Episode 70 – Jude Kriwald

Cycling from England to India

What’s it like to cycle all the way from England to India?  What’s it like to ride your bike on an unknown track across the Pamirs? Well as a 19 year old Jude Kriwald decided to do just that, taking a solo bike tour from his home in England all the way to India.

During this episode we learn that from a young age Jude knew he wanted to take an adventure. After spending time thinking of various trips he could take, it was the thought of what it would be like to be amongst the giant mountains in the Pamirs, that gave him the idea to ride a bike there. Without much money and as a 19 year old, he decided the best way to travel there would be to cycle from his home in England all the way across. He chose to finish his journey in India and it would take him just over one year all up.

This journey took Jude across Europe, where he learnt the ropes of bicycle travel. Before taking on this adventure he had never bicycle toured before and so cycling a loaded bike and wild camping was a new experience.

Once across Europe Jude rode through Turkey and Iran, before making the last minute decision to cycle through Afghanistan. He would spend 3 weeks in the war torn country, and realised the dangers of being there straight away from crossing the border. His tales of those 3 weeks make for fascinating listening. He died his hair black, changed his attire and even tried to camouflage his panniers with rice sacks, all in an effort to blend in. The danger was real and he would end up taking a flight to skip cycling through part of the country.

Jude realised during his tour that he would find himself cycling through Central Asia during the winter time. While he did his best to get some cold weather provisions, he would still find himself on snow bank roads and camping with temperatures dropping to as low as minus 30C. This was exactly the adventure Jude was after and I could tell as he recalled his experiences that it had him in a state of flow. It wasn’t just the cold he would have to deal with either – he also had the very real issue of not having any functioning brakes and cracked rims – all with a mountain range to descend through!

While cycling the Pamir Highway was the seed which spawned this whole adventure, Jude would continue seeking out the unknown and would find himself in Tibet – without a permit. It is forbidden to cycle in Tibet without being part of an organised tour but Jude was unperturbed by this. Instead he spent his time there sneaking his way through all the police checkpoints so as not to be deported. The way Jude describes being able to get through the final checkpoints to get to Lhasa make for compelling listening.

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It is amazing to think this journey all the way from England to India was taken when Jude was just nineteen years old. But it’s clear that seeking out adventure is part of his persona.

This is part 1 of a 2 part series sharing Jude’s bicycle travels and focuses on his first bicycle tour fro England to India.  Next week I will release part 2 which focuses on Jude’s most recent bicycle tour through West Africa.

To follow Jude’s adventures be sure to check him out via:
Instagram – @JudeKriwald
YouTube – @JudeKriwald
Blog – www.englandtoindia.blogspot.com
Website: – Adventure Mentor – Jude’s new initiative to help other people on the path to adventure

The Seek Travel Ride podcast