The Road by Richard Williams

Something very different on the blog today! I am delighted to be taking part in the tour for The Road: A Guide to Crossing the Nepal Himalayas by Bike by Richard Williams. My thanks to Kelly Lacey at Love Books Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my paperback review copy.

The Blurb

Part guidebook, part travelogue but definitely all adventure, join author Richard Williams and photographer Manish Maharja as they cross the Nepalese Himalayas on a mountain bike.

Originally from Pembrokeshire, but now resident in Switzerland, Richard details this most remarkable of journeys through some of the most stunning, and most challenging, landscapes and environments the world has to offer.

Along with the remarkable textual and photographic account, the book also contains maps, details about accommodation, places of interest and plenty of other information you might need if you fancy undertaking the journey yourself.

Take The Road and embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you will never, ever forget.

With foreword by Christoph Sauser.

Buy Link

https://graffeg.com/products/the-road

My Review

I should start by pointing out that I currently (never say never!) have no plans to cross the Himalayas on a bike! The Road is a pretty niche book, I reckon. But I have had an interest in the Himalayas and the people who live in or around them since watching a fabulous film from Nepal's neighbour Bhutan, Lunana: A Yak in my Classroom a few years ago - do try to see it, it's excellent and the cinematography is beautiful. But I also have someone in mind who I think might be interested in the cycling side of things, someone far more adventurous than me! 

Despite my lack of biking plans I really enjoyed this book. There are several sections including biking information, details on the country, the Nepali people, the culture, the two sections of the Road and interviews with mountain bikers of note - there was plenty of interest to this non cyclist. The information in the two Road sections is extensive. Each section is divided by day, and each day includes distance, time and details of any climb, an over of the route, a map, an extract from Richard's journal for his trip, and details of where to eat and stay. 

All accompanied by some stunning photographs by Manish Maharjan and Ananta Poudel.  

I particularly enjoyed the journal extracts and photographs, together with some of the early sections which give an idea of the country and its people. But for the cycling enthusiasts, and anyone thinking of perhaps making the trip, there is a wealth of information - the different types of bikes suitable for such a trip, health and safety, what to pack, bike equipment needed, energy foods to take, where to stop, where to eat and, as mentioned above, journey details for each day of the trip. And where to find a guide - highly recommended - for the Road. 

The Road is a really interesting and informative guide, particularly for the keen adventure cyclist, but also for anyone interested in that area of the world. I found it to be a very enjoyable read. 

The Author

Richard Williams was raised on a farm in north Pembrokeshire and lived for a number of years in Sydney, Australia, in his early twenties. Later, following a degree and master's degree in Development Studies from Exeter University and LSE respectively, Richard worked as a technical writer at the newly-created Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, in Geneva, Switzerland.