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Nepal mountain Bike trip
Nepal mountain Bike trip

Everest Epic: Nepal MTB Adventure

Our 11-day Nepal mtb adventure combines world-class singletrack with exposure to Nepal’s rich heritage and culture all in the shadows of Mount Everest!

Everest Epic: Nepal MTB Adventure

Our 11-day Nepal mtb adventure combines world-class singletrack with exposure to Nepal’s rich heritage and culture all in the shadows of Mount Everest!
Price from: 2795 USD pp

Mountain Biking Nepal with Haku Expeditions

Our Everest Epic: 11-Day Nepal Mountain Biking Adventure is truly a mountain biking experience of a lifetime. You’ll have the chance to see 8 out of the world’s 14 tallest peaks — including Everest — from the seat of your bike! This journey is filled with breathtaking, technically challenging singletrack in one of the most famous mountain ranges on Earth, the Himalayas!

We’ll start out in the Kathmandu valley for a couple of days, riding fun single trails on the northern section of the valley rim. Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal, with a wealth of historical and cultural sites to marvel at and explore. You’ll get a chance to immerse yourself in the ancient Newari culture and cuisine while cycling in the city as well! After a few days of trail riding in the capital, we then head for the world-famous Everest region of the Himalayas, a region known locally as Solu, the heartland of the famous Sherpa people. There, we’ll have a high-adrenaline couple days with singletrack climbs and loads of heart-pumping downhills with unbelievable views of the towering Himalayan range. After we summit the famous Pikey Peak and rocket down the breathtaking downhill track back down to base, we’ll take a short but stunning flight back to Kathmandu, where we’ll celebrate in style and trade stories from the week before heading our separate ways.

Ride description: Nepal is one of the most diverse and exciting countries on planet earth, especially on a bike! Ride ridge lines, huge pine forests, and open alpine in one the most epic mountain bike holidays in the world.

Nepal Mountain Bike Adventure Highlights

Some highlights to look forward to on your Nepal mountain bike adventure:​
Explore the bustle and color of the Kathmandu bazaar as and wind through secret alleyways and courtyards on your first day in Nepal.
Shred an Enduro trail used in the international Asian Enduro Race on day three.
See the mighty Mt. Everest looming in the distance from the view tower of Ratnagi.
Experience unbeatable downhill biking as you rocket down from Pikey Peak.

Day by Day

We will be waiting for you outside the airport so we can save you from the mad crowd and take you straight to your hotel. The Manaslu Hotel is situated just outside the tourist district of Kathmandu, Thamel.

In the afternoon (depending on your arrival time) we can take you on a bazaar walk exploring the secret alleys and ancient courtyards of Kathmandu that most visitors don’t get to experience.

In the late afternoon we will have a guide meeting and talk about the ride ahead of us before putting bikes together and making sure we are ready for tomorrow’s ride.

Tonight we’ll treat you to a traditional Newari dinner (the Newars are the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley) at one of the capital’s tastiest restaurants and prepare you for the adventure ahead.

 

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu http://www.hotelmanaslu.com/

Meals: D

Rise and shine! Today, we’ll transfer out of town in the early morning to the start of one of the most (in)famous trails in and around the Kathmandu valley, the Scar Route, to really jump-start your Nepal mountain bike vacation. The trail starts in Kakani where we’ll be treated to our first real views of the Himalayan Range; on a clear day the mountains seem up-close and gigantic. We’ll climb for about half an hour from Kakani and enter the Shivapuri National Park. The singletrack trail really begins once we’re in the park: it climbs for the first 4 km/2.5 mi but then becomes a fast, technical downhill on a skinny jungle trail for the next 4 km/2.5 mi. After the downhill section, the trail joins a small jeep trail contouring around the park boundary to Danda Gaun, where we’ll have a delicious Nepali lunch waiting for us in a lovely garden.

