The Epic Back Country Route from Kathmandu to Pokhara
Ride the jeep roads that link Kathmandu and Pokhara through the ancient capital of Gorkha. Don’t be fooled into thinking “foothills” equates to “easy”. These are the Himalayan foothills and although the adventure reaches a maximum elevation of only 1900m, the climbs and descents are relentless and the terrain rough.
Set departures for cyclists with a high level of fitness.
This adventure is for those looking for a ride that takes them off the beaten track, traveling through a rural landscape that time forgot, making this a mountain bike holiday you will never forget.
PHOTO GALLERY
Trip Highlights
- Length: 10 DAYS in a 3*+ Hotel
- Location: NEPAL From Kathmandu to Pokhara via the foothills of the Himalayas
- Conditions: FAIRLY HARD High level of fitness required!
- Courses: TAILORED Upto 300km with maximum elevations of 1900m
DAILY ITINERARY
The Multi Terrain Biking team wants your holiday to not only be the adventure of a lifetime, but also a relaxing and fun experience, so here's some info on whats included in each and every one of our tours.
You will be met at Tribhuvan International airport by a representative from Mountain Biking Worldwide and taken to the hotel which is located in the heart of the tourist district of Kathmandu, Thamel (approximately a 30-minute drive).
Depending on your arrival time, there may be time to explore the streets, sights and shops of Thamel or to relax after your journey, before joining your guides for an early evening welcome meal, where they will explain more about the coming days tour and activities.
Following a relaxed breakfast at the hotel, someone from the Mountain Biking worldwide team will come to meet you and issue the riders with their MTB-WW merchandise. There will then be time to check over the bikes, with a member of the MTB-WW crew member on standby to assist with any mechanical issues.
The afternoon will be free for a relaxed sightseeing ride around some of the sights and cultural points of interest that Kathmandu has to offer.
An early evening group meal will leave ample time for packing, ready for the early start the following morning.
Bike bags and luggage that are not required for the tour can be left at the hotel.
Whilst the riders get an early breakfast, the MTB-WW crew members will load the luggage onto the support vehicle which will leave whilst you finish your breakfast.
You will leave Kathmandu after breakfast, starting riding straight from the hotel. A gradual 10km climb through the streets of Kathmandu takes riders up to the Shivapuri National Park.
From Shivapuri, you will hit the dirt with a 3km steep climb, followed by a 14km descent and another brutal 5km ascent in the mid-day heat.
The destination of Nuwakot hosts the idyllic location of The Famous Farm Guesthouse, regarded by some as one of the most beautiful and tranquil spots in Nepal.
After an early breakfast you will leave for one of the hardest days of the tour!
Leaving from Nuwakot, there is a 10km sealed downhill section before you hit the dirt again. Over 50km of riding with 1900m of ascent follows, in sweltering heat and dusty conditions, this will be a test for even the toughest of riders.
You’ll finish the day in Arughat, a town that feels like it is in the middle of nowhere – because basically it is!
Not as tough as Day 4’s trails, but still lots of dry and dusty climbing and descending. The final destination of the day is Gorkha, Nepal’s former capital, perched high on the side of the Himalayan foothills.
Day 6 will be one of the easier riding days of the tour! You’ll be able to enjoy a later breakfast, giving you a little extra time to recover from the previous days’ efforts.
You will start the day with a 7km downhill section, followed by around 23km of undulating terrain through a peaceful arable landscape. The final 30km is on rolling sealed road and this will bring you to Besi Sahar and the start of the Annapurna circuit.
Following breakfast, you will start the day with a 15km back track from Besi Sahar, before you start the 55km of scintilating and undulating off road trails that will bring you out at Begnas Lake in Pokhara.
A further 15km of sealed road will lead you back to the lakeside resort of Pokhara, where a luxury hotel and relaxing atmosphere awaits you.
Day 8 gives you plenty of time to relax and explore the tourist enclave of Pokhara.
If relaxing isn’t your thing, let us know and we can book you one of the many adventure activities that we have on offer in the area, including paragliding, the world’s longest zip line, hikes, ultralight flights and more!
Alternatively, if after the tour your legs still aren’t tired, one of our guides can take you out to one of the viewpoints around the lakeside area where you will be able to see the snowcapped peaks behind you!
After breakfast you will return to Kathmandu via a 25-minute short plane journey or the 8-hour bus journey (please state at time of booking which option you would prefer).
Once back in Kathmandu, there will be time in the afternoon for some trinket shopping or to explore some of the many temples and places of interest in the city.
