Bring on the back roads – Autumn Rickshaw Run arrives in Nepal

Police escorts, wheelies, festivals, breakdowns galore, major historical landmarks and an all-round desire to seek out the smallest and hardest roads possible are the highlights of recent updates from the Autumn Rickshaw Run teams.

The brave three wheeling teams have also been sending in their photos from the road, click the images on the right for more or check out the highlights gallery here. 

After their first week heading north up the west coast of India from the launch in Goa, teams headed inland to turn their three-wheelers towards Nepal. Incredibly the first few teams to make it to Nepal crossed the border after only a week and were already in Pokhara at the start of the second!

At the start of this week team What Would Ted Do sent this marvellous update by SMS to the website tracking map:

“...darkness fell and the small town we came across showed no sign of a hotel. While deciding if to drive on for another 2/3 hours two very nice police men stopped and offered us a Police escourt if we had a drink with them first...we couldn't really say no! :-)

“its Monday morning and we have 3 days to get to the Nepal boarder. We have decide to dumped Varanassi in favour of going off piste and tackle the small and probably undriveable back roads - carnage will probably ensue but it is supposed to be an adventure!”

As the Rickshaw Run tends to attract a certain type of high calibre adventurist it was no surprise that team Goan Doolally were also reporting the delights of eschewing the easy option of the most obvious route:

“Put in 420km next day on awesome back route after katni to stay in tiny village 110km out of khajuraho. Locals over excited at arrival. Police request we stay in hotel-watched festival from unfinished floor of hotel. Amazing 75m waterfall by roadside, amazing.”

In other updates Team Karma Payment Plan reported bathing in the River Ganges during a lightning storm and the Dukes of Hyderabad described a rickshaw pulling a wheelie. Uphill!

There was much trepidation about the rather hilly terrain facing the teams after crossing the border into Nepal before the launch. But instead of reports of the inclines teams have been posting their agreement with the generally acknowledged view that Nepal is remarkably relaxed and peaceful.

It's very likely the finish party being held tonight will break the peace, in a friendly and celebratory manner of course. The official finish party is taking place in Pokhara this evening and photos and updates from the teams at the finish line will be posted soon.