Anyone who has journeyed deep into the mountain ranges of Europe to take on some of the legendary climbs of the Grand Tours understands what it is like to stand on top of a mountain, breathing in the cold, thin air while surveying landscapes that roll away far below.

But British adventurer and all-round action man Neil Laughton, 60, took that achievement several levels higher when he journeyed to Nepal to set a new Guinness World Record for the highest ever bike ride.

Teaming up with Nepali Sirdar Nima Kanchha Sherpa, the pair rode and carried their bikes to the top of the 7,246-metre high Putha Huinchuli mountain over a period of several days, were Laughton rode 20 metres at the highest point, before turning tail and journeying back down again.

Laughton’s machine of choice was a Brompton, while Nima used a Cube mountain bike for the ride.

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