Mountainbiking in Kathmandu valley
Trip Grade:
3
Max. Altitude:
2200 meters
Cost:
500 euros
Nepal is one of the best destinations for mountain bikers. You can explore the historic monuments, ancient villages or hill resorts with your mountain bike.The Kathmandu Valley is crossed with trails/single track/roads. So the option are almost endless. From Dawn Till Dusk, located in Thamel, rents good mountainbikes in very well shape. So no need to bring your own bike.
Day 1: Mountainbike Kathmandu - Buddhanilkantha
Statistics: Length: 30.7 km, Duration: 6 hours, Vertical up: 533.5 m, Vertical down: 427.3 m
The GPS-track of this part of the trip (whith photos and description) can be found here:
http://www.everytrail.com//view_trip.php?trip_id=431419&code=3bf9eb2b80a100b29f9f1f2ebfa785bf
Our first day we will cycle from Kathmandu to Budhanilkantha, which is about 8 km northeast of it and 15km from Thamel, at the base of Shivapuri hill. There is a 5th century temple in Buddhanilkanta with a resting Vishnu. A black Vishnu can be seen here, resting on a snake bed. During the day we will have beautiful views of the mountain range Ganesh and Langtang. In Buddhanilkanta we will stay in a hotel which is very luxury, it even has a swimming pool!
Day 2: Mountainbike Buddhanilkantha - Chisopani
Statistics: Length: 29.4 km, Duration: 8:40 hours, Vertical up: 1280 m, Vertical down: 528.3 m
The GPS-track of this part of the trip (whith photos and description) can be found here:
http://www.everytrail.com//view_trip.php?trip_id=431425&code=3bf9eb2b80a100b29f9f1f2ebfa785bf
We will start with a hard uphill bike ride from down town to the entrance of the Shivapuri Reserve. From there it’s still 7 km climbing. After that we will be rewarded with long descents through the woods. We cycle on parts of the path of the Helambu trekking. Shivapuri is a reserve of 144 square kilometers that has a lot of wildlife, birds and butterflies. Shivapuri, owns the almost highest peak of the Kathmandu valley (2732m) and is for that a beautiful vista point. The panoramic view of the Himalayas is overwhelming.
A good forested trail with Rhododendrons blooming in the spring adding a magical appeal, whilst the Himalayas again manifest also in full bloom as we enter Chisopani. We spend the night in Chisopani (which means “cold water”), which is a quiet and peaceful village on the way to Helambu.
From the rooftop of our resort having a north-east vista, we can enjoy a beautiful sunrise above the clouds and we can view the natural sloping terrain and vast flat lands of Paanchkal Valley. Helambu has one of the most beautiful Sherpa villages with awesome views of the Himalayan range. It\'s famous for its apples and the hospitality of its Sherpa people.
Day 3: Mountainbike Chisopani - Nagarkot
Statistics: Length: 24.3 km, Duration: 6:38 hours, Vertical up: 593.6 m, Vertical down: 816.6 m
The GPS-track of this part of the trip (whith photos and description) can be found here:
http://www.everytrail.com//view_trip.php?trip_id=431429&code=3bf9eb2b80a100b29f9f1f2ebfa785bf
A short, steep climb will lead us to this well-known village (Nagarkot), located in the north east of the Kathmandu valley. The long off-road downhill ride to Jarsing Pauwa is quite exhilarating in the morning. Picnic lunch before the winding uphill trail to Nagarkot would be very much appreciated. Nagarkot is situated at the height of 2170m and is another vista point on the Kathmandu valley\'s rim. It offers breathtaking views of the surrounding Himalaya peaks when the sky is clear. Eight of the nine highest Himalayan peaks can be seen, from the Annapurna as far as the Mount Everest.
As sunset approaches, the sky\'s red, orange, and violet light penetrates the billowing clouds, setting the stage for a spectacular sunset. When the sky is clear you can also see a spectacular sun rise.
Day 4: Mountainbike Nagarkot (day tour)
Statistics: Length: 58.8 km, Duration: 8 hours, Vertical up: 1130.1m, Vertical down: 1120m
The GPS-track of this part of the trip (whith photos and description) can be found here:
http://www.everytrail.com//view_trip.php?trip_id=431431&code=3bf9eb2b80a100b29f9f1f2ebfa785bf
After enjoying the glorious sunrise view from the roof terrace in Nagargot, the day begins with an exciting descent by single-track trail. We pass through several rustic villages with a continuing backdrop of Himalayan views on our way down the ridge. This is is another exhilarating ride from where awe-inspiring panoramic view of entire KathmanduValley together with Phulchowki, Nagarjun and Shivapuri ridges can be seen against the northern boundary of Majestic Himalayas. The moderate trail passes mostly downhill and at some points it descends rather steeply (cramps in the hands of squeezing the brakes all the time..) .
The trail brings us to Nala. The path is quite muddy and slippery, even in the dry period. After Nala (which is a nice, old city where a lot of people are working on the land), we climb gradually through the terraced fields, village dwellings and arrive at Banepa (which is a dirty, smelly and rather large city) from where a moderate climb brings us to Dhulikel. Here we have lunch on a rooftop terrace with a beautiful view on this panoramic place. We visit an impressive temple in Dhulikel. Descending through beautiful Newari farms, with their distinctive three-tiered farmhouses, we enter Bhaktapur (an ancient city, full of Newari art and cultural heritage) from the east. There are many temples and palace squares to explore here. However, we head back, northeast to Nagarkot on an excellent and quiet tarmac road. We take tis paved road via Bhaktapur instead of using the same dirt road we came because this would be too hard (rocks, bad roads and very steep ...). This is a 15 km detour and a gradual climb of 20 km uphill to Nagarkot, on the valley rim, passing steeply terraced farmland and houses that seem to be clinging to the hillside. It’s a hard climb, after having cycled 40km already.. However, if you\'re really exhausted, you can stop a bus and ask them to tie the bike on the roof. When we reach the summit we will be rewarded with the panoramic views of the snowy peaks of the Himalayas including a distant pyramid of Mount Everest (depending on weather condition). We stay in a beautiful guesthouse on the ridge.
Day 5: Mountainbike Nagarkot - Sankhu (visit eco-village Hamro Gaun) – Kathmandu
The day starts with an exciting descent on Jeep tracks. We pass through many rustic villages, while the views of the Himalayas follows you on the right side on clear day! We reach the beautiful ancient village of Shankhu. Here we will visit the beautiful temple of Vajrajogini. After visiting Hamro Gaun (the ecological village of Stiching Veldwerk) we ride back to Kathmandu on tarmac road towards Boudhanath Stupa and then back to Thamel.
