Upper Mustang Mountain Biking Tour

Start your biking adventure with an early morning flight, from Pokhara to Jomsom. As you ride your bike from Jomsom towards Kagbeni you’ll witness a transformation of the landscape. Experience the beauty of the Kali Gandaki River valley, where you’ll be amazed, by striking formations and catch glimpses of the Mustang culture. Finally arrive in Kagbeni a village situated at the entrance of Upper Mustang. Here you’ll find yourself surrounded by monasteries and fascinating narrow streets to explore.

After enjoying breakfast you will embark on a journey, towards Muktinath. Muktinath holds significance for both Hindus and Buddhists as one of the revered Char Dhams in Nepal.

The route from Kagbeni to Muktinath primarily follows a track with a stop at Jharkot for lunch. During the ride, you can marvel at the breathtaking views of snow capped mountains, like Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri.

After hours of riding you will reach your destination for the day; Muktinath. Take some time to have lunch and then proceed with your pilgrimage. Seek blessings here before returning to your hotel.

To make sure you get the majority of the breathtaking views, you will need to get an early start today. After departing from Muktinath, you will cycle past a picturesque settlement and begin the ascent to the 4066-meter-high Gyu La Pass a short distance away. You will descend roughly 1200 meters from the top of the Gyu La on a quick single track to Chhusang. After crossing the Kali Gandaki, you will begin to ascend in the direction of Samar, your last stop for the day.

You will climb steeply to the settlement of Chele for lunch after crossing the Kali Gandaki River. Chele is flanked by barley fields and willow trees. After that, in the afternoon, you’ll ascend a cairn once more to a height of 3,310 meters to see the breathtaking Gyakar settlement.

The road narrows numerous times as it climbs continuously to a pass at 3,550 meters, offering breathtaking views of the southern Himalayan peaks, such as Niligiri and Tilicho Peaks. The trail then descends quickly to the village of Samar and a campsite near trees and irrigation channels. 

You’re in Upper Mustang now, where the accommodations will be much more modest and the landscape more isolated.

The riding path now consists of five passes above 3,800 meters: Bhena La, Yamdo La, Syanboch La, Nya La, and Ghami La. Thus, a hearty breakfast in the morning is necessary.

The paths are a little more difficult than they were the day before, with a much easier climb that isn’t steep. Yes, it’s an uphill, but during the day there are some swift downhill stretches to make up for it.

After having lunch in Ghiling, you will ride to Ghami, which is a 5-kilometer ascent followed by a lengthy descent just before the teahouse.

Head toward Upper Mustang’s walled capital, Lo Manthang. The trail offers amazing sweeping vistas of the Himalayas as it passes through high mountains like Nyi La and Tsarang La. 

Halfway during the day, you will travel through the charming village of Charang, where you can have lunch and take in the village’s splendor before moving on to another ride.

Following this town, you will pass a solitary Chorten and amazing caverns carved out of the surrounding cliffs before reaching a crest at 3,850 m that offers your first view of Lo Manthang, Mustang Khola’s stunning beauty, and snow-capped Mansail to the west.

As you descend from the ridge you will come across a brook. From there you’ll need to climb a distance to reach the corner of the renowned walled city. The impressive walls of this age city and its ancient monasteries will greet you warmly as you approach Lo Manthang. Take your time to discover the palaces and monasteries immersing yourself in the tapestry of cultures that make this place truly magical.

Today’s ride will take you to Kamaling, a town on the Chinese border and somewhat above Lo Manthang. This will provide you with an excellent opportunity to get some breathtaking landscape shots! Additionally, you will travel to Garphu to see the historic cave houses and monasteries that the Tibetan people once inhabited. You may enjoy an amazing view of the Annapurna Mountains and Nilgiri when the weather is clear. There’s hardly much climbing throughout the day; the majority of the paths are flat. Riding through these seemingly time-forgotten towns will be an experience.

You may also refer to it as an exploration day. There are about 150 homes in the city, along with four monasteries, one of which is thought to be from the fifteenth century.

Numerous Buddha images and other religious paintings may be found inside the temples; however, taking pictures of these paintings is frequently forbidden. Remember also that the monasteries are guarded by Tibetan Mastiff dogs.

Before the invasion of Tibet, the city—which is dominated by the King’s Palace buildings—was a major hub for the ancient salt and wood trade, making it one of the rich regions experiencing decline.

The monastery, which offers expansive views of the two nearby settlements, Marang and Charang, is 21 km away from the route today. There are two passes to cross: Mui La (4170m) and Chogo La (4280m), which is the highest point of the journey.

The day starts with a 6.5 km climb to a cairn-marked crossing through alpine meadows, then descends a reddish-purple gully worn by erosion to the settlement of Tanmar.

From here, the ride will be 15 km of lush fields that contrast sharply with the arid surroundings. You will also ascend more ridges before making a brief descent to the settlement of Ghami (93,440 m). You will arrive at your camping location when you continue past the settlement on the way to Nyi La (Nyi Pass).

It is advised that less technically proficient cyclists push over the steep and rocky single-track descents from the summit of both passes, which are only appropriate for experienced riders.

After you leave Ghami, travel 7 kilometers to the 4010-meter-high Niy La pass. Following the crossing, there will be a quick descent to Ghilling hamlet and a 4 km ascent to 3850-foot Syangboche La. It descends into the town for a few minutes from Syangboche and then climbs for 3km to reach Yamda Pass at 3850 meters. After that, the trail meanders for a while before dropping off significantly to reach Chele.

Though you will be taking some detours on your way down, you will still need to follow the same paths as the previous days. There are some incredibly fast and exciting downhill stretches with breathtaking vistas of the Annapurna and Nilgiri ranges.

This day, as you drop out of Upper Mustang, the air grows heavier and the riding is smoother, though there are still a few challenging climbs to overcome. To get to Chhusang, the first three kilometers from Chele are primarily flat or downhill.

Along the journey, there will be a metal bridge that you can cross to witness the river flowing through a natural tunnel. From Chhusang, the trails gently slope towards Kagbeni, where you will once more follow the Kali Gandaki riverside.

The riding from here is flat, but the weather in the mountains is usually very strong, so there’s a chance of headwinds all the way to Marpha.

The tour’s longest distance, largest downhill stretch, and most enjoyable riding occurs today!  

The first 20 kilometers of the trail meanders through a broad valley with patches of forest and a suspension bridge that crosses across to the Lete town. You will have a steep descent from Lete. On the descent, exercise caution and diligence since you may come across traffic!

Once you’ve reached Tatopani, you’ll register at the hotel and head to the natural hot springs for some relaxation and recuperation.

The journey’s final ride! Once the hard effort is done, the ride down to the trail’s end is leisurely. The trail gently undulates all the way to Maldhunga, and riding will seem easy until you’re back at lower elevations. There is a jeep track for the first 21 kilometers to Beni, after which there is a broken tarmac.

After the MTB-WW team receives you at Maldhunga, they will load your bags and bikes onto the car, and it will take about three to four hours to get you to Pokhara.

There will be lots of free time after you arrive in Pokhara and check into your accommodation for sightseeing and shopping in the tranquil lakeside town. Following their completion of “The Forbidden Kingdom,” passengers and crew members can safely celebrate in a variety of hotels, restaurants, and pubs that meet international standards.

Following breakfast, you will take a 25-minute short plane ride or an 8-hour bus ride back to Kathmandu. After returning to Kathmandu, you’ll have the afternoon to spend shopping for trinkets or visiting some of the city’s numerous temples and interesting sites.