Pikey Peak Mountain Biking Tour

The trip starts with some great singletrack riding in Nagarkot, which is where the "Grand Himalaya Enduro Series" is held every year outside of Kathmandu. The van ride to Nagarkot, which is on the edge of the Kathmandu valley, takes about an hour. Once we get there, though, we have a full day of shuttling and as much singletrack fun as you want. The trails in Nagarkot are very technical and go through jungle, rice terraces on the sides of hills, and local villages. They are a great way to get ready for the riding to come. After a day of great riding, we'll spend the night in Nagarkot to rest and get ready for the next leg of the trip.

Start early because it will take a long time to get to Dhap, which is about 200 kilometers from Nagarkot. The drive takes us along the Sindhuli Highway and through the hills where the Sunkosi River comes out of the Himalaya. We'll be on the road for a long time, but the scenery will be beautiful, and we'll stop for lunch in a beautiful place along the way. When we get to the small village of Dhap in the middle of the afternoon, we'll take a 16-kilometer warm-up ride on a jeep track to Jhapre, where we'll spend the night in a simple but comfortable teahouse.

Before leaving Jhapre on a dusty jeep track that quickly starts to climb out of a dense rhododendron forest, get up early and eat a Nepalese breakfast. Watch out for yaks on the trail. Some of them are out to graze, and some are carrying supplies to villages higher up. Today's ride is a climber, and from our starting altitude of 2,812 meters in Jhapre, we'll gain about 1,000 meters, which is no small feat at this altitude. Our pace will be slow so that we can get used to the altitude and take in the sights and sounds of the area. Tibetan Buddhist Mani Walls, prayer flags, and stupas dot the hillsides and villages nearby, and we'll have time to make several ritual circles around some of them! From the village of Bhulbhule, we switch to a single-track road that takes us all the way to the basecamp of Pikey Peak. It's a hard ride, and you'll have to push and carry some parts. At basecamp, we will spend the night in a simple place run by an older couple who will take great care of us.

We'll leave basecamp after breakfast to make the two-hour hike and bike ride to the peak. If you need it, you can get help with the bike from a porter. At just over 4,000 meters, the peak has views of the Everest Himalaya that you will never forget. Sir Edmund Hillary said that this was his favorite place. Take in the views, enjoy the moment, and listen to the prayer flags flapping in the wind before getting ready for an exciting ride down. All the way down to Suke Pokharai, Pikey's descent is steep, rocky, and totally gnarly. It will be a technical 45-minute descent that will be hard on your body. From here on out, we'll be in a jungle, and we'll take some narrow trails through villages. This wild forest singletrack has been used by local people and their animals for hundreds of years. You can expect to see tree roots, drops, and rocks. We walk the last 3 kilometers on a jeep track to get to the village of Phaplu, which will be our home for the next few days.

Today we have a fun day shuttling and riding singletrack on the forest trails near Phaplu, where there seemed to be an endless number of trails to choose from. Expect more wild tracks with a lot of tree roots, rocks, and sections that flow together. We'll go up to a beautiful lookout tower in Raatnage, then back down to Phaplu and nearby Salleri on another great singletrack section through the forest. Spend the night at Phaplu.

Today, we'll be doing more singletrack riding. We'll drive back to Raatnage and ride down another singletrack, this time on the northern side. We'll follow the Junbesi River until we find a flat jeep track that leads all the way to the village of Junbesi, which the local language calls "beautiful" because of its location. The village of Junbesi is near an old monastery with prayer flags and prayer wheels. Kiwi fruit can be seen growing on local farms. In this beautiful village, we'll spend the night in a charming teahouse known for its apple liquor.

We are about to have one of the best days of the trip: a fast, exciting ride through the hillside villages. At the start of the trail, there's a tough uphill where we'll have to push the bike. After this, the rest of the trail is a fast, flowing path through the jungle with parts that are rocky and full of roots. After a small river crossing, there is a section where you have to carry your pack uphill. Before the last part of the ride back to Phaplu, we'll stop in one of the villages for lunch. From there, we'll be able to see the Everest Himalaya. All the way to the village is a fast, flat, and downhill jeep track.

In the morning, pack up the bikes and send them back to Kathmandu by truck to get ready to leave. We'll choose the easier option, which is a 30-minute flight with amazing views of the landscape we've been riding through for the past week. Before our farewell dinner in the lively Kathmandu neighborhood of Thamel, we'll have time to check into our hotel, freshen up, and maybe buy some last-minute gifts.

Today we will take you to the airport to catch your flight out of Nepal. Alternatively, if you'd like to stay longer, we may make additional travel arrangements to assist you continue your cycling experience.