Mountain Biking

The trails were already here

Nepal's riding is good for an accidental reason: before roads, everything moved on foot along trails linking villages, and those trails have been maintained for centuries. They contour, they are well drained, they connect places where you can eat and sleep — which is, by coincidence, a description of excellent singletrack.

It also means you are riding through inhabited country rather than a bike park. Expect to yield to porters, mule trains and schoolchildren, and to stop often.

Day rides from Kathmandu

The valley rim is ringed with trails and most people are surprised how good the riding is within an hour of the city.

Shivapuri — a long climb into the national park on the north rim, then technical forest descent. The classic half-day.

Nagarkot to Sankhu — drive up for sunrise over the Himalaya, then a long descent back into the valley on old trails through villages. The most popular ride in Nepal and deservedly so.

Kakani and Champadevi — quieter, steeper and more technical, for riders who want less traffic and more work.

The multi-day rides

Upper Mustang. The best mountain biking in Nepal and among the best high-desert riding anywhere. Dry, rideable trails, dramatic canyon country, and — because it is in the rain shadow — a route that works in the monsoon when everywhere else is unrideable. It is demanding: altitude, sustained afternoon headwinds and long days.

Annapurna Circuit. Rideable in full, including Thorong La, though the pass involves a substantial hike-a-bike with the bike on your back. A serious undertaking with real rewards, and the descent into Mustang on the far side is exceptional.

Kathmandu to Pokhara off-road. Four to six days linking villages on trails and dirt roads, avoiding the highway entirely.

Bikes and support

Bring your own if you are particular — most serious riders do, and it travels fine. Good full-suspension rental exists in Kathmandu and Pokhara but the fleet quality varies, so ask for photographs and the model year before committing.

Multi-day rides run with a support vehicle where a road exists, and with porters or mules where it does not. On the Mustang and Annapurna routes a mechanic travels with the group; a broken hanger is a trip-ending problem three days from a road.

Season

October to April for most of the country — dry trails and firm surfaces. Monsoon makes the valley trails slick clay and generally unrideable, which is precisely when Mustang comes into its own.