Adventurer Jason reaches capital

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An adventurer on a human-powered round-the-world trip has told how he avoided arrest and deportation from Tibet to make it to the capital Lhasa.

Jason Lewis, 38, from Bridport, Dorset has spent the past three weeks cycling at high altitude in the Himalayas in Chinese-controlled Tibet.

Arriving in Lhasa on his laden mountain bike, he said he was relieved.

Mr Lewis began his odyssey in London 12 years ago and has since clocked up more than 40,000 miles (64,374km).

He has ridden 4,271 miles (6,874km) of the 7,000-mile (11,265km) leg of his trip from Singapore to Mumbai and is hoping to arrive in the Indian city in November.

Speaking from Lhasa, Mr Lewis said: "These past three weeks have been hyper-critical to the onward progress of the expedition's route around the world.

"Eastern Tibet is for all intents and purposes 'closed' to individual travellers.

"Had I been arrested and deported from Tibet/China the alternative routes were very limited."

Jason Lewis hopes to complete his expedition next summer

He said he would have had to backtrack all the way to Singapore and pedal his wooden craft Moksha - which he used to cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans - across to East Africa.

He said: "For the 800km (500 miles) from Lhasa to the border with Nepal I can acquire a legitimate permit from the Public Security Bureau and be all above board."

Mr Lewis has also used a kayak and roller blades to carry him round the world - and has even swum a river to preserve the integrity of the expedition.

His Expedition 360 is expected to be completed by summer next year, with the final leg to include a 2,200-mile (3,540km) pedal boat crossing of the Indian Ocean from Mumbai to Djibouti on the horn of Africa.