The Mustang Raid

DAY 1

Arrive Kathmandu

Arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you'll be met and receive a private transfer for the short distance into central Kathmandu and to the "KGH" Hotel in the heart of the Thamel district. You'll be given a briefing on your forthcoming adventure, and in the evening, you can take dinner at your leisure in one of the many choices of cafes and restaurants in Kathmandu, although the open-air courtyard cafe of the KGH Hotel is as good as anywhere.

Accommodation: KGH Hotel - Kathmandu
Included Meals: None

DAY 2

Fly to Pokhara

A private transfer to the airport for the 25-minute flight to Pokhara A private transfer then takes you to your lakeside hotel. Here you can relax and enjoy the sub-tropical climate, chill out in one of the many cafe bars, or take a boat out on the lake.

Accommodation: Hotel Karuna - Pokhara
Included Meals: Breakfast

DAY 3

Fly to Jomsom and bike to Kagbeni

The excitement begins for real as you take the 18-minute, truly spectacular flight between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna from Pokhara up to Jomsom. Arriving in Jomsom at an altitude of 2736m, you take it easy at first and get the bikes ready. Your main baggage will travel ahead via a locally chartered jeep. All eyes will be on the impressive peak of Nilgiri towering above you, and the arid landscapes of Mustang will become noticeable too. You shall then commence your ride into the upper reaches of the now broad Kali Gandaki Valley to the Mustang village of Kagbeni. The riding is on a bumpy 4WD track that at times undulates above the valley floor, while at other times you'll be riding across the flat but stony valley floor itself. The Kali Gandaki River itself is now mostly underground, although there’ll be the odd small stretch of relatively shallow water to pedal through, adding to the fun. Looking back, you should see the mighty Dhaulagiri, while in front are the ochre, brown, red, and yellow multi-coloured, wind-eroded, dry landscapes of Upper Mustang for contrast. The actual riding time to Kagbeni is only around 2–3 hours and just 10–12 km, although it is wise to ride at a much slower pace than usual to allow your body to get used to the higher altitude. If you’re anything like us when we rode it, you’ll be stopping every 5 minutes or so to take photographs anyway. You re-join the 4WD track, and finally the village of Kagbeni (2810m) comes into sight.  A slight descent, then a slight ascent, and you’re in this ancient village, where the people and the architecture are noticeably of Tibetan influence. From the start of your ride in Jomsom, you've only gained approx. 100 metres in height. After settling in, you can take a walk around Kagbeni. Although small, it’s a quaint and fascinating place where the old ways still exist, cattle and other animals walk the narrow, cobbled streets, and yet there’s a modern coffee shop and wifi! Riding time: 2–3 hours with around 200 m of ascent and the odd bit of descent.

Accommodation: Annapurna Comfort Lodge - Kagbeni
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 4

Sacred Muktinath downhill blast

The bikes will be loaded onto a locally chartered jeep, and you'll ride with the jeep on the 1000-metre ascent up a 4WD track that hugs the mountainsides and leads up to Muktinath. For trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit, Muktinath has always been a welcome sight after the arduous crossing of the Thorung La. It is also a place of sacred pilgrimage for Hindus and Buddhists alike. At around 3900 m, the views up at Muktinath are pretty spectacular, and after exploring, there’s the prospect and thrill of a blistering descent, freewheeling virtually all the way on the bikes back down to Kagbeni on a recently metalled road. Downhilling at speed (if you’re capable) and with a wonderful almost 1000-metre descent certainly gets the adrenalin pumping.

Accommodation: Annapurna Comfort Lodge, Kagbeni
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 5

Mountain Biking to Thasang

Your main baggage will be transported by Jeep ahead of you. You can rightfully claim Muktinath at 3900m from yesterday as the highest point of your biking descent, and now you'll continue within the Kali Gandaki for the next few days to ultimately reach Galeshowr, which is at around 1000m, so in all you'll have been descending a whopping 2900m by bike! Leaving Kagbeni, you first cycle back to Jomsom, and then from here, it’s new territory as far as you’re concerned, and technically, you will have just crossed through the Himalaya from the arid Tibetan plateau and into the rain-shadow side of Nepal and the Indian sub-continent. The snow-covered Himalayan peaks now show signs of forestation on their flanks, although as you reach the delightful village of Marpha and stop for a lunch break, the influence still remains Tibetan. But this will soon change as you descend more. Once again, at times you'll ride across the Kali Gandaki river bed, with Dhaulagiri in your sights on one side of the valley and the Nilgiris for company on the other. Although you are descending, today’s riding involves little ups and moderate downs, but there’s a final sting in the tail as you must climb 350m over the course of 1.8km to your hilltop accommodation at Thasang. The effort is worth it, as your lodge is spectacularly located beneath Dhaulagiri and has tremendous views across the Kali Gandaki too. Today’s riding is 4-5 hours, around 30 km, and  approx. 350 m of ascent and 500 m of descent.