After lunch, we’ll bike a short 1 km/half mile climb on a tarmac road through the Nepal army staff college to the start of another gnarly singletrack ride. It is a 5 km/3 mile section where the first half is a very gradual climb with some fun technical bits and the second half is a flowy, quick downhill. We then climb on a jeep trail for 4 km/2.5 mi before starting the final singletrack descent into the Kathmandu valley. It’ll be a fast-paced, 5 km/3 mi downhill run that ends up at the Boudhanath Stupa where we’ll spend the night in a nearby hotel.

You’ll have the evening to wander around the stupa — a dome-shaped structure erected as a Buddhist shrine — and have dinner and drinks in one of the many great restaurants overlooking the shrine.

 

Distance: 32.49 km/14 mi

Max elevation: 2238 meters

Elevation descent: 700 meters/2297

Elevation ascent: 922 meters/ 3048 ft

Accommodation: Hotel Shambaling http://www.shambaling.com/

Meals: B, L

Once again we load up the jeeps in the morning and transfer out to the Kathmandu valley rim above the stunning expanse of the valley floor, this time on the eastern side at Nagarkot. Here we will most likely be able to mountain bike a loop of the Ranger Trail; this MTB trail is inside the Nepal Rangers training area, so if they’re doing exercises, we’ll ride another one of the many other great trails around Nagarkot. We do a few loops of the trails in the area, riding a trail the second time is always better.

Nagarkot is the home of the trails used for the Asian Enduro Race held in Nepal, so after lunch we’ll shred one of the trails used for this race down toward Nala in the valley deep below Nagarkot. From there, we’ll climb towards Dhulikhel where we’ll spend the night in a lodge with unbelievable views of the main Himalayan Range.

 

Distance: 18.89 kilometers/11.74 miles

Max elevation: 2095.7 meters/ 6875 ft

Elevation descent: 895 meters/ 2936 ft

Elevation Ascent: 322 meters/1056 ft

Accommodation: Dhulikhel Lodge Resort http://www.dhulikhellodgeresort.com/

Meals: B, L, D

We’ve got a big day ahead of us, so we’ll leave Dhulikhel in the early morning. We’ll take most of the day to drive to the Solu Khola river area; first, we follow a Japanese-built road through the mountains to the Sun Kosi River. We then follow the river down for a while before crossing it and climbing up to Okhaldhunga. From there, it’s about a 3-hour drive on a smooth blacktop road that climbs from 1560 m/5117 ft at Okhaldhunga up to 2800 m/9186 ft at Sigane. As we near Sigane, the jagged peaks of the Numbur Himal section of the Himalayan Range will come into view, a section of the Himalayas we will come to know very well over the rest of your mountain bike vacation.

At Pattale, we’ll unload the bikes for a super-fun ride to the Solu Khola (river) way below in the valley to get our wheels moving and hearts pumping after a long day in the jeeps. Down at the river, we load back up and drive the last 30 minutes up the mountain to our beautiful, quaint tea house in Phaplu, which will serve as our home for the next four nights.

 

Distance: 10.25 kilometers

Max elevation: 2880m/ 9442 ft

Elevation descent: 1080 meters/ 3542 ft

Elevation Ascent: 470.9 m/ 1544.95 ft

Accommodation: Camp/tea house

Meals: B, L, D

Meals: B, L

Sleeping: Lake Side Retreat https://lsrpokhara.com/

Even from down in the valley, the morning view will be incredible as you wake up to the sight of Numbur Himal to the north. After a hearty breakfast, we load up the bikes on our jeeps and drive for around half an hour to a spectacular viewpoint on the ridge above us. It’s called Ratnagi and we will have a cup of tea and enjoy the view from here at 3300 m/10826 ft before starting an epic MTB descent back into the valley.

Ratnagi has a view tower from which you can see Mt. Everest looming in the distance. Furthermore, it’s a traditional yak herders’ camp and you’ll still see the temporary shelters of the herders. By making cheese and butter, these herders are able to preserve the milk of their yaks and cattle. For centuries, yak herding was a unique and central element of Nepal’s economy and national identity; now, the culture and lifestyle of yak herding is on the decline.

