Mountain biking through the Kathmandu Valley

Next up on my Nepalese adventures... Mountain biking through the bowl shaped valley of Kathmandu. I spent 6 days working my round from the North of Kathmandu to the East and back again. There wasn't much of a plan except to stay away from the main roads as much as possible.

The outskirts of Kathmandu.

My favourite picture of the 6 days.

Looking out to Kathmandu. Clouds were constantly threatening rain but it held out during the days.

The first few days were issues a plenty; flat tyre, broken chain and gear issues.  Never stopped smiling though.

Popped into a temple with a huge reclining Vishnu and met these friendly Baba's.

The Shivapuri national park, we were told tigers and bears can still be found here. Beautiful forest and some great riding.

This sums up the Kathmandu Valley to me; amazing colours and awesome agriculture.

After a very tough day - completely knackered! I had a beer in my hand 5 minutes later though.

Goat herder and Rasmus ahead.

Side trip to the Buddhist Stupa of Namobuddha.

Back down to farm level.

The World Heritage site of Bhaktapur, the 3rd largest city in Kathmandu Valley with a very rich history and many temples. Nyatapola Temple is at the centre of this picture - the largest Pagoda in Nepal.

Nyatapola Temple at night. There are 5 terraces protected by a different  pair of figures, each one said to be 10 times stronger than the previous; two famous wrestlers at the base, then two elephants, two lions, two griffins and finally the strongest, Baghini and Singhini - the tiger and the lion goddesses.

The city of Kathmandu.

Biking the Kathmandu Valley was a great way to see the lesser visited sites and really appreciate the entire valley. A guide isn't necessary and decent bikes only cost £4.50 per day to rent.

This is the route we took in the end:

Day 1: Swayambhunath -> Budhanilkantha via Kakani and the Shivapuri National Park
Day 2: Budhanilkantha -> Sundarijal (due to bike issues)
Day 3: Sundarijal -> Nagarkot via Chisapani
Day 4: Nagarkot -> Panauti via Dhulikhel and Namobuddha
Day 5: Panauti -> Bhaktapur
Day 6: Bhaktapur -> Thamel/Kathmandu