The Four Seasons

What a ride! We had all four seasons in one day today; sun, wind, sleet, snow and rain! There was also an incredible mountain pass with the promise of more to come tomorrow and the next day. From our beautiful campsite by the Gulca River, the riders headed out and began climbing. The scenery made the day an adventure. The roads, the climbing and the weather made the day a challenge. Many photos were snapped throughout the morning, hot tea was served at lunch and a nice storm hit early afternoon with wind gusts, snow, icy rain and a severe drop in the temperature. Riders stopped and added layers of clothing, munched energy bars and packed the cameras away. The clouds had hidden everything and the support vehicles were busy going back and forth checking to make sure everyone was ok. The snow-capped peaks were hidden and the villages seemed empty as the weather drove everyone indoors. The riders kept on cycling along up the hills and along the plains towards the village of Sary Tash which sits at 3300m. By 5pm, everyone was in camp and either sheltered in the Yurt Hut, in the nearby house (which had a heater) or around the stoves as the snow continued to fall and cows, dogs, horses and children cruised around checking us out. By 8.30pm everyone had moved to their respective beds for the evening to shelter, keep warm and sleep. And dream of an incredible day’s riding!