Mountain biking in Nepal has been gaining
much popularity among the adventure enthusiasts
from around the world over the past few
years. Fascinating mountain villages, nomadic
lands, high passes, rugged and tough mountain
terrain, winding rivers, rice fields, temples
and monasteries as a backdrop of majestic
snowy Himalayan peaks make mountain biking
trail in Nepal an exceptionally inspiring
play ground for riders with any level of
experience and fitness.
Biking
Around Kathmandu Valley
This
is a 5-day biking trip on the ridge-top
trails which encircle the Valley's rim.
You travel along little-used dirt roads
away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Only a short bike ride away lies a delightful
world of wooded slopes, small villages,
hidden temples and the views which include
all of the principal peaks of the Nepal
Himalaya - from Makalu to the Annapurnas
providing some excellent, easy to semi -
technical single track riding along old
jeep roads. During these five days you will
experience all of the sights, sounds, tastes
and smells that make up life in Nepal’s
'Middle Hills'. You will visit the historic
cities of Patan and Bhaktpur, hill resort
of Nagarkot with its sunrise view of the
entire Nepal Himalaya and the temples, monasteries
and picturesque villages tucked away in
the forests along the way. You are so close
to the bustle of Kathmandu, but so far off
the beaten tourist trail.
With the mornings spent cycling above a
sea of clouds, it would not be an exaggeration
to call this a heaven for mountain bikers!
Throughout the trip, support vehicles carrying
all your gear will either follow behind
you or be with you at the end of the day.
Whether you ride for fun, or take it more
seriously, challenges lie around every corner.
Outline
Itinerary
Day
1
You
begin with a classic 50 kilometers,
mountain bike trail, at first
on roads through Patan to Lubhu,
climbing up the deteriorating
track to the quiet Newari village
of Sisneri. So near to Kathmandu,
but away from the beaten tourist
track, it is a photographer's
paradise, with the contrast
of richly colored villages against
a backdrop of snow capped mountains.
After a steep 500 meter climb,
it is wild trail downhill to
Panauti, home of the oldest
temple in Nepal, the Indreshwar
Hahadev. Reunited with your
support vehicle, which could
not follow you for the whole
route, you camp beside the river
at this idyllic settlement.
Day
2
You
have a choice of the road climb
up to Dhulikhel, or a more adventurous
track, which goes more steeply
up through terraced fields to
the Buddhist pilgrimage temple
of Namo Buddha and then down
to Dhulikhel. This involves
a ride of about 35 kilometers.
Your camp at Dhulikhel offers
fantastic sunset views of the
great chain of the Himalaya.
Day
3
It
is downhill on a little-used
tarmac road towards the mediaeval
town of Bhaktapur, where you
will spend time exploring a
wealth of his historic temples
and courtyards. The afternoon
is a steady series of switch-backs
up onto the main ridge, where
you find another spectacular
campsite at the hill-station
of Nagarkot.
Day
4
Himalayan mountain biking does
not get much better than today's
ride. Early morning usually
creates a sea of cloud in the
valley beneath you, and you
can look beyond this to a mountain
panorama which stretches from
Makalu to the Annapurnas. The
riding terrain is also superb
as you slowly make your way
along an old jeep track, traversing
the ridges of Kattike, Manichup
and Chipu Dara. You must be
very careful not to take a wrong
turning on this part of the
route, as the false descent
will only mean a long carry
back up to the ridge! After
about 40 kilometers, you camp
at Chisopani, just to the north
of the main ridge. This is your
last night camping, and you
have magnificent views of the
Annapurnas. Support vehicles
cannot follow you along this
part of the route and porters
will carry your essentials to
the campsite.
Day
5
Fit
and well-acclimatized after
the exercise of the last few
days, you take the opportunity
on your final day of biking
to climb the valley's second
highest mountain Shivapuri 2732m,
before plunging back to Kathmandu
on one of the best downhill
rides in the area, via the reclining
Vishnu Temple at Budhanalikantha.
Day
6
Fly out from Kathmandu or stay
longer for other activities.
Single Track Mountain
Biking Adventure
This is real Mountain
bike exploration. For the first three
days of this trip you have no backup
vehicles, so when you can't ride you
carry the bikes. You fly into Tumlingtar
and spend the first day getting the
bikes put together after the flight.
The next day you explore Tumlingtar
and the surrounding villages all on
the bike, since there are a lot of
really nice single tracks here.
Then on the third day the real adventure
begins you make your way along the
Arun River down to Kewabesi where
you meet your support staff and from
here on you camp. The rest of the
trip is on a series of hard up hill
climbs, and trilling down hill rides,
but you can now hitch a ride with
our support vehicles when the going
gets to tough.
This tour provides everything that
makes a Mountain bike adventure, a
lot of single trails, a couple of
strait forward but long climbs and
last but not least two long thrilling
downhill rides on tarmac.
Outline
Itinerary
Day
1
Fly
from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar.
