Cycle across the Himalayas - tell me what I need to know

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Post Reply
mnichols
Posts: 1465
Joined: 22 Apr 2013, 4:29pm

Cycle across the Himalayas - tell me what I need to know

Post by mnichols »

Next month I'm cycling across America. It's been a year in the planning and from experience I'm going to need something to look forward to when I get back...usually something bigger and different to what I've just finished

The word 'Himalayas' pops into my head whenever I think about this

I know very little about the Himalayas, so where do I start? Geographically and in every other sense?

I usually do self supported, but is a tour company more practical for this?

I've done lots of touring, but only credit card never camping - is that possible?

What are the best times of year?

What don't I know that I don't know?
iviehoff
Posts: 2411
Joined: 20 Jan 2009, 4:38pm

Re: Cycle across the Himalayas - tell me what I need to know

Post by iviehoff »

Broadly speaking, the Himalayas have China on one side - which in some but not all parts means Tibet - and India and Pakistan on the other side, in some locations with the interposition of Nepal and Bhutan, which both specifically border Tibet.

There are a number of political impediments to cycling across the Himalaya:

Tibet is closed to independent travel, only tour-group travel is permitted
You cannot carry out independent travel and tour-group travel on the same Chinese visa, and have to leave the country to change visa
Tour-group travel in Tibet requires members of the group to be at least 4 in number and all of the same nationality
The India-China border is closed to foreign travellers
Parts of Kashmir may be from time to time closed due to hostilities
The Bhutan-China border is closed
The Nepal-China border is open only to tour-group travel
It is not permitted to travel between Tashkurgan and the Pakistani border at the Khunjerab pass, the only crossing, except by bus, and all side-turns off the Kashgar-Khunjerab road are closed to foreign travellers.
The Karakorum highway from Pakistan to the Chinese border has extended sections which are currently closed to foreign travellers, probably for your own safety.
Travel within Bhutan requires special arrangements: they require you to buy the "minimum daily package" for each day of your stay. For groups of at least 3 tourists, it costs $200 per person per day. In practice cyclists have to commission a support vehicle, but unlike China they aren't spying on you and will leave you alone if you want it, and are actually useful. It is probably simplest to cycle in Bhutan as part of an organised group tour, to avoid you having to negotiate the complicated and expensive arrangements yourself.
Some parts of the Indian Himalaya require a permit, but this is routinely available these days. Some areas may retain minimum group size requirements, Arunachal might still have that rule.

If you want to cross the Himalayas, literally, from one side to the other, by bicycle, crossing an international frontier by bicycle, you can go on an organised tour to cycle from Lhasa to Kathmandu. There will be at least four people all of the same nationality, and you will be supervised and supported. Probably you need to organise this through a tour operator in your own country, as tour operators in Lhasa struggle with the four people all of the same nationality rule. You can guess why it exists.

Another option which can be said to cross the Himalayas is a journey you can make entirely within India. If you cycle to the Nubra Valley region within India, from say Manali or Srinagar, you have actually arrived on what is geographically the Tibetan plateau, so could argue you have crossed the Himalaya. Though the stuff about the Khardung La (between Leh and Nubra Valley)being the highest road pass is a lie - the altitude stone was relocated from another much higher mule track which used that name before the road was built. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khardung_La where the facts are laid out in tedious detail, due to the persistent unwillingness of some people to believe it.

There is much other great independent cycle travel you can carry out in the Himalayas, mostly involving cycling in India- you may cross some high passes but you are not crossing them from one side to the other. Whilst you can cycle in Nepal, there aren't many actual roads - though there may be adventurous single-track options for tough mountain bikers.

Laura Stone has written a book about cycling in the Himalayas, most in India, you may wish to read it. There's some useful info on her website too. http://www.himalayabybike.com/Himalaya_ ... _Home.html. You can also find some records of some Himalayan tours in some areas that Laura doesn't cover on my friend's website: www.masterlyinactivity.com

For high Himalayas - Ladakh, Nubra, Lahaul, Kinnaur, Spiti, etc, you have to go in summer - July to mid-Sept - as the passes aren't open otherwise. For lower parts of the Himalayas - Uttar Anchal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Arunachal, (not so sure about Nepal), around about October is best. The thing you need to appreciate is that the monsoon affects the southern slopes of the Himalaya, so it rains a lot in summer on that side. That is something you just have to put up with if cycling from the southern slopes into the high mountains in summer. At least there are nice sunny days between the rain. Then once you get deep enough into the Himalaya, you are protected from the monsoon, and it is pretty dry in summer. But if you are mainly exploring the southern slopes, then October is a useful gap between the rain and the cold weather.
eileithyia
Posts: 8399
Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)

Re: Cycle across the Himalayas - tell me what I need to know

Post by eileithyia »

It's hilly! :lol:
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
mnichols
Posts: 1465
Joined: 22 Apr 2013, 4:29pm

Re: Cycle across the Himalayas - tell me what I need to know

Post by mnichols »

Wow thanks Iviehoff that's great info

It reads like you have a lot of experience - what would you recommend?
iviehoff
Posts: 2411
Joined: 20 Jan 2009, 4:38pm

Re: Cycle across the Himalayas - tell me what I need to know

Post by iviehoff »

I would recommend you read the sources I suggest, maybe also look for some more yourself such as on crazyguyonabike, and make up your mind what would be best for you.
User avatar
andrew_s
Posts: 5795
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 9:29pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Cycle across the Himalayas - tell me what I need to know

Post by andrew_s »

The other place that's worth checking for info is the lonely planet forum
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/ ... asia/tibet
ame
Posts: 9
Joined: 14 Aug 2015, 12:23pm

Re: Cycle across the Himalayas - tell me what I need to know

Post by ame »

Hi would love to know more about your trip to America. I am thinking of touring next year. Taking 6 months off but not sure where to go.

Anne
mnichols
Posts: 1465
Joined: 22 Apr 2013, 4:29pm

Re: Cycle across the Himalayas - tell me what I need to know

Post by mnichols »

Hi Anne,

I'm starting in Vancouver (the Canadian one) and then cycling down an inland route through Washington State, Oregon, Nevada and California to the Mexican Border and back up to San Diego. The route will take in lots of forests and national parks rather than the big cities. Some of the sites on the way will be Olympic National Park, Lake Tahoe, Lake Topaz, Yosemite, June Lake and a bit of Death Valley.

It's self planned and self supported, staying in hotels and motels. We have a few route options along the way, but the maximum will be around 2,500 miles and the minimum will be around 1,950 miles. My feeling is that it will be about 2,100 over 26 days.

At the moment I cant say whether I would recommend it or not as I haven't done it yet, but I'll find out soon enough - I leave in 3 weeks. I've done around a dozen tours in Europe, my favorite being a self planned end to end of Italy, so if you haven't done that then it's one I would recommend - it's a beautiful country

Martin
Post Reply