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Tibet by Bicycle
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tours main page |
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Expedition cycling in
outlying areas and high mountains awakens meditation and
cleansing of the soul. He who has ever experienced
anything like it knows how trifling there are everyday
worries and problems of the mundane life left
behind at home. Nothing compares to the grandeur of
majestic nature that fills the day. This kind of tour
may bring you home skinny and exhausted but in reality
tremendously rested and full of vitality and zest for
life. Where else to go to gain this elixir of life than
to Tibet.
En route of this grand
adventure we cross 5,000 meter passes, the
principal chain of the high Himalaya, relishing the
stunning views of the 8,000 meter giants. We visit
monasteries, cycle through towns and villages but above
all we travel in solitude of the empty expanses of the
Tibetan plateau. |
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Itinerary:
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1. – 3. Arrive
in Kathmandu; city sightseeing,
spend one night and the next day fly to
Lhasa.
4. – 5. Lhasa:
full day of sightseeing - Potala,
the seat of the Dalai Lamas; the famous
monasteries of Sera, Drepung and
Djokhang; the pilgrim's circuit,
narrow lanes and markets of Barkhor.
6. – 25. Crossing
the Brahmaputra River bridge at
3600 m above sea level, we reach the
lowest point of our journey in Tibet
(see the trip elevation profile diagram
below). From here on we ascend to
Kamba La (4794 m), past the salt
lake of Yamdrok (4490 m) and
continue to stay in thin air. From
various vantage points we see 8,000
meter peaks of Kanchenjunga, Lhotse,
Mt. Everest, Makalu, Chho Oyu and
Shisha Pangma. We visit the
well-known monasteries in Gyantse
and Shigatse, as well as the
lesser-known temple complex of Sagya.
After crossing the highest pass on
our route, La Lung
(5220 m), we begin our descent into the
"lowlands" south of the Himalayas. At
the Bote Kosi Bridge we reach the
lowest point of our journey, mere one
thousand meters above sea level. Then
it's a bit up to Dhulikel and
from here only couple hundred kilometers
to Kathmandu. The daily average is about
50 kilometers, some days as little as
20, but on some days we may do 100.
26. – 28. Sightseeing
Bhaktapur and the rest of
the legendary sights of Kathmandu;
and finally departure home. |
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What's included & What is not: |
This type of tour can be run is
two ways: bare bones style where
you take care of all on your
own, namely setting up of your
daily camp and preparation of
your own meals from supplies you
replenish along the way, hence
no support vehicle accompanies
the group. The only support you
get is the service of our
assistance with your travel
logistics, from securing the
necessary Tibet Travel Permits,
tickets getting to/out of Tibet,
and booking hotels/guest houses
where necessary. The only
problem with this option is that
at present the Chinese do not
allow you to continue without
having a licensed guide to
accompany you, as it is him that
needs to carry your Travel
Permit/meaning the tour needs to
be arranged through
Tibet/China-based licensed
operator (our partner company),
and not you the foreign
clients/tourists, hence here
comes the second option:
The tour can be run expedition
style with a support vehicle and
support personnel, all of which
add to total costs but lessen
the burden placed on yourself in
the event of your equipment or
medical problems. Typically
under the first as well as
second scenario, you still need
to bring your own well-prepared
mountain bike and tools.
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Private
Tours
27
days/26 nights
Ideal October-November
Tours
are operated on private tour basis.
Each tour requires a minimum of two
participants.
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Costs |
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quote on request |
| Difficulty
Level |
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This
tour is aimed at accomplished
cyclists only and requires former
high altitude experience.
Overall
rating on a scale of four - easy, moderate, strenuous,
very strenuous:
very strenuous |
| Single
Supplement |
| N/A |
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1,000
kilometers by bike from Lhasa to Kathmandu
