Two Bikers Made History by Descending Mera Peak
Tomáš Zejda and Ondřej Novák, adventurous bikers from Czechia, have just returned from Nepal after accomplishing a remarkable feat that has left a mark on the world of sports. They achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first ones to descend Mera Peak (6,476 m) – widely recognized as the highest accessible mountain for tourists without requiring specialized climbing gear – on their mountain bikes.
As BITmarkets has been a keen supporter of cycling, and an ally of the Czech team for quite some time, we were happy to be a part of such an aspiring attempt to do what has never been done before. This ambitious plan of two dedicated bikers inspired us to support and sponsor their journey, and their story appears to be as breath-taking as the idea itself.
How a crazy idea became an even crazier reality
“It was undoubtedly the hardest challenge we have ever faced in our lives,” marked Tomáš Zejda, a prominent slopestyle and freestyle racer.
“We got the idea of cycling down Nepal’s highest trekking mountain in the meantime after conquering Kilimanjaro.
The fact that no one had ever tried it before meant that it was a pretty crazy idea, for which we decided to risk our lives. In the end, however, it was a thrilling experience full of adrenaline, which was afterwards accompanied by joy, inner peace and feelings that are hard to describe,” said Zejda who regularly participates in the world’s biggest races.
Under the guidance of experienced mountaineer Jan Trávníček, the Nepal expedition spanned twenty one days. Prior to the record-breaking endeavor, the team underwent essential acclimatization and embarked on a multi-day ascent of Mera Peak. Throughout this challenging climb, the participants braved frigid temperatures plummeting to -15 °C during the night.
However, according to Ondřej Novák, that wasn't the biggest challenge on their journey up. “We had already had experience with cold and darkness from the climb up Kilimanjaro. This time, however, we were also faced with several glacial crevasses on the way and the hardest part of all was that we had to carry our bikes on our shoulders for more than a hundred kilometers,” he described.
A story to be told for generations
The descent itself was very risky since the only path down was about thirty centimeters wide and the right side of the hill was frozen with a deep abyss right next to it. Both bikers shared the most unsettling experience from their journey down. “At one point during the descent, I was pulled to the right side, but luckily, I managed to straighten out my course and continue to safety. Just when we thought we had the most dangerous part behind us, it clouded up and we were lucky to see where we were supposed to go,” noted Novák, while Zejda confessed: “I accidentally hit one of the ice cracks and my rear wheel fell off. I had to quickly jump off and at the same time I was in danger of falling into a hole several metres deep. Fortunately, I also returned from death’s door.”
The feat certainly didn't go unnoticed and the bikers were greeted back home with ovations. The final tribute to their success, however, is due in autumn – a documentary on Netflix that is currently being made by Drive Film Factory and Bontonfilm. “We’re creating an inspiring audiovisual work that will combine the human dimension of a documentary story, the natural beauty of Nepal, adrenaline-fueled action footage, and chart the journey to attempt something no one has done before,” noted the director Matěj Pichler.
BITmarkets is happy to have been part of this journey and congratulates both bikers! As COO of BITmarkets, Peter Sumer, aptly put it: “As a long-time partner and supporter of cycling, we could not miss the Czech bikers’ descent from the top of Nepal’s highest mountain, Mera Peak, which has made an indelible mark on the sport’s history. It is great to support unique sporting achievements and to see how far human boundaries can be pushed through sport.”