Please let us know at the time of booking if you would prefer to stay in Pokhara a few extra days to check out some of the adventurous (or leisurely!) activities that it has to offer!
Transfer to international airport or continue on with own itinerary.
Please let us know if you would like to see the full list of activities and additional options that we can offer.
ESSENTIALS
What's Included
- Qualified & Experienced Guides: We understand that everybody is different. Some riders will want to push hard, others will want to take in the views and learn about the surrounding area and cultures. All of our guides are selected not only for their fitness but also for their local knowledge. The passion for mountain biking, fun loving nature and local connections, that all our guides have, ensure that your adventure will be an incredible journey. As an added bonus, our guides are great mechanics & awesome photographers. They'll be able to help you fix most things on the trail and they also know the best places to get the epic shot to make all your friends back home jealous!
- Most Meals: Your detailed adventure information pack will list the exact meal arrangements. In general, all breakfasts and evening meals are included in the price of your trip. Most dietary requirements can be catered for, even in the remotest of areas, and as all trips are guided by experienced riders you can be assured of loaded plates of high carbohydrate quality food to fuel you through the day.
- Adventure Accommodation: The nature of your holiday is to have an adventure, but that doesn’t mean you have to rough it. For all of our adventures we use the best accommodation that is available in the area. All our hotels / guesthouses have been personally vetted, so whether it’s a 3* hotel in the city or a basic teahouse in the mountains you can rest assured you will be warm, comfortable and well fed.
- Support: Each group will have experienced guides and we have a low guide to numbers ratio to ensure that everybody is well looked after. All our guides are mechanically adept and will be able to fix most bike problems out on the trail. There will also be porters to transport all the luggage and to ensure your hotel / guesthouse is ready for your arrival after a hard days riding. As an additional extra, where terrain allows, we can provide a dedicated support vehicle that will carry water, food, bike spares etc, with space to transport any rider to the hotel should the going get too tough. Let us know at time of booking if you would like this option.
- Transport: All in country transport costs related to the adventure are included in the trip cost.
- Adventure Information Pack: Being avid riders, travellers and adventure enthusiasts ourselves, we know how important it is to be able to visualise your trip before arrival. All Multi Terrain Biking guests will be sent a detailed PDF trip specific information pack. This extensive document will arm riders will all the details they need to plan and prepare for their adventure, and will include a day to day itinerary, photos, information relating to the country and much more.
- Adventure Advisors: Our knowledgeable Multi Terrain Biking team are always on hand via email or phone to answer any queries that you may have related to the adventure, during the booking process or after you have booked.
- Regular Updates: We will keep you informed with regular updates from the adventure, and closer to departure, with specific details of the guides, hotels, meeting times etc. If you "opt in" we will also give you contact details of other riders joining the adventure so that you can start exchanging information and getting to know other riders before arrival.
- Safety: Multi Terrain Biking tours take riders into some of the remotest and wildest areas on earth. The Multi Terrain Biking team takes rider and crew safety extremely seriously and only uses the most reputable and properly equipped ground logistics teams on location. All our logistic teams also provide the support for our races and have a track proven record for customer service and safety. By travelling with us you can rest assured that your safety and well being could not be in better hands.
- Multi Terrain Biking Merchandise: The Multi Terrain Biking team are proud of their branding and want to share their vision with the world. On arrival, all guests will receive a Multi Terrain branded kit bag. They are yours to keep as mementos of your epic adventure and as a thank you for travelling with us.
- Hire Bikes: All the Multi Terrain Biking team have flown to far flung destinations with their bikes. They understand that it is not the most relaxing of procedures, from checking it in at one end to the nervous wait for it to arrive unscathed at the other. To make your holiday even more stress free we have a range of high quality mountain bikes (nothing we wouldn’t ride ourselves) available to rent. Please enquire for prices.
- Compare Your Times: Via GPS data you will be able to compare your times with those of corresponding races & tours and the top adventure timings will be featured in a Multi Terrain Bikings timings leader board on the website.
What's NOT Included
- International flights to and from the adventure country
- Country entry visa fees
- Travel & Medical insurance (these are compulsory and must include helicopter evacuation in the event of an emergency at the respective altitudes)
- Medical expenses
- Accommodation before and after the adventure
- Transport to the adventure pickup location
- Equipment hire or rental
- Alcoholic and soft drinks consumed during the adventure
- Meals not included in the itinerary
- Personal items purchased during the adventure
- Extra activities in the adventure location (these can be arranged for an additional fee)
