On this trip you are likely to be joining a group of people from different countries. If, however, our dates are unsuitable for you, we can arrange a private tour for you or circulate your convenient dates and find others to join you. Our group size varies, the maximum is 12 people.

The dates for these following trips are ex Kathmandu, you have to arrive Kathmandu at least 2 days prior to each departure date. You can also join this trip from Lhasa. For any further information, please contact us.

Conditions

This is undoubtedly the most challenging tour that we are running. In terms of the average altitude, and the length of the trip, the Lhasa to Kathmandu ride can fairly claim to be the highest mountain biking in the world. The importance of four days, spent gently sightseeing around Lhasa, cannot be over emphasized, as proper acclimatization is vital to anyone hoping to complete this route. We start from the Tibetan capital -Lhasa, and cross 6 high Passes, before eventually descending from the Tibetan Plateau into Nepal. One third of main road is asphalted the rest is on well-worn dust tracks. There will also be a chance to get off the main road, using the small herders' path to the Everest Base Camp, which will involve cycling on much rougher dirt tracks.

Daily distances cycled will range from 40 to 100 kilometers. This may not sound particularly great, especially to road-orientated cyclists, but the high altitude, difficult terrain and tough ascents will make any cycling in this region, a challenge for everyone. The general direction of our tour is downhill, but sometime there will be some pretty serious climbs. If you feel exhausted while cycling up the pass you can also ride the support vehicle.

This is our most demanding cycling trip, for which you will need to be reasonably fit and put in some training. Throughout the route, we will have the support of a back-up vehicle, and anyone who is not feeling up to cycling a particular stage has the option to get on the bus. On the main route the cycling is simple with no technical difficulties, but for those of you who want more of a thrill off the road, the footpaths, which dissect the hundreds of switchbacks, offer as much of a challenge as you could want.

Your bike must be an All Terrain Mountain Bike, possessing a minimum of 15 gears. Many of the roads and tracks we follow are suitable for four-wheel drive vehicle only, and in places not even that!

You are depending on your bike to transport you over eleven hundred kilometers during your holiday, across the demanding terrain. It should therefore be THOROUGHLY CHECKED to ensure it is in a good mechanical order before departure. If you are not mechanically orientated, your local bicycle dealer should undertake this service. Points to particularly note are the following:

§ Check and adjust all wheel spokes.
§ Check and grease all bearings.
§ Check adjusts /replace brakes and cables.
§ Check gears and cables.
§ Check and tighten all nuts and bolts [especially bottom bracket].
§ Check chain, quick release clamps, tyre, and inner tubes.

We will bring general spare parts like tubes, spokes, rims, oil, break and gear wires etc. These we will be charging a minimum cost for, in case you need some of them on the way. We recommend that you bring very special parts yourself, since we will only bring the most general parts.

Vehicle Support

At all times we will have the security and back up of support vehicle[s]. For the whole route across the Tibetan Plateau we will be completely self sufficient with a fleet of 4WD drive Land Cruisers. Should the need arise; we can also accommodate the odd tired mountain biker as well! As this is such a high altitude road, there will definitely be times when the whole group, plus cycles will be carried to the top of Passes. We must stress that apart from the emergency tool-kit that you would take on any day ride you will not be required to carry any luggage. This is not touring, laden down with panniers it is pure mountain biking.

The Cycling Day

A typical day starts with an early morning brew served in your tent at about 6 a.m. After a hot breakfast, during which camp will be struck and the jeeps loaded, we start cycling in the pleasant cool of the morning. Lunch is usually taken at about 11 a.m. and takes about an hour or so. We aim to pitch camp for the night by 2 or 3 p.m., i.e. well before dusk. During the day you are free to cycle at your own pace, enjoying the scenery and stopping to take as many pictures as you wish.

Traveling With Your Bike

To carry your bike on the flight to Nepal and then on to Tibet, you will need to partially dismantle your bike and ideally put it into a cardboard box or a padded bicycle bag. Using the cardboard box in which the bike originally came is easiest and your local bike dealer will be more than happy to give you of these.

Essentially though, airlines require that you take your pedals off and turn the handlebars parallel to the bike's frame. To fit it into the cardboard box you will need to dismantle your front wheel and handle bars, take the seat and post off. Take some extra tape to seal your bike box and/or strap your bike up on the return journey.

Accessories

We recommend you to bring the following items to make your journey more comfortable: Personal first aid kid, water purification tablets, flashlight with extra batteries, sunglasses, water bottle, note book, pens, pencils, camera and film and extra batteries for electronic Cameras, binoculars, Duffel bag, rain gear, strong footwear, pocket knife, sewing kits, compass, drinking cup, towel, plastic bags, dust mask, strong sun cream, money belt etc.