Ride to Lower Mustang and Muktinath

07:00AM Breakfast

08:00AM Met by the road captain and the rest of the team at the hotel

lobby and ride to Sauraha, Chitwan.

We negotiate the traffic out of the Kathmandu city and ride out of the valley at the cross

section of the ring road at Kalanki and then set out for check post at Nagdhunga, just past

Thankot. From here, the road twists and turns as we negotiate the traffic and descend to

Naubise, 26 kilometer marker (about 17 kilometers from Nagdhunga).

Upon arrival at Naubise we stop for a while at a local tea shop for tea. Continue ride Then

the road becomes much larger and a much more smoother enjoyable ride on the highway

to Kurintar, 103 kilometers from Kathmandu. Another two kilometers brings us to the

Manokamana temple. We continue riding to Mugling, the junction where the highway

bifurcates, South to Chitwan and West to Pokhara.

Head south towards Narayanghat for about 36kms to arrive at the bypass cross section.

This section of the highway is currently undergoing contruction so it’s pretty dusty most of the stretch. From the bypass cross section take right and ride for 39kms to arrive at Danda. This is the entrance to the west end of the Chitwan National Park. Take left and ride through the Tharu villages and dirt track for another 9kms of interesting landscape. You will see the cultivated lands and the homes of the indigenous people of the area before arriving at Nana Holiday Homes.

Rest of the day is free to relax or explore around the villages and the Narayani River flowing nearby.

Overnight at Chitwan west-end

After breakfast, start ride to Pokhara. Firstly we have to retrace the same road till the one horn rhino junction from where we will be joining the main highway know as East to West Highway. Upon arrival at the rhino chock take left and continue riding till we arrive to Narayangarh.

Upon arrival at Narayangarh we take right from the main junction and continue riding 45 kilometers till we arrive to Mugling.

Upon arrival at Mugling junction here the highway bifurcates, east to Kathmandu and West to Pokhara.  Head west by crossing the bridge and follow the Marshyangdi river for a while and then slowly ascend through terraced agricultural lands and small road side villages. At the outskirts of Pokhara, we are greeted with views of the Annapurna Mountain range including the famous Fish Tail Mountain.

Pokhara stands at 884 m above sea level, about 700 m lower than Kathmandu Valley. In Kathmandu Valley the high temples are all around you, in Pokhara it is the mountains. Only foothills separate Pokhara form the full height of the Himalayas, and the magnificent 8000 m. peaks of the Annapurna range.

Pokhara is a vacationer’s paradise with its crystal clear lakes and fantastic views of the Annapurna range including the Fish Tail Mountain.

Upon arrival at Pokhara check in to the hotel and rest of the day is free to relax or explore

around the lakeside bazaar.

Overnight at Pokhara

After an early breakfast, leave Pokhara and ride towards Beni (approx. 70 Kilometers) on

the Baglung Highway. This section of the ride provides fantastic mountain vistas, picturesque terraced farmlands and an opportunity to walk on one of Nepal’s famous suspension bridges.

At Mal Dhunga, leave the main highway by taking the right trail and follow a dusty graveled path all the way to Beni, the district headquarters of Myagdi District in Dhaulagiri Zone. It is located on the confluence of Kali Ghandaki and Myagdi rivers at an altitude of 799 meters and is a bustling town lined with stores, restaurants, hotels and various government offices.

From here, the road is unpaved and dusty with potholes in several places. Unpaved, graveled rough road poses a real challenge for riders and makes it more difficult with the occasional river crossings.

Ascend gradually through the Kali Gandiki gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. There is a continuous change in the topography with every twist and turn until our arrival at Tatopani.

From here set out on the trail by following the Kali Gandaki River and passing the Thakali and Magar Villages to Dana (4750 ft. / 1446 m.) famous for its beautiful cascading waterfall.

