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Here are some photos from the trip to Muktinath:



Some of the 108 Spouts at the Muktinath Temple.



A lot of Prayer Flags.



If you head into that canyon, you start climbing to the Thorong La.



This Temple is one of the Hindu Pilgrimage Sites.



Hotel Bob Marley. My first time down the Thorong La, I saw this and told my Guide I didn’t care where his relative’s place was…we’re stopping here…done the same every time I’ve been in Muktinath.



The XR down on the Kali Gandaki River bed.



I’m actually, unknowingly, breaking the law here…north of Kagbeni is Upper Mustang Permit Required.



A view into Upper Mustang.

Got my NCell data issue sorted out yesterday afternoon…still missing a 42gb data pack, though,,,

Having a late breakfast at the Simal Resort…they happen to be right next to a Petrol Station…950 rupees covered the gas from Beni up and down and back up to here…

They say I can make Jagat in about two hours, so I may push higher…

Very fun riding this morning…good pavement…great Twisties…not much traffic, but I can see out the window that that’s changing…

Made it to Chame…
141 miles…nearly 15000 feet of climbing…about 9 1/4 hours…
But, I’m only at 8800’…

Fun ride…not a lot of traffic and I was expecting worse…
Lots of mud…some really tricky, steep, climbing…
It will be interesting to see going down…

Rain clouds threatening in the morning, but only one drop on the shield…

Well, I’ve lived to tell about it…
Khangsar and Manang…
46 miles…6 hours of riding…5000’+ of climbing….
Lunch at Khangsar and then down to Manang for Apple Crumble and coffee…Outstanding…Manang is considered the Apple Capital of Nepal…

I love when people tell me something is too difficult…
On my riding scale, this was Moderate…and a load of fun…

Khangsar is the starting point for Tilicho…I had found a guide who said he’d take me to the lake for 5000 rupees…a bargain…

But, I’ve caught a cold in addition to not being acclimatized…woke up with a splitting headache…not to mention conditioning is rather weak…

Brownout in Chame this morning…

A few random comments while I wait for breakfast…

I spent about an hour talking with a Nepali Trekker yesterday on the rooftop dining area in Khangsar …In The More Things Change category is the number of Native Trekkers/Motorcyclists…

His recommendation was make today an easy day by riding to Bandipur…cheap hotels…cheap restaurants…outstanding views…just my kind of place…

I think we may have seen the last surge of Trekkers…packed house on the first night…only a few last night…

29 this morning, so I’m in no rush…

Decision has been made…
I was thinking I’d go to Poon Hill, but based on this sunrise in Bandipur…

I’m heading for Langtang National Park…
They say you can ride to Kyanjin Gompa…

Made it to a village named Gonggang…
Wanted to make Langtang Village, but I was spent…

This is Hard riding…far more difficult than any of the other riding in Nepal…

121 miles…just shy of 7 hours…just over 12.2k of climbing…

I’ll wait for warmth…ride to Langtang and find a place to dump gear and then do some more riding up Valley…should make almost Whitney, elevation wise…highest in Nepal…ride out on day 3…

This is about as Remote as it gets…
Yet, they have electricity and WiFi at this Most Basic of Guest Houses…

The Owner says I can’t ride to Langtang…rather than going against his advice, I’m going to return to Sysabrubensi and look for a Riding Guide…

Solo here is Down Right Stupid…

Internet Myths…
Can’t find a Guide, but did get recommended Day Trips…

Nice hotel…belongs to the brother of the English Speaking Nepali at the bike shop I stopped at…

Consensus is no riding to Langtang National Park…
Maybe Mani Lettenbichler or Cody Webb…

Walking would probably take 2-3 days…so I’ll ride local for a day or 2 and head back…

Having lunch at Resuo…
Another Tibet Border Run…
Thought the Nepali Soldier was going to let me pass…
I don’t have a Multi-entry Permit, so that would have been a problem..,

This has made the trip worthwhile…
I’ve lost count of the number of “Chinese” Entry Points I’ve been to…only done one land crossing..,

I’ve decided on a few rest days in Kathmandu…
Doing some day rides…
I’m at Chisapani…late lunch…
Couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve walked up here…
Usually the first night on the way to Langtang…

I don’t know if I’ve broken my iPhone…
Photos have been crap…
I’ll try and see if these are any good and post if they are…

Do a Google Search for Chisapani images if I don’t come through with any good ones…

Here are a few photos:


This was the 3rd Track I used to try and get closer to Langtang...I was running late (3:30pm already) and didn't want to end up in the dark on Hard Terrain...I never felt uncomfortable on this track because there was plenty of traffic (wheeled and foot)...A Guide in a 4WD was worthless saying he didn't know where the track goes...(with clients in the vehicle)...another couple of riders said you could ride to the ridgeline and then it turned to steep single track...most people would park the bikes and walk the rest of the way in to Langtang...didn't feel like spending another day...not to mention re-riding this track 3 more times...



Not a very successful portion of the trip, but I had a Tuborg anyway...first small beer I'd seen in about 3 days...
Nice looking hotel in Syafu Bensi, but none of their electrical outlets worked and their WiFi was very intermittent (which also led to my decision to head for Kathmandu).



