Pedal Power in the DPRK

On 6^th September, 24 tourists from 10 different countries and 4 Korean guides embarked on the first ever cycling tour in the DPRK.

Cycling Day 1: Pyongyang-Nampo – this was the first cycle of the trip and a great success. We did 30km along the empty highway – 2.5 hours. Initially we had been told that we would need to stick to 2 groups – one fast and one more leisurely – there ended up being 1 group of people at the front led by our intrepid guide Kim and then the rest straggled out behind. There was always one vehicle in front (the bike bus) and one behind (the passenger bus). Occasionally we stopped to regroup but this only happened once or twice, usually if there was something of interest to see (such as the statues of the leader at the entrance to the Chonsamri Cooperative Farm). The locals who we encountered seemed bemused to see a load of foreigners on bikes, but all waved back and smiled when we greeted them – one or two even started to race with us!

Cycling Day 2: Mt Kuwol – this was perhaps the most disappointing day. Once we were in the Mt Kuwol area, the Koreans were really reluctant to let us get out and cycle because it was either a too steep ascent or descent, they were worried we weren’t going to be able to control the bikes and go flying off the cliff and they were also panicking about the other cars on the fairly narrow roads despite the fact we had the 2 buses at either end of the group which would stop any other traffic from mowing us down anyway. We eventually found a spot where they were happy for us to set off but we would regroup every 5 minutes on the downhill stretch which was a little frustrating for some. We were stopped after 7km (approx 1 hr) and that was the end of the cycle. It didn’t help that we were under time constraints as we wanted to get back to Pyongyang and see the mass dance  that was being held that day for the  National Day celebrations. The dance was definitely worth getting back for though and we also had some time to walk in Moranbong Park and see the locals enjoy their holiday.

Cycling Day 3: Mt Paekdu – This was the best day by far. We did 50km and cycled for 5.5 hrs. The cycling started at the Mt Paekdu carpark after we had been up to Lake Chon and had lunch. There was a slight hiccup at the start of the ride when the fastest cyclists shot off down the wrong road heading back in the direction of the airport and not towards the Secret Camp! Most of the group were called back before getting very far but we did have to send a bus to get 4 of the cyclists (including one guide) who had cycled out of earshot by that point!  The first couple of km of the ride were actually pretty hairy – lots of loose gravel on the roads which meant that tyres slipped easily and was probably the most dangerous bit of cycling that we did. After that part though the ride was heavenly – some places even had smooth tarmac. The scenery was absolutely stunning – at times reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands! We were given loads of freedom, there were a couple of moments when I was completely on my own riding through the pine forests. Even the occasional heavy rain didn’t dampen enthusiasm. We were hardly ever stopped to regroup – in fact I don’t think we were stopped at all. We stopped the cycling at the roundabout about 6km from the Secret Camp and then got on buses to visit  that place, but then after returning we were able to get back on the bikes to go back to the hotel which took another couple of hours. The last hour we had to cycle in the dark with one bus behind us with the headlights on – we gave people the option to get back on the bus for this section if they wanted. In fact, throughout the trip, people had the option of sitting out which a couple did but most did all the cycling. The route was a nice mix of ups and downs – a few hard ascents but lots of flat and descents too. As far as I was concerned this was definitely the best cycling day.

Cycling Day 4: Mt Chilbo – We did a 8km stretch around one hour after leaving the airport alongside a huge lake. Good road surface, a few hills but nothing too strenuous. The next bit of cycling happened after our visit to the Buddhist temple and pagoda where you look out over Chilbo peaks. We cycled around 15km from the car park in the direction of the homestay, stopping when it got dark but more due to the reason I think that there were villages approaching. It was a beautiful ride though and nice to take time and look at the stunning cliffs that we were riding through. The problem here was that the roads kicked up a lot of dust and there was quite a lot of regrouping so everytime the bus pulled away again it kind of spoilt the nice clean air. Ended up returning to the hotel covered in dust. Once the dust had settled though it really was a lovely ride.

We will definitely offer the cycling tour again, hopefully with some new routes also. Once we have dates we will post them up on the website.