45 days Bike Trip in Nepal
We cycle together with our partner and friend, Fotis Kontargyris in the shelters of Nepal and the imposing peaks of the Himalayas.
With this "boundary-breaking" interview, we conclude our "Chasing the Greek Adventure" feature series, as presented on the Redbull website, edited by WayOut Adventures.
Fotis Kontargyris, a member of Explore Messinia, has dedicated his life to outdoor activities. This is a chance to know everything about his journey. Hiking, paddling in seas and rivers, cycling and ropes are just a few of the means he uses as he hunts down nature's rarest and most beautiful faces. You can know more about Fotis Kontargyris here.
What made you choose this destination and go about this hardcore approach?
Nepal is a destination that is on the bucket list of those involved in nature activities for a number of reasons. It is home to the famous Himalayan Mountain range with the highest mountains in the world, it’s also where countless gorges and sacred rivers flow that provide life to all of South Asia. The diversity of the landscape is inexhaustible as the altitude starts at 60 meters with a mild tropical climate, monkeys, cocoa trees and mangoes and reaches the extreme inhospitable alpine scenery far above 7000 meters where white color, coldness and isolation dominate. If we combine this terrain with the assorted cultural and religious characteristics of its peaceful inhabitants, Nepal offers all the conditions for an unforgettable travel experience. Cycling as an option provides all those characteristics that will make this trip a genuine adventure. Its speed is relatively low, so you can absorb the environment around you, smell, taste, hear.
Make us your travel companions...Take us along on your journey
Our trip lasted 45 days and was done autonomously on mountain bikes in central Nepal. I would divide it into two parts, the first part starts from the moment I landed in the capital of Nepal, bustling Kathmandu (Kathmandu) and met up with the rest of the group. We walked quite a bit at first, and after experiencing the tourist part of the city, we mounted our bikes, did a few acclimatization rides and a bit of last-minute shopping before we left.
On the 5th day we left with the aim of reaching Pokhara where we rested before embarking for the second part of our journey. On this route, which lasted 10 days, we covered about 300 kilometers at altitudes ranging from 600 to 2900 meters with a total positive altitude of 5000m mainly on dirt roads and paths. We crossed many suspension bridges, we stayed in villagers' houses, inns, we tried infinite versions of lentil/rice, we met interesting people and we heard several stories.
''What I remember mostly from this part of the trip is the people, this is perhaps the real Nepal worth seeing.''
Unspoiled by hordes of western hikers and money and unknown to tour guides it may not have high mountains, but has the biggest hearts and carefree children with big smiles. Images of rural life from the past century, green landscapes and the faces one meets while cycling these continuous high hills are surprisingly beautiful. The weather was favorable too, a bright, strong, nearly summerish sunlight was ever present.
Arriving in Pokhara we returned to reality and comfort, as it is the base town for climbers in this region of the Himalayas and equipped to receive people from all over the world. We were ready to do the famous hiking trail of the Annapurna circuit by bicycle. The first part of our journey was over and had already prepared us!
We were about to go on the second part, another 300 kilometers except this time ranging from 600 meters to 5400 and a total positive altitude of 19,000 meters. We got up very early as we were starting with a grueling climb and had to chase the sun. Soon Pokhara disappeared behind us and we got back into our beautiful cycling routine.
Breakfast-bike-biscuits-bike-lunch-bike-dinner-organizing the next day-sleep...
We quickly reached a higher ground where along with the presence of giants the cold began and the weather was to determine our plans. As we were approaching the most demanding and highest point of our route, the only snowstorm we faced during the entire trip caught up with us, and forced us to stay put in the settlement of Muktinath for 5 days at an altitude of 3800m. After a strenuous effort we lifted our loaded bikes on the frozen paths, cycling with numb hands, the last meters up to 5416m, the most famous and high point of the route, the Thorong la pass.
The time for the cycling reward has arrived, time for downhill pedaling…pace, speed and endless trail for many days in a row. The scenery is epic, white sharp mountains, blue alpine lakes and rivers, zero human intervention. I will remember those days for the rare landscapes I saw, surrounded by these towering peaks, they always bring a smile to my lips.
What was the most difficult moment you faced on this journey as well as the most beautiful/powerful one?
The most difficult moment was when bad weather hit us just before we attempted to cross the highest point of the route, the pass was shut off with enough snow and there was no way of knowing whether it would melt in time. Our decisions suddenly had a different weight since no one had crossed the route for days and we didn't know whether the camps on the other side were functional so we even discussed giving up and going back. Luckily the next few days were all sunny, so we decided to wait as long as time allowed and give it a try, and after 5 days of waiting we made it.
The most beautiful moment comes right after the hardest and it’s when your goals come true. At 5416 meters, by bike, what a moment! For a few minutes in a drunken state without many words, partly from lack of oxygen and overexertion, we enjoyed the culmination of our multi-day effort, hugged, celebrated, took pictures... But we quickly came to our senses because we had to continue the descent before nightfall.
How would you describe the special culture and people of Nepal?
It is difficult to describe the culture of Nepal as it is a mosaic of various South Asian ethnicities and the people and their customs vary quite a bit from region to region. In general, Nepalese people are friendly, warm and welcoming. They are proud of their traditions, religion, music, culture and have a huge respect for visitors to their country. Spirituality is also very important and daily life is full of ritual and prayers to the gods, who are present in their world and not an abstract concept. Hindus and Buddhists live together and share places of worship and prayer in perfect harmony, without tension.
Give us three words to describe your overall experience!
Pedaling - Dedication - Landscape (+ Cookies)