After exploring Ratnagi, we’ll start on our MTB descent, where we’ll be totally surrounded by dense jungle for almost the entire ride. The 10 km/6 mi downhill to Dorpu is almost 100% singletrack that ranges from flowy to technical. We’ll then have a delicious Nepali lunch at Dorpu; for those who want more, it is possible to go back up and do the downhill again. Otherwise, we’ll pack up the bikes and drive back to the tea house where there will be chilled beers and beautiful views awaiting us.

 

Distance: 10 km/6 mi

Max elevation: 3286 m/10782 ft

Elevation descent: 1060 m/ 3478 ft

Elevation ascent: 656.8m/2154.86 ft

Accommodation: Phaplu tea house

Meals: B, L, D

At the halfway point of your Nepal mountain bike adventure the fun continues. Today we’ll head to the north of Ratnagi, climbing along the ridgeline for a few kilometers. Once we get to the top we’ll have a brilliant 5 km/3 mi of jungle singletrack down to the famous Taksandu Monastery, which was a stop on what used to be the main trail to Everest Base Camp. It’s likely that here we’ll meet trekkers and porters going farther up in the mountains.

From Taksindu we’ll have a brief but downhill section down to Ringmo, another famous stop on the Everest trail. We’ll stop here for lunch as well as — hopefully — some of their delicious apple pie made from apples grown in the area!

After lunch, we’ll ride back down towards Phaplu and Salleri on a mix of jeep trails and singletrack.

 

Distance: 25 kilometers

Max elevation: 3285 meters/ 10,777 ft.

Elevation descent: 1300 meters/ 4265 ft

Elevation Ascent: 656 meters/2152 ft

Accommodation: Phaplu tea house

Meals: B, L, D

This morning after breakfast we’ll drive back up to Ratnagi and head south along Silgodee Danda. The first few kilometers will be fast-paced, undulating singletrack. We then start slightly downhill towards the locality of Chyalsa where we will stop for tea before another up-and-down section. Then, we’ll hit a length MTB trail that’s mainly downhill with a mix of forest, villages, and fields. We eventually reach Nele Bazaar. On Tuesdays, Nepali locals from both near and far come here to do their shopping. We’ll then have a late lunch before packing up the bikes.

This evening, we have a two hour drive up to Japre at 2920 m/9580 ft of elevation. It’s perched above a deep valley with nice views of Everest and Numbur Himal. There’s a beautiful gompa and stupa here and we will make our first stop here for the night.

 

Distance: 12.6 kilometers/7.82 miles

Max elevation: 3200 meters/10,534 ft

Elevation descent: 921 meters/3021 ft

Elevation ascent: 300 meters/ 984 ft

Accommodation: Tea house in Japre

Meals: B, L, D

From Japre, the mountain bike trail climbs up to a high, grassy ridge near the small village of Bhulbhule. There, there’s an unnamed lodge and breathtaking views of the Everest range.

Soon after Bhulbhule, the trail splits and we turn right to Pike Peak. We pass some old yak herders’ houses and a long Mani stone wall. The trail then contours along the hillside below Taklung Danda and goes through a beautiful forest trail carpeted with rhododendron. As we leave the forest, it’s not far to Pike Peak base camp, so we’ll roll in there early afternoon. Here at 3640 m/11,942 ft, we’ll set up camp near the one (draughty) lodge and sleep in our cosy tents with the lodge’s dining room as our hangout. It’ll be a short climb in the morning to the incredible views from the Pike Peak summit at 4065 m/13,336 ft.

 

Distance: 15.17 kilometers/ 9.42 miles

Max elevation: 3640 m/11,942 ft

Elevation descent: 45 meters/148 ft.

Elevation ascent: 999 meters/ 3278 ft

Accommodation: Campsite/lodge

Meals: B, L, D

Lodging: Campsite/lodge

Meals included: B, L, D

We will have an early breakfast before we start our climb towards the top of Pike Peak. We’ll bring our bikes, so the climb will take around 1.5 hours. From the top we will have a stunning, 360-degree view of the main Himalayan range from Mt. Kanchenjunga (the 3rd highest mountain in the world) in the east to Annapurna and the mighty Mount Everest in the west. Panoramas simply don’t get better than this!

