Olivier Mees

also a civil engineer who's working in the off shore industry. With his positive and relaxed viewpoint he'll assist the group during the Central Asia part of the trip.

"I work in the Offshore as an engineer. Age 31 and this is why I'm making this trip:
As a start let's be clear... I am not going the whole trip !
My trip will be from Samarkand to Bishkek. The main reason for this is that I just don't like Biking that much. Actually it's more that I'm lazy. My idea of a holiday is not sweating and feeling pain for 8 hours a day while struggling to bike up a mountain.

The problem is that it is also very rewarding once you are up there ! Setting up camp with a great view, cooking dinner while telling stories with your mates. Another bonus is that biking is simply the best way to cross a country. In my opinion trains, busses, cars, etc. makes you miss too much because you can't stop whenever you want to and it kills the spontaneity of stopping whenever you feel like it. Walking should be able to compete, but it just takes forever to cross some distance. So, for me, biking gives you the most intense feeling of the country you are in. I like the stops for the views or to talk with people.

Combining these personal feelings I made the decision to join the others for a two-month duration. During these two months I will join them on the Pamir Highway for approximately a month. I think this part will be very challenging in the sense of the sweating and pain... However it will also be very interesting and above all very beautiful. Definitely worth the pain !

Then we will make an attempt to summit the Peak Lenin on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Taijikistan. Peak Lenin is a mountain of 7134 m high ! This will be the absolute high point for me. Climbing this mountain fires my spirit for adventure. Although it's supposed to be an 'easy' 7000 m. peak, it still is a very high mountain and in no way an easy task. For me at least. Therefore I can't wait to make an attempt. Not sure if I will stand on top, but I sure am going to try!

Hopefully I will be satisfied then and take my plain back home... "

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