Chisapani Taal (their extra a).



'Big mountains...



The 190 parked in front of one of the hotels in Chisapani...they had a great dining deck at the back of the hotel...and a good Cook...

I've finally found my Breakfast Spot...RFC...Richmond Food Company...
420 rupees for 2 plain omelletes, toast and a Double Shot Americano Coffee (that finally tastes like coffee from home)...
A Cheapskate's paradise...

MotoGP Practce (final race of the year) this afternoon, so I'm headig up to Nagarkot for the morning and back to the hotel for motorcycle race viewing in the afternoon...

Going to head East after the weekend...

Here's what I look like 17 days into the trip to Nepal:


I have to admit I'm looking forward to going back to Thailand and playing football with my "Grandson." This trip has worn me down...I can state that I'll never be back to ride a motorcycle here...the number of "close call" head-ons is rediculously high...I'm trying to find the video of a bus encounter I had...riding conservatively adds hours to trips...the sights are gorgeous (is a positive)...

There are at least 3 "road clousures" from Kathmandu to the East of the Country...that means at least 3 diversions...which are usually hell on wheels...It's after 10am and I haven't done much in the last 3 days...I ccould hang and do day rides out of the hotel in Kathmandu...waiting for my flight out...the other Alternative is to ride to Jiri (5-6 hours) and then do an off-road ride to Phaplu and possibly Lukla...I know it's possible, but I've yet to find definitive directions...

It doesn't help that my snot has looked like "special effects" from a sci-fi movie the past few days...but I do think that means the Cold is finally going to clear...



A Not So Clear pano from Nagarkot.



A closer look at the "Langtang Range" of the Himalaya...these are 6-7k peaks...


I did go back to RFC for breakfast again and can confirm that they do Good Food inexpensively...


BTW, I heard Protesters out on Ring Road this morning...hoping it stays peaceful...or better yet, is just one-off by the Youth, reminding the Government they're still out there...

There's a barricade on the "road" above Surke...so no ride all the way to Lukla...
Probably one of those Good Things...use your human power to get farther into the Everest Region...

Surke is 2.3km short of Lukla...even I can manage that walk...

Babbling on...whenever I've been in Lukla, I've stayed at the Sunny Garde Lodge...the Owner's had 2 young daughters who could have been Miss Nepal Contestants...last time I was there, the daughters were down in Kathmandu, gtting an advanced education...it would be interesting to visit with the Family again...which leads to...Why Phaplu??? Last time I was in Nepal, I got stuck in Lukla for 3 days waiting on the Backlog of Passengers to thin out so I could get back to KTM...on the third day, when my Bribes got me No Seat, I asked for my money back (the Owner of Garden Lodge was my Agent) and started walking to Phaplu...little did I know, and nobody warned me, that the Phaplu Airport was under re-construciton...I had to hire a 4WD to get me back to Kathmandu...and as usual, the Vehicle Owner filled my 4WD with additional Passengers...one of which was a Pregnant Young Nepali that i gave my Shotgun Seat to...14 hours of hell...cramped into the back seat, and then almost No Taxi Driver willing to get me to my hotel once we arrived in KTM in the middle of the night...

I watched some videos...that road is now more than partially paved...I think I'm going to go for it starting tomorrow...

That's me and Akichow on Gokyo Ri...17575'...'13...so 12+ years ago...

Here are a few more photos:


A fiery sunset from Bandipur.



I was told that's Cho Oyu and Everest...and a rare sight as it's usually blurred by haze...



The fog didn't rise up to the level of Bandipur this sunrise...but the alpineglow was rather disappointing...


So, my iPad went missing and I finally tracked it down to the hotel in Bandipur...so another trip there...
On the way back to Kathmandu, the clutch cable snapped...I had ride about 20km until I finally passed a shop...45 minutes and 500 rupees got the repair done...the joy of trying to maintain enough speed to not stall the bike while riding around an Army Convoy...only stalled to bike once...turned it around and rolled it downhill to get it started again...

With 2 days wasted, I don't have time to ride across country to Phaphlu and back, so I'm thinking I'll ride up to Jiri and try and find a Motorcycle Guide to ride towards Lukla from that direction...Or, I may just hang out in Kathmandu...I can't recall a trip where my mind has been so seriously fried...Nepal is definitely a lot easier to deal with while sitting on the seat of a plane, (can't say train...I don't know that they have any) or automobile...

I’ve made it to Deurali Bazaar on the Jiri to Everest Base Camp Route that the ‘53 Expedition used and popularized…riding…

219km, a little over 8 hours, 5700m+ of climbing…

I’ve got 20km+ to make Junbesi…technical terrain that crosses the Lumjura La…after that the difficulty will decrease to Phaplu…

Owner of the Guest House says it’s not any tougher than the terrain I rode from Shivalaya…Owner also said Phaplu to KTM is good roads now…

We’ll see…at least I know I can make KTM for my flight if I have to turn around…

BTW, hard day without the traffic makes for a fun day…yeah, it was tough, but physical fatigue is a lot easier to deal with than Mental fatigue…

Me and altitude on this trip…
Headache, so lm heading back down…
I’ll find something to entertain myself for the next couple of days…