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About Mountain
Biking in Nepal
Nepal's diverse terrain is a mountain biker's dream
adventure come true. Mountain biking offers an
environmentally sound way of exploring this magnificent
country, its landscape and living heritage. Because this
is a Spartan, laborious mode of travel, it is also
considered the way to travel by the 'purists'.
There are plenty of dirt roads and trails in Nepal to
meet every mountain biker's wildest fantasy. Mountain
biking is also recommended if you wish to explore the
urban centers such as Pokhara and Kathmandu, plus the
outskirts. Imagine, if you will, a ride through lush
green rice fields, through hamlets, up and down the
hillside, along the river bank, around temples, past the
street roaming cattle, along the highway, you name it.
Through snow, monsoon downpour, wonderful light effects,
or fierce head winds, depending on place and season. The
adventurous souls may plan extended trips to such exotic
locales as Tibet, Namche Bazaar, and western Nepal. You
could even do the entire length of Nepal across the
plains. What you can or cannot do on mountain bike is
limited only by your imagination.
It was in the mid 1980s that Biking activity really took
off in Kathmandu in the mid 1980s. Enthusiasts flew with
their bikes from East Asia to Tibet to do a 2-week
journey from there over the passes (17,000-ft) to Nepal.
This landmark event put Nepal squarely in mountain
biker's map. Thus Kathmandu today is considered a Mecca
for mountain bicyclists, drawing hundreds of enthusiasts
from all corners of the world every year.
Bike Routes
Some of the regular routes that cover the valley are
those which weave in and out of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and
Patan.
Day 1: Kathmandu (24 km/ 3-4 hours): Start
from the nerve center of old Kathmandu, the Durbar
Square, and wind your way up to holy Swambhu, also known
as the monkey temple. Then ride up and over ring road,
to say, kakani, and re-enter Kathmandu from the
Northwest corner through terraced farmland and hamlets
abandoned by time.
Day 2: Bhaktapur (30 km/ 4-5 hours): Begin
at Thimi, the restored capital of Bhaktapur, and head up
the tortuous road to Changu Narayan Temple and return
via farming villages. Then head down to Pashupati along
the bank of the Bagmati River, and finish up at a
Buddhist shrine, the Bodh-nath stupa.
Day
3: Patan (51 km/8-9 hours): Start in Patan, winding
your way through the maze of alleys with ornately-carved
windows, taking in historical sites such as the Golden
Temple, Krishna Temple, and Patan Durbar Square. Then
head southeast past Ring Road to Panauti along a
difficult off-road trail. Then return to Kathmandu via a
paved road or the same trail. Alternatively, you could
head off to Dakshinkali or Godavari.
Other
outlying places popular with the enthusiasts are
Nagarjuna, Nage Gompa, Tokha, Ichangu Narayan, Gomcha,
Bungmati, Kakani, Dhulikhel and Nagarkot.
Further
mountain bike trips are those extending from:
-
Dhulikhel to Kodari (82 km), near the Tibetan border
-
Naubise to Royal Chitwan Park along the Rajpath
through such scenic places as the Palung Valley,
Daman, and the not-so-scenic industrial town of
Hetauda in the plains
-
Hetauda to Muglang by way of Narayanghat
-
Lakeside Pokhara up and along the ridge to Sarangkot
Point, and continuing on to Naudanda from where you
could take in the breathtaking close-up view of the
Himalayas and the Pokhara Valley
-
Naudanda to Pokhara through Lumle, Beni and
Birethanti, or Naudaanda to Pokhara (32 km) either
via Sarangkot trail described in 2. or the highway
track, which starts with a tortuous 6 km descent
into Modi Khola valley.
There
are many more options if you are willing to take the
time to find out and blaze your own trail.
Recommended Bikes
The 15-18 gear mountain bikes are recommended if you
wish to negotiate tough terrain. If you're going to be
doing the exploring within the city limits itself,
observing the hustle and bustle, going shopping, etc,
one-speed Indian bicycles will do nicely. Mountain bikes
are available for rent by the day or longer in many of
the bicycle rental outlets in and around Kathmandu or
Pokhara. If you wish to be better informed about the
culture, rhythm of village life, cool spots to visit,
perhaps guided trips should be undertaken.
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