Tibet and Nepal Mountain Biking Experience

Overview

The 1,200-km Highway 318 from Lhasa in Tibet to Kathmandu n Nepal has suddenly become one of the most fashionable, gruelling and wondrous trails for international mountain bikers.

Originally part of the famed Silk Road of the Middle Ages, this windswept and frosty trail once facilitated trade between China and India. But the huge span of barren desert and snowy mountain passes meant that only the most resolute people attempted the journey. The cold lonely plateau was left in relative isolation for centuries until the Chinese invasions of 1951 and 1959. As the tanks rolled into Lhasa, tens of thousands of Tibetans - the Dalai Lama included - fled by foot or by mule across the Himalayas to sanctuary in Nepal and India. The Chinese colonists - vilified though they may be - have opened the region to tourism, introduced good hotels and restaurants, and invested in road construction. All of which is good news for the traveller. For those with a passion for mountain-biking, permits are now available to cycle the entire way from Lhasa to Kathmandu. Fortunately, you don't have to be a super-fit athlete to attempt the expedition, but you will need a considerable amount of determination.

The Highest - The Longest:
What makes the Trans-Himalayan highway so special? First of all, it's the highest road in the world, averaging an altitude of 4,500m above sea level as it traverses the Tibetan plateau. Secondly, the route boasts the world's longest continuous descent, which of course means that you willl face the world's longest uphill if you are heading in the opposite direction. Apart from the adventure of jousting with so many entries from the "Guinness Book of Records", what makes this journey so special to mountain bikers is the sense of isolation and awe-inspiring scenery. They must also face an onslaught of zigzagging mountain passes and endure a constant battle against breathlessness.

Condition:
Expect to cover 70 to 100 km per day. Be sure you have clothes for all conditions: remember that you are above the clouds and it can be very sunny and bright. It can also snow, rain, hail and become very, very cold at the drop of a hat.

Health and Diet:
Unless you're already at your leanest and best, expect to lose around 10 kilograms on this trip. Eat as much as you can as often as you can. With an eight- to 10-hour workout in front of you each day, you need carbohydrates. Don't be vain and think you willl shed your love handles by keeping to a diet of vitamins and supplements. You simply won't have enough in your tank to keep going. So make sure you have plenty of potato and pasta dishes on the menu. Alcohol, cigarettes and sleeping pills all thin the blood and must be avoided like an enraged yeti while at altitude.
 
At 5000m your lungs are getting 50 per cent of the oxygen they would at sea level. Therefore it's not uncommon to hyperventilate even when you are lying in bed. Altitude sickness, or Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), affects everyone, especially the young and fit. "Drink three to four litres of water every day," says Dr Yogendra Man Shakya, who has seen more than his fair share of AMS cases at the Institute of Medicine in Kathmandu. "The Golden Rule in the Himalayas is: if anyone gets sick, the symptoms are due to the altitude until proven otherwise." The drug Diomox may help with AMS a little, but this prophylactic should only be taken for the first few days. In fact, there is little you can do about altitude sickness except stop, descend and rest. One other tip: don't zip your tent all the way down at night. Heat exhaustion can result from lack of air circulation.

What to buy before you go?
Sunglasses - UV increases 4 per cent every 300 metres you climb. With that and the dust, there is no replacement for protective, wrap-round shades.
Facemask - A must for the dust! Buy one with filters so you don't restrict your breathing.
Power bars - Halfway up the Karo Pass and your tank is empty. You've just GOT to stop and crunch on a Black Cherry Almond Bar.
Toilet paper - Keep it close at all times. Altitude = diarrhoea = frequent pit stops.

Trip Classification

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Outline Itinerary

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You must have adequate insurance for this type of trek. Click here