What does “unsupported” mean?

 

You are solely responsible for getting from the start to the finish. 

 

Race support is there for medical emergencies only.   This means that when things do not go according to plan, you use your initiative, common sense and resilience to figure out a solution to the problem. This may mean fixing a broken bike, getting back on the route if you get “lost” and sorting out accommodation and food / hydration on the hoof.

 

Everyone can make use of all commercially available services such as lodges / teahouses, restaurants or local bike mechanics. 

 

Where do I sleep / eat?

 

This is entirely up to you and how far you want to ride each day. ( Remember you only 5 full days of riding though !)

 

Along the route there are many lodges (teahouses / bhattis) that you can stay at.

 

These are typically, very comfortable, simple guesthouses managed by the owners.  Most will offer simple meals of chow mein, dhal bhaat and black tea at very reasonable prices.  These are typically run by the wife / children of the family and provides a great insight into Nepali life.

 

In the larger towns, there are more up market “hotels” that will have the “western” luxuries of pizza, hot showers and even “fancy machine” coffee.

 

There is no need to book ahead unless you have a particular place you want to stay at. Typically, only the more “up-market” places have web sites.

 

Along the route you are never far from a shop/ teahouse where you can get a simple “on the go” type snack or a more substantial sit-down meal.

 

What about camping?

 

There are established camping sites along the route, typically in a grassy area owned by the community that you pay a donation to. In addition, there are many lodges / teahouses will allow you to pitch a tent in their garden, though with accommodation so cheap you may find that you opt for a night in a teahouse rather than pitching a tent / fly.

 

Nepal doesn’t have a culture of ‘wild camping’ and although it is a safe country with low crime rates we advise that you seek out a teahouse / hotel or official campsite that will be able to support you. Many of these locations have provision of a walled garden/area. If you choose to rest at the side of the route then be aware you will likely have quite some attention (wanted or unwanted) from locals. 

 

Is the race non-stop?

 

Riders start in Kathmandu Sunday 8 September at 0600 and have until 20:00 on the Friday 13th of September to get to the finish line at Namche Bazar.

 

For competitors’ safety there is strictly no riding permitted from 8pm – 6am each day.  We want all competitors to have adequate rest through the night and enjoy each day’s riding.

 

Outside of these times you decide on when you start riding, how many breaks you have and what time you finish riding for the day.

 

What happens if I don’t make it to Namche Bazar in the time limit?

 

Don’t panic! – things can happen beyond your control. The most important thing is your safety. If you are not at Namche Bazar by the cut off time, we will contact you on your emergency contact number provided to check in with you and to see if you need any assistance.

 

If you don’t make a cut off time, of course you are allowed to finish the course on your own pace. Just try and make it back for the after party though !

 

 

How tough is the race?

 

Whilst there are no pre qualifying races to enter this race, you will be expected to have a solid background in multi day cycling tours/ races, be experienced in simple navigation, have the mental toughness and resilience to handle multiple long days in the saddle, independently be able to fix your bike should things go wrong and most importantly, the ability to make sound and rationale decisions to keep yourself safe. If you have any doubt contact JD ( Jonathan Douglas ) the race Director at info@everestbikebackingrace.com

 

How many people can ride together?

 

We expect most entrants to be solo riders.  However, we welcome entries from teams of 2 or teams or 4.  We do expect that each member of the team has the necessary experience to handle such an adventure. The sharing of equipment, support between the team members is permitted. The team must stay together at all times.

 

What kind of bike do you recommend for this race?

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Whilst it is technically possible to do the race on a gravel bike, the ideal bike would be a lightweight 29-inch mountain bike.  We will leave it riders to decide upon their own choice of bike / set up.

Note that the jeep roads that are on the route are typically dusty, steep both up and down, rocky and full of potholes. From Lukla to Namche the route is paved, but made for foot traffic, not bikes, with many sections requiring the skills of Danny MacAskill or for mere mortals - getting off and walking.

 

My wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/ brother /sister etc….wants to come to Nepal and support me – are they able to?

 

“Support crew” are welcome to see their rider start in Kathmandu then make their way to Lukla and on to the finish at Namche Bazar.  It is typically an 8-hour hike from Lukla to Namche Bazar.

 

For those keen to walk to Everest from Namche Bazar after the race – it is a relatively straightforward 8–12-day return trek from Namche Bazar to Everest Base Camp.

 

Just let us know your requirements at time of entry and we will do our best to assist you.

 

 

What’s included in the Entry Fee:

• Welcome “cultural dinner” on arrival day in Thamel, Kathmandu and group after party in Namche Bazar.

•  Closing “after race” dinner with distribution of awards and race souvenir.

• All the necessary permits / national park / area fees for the areas visited in Nepal.

• ridewithgps account 

• Medical support by our race doctor with 24-hour availabilty

• Race staff salaries, insurance and accommodation

• Quality race t-shirt

• Race bag with buff, local SIM card, hand sanitizers, useful information etc

• Race staff salaries, their insurance and their accommodation.

• File with hand picked images, movies of the race

• A contribution towards up to six Nepali cyclists to compete in this great event! 

• A percentage of any event profits will be donated to the Nepal Youth Foundation https://nepalyouthfoundation.org/ and the Himalayan Trust  https://himalayantrust.org/

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What’s excluded:

• International flight to Nepal

• Travel insurance

• Nepal entry visa

• All food and accommodation both in Kathmandu and on the race route – it is up to you to organise your own food, accommodation as you see fit.  You will be passing through populated villages / towns to re-supply as you see fit.

