If there's one lesson this trip has taught me, it's to persevere and you will make it. I've never been in such challenging situations, but in the absence of the ability to pack it all in, I kept going on and managed what I never would've thought was possible.
The month trip from Dushanbe to Osh through the Pamir plateau was tough. It started off gentle and easy but just before we started the first climb up to 4300m, I got really sick. It took me more than a week to totally shake off but we kept going in the meantime, aware that winter was fast approaching and that it would only get colder. Doing that first climb with no energy was hell. More often than not I would end up off my bike and pushing for no reason other than that I couldn't face biking anymore. Or I would end up having a lie down on the road to catch my breath. I lost count of the times I wanted to throw my bike down, curl up in a ball and have a meltdown. But I didn't. I realised that this wouldn't achieve anything and that no-one was coming to fix my problems. So I kept pedalling. And pushing. And panting. And swearing. But bit by bit I made that first pass, and then the 6 more passes on the high plateau. On the Pamir plateau we were also battling with headstrong winds and bitter cold. At times I felt almost overwhelmed by a sort of panic, that I couldn't get warm and that stopping biking wouldn't help so I just had to keep going. So I did, I just kept going, and I survived. It all sounds a bit melodramatic in retrospect but I still feel a bit shaky thinking back on these weeks. But I also carry those lessons with me. What seems impossible, isn't really. When you can't go on, you can. You just have to focus on a small step in front of you rather than the mountain ahead. Our bodies, and our minds, are infinitely stronger than we realise and with a little perseverance they can be pushed to achieve great things.
1 Comment
Neil
30/10/2019 08:13:25 am
Acacia, this sounds way more than just a cycling trip. The experiences you are having and how you deal with the hardships will be massive assets for you in the rest of your life. Way to go!
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