Challenge everything.

Unseen Nan Hills Stage 6: Misty Mountain Hop

Unseen Nan Hills Stage 5: Nan Classic Loop

Unseen Nan Hills Stage 4: The Road to Road 3

Unseen Nan Hills Stage 3: The Giant of Nan

The day began with an outdoor breakfast as the sun slowly rose, cutting through the cool morning mist and giving us false confidence about what lay ahead.

After 35 km we reached the foot of Doi Phu Kha,  the “Giant of Nan.” Officially an HC climb, it stretches 22.5 km at an average gradient of 5.5%. That “average,” however, is a work of fiction: almost the entire climb sits between 10–15%, briefly interrupted by two downhill sections whose sole purpose appears to be psychological cruelty.

From the very start Fabian the German set the pace and promptly disappeared into the distance, with Kate the Lawyer grinding away relentlessly just behind me,  clearly arguing her case against gravity one pedal stroke at a time.

More than two hours later, reaching the summit was pure relief. I found Fabian shivering at the top, having waited a full 30 minutes, alongside an impressively energetic CK who immediately sprang into action, swapping my jersey, producing a warm hoodie, and generally running a more efficient pit stop than most WorldTour teams.

After the obligatory photos, reports filtered in that Kate had been sighted successfully making upward progress, while Gary the retired banker had wisely avoided all unnecessary suffering by heading directly to the nearest restaurant to invest heavily in local delicacies,  a conservative strategy that paid immediate dividends.

Shortly thereafter we received word that Aziz from Uzbekistan and Khun Tee, his loyal domestique, had been rescued by the police, having discovered that the mountain was equally uninterested in being climbed or descended by bicycle.

Not to be outdone, when Fabian sensibly opted for the car back down, I chose to continue riding solo,  successfully descending the far side of the mountain, only to realise I was meant to descend the same side we’d climbed. This bold tactical error resulted in my own rescue by Penelope Pitstop (CK Algie), proving once again that navigation is not my strongest discipline.

Still, the day ended on a high: in the process, I managed to “See Hills Unseen” by every other member of the Unseen Nan Hills cycling group 🤣

#cyclingchiangmai


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Rob Algie

Unseen Nan Hills Stage 3: The Giant of Nan

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Challenge everything.

Unseen Nan Hills Stage 6: Misty Mountain Hop

Unseen Nan Hills Stage 5: Nan Classic Loop

Unseen Nan Hills Stage 4: The Road to Road 3

Unseen Nan Hills Stage 3: The Giant of Nan

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