Upper Mustang is more than just a challenging mountain bike journey; it s a path of discovery, of culture, of breathtaking scenery, friendly heart-warming people and so much more. Yes we know the permit fee is a lot, but for the permit fee you will get 5 thousand times worth of amazement, pleasure and experience from this trip. Venture into a land where Nomads herd yaks in the high pastures, ponies carry your luggage, rosy cheeked locals toil the arid soil to earn a living, where Tibetan culture is almost untouched by civilization and add to this some of the best and most Challenging mountain biking terrain in the world and you have a simply unforgettable journey. Duration: 17 days Destination: Nepal Activity: Mountain Biking Itinerary: Day 01 : Arrive in Kathmandu Arrival in Kathmandu Airport, greeting by our representative and transfer to the Hotel. Day 02 : Drive To Pokhara Today we have a 7 hour drive in a private van to Pokhara with some stunning views from the road along the way as we skirt the impressive Annapurna Massif.
Day 03 : The adventure starts today with a warm up ride on our home trails of the Pokhara Valley! We have plenty of circuits to choose from. Flat Cross Country rides, hard climbs that offer stunning views of the Himalayan Range, recreational rides visiting some caves or just enjoying our flowing single-track, it s up to you... Get into the groove before jumping up into the high mountains the next day. Day 04 : Fly from Pokhara to Jomsom(2730 m).bike Kagbeni (2800 m) Distance : 12 Km, 100% ride able Altitude gained : +50m We ll leave early to take the spectacular flight from Pokhara to Jomsom, (approximately 20 minutes). As soon as we land at Jomsom airport, we assemble our bikes, and have breakfast in Jomsom. After breakfast, we start biking to Kagbeni (2800m). Our ride will follow the Kaligandaki gorge on a flat, rocky jeep track along a famous holy trekking trail. Kagbeni is the entry point to Upper Mustang where we ll stay in the Red House hotel. Day 05 : Kagbeni (2800m) to Muktinath (3800m) Distance : 20 Km, 100% ride able Altitude gained : +1000m: We recommend waking up early to enjoy the spectacular sunrise and get some photos that you wouldn t believe! Today we will be 2
biking mostly uphill to Muktinath on jeep track. We will have lunch at Jharkot exploring afterwards some of the monasteries and local culture. Day 06 : Muktinath (3800m) to Chaile (3050m) Distance : 18Km, ride able Altitude Gained : (-750m) Today our journey enters into the forbidden land of Upper Mustang. We will ride uphill to the Gyu La pass descending to Chusang where we will have lunch and rest for a while. After having lunch, we ll follow the banks of the Kali river and cross by bridge, riding uphill to reach Chaile. This is a nice little village which offers an awesome view of mount Nilgiri and the Kaligandaki valley from a different angle than the first day in Jomsom. In Chaile we can explore some ancient buildings and a monastery. Day 07 : Chaile (3050 meters) to Syangboche (3800 m) Distance : 20km, ride able Altitude Gained : 3
Heading farther North into the Himalayas we ll ride and push the uphills, enjoying the downhills after the passes. There s 4 passes in between Chaile and Syangboche. We ll stop at Samar for lunch then ride again towards Syangboche, being likely to meet some village people, ponies and donkeys along the way! Day 08 : Syangboche (3800m) to Charang (3560m) Distance : 22 km, ride able Altitude gained : 4
To start we have short climb to reach the first small pass with two more passes to come. From the 1st pass we will be rewarded with an amazing view of Nilgiri, Annapurna and Mustang. We will then ride, first on gentle track then hair rising downhill, to the Gilling then uphill again through some beautiful villages on single track. After the biggest pass of the day (4000m) we ll ride the downhill to Ghami. We ll have Lunch in a local tea house with some delicious food from the Tibetan influenced kitchen. Next we ll ride down through some farmland where yak/ Chauri graze and cross a bridge riding past Mani wall and an ancient Gumba. Then we ll approach the last pass followed by a downhill taking us towards Charang where finally we can relax after the big day! Day 09 : Charang (3560m) to Lo-Manthang (3800m) Distance: 20Km, % ride able Altitude Gained: 5
Today we ll finally reach our destination of Lo-Manthang, the walled city of Buddhist heritage. It is a relatively easy day s ride with only the Lo-la pass (3810m) to cross. In this true Himalayan landscape the views are amazing and there are some 360 degree view points where we can stop and take photos. We ll be riding through open jeep tracks and some trekking trails. After the pass we ll reach Lo-Manthang after about half an hour. We ll take lunch in our guest house and relax for the rest of the day. Day 10 : Lo-Manthang (3800m) 6
Now we get the chance to explore the fascinating Lo-Manthang with it s centuries old Gumba, Royal Palace, inhabited caves, museum and ancient Buddhist ways of life. We may even get the chance to meet the traditional King and Queen of the region! Day 11 : Lo-Manthang (3800m) to Ghami () via Ghar Gumba Distance: 30Km, % rideable Now it s time to be leaving Lo-Manthang and head back through some new single-track routes. We ll have to pass two passes over 4000 meters, looking back up the Mustang Valley with some amazing views. We ll be able to see the Ghar Gumbaon from the other direction and later in the evening we ll explore the village of Ghami (the village we had our lunch in on the way to Lo-Manthang). Day 12 : Ghami to Samar Distance: 32 Km We ll now be reversing the route we took coming towards Lo-Manthang with the veiws and scenery just as spectacular as before! We ll take lunch in Syangboche then ride up to the pass followed by a downhill to reach Samar village. Day 13 : Samar to Marpha (2670m) Distance: 30 km We ll start today s ride early in the morning with small climb up to Da- Jorila pass (3737 m) then a downhill ride to Chaile. We ll ride along the kali Gandaki river bank to Kagbeni and take lunch in either Chhusang or Kagbeni. After lunch we ride back along the kaligandaki gorge to our starting point at Jomsom. Then we ll continue with a ride through gorgeous apple gardens to the beautiful 7
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village of Marpha. We will stay overnight in Marpha which is known for it s Apple brandy! Day 14 : Marpha to Tatopani Distance: 45Km Altitude Gained: We ll wake up early after a good sleep (as you come down from high altitude most people sleep better at night) and have the chance to explore some of Marpha. After a good breakfast we ll get started on our journey toward a more subtropical region along the Kaligandaki River. It s downhill all the way with lush, green scenery and more oxygen in your lungs, what a great feeling! We ll reach Tatopani (meaning hot spring in Nepali) which is a famous place among locals for treating skin ailments (& not bad for tired legs too!). Day 15 : Tatopani to Beni then Drive to Pokhara Distance: 18Km, 100% rideable After breakfast we will ride along the river bed on a jeep track to the Beni Bazaar where we ll meet the Pokhara road. Our vehicle will be waiting for us to take us back to Pokhara. Day 16 : Rest/explore/shop in Pokhara or fly back to KTM. Day 17 : Departure from Kathmandu. 9
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