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Isaac Callaghan

@isaac_cal96

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We’re nearly caught up! Back to the old stomping ground for a week in Val d’Isère 🇫🇷🎿 A huge chalet, an even bigger crew, and celebrating Rach turning 30 in style. A couple of massive dumps of snow made for some seriously good off-piste, and somewhere along the way a bunch I barely knew at the start became some of the most fun friends I’ve met and skied with! Pretty hard to beat 🏔️❄️ from werewolf to assassins, this lot are also TOP tier when it comes to commitment to the game taken in Val-d'Isère by @isaac_cal96

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21 days ago

The one everyone’s been waiting for… The Final Ride

A few final days of mountain roads, suspension bridges, fire tracks and some proper off-road riding. Crossing the 344m Kushma-Gyadi suspension bridge on the bikes, picking our way through the mountains and generally making the most of the final kilometres in Nepal.

Livestock on the roads, sheer drops with no barriers, potholes the size of buses and a system that operates on a slightly different set of rules to what we’re used to.

Then things took a rather unexpected turn. ‘It ain’t all sunshine and rainbows…’

A big accident on a dark road, emergency medical, followed by a whirlwind of a few days of hospitals, police stations, paperwork, unexpected expenses and getting to know a little more than I’d like about the local customs 💸👮‍♂️

Things were touch and go on the jail cell front for a while, but somehow* we got everything sorted, passport and license back in hand, jumped back on the bikes (one of which now fully written off) and rode 8 hours through the night )and a landslide) to catch our flight out the next morning.

A slightly battered end to an incredible trip.

Nepal was extraordinary from start to finish. The people, the landscapes, the roads and the sheer variety of life along the way made it one hell of an adventure!

Just perhaps a reminder to always wear good gear, and that riding through beautiful countries where the rules of the road are somewhat more flexible comes with a few additional.. variables. Props to the Himalayan that started up first time after cartwheeling down the road at 88kph, and required nothing more than an adjustable spanner to get back home. Not sure what to do with the full story but it deserves to be properly written down at some point if nothing else!

#Himalayas #MotorcycleAdventure #AdventureTravel #somehowmeanslotsandlotsofmoney #travelinsuranceisascam taken in Kushma Suspension Bridge by @isaac_cal96

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23 days ago

Through the Annapurna

High above the tree line, everything starts to feel a little otherworldly.

Dry, dusty valleys, enormous mountains, colourful prayer flags and the bikes picking their way through some seriously remote terrain. A morning coffee and shakshuka at 4,000m felt like a pretty good way to break up the riding.

Then slowly back down through the landscape, watching the seasons change around us. Snow and barren rock gave way to autumn colours, forests and finally the warmth of the lower valleys.

One road, a few thousand metres of elevation and what felt like several different countries along the way.

#Nepal #Himalayas #Annapurna #MotorcycleAdventure #RideNepal taken in Hotel Bob Marley, Muktinath by @isaac_cal96

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23 days ago

Thorong La Pass: 5,416m

Leaving the bikes behind at 4,200m, upon kind requests from the locals to finish the climb on foot, we set off towards Thorong La Pass (after a more than questionable, yet highly recommended ‘butter tea’ known locally as Su Cha…)

A 1,200m ascent over 6km, with the team experiencing varying levels of altitude sickness, heavy legs and increasingly short steps making every metre harder than the last.. we may or may not have dramatically underestimated the amount of water to take with us. Slightly embarrassing from what would claim to be experienced group of hikers

After hours of climbing, we reached the summit just before 3pm, with the entire pass almost entirely to ourselves. I’d recommend doing it what we now know to be backwards despite it being a harder climb! Snow, incredible views and a few dirt angels before turning around and racing the fading light back down

Riding from sea level to 4,200m and hiking the rest to 5,416m in under 36 hours. Probably not the smartest approach to acclimatisation, but yet another unforgettable day in the Himalayas

#Nepal #ThorongLa #Himalayas #AdventureTravel #MotorcycleAdventure taken in Thorong Phedi Thorong La Trail by @isaac_cal96

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24 days ago

Gorkha → Manang → Muktinath

Back into the high Himalayas.

Manaslu, Annapurna II and Manang at 3,800m (possibly one of the most beautiful villages I’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing). Exploring many other tiny mountain villages and some increasingly wild roads.

Loose rock, silt (fesh-fesh), more river crossings, steep climbs, punctures and plenty more bike drops. The landscape gradually changed from lush valleys into huge, dry, Mars-like terrain with snow-capped peaks in every direction.

Eventually reaching Muktinath and riding up to 4,200m through fields of mountain goats for sunset at the Paradise Hotel, followed by a freezing night’s sleep in a cattle shed.

