Mountain Bike Trip: India 2010

Trip runs from June 24th, 2010 to July 18th, 2010

Interested in getting off the beaten path with your extreme downhill mountain bike? How about coming to the highest and one of the most challenging places in the world, The Himalayas! This region is fast becoming one of the most popular places to ride, but we offer you an experience unlike no other. Down hill through northern India’s mountain ranges you’ve only read about in books. Visit small mountainside villages and see what life is like at 4000m. Then, relax and take it all in with your friends at night along side a meal provided by our personal chef. Nomad Adventure is your ticket to the freedom culture of India’s Himalayas!

Geographical conditions:

Kicks off from the village of Manali, located at the base of the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh in the northern India. Our path winds through the northernmost provinces of India (Jammu and Kashmir Province) in the Himalayan Mountain Range.

Manali lies in a valley region at 1896 meters above sea level, with view of the Himalayas at heights of almost 6000m. Our path proceeds through the pass of Rothang La at 3978m. The passes along the route may be snow covered throughout the entire year due to elevation, so the best time to navigate them is from June until mid-October. Once across the passes, we will proceed to Lamayuru (Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir). Along the way, we will pass a very remote and traditional region called Padum Zanskar. in the future, this may all disappear because there is a road to be completed to Nimoo in 2015 for tourism purposes.

Tour description:

After arriving in Delhi around midnight, proceed by taxi to Manali (approximately 14hours). After two days acclimating in Manali, the trek proceeds from Manali to Lamayuru (approximately 16 days) with guide and pack animals. The trek is rated “demanding”: single-track trail and technical downhills. And it will also afford spectacular scenery. Once arriving in Lamayuru Village, we will proceed to the regional capital of Leh. From here you can fly to Delhi, and then back to your home country.

You are assured an unforgettable experience mountain biking through the heart of the Himalayas. The adventure includes myself, a local guide, chef and horsemen, food and transport(New Delhi - Leh). The horses will carry our luggage. For some un-navigable sections, also our bikes. We will spend the nights in tents, eat together with food cooked by our chef, and spend our time relaxing and socializing in the warmth of the cooking tent.

India, the Himalayas, and your adventure await you! I’m really excited to hear from you or others you think would enjoy this trek, so please write to me as soon as possible!

other info:

Number of vacation days: 24

Technical mountain biking Level: demanding

Endurance Level: demanding

Vaccination: no vaccination (Twin Rix recommended)

Visa: yes (6 months)

Price per person (excluding flights): USD 3700.-

Tour 2010: There are only 3 more spots available

Mountain bike: your own freeride MTB (fullsuspension recommended)

Impressions of past participants:

Otmar Graf, age 32, TV Producer and Video Producer, CH

“To make a long story short: it was simply awesome! I really enjoyed the landscape, side trips, food, and especially the team I was part of.”

Thomas Knecht, age 30, Engineer, CH

It’s just not easy to describe such a wonderful time… The landscape with its many colors, the high mountains contrasting with the river and valleys - just a totally new experience for me. The feeling in the evening when we arrived after a long day, eating and talking together and then sleeping under the stars. Dorje did a great job guiding us. Mesum did a wonderful job organizing us. I always felt good and never felt like I was just in another tour group. Then, of course, the biking and hiking. Good combination of challenges… a bit of cross country, and then downhill.

It was the perfect mix of a lot of good things.

Wolfgang Haslinger, age 57, Engineer, AUT

“What I liked especially, was the course, the trails, the mountains and the community during the 3 weeks we were together. Mesum organized things well. I still can remember the wonderful places we visited… the campsites, stars, trails through the passes, and mountains. Beauty was everywhere.”

René Wildhaber, age 32, Professional mountain biker (freeride and downhill), CH

“The very last pass we climbed was the climax of the ride for me. The final downhill run was what unique experiences are made of. It was nice to spend a little time in a small town at the end of our travels visiting local monasteries and to thank Buddha for our wonderful journey. Thank you, Mesum for putting together such a smooth and successful trip! For others thinking about traveling in India, exploring the Himalayas by single-track biking is the way to go, because there still are a minimal number of developed roads.”