You take the one-hour flight
by twin otter from Kathmandu
to Tumligtar. Tumligtar is situated
on a plateau just above the
Arun River in an elevation of
460 meters. Around Tumlingtar
you find lush forests, banana
groves and rice paddies. You
are almost 1000 meters lower
than Kathmandu and the climate
is almost tropical, so be prepared
to sweat! After you have put
your bikes back together, you
go exploring around Tumligtar
if you have time before sunset.
There are lots of nice small
trails to explore on the Tumlingtar
plateau.
Day
2
Tumlingtar
and Around. Today you will make
an excursion to Khandbari [1040
m.] the regional capital, sited
on the crest of a ridge two
hours ride from Tumligtar towards
Makalu Base Camp. If you are
here on a Saturday you will
experience the weekly market.
Khandbari is a charming place,
with a flag-stoned main street,
whitewashed houses with gardens
and manicured lawns. You return
to Tumlingtar for the night.
Day
3
Bike
from Tumlingtar to Kewabesi.
This is where the real adventure
begins. Today you have to make
your way some 25 kilometres
down the Arun valley. From Tumlingtar
the trail follows the plateau
till it ends four kilometres
south of the town from here
it is down hill to the Shawa
River, where you will get to
ride across a suspension bridge.
The rest of the day you follow
the Arun River, sometimes a
bit above it and at time right
on the riverbank. You have time
for a dip in the river at lunch,
before you continue to your
camp at Kewabesi. Kewabesi is
a big delta next to the Arun
River and just before the Leguwa
River joins Arun.
Day
4
Bike
from Kewabesi to Pakhribas.
This is the day that is going
to teach you what it means to
climb; Pakhribas is about 1400
meters higher in elevation than
Kewabesi. You start out the
day with another few kilometres
of single trail to Leguwa, here
you meet your support vehicles,
which are going to be there
for the rest of the tour if
someone needs a lift up one
of the hills. From Leguwa you
have a few more kilometres on
relatively flat dust road, before
the real climb starts at Manmaya.
Manmaya to Pakhribas is one
long climb; you have plenty
of time, so for the stubborn
and the strong there is enough
time to reach Pakhribas without
taking a lift from the support
vehicles.
Day
5
Bike
from Pakhribas to Mulghat. Today
you are going to have a flying
downhill ride, but first you
have to ride another 10 kilometres
on a level dust road to Hile.
This is a pleasant roadside
town situated high on a hill
at 1850 meters; the elevation
and cool breezes provide a welcoming
relief from the heat of the
Arun valley. Many of the people
who inhabit this village are
Tibetans who have settled here.
From Hile the road descends
a spur to Dhankuta, at 1220
metres. The road does not pass
directly through Dhankuta, but
you will find some small roads
through the town, because it
is well worth a visit. It is
a Rai, Newar and Limbu town
- large, attractive and clean,
with whitewashed houses and
winding streets paved with stone.
When you have finished touring
Dhankuta you make another fast
descend to your camp at the
Tamur River at Mulghat.
Day
6
Bike
from Pauwa Pass to Ilam. From
the Pauwa Pass to Ilam is around
55 km, at first involving a
descent before contouring around
a ridge? This is followed by
a blast down to the river and
then a short climb. Finally,
you cruise into town and set
up camp amongst the sea of tea
plantations. Another superb
day's riding, full of contrasts
and surprises. Ilam is Nepal's
most famous tea centre where
the tealeaf is cured before
being transported to Kathmandu.
Day
7
Ilam
and around. Today is dedicated
to tea and relaxation. For those
who relax best sitting on the
mountain bike this is a fantastic
place to ride some single trails.
The tea gardens are full of
small tracks and trails you
can ride. However if, for once
you prefer just to walk around
at your own pace, looking at
life in this tranquil town,
fell free to do so this is your
"holiday".
Day
8
Bike
from Ilam to Biratnagar. This
is another downhill, as far
as the river, before another
big uphill on your roller coaster
route. You hitch a ride on the
vehicles for the 40 kilometers
climb to the top of the pass
at Ficcal, though if there are
any hard-core climbers who would
like to take on this ascent,
you are on tarmac for the first
time during the trip. The fish
curry at the top of the pass
is worth the trip alone, but
you are now on the very last
crest of the Himalayan foothills,
looking down across neatly cropped
tea bushes onto the Indian plains.
Your trip ends with an 1800m
descent, on smooth tarmac for
a change, but with enough pot
holes to keep it interesting!
It is switchbacks all the way
to the town of Charali. From
here you pack our bikes for
a drive back along the Terai
to a well-earned shower at your
hotel in Biratnagar.
Day
9
Fly
from Biratnagar to Kathmandu.
A leisurely morning is spent
exploring Biratnagar before
you take the return flight across
the foothills of the Himalayas
to the luxuries of a hot shower
in your hotel in Kathmandu.
Day
10
Fly
out from Kathmandu or stay longer
for other activities.
