Unique Trails

This is an epic ride – one of most adventurous a biker can do. 80-90% of this ride is over 4000m above sea level. In 1100km you cross 5 passes over 5000m, a handful of ‘small’ passes over 4000m and you will ride the longest downhill in the world, dropping from 5050m in Tibet to 540m in Nepal over a little more than 150km! It is a real classic and to make your trip even more adventurous, even longer and even more challenging, we have decided to in-corporate a four day round trip away from the main Lhasa – Kathmandu road, to visit Rongbuk Monastery and the North Base Camp of Mt Everest.

Throughout the ride, your state of the art bicycles will be a source of great interest. As they will not have seen anything more sophisticated than their basic Chinese-made boneshakers, there are great opportunities to share laughs with local people!

We follow the main Lhasa to Kathmandu route as it runs westwards, parallel to the great Himalaya chain, which forms the border with the territories of Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal. Throughout, the road traverses a high and dry plateau-land, which is punctuated by the spectacular monastery towns of Gyantse, Shigatse and Shegar, as well as several smaller settlements and nomadic Drogpa encampments.

On the detour away from the main route towards the Rongbuk Monastery, the road climbs through almost fifty hairpin bends to reach the Pang La, which affords splendid views of the Himalaya, and of Mt. Everest itself. Everest Base Camp is a ‘not to be missed’ inclusion to this ride. Standing before the exposed and shear North Face of Chomolungma [Mt. Everest] at Everest Base Camp (5500m/18044ft) is a memorable experience that few will ever forget. We will spend a night at Everest Base Camp before riding 70 km back out to the main Kathmandu route.

Back on the main road we reach the edge of the Tibetan Plateau as we cross the 5200 metre high Thang La, and begin a mind-blowing descent of 4500 metres, via the border town of Zhangmu, to the valley of the Sun Kosi River in Nepal. A final, easy day’s cycling brings us back to civilisation in the form of Kathmandu.

This tour guarantees to be a high point [in more ways than one] in any mountain biker’s life.

Everest Adventure is exactly that, a great combination of stunning Nepali scenery, amazing biking, a bit of hiking to get up to more brilliant riding and a huge downhill ride to the legendary Sun Kosi river for some wild rafting.

All this action takes you from the mountains of the Everest region to the southern plains of the Terai, experiencing all the landscapes and cultures in between.

Our 15 day off road New Zealand mountain bike tour is full of adventure, challenge and excitement for the intermediate to experienced mountain biker. The route, sometimes on private farmland, takes you over Alpine passes, alongside beautiful lakes, through river valleys and across pastoral plains, highlighting the incredible diversity of landscapes and scenery within New Zealand’s South Island. We begin in Central Otago by riding amongst the typically dry and rocky terrain of this High Country and Lakes Region. Then it is on to Canterbury where the landscape changes to beech forests and rugged mountains before we finish our Tour by riding the spectacular Queen Charlotte Track in the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. Along the way you can sample New Zealand’s delicious cuisine washed down with our fine wines.

This is, for very good reason, one of our favourite trips ever!

There are a few villages along the way, but most of the population are nomadic and live in the traditional round white gers. Depending on how much rain has fallen, wild flowers may be abundant, and there is a good chance of seeing eagles, cranes, vultures, partridge, falcons and other interesting birds along the way.

The tour begins with an overnight train journey from Ulaanbaatar to Erdenet, the second of only three cities in the country, developed around the copper mining industry. After five days cycling we arrive at the spectacular monastery of Amarbayasgalant, a series of marvellously restored Manchurian style temples situated in remote mountains not far from the Russian border. We return to Ulaanbaatar by jeep.

This Christchurch to Queenstown tour has been designed for average to experienced mountain bikers, who have less time to spare but who want a power-packed cycling adventure! You will bike through the scenic wonderland that is the South Island experiencing the diversity of sparkling lakes, steep alpine passes, sweeping pastoral landscapes, sheer sided fiords and the grandeur of breathtaking mountain views.

Our route takes you along quiet roads, past beautiful lakes and across private farmland. You will travel over high Alpine passes surrounded by dense bush and high, rugged peaks, down through lush river valleys and across wide, rolling pastoral plains. Taste New Zealand’s delicious cuisine, washed down with our fine wine and finish your tour in the outdoor adventure capital of the world!

Our Sri Lanka Cycling Epic covers a substantial part of the island, taking in as much as possible of the scenic and cultural variety that Sri Lanka has to offer. The combination of visits to the ancient cities of Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya, great rides through the beautiful hill country around Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, the variety of wildlife from the hills to the lowland Udawalawe national park, and a chance to relax on one of the many wonderful beaches, will certainly make you want to come back here again and again. However, this is not just a cycling holiday; it is also an insight into a way of life which can only be appreciated from the saddle.

For the mountain biker there is a profusion of dirt roads criss-crossing the hill country and National Parks. The majority of the rides in the Sri Lanka Cycling Epic follow dirt tracks and quiet country roads, and most of the riding is not technically difficult though the terrain is hilly to mountainous on some days, requiring reasonable fitness. There are some options for tougher rides though in many cases there is also an easier road alternative on these days.

Whilst many of the more popular trekking areas may prove to be too extreme for really enjoyable mountain-biking, this tour may just be the answer.

Kathmandu, at 1350 metres in altitude, lies in a valley surrounded by hills that rise to 2780 meters. These are part of the middle hills of the Himalayas, the ‘foothills’ of the 8,000 metre white peaks.

On this Kathmandu mountain biking tour from the city, you set off on a 5-day tour of these ridge-top trails which encircle the valley rim. A short bike ride away from down-town Kathmandu lies a delightful world of wooded slopes, small villages and hidden temples. You ride jeep trails and ancient single-tracks against the most spectacular backdrop of Himalayan peaks where no fewer than 8 of the world’s top 10 peaks can be seen!

The lush Atlas Mountains that run wouth west through Morocco is in stark contrast to the desert fringe in the south and east of the country. The ancient city of Marrakech, where we start this adventure, with its labyrinthine streets boasts some of the most intriguing souqs (markets) in Morocco.

Mountain biking in Morocco is a great option for getting around and this tour takes us through the spectacular Dades Gorge and down some outrageous descents in the High Atlas Mountains. We camp in the desert and the palmeraies (oasis) of the outlandish Jebel (mountain) Sarhro and explore the souqs of Marrakech.

The lush Atlas Mountains that run South West through Morocco is in stark contrast to the desert fringe in the south and east of the country. The ancient city of Marrakech, where we start this adventure, with its labyrinthine streets boasts some of the most intriguing souqs (markets) in Morocco.

From Marrakech our route heads south towards the northern fringes of the Sahara Desert and the town of Zagora. The lushness of the Draa Valley belies the desolate sea of sand that lies beyond, stretching to the horizon in line after line of dunes. The fascinating area of the Jebel Sahro is situated north of Zagora and we cycle this wild landscape before exploring the Dades Gorge and the southern flanks of the main High Atlas chain, before returning to Marrakech.

We explore snow-capped peaks but the average daily temperature is still 20ºC. Cycling in Morocco, this beautiful and remote region of the country is very varied with superb dirt track descents and challenging climbs.

Cycling in Morocco we encounter the ‘real’ Morocco, share mint tea with local people in small villages and also travel through the spectacular Todra and Dades gorges.