We’ll spend about an hour at the top to take pictures and to enjoy the views. Then, we’ll start an adrenaline-pumping MTB descent towards Salleri at the bottom of the valley, a drop of almost 2000 metres/6561 feet. This is one of the most amazing downhills we’ve found in Nepal; try not to look too much at the incredible mountain views that surround you, because there is some gnarly DH singletrack to negotiate! The descent starts out with some rocky sections but as we get further down the mountain we come into a forested and hit mind-blowingly flowy singletrack. You’ll feel like you’re flying! It’s around 20 km/12 mi from the top to the bottom and, beside the views and forest single trails, a handful of beautiful, quaint villages will pop up near the end of the ride.

When we get to the river we will jump in the jeeps and get a lift up to our tea house. There, we can enjoy the rest of the afternoon in relative comfort after roughing it in the tents. Tonight, it’s a good idea to hit the hay early, as we have our flight back to Kathmandu early in the morning!

 

Distance: 20 kilometers/12 miles

Max elevation: 4065 m/13,336 ft.

Elevation descent: 2000 meters/6561 ft

Elevation ascent: 300m/ 984 ft

Accommodation: Tea house

Meals: B, L, D

This morning, we’ve got a stunning flight to Kathmandu on the first scheduled flight of the day. Once we get back, the rest of the day is free for you to explore Kathmandu or just hang out in a café and enjoy a well-deserved rest.

By mid-afternoon our bikes should be back in town as they will be transferred back overland; once they arrive it’ll be time to back up the bikes before we head out for a big celebratory dinner with the group, where we’ll exchange stories and relive our incredible week mountain biking in the Himalayas.

 

Accommodation: Hotel Manaslu http://www.hotelmanaslu.com/

Meals: B, D

The morning is free for either relaxation or last-minute exploration of the capital city until it’s time for us to take you to the airport. We hope you’ve had the adventure of a lifetime and we look forward to seeing you again in the Himalayas or on another Haku Expeditions mountain bike destination!

 

Meals: B

General Information

What’s the price of this 11-day Nepal Mountain Bike Adventure? And what’s included?

$2195 USD with a 4 per minimum for the tour to run. You can book the tour even if others have not yet booked. We will let you know as the spaces begin to fill in or if the trip will not be able to depart.

Included:

  • Hotel nights as specified in the itinerary (or similar if booked out). As per the itinerary above, there are some nights camping and/or staying in local tea houses while riding the trails.
  • 24 Meals mentioned in the itinerary
  • Transportation
  • Local city guide and entrance fees for the bazaar walking tour on Day 1
  • An English-speaking bike guide, with all their transport, equipment, insurance, meals, and accommodation
  • Entrance fees or permits required to ride the trails
  • A first aid kit appropriate for the group size and routes taken (if you require or are taking specific medications, it is critical that you discuss this with us prior to your trip departure)

 

Not included:

  • Mountain bike/gear rental (talk to us about renting whatever you might need for a daily fee)
  • Comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and emergency rescue/ evacuation that covers all of the activities you will undertake during your trip should this be required for any reason (we require this as the minimum insurance cover)
  • Services and activities not mentioned in the detailed itinerary above (e.g. additional nights, optional trips and sightseeing tours)
  • Personal expenses (eg mineral water/soft drinks/bar bills, entrance/photography fees at monasteries, laundry, telephone calls, postage, donations, extra snacks etc)
  • Tips for your city guide, drivers, hotels, restaurants etc (please ask if you would like guidance about appropriate tips)
  • International flights to and from Kathmandu; Nepal visa fees and international airport taxes; any excess baggage charges
  • Costs incurred due to unforeseen events (eg caused by natural disasters, adverse road conditions / flight delays, labour strikes, fuel shortages, extreme exchange rate changes, etc)

 

*Note: local tea houses are basic but clean and they do not often have attached bathrooms or hot showers. The price is based on shared rooms with twin beds and does not include any extra charge that lodge owners may apply for single rooms, attached bathrooms, hot showers, or for battery charging (should any of these facilities be available). We can’t know in advance what they may charge for this in different tea houses, so we prefer to leave this cost out rather than pass along an estimated charge to you.

