KATHMANDU TO BESISAHAR
During 2015 my son Dylan and I cycled across Bhutan and into Nepal via West Bengal, finishing in the capital city of Kathmandu (KMD). Every now and then huge Himalayan peaks would reveal themselves to us, towering above the swirling clouds at impossible angles in the distance. I vowed then that one day I would take a closer look. In 2016, I did.
On my maps I find a road leading up onto the Annapurna trekking circuit on which I should be able to reach up to around 4,000 MASL. My plan is to take this road up to the mountains and spend a few days exploring the area after which I would return to KMD via the central and southern regions. The complete circle would be just over 1,000 km providing me with an excellent cross section of Nepal culture and environment. I would rely on guest houses and tea rooms along the way for accommodation and food, just as Dylan and I had done during our 2015 trip.
Preparations in Kathmandu
I spend a few days of final preparation in and out of the craziness of Kathmandu ticking off the final items from my "to do" list, sorting out my trekking permits, assembling and preparing my bike. As arranged, I drop my bike off at Himalayan Single Track for a quick check up, and oh boy, how fortunate that I do. They completely strip down my bike checking every minute detail and replacing a number of worn parts. Much later that day, I leave with a bike that is only now, capable of the trip I have planned.
Face to face conversations with people from the cycle shop lead me to revise my route, including a much larger section of the Annapurna circuit with the added possibility of carrying my bike over the Thorong La (pass) at 5,400 MASL, descending on the opposite side to the road of my original planning. I never actually say that I will go over the pass, but in my heart I can feel a sense of real excitement brewing. Based on these changes, I buy a pair of waterproof trousers and an extra long sleeve tee shirt. I will now definitely need the rear rack which I fit with a thick dry bag to carry the bulkier items of clothing. Finally, I tick off the last item on my list. I am ready.
KMD to MALEKHA - 100kn - 889m climbing - 1,828 MASL max elevation
The first day’s ride goes off well, following a route slightly inland of the main highway, winding through terraced rice paddies, so typical of this central Nepalese region. Navigating the sprawling suburbs of KMD is a challenge, and I follow blindly the thin line on my GPS as it pulls me through small cobbled streets and exploded street markets.
There’s a good deal of climbing followed by some very broken up and muddy downhill sections due to road works taking place. I’m still relatively unfit and as a result, suffer with cramps towards the end of the day. The first three days of a long ride are always difficult as you adapt mentally and physically to the new set of demands. My bike is a dream machine after its service and I nurse it through the muddy stretches, being sure to clean the drive chain a few times during the day and again in the evening.
While breakfast had been a western plate served against the stunning backdrop of the KMD valley, my lunch is by contrast, 100% local; rice, curried chicken, chili and dal, no utensils except for the grubby fingers of my right hand. The final 20 km along the main highway introduces me once again to the sheer madness of the Nepalese traffic, not quaint as in Vietnam or silly like Thailand, just lethal, as in juggling chainsaws. The road follows the river, but instead of remaining along the valley, climbs out at every opportunity. I am seriously overcharged for my hotel room, my own mistake for not checking the price first.
MALEKHU to DOME - 65km - 615m climbing - 450 MASL max elevation
Only 60km today, but it’s quite tough enough with 600m of climbing in energy sapping heat and humidity. Manic traffic completes the package although overall it’s pleasant enough, made more bearable with frequent tea stops along the route. By lunch time I have already settled into a small lodge / restaurant run by a lovely Nepalese family at the road junction town of Dome where I am able to catch up with washing and bike maintenance. I spend a frustrating few hours unsuccessfully trying to figure out how to convert my new pump to take a Pesta valve, eventually finding a work-around to solve the problem.
These towns are really something special, conforming very much to the picture I have in my mind of an ancient trading post. Full of color and character, the bright clothing of the Nepalese woman twirling between piles of merchandise and the fragrance of spices. These are the bazars found in almost every town, and they leave me with a feeling of excitement and awe, just to be gazing on such a scene.
My evening is spent within the peaceful warm company of the Nepalese family as they gather around my computer screen to glimpse something of life in Bhutan, Laos and South Africa. They give me two slivers of stone, one of slate, the other quartz, which they tell me is from their birth village, a village I will be passing on my way to Annapurna. Soon I will see for myself why there is such an intense and passionate connection between the Nepalese people and the towns of their birth. I fall asleep to sound of water softly gurgling below my window.
DOME to BESISAHAR - 44 km - 825 m climbing - 825 MASL max elevation
I wake to the sound of pouring rain and decide to sleep a bit longer, only to find out that the "rain" is actually the river running below my window. My rear tire is flat, so I replace the tube and clean up for breakfast, relieved that I had sorted out the pump the night before. Elevation will now replace distance as a measuring tool for a day’s progress. My route leads me away from the main highway so the road is small and winding, climbing steeply between rice paddies, waterfalls and swollen rivers. Tea stops are frequent and always shared with interesting local characters, the cinnamon spiced milk tea deeply refreshing even during the hottest part of the day.
I arrive at Besisahar around lunch time and look for a guest house. Accommodation is cheap at 300 Rupees, too cheap I think, so I walk across the road where I am asked 250 Rupees! I shrug my shoulders, go back to the first place, pay the 300 and check in. This will be standard practice throughout the Annapurna route, the only consideration is that you are expected to eat all your meals at the restaurant attached to the establishment and that’s where the overall price evens out.
The town is located at the end of the tar road, the beginning of the Annapurna trekking trail, and groups of foreign trekkers arrive throughout the afternoon. Lilly white spidery legs disappear into large clunky new hiking boots, North Face jackets and aluminum water bottles clipped onto webbing belts. They are for the most part sullen and unresponsive to my greetings. Maybe its because their journey from Europe to Besisahar is contained within the bubble of the tour group and they need more time to let go of their defenses. Traveling alone on a bike takes care of that transformation pretty much before morning tea on the first day. I repair the punctured tube from the morning, re check my gear and fall asleep to the light pattering of rain on the street.
