Upper Mustang XC

Today we take time to explore the rim of Kathmandu Valley by bike. Its an intermediate ride into the National Park with about 850m of climbing and some intermediate technical descents, a great way to warm up for the trip. We also have a full trip briefing and gear check. In the evening enjoy a Traditional Welcome Dinner.

We leave the hotel early morning for the flight to Pokhara. Afternoon ride in Pokhara Peace Stupa.

Wake up for sunrise and hopefully catch a glimpse of the mountains before we head to the airport. It’s about a 22 minute flight to Jomsom, above the Pokhara Valley and deep into the heart of the Himalaya, take a peek out of the window for fantastic views of Dhaulagiri and beyond. The flight is simply breathtaking as the plane’s wing tips almost touch the snow capped peaks, fly right between the snow covered Himalayan giants (Nigiri and Dhalugiri) and you feel your adventure has really begun as the small plane banks left and touches down in Jomsom. In Jomsom, we have breakfast and spend some time getting the bikes ready for the journey and meet our ponies who will carry the luggage. From Jomsom we cycle along the Upper section of the Kaligandaki River to Kagbeni. It’s a mostly flat and steady ride of about 1-2 hours. Kagbeni is a delightful Buddhist village. A great way to start our adventure into the Himalaya.

Get up early to see the sunrise and have breakfast. Today we cycle uphill for the most part. Leaving behind the beautiful village of Kagbeni, warm up your legs and start to climb. We follow the trail on the north side of the gorge and climb up on a dusty jeep track towards the foreboding Throng La Pass. We stop and explore the ancient monastery at Jhong and have some lunch basking in the sunshine and enjoying the mountain views. The final push after lunch is short and we should arrive in Muktinath mid afternoon. Spend some time here exploring the Monastery and Temples, two of the holiest in Nepal. Stay overnight and enjoy the local culture of this bustling town.

Today we enter the restricted region of Upper Mustang. It’s an uphill stretch from Muktinath through Chhyonggur and up to the Gyu La Pass at 4077 meters, it is 80% rideable but some sections of pushing. Here there are panoramic views of the snow capped mountains. After a short section of steep downhill we follow an undulating ridge trail down to Tetang at 3040 meters, more than a 1000 meter descent on superb single track. Pass an ancient Mani Wall and cycle down to Chhusang. From here there is a slight climb and river crossing to reach Chele on the opposite river bank where the river passes through a rock tunnel and then a steady climb up to Chele. Chele is a small town nestled on a hillside with three teahouses and a dozen homes, from here you get good views down the Kaligandaki Valley.

A hard day of riding, leaving behind the river bed we climb into the hills. We can take the cliff side trail with some hike, a bike or the dusty road. We cross two passes, Taklam La (3624m) and Dajong La (3660m) before we reach the tiny hillside town of Samar. Take some rest here and enjoy the scenery. We follow the road onwards towards Syangboche as it winds in and out of the mountain side and over a sometimes icy river crossing. Crossing a further two passes, Bhena La (3830m) and Beg La (3849m) followed by Yamda La (4010m) and Syangboche La (3850m). From the final pass we drop down a short distance through some grazing land where you can often see Himalayan Thar before finally arriving in Shyangboche.

A short climb takes us out of Syangboche and towards Jhaite, mostly on Jeep Track. We have to climb up to the 4020m Nyi La pass on a steep trail which might involve some pushing. After the pass we follow the high road, crossing another small pass Ghami La at 3765 before rolling down into Ghami. Ghami is a beautiful village and a nice place to have a break. From here we ride up and past the longest Mani Wall in the region. We have two options, one is to go direct to Charang, the other is a side trip up into the stunning valley of Dhakmar with its red cliffs. There is steep push section to get out of Dhakmar and up to Muila Bhanjyang at 4170m. From here we have a long downhill single track only know to our guides that takes us all the way to Charang.The scenery opens up and there are fields of mustard and barley in the right season which makes for lush pockets of greenery and grazing Yaks. It is also one of the most scenic days with the ever changing colors of the landscape from yellow and browns to reds, grays and blues as the sun moves across the Himalayan sky. Charang is a nice village with a really beautiful 400 year old Gulpa Sect Monastery filled with friendly Monks who like to play football. The Monastery is also home to the oldest library in the region of Lo. Charang is a great village to hang out in and snap some photos.

