Alan Danby had long dreamed of cycling the legendary Annapurna Circuit. What began as inspiration from other riders turned into a two-week journey of pushing boundaries, both physical and mental, through one of the world’s most breathtaking and challenging regions. From humid paddy fields to snow-covered passes above 5,000 meters, this story captures the grit and beauty of riding through the heart of the Nepalese Himalayas. These images are sure to inspire, so let’s dive in…

It had been a dream of ours to visit this mystical place; the idea of the mighty mountains, ancient villages, and stunning trails was finally fading into our imagination, and the views were becoming a reality. Never did we imagine that we’d ride and push our bikes up and over 5000m passes and under some of the biggest peaks in the land. But after being inspired by other riders who had taken on the challenge before us, we decided to push our boundaries and go for it.

The trail itself passes through paddy fields, subtropical forests, and Hindu villages in the mid hills. Then up into the mountains, past many waterfalls and steep gorges, and then into areas with more Tibetan culture and Buddhist beliefs, such as Manang Valley and lower Mustang. Many years ago, this path would have just been used for local trading and as a pilgrimage route. Now it is one of the most famous high-altitude trails in the world, and fast becoming known for its great riding.

The route encircles the Annapurna Massif, giving incredible close-up views of Annapurna I-IV, Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, Manaslu, Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak, and Pisang Peak, to name just a few. Various other peaks of 6000-8000m in elevation rise from this range. It’s hard to keep your eye on the trail as you try and spot them all.

Our plan for the loop was to ride anticlockwise from Pokhara and take around two weeks, eventually returning to Pokhara. We would go at a slower pace, to acclimatize whilst we climbed up in altitude and to make sure we had plenty of time to see the historical and cultural sights in the villages and towns we would pass through. We learnt the key rule that when you’re over 2,500 meters, you should only increase your altitude by around 500 meters a day. If you climb more than that, it’s advised that you track back down and sleep at a lower altitude. This seemed to work really well for us, and we felt good throughout the route. Choosing to go anticlockwise meant we would have a consistent climb all the way to the top, but with a super steep descent on the other side of Thorong La Pass, we made up for the lack of riding down this section with a couple of days riding in lower Mustang.

Packing light was also key. To get over the pass we would need our bikes to be as light as possible, to make the pushing as easy as possible. There is an abundance of guest houses and food stops, therefore no need to carry a tent or stove. As we were riding in April, it was humid down low and still pretty warm up high when the sun was out. We just carried some riding clothes, tools, space for snacks, and warm layers for the evening. We even left our sleeping bags behind as we knew the guesthouses would have beds, blankets, and a hot meal in the evening.

The total elevation gain of the entire circuit is more than 10,000 meters (32,810 ft) over just 380 kilometers (236 miles), with the highest point being Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters (17,769 feet).

After spending some time riding in New Zealand and experiencing some of the clearest and cleanest skies in the land, arriving into Kathmandu to smoky skies and chart-topping pollution levels was quite a contrast. Over recent years, global warming has been playing with the seasons here. Winter and springtime are becoming much drier and hotter than the years before. Rain is sparse, and when it’s combined with pollution and wild fires throughout the lower plains and mid hills, the valleys become trapped with smoke for months before the monsoon rains arrive. As a favourable weather system was blowing through with the high expectation of rain, we decided to wait to see if the skies cleared and the locals got some much-needed rain for their crops and health.

After two weeks resting, wandering, and consuming as much dal bhat as possible, we finally got on the road to start the Annapurna Circuit. The early monsoon rain cleared the skies and the peaks of the Himalayas were in sight. Our first two days were short, to ease back into life on the bike. We left the hustle and bustle of Pokhara behind, weaving through the morning traffic and aiming for the mountains. As soon as we got off the highway, everything settled down and we found ourselves riding through quaint villages and lush green rice padi fields. We sampled our first mighty suspension bridge whilst rolling past Begnas Lake. At first we were a little nervous. But when you think they can take the weight of a herