Having written about the Seven Summits we had to do some digging and came across a group who call themselves Extreme World Challenges – www.extremeworldchallenges.com  and they are quite a cool bunch of guys.

Wanting to rush this off the press because we find their next extreme challenge to be just around the corner – indeed entries for this challenge close at the end of the month.

The challenge is known as the Yak Attack – sounds bizarre – but what is it? Well not surprisingly it is considered one of the toughest challenges you are ever likely to come across.

It takes place in Nepal which is where most people go if they are going to climb Mount Everest or walk in the breathtaking and and very thin atmosphere of the Himalayas. It is the hardest terrain on earth and in this event you will be challenged beyond anything you have ever done before.

It is not the distance – at only 420kms in distance most veteran mountain bikers would complete such a trail in a couple of days. No it is the altitude. Over the course of the 10 day challenge the trail rises in excess of 8,000 metres – yes you read that correctly – metres – in terms of feet that is more than 24,000 feet.

The actual highest point on the trail is a place called Thorong La which gains an altitude of 5,416 meters and as you can see in the photo below it can get a wee bitty chilly up there.

photos courtesy of www.yak-attack.co.uk

The race starts at the beginning of March and should you wish to enter this extreme challenge you must visit the website http://yak-attack.co.uk/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/ because the entries close at the end of December.

This race is not about winning – it is about the challenge and the camaraderie – it will cost you about $1,500 to enter. The Yak Attack as a non profit making event which aims to benefit Nepali athletes and the Annapurna region communities as a whole on a number of levels.

Since its conception in 2005, the guys at Extreme World Challenges have been working hard to devise a series of events that would appeal to a worldwide audience looking for a challenge that could test their physical condition in some of the world’s harshest and most exciting terrains.

For 2011 Extreme Challengs is planning an unsupported 6000km mountain bike crossing of Australia at its widest point, using as many desert trails as possible.

Starting from Byron Bay in Queensland and heading due west, the route will go through some of the most inhospitable deserts on earth, including the Simpson , Gibson and Victoria. It will also encompass a number of Austrlia’s most renown off road tracks including the infamous Gunbarrel Highway .  The approx 6000km traverse will eventually finish at Australia’s most westerly location, Steep Point, close to the tourist attraction of Monkey Mia.

Not doing things by half the challenge also aims to complete the trip without support, which will entail having to carry enough water and food for upto 4 days at a time and will mean having to extract water from wells and bore holes along the route. It is thought the entire journey could take up to 60 days.

Phew – exhausting just writing about it but for you mountain bikers there are plenty of challenges to meet – go get em.

Related posts:

1. Mountain bike desert challenge
2. The 2-week Yak Attack in Nepal is about to start…
3. 12 hour mountain bike challenge at Snowmass
4. Canadian to lead mountain bike challenge from Turkey to China
5. South Africa to be world champions of the ultra marathon mountain bike scene

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