Upper Mustang Cycling Tour - 16 Days

1. Day 1 Arrival in Kathmandu.
   • You will be met at Tribhuvan International airport by a representative from Nepal Travel Expedition 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.
2. Day 2 Preparation & Sight Seeing in Kathmandu.
   • Following a relaxed breakfast at the hotel, someone from the Mountain Biking worldwide team will come to meet you at the hote. There will then be time to check over the bikes, with a member of our 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.
      
3. Day 3 Transfer from Kathmandu to Pokhara.
   • Whilst the riders get an early breakfast, the crew members will load the luggage and bikes onto the transfer vehicles for the coach transfer to Pokhara.
   • You will leave Kathmandu at around 8am for the approximate 7-hour journey to Pokhara. Along the way, you will stop for lunch just above the Trishuli River and arrive in Pokhara by mid-afternoon, leaving plenty of time to explore the lakeside city.
   • Optional 25-minute flight from KTM-POK return is available to add on at time of booking.
      
4. Day 4 Pokhara to Jomsom flight, ride to Kagbeni: 10km Ride, 250m Ascent.
   • After an early breakfast, you, your bike and luggage will be transported to Pokhara’s domestic airport to take the short, yet beautifully scenic, 25-minute flight to Jomsom.
   • Upon arrival in Jomsom, you and the crew will build the bikes and embark on the first ride of the tour.
   • From Jomsom, you will ride along the glacial river, the Kali Gandaki, towards the gateway to Upper Mustang; Kagbeni.
   • Upon arrival to Kagbeni you will notice the labyrinth of narrow alley-ways to explore and be able to visit the infamous Yak Donald’s to enjoy a yak burger and locally brewed apple cider!
      
5. Day 5 Kagbeni to Muktinath: 10km Ride, 1100m Ascent.
   • Following a leisurely breakfast, you will start the uphill ride to Muktinath. The effects of the increasing altitude and steep climbs means it could take as long as 3-hours before you arrive at your final destination.
   • During the ride you can enjoy the stunning snow-capped mountain views of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri.
   • Following your arrival in Muktinath, lunch will be served at the hotel. In the afternoon, there will be ample time for you to embark on a short hike to explore the famous Hindu temple.
6. Day 6 Muktinath to Samar: 29km Ride, 1350m Ascent.
   • The real riding starts here! You will need an early start today to ensure that you make the most of the stunning views.
   • A couple of km’s after leaving Muktinath, you will be riding through a beautiful village and start the climb up to the Gyu La Pass at 4066m above sea level. From the top of the Gyu La, you will drop 1200m on technical, but fast single track all the way to Chhusang. You will then cross the Kali Gandaki and start to climb for your final destination of the day, Samar. This is one of the toughest climbs of the whole adventure, but there are plenty of opportunities to stop and take in the breathtaking views of the vast uninhabited mountains.
   • Now that you are in Upper Mustang, the accommodation will become much more basic and the terrain more remote.
      
7. Day 7 Samar to Ghami: 28km Ride, 1100m Ascent.
   • Day 7’s course consists of 5 passes over 3,800m, meaning an early breakfast will be needed! The passes are: Bhena La, Yamdo La, Syanboch La, Nya La and Ghami La.
   • The trail will be tougher than the previous days, but the climbing won’t be as steep as that to Samar. You will start on an uphill, but there will be some fast-downhill sections to compensate during the day!
   • Once you reach Ghiling, you will take a lunch stop and from there it will take a maximum of 2 hours to reach Ghami, comprising of a 5km climb and a long downhill before reaching the teahouse.
      
8. Day 8 Ghami to Lo Manthang: 26km Ride, 1080m Ascent.
   • Today there will only be two passes to cross. The first has a long 4.5km ascent, and the second is not as taxing. The course is slightly easier than the previous two days, but the high altitude makes 26km feel like 52km!!
   • Approximately halfway into the day, you will pass through the beautiful village of Charang where you will stop for lunch and have time to explore the village before continuing the ride.
   • Once you have arrived and checked into the teahouse in Lo Manthang, there will be time to walk into the center and explore the ancient walled city. Lo Manthang is a colorful village, steeped in history with spectacular views all around. You will also be able to see the Kings Palace, where the last King of Lo Manthang lived.
      