The Nepalese rupee is readily available at money exchange offices. As always be attentive to the amount of money being exchanged and double check before you step away from the window. One US dollar is equal to about 77 rupees (2022) and you can buy a plate of Momo’s for about 100 rupees, a Dal is about 200 rupees and a cold beer is between 300-700 rupees. Nepal is a cash society and it is recommended to bring cash with you from your country. Atm’s can be pricey and iffy and you don’t want to be without cash.

Each person is required to have a specific travel/trip insurance outside of your credit card or regular medical insurance.

You should get comprehensive coverage with trip interruption/cancellation and with personal liability. Mention all activities that you will be involved in such as mountain biking, hiking at high altitude and whatever other activities you may have planned.

We do not provide refunds.  If you should get hurt or sick not only will travel insurance cover your medical expenses it will also cover the lost portion of the trip. Make sure you have trip interruption or trip cancellation included! South America is famous for people striking and shutting down all activities. If you miss your Machu Picchu trip, Galapagos or any other side trip,  or even your flight due to strikes the insurance will cover the loss or additional costs that are incurred.

Check out our blog on travel insurance and why it is a must for any South America Vacation!

For this 11-day Nepal Mountain Bike Adventure Vacation:

You should have a mountain biking skill level of intermediate tech and a fitness level of 4

SKILL LEVEL:

Intermediate tech. This means: you’ve got three plus years of riding on singletrack trails of all sorts with features such as rock gardens, steep sections, rolls and drops, roots, and small jumps. You are confident on the bike in most situations. You’re constantly looking to improve your riding skills and enjoy riding for extended periods of time climbing and descending in terrain of all sorts.

FITNESS LEVEL:

 This means you exercise 3-4 times a week and enjoy physical activities such as biking, hiking, skiing. You are active. For biking: you enjoy climbs that are are moderately long and being on a bike for 3-5 hours in one day doesn’t get you too tired or fatigued.

This Nepal mountain bike adventure begins and ends in Katmandu, Nepal. You will want to look for flights to Katmandu which will always require a layover.

Most travelers arrive at Nepal via Tribhuvan International Airport, near Kathmandu.  There are no flights directly from the Americas and surprisingly, almost none from Europe (Istanbul being an exception), so you’re likely to connect via major airports in the Middle East or Asia.  If you have trouble finding something affordable, a good option is to fly to Delhi and connect from there (it’s about a one-hour flight that’s often around $80).

Check if you need a visa for any of the countries you may pass though such as China. Some countries require it even when passing though, others will allow you to stay in the airport in a special area without leaving. Be sure of your layover countries visa requirements.

Before booking flights look into how much baggage you are allowed and how much an oversized  bag will cost you. All bicycles are oversized. The price ranges so check this before booking the flight.

IMPORTANT: Generally anytime you land in another country you need to get your luggage and rescan it or re-check it for security purposes. Every country is different so check ONCE YOU ARRIVE, do not count on the front desk lady who checked you in at your first airport.

Arrival and departure:

Airport pickup and drop off is included in your Nepal MTB vacation.

Someone on our Haku Expeditions adventure team will be waiting at the Katmandu airport with a sign to pick you and your mountain bike up.

Airport drop off is included on the last day of the itinerary. If you need airport drop off on another day this may incur a small fee.

This Nepal mountain bike holiday will be physically demanding at high altitude. We recommend you try to work out a few times a week. If you can not get to the gym, don’t worry — there are many free apps these days with intense 15 minute workouts. Taking the time to do a short but intense workout with squats, pushups and some core will make a huge difference!

