Itinerary For Competitors & Non Competitors:

13 July:  ARRIVAL OF PARTICIPANTS
Upon arrival your group will be met by our staff and transferred to Hotel Shanker – Race Headquarters.

14 July:  SIGHTSEEING TOUR. OBTAIN TIBET VISA

After a great breakfast we’ll head off with our Nepali guide for a tour is the most important temples and monasteries in the Kathmandu Valley.  While you’re off sightseeing our office will obtain your Tibet Visa from Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. Afternoon will be free for shopping or repacking your bags. Late afternoon meeting in Hotel Shanker lobby for final briefing of the trip. Breakfast

15 July:  FLY TO LHASA (3,660 m).

After breakfast, we take a one-hour long flight over the Himalaya to Lhasa. Upon arrival at the regional airport near Lhasa our group and our bikes will be transferred to our hotel. We’ll have a chance now to reassemble our bikes and get things ready for out first ride. The remainder of your day is free to just soak in the atmosphere of Tibet’s capital city. (B, L, D)

16 July:  SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF LHASA. FREE FOR ACCLIMATIZATION.

Today we’ll meet for breakfast and head over to the Jokhang Temple & Barkhor Market. Later after lunch it will be possible to ride your bikes around Lhasa and do some personal sightseeing. (B, L, D)

17 July:  SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF LHASA. FREE FOR ACCLIMATIZATION.

After a great rest you should now be feeling better acclimatized and almost ready for the cycling to begin.  After breakfast, we’ll visit the Potala Palace. After visiting the Potala Palace you’ll be able to get on your bikes for another ride. (B, L, D)

18 July:  SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF LHASA. FREE FOR ACCLIMATIZATION.

Yes, one more day for acclimatization. In the morning we will ride out 15 kilometers to the Sera Monastery, a fascinating complex of whitewashed walls and golden roofs, housing one of the best-preserved monasteries in Tibet. (B, L, D)

19 July:  START BIKING, CYCLE TO BOTTOM OF KHAMBA LA (3,885 m).

Today you should have all your bags packed and ready to be loaded into our waiting support vehicles. Taking with us only the things which we are likely to need during the course of the day’s ride (water bottles, camera, wind jacket), we set off on a relatively level and easy ride to the bottom of the Khamba La. (58 miles / 90 kemps). Overnight camping. (B, L, D)

20 July:  BIKE TO NGARTSE VILLAGE.

Continue our ride to a lovely campsite just before the village of Ngartse, just after marker 150. (43 miles / 70 km). Overnight camping. (B, L, D)

21 July:  BIKE TO CAMPSITE BENEATH SIMI LA.

Continue our cycling through a series of colorful Tibetan villages, to a camp at an elevation of 4375 meters, beneath a pass called the Simi La. (38 miles / 58 km). Overnight camping. (B, L, D)

22 July:  BIKE TO GYANTSE.

Easy ride, mostly downhill to Gyantse, third largest settlement in Tibet. In the afternoon, we visit local monasteries (time permitting). (50 km). Overnight hotel. (B, L, D)

23 July:  BIKE TO SHIGATSE.

A long 7-8 hour road ride of 95 kilometers to reach Shigatse (3880m). (95 km). Overnight hotel. (B, L, D)

24 July:  REST DAY – SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Shigatse is Tibet’s second largest city, and capital of the province of Tsang. We spend a rest day here to relax and visit the famous Tashilungpo Monastery. Overnight hotel. (B, L, D)

25 July:  BIKE TO TSO LA.

Continue our cycling tour to our camp (4290 m) below the Tso La. (70 miles / 106 km). Overnight camping. (B, L, D)

26 July:  BIKE TO A CAMPSITE BEFORE GYAMTSO LA

Continue our ride, crossing Tso La at 4500 meters to a small town at Lhatse and finally on to our camp (4760 m) half way up the long climb to the Gyamtso La. (44 miles / 67 km). Overnight camping. (B, L, D)

27 July: BIKE TO CAMPSITE BENEATH PANG LA.

Continue our riding tour, crossing Gyamtso La (5220 m) with superb views of Everest, Lhotse and Cho Oyu. After lunch, you may opt to jump on a support vehicle to reach our campsite beneath the Pang La. (30 km to lunch). Overnight camping. (B, L, D)

28 July:  BIKE TO PHADU VILLAGE.

We cross another high pass: Pang La (5150 meters). The views from the top beat just about anything from any other road pass in the world. Spectacular is not the word, for the whole Himalayan range from Makalu to Shishapangma is completely uninterrupted before you. The mountain biking is now the best so far: a steep, rough 1010 meter descent, with lots of switchbacks and wild cut-offs, descending over 19 km to the village of Phadu. (35 km) (B, L, D)

29 July:  BIKE TO EVEREST BASE CAMP

It is a long, hard ride to Everest Base Camp. We stop for a while at the Rongbuk Monastery, considered the highest in the world, and the site of the original base camp for the first British expeditions to Everest. Our goal though is 8 km (2 hours by bike or 3 hours on foot) beyond the monastery, at 5100 meters. (B, L, D)

30 - 31 July:  REST DAYS AT BASE CAMP FOR LOCAL EXPLORATION.

Rest days and time to appreciate the stunning views. Traditionally, it has been possible to trek up beyond the base camp area towards the site of Advance Base Camp, at close to 6000 meters. (B, L, D)

Stage Race Starts Today

01 August: STAGE 1: Today is the big day of this trip. We start the world’s highest mountain bike race in the morning, above Everest Base Camp near the elevation of 5,500 meters, with out support crew. We continue our race through Rongbuk until we take a left turn crossing a small bridge towards Lumja valley, following less frequented bike trails for 25 kilometers, uphill to Ramala Pass (5,150 m).)

We will continue our race as we descend toward Tingri, passing by Lumja village and several small hamlets. (B, L, D

02 August: STAGE 2: RACE TOWARDS SUMO VILLAGE BELOW LALUNG LA

We continue our race through the Tingri settlement towards Sumo Village with superb views of Everest and Cho Oyu. (55 km). Overnight camp. (B, L, D)

03 August:  STAGE 3: RACE PAST NYALAM.

Cross the Lalung La (5124m.) & the Thang La, (5050m) just past Nyalam (3700 m). This will be our lowest campsite since leaving Lhasa.  (87 km). Overnight camp. (B, L, D)

04 August: STAGE 4: CROSS BORDER, ENTER NEPAL AND CAMP AT BORDERLAND RESORT

The big one, a day long descent all the way to Chinese border checkpost at Zhangmu, cross the “Friendship Bridge.” We stay at the comfortable campsite at Borderland Resort. (B, L, D)

05 August: STAGE 5: THE FINAL DAY – RACE THROUGH DHULIKHEL TO CONCLUDE THE RACE IN KATHMANDU

Today will be the final day of our race, we continue our racing on the main road passing through local villages to Dhulikhel, a scenic view point from where can see an array of Himalayan Peaks. The race concludes in Kathmandu.

There will be delegates from Tibet and Nepal welcoming the racers and other participants to celebrate the successful completion of world’s highest mountain bike race. In the late afternoon, there will be distribution of prizes & certificates followed by a post-race dinner party. (B, L, D)

06 August:  DEPARTURE FOR HOME.

You will be escorted back to the airport for departure. Instructions for clearing immigrations will be given.