From Charang we have to cross Lo La Pass at 3810 meters, just before Lo- Manthang. This pass is also known as “Windy Pass” and from here you can view the walled city of Lo-Manthang, your first tantalizing view of this kingdom lost in time and your penultimate destination. In June and July, the time when the crops are almost ready to harvest makes for the most dramatic scenery. The barren brown landscape is scattered with fields of vibrant green and gold rolling with the wind under the vivid blue sky of the Himalaya, a truly memorable scene. The ride is easy if a bit of a long climb, about 25 km total riding distance. You will enjoy the open jeep track trail and should arrive in Lo-Manthang by lunch time. Lo-Manthang is perhaps one of the most interesting places in the Himalaya and a couple of days spent here sightseeing is well worth it. Visit the Royal Palace where you have the privilege of having tea or perhaps dinner with the King of Lo himself, what an experience! In the afternoon there are three interesting Monasteries to visit, one of them is over 900 years old and displays some of the most beautiful Thangka paintings found in Nepal. The intricate details and vivid colors of these paintings is a stark contrast to the wide open spaces of the region.

Today we ride up to Garphu. Follow the upper reaches of the Kali Gandaki River, crossing over several of its tributaries. Here you will find Ghom, a cave tunneling into the mountainside which is the historical site of a Monastery and the cave of one thousand windows. The beautiful scenery and isolated Tibetan culture make this day trip a worthy experience. The way back from Ghom is a beautiful single track through traditional villages. This truly is a place to lose yourself in history, rustic architecture and mind blowing landscapes, one could easily roll back in time 100 years or more here.

Today there is a super nice single track with mountain views and really steep and sandy single tracks. The ride takes us uphill through a canyon to Yara where we will have lunch. After lunch we ride a loop out to Luri Ghumba and then return to Yara. The round trip is 50% uphill and 50% down, around 2 hours return, but Luri Ghumba is worth a visit, this tiny monastery nestled high into the cliff face. This is a challenging route for good riders with skill in loose trails with some exposure.

The starts with some really nice single track and beautiful landscape. There is a long climb of about an hour and a half after crossing the river where you might have to push some. We finish our day as we roll into Tangya, which is a simple and remote village. Tangya is a tiny village with very simple accommodation. You can enjoy the feeling of being really remote and isolated.

To start the day we have to push and carry for about 2 hours 3 hours 1000m uphill to Pha totally pushing or carrying, followed by 2 to 3 hours of single track which undulates along the ridge line, before an EPIC descent down to Chuksang. The trail reaches a high point at Baha Bhanjyang (4380m) and follows along Siyarko Tangk Dhanda. The scenery on this day is also Epic. It's a ridge line descent, with some short climbs, amazing views. Some of the best views of Annapurna, Dhalugiri and Nilgiri can be had on this .

This valley that we will be riding today snakes between the Nilgiri and Dhauligiri Mountains making it the deepest gorge in the world. From Muktinath we head to Lubra Pass and an alternative Lubra Valley Trail, there are many trail options here and they are well ridden, so the surface is hardpack and fun. Make sure you take time to enjoy the views. We head to Dhumba Lake and cycle along the valley walls to Marphai. This region is the home of Apples and Apple Brandy. Kick off your biking shoes and enjoy a cold beer or warm Apple Brandy. If we have time we can also cycle the Jomsom Tower trail which is super fun. We stay overnight in Marpha.

Today we leave Marpha and cross the river on another suspension bridge. We ride along the river, mostly flat pedaling to Kobang Village. From here we have a 4km climb up on a jeep track. It can get a bit steep in places. We reach to Titi Lake (2705m). Spend some time enjoying the views from the lake shore, the views of Dalugiri from here are stunning. We then leave the lake and hits some fun downhills back to the river.The trails here are a bit more forested than they are higher up On the other side of the river, we find the village of Kalopani (Blackwater. From here we roll all the way down on Jeep Tracks to Tatopani, the Hot Springs where we stay for the night.

1.5hrs of easy riding take us to Ghaleshowr from where we drive the 3 hours all the way back to Pokhara. Enjoy a relaxed afternoon around the lakeside.

Take a mid-morning flight from Pokhara along the Himalaya and back to Kathmandu. Your bikes will be transported back on the bus. In the evening we will clean and box your bikes for you while you take care of any last minute shopping.

Transfer to the airport for your homeward flight.