Upper Mustang Valley Mountain Biking Tour: A Ride Through the Forbidden Kingdom

Nepal offers a challenging and pleasant scenic ride from the tropical plains of Terai, mid-hills, mountainous terrain and its lush valleys to the arctic climate of the high alpine region. The only way to discover these hidden treasures and its warm ever-smiling people is on mountain bikes. Mountain biking is a great fun and a perfect way to discover Nepal’s great diverse landscape, of tremendous terrain, tracks and trails. Where mountain bike takes you away from the hustle bustle of the city-town life into serene country life, on a hidden trail rarely visited area of local villages, its traditional rural life style that has preserved for centuries.
To ride a mountain bike Upper Mustang is on the bucket list of many avid cyclists. We can Journey along one river valley and down another between some of the biggest mountains in the world while enjoying stunning sceneries and authentic highland villages, where we can experience the warm hospitality of the Nepalese people and enjoy delicious Nepali food.

Upon arrival in Kathmandu. Our airport representative will be waiting outside the airport terminal a few metres from the exit door. Please check your name at play card. He will bring you to hotel in kathmandu. The drive from the airport to the hotel is around 20 minutes
Start pointUpper Mustang Valley Mountain Biking Tour, Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) त्रिभुवन विमानस्थल, त्रिभुवन विमानस्थल, Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal

We can warm-up ride to explore some of the best trails in the Kathmandu Valley. Test your bikes and gear to make sure that everything is ready for the journey ahead. Cover around 45km at a steady pace in 4 to 5 hours of riding, exploring the rural parts of the valley, cycling on single tracks and seeing some temples and Back to Hotel. we can final packing for the trip.

The bus journey will take approx 7 hours but by air it takes only 35minates.
Pokhara is set in a lovely valley at the foot of the Machapuchare so you get spectacular views of the mountains from all parts of the town. It is quite different from Kathmandu, with few temples, but it does have plenty of scenic attractions and is close to the mountains. There are some interesting short walks or bicycle rides from Pokhara, you can swim and canoe on Lake Phewa or just watch the last rays of the sun stream across the dip in the mountains that hold the lake. Along the lakeside road there is a continuous stretch of small hotels, restaurants and shops; it’s an area which still has a bit of the old hippy scene feel about it.

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 cide

After Breakfast we will be biking mostly uphill to Muktinath on jeep track. We will have lunch at Jharkot exploring afterwards some of the monasteries and local village. Reach at Muktinath and check in local guest house. walking tour to famous Hindu and Buddhist temple Muktinath. We can worship Muktinath temple and back to hotel. Overnight teahouse.

There are five villages in this immediate area linked by ethnic ties - Chele, Gyakar, Chuksang, Tangbe and Tetang. They are related to the people of the Manang Valley rather than those from Jomsom and Kagbeni or Lo Manthang. It is a tough existence for people in this area - arable land is limited and trading is necessary to supplement any income made from the soil. The morning walk follows the riverbed before crossing the Kali Ghandaki on a steel suspension bridge close to the place where the river passes under a huge block of red sandstone. From here there is a steep ascent to the village of Chele, where we take lunch close to barley fields and nearby willow trees. In the afternoon we climb again to a cairn at 3130 metres. Here we witness views of the village of Gyakar, lying across an impressive canyon where a patchwork of green fields gives a dash of colour to the barren terrain. The trail which is narrow in places continues to ascend to a pass at 3550 metres. To the south great views of the Himalayan peaks can be enjoyed including Nilgiri and Tilicho peaks. From the pass it is a short descent to the village of Samar and our camp close to a willow grove and irrigation channels.

We are 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.

Today will 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. 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. The trail passes an isolated chorten and spectacular caves etched into the surrounding cliffs, before reaching a ridge at 3850 metres for our first views of Lo Manthang and the spectacular scenery of the Mustang Khola and the snow-capped peak of Mansail in the west. From the ridge we descend to a small river and climb briefly to enter the fabled walled city from the north-eastern corner.

(Exploration day) The ’city’ contains around 150 houses and four monasteries, one of which is reported to date back to the 15th century. Inside the temples we are able to view many Buddha images and religious paintings. Photography is sometimes not permitted and you should beware of the fierce Tibetan mastiff dogs that guard the monasteries. The city itself has declined since the Chinese invasion of Tibet. Prior to this, Lo Manthang was a centre for the old salt and wool trade and at one time was a prosperous city. The dominant building in the centre of the city is the King’s Palace. The Royal Family are descendants of an aristocratic family from Lhasa in Tibet and today, though their duties are largely ceremonial, the King is a well-respected horseman and breeder of Lhasa apso dogs. After exploring the city in the morning we may take an optional walk towards Chosar in the afternoon.

(Bike rade 21km) From the monastery there are views of the two neighbouring villages of Marang and Charang. We begin the day with a climb to a pass marked with a cairn at 4100 metres. The trail then passes through alpine meadows before twisting down a red and purple eroded gully to the village of Tanmar. We pass through lush fields that are a stark contrast to the surrounding barren terrain and climb a further ridge that precedes a short descent to the village of Ghami (3440m). The village has a monastery but is off limits to tourists following the theft of religious artefacts some years before. We move beyond the village and make camp further up the trail en route to the Nyi La (Nyi Pass).

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.

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

Today's trail is mostly downhill again. The trail starts out gentle and flat, moving through pine forests and past small villages. Follow the river while enjoying some great views of the snow-capped peaks.

After breakfast we will ride along the river bed on a jeep track to the Beni Bazaar where we’ll meet the Pokhara road. Our vehicle will be waiting for us to take us back to Pokhara.

From Pokhara you will return to Kathmandu taking nearly 6 to 7 hours. On the way you can enjoy the beautiful scenery from the window and during the stops we can get out and capture some photographs. On the way you can take your lunch.today evening we will provide you farewell dinner and Nepali cultural dance restaurant and overnight stay in a hotel.

We will transport you to the airport. Thanks for trekking with Adventure Himalayan Travels. We look forward to seeing you again!