Lhasa to Kathmandu by bike
This is a cycle trip I have always wanted to do. This was our plan about 10 years ago but due to the Chinese clamp down on independent travellers we switched to the Karakorum Highway. It is my aim to do this trip in 2012. Whether I do it as a fully supported or self-supported trip will depend on the level of interest.
We will fly into Lhasa at an altitude of 3660 metres which means we will need a number of days to acclimatize and get use to the rarified air. This trip is one of the highest and remotest in the world. We cross six major passes on a high and dry plateau-land which is punctuated by the unforgettable monastery towns of Gyantse, Shigatse and Shegar. On the detour away from the main route towards the Rongbuk Monastery we climb through many hairpin bends to reach the Pang La which affords breathtaking first views of Mount Everest and some other major Himalayan peaks. After we rejoin the main road we descend 4600 metres to the green valley of the Bhote Kosi River in Nepal. Then it is uphill to the hill station town of Dhulikel on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley before a short descent to Kathmandu itself.
