Graydon Hazenberg

Peddaling to Kailash is one of those hard to put down travelogues that stays with you long after you have finished it. From Pakistan to Tibet, Hazenberg brings to life the history, culture, and landscape of a fascinating yet little visited part of Asia. He writes with such humor and clarity that at times you feel like you are member of the cycling group and are just as worried about those stone-throwing kids, PSB agents, and broken bike spokes. When they finally ( improbably) make it to Kailash, you feel like you did as well!
Hazenberg and his cycling team completed this trip in the summer of 1998 prior to the war in Afghanistan and the totalitarian repressions in Xinjiang. In that regard, this book serves as a worthy successor to many of the previous travelogues he references throughout the book (Fleming, Shaw, Younghusband, etc.) as it captures a time and place that is sadly now a distance memory. Additionally, as he notes, this was at the time before e-mail fully took off and smart phones did not exist, so from a technological standpoint, it marks an end of an era.
Highly recommended for those interested in Inner Asia, the Silk Road, cycling, adventure, or just a darn good read.… (plus d'informations)