Friday - Kaza to Keylong

After leaving Kaza, we head for Kunzum La (La meaning pass) at 4525m altitude. There is another monastery there and it is customary to circle it in a clockwise direction and we do so on the bikes. While we wait for the tail of the group to catch up, I decide to climb to what I think is the top of the hill and start out at a steady pace. It's hard but doable. The last 50m proves to be extremely challenging with loose rocks and I have to stop for breath several times before reaching the point I thought was the top, only to find it goes higher. Content with my climb in the time we have, I head back down. But before doing so I build a small cairn and measure the altitude; it's 4700m. Getting back down is relatively easy.

We depart and continue on to Keylong. This is about as remote as we've been and we see little traffic. There are a few tourist cars and the odd bus, but that's about it. The road again is challenging, and about as rough as we've had, with many river crossings and rocks and gravel instead of tarmac. But this is not offroad, this is a recognised transit route through the valley.

Shortly after overtaking one of the support vehicles in our convoy I hit a bank of rocks on a corner and go over the handle bars landing heavily on my backside. I lie on the ground as help comes at me from all directions. My backpack is removed as the medics switch to emergency mode. I'm dazed and they say stay down, but I can feel my legs, toes and no tingling: I am determined to get up! First I sit up, then slowly stand, then wobble, but I'm up! I stagger to the ambulance bending over a few times to catch my breath - we're still above 3000m. I feel weak and giddy, but make it to the ambulance to lie down. The paramedic and doc give me the once, then the twice over, and as a precaution I'm confined to the ambulance for the rest of the day with a badly bruised bum! It's really frustrating as the journey in the bouncing ambulance is agony, which means the roads outside would be awesome on a bike! The docs talk about a possible X-ray when we reach Keylong and give me a powerful cocktail of painkillers and even a mild tranquilliser. I doze for most of the journey, but still manage to hang on for dear life in my stupor as the ambulance bumps and crashes over the rugged terrain. My bum is killing me.

All kinds of thoughts pass though my mind, but mostly about how stupid and idiotic I feel. Is this the end of my trip, it's been wonderful so far and I don't want it to end. When we get to the hotel in Keylong I feel awful, struggle to even walk, and suspect this may be the end of my trip.......