Cycle Kathmandu Valley

The start of your exciting challenge begins here.  You will meet a Charity Challenge representative at the airport who will have your tickets and Charity Challenge t-shirt and will help you to check in.

After an early breakfast in Kathmandu, you'll ride due east to the medieval town of Bhaktapur an ancient city rich in culture and architecture. Following on from this you'll continue on to Nagarkot via Changu Narayan on the valley rim, passing steeply terraced farmland and houses that seem to be clinging to the hillside.  Changu Narayan, has an ancient temple complex including the oldest Hindu temple. 
Take approx 4km on dirt track with small villages and pine forest. You'll enjoy pine forests, views of Bhaktapur and Sankhu valleys, the Himalayan range and if weather favors then we can see Mount Everest too. Overnight in hotel.

Another day of cycling culture starts with downhill to the ancient city of Panauti, where Lord Buddha lived as a prince prior his offering to the tigress and then head west along the meandering Roshi River towards the town of Madhuban, we enter into a narrow pristine valley ascending 300m on superb single trail to reach the summit of Kathmandu valley’s eastern rim known as the Lakhuri Bhanjyang (1930m). This is probably the oldest route east out of Kathmandu valley, connecting the ancient cities of the valley with Panauti. Views of the Himalayas are more than compensated. From the saddle, the descent is on switch-backed jeep track. After an hour and a 500m descent, we come upon Sisneri, a quiet valley village. The ethnicity of the people change as we descend from Tamangs, Thakuries and Chhetris to lowland Newari farmers.Leaving Lubhu behind we cycle west on a jeep track passing paddy fields at the foot of the Phulchowki Hill, which is the highest hill in the valley (2770m). We arrive at the famous Vajra Varahi Temple where original woodcarvings of Krishna and Vishnu can be seen. The villagers still offer weekly sacrifices of chicken, goat, and buffaloes to Vishnu, which we may be lucky enough to witness. Ancient woodland still surrounds the temple as it is thought that to cut even one tree will anger the deity. We will stop in this forest for some refreshments.

We spend the morning sampling some exciting trails that lead up and across the valley rim to the south and on to the Kulekhani Dam Site (completed in 1982 Nepal's first major hydroelectric project).In between the trails we ride through pine forests and couple of small villages (Hudu, Hunanae Bhanjyang, Fakhel, and Kalanki) before reaching Markhu. A picturesque lake provides the perfect background for a lunch stop. We then carry on riding towards Daman riding on the Tribhuvan highway through, (Taukhel,Bajra Barahai,Thana bazaar).Anyone fancying an introduction to Himalayan hill climbing(14km's) can spin all the way up. The hotel enjoys a spectacular mountainside location, arguably offering the most spectacular outlook on the Himalaya in all Nepal. On a clear day one can see all the way from Everest in the east to Dhaulagiri in the west. Daman also happens to be the highest point in the valley.

Explore the capital city of Nepal.  take n the sights, smells and sounds of a bustling city.  Sample the local delicacies and watch the world go by a local coffee shop.