We have asembled in Llasa, Tibet, fabled forbidden city, and once the world's most exotic. That title is in serious jeapordy since the Chinese occupation and subsequent spoliation of Tibetan culture in the 1950s, with Xanadu and Zanzibar, among others, having legitimate claims.

There are 12 of us, 10 Brits and 2 Yanks, each of sound body and poor judgement. We have flown halfway around the world, nearly 24 hours, to mountain bike the 600 miles between Llasa, in Tibet, and Kathmandu, in Nepal. We figure 23 days in the saddle (a guess since this has never been done!). For all but the final two days we will be above 14,000 feet, and seven times we climb above 17,000, including a side trip to Everest Base Camp, north side. Our leader is Shem, cycling champion of Nepal, the most mountainous country in the world! Any mountain is a mole hill for this larger-than-life peddler. Not so for his mortal charges.

Llasa seems an auspicious place to start, with its balmy 12,000 foot altitude. Four days in the holy city will afford us ample time to acclimatize, to the altitude and to each other, and visit the storied sites which draw visitors from around the world. Chief among these are the fabulous Potala Palace, former winter residence of the Dalai Lama, and Jokhang Temple, Tibet's most holy shrine. A pilgrimage to Jokhang bestows upon the devotee many karma points in the game of life. (next photo)