Up at 5am to catch the twin otter from Pokhara to Jomsom. We see the Himalayas for first time as the haze cleared from the overnight thunderstorms! We fly from around 3000′ up to Jomsom at nearly 13,000′ and see Annapurna the whole way! Funny that they hand out candy and cotton balls (hearing protection) before we take off. FYI, our bikes were flown here the previous day while we were chillin in Pokhara.

On arrival, it is immediately apparent it is much colder at this elevation! After a quick breakfast, on the bikes at 845am. We ride on very very rough gravel jeep track beside a huge mostly dry river bed, but it is in fact part of the famous Annapurna Ciruit Road/Trail!!! Eventually leaving the river, we head up and up; climbing most of the day; still on rough mountain gravel roads; I frequently had to walk the bike up the steeper portions. Eventually we arrive at a place called Muktinath; stop at the Nirvana Guest House for lunch. Wow; we are just under the massive and beautiful Annapurna mountain in the Himalayas. Very cool place by any measure!

And this is one of those times I know neither my words nor my photos can do justice for where we are, and what we saw today here at the foot of the Himalayas. Imagine trying to describe the grandeur of Denali, but even more magnificent, bigger, and higher; and in certainly a more foreign environment, here in unique Nepal. Amazing!

After a fine baked veg spaghetti dish for lunch, we start back down the valley in truly gale force up-valley winds! Serious kinda winds, blow you over kinda winds. We see many trekkers walking the circuit most with day packs; a Sherpa carrying their big bag. I talk to several, we are the ONLY mountain bikers they’ve seen; no wonder, really a tough rough road with large gravel, dodging jeeps, riding across streams. All the time, Annapurna right there! Really a fantastic day!

After making it back to the hotel, and each in turn taking a shower in the one shared stall, we noticed there is surprisingly a “German bakery” in little Jomsom; so we all stop there to avoid the wind. I had a cinnamon roll and a hot toddy. Satisfying…

I left the gang there and was heading back to Windy Valley Hotel and Teahouse (aptly named) for a brief quiet time after a long tough day and ran into Ox and Suneel on the street; they graciously invited me for momos with them. We walked two doors down to a very small local place (that the others would have thought was unacceptably filthy) and we had some spicy yak meat bits cooked with onions, hot peppers and tomatoes. Delicious!!!! Then came three plates of yak meat Momos! More deliciousness!

We had a sip of the local made wheat liquor as well; nasty tasting but effective! We talked a lot about possible future trips; Ox would love me to come on a trip in either Tibet or Ladakh later this year; he calls me “colorful man”… but I think he means I bring a positive energy to the mix. Anyway, he was implying I would play some sort of support role; maybe that westerner “expectations manager” bike trip job I’ve always wanted. I mean, that’s kinda what I do in my job now, right? Regardless of whether I’m able to make it back here later this year, the invitation is rather gratifying.

Finally back to the hotel; more food served in the upstairs room that looks out directly at Nilgiri Peak… Temperature will drop to a very chilly 38F tonight…

A very incredible day coming to an end in this noisy and cold little hotel. Just two more cycling days and yet another biking adventure will be completed, but never forgotten.

(No photos now; no wifi and approaching limit of my international data allotment…)

The official blurb:

Thurs 18 th April: Pokhara – Jomsom – Muktinath – Jomsom

This morning we take a short flight from Pokhara to Jomsom (2,713 metres). Jomsom is the headquarters of the Mustang District and a key location along the popular Annapurna Circuit trekking route. We cycle off-road from here through a dramatic, arid landscape towards Muktinath (3,825 metres). It is a tough ride over rocky terrain which resembles the Tibetan plateau with some fascinating rock formations en route. Muktinath is as pilgrimage centre for Buddhists and Hindus. The shrines, in a grove of trees, include a Buddhist monastery and the Vishnu temple of Jiwala Mayi. An old temple nearby provides shelter for a spring and the natural gas jets that provide Muktinath’s famous eternal flame. The earth – water – fire combination accounts for Muktinath’s great religious significance. Spectacular views of the Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Tukuche peaks and several other 8,000 metre peaks are visible. We return to Jomsom to overnight.