Roof of the World

We’ll greet you on arrival in Kathmandu and you will be transferred to your hotel where you can unwind and enjoy some R&R before dinner in Thamel where you can meet and get to know others on this tour.

Enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city to give you a chance to prepare for the high-altitude riding to come. Take in sights such as the Syambanath (monkey temple), ancient Hindu and Buddhist temple complexes, Boudhanath Stupa (one of the holiest Buddhist sites), Pashupatinath (an ancient Hindu temple complex), and burning ghats on the Bagmati River. This afternoon pick up your bike. Time allowing we’ll test them out. And then there are the markets, and the nightlife to enjoy.

Our first day’s ride takes us out of Kathmandu and eventually to Nepal’s jungly plains and Chitwan National Park. To avoid the crowded main road which is often under construction, we’ll take a  route that heads into the hills south of Kathmandu. Leaving the traffic behind, our hilly road, with twist after twist, is both fun and beautiful. We’ll leave the hills at Hetauda and make our way along the plains to Chitwan.

Today is a truly magnificent day. We’ll make arrangements to see as much as we can – including an elephant safari through the park. Hopefully you’ll catch a glimpse of the Bengal Tiger, the Clouded Leopard, the Asiatic Elephant and possibly the One-Horned Rhino! We’ll have the opportunity to explore the Rapti river and with luck see fish-eating Gharial crocs  as well as mugger crocs, exotic birdlife, and so much more!

Today’s ride is only not long, but it requires some concentration. The main road directly north of Chitwan has been undergoing a widening project for some time, and we’re likely to meet heavy traffic and construction for the first 50 km or so. After that, we spend a short time on the main Kathmandu-Pokhara route before heading up the Trishuli River to our evening’s destination of Bidur.

We’ll rise early and continue up the Trishuli river and then through Nepal’s Langtang National Park toward the Tibetan border.  As we do we’ll pass from rich and dense jungle up, up, up and into the pine forests of the borderlands. Today we ascend pretty constantly from about 300 m to 2700, so we’ll take it slow and easy. Crossing can take some time, so we’ll aim to arrive at the border by mid morning. Once across, it’s a pleasant and short ride up to our evening’s destination of Gyirong Town, also along the Trishuli River.

Today’s ride takes us north and east along a stretch of road relatively undiscovered by tourists. From the pine forests we’ll ascend onto the great Tibeytan plateau to meet up with the main pilgrimage route to Kailash, but instead of turning west toward that holiest of mountains, we’ll go east toward Lhasa. The verdant greens of Nepal’s lowlands will have given way to the mesmerizing beauty of light across Tibet’s mineral rich peaks and plains.  Our night’s destination is Old Tingre and along the way, if the weather is kind to us as we near, we’ll have glimpses of Everest looming majestically toward the south.  There are hot springs just outside of Old Tingre and if we’re lucky with timing we’ll get a soak with the locals.

Still acclimatizing from our gain in altitude over the last couple of days, breakfast is a leisurely affair before leaving for our evening’s destination.  Though Everest is near and calling, we’ll save our highest night’s elevation for the return home and ride instead past both the old and new Base Camp access roads.  On up the sweeping and increasingly stark valley we’ll crest Lhapa La (5200m). The road is gentle, wide and easy with sweeping views of Tibet’s grandeur. An easy descent brings us to Lhatse, set at the juncture of Tibet’s main west-bound trading roads. From here it’s a fast ride (well, fast-ish, this is Tibet, and we are on Enfields!) through iron rich hills and bizarre groves of newly planted trees stretching as far as the eye can see. Shigatse is by far the largest town on the ride so far, and the second largest Tibetan city we’ll see on the journey. Prior to the 1950s Tibet was under the general rule of the Gelugpa school of Buddhism. Lhasa was the governmental headquarters and home to its chief figurehead, the Dalai Lama, while Shigatse housed Tibet’s spiritual headquarters, and its corresponding figure, the Panchen Lama. If we arrive earlier in the day, we’ll explore Shigatse Dzong that afternoon. Otherwise we’ll visit the following morning before riding on to Lhasa.

Today takes us along the main route from Shigatse to Lhasa along the Yarlung Zangbo river. It’s a beautiful and fairly straightforward ride arriving at the Forbidden City, Lhasa, and our central hotel. We should arrive with plenty of time to wander the markets before evening.

There’s a lot worth seeing in Lhasa, so we’ll rise early to tour both the Potala Palace, the icon of Tibet and home to 14 Dalai Lamas, and the Jokhan Monastery, often called the Heart of Lhasa. We should finish in time for ample exploration of Bharkor,  the pilgrimage circuit and the multitude of shops and stalls surrounding the monastery.

Heading south-west, today is a day of good roads and exceptional scenery as we pass Yamdrok Tso Lake on the scenic back roads from Lhasa to Gyantse. We ride over two 5000 m passes today, Kamba-La and Karo-La before arriving in Gyantse. We’ll arrive with plenty of time to explore Gyantse’s famous Buddhist Monastery complexes housing some of the rarest Tibetan Buddhist art in the world.

We’ve ridden much of this stretch of road already, but you’ll be surprised how different it looks going in the other direction and what you’ve missed along the way. Prepare for a gentle gain in altitude as we reach our lunch destination at Lhatse, and then an abrupt rise and slow, stark descent down into Xegar. We’ll retire somewhat early tonight in preparation for tomorrow’s Everest approach.

This is it! Our aim today is to ride as close to Everest Base Camp (EBC) as it is possible to get. EBC is probably one of the most famous sites in Tibet outside Lhasa. The approach road is wide and well maintained. Where once it was dirt – often with hefty corrugations and occasional deep patches of dust and gravel – now it is wide and paved and very well maintained. Still, attention is paramount, especially as the steady rise in altitude begins to take its toll. We’ll scale a hefty 5200 m pass by means of countless switchbacks before descending slightly to a midway stop in the idyllic village of Pesong. Next, the road heads up a wide, dry valley to the Rongbuk Monastery. The authorities require one to stop some 50ish km from EBC, park one’s vehicle, and board an electric bus that takes them the remainder of the way. Still, it is a breathtaking journey (quite literally)!  We will arrive in plenty of time for a visit to Base Camp  – 9 km south of Rongbuk Monastery, at just under 6,000 m (18,200 ft). The highest mountain on Earth looms majestically just over our shoulders. If it is a clear day and Everest is visible, we’ll likely head back to Old Tingri where accommodation is better and the elevation is lower. If it is cloudy, we’ll stay at Rongbuk for a chance to see Everest the next morning.

If we’ve stayed at Rongbuk, we’ll rise early for a final view of the mountain before taking a less-used track that meets the Friendship highway at Old Tingre. If we’ve stayed in Old Tingri we’ll have done this bit the day before. In any case, it’s a long but sublime ride back to the border crossing at Kyirong.

Today we’ll say goodbye to Tibet and hello once again to the warmth and hospitality of Nepal. An early border crossing will give us ample time for the ride into Kathmandu and an early afternoon arrival. The afternoon is yours to explore the city by mountain bike or rickshaw, do a little shopping or simply relax at the hotel.  In the evening we have our farewell dinner party.

Today your Roof of the World adventure tour ends. Transfer to airport for your onward travel arrangements. We are sure you will have many exciting memories of this Himalayan ride to take home with you.