Mountain Biking in Pokhara Valley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMHneo30_hE

After spending a week at Chitwan I took a cab to Pokhara where I had decided to try out some mountain biking. Here I spent around 2 weeks exploring the various trails on my mountain bike and taking photos of the landscapes and wildlife. I had actually purchased the mountain bike in Kathmandu at a store called Panc Bike. It is a Polygon Premier 5 mountain bike. I could have rented the bike but I decided on purchasing it instead. I had mainly stayed at Nepali Cottage Guesthouse. I would recommend this place for a few reasons. One is that it is for those on a low budget, rooms are clean and the owners are quite friendly and also there is a juice bar that not only serve juice but also make good breakfast.

There is a bike shop in Pokhara called Chamling Cycle and they also organize mountain biking day trips as well as overnight trips within Pokhara and beyond. They are pocket friendly and anyhow the trails I covered could be described as easy-medium to medium hard while one or two days, the trails were really exhausting as it was quite uphill and steep. This made me walk with my bike most of the way. Another factor was the intense heat of the mid day sun. Some days involved around 3 to 4 hours of cycling while some days required a maximum duration of 8 hours of cycling with a couple of breaks thrown in between.

I had shot alot of trail video on various days using the DJI Osmo Action Camera and Gopro Chest Harness. The cameras gets mounted onto the harness and the harness has to be worn across the chest. This helps in getting stable or near stable footage even on offroad conditions especially when RockSteady has been enabled on the camera. Here is one clip which I had uploaded of me cycling downhill from the village of Panchase to Bhanjyang.

Here are some photos which I captured along the trail on those 12 days of cycling.

Enjoying a scenic mountain adventure with the new Polygon Premier 5 hardtail bike, overlooking a stunning valley and lake vista.

Mountain biking in the serene hills above Pokhara, offering breathtaking views and a tranquil escape from the crowds.

Visitors trek up a rocky path towards a large Shiva statue, basking under a clear sky, with colorful drapes adorning the surrounding buildings.

Lush green terraces stretch across the vibrant farmland of Pokhara, set against the backdrop of rolling hills and a dramatic sky.

During a break, I stopped to buy some water. I noticed some chickens sitting on a branch which is unusual so I took out my camera to capture some photos.

Udan Rai, my cycling guide with whom I explored the various trails across Pokhara.

Udan Rai navigates a rugged downhill trail with determination, surrounded by lush greenery and rustic stone structures.

Landscape view of Phewa Lake in Pokhara.

A courting pair of cattle egrets perched amid lush branches in a central Pokhara nesting colony.

Paragliders soar above a scenic valley, flanked by lush green hills on one side and bustling construction on the other, with a serene lake nestled in between.

Colourful paragliders soar gracefully over the stunning Pokhara Valley, creating a vibrant contrast against the serene backdrop of the Himalayan foothills.

A majestic Lammergeier, also known as a Bearded Vulture, gracefully soars above the expanses of Pokhara Valley.

The next and final part of my trip involved visiting Shuklaphanta National Park.