Accommodation: Thasang Comfort Lodge - Thasang
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 6

Sacred Sekong Lake trek

It’s worth rising early to catch the sunrise from your eagle’s nest vantage point, as the early morning light and clarity as it catches Dhaulagiri and its immense icefall can be just incredible. You now have a day off the bikes to take a circuit walk on what we think is one of the most beautiful day walks in the entire Himalaya. Leaving the lodge, you'll descend to the valley floor, cross a tributary river by means of a small suspension bridge, and then pick up a trail that leads up through pine forests. Emerging above tree level, after a couple of hours of walking, you reach the waters of sacred Sekong Lake. Right above you towers Dhaulagiri; across the Kali Gandaki are the peaks of the Annapurna range and the seemingly omnipresent Nilgiris. You can enjoy a picnic lunch at this most scenic of places and maybe come across a Yak herder and his Yaks too, which are sadly no longer a common sight in this part of Nepal. You then continue and now descend into the forest and to the small lake of Bhuttacjar, then back down to the valley floor, with a final ascent back up to Thasang. Walking time is approx. 4-5 hours, with around 400 m of ascent and descent.

Accommodation: Thasang Comfort Lodge, Thasang
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 7

Tatopani down hill & hot springs

Back on the bikes, today begins with a fast and furious descent down to the valley floor and then, for a while, becomes innocent enough once more as you descend gently on the 4WD track. Then, before you know it, you’re riding down, down, down, and the valley begins to narrow considerably. It’s a right boneshaker of a descent, and you pass through small villages and perhaps notice everything is starting to look a little different—people, vegetation, agriculture, and temperature. You must remember to stop at the Mustang checkpost in Ghasa! Eventually, after 4-5 hours of riding, you reach Tatopani and will have descended a whopping 1400m (with around 200 m of ascent) over 35km. At around a mere 1200m in Tatopani, it can certainly be nice to feel warm, although in this narrow-sided part of the Kali Gandaki Valley you lose the sun quickly, so a visit to the hot springs here before supper isn’t a bad idea. Your arms after today’s bumpy and furious descent may need some soothing, and it’s a good way to get the Kali Gandaki dust off too.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge, Tatopani
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8

Bike to Galeshowr & Kali Gandaki Rafting

The final day of biking. The 4WD track is fast turning from rocky to sandy or dusty, and now lower down you pass through villages where you’ll see banana trees growing. A far cry from the high and barren landscapes of Mustang just a few days ago. Again, your ride is primarily one of descent, but the 4WD track undulates as you now remain close to the river's course. After around 2-3 hours of riding and 22 km, you'll reach the small town of Galeshowr. Here you end the biking part of your Kali Gandaki epic, as beyond here the riding ceases to be interesting and there’s traffic too, which takes the pleasure out of it. You’ll take lunch and a rest, change, etc. before moving on. You now travel by vehicle for around 40 minutes to where you'll begin your mini-rafting expedition. Any baggage, etc., not needed for the rafting can be taken by vehicle back to Pokhara. As you’re now below 1,000m, it’s usually warm or hot during the day and mild or cool at night, and you’re going to be camping wild too, as well as getting wet at times. What you need clothing-wise, etc., for the next few days will travel with you in the raft(s) in dry bags, and you'll be provided with the rafting equipment you will need (dry suit, helmet, and life jacket). Say “hello” to your rafting guide(s) and team. You'll  be saying goodbye to roads and virtually all civilisation, too. You'll certainly not see a road until the end of the rafting. Into the waters, and off you go, swapping pedal for paddle, down the Kali Gandaki River. Around 3.5 hours of rafting later, you reach a sandy riverside shore where camp is for the night, and you enjoy supper in the wilds of the Kali Gandaki River Valley, surrounded on both sides by jungle-clad hillsides.

Accommodation: Wild Camp 1, Kali Gandaki River
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FULL SUPPORT CAMPING

DAY 9

Kali Gandaki Rafting

You'll raft today for around 5–6 hours. Like yesterday, there’ll be plenty of non-whitewater paddling, and you can keep a close eye out at other times for the colourful birdlife that can be seen along the river, the occasional village/local, and other river wildlife too. Most of all, you’ll be absorbing the overriding sensation of pleasing serenity. Then, of course, there are fun sections of whitewater rapids too, which are usually grades 3 or 4, depending upon river levels. The rafting guide has names for them all. You'll also stop at a suitable location for a picnic lunch. Once again, you camp wild on the shores of the Kali Gandaki River.

Accommodation: Wild Camp 2, Kali Gandaki River
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 10

More rafting & transfer to Pokhara

Around 2–3 hours of rafting later, you reach the road. The road traffic after all these days may come as a bit of a shock. You now journey to Pokhara by private vehicle, which should take around 5 hours, and you can then say hello to the luxury of a hotel room!

Accommodation: Hotel Karuna - Pokhara
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 11

Fly to Kathmandu

A short private transfer to Pokhara Airport for the 25-minute flight back to Kathmandu. A private transfer will take you from the airport back to the KGH Hotel. However, you may wish to consider some additional contingencies for this trip, whether it be for any delays or cancellations that can and do occur for internal flights or any difficulties that may arise on this adventurous trip.

Accommodation: KGH Hotel, Kathmandu
Included Meals: Breakfast

DAY 12

Depart Nepal

A private transfer will take you to the airport for your return international flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Of course there's no reason to depart today, your Nepal holiday can be readily tailor-made.