9. Day 9 Kimaling; Choser Loop (Lo Manthang): 21km Ride, 600m Ascent.
   • Following the previous 5 days riding, todays programme will be optional!
   • The riding today takes you to a village just above Lo Manthang, and close to the Chinese border; Kamaling, giving you perfect opportunity to take some stunning scenic photos! You will also ride out to Garphu to visit the ancient cave dwellings and a monastery where Tibetan people used to live many years ago. If the weather is clear, you can see a great panorama of Nilgiri and the Annapurna Mountains. The day has very little climbing, with most of the trails being flat. You will be riding through villages that are as if time forgot.
      
10. Day 10 Lo Manthang to Ghami via Dhakmar: 21km Ride, 900m Ascent.
    • Today there is more than 50% of single-track to enjoy which can be very technical so you will have to have good handling skills to fully enjoy the day. Again, there will be two passes to cross; Chogo La (4280m & the highest of the trip) and Mui La (4170m).
    • The first 6.5km to the first pass is a steep and rocky uphill single-track, and so there may be some pushing. From the top of both passes, there are some steep descents with rocky single-track, these sections are only suitable for adept riders, less technically skilled riders are recommended to push!
    • After 15km, you will reach Dhakmar and from here you will follow jeep tracks all the way to Ghami. Again, you can enjoy mountain views, colorful landscapes, monasteries and the longest Mani walls in the world!
       
11. Day 11 Ghami to Chele: 32km Ride, 1300m Ascent.
    • Another long hard day on the bike with the same passes that you crossed in the opposite direction going into Lo Manthang, you will now get to do in reverse!
    • On leaving Ghami, you will take the longest climb of the day: 7km takes you to the Niy La pass at 4010m. After the pass you will have a fast downhill to the village of Ghilling, followed by a 4km climb to Syangboche La at 3850m. From Syangboche, there are a few minutes of downhill into the village, followed by a 3km climb to Yamda Pass at 3850. Following this the trail undulates for a while, before a long downhill to Chele.
    • It is unavoidable that you will have to retrace the same trails of the previous days, however you will be taking some shortcuts whilst descending. The downhill sections have some really fast and fun sections, with amazing views of the Nilgiri and Annapurna mountains.
12. Day 12 Chele to Marpha: 35km Ride, 950m Ascent.
    • Today you will start the descent out of Upper Mustang, towards Lower Mustang. The air gets thicker, the riding gets easier but there are still a few tough climbs to tackle. The first 3km from Chele are predominantly downhill or flat to Chhusang. You will cross a metal bridge, where you can see the river coming through a natural tunnel.
    • From Chhusang the trails will be undulating until Kagbeni, where you will again be riding along the Kali Gandaki riverbank. From here, although the riding is flat, you could encounter very strong headwinds all the way to Marpha, which is typical of the mountain weather!
       
13. Day 13 Marpha to Tatopani: 43km Ride, 550m Ascent.
    • Today has the longest distance of the tour, the longest downhill section and the most fun riding of the whole trip!
    • The first 20km of trail takes you through a wide valley where you can enjoy forest sections and a suspension bridge crossing to the village Lete. From Lete you will have more than 20m of very rough downhill. You may encounter traffic, so will need to be careful and vigilant during the descent!
    • After arriving in Tatopani, you will check into the hotel and make your way down to the natural hot-springs for some rest, relaxation and a few beers if that’s your thing!
       
14. Day 14 Tatopani to Maldhunga & transfer to Pokhara: 28km Ride, 400m Ascent.
    • The last ride of the trip! With the hard work done, it’s a relaxing ride down to the end of the trails. Being back at lower altitudes will make the riding seem easy and the trail undulates all the way to Maldhunga. The first 21km to Beni is jeep track and then from there it will be broken tarmac.
    • Once you arrive at Maldhunga, the MTB-WW team will pack the bikes and luggage onto the vehicle, and you will be transferred to Pokhara which will take approximately 3-4 hours.
    • After arriving in Pokhara and checking into your hotel, there will be plenty of free time for exploring & shopping at the relaxing lakeside town. There is an array of international standard hotels, restaurants and bars where riders and crew members can celebrate safely, after completing “The Forbidden Kingdom”.
    •  (Option to carry on riding to Pokhara will be available, a total of 82km with a long climb and long final descent into Pokhara, extra estimated riding time 4 hours).
       
15. Day 15 Pokhara to Kathmandu Transfer.
    • 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!
16. Day 16 See you next time!
    • Transfer to international airport or continue on with own itinerary.
       

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