Another serious chunk of riding, altitude and adventure.. So far, so good

#Nepal #Himalayas #MotorcycleAdventure #RideNepal #AdventureTravel taken in Upper Manang Valley of Annapurna Region by @isaac_cal96

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25 days ago

Pattale → Gorkha

After a few days above the clouds, it was time to drop back down towards the plains.

Long descents, winding dirt tracks, ridge lines, rice fields and more temples gradually turned into 36°C heat, chaotic traffic and tracks filled with trucks overtaking buses overtaking cars overtaking tuk-tuks.

The bikes started demanding some attention too. Radiator fluid, a replacement 10mm wrench from a tractor shed and some roadside TLC kept things moving. One bike decided to throw a check engine light halfway through an overtake and eventually required a replacement sent out from Kathmandu. Somewhere between the roadside momo, questionable mechanical fixes and riding into the night, we made it to Gorkha.

271 km one day, 152 km the next. Off-road that will take the wind out of your sails! Nepal was starting to feel very big #Nepal #Himalayas #MotorcycleAdventure #RideNepal #AdventureTravel taken in Gorkha, Nepal by @isaac_cal96

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a month ago

Kathmandu → Pattale

Three bikes, three of us, and a slightly optimistic idea of what lay ahead. Kathmandu traffic quickly gave way to hours of exploring the roads and tracks around Pattale.. winding ridgelines, loose rock, river crossings and the occasional tumble.

Nights were spent wherever we could find a bed, with the bikes lucky to be tucked away in a cattle shed / chicken coop for secure off-road parking. Countless pleasant misunderstandings followed over whether there was actually a room available, what was available for dinner, and how exactly we were meant to order it.

By the third morning we woke above the clouds to a crystal-clear view of Everest and the high Himalayas, before riding into the forest, crossing 22 rivers and eventually following a goat track to Takgon Sha-drub Tharling Monastery at the end of the road. Hot water, Khukri Rum and the Himalayan equivalent of a Hot Toddy to finish the day.

A pretty good start.. Nepal is going to need a few posts #motorbike #himalayas #adventure #royalenfieldhimalayan taken in Takgon Shaddrub Tharling Monastery, टाक्सिन्दु गोन्पा, सोलुखुम्बु by @isaac_cal96

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a month ago

Tour du Mont Blanc 🏔️ 9 days, roughly 170km and about 10,000m of elevation through France, Italy and Switzerland. Epic scene after epic scene, and a pretty amazing way to experience the Alps, with the landscape and weather changing constantly between different altitudes. Sun, rain, wind, snow, freezing mornings and roasting afternoons, with plenty of mountain charcuterie and very well earned beers along the way #hike #alps #mountains taken in Mont Blanc by @isaac_cal96

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a month ago

Impulsively booked a trip to Engelberg with Aaron and somehow landed right in the middle of the annual freeride festival. Fresh dump, loads going on, avalanche dogs doing their thing, and plenty of reasons to come back, would 10/10 recommended you’re a fan of off-piste fun! The weather unfortunately turned and did us out of our chance to learn to speedride/fly this time, but combining kite skills with skiing off a cliff is definitely something we’ve got to tick off soon.. Pact made 🤝 #ski #switzerland #freeride taken in Mount Titlis, Switzerland by @isaac_cal96

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a month ago

Having just qualified as a Yachtmaster Offshore, a return to Instagram seems likely.. so in an attempt to catch up, let’s start with some of the fair weather content from a not-so-fair weather delivery from Grenada to Antigua last year.. deliveries can swing from what feels like an island-hopping holiday in paradise with your mates to putting an old yacht back together on-the-go in overnight squalls real fast, but wouldn’t have changed a thing about this one - great experience and even better company! #sailing #carribean #yacht #adventure by @isaac_cal96

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a month ago

Epic week in Morzine over Christmas, introducing the family to life on the slopes! Everyone absolutely smashed it, and Les Portes du Soleil definitely delivered.. had great fun skiing with friends across the French and Swiss Alps and can’t wait to get back out that way soon! #mountains #snowsports #skiing taken in Morzine by @isaac_cal96

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3 years ago

Riding the Ha Giang Loop through the mountains in Northern Vietnam was an incredible experience! With breathtaking views around literally every corner, the area is littered with caves; hikes; viewpoints and swim spots, and the roads and trails themselves are practically built for pure enjoyment on two wheels. Couldn’t recommend it enough! #motorbike #tour #hagiangloop #vietnam taken in Ha Giang Loop, Vietnam by @isaac_cal96

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3 years ago