Asian Current

Biking Through Tibet

Bikers the world across are a different class. They think different, they behave different, and of course they travel different. Bikers form communities and go on expeditions to places that are extreme, much like the way they think. Perhaps the Tibetan Plateau is much like the mind of a biker, harsh and cold, and yet warm and inviting. And so it was sure to be a matter of time before biking expeditions started to enter the Plateau and even reach Lhasa, the ‘Roof of the World’. Biking through Tibet has become a latest fad.

One beneficial aspect a non-biker would notice immediately is that when you are on your bike, you are closest to nature, non-bounded by the steel body of the vehicle. And this adds on a whole new meaning when you are crossing the stunning landscapes of the Tibetan Plateau.

Biking through Tibet was simply not possible particularly for people from other parts of the world. However the restrictions have been relaxed only recently, in anticipation of a number of foreign tourists taking the train to Lhasa. Though a biker still needs many permits and this can be a real hassle, but the expedition is at least possible today.

Most biking trips to Tibet start off either from Beijing or from Kathmandu. It is better to form your own interested group and then approach a travel agent who can arrange all the permits for you. Or may be you can also join a group that has already been formed.

You will first be taken to Shigatse which is the second largest city in Tibet. From Shigatse you will bike on to Lhatse and then halt for the night at Shegar. The morning view from Shegar is awesome as you are very close to Mt. Everest. Your next destination will be the Everest Base Camp, from where mountaineers climb the north face of the highest peak in the world. While you are biking through this region in Tibet you will also cross Ronghpu which has the highest monastery in the world. Spend a few hours in the monastery to know how the monks spend a solitary life in such extreme seclusion. You can also meet the head monk to receive his blessings for the rest of your biking trip.

On the way back you will cross the Friendship highway and reach Tingri and then onto Nyalam, which is where most bikers rest for the night.

However there are operators, who take bikers on a different trail and cross the Khamba-la Base Camp, the Khamba La pass at 4970 meters, Nakartse, Yumdrok, the Karo La pass at 5045 meters, and then onto Gobsi and the Simi La pass. There is yet another third route that goes through Sichuan, Zhongdian and Qinghai. While biking through Tibet you will come across watermarks on rocks indicating that once the Himalayas was under the sea, and you may even come across fossils if you are lucky.

Biking through Tibet is an endurance test both for the biker and his mean machine. So keep your bike in top condition before you even plan to come on this trip. Remember, this is the ‘Roof of the World’, and so it is going to be really cold. Though the day temperature will be warm, but the nights can get bitter. Storms can happen with snowfall anytime, so you have to be ready. April to October is the best season for biking through Tibet.