In a New and Calm Nepal, the Famed Annapurna Circuit May Soon

LAST RIDE ON THE ANNAPURNA In a new and calm Nepal, the famed Annapurna stone, cold and beautiful. We hang our We’re riding the Annapurna Circuit, prayer flags with the others — symbols of a famous trekking route circling the Circuit may soon become the most incredible desires, dreams, wishes. Then we point our Annapurna Massif in Nepal. It’s normally a mountain-bike touring route in the Himalayas — front wheels downhill. tough 18-day hike that starts in the jungles but at what cost? Nathan Ward rides the fine line And it’s a long downhill, sharp and tech- of the middle hills of Nepal, climbs toward nical, and we ride it all with the befuddled the Tibetan plateau, crosses the high between tradition, legend, and change. brain waves of thin air – jolting through Thorung La, and plummets back to the boulder gardens, slicing into snowdrifts, jungles again. Even though it’s currently t 4:30 a.m., 16,000 feet high in the the sun, the alpine world unfolds before us rolling along perfect sections of singletrack, better suited for feet, we’ve decided to ride Himalayas, the stars shimmer blue in magically like an icy bouquet of high peaks A or just holding on and praying through sec- it on bikes — me, my wife Andrea, and our the cold alpine air. Moon-glow bounces from fanned out across the horizon. We get tions so steep they’re more of a controlled fearless local guide Chandra — to explore a glaciers, wavering, otherworldly, ghostly. on our bikes and pedal shakily up the last slide than a ride. Every revolution of the world that will soon disappear forever. My lungs heave and my throat burns as I small hill to the summit of Thorung Pass at wheels takes us back down into the land of The Annapurna Circuit is being dyna- step up the mountain pass, bike slung across 17,764 feet. oxygen, and we are wild with delight, bod- mited into nonexistence to create a road to my shoulders like a penance, small steps At that high crossing, thousands of bright ies strumming with the prolonged nowhere. The bright side of this other- followed by massive gulps for air. Hours of ragged prayer flags shake in the wind, lifting exposure to adrenaline. I don’t stop wise sad fact is that the new road may climbing slip away as dawn breaks and we Buddhist mantras over the until my fingers are sore on the offer the most incredible mountain- crunch through crusty snow banks. With glacier-draped peaks. It’s brakes, and we’ve dropped 8,500 bike touring route in the Himalayas. a world of ice and vertical feet into the valleys of lower Mustang. – Story and photos by Nathan Ward Besisaha to Bahundanda and fall hundreds of feet into the glacial roadless lands. The horsemen look at our barren this early in the year. Once sum- 75 percent riding, 25 percent pushing Marsyangdi River, a crashing jade cauldron bikes and don’t smile. mer fires up, this becomes a thin land of From the funky Kathmandu chaos, a of whitewater. At the end of the day, we enter the vil- barley, potatoes, and buckwheat, but now slow bus drops us at Besisaha, the start of The only respite comes when we reach lage of Chame where locals are celebrating it seems like it would be a precarious exis- the Annapurna Circuit. There is no wait- the high suspension bridges over the river. the Grand Metha Festival by tipping back tence here at any time of the year. It’s just ing to get into the big mountains. They We gleefully ride the bridges, swooping cups of barley beer, wildly shooting arrows a land of wind, cliffs, stark glaciers, and start at the edge of the village and dominate down fast, trying not to look down and get in a drunken archery contest, dancing, and impossibly tall peaks. the skyline — Himan Chuli, Nadi Chuli, drunk on the disconcerting mix of speed laughing. The women line up and dance, Although it’s one of the most popu- Lamjang Himal, magical tongue-twisting and vertigo. When I look straight down, it teasing the men, their sharp cheekbones lar trekking routes in the world, the names. We jump on our bikes and follow feels like I’m flying … or falling. rosy and creased from smiles and sun. Annapurna Circuit still excites me. the Masangi River into the biggest moun- Meanwhile, the trekkers look peaceful In the morning, the clouds clear and Many have already lamented the tains on earth. and happy. This could have something to we gaze in awe at the massive summits of burgeoning number of tea houses and Bahundada to Tal do with the areas helpfully marked on our Annapurna II (26,033 feet) and Lamjung lodges along this route, but things along 10 percent riding, 90 percent pushing map as “fields of marijuana.” Himal (22,904 feet). We spin our easiest the Annapurna Circuit will soon change The sun beats us like a wicked step- Tal to Chame gear and slowly climb the trail. The French dramatically forever. As you read this, the mother’s switch as we carry and push 50 percent riding, 50 percent pushing trekkers cheer us on with “Allez!” and the entire trail is being blasted out and turned our bikes all day long, wondering why we “Cycle! Cycle!” scream the village others just shake their heads. This is how I into a motor road. brought bikes at all. The trail is so tough children as we pass. It’s bliss to ride the like it: a bit crazy, a bit difficult, and totally We’ve heard rumors of the road, of today that we ride almost none of it. Nepal smooth winding singletrack through flicker- unconventional. Modest overnights. Gyalzen Lodge is one of many interesting places to stay along the Annapurna. course, and have even witnessed dyna- still amazes us — steep hills punctuated ing green wheat fields until we get stuck Chame to Manang mite pulverizing a roadside cliff, but it all by black cliffs streaked with brilliant green behind hundreds of horses, long trains of 80 percent riding, 20 percent pushing rain shadow of the Great Himalayan To get here today, we’ve ridden some became real today. Just before the village jungle. Waterfalls leap from verdant cliffs sweaty beasts carrying supplies into these As we pedal from Chame up into the Range, the names change. The lives of of the most incredible trails I’ve ever seen of Manang, we pass the Nepalese minister people here follow the altitude and the — wild trails through gigantic terrain, of transportation traveling by horseback to lack of moisture in the land. Green fades trails blasted out of solid cliffs with severe check the progress of the road. The road to dusty brown. The wind blows. Rain drop-offs into raging rivers. We ride past was put on hold for a few years during the rarely falls. Lowland Hinduism gives way mani walls made of flat rocks carved with fighting with the Maoists, but now road to Buddhism. The rounded faces of the Buddhist scriptures. We stop to spin building is back in full swing. lowlands disappear as sharpened Tibetan the prayer wheels. It’s April in the rain It looks like brutal work, but locals faces become common. shadow, and the villages look dusty and seem excited. A young man I talk to Nuts & Bolts: Nepal Is Nepal Safe? After nearly What to ride: Bring your classic is the harder and with plenty of guest houses, a decade of conflict between bike with you to Nepal; the longer trail from Pokhara hotels, and restaurants. To the Maoists and the govern- rental bikes there are not high to Kathmandu, two weeks get to the mountains, you can ment, Nepal is peaceful once quality. I recommend a dual of classic riding through the ride straight from Kathmandu again. I have spent months suspension bike that is light middle Himalayan hills. through the insane traffic, there in the last two years and enough to carry when needed jump on a bus, or hire a taxi never had a single problem. — these are the Himalayas and or private truck to take you they’re steep. to the start of your ride. When to go: There are two prime seasons in Nepal’s What other trails to ride: Who to go with: Nearly every Himalayas when the skies are With the Annapurna Circuit tour company in Nepal will sunny and the weather some- currently a mess, look at one profess to be bike-touring what warm: March through of the other great touring experts. In reality, they all May (spring) and September routes in Nepal. The classic just do logistics and hire a through November (fall). In Kathmandu Valley Rim tour mountain-bike guide. We used between, it’s either rainy is a 4- or 5-day route cir- How to get there and where Himalayan Journeys (www. monsoons (summer) or cold cling the Kathmandu Valley to stay: From the Kathmandu gohimalaya.travel) and found and snowy (winter). through traditional villages. airport, it’s a quick taxi ride them to be very helpful, hon- When the sky is clear, the to Thamel, Lazimpat, or est and friendly. views are huge. Another Paten, all cool neighborhoods Flying free. Nathan and Andrea zoom across one of the many suspension bridges they encountered on their journey. 24 a d v e n t u r e c y c l i s t j u l y / a u g u s t 2008 adventurecycling .

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