Kathmandu and Nepal in general is well-geared for other sports than trekking, including rafting, bungy jumping, and mountain biking. I opted to go on a guided day trip, though only cross-country and not the 31 km downhill trip near Tibet, though it was tempting.
We started off on jeep trails in the hills northwest of Kathmandu. Relatively leisurely, but my guide could easily pull away from me on the climbs. He’s been training and racing for the past 6 months, on his way to national championship glory. Bumpy descents, poor suspension, and kids throwing rocks made me almost want to quit.
We stopped for brunch of delicious sandwiches, chickpea curry, cookies, and chai, and then everything turned around. We were heading into the technical singletrack downhill section, so things were looking up. Turns out the trails they ride are the mud service paths along fields and irrigation canals. incredibly narrow with steep drops on either side, with not so much as an inch for error, and no room to put your foot down if you stop—I found that last one out the hard way. Just keep going and balancing, through fields dodging farmers and their hoes. Super-gnarly descents down stairways and over gaps as well. It was extremely challenging and a lot of fun.
We returned back to the bike shop via bustling city streets. We were dodging pedestrians, cows, motorcycles, trucks, and buses as we raced through thoroughfares and narrow alleyways. The ride was incredible, with not even a single close call. My guide Rajan had his head on a swivel and kept us always in the right place at the right time.
I apologize for not having any good pictures. I was trying not to crash off a ledge or into a truck the entire time. Suffice to say it was the closest I got to Nepali agriculture and transportation, and an experience well worth the cuts, scratches, and monetary costs I incurred.
Rajan, of Himalayan Singletrack tours, above Kathmandu
The one shot I managed, in a less-technical section
Next we’re heading out to Sainji again in the hills of Uttarakhand. Time to visit old friends, teach the kids some engineering, and even get a little work done on the side.
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