What is PokharaIV we hear you ask?
Well, we all know that Pokhara is a beautiful lakeside city in Nepal, right?
And that IV is the roman numeral version of 4?
And it’s definitely common knowledge that here at MTB-Worldwide, we are all about the mountain biking, yes?
So combining those above 3 facts brings us a 4 day mountain bike stage race based entirely around Pokhara. Exciting stuff? We know!!
We know you’re going to want to know much more about the race, like the fact it’s held during Chinese New Year, which is great news for our Asian fans as many will be on holiday anyway, but first we’d like to tell you all about Pokhara and why we think it’s one of the best places around.
Pokhara is Nepal’s number one adventure and leisure destination and there are a whole heap of activities available to make your time there the holiday of a lifetime.
- Paragliding. Undoubtedly one of the most popular adrenaline buzzes you can take whilst staying in Pokhara. A tandem flight, launched high off the flanks of Sarangkot, nearly 1km above the lake, provides a birds eye view of the surrounding mountains and city far below, and if you’re lucky (and willing) your pilot may even pull off some flying stunts to up the adrenaline levels even higher.
- White water rafting. Within a 30 minute drive of Pokhara is the Upper Seti river and some class III and (fittingly) IV rapids. Jump aboard the raft with your fully accredited and qualified guide and enjoy 40 minutes of ultimate thrills whilst battling 7kms of rapids before finally finishing right outside Pokhara. If you want a longer rafting trip or even something a bit more sedate then of course there are many other options available.
- Zipflyer. Again, within 30 minutes of Pokhara centre is the world’s tallest, longest and steepest zip line. At a total length of 1.8km and a vertical drop of 600m, this experience will have you soaring through the Annapurna’s at over 100km per hour!
- Bungee jump. Just 20 minutes from Pokhara is a 70m tower bunny. Free fall for 5 seconds in a blitz of fear and adrenaline, all the time surrounded by breathtaking views of the Himalayas
- Helicopter flight. Take an exhilarating helicopter flight into the heart of the Annapurna mountains to the Annapurna base camp at 4130m above sea level, flying amongst 8000m peaks.
When your all adrenalined out or just looking for a slightly more sedate experience there are still a whole lot of things to do around Pokhara and the surrounding area including
- Hiring a rowing boat and venturing out onto Phewa Tal (lake)
- Hike up to Sarangkot, or take a taxi, for sunrise over the snowcapped Himalayas
- Embark on a short trek to Ghorepani or Ghandruk
Or if after 4 days of tough mountain biking, you just want to relax and recover, then Pokhara had the biggest range of restaurants and cafes of anywhere in Nepal, many situated right on the lake front. From steak houses to full on dedicated vegan cuisine, some of the best pizza’s around, local fare and everything in between, its all available in Pokhara Lakeside!!
Now onto the race!!
- January 24th to 28th 2020
- 4 race stages
- 260km of off road trails
- 6700m of vertical ascent
As Pokhara is such a brilliant venue, with amazing trails right on the doorstep there’s no need to go anywhere else. You stay in the same beautiful hotel for 5 nights, ride your bike directly from the hotel each day and return in the afternoon to enjoy your non riding time as you wish. You can even book a bike wash and service each day to free up even more time to explore the area or just relax in the warm winter sun. And then with all that spare time you can enjoy a relaxing sports massage to recover for the next day, either with our dedicated race physio, or at one of the very reputable spas’s around lakeside.
Each day our fully way marked and manned trails will take you into differing areas of the Himalayan foothills, all offering scintillating views of the the surrounding snow capped peaks and dishing up super technical climbs and awesome descents.
We can’t guarantee it, but for the previous 2 years, the weather has been pretty awesome with warm sunny days around 15˚c to 20˚c and cool evenings around 5˚c, (don’t worry about that, there’s plenty of blankets at the hotel).
Included in the entry fee are coach transfers from Kathmandu returning on the 29th January, or we can add on domestic flights if you prefer a faster transfer. There’s also 5 nights accommodation at a 3*+ hotel in Pokhara included, plus all the race trimmings including a minimum of 2 fully stocked water stations per stage, comprehensive route marking, both physical and electronic, finishers t-shirts, medals, prizes and a post race party.
Full details of the race are available on our website PokharaIV and we look forward to showing round the one of the coolest destinations around!
One Response
Last year I partcipate in Pokhara Iv race , & completed successfully, this year i want to partcipate in Pokhara Iv race, I enjoyed in that race with national & international rider.I am 55 year old, Please ragister my name in pokhara iv race 2020.