Steeply ascend to Ghasa (6600 ft./ 2012m) and continue the ride on a dusty and one of the difficult section of the road towards Jomsom via the Thakali villages of Tukuche and Kalopani. Enroute, there are fantastic views of the Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167 m), Tukuche (6920m), and Nilgiri (7061m).

As we pass between the Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna mountain range, a dramatic change in vegetation is witnessed from green forests, to dry arid desert. It takes gradual acclimatizing with the surrounding. The Thakali’s are the dominant tribe of the valley, related to the Gurung and Magars of the southern slopes.

As soon as we pass Ghasa we will come to a place known as Dhaiku where we have to cross the bridge. After riding approximately for 10 kilometers via Lete we will come to our today’s destination Kalapani. Kalapani is scaled to be at 2530 meters. One can enjoy a very beautiful view of Mt. Nilgiri and Mt. Tukuche

Upon Arrival at Kalopani check in to the lodge and rest of the evening is free to relax and explore around the Kalapani village.

Overnight at Kalopani

After an early breakfast, set out on the trail by following the Kali Gandaki River and passing the Thakali and Magar Villages to Marpha. On the way we will be passing through Kokhethanti village and Tukuche village to get to Marpha. Marpha is known to be the  one of the oldest and most famous village.

Marpha situated at an elevation of 2670 meters. Marpha is famous for its apple orchards and apple products. This large Thakali village exhibits the typical ThakKhola architecture of flat roofs and narrow paved alleys and passageways. It also has a monastery.

After a short break at Marpha continue the ride towards Jomsom through the dusty graveled “off” road passing smaller settlements and apple orchards. There are excellent views of Mt. Nilgiri and the Kali Gandaki River flows on the right hand side of the trail.

This day’s journey is a tough one but the scenic views of the rugged landscape, beautiful cascading waterfalls, orange and apple orchards, scattered roadside villages, ancient Buddhist monasteries all make it ‘One Hell of a Ride”.

Jomsom(2713 m) is more correctly known as Dzongsam or New Fort. It spreads over both the banks of the Kali Ghandaki. The towering peaks of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri form an attractive backdrop. Being the district headquarters, it is primarily an administrative and commercial center with government officials and merchants rubbing shoulders with the local inhabitants of the region, known as the Thakalis. Jomsom is the Administrative center of the Mustang region and the gateway to the Annapurna region. A land of mystique, the rugged peaks of the Annapurna, Nilgiri and Dhaulagari gaze down in their awesome splendor at weathered landscapes that contrast with the deep river ravines over noisy riverbeds. Jomsom is a mixture of hard work, social frivolity tempered by culture founded on deep religious traditions. It has the only airport that operates daily scheduled flights to Pokhara in the early mornings before the winds build up.

From here continue ride passing through the village, past the High Altitude Mountain Warfare School of the Royal Nepal Army and through several restaurants, bhattis and a hospital. We pass through the old Jomsom village which boasts of several lodges, restaurants school and government offices. At the end of the village the valley opens wide, take the left side of the trail just after crossing the three ruined chortenand continue on the east bank of the Kali Ghandaki River. After about 20 minutes, arrive at Ekklaibhatti a small village with few lodges. There are two trail here. The left will lead to Kagbeni while the right one leads to Muktinath. We take the right trail and continue to ascend slowly to the settlement of Jharkot, which has a fort “Kot”.

From here, another 15 minutes ride on the desert plateau brings us to Muktinath.

Upon arrival at Muktinath check in to the guest house

Late PM: Visit Muktinath Temple

The Muktinath Temple is a sacred place both for Hindus and Buddhists  and is located at an altitude of 3,710 meters at the foot of the Thorong La (5416 m Pass), Mustang district, Nepal. The site is close to the village of Ranipauwa, which sometimes mistakenly is called Muktinath as well.

The Hindus call this sacred place MuktiKshetra, which literally means “Place of Salvation”. This temple is considered to be the 105^thamong the available 108 DivyaDesam. The ancient name of this place, before the Buddhist origin was known as ThiruSaligramam.