Meals are excellent and varied, you can expect to consume a fair share of Dal,  a soup made of lentils and spices, served over boiled grain, bhat—usually rice but sometimes another grain – and a vegetable curry, tarkari. And of course Momo’s, a mouth watering Nepal style dumpling that is filled with seasoned meat and steamed.

Vegetarian meals are very common and other dietary restrictions are very manageable. Please advise us when you book about any allergies or diet restrictions you may have.

Every effort will be made to keep to the Everest Epic: 11-day Nepal mountain bike adventure itinerary, but as this is Adventure Travel in the mountains, we cannot guarantee it. Weather conditions, road conditions, vehicle breakdowns and the health of fellow travellers can all contribute to changes. We will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but an easy-going nature will be an asset!

Reviews

Review-nepal-morgan-grawer
"Bill, Nicole and the Haku family have become more than just a tour company to me."

The experience I had in both Peru and Nepal were far beyond my expectations. Peru holds a special place in my heart and I will be returned for a 4th time next year. I've now done 2 tours with them, with another booked, and a 4th in the works. Bill, Nicole and the Haku family have become more than just a tour company to me and I look forward to many more years of trips to come. I would highly recommend them to anyone at all skill levels. Book a trip now, you won't regret it.

Morgan Grawer
Vancouver, Canada
Jarret-Nepal-Review
Everest in the Backdrop!

Biking through the Himalayas in Nepal with Bill was awesome!! Couldn’t have asked for a better group to ride with. The local trail guides were knowledgeable and the views were epic, especially with Everest in the backdrop. The style of trip let you experience the local culture to the fullest. The trails we rode accommodated a good range of skill levels and definitely had the terrain to keep everyone’s adrenaline on high! Can’t recommend these guys highly enough. Would book again in a heartbeat.

Jarret Robertson
Vancouver, Canada

Is This Nepal Mountain Bike Adventure Vacation For You?

nepal adventure map

This 11-day Nepal mountain bike adventure is for avid, intermediate to advanced mountain bikers who practice downhill, enduro, or XC-stye riding and want to be challenged and amazed with world-class terrain.

Mountain biking Nepal is no walk in the park; this tour is not for beginners.

Our 11-day Nepal Mountain Bike Adventure is ideal for you if:

  • You’ve got experience riding on singletrack trails of all sorts with features such as rock gardens, steep sections, rolls or small drops, roots, and small jumps.
  • You are confident on the bike in most situations
  • You’re constantly looking to improve your riding skills and enjoy riding for extended periods of time climbing and descending in terrain of all sorts.
  • You are fit and can handle  long climbs and descents
Everest/Nepal MTB Adventure Photo Gallery

Giving back

1% For Charity

Haku Expeditions donates 1% of all profits to support local education programs.

Everest/Nepal MTB Adventure

• Apr 16 to
Apr 25, 2025
Only private tours available.
Confirmed riders!
Few spots left!
- Confirmed riders!
- Few spots left!

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Price Breakdown

What’s the price of this 11-day Nepal Mountain Bike Adventure? And what’s included?

$2195 USD with a 4 per minimum for the tour to run. You can book the tour even if others have not yet booked. We will let you know as the spaces begin to fill in or if the trip will not be able to depart.

Included:

  • Hotel nights as specified in the itinerary (or similar if booked out). As per the itinerary above, there are some nights camping and/or staying in local tea houses while riding the trails.
  • 24 Meals mentioned in the itinerary
  • Transportation
  • Local city guide and entrance fees for the bazaar walking tour on Day 1
  • An English-speaking bike guide, with all their transport, equipment, insurance, meals, and accommodation
  • Entrance fees or permits required to ride the trails
  • A first aid kit appropriate for the group size and routes taken (if you require or are taking specific medications, it is critical that you discuss this with us prior to your trip departure)

 

Not included:

  • Mountain bike/gear rental (talk to us about renting whatever you might need for a daily fee)
  • Comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and emergency rescue/ evacuation that covers all of the activities you will undertake during your trip should this be required for any reason (we require this as the minimum insurance cover)
  • Services and activities not mentioned in the detailed itinerary above (e.g. additional nights, optional trips and sightseeing tours)
  • Personal expenses (eg mineral water/soft drinks/bar bills, entrance/photography fees at monasteries, laundry, telephone calls, postage, donations, extra snacks etc)
  • Tips for your city guide, drivers, hotels, restaurants etc (please ask if you would like guidance about appropriate tips)
  • International flights to and from Kathmandu; Nepal visa fees and international airport taxes; any excess baggage charges
  • Costs incurred due to unforeseen events (eg caused by natural disasters, adverse road conditions / flight delays, labour strikes, fuel shortages, extreme exchange rate changes, etc)

 

*Note: local tea houses are basic but clean and they do not often have attached bathrooms or hot showers. The price is based on shared rooms with twin beds and does not include any extra charge that lodge owners may apply for single rooms, attached bathrooms, hot showers, or for battery charging (should any of these facilities be available). We can’t know in advance what they may charge for this in different tea houses, so we prefer to leave this cost out rather than pass along an estimated charge to you.

Everest/Nepal MTB Adventure
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Everest/Nepal MTB Adventure
• Apr 16 to
Apr 25, 2025

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Backcountry Mountain Road & Cross Country

Our Cross Country MTB tours take you from one spectacular destination to the next. On these, you’ll cycle literally across whichever country you’re visiting. For instance, check out our Andes to the Amazon tour, where you travel from Cusco to the Peruvian Amazon. 

Our current XC vacations are made up of long-distance rides on backcountry roads. If you are looking for XC singletrack, get in touch with us, and we’ll set up a one-of-a-kind MTB tour suited to your needs.

How we define XC: Anywhere from old logging or fire roads to rolling singletrack, Cross Country trails are generally long distances with both ascents and descents. While trails may be somewhat technical with rock gardens and tight switchbacks, they generally do not have intense steep rock gardens like those you might find in DH or Enduro racing.

An XC bike is often lighter with a slacker head tube angle for better climbing ability and tends to not have a dropper post although the trend is changing. Usually it will be a hardtail or a full suspension bike with a smaller amount of suspension — 100-130mm.  

Most XC riders do not wear pads such as elbow or knee pads and wear a half-shell helmet.

Expeditions

Our MTB expeditions are multi-day trips that involve camping, hiking and/or local home stays in the mountains with cooks and porters. At the moment Haku Expeditions offers one complete mountain expedition and also two packages that combine an MTB vacation with a smaller expedition nestled in it.

The front travel for DH bikes is usually somewhere around 200mm with the rear measuring slightly less. Because they generally aren’t pedalled uphill, these bikes are rugged and heavy and usually have less gears. DH riders wear full-face helmets, goggles, and body armor.

Downhill Riding

At the moment we do not offer a 100% DH trip. Contact us and we can make a custom trip for you! Below, you’ll find our Enduro MTB tours listed that are mostly all downhill and can be done either with a DH bike or an Enduro bike.

How we define DH: DH riding – or Downhill riding — is regarded as an intense, extreme kind of cycling, made for advanced riders who love to navigate roots and rocks and huge drops with furious downhill speed. It requires a stellar sense of balance and technique and a bike with slacker geometry. 

The front travel for DH bikes is usually somewhere around 200mm with the rear measuring slightly less. Because they generally aren’t pedalled uphill, these bikes are rugged and heavy and usually have less gears. DH riders wear full-face helmets, goggles, and body armor.

Enduro/All Mountain

Our Enduro/All-Mountain MTB tours are by far our most popular trips to date. While some of them focus more on descent like Ecuador and Peru, others include plenty of pedaling such as those in Colombia and Nepal.  

How we define Enduro/All Mountain: Enduro mountain biking, also known as All-Mountain biking, emphasizes technical ability. If you’re looking for a more adventurous ride, this is the kind of ride for you; usually, an Enduro/All-Mountain trail will involve adrenaline-pumping downhill mountain biking along with sustained climbs.