 

Extras that can be arranged for an additional fee:

 

• Personal gear (up to 10kg) to be transported to Namche Bazar for when you finish.

• Travel / flights from Lukla / Namche Bazar (weather permitting) back to Kathmandu

• Travel, tours to Everest and other trekking routes

 

Just let us know your requirements at time of entry and we will do our best to assist you.

 

 

What documentation and/or insurance will I need to take part in the race?

 

Insurance - You are required as a condition of entry to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for mountain biking and we recommend that you take out a policy which covers biking / trekking to a minimum of 3,500 metres and helicopter evacuation.

 

Medical- All riders are required to provide a medical note from their doctor, confirming that they have no medical conditions preventing them from taking part in the race.

 

How do I secure my entry?

 

1 - Enquire:

Make email contact with Jonathan Douglas (the Race Director) at  info@everestbikepackingrace.com briefly outlining your relevant biking / wilderness experience and asking any questions you may have about the race. 

 

There is no form to complete, just a rough background about yourself or yourselves if you entering as a team.

 

2 - Register:

If approved (this will be by email response within 5 days) you can then submit your initial race entry fee deposit of US $100

 

Note :  Applications for 2025 are open from Jan 1st 2025 and are limited to the first 150 participants.

 

Please make race entry depositpayment to:

 

Account Name                 Intrepid Auckland Limited

BIC/Swift                            ASBBNZ2A

Account Number              12 3287 025 8984 00     
Payment (US dollars)       $100

 

Please use your name as the reference.

 

We will confirm entry by email your entry once your deposit has been received.

 

(Registered office of Intrepid Auckland Ltd – 1504/18 St Martins Lane Auckland New Zealand 1010)

 

The remaining balance is paid at the time of registration in Nepal.  Registration will be open in the 2 days before the race start at the Himalayan Single Track office in Thamel, Kathmandu. www.himalayansingletrack.com   Address:  Annapurna Market, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal

 

Final Payment can be made in cash or credit card.

 

3 - Book Flight:

Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport is a short taxi ride from downtown Kathmandu. Tourists are required to obtain a visa (15 /30 or 60 days) which can be obtained on arrival.

https://www.immigration.gov.np/page/visa-on-arrival  check for latest information.

 

4- Arrange Insurance:

You are required as a condition of entry to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for mountain biking and we require that you take out a policy which covers biking / trekking to a minimum of 3,500 metres and importantly helicopter evacuation.

 

Rescue insurance is important as an emergency helicopter rescue can cost from $3,000 - US $10,000

 

5- Send Passport Scan / Emergency Contact Information / Insurance and Medical Certificate:

Medical- All riders are required to provide a medical note from their doctor, confirming that they have no medical conditions preventing them from taking part in the race.

Our team can pre arrange all National Park / area permits once we have received your passport scan. This avoids you having that potential time consuming hassle during the race.

 

6 - Confirm accommodation / travel requirements:

This is an unsupported race. That means that you have the flexibility to sort out your own travel and accommodation prior to the race.

 

However, we can assist with your pre and post race accommodation and post race travel arrangements if required, just let us know how we can help.

 

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What is your cancellation policy?

 

If the race cannot go ahead for reasons beyond our control (think - pandemic, major weather event, earthquake etc) we will endeavour to provide every entrant as much notice as possible. If such an event does happen, we will transfer all entries to the following year.

 

Note - The final race fee balance is only payable in the 2 days before the race start once you have arrived in Kathmandu. 

 

There is no refund on the initial deposit as we will use this to pay / arrange for all permits for the area, including the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit, TIMS card and the Sagarmatha National Park entry permit.

The local government of Khumbu directly collects NPR 2000 (around 20 USD) per person for each foreigner. The National Park entry permit costs about USD 30 (including 13% Government tax)

Cost of the TIMS card is NPR 2000 (about 20 USD). 

All entrants should ensure that their personalised travel insurance at the time of booking any international flights  includes any cancellation for any “force majeure” type events such as pandemic/ natural disaster type events etc.

 

 

Can I transfer my entry to someone else?

 

Potentially - It is important from a safety perspective that all entrants are vetted. No transfers are permitted within a month of the race start as we will have already arranged entry permits.

 

Is there any required equipment?

 

Yes,  there is and a full list of recommended items will be emailed to confirmed entrants.  As you can expect it includes the usual items that most of you will be familiar with on an extended bikepacking trip.

 

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How safe is this race?

 

Riders and support crew safety is our paramount concern.  Riding a bike off road in a mountainous region has many inherent risks, however through vetting all entrants to ensure all have the necessary experience to cope with such a race, each rider having the required medical and personalised insurance, with helicopter evacuation cover and a mandatory gear list, we think we have most bases covered.

 

Each rider will be given a gpx/tcx route before arrival in Kathmandu that shows a “suggested” route from Kathmandu to Namche Bazar.  However, with there being a multitude of options, especially in the first 50-100km we will the exact route finding to each entrant to determine / decide upon.  For the safety of each rider they will be required to go through a few mandatory checkpoints along the route.  This will allow the Race Crew to keep an eye on where each rider is and also provide a live web feed for those following the race through social media.

 

In addition, we will giving each entrant a Nepal (local) SIM card that riders can use to contact the 24hour Race HQ emergency number if required.  A decision can then be made on what action is to be made with the option available of a heli- evac back to medical support in Kathmandu, for the most serious of cases.

 

We advise that participants drink filtered or bottled water throughout their time in Nepal. There are many places along the route to replenish your supplies. If you are needing to drink from an alternative water source then do use your preferred bacterial filter and purification tablets.   Participants should check with their doctor on specific vaccinations for Nepal, including rabies