As the earth tilts towards the sun and the summer sets in, the Biking trails of Himalayas come alive with cyclists daring to tame some of the highest mountain passes in the world.
Biking at the heights that soar upwards of 2000 meters isn’t really a spin in the park, and only the seasoned mountain bikers willing to put themselves to severe physical and mental tests take on the challenge of conquering the Himalayas – the mightiest mountain range in the world – by their sheer pedal power and steely resolve. While these intrepid cyclists have it in them to do the Himalayan cycling tours pretty much on their own, the less experienced biker can look to the many biking tours of the Himalayas that Indian travel companies offer.
A few such trips, being offered by CYCLING IN INDIA, are designed to cater to every type of biker – from those hardened by years of mountain biking in high-altitude conditions to the newbies setting out on their first mountain biking adventure in the Himalayas.
Each one of these trips puts a different demand on a cyclist in terms of physical endurance. I will start with the easiest one and move on to the tougher Mountain biking tours of India as I go along.
Anyone faintly familiar with the Indian Himalayas knows that the eastern wing of the mountain range remains lesser explored compared to the western one. Not many a biking adventurer has pedalled up and down the hills surrounding the Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. This adventure is up for grabs in our Sikkim cycling tour, which is set in the lesser Himalayas of Northeast India and is tailor-made for the bikers looking to enjoy a Himalayan biking holiday without having to throw their back out.
The Biking trails of Sikkim are mostly smooth and metalled. They cut through hilly forests of oak, elm, rhododendron and pass by tea gardens, terraced fields, villages and small towns. Rarely does the route go higher than 2000 meters, though there are a good number of uphill and downhill rides to get your adrenaline going. Almost every important pit-stop in this biking journey has a Buddhist monastery, with its ancient relics and historical significance.
Culture enthusiasts will find much to take from these religious and spiritual sites. Nature lovers will admire the diverse flora and fauna, particularly the astonishing bird variety of Northeast India. Shutterbugs will tire of clicking one gorgeous view after another. And the vacationers will be nearly out of breath visiting the hill stations, museums, temples, markets, trying out different cuisines and even going on a special train ride to the highest railway station of India. The biking tour of Sikkim packs it all in.
Spiti Cycling Tour
A cycling expedition to the Himalayan heights ranging from 980m to 4590m, the biking tour of Spiti has stretches of both recreational cycling for a lay biker and high-altitude slogs for thrill junkies. The trip starts in the hill station of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, North India, and weaves through forested mountains and apple orchards of the lower Himalayas for about five days before shooting upwards of 3000m in the cold, arid, high-mountain region of Spiti.
Cycling in the low-altitude hills of Kinnaur during the first leg of the Spiti cycling tour helps a biker acclimatize and brace up for the tough biking conditions and thin air of the Himalayan passes and peaks in the second leg. Entering the high Himalayas, one encounters unique biking challenges. One particular uphill stretch rises 835 meters in a mere distance of 15km, so steep is the ride. Another stretch goes through what is often described as ‘the world’s most treacherous road’ on account of landslides and falling stones.
The conditions may be testing, but all the hard work a biker puts in is aptly rewarded by the stunning views of pristine Himalayan landscape. The biking trails of Spiti even loop over the two high passes of Kunzum La (4590m) and Rohtang Pass (3978m) but these ascents are best made on the back-up cab, followed by freewheeling cycle rides first to the gorgeous lake of Chandra Tal and then to the hill station of Manali, a fine spot to end the tour.
Manali-Leh Cycling Tour
Doughty cyclists looking for the ultimate Himalayan biking adventure swear by this 12-day tour from Manali (2050 m) in the lush green Pir Panjal mountains to the city of Leh (3500 m) in the dry and rocky Ladakh range. The 470 kilometres that separate the two cities are marked with several mountain biking challenges, not least of which are some of the highest biking trails in the world.
From the get go, there’s little respite for the biker. The Rohtang pass throws the first test and no sooner do cyclists cross it than they find themselves battling the tough high-altitude conditions of the Himalayas. The trip keeps getting harder over the days as it winds through the high passes of Baralacha La (4890m), Lachung La (5059m) and Taglang La (5328m), before the fitting finale at Khardung La (5359m), just 45 km farther on from Leh. Besides pedalling over these passes, the bikers would dig the 21 successive hairpin bends of Gatta Loops and the flat high-altitude plateau of Sarchu Plains and Morey Plains.
Basic comforts are luxury on the biking trip from Manali to Leh. As the route cuts through a desolate Himalayan landscape with few human habitations, the bikers have to contend with altitude sickness, rough roads, simple meals, and overnights in tents for days on end. But the payback is huge: you not only get to travel through the most spectacular landscape, you get a mountain biking adventure unlike any in the world.
Leh-Ladakh Cycling Tour
Let’s say you want to cut out the back-breaking, leg-spraining bike rides over the high passes but still want mountain biking thrills right in the middle of the Himalayas. A localized biking tour of Leh-Ladakh covering a slew of tourist hotspots to the east and west of the city is probably what you’re looking for.
Most of these tourist hotspots are Buddhist monasteries located in several small towns and villages a few dozen kilometres off Leh. These short bike rides take you on a surreal Ladakh terrain comprising arid, rugged mountains and few green oases. The monasteries themselves make for an intriguing visit, what with their ancient artefacts, texts, paintings, sculptures, and architecture. Spituk, Shey, Thiksey, Hemis and Lamayuru monasteries are a big draw among tourists and those willing to go the extra mile would do well to visit the 12th century shrines at Alchi monastery, where one can still find age-old architectural motifs bearing Greco-Gandhara influences.
The Leh biking tour is best capped with the ride to Khardung La pass for a ‘top of the world’ experience so must for any biking tour of the Himalayas.
