Lisa - Babe on a Bike

• By: Lisa Steingold
• Short URL: http://www.backabuddy.co.za/babeonabike

Personal message

I was introduced to sport by some amazing people and since then have belived in the power of sport and movement not only to change one's life but the world. Whilst I'm no athlete sport has taught me some important life skills such as discipline, to keep going (even when the going gets tough) and how to work with others.

It's for this reason that I am passionate about JAG. With the vision of Elana Meyer and her team, JAG is helping young people develop their sporting talent and more importantly the characteristics needed to launch them and as a result our country to a new level!

In support of JAG'S vision this babe has decided to embark on an epic mountain bike trip through Vietnam and Laos. 1200km's! No small feat for a blonde who came last in literally every race at school and is more suited to sewing than athletic activity but I do believe that if you can dream it, you can do it!

I would appreciate your support and any amount that you can afford will go directly to JAG.

Before I carry on I would like to thank the following individuals and organisations for their support. I have learnt that one cannot go through life successfully alone and I am incredibly grateful for their assistance;

• Andy Masters for my awesome Cannondale softail!
• Unigraph for the extremely charitable donation of R5000. Unigraph are a creative and design agency. I have been in marketing and communications for over 7 years and I could not have achieved what I did without their brilliance.
• Solal for the incredible support and sponsorship on products. I would not have made it through the training without their products.
• First Ascent for the donation and more importantly the warmest and comfiest kit by far - no doubt on the cold mornings in the mountains I will be thanking them from the bottom of my heart.
• To my friends and family for their support - could not make it without you! 

I will be posting pics and updates on my Facebook page as I go. Originally it was just going to be me but now I will be joined by 6 others from the US, UK and Holland. Our itinerary is as follows;

10 Jan 2010 - Day 1 - Hanoi

Overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai.

11 Jan 2010 - Day 2 - Lao Cai to Sapa (40km)

On arrival in Lao Cai we unload the bikes and rendezvous with our support

vehicle. We then make the short transfer to the former hill station of Sapa where

we will have breakfast and begin our ride. 

12 Jan 2010 Day 3 - Sapa loop (35km)

Starting from the hotel we head off road to the village of Ta Phin. We then head

out on a loop that traverses forested hillsides and takes in many of the minority

villages of the Sapa area.

13 Jan 2010 Day 4 - Sapa to Tam Duong (80km)

Today we ride out of Sapa and do the 16 km road climb up to Tram Ton pass -

the highest road pass in Vietnam at 2,000 m. We then have a 20 km descent into

a beautiful valley. The countryside is truly wonderful as we pass tea plantations

and all inhabitants are from minority tribes. We overnight in the small, friendly

town of Tam Duong.

14 Jan 2010 - Day 5 - Tam Duong to Lai Chau (110km)

Today's ride is tough and challenging, but the reward is scenery that is out of this

world. The first half of this ride is mainly uphill, with 12 km off-road, to one of the

highest mountains in the area. We have lunch at the summit before the exhilarating descent to the Nam Na river.

The undulating road takes us through a picturesque gorge with the river

coursing along on our right. The views on this ride are quite spectacular and it is

a great chance to stop at the many minority villages on the way. The final part of

the ride is a pleasant downhill ride to Lai Chau and our overnight stop.  

15 Jan 2010 - Day 6 - Lai Chau - Din Bien Phu 105km)

Today, we enjoy a beautiful ride alongside of Nam Thi River. The winding roads

twist through the beautiful countryside in the valley between the mountains.

There are some steep hills to tackle over two passes, the Mathiho and Co Chay.

A stop for lunch in a local restaurant gives us a quick break before we continue

cycling towards historic Din Bien Phu.

16 Jan 2010 Day 7 - Dien Bien Phu (Rest Day)

After all those hills we'll give the legs a rest and what better place to do it than in

the history-rich city of Dien Bien Phu. We'll visit the war museum which has

interesting displays about the climactic battle of the First Indochina War between

French Union forces and Vietnamese Viet Minh communist revolutionary forces.

From March until May 1954 the Viet Minh pounded the French positions, killing

up to 3,000 men, though it's estimated that the Viet Minh lost more than twice

that number. The massive French defeat effectively ended the war. 

17 Jan 2010 - Day 8 - Dien Bien Phu - Border - Muang Khoua (104km)

Today we say goodbye to Vietnam and hello to Laos. We start the day with a

gentle 3 km warm up before the road starts to rise. The trail twists and turns for

24 km before we hit the Laos border and complete immigration formalities. We'll

swap crews and begin the journey to the crossroads town of Muang Khoua on

dirt roads. The ride is beautiful as we cross streams and cycle through remote villages

mainly comprised of Red or Black Thai ethnic tribes. The trail is also mainly

downhill, a welcome respite from the hills in Vietnam. Tat Muang Khoua is built

on a steep hillside at the confluence of two rivers, offering plenty of great viewpoints.

18 Jan 2010 - Day 9 - Muang Khoua - Udom Xai (96km)

More of a mixture in scenery today, as we start with jungle that gives way to rice paddies, creating a pleasant scenery change. The road again rises and falls and

has some small climbs, but nothing too strenuous. We ride along broken road

and dirt tracks which double as thoroughfares for the local people (the population

here is made up of an astonishing 23 ethnic groups), so we share the trail with all

manner of colorful vehicles and livestock - a glimpse of real rural life in Asia. Towards

the end of the day we have a long down hill into the town of Udom Xai

(also known as Muang Xai), which has a large market where the various languages

of the area mingle along with the smells of the produce

19 Jan 2010 - Day 10 - Udom Xai - Nong Kiau (105km)

We are now in the central highlands of Laos and there are some spectacular

views across the rugged mountain landscape in an area that suffered extraordinarily

heavy bombing during the Secret War against the Americans in the early

1970s. The morning sees us climb over 1000 m into the mountains to Hmong villages

in a region that few people ever visit. In the afternoon we have a breathtaking

descent through some of the region's last remaining rainforest. Although this

is a hard day, it is also very rewarding as the views and sense of nature are nothing

short of breathtaking. 

20 Jan 2010 Day 11 - Nong Kiau - Luang Prabang (115km) Last day!

The last ride of the tour with the group! Cycling an undulating road we head west along the

Nam Ou River, which makes for a very scenic ride. After about 30 km we get to

Pakbeng, where we transfer by private van as we rode this section the day before.

Returning to our bikes we head south to the historic town of Luang Prabang.

This road follows the Nam Ou River and has some interesting villages along with

the way. The road undulates the whole way with a couple of short climbs of 1 to 2

km, but they are not steep. We'll celebrate with a HOT shower and a COLD beer! 

23 January 2010 - Luang Prabang to Kiew Kacham

As one journey ends another begins and this day signals the start of my solo ride from Luang Prabang to Vientienne, the capital of Laos.

24 Jan 2010 - Kiew Kacham to Kasi

25 Jan 2010 - Kasi to Vang Vieng

26 Jan 2010 - Vang Vieng to Vietnienne 

Thank you for your support and shared vision. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to call 084 222 0057 or drop me a mail on Lisa@lifeinc.co.za 

To keep up to date with what's happening check out my blog the Life Inc page on Facebook. 

With love

The Babe on a Bike and Frankie (the guardian frog:-)