tackled rocky mountain trails and been subjected to several downpours.

THE TESTER:Damon has been riding and working with bikes for 30 years. Anex-magazine editor, road tester, product tester, mechanic and despatchrider, he now travels between India and Africa as a tour leader withBlazing Trails.

THE GOOD:My feet, being flat as pancakes and rich in odour are a trial for any bootand these Sidis stepped up to the cheesy challenge with aplomb. The firstsurprise was how comfortable they were from new, requiring almost nobreaking-in. The next how light, flexible and comfortable to walk in theyare, considering they look like they could kick down a nuclear bunker andhave all the protective features of a full-blown enduro boot. Although nottested in any major impacts, the shin and ankle protection look well up tothe job. Ankle support is articulated, so there’s no restriction tomovement.

Having two buckle clasps and a large Velcro patch for closure, getting inand out of the things takes seconds.

A thick, ‘commando-style’ sole gives all the grip you could ask for and isnice and hard, so no tired insteps when standing on the foot pegs for longperiods. All round comfort is a high point, with a first rate foot bed, goodarch support and a wide enough fit to accommodate even my flippers.The heel is high and pronounced – another thing I like as at five-foot-eightthey help me reach the floor on high-ride bikes and keep the foot inposition on the ‘peg, making it easier to find the foot controls whenstanding.

Although I haven’t been sub-zero in these, the lowest temperature beingaround 5ºC in the mountains of Lesotho, they have been tested fromthere up to over 40ºC and never felt particularly hot or cold. The highergrade GTX Gore-Tex as a lining material lets the boots breathe easy,while being fully waterproof, whether standing in water, splashing throughit, or enduring hours of brutal rain.

THE BAD:As with most top quality gear, the price is steep. Apart from that I can’tfault these. I have tried my hardest, but cannot find a thing to criticise.

THE VERDICT:Over £300 is a lot to spend on a pair of boots, but I if were going to setout from the African Cape to London tomorrow, it would be in these. Overthe past decade I have gone through a pair of Sidi Dakars and adventurefootwear from Hein Gericke and Forma. These are the best so far, byquite a margin.

Gear-Up With...DO YOU ever feel a little under-dressed for riding a motorcycle?Is your kit inadequate, or somewhat out of date andunfashionable? Or just maybe you see your forthcomingadventure tour as a damn good excuse to fire up the lap-top andhit the electronic shops?

If so, then you may wish to take advantage of a discount offer wehave negotiated with online bike-gear big boy, GetGeared.

On booking any tour with us, you will receive a discount code,entitling you to a pretty handy fifteen per cent off. To make use ofthis, go to the GetGeared site and when ‘checking out’, bang inthe code – and away you go.

For Your Motorcycle DiariesNOW THEN! Blazing Trails will be running its first ever UK event in the summer of 2015. Our camping weekend,held in Wiltshire over the weekend 5-7th August, will be a chance to meet up with old friends, including BlazingTrails staff, make new pals, relive epic bike adventures and plan new ones.

We aim to have a barbecue, bar and band on the scene and will attempt to set up a screen for video and slideshows.

We are currently working out the pricing, but we’re not going to run this as a money-making venture.

While there will be plenty of camping space, those wanting to gaurantee a spot should contactdavid@blazingtrailstours.com well in advance.

Suzie SaysAN ESPECIALLY big thank you goes out from us to those who took part in our Nepal tours this year –and, of course, to the team responsible for running them under challenging circumstances: Adam,Jamal, Jev and Javed.

The run up to the tours could hardly have been less auspicious – first the earthquakes, then the borderdisputes that cut off fuel supplies and further disrupted the lives of ordinary Nepalis, who were alreadystruggling to make a living since the quakes and the virtual collapse of the essential tourism industry.

Knock on effects of all this included constantly shifting airline schedules, not just by minutes and hours,but whole days. This resulted in us having to re-book flights (both international and domestic, withoutrecompense), hotels and in the case of Nepali businesses damaged by the ‘quakes, some destinationshad to change altogether.

Then the border dispute erupted. With barely any fuel reaching the country, severe rationing wasinstituted and black-market prices went through the roof – especially in Kathmandu. Frantic phone callsthrough the night had our Nepali contacts stockpiling what fuel they could get their hands on and ourIndian staff cramming tanks and containers before bringing the bikes over the border. Amazing efforts allround.

Despite all the hard work and rearranging we were forced to crop a day from the tour, for which we were sorry.Nearly all the tour participants chose to have their refund for the lost day donated to the Red Cross’ NepalAppeal, adding £750 to the hundreds already donated by BT and its clients.

Feedback from the tour has been excellent, so overcoming all these obstacles seems to have had its rewards.So again, and on behalf of our Nepali friends, partners and their families who got some much-neededbusiness, I thank all involved for your patience, perseverance, generosity, courage and good humour. Hopefullyall will be back to normal by next season...

Suzie I’Anson, Company Founder

Upcoming Departures

Date Tour Country Availabilty

January 9th, 2016 KERALA India (South) Yes

January 11th, 2016 CAPE CLASSIC South Africa Yes

February 8th, 2016 TASTE OF THE CAPE South Africa Yes

February 28th, 2016 CAPE CLASSIC South Africa Yes

April 30th, 2016 NORTHERN SOUTH AFRICA South Africa Yes

May 17th, 2016 JO’BURG TO CAPE TOWN South Africa Yes

May 28th, 2016 HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS India (Himalaya) Yes

June 11th, 2016 SPITI VALLEY India (Himalaya) Six Bikes

June 25th, 2016 MANALI TO LEH India (Himalaya) Yes

July 9th, 2016 LADAKH & ZANSKAR India (Himalaya) Three Bikes

July 23rd, 2016 LEH TO MANALI India (Himalaya) Yes

August 27th, 2016 SPITI VALLEY India (Himalaya) Yes

September 7th, 2016 CAPE CLASSIC South Africa Yes

September 10th, 2016 HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS India (Himalaya) Yes

September 24th, 2016 HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS India (Himalaya) Yes

October 3rd, 2016 TASTE OF THE CAPE South Africa Four Bikes

October 15th, 2016 NEPAL Nepal (Himalaya) Yes

October 29th, 2016 NEPAL Nepal (Himalaya) Yes

November 19th, 2016 DARJEELING & SIKKIM India (Himalaya) Six Bikes

THANK YOU

For reading. We hope you found something of interest. If you don'twant our newsletters, then hit this Unsubscribe link. Conversely,

if you'd like to sign up, hit Subscribe.Safe Riding,

Suzie & Damon I'Anson (BT Owners).

PLEASE NOTE

Blazing Trails is a UK company, bonded and insuredaccording to UK & European law. Any company offeringbike hire and accommodation from the same must also bebonded and insured, regardless of flights, to prevent yourloss in the event of their failure to deliver for whateverreason.

Copyright belongs to Blazing Trail Tour Ltd (UK). Unauthorised reproduction of words or pictures forbidden