Enduro riders need bikes that can take burly drops and rugged technical obstacles efficiently while still being light enough to climb with; they almost always use full-suspension bikes with wide tires and longer rear and front suspension travel. Dropper post is a necessity and standard. The front suspension can be anywhere from 140mm to 170mm. Full-face enduro helmets and body amour are a must for Enduro racing.

How do you help?

1 – The Haku Christmas Drive, which includes yearly clothing giveaways, shoe drives, and a public hot chocolate panettone lunch.

2 – School supply giveaway for children of the High Andes.

3 – Bringing bread and fruit to kids living at elevations where none is available.

4 – Facilitating connections between local organic farmers and local restaurants.

5 – Affordable MTB classes for locals taught by professional coaches

6 – Sustained commitment to hiring out locals to work as drivers, office workers, etc., allowing a great amount of flexibility for family commitments, and paying them fair, livable wages.

7 – Donating 1% of all profits to help educate children in a technical field such as carpentry.

8 – Helping young adults begin a small business working in their technical field or purchasing products from them to help them get started after high school.

 

General Fitness Ratings

1 – Getting your heart rate up isn’t really your thing, and you rarely (if ever) exercise. Your idea of a perfect vacation is total relaxation: sitting on a beach, sipping a mojito, and just generally vegging out. 

2 – You don’t necessarily work out regularly but you aren’t averse to the idea of doing something active. Although you don’t exercise that often, you don’t necessarily consider yourself out of shape.

3 – You exercise one to two times a week but do not have a normal schedule that keeps you biking or doing other activities weekly. You don’t go to the gym or train for any specific sports but you lead a relatively active lifestyle by biking, hiking, skiing, or whatever it may be. For biking: climbs and long descents give you some trouble and you tend to get tired after about 2-3 hours on the bike.

4 – You exercise 3-4 times a week and enjoy physical activities such as biking, hiking, skiing. You are active. For biking: you enjoy climbs that are are moderately long and being on a bike for 3-5 hours in one day doesn’t get you too tired or fatigued. 

5You exercise at least 4 times a week and are an avid athlete that is consistently in good shape. You’re more or less game for any kind of adventure. For biking: you’re comfortable with being on your bike for 5-7 hours a day. 

6 – You live and die for exercise, sweat, and suffering. You only want to climb higher, go farther, and prove how much of an animal you are. Steep climbs, long descents and big days are something you are looking to do more of and you can’t wait for your next adventure. 

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Biking Skill Levels

Beginner:
You’ve been riding a mountain bike for a couple of years or less and you’re most comfortable on smooth single-track and wider, forgiving doubletrack. You like rides with scenic views; you like both ascending and descending on well-maintained, safe trails. You’re looking for an active but relaxing mountain bike vacation; you’re not into jumps, drops, super steep trails, rock gardens, roots or taking big risks on your bike.

Intermediate:
You’ve got two plus years of experience mountain biking on single-track trails under your belt; you’ve gotten pretty confident behind the handlebars and are beginning to expand your mountain bike abilities. You like riding most types of terrain, and you’re comfortable both climbing and descending on single-track trails with smaller technical features such as rocky sections, small drops, and small steep sections. You aren’t trying to walk on most of the trail and are looking to take small risks with things like speed, jumps, rock gardens, and stair sets to improve your skills as a mountain biker.

Intermediate Tech:
You’ve got three plus years of riding on singletrack trails of all sorts with features such as rock gardens, steep sections, rolls and drops, roots, and small jumps. You are confident on the bike in most situations. You’re constantly looking to improve your riding skills and enjoy riding for extended periods of time climbing and descending in terrain of all sorts. 

Advanced:
Ten plus years of experience riding single-track, freerides and biking of all sorts. You live for steeps,  jumps, rock gardens, techy trails, long descents, big ascents and discovering new terrain. Mountain biking is one of your passions and you are ready and confident to do what you love in a new and challenging place.
You can handle anything we throw at you — jumps, rock gardens, steps, technical descents, tough ascents, etc. Biking is a central part of your life. For you, the bigger the challenge, the more excited you get.

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