With travel now opening up around the world we thought it was a good time to tell you a little bit more about the mountain bike tours we have on offer in Nepal.
Mountain Biking Worldwide has over 15 years’ experience of taking international mtb’ers to Nepal and is one of only a handful of tour operators that is dedicated only to mountain biking. With a 5 x Nepal national mountain biking champion heading our team on the ground you can be assured that we’re totally in tune with the needs and desires of even the most hardcore of riders, and all our tours are led by English speaking, wilderness first aid trained mountain bike enthusiasts.
First up in our series of tour blogs is undoubtedly the most popular adventure for mountain bikers in Nepal, Lower Mustang. This area offers a haven of trails to suit every level of rider and as all our tours can be tailored to meet your specific needs there will be an option just for you.
Lower Mustang mountain biking highlights –
- Take an exhilarating mountain flight to Jomsom, landing in the deepest valley on earth, the Kali Gandaki.
- Peak out 4100m altitude on the Lupra pass
- Overnight in the medieval village of Kagbeni on the border of Upper Mustang
- Descend over 3km of vertical height
- Spectacular views of Dhaulagiri, the 7th highest mountain on earth at 8167m
- 5 days of guided riding some of the best trails in Nepal
The trails of Lower Mustang are relatively easily accessible, with a 20 minute domestic flight from Pokhara taking you right into the heart of the mountains. When you step out of the plane in Jomsom you will have 8000m peaks either side of you, meaning this area is recognised as being the deepest gorge on earth, known locally as the Kali Gandaki.
Jomsom sits at 2743m above sea level so you’ll immediately feel the effects of altitude, and the first days riding of just 14km to Kagbeni, although predominantly flat will be a test for those lower altitude lungs! Kagbeni, situated at an elevation of 2804m is known as one of the oldest villages in Nepal and is the gateway to Upper Mustang. With its narrow cobbled streets, arid windswept landscape and numerous Buddhist chortens , Kagbeni has a real Tibetan feel about it. Locally brewed apple cider, apple brandy and seabuckthorn juice are all readily available in Kagbeni, but with over 1000m of climbing to do to reach Muktinath it may be a good idea to stick to the health giving seabuckthorn juice for now!
The distance between Kagbeni and Muktinath is only 18km but it is on the main, all up! Muktinath is a famous pilgrimage site for both Buddhists and Hindus. Buddhists believe Muktinath is a place where the great sage Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) who brought Buddhism to Tibet, came to meditate, while Hindus believe that bathing in the waters here guarantees salvation after death. The Hindu god, Brahma, is said to have lit the eternal flames that burn at Muktinath temple. Tonight you will sleep at around 3750m above sea level, which, if you are not fully acclimatised is definitely strange dream territory, but don’t worry Yeti’s aren’t known to come down this low!!
All the uphill and altitude struggles will be rewarded on day 3 of riding but not before 1 final exertion to reach the Lupra pass. This is the highest point of the tour at 4100m so in theory it’s all downhill from here until you reach Beni (899m) 2 days later, (* disclaimer – there may still be a few uphills remaining!). Descending from the Lupra pass down into the Lupra valley is the highlight of many mountain bikers tour, if not lives, but first a must is to take in the breath taking views of Dhaulagiri, the 7th highest mountain on earth, standing at 8167m high. It’s now time to clip in, buckle up, hold on tight and enjoy over 1km of vertical drop down some of the most flowing and fun singletrack Nepal has on offer, see you “where the trail ends” otherwise known as Marpha!
Marpha is famous for it’s apples, and with all the major climbs and altitude out of the way now might be the time to sample that locally brewed apple cider or apple brand. If you rather keep a clear head for the following days 1500m elevation drop descent then there is bound to be the renown Marpha apple pie on the menu!
The goal on day 4 of our lower Mustang mountain bike tour is to reach Tatopani in 1 piece. It’s a bone clattering 42km of downhill over some majorly rough roads and a return to the warmth you will have last felt in Pokhara. It’s easy to get carried away speeding down the trails with Tatopani hot springs beckoning but there are some awesome waterfalls to take in along the way, so it’s worth using your brakes occasionally! Tatopani is famous for it’s hot springs which sit directly on the banks of the Kali Gandaki river. With all the hard work done, it’s time to soak away those aches and pains and relive those memories from the high mountains.
Mountain Biking Worldwide can provide all the logistic requirements for you to enjoy this lower Mustang mountain bike tour to the fullest. For a more detailed picture of what we offer please visit our website – or if you’d rather you can contact us directly on info@mtb-worldwide.com to discuss anything Nepal / mountain biking related.
