Mountain Biking Round Annapurna with Rinji Sherpa

As guides and adventurers Rinji Sherpa spent many years exploring the Himalaya’s magical valleys and ancient ways, setting the standards for mountaineering and climbing these magnificent peaks. The Sherpa people have traditionally been known as ‘the guardians of the Himalaya’

This fantastic mountain biking holiday in Nepal follows the route of one of the undisputed great trails of the world, the Annapurna Circuit, into the heart of some of the most sensational mountain scenery on the planet.

With new sections of ‘jeep road’ through the Marsyangdi and Kali Gandaki valleys, the trail is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition for intrepid mountain bikers.

Climbing through a series of dramatic panoramic zones, this is an undeniably tough trip, with long sections of carrying and pushing at altitude. However, there is also a lot of whooping and hollering to be had on some stretches of amazing riding, with fast dirt trails and rocky singletrack around a glorious centrepiece of the Annapurnas.

This is also a great cultural journey as we encounter the crinkled, friendly smiles of remote Nepali and Buddhist people and gain an insight into their ‘lives in the sky’.

Accompanied by an expert Nepalese biking guide, the group will make use of lodges throughout the circuit and all baggage will be portered between overnight stops.

After an acclimatization day at Manang and a further 2-day approach to High Camp, the stamina-sapping climb to the Thorung La (5416m) will take everyone’s breath away – as much for the gob-smacking views as for the lack of oxygen! This is followed by an amazing 1600 metres descent to the collection of temples at Muktinath, one of the holiest sites in Nepal.

From here, it’s pretty much all rideable and mostly downhill as we blast through the world’s deepest gorge, the Kali Gandaki on a wild, rugged jeep track with hulks of mountains towering either side of us. Our journey comes to an end at the surfaced road in Beni, where we can kiss the tarmac and celebrate a unique and amazing achievement, with memories which will stay with us for a lifetime!