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- Manaslu Circuit hike-a-bike
13 November 2026
The Manaslu Circuit – The Ultimate Himalayan Portage & Gravity Quest
The Manaslu Circuit: Hike-a-Bike
This is not a casual Sunday spin. This is a raw, high-altitude expedition designed exclusively for the breed of rider who looks at a sheer stone staircase, smiles, and hoists their rig onto their shoulders. Welcome to the remote, restricted backyard of the world’s 8th highest peak.
The Manaslu Circuit is a brutal, beautiful, and deeply rewarding game of two halves. The first six days are a relentless “hike-a-bike” pilgrimage through the soaring, narrow canyons of the Budhi Gandaki gorge. You will earn every vertical meter as you shoulder your bike over ancient suspension bridges, rocky cliff-side singletrack, and alpine switchbacks.
But once you survive the oxygen-deprived trek to the roof of the world at Larkya La Pass (5,106 meters above sea level), the mountain pays its debt in full. Drop your saddle and unleash across a legendary 2,500-meter technical descent. You’ll blast through high-alpine glacial moraines, carve through wild rhododendron forests, and rip down fast, flowing tracks all the way into the Marshyangdi Valley.
If you have the grit to carry your bike to the sky, Manaslu offers the singletrack descent of a lifetime. Are you ready to shoulder the weight?
tour details for Manaslu Circuit hike-a-bike
date:
13 November 2026
| Day | Location | Program | Cycling Distance(km) | Altitude(meters) |
| 1 | Kathmandu – machha Khola | The Gateway Grind: The journey begins with a 4×4 shuttle through the Himalayan foothills. We trade the city chaos for 126km of dusty mountain roads, ending our day at 930m in Machha Khola. This is our final staging point before the real work begins. Expected travel time: 8-9 hours, depending on the road conditions and traffic. |
0 | 930 |
| 2 | Machha Khola to Jagat | Vertical Portaging: Welcome to the Budhi Gandaki gorge. Today is a 17km test of stamina. Expect technical singletrack interspersed with steep stone stairs where you’ll be shouldering the rig. We enter the Restricted Area at Jagat (1,370m). |
17 | 1370 |
| 3 | Jagat to Deng | The Deep Gorge: We follow the river upstream through narrow canyon walls and cascading waterfalls. This 20km stretch involves significant “hike-a-bike” as we navigate the rugged terrain to reach Deng at 1,860m. The subtropical heat starts to give way to cooler alpine air. |
20 | 1860 |
| 4 | Deng to Namrung | Rhododendron Ascent: The trail climbs 700m over 17km. You’ll ride through dense Sal and Rhododendron forests, crossing suspension bridges that hang high above the river. We end the day at Namrung (2,582m), where the first glimpses of the big peaks emerge. |
17 | 2582 |
| 5 | Namrung to Lho | Into the High Alpine: As we climb into the lands of the Bhotia people, the valley widens. This shorter day allows us to gain altitude gradually to 3,180m. The riding becomes more fluid as we pass Mani walls and ancient monasteries under the shadow of Manaslu. |
11 | 3180 |
| 6 | Lho to Samagaon | The Valley of Giants: A scenic pedal through the glacial plateau leads us to Samagaon (3,525m). The terrain here is much more rideable, offering epic views of the world’s 8th-highest peak. We arrive early to begin the critical acclimatization process. |
8 | 3525 |
| 7 | Samagaon (Acclimatization Day) | Oxygen Management: No moving today—respect the altitude. We take an active rest day to visit Birendra Lake or the local Gompa. This is essential to ensure your body can handle the 5,000m+ pass ahead. |
0 | 3525 |
| 8 | Samagaon to Samdo | The Yak Pastures: A steady 8.5km climb to the last permanent settlement. The trail to Samdo (3,860m) is largely rideable and follows the thinning river through high-altitude pastures. We are now deep in the “High Desert” zone. |
8.5 | 3860 |
| 9 | Samdo to Dharamsala | The Edge of the Glacier: The air is thin, and every pedal stroke counts. We push 6.5km up to the stone huts of Dharamsala at 4,460m. It’s a slow, methodical day meant to position us for tomorrow’s summit. This is the last outpost before crossing the Larkya La pass, where sleeping conditions will be Spartan. Early to bed; then get ready by 3:00 am for the ascent. |
6.5 | 4460 |
| 10 | Dharamsala to Bimthang | The Larkya La Summit: The Big One. A 3-5 hour hike-a-bike push to the crest of Larkya La (5,106m). After the mandatory photo at the prayer flags, drop your saddle. What follows is a 1,500m technical descent through moraine and scree into the lush valley of Bimthang. Ridability depends on the amount of snow present on the slopes. |
24 | 5106 |
| 11 | Bimthang to Gowa | The Ultimate Flow: From high-alpine rock to rhododendron forest “flow” . We drop nearly 1,000m over 13km to Gowa (2,550m). This is pure Himalayan gold—fast, technical, and incredibly rewarding after the days of pushing. |
13 | 2550 |
| 12 | Gowa to Besi Sahar & on to Kathmandu | The Final Descent: We wrap up the loop with a final 5 km ride to Tilche. From here, we trade our bikes for the 4×4 for the long, bumpy 8-9 hour drive onward to Kathmandu via Besi Sahar. |
5 | 1300 |
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