In Muktinath-ChumigGyatsa all the elements are represented and for this and reasons unseen, yogis from both religions do their meditation at Muktinath.

For Tibetan Buddhists, Muktinath (ChumigGyatsa) is a place of Dakinis (goddess known as Sky Dancers). It is of great importance for Buddhists asChumigGyatsa is one of the 24 Tantric places.

For Hindus, beside the natural fire representing Brahman and the holy waters, the central meaning of the Muktinath area is veneration of the god Vishnu in the form of ammonites (shilas) called Salagrama – Shilas.

There are many stories which tell of Vishnu turning into stone and all of them are closely connected to the holy Kali Ghandaki River. According to contemporary geologists, the Salagrama – silas (found at the banks and river bed of the holy river Kali Ghandaki) are fossils of a prehistoric insect. This insect is mentioned in the BhavisyaPurana. Therein, Tulasi, the sacred plant so dear to Vishnu, cursed Vishnu to become a stone during one act of their eternal lila. Vishnu said, “To fulfill your curse, I will become a stone (Salagrama-sila) and will always live on the banks of the Ghandaki River. The millions of Vajrakita worms that live at that place will adorn those stones with the signs of my chakra by carving them with their sharp teeth”.

After the sightseeing tour of Muktinath Temple descend down to the Ranipauwa (Main Bazaar of Muktinath).

Rest of the day is free to relax or explore around the town.

Overnight at Muktinath

After leisurely breakfast ride down to Kagbeni (2800 m) which is the gateway to Upper Mustang. (Note: The Kaligandaki Valley becomes increasingly windy during the day as the winds blows south to north and makes it difficult for travelers.

Kagbeni at an altitude of 2840m is a fascinating medieval village with closely packed mud brick houses, dark alleys and imposing chortens lies along the Around Annapurna Trekking route and is the gateway to Upper Mustang. The village stands in a little green oasis dominated by its red monastery. Though the village has a very medieval look, it can provide all the modern amenities that a traveler requires. This is the only village after Jomsom where there is an internet facility for communication with the outside world. This village also boasts of a Monastery. The monks here are of the yellow hat or the GelukpaSect and have only recently opened their monastery to visitors with a legitimate entrance fee of Rs 100, which they collect for the maintenance of their school.

After spending some time at Kagbeni continue ride to Jomsom (approx. 11 Km) but we continue further 25 kilometers, about 1 ½ hour slow ride to Kalopanivia Marpha Village.

Here we stop for Lunch.

Marpha at an elevation of 2670 meters.Marpha is famous for its apple orchards and apple products. This large Thakali village exhibits the typical ThakKhola architecture of flat roofs and narrow paved alleys and passageways. It also has a monastery.

After lunch ride another 1 to 1 ½ hour to Kalopani. Upon arrival at Kalopani we continue our ride to Tatopani via Ghasa, Pairathaplo and Dana. From Ghasa most of the ride is downhill.

Tato” means ’hot’ and “Pani” means ’water’, a name earned courtesy of the hot springs and is a popular place for trekker’s to relax and dip their weary bodies in the natural hot springs.

Upon arrival at Tatopani check in to the lodge and rest of the evening is free to relax and explore around the Tatopani village.

Overnight at Tatopani

After breakfast retrace the route till Pokhara.

Lunch at Beni / Nayapul.

Upon arrival at Pokhara check in to the hotel and rest of the day is free to relax and explore around the lake Bazaar.

Overnight at Pokhara

This day is free to relax or take part in the various outdoor activities Pokhara has to offer. This day also gives the backup team to work on the bikes after all that hard riding.

After a quick breakfast, we head out towards back towards Kathmandu.

Overnight at Kathmandu

After breakfast free time until flight time. Later met by the representative and drive to the airport for onward flights.