Nepal is an exciting venue for the mountain biking and cycling. The venues range from the one that test your skills and stamina to the ones that are leisurely and fantastic for the scenery. You can do mountain biking on your own or get it organized by the tour companies. Here are some of the mountain biking routes in Nepal:
The Scar Road from Kathmandu:
This route starts from Balaju (2 kilometers north from Thamel) in Kathmandu and heads towards the road to Kakani, which, at an altitude of 2073 meters, is 23 kilometers away. From Kakani the route heads to Shivapuri where foreigners need to pay Rs. 1000 (around US$ 15) as entry fee to the National Park. Then the Scar Road is in front of you. You need to drive 25 kilometers of this road before descending the 7 kilometers long road to the valley. The trip ends in Budhanilkantha, where you can see the sleeping statue of Vishnu. The whole trail is 70 kilometers long and takes around six hours to complete.
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Kathmandu to Dhulikhel:
The route starts in Koteshwor - the starting point of the Araniko Highway- in Kathmandu. The trail passes through Bhaktapur to Banepa to Dhulikhel which is 32 kilometers long and is enough for the first day. On the second day, take the trail from Dhulikhel to Namobuddha to Panauti to Banepa. From Banepa, you could ride around 4 kilometers to Dhulikhel or return via the Araniko Highway to Kathmandu. The total length of the trail is 90 kilometers.
The Back Door to Kathmandu:
The trail starts from Panauti and proceeds to Lakuri Bhanjyang which is at an altitude of 1960 meters. Then take the route to Sisneri and Lubhu. The biking ends at the ring road near Patan. The route is 30 kilometers long and takes around half a day to complete.
Dhulikhel to the Tibetan Border:
The Dhulikhel to the Tibetan Border route, along the Araniko Highway, is 83 kilometers long and takes 2 days to complete. On the first day, ride from Dhulikhel to Dolalghat to Lamosangu , where you make an overnight stay. Then proceed to Tatopani and then to Kodari via Barabise. You could stay in Tatopani and enjoy the hot spring or return to Borderlands Resort for overnight accommodation.
On returning, you could follow the same trial to Dhulikhel or Kathmandu or ride on a bus with your bicycle.
The Rajpath from Kathmandu:
The Rajpath starts from Kalanki in Kathmandu and takes downhill to Naubise, which is 27 kilometers away. From here, ride uphill along the Tribhuwan Highway to Daman, where you could make an overnight stay. The maximum altitude of 2488 meters is reached by riding 3 kilometers away from Daman and you could descend 2300 meters in 60 kilometers from there. The town of Hetauda is reached after riding 150 kilometers from Kathmandu. And from there you could ride towards the Indian border or take the road towards the Chitwan National Park (80 kilometers away).
Hetauda to Narayangarh and Mugling:
The ride starts from Hetauda and along the East West Highway to Narayangarh in Chitwan. You will see the sub tropical vegetation along the way. Watch out for the signpost and resorts on your left along the way. After riding for around 80 kilometers, you will reach the Tadi Bazaar from where Sauraha is 6 kilometers ride. Narayangarh is 20 kilometers away from Sauraha on the banks of Narayani River. From Narayangarh, you could ride to Mugling (35 kilometers) on your bicycle or on a bus with your bicycle as per your preference. The total length of the route is 91 kilometers to Narayangarh and 105 kilometers via Sauraha.
Kathmandu to Pokhara:
This trail starts from Kalanki in Kathmandu and passes Naubise, Mugling along the Prithvi Highway and reaches Pokhara. You could also consider making a detour to Gorkha from Abu Khaireni (24 kilometers) or to Bandipur from near Dumre (7 kilometers). The whole length of the route is 216 kilometers and takes 2 days to complete.
Pokhara to Sarangkot and Naudanda:
Take the road from Pokhara to Sarangkot, the hill directly visible on the north of Lakeside. From Sarangkot, take the road via Kaski to Naudanda. The road from Pokhara to Naudanda is around 22 kilometers long and an uphill route. From Naudanda, it is 6 kilometer downhill to Mardi Khola and a gentle slope to Pokhara. You will see the excellent views of the Himalayas from the route.
Please find out about some of the biking tour companies to help you organize your trips.
