Downhill through the pines © Sterling Lorence

Lower Helipad trail © Chris Reichel

Chasing dreams © Dan Barham

Great views © Sterling Lorence

MTB – Kathmandu Shuttle Epic

This short trip gives you some of the best riding the Kathmandu valley rim has to offer in terms of Enduro style shuttle rides. We base our rides out of a hotel in Kathmandu and shuttle out to the trails each morning. We will however have one night up at Nagarkot which is famous for its mountain views as well as being home to some of the best trails on the Kathmandu valley rim.

These rides are technical mountain biking, so some degree of skill are required and we highly recommend bringing your own full suspension Enduro style mountain bike.

Starts In: Kathmandu
Ends In: Kathmandu
Duration: 6 Days
Difficulty Grade: Demanding

Highlights

Shuttle rides galore
More than 7000m descending in total
Ride the Asian Enduro trails at Nagarkot
Experience Sunset and Sunrise over the Himalayas

Itinerary

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Day 01: Welcome to Kathmandu

We will save you from the mad crowd at Kathmandu airport and transfer you to your hotel. The Manaslu Hotel is situated right outside the tourist district of Kathmandu, Thamel. We will put your bikes together and then maybe head into Thamel for a bit of shopping, or a walk through the old bazaar.

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu

Putting together bikes © Dan Barham

Day 02: Fine forest trails... The double shuttle

Today we have an early start and transfer out of town to the start of one of the most (in)famous trails in and around the Kathmandu valley, the Scar Route. The trails starts in Kakani, an excellent place to have the ﬁrst real views of the Himalayan Range, on a clear day from here the mountains seem super close and huge. We climb for about half an hour from Kakani and enter the Shivapuri National Park.

The Shivapuri National Park lies in the transition zone between subtropical and temperate zone. The vegetation consists of a variety of natural forest types including pine, oak, and rhododendron, depending on altitude and aspect. Recorded wildlife in the park includes Himalayan black bear, leopard, jungle cat, deer, and rhesus monkey. It is also home to an amazing 177 species of birds, including 9 threatened species.

Once inside the park we really start the single trail, it climbs for the ﬁrst 4km but then becomes a fast technical downhill on a skinny jungle trail for the next 4 km. We then join a small jeep trail contouring around the park boundary to Danda Gaun and another few km on a fast road down to Buddhanilkantha where we will have lunch.

In the afternoon we again shuttle up to the start of one of the best trails close to Kathmandu, the Helipad trail. The trail follows a great little ridgeline all the way into town. The ride is not super technical but will keep you interested all the way, we ride all the way to the big Stupa at Boudhanath before heading back our hotel.

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The scar route © Chris Reichel

Day 03: Nagarkot Enduro Trails

Today after another early breakfast, we’ll load our bikes and gear and transfer to the Nagarkot a village on the eastern side of the Kathmandu valley rim at around 2000m. Overlooking not only the Kathmandu valley but with great views of the might Himalayas to the north on clear days.

Nagarkot is home to the Asian Enduro series and we will have a great day riding these epic single trails. We will get as many shuttles in the day as possible and keep shredding all day.

Tonight we will stay up in Nargakot, so that you can experience the sunset and sunrise over the Himalayas but also so that we can have another downhill all the way into Kathmandu tomorrow.

Accommodation: Club Himalaya
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Impressed kids © Dan Barham

Day 04: And down it goes...

Nagarkot is a great place to get a stunning view of the Himalayan peaks, so get up early and have a look at the view before breakfast. After breakfast, we set out on a mixture of single trails and jeep trails down the hill to Changunaryan temple, perched on a ridgetop with views to the Himalayas if the weather is with you.

From here we continue riding through the valley towards Kathmandu, on a mix of single trails, jeep trails, and some tarmac roads. The single trails take us through some of the remaining farmland around Bhaktapur, where we see a lot of vegetables in the ﬁelds. This is the food bowl of Kathmandu and it is a joy to ride through. Once we get to the outskirts of Kathmandu we will load up the bikes and transfer them to your hotel in a vehicle.

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Downhill into the valley © Dan Barham

Day 05: Pulchowki 2760m back to the valley floor

Today is the final ride but it will be a big one, we will head to the highest peak on the Kathmandu Valley Rim, Pulchowki, a whopping 2760m above sea level. We jeep all the way to the top, from where there is an amazing view of the Kathmandu valley and the mountains beyond.

Our first couple of kilometers down is a warm-up on the jeep trail back down the way we came up but before long we get onto a very small contouring single trail. This trail joins a larger one coming straight down from the peak and we now have a great downhill before reaching the more level ridgeline below. Here we have a mix of single trail and jeep trail for a few kilometres before we take a very exciting downhill single trail into the valley way below.

Once down in the valley again we have numerous options for single trails towards town and, once again, we will load up the bikes from the edge of town and transfer them to your hotel.

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Another thrill © Dan Barham

Day 06: Farewell for now

Prepare and pack your bikes this morning. Exchange ‘tall’ stories of awesome climbs and heart-stopping descents. If your flight is later in the day, there is time for some last-minute sightseeing and shopping before your flight back home. Just ask us for directions or any suggestions we can give for this day.

Accommodation: None
Meals included: Breakfast

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Gallery

Included In Price

Hotel nights as speciﬁed in the itinerary
Meals as per the itinerary
Transportation as per the detailed itinerary
Entrance fees to Shivapuri National Park
English speaking mountain bike guide/mechanic (his meals and accommodation included)
And much more…

Not Included In Price

Services and activities not mentioned in the detailed itinerary
Any gear or equipment that you may need to rent/buy – please ask us if you would like any advice about gear to bring/buy/rent
International ﬂights to and from Kathmandu
Nepal visa fees and international airport taxes
Any excess baggage charges
Comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and rescue evacuation should this be required for any reason (we require this as the minimum insurance cover)
Additional nights, optional trips and sightseeing tours outside the detailed itineraries above
Single supplement
Personal expenses (eg mineral water/soft drinks/bar bills, entrance/photography fees at monasteries, laundry, telephone calls, postage, donations, extra snacks, etc)
Any extra charge that tea house owners may levy for single rooms, attached bathrooms, or hot showers (if these facilities are available) and charging of batteries
Tips for your trekking crew, city guide, drivers, hotels, restaurants, etc (please ask if you would like guidance about appropriate tips)
Costs incurred due to unforeseen events (eg caused by natural disasters, adverse road conditions/flight delays, labor strikes, fuel shortages, extreme exchange rate changes, etc)

Adventure travel: Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary, but as this is Adventure Travel in the mountains, we cannot guarantee it. Weather conditions, road conditions, vehicle breakdowns and the health of fellow travelers can all contribute to changes. We will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but an easy- going nature will be an asset!

<h2>Day 02: Fine forest trails... The double shuttle</h2>
								
									Today we have an early start and transfer out of town to the start of one of the most (in)famous trails in and around the Kathmandu valley, the Scar Route. The trails starts in Kakani, an excellent place to have the ﬁrst real views of the Himalayan Range, on a clear day from here the mountains seem super close and huge. We climb for about half an hour from Kakani and enter the Shivapuri National Park.
The Shivapuri National Park lies in the transition zone between subtropical and temperate zone. The vegetation consists of a variety of natural forest types including pine, oak, and rhododendron, depending on altitude and aspect. Recorded wildlife in the park includes Himalayan black bear, leopard, jungle cat, deer, and rhesus monkey. It is also home to an amazing 177 species of birds, including 9 threatened species.
Once inside the park we really start the single trail, it climbs for the ﬁrst 4km but then becomes a fast technical downhill on a skinny jungle trail for the next 4 km. We then join a small jeep trail contouring around the park boundary to Danda Gaun and another few km on a fast road down to Buddhanilkantha where we will have lunch.
In the afternoon we again shuttle up to the start of one of the best trails close to Kathmandu, the Helipad trail. The trail follows a great little ridgeline all the way into town. The ride is not super technical but will keep you interested all the way, we ride all the way to the big Stupa at Boudhanath before heading back our hotel.
																			Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu 																												Meals included: 
										Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

<h2>Day 04: And down it goes...</h2>
								
									Nagarkot is a great place to get a stunning view of the Himalayan peaks, so get up early and have a look at the view before breakfast. After breakfast, we set out on a mixture of single trails and jeep trails down the hill to Changunaryan temple, perched on a ridgetop with views to the Himalayas if the weather is with you.
From here we continue riding through the valley towards Kathmandu, on a mix of single trails, jeep trails, and some tarmac roads. The single trails take us through some of the remaining farmland around Bhaktapur, where we see a lot of vegetables in the ﬁelds. This is the food bowl of Kathmandu and it is a joy to ride through. Once we get to the outskirts of Kathmandu we will load up the bikes and transfer them to your hotel in a vehicle.
																			Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu 																												Meals included: 
										Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

<h2>Day 05: Pulchowki 2760m back to the valley floor</h2>
								
									Today is the final ride but it will be a big one, we will head to the highest peak on the Kathmandu Valley Rim, Pulchowki, a whopping 2760m above sea level. We jeep all the way to the top, from where there is an amazing view of the Kathmandu valley and the mountains beyond.
Our first couple of kilometers down is a warm-up on the jeep trail back down the way we came up but before long we get onto a very small contouring single trail. This trail joins a larger one coming straight down from the peak and we now have a great downhill before reaching the more level ridgeline below. Here we have a mix of single trail and jeep trail for a few kilometres before we take a very exciting downhill single trail into the valley way below.
Once down in the valley again we have numerous options for single trails towards town and, once again, we will load up the bikes from the edge of town and transfer them to your hotel.
																			Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu 																												Meals included: 
										Breakfast, Lunch

<ul>
<li>Services and activities not mentioned in the detailed itinerary</li>
<li>Any gear or equipment that you may need to rent/buy – please ask us if you would like any advice about gear to bring/buy/rent</li>
<li>International ﬂights to and from Kathmandu</li>
<li>Nepal visa fees and international airport taxes</li>
<li>Any excess baggage charges</li>
<li>Comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and rescue evacuation should this be required for any reason (we require this as the minimum insurance cover)</li>
<li>Additional nights, optional trips and sightseeing tours outside the detailed itineraries above</li>
<li>Single supplement</li>
<li>Personal expenses (eg mineral water/soft drinks/bar bills, entrance/photography fees at monasteries, laundry, telephone calls, postage, donations, extra snacks, etc)</li>
<li>Any extra charge that tea house owners may levy for single rooms, attached bathrooms, or hot showers (if these facilities are available) and charging of batteries</li>
<li>Tips for your trekking crew, city guide, drivers, hotels, restaurants, etc (please ask if you would like guidance about appropriate tips)</li>
<li>Costs incurred due to unforeseen events (eg caused by natural disasters, adverse road conditions/flight delays, labor strikes, fuel shortages, extreme exchange rate changes, etc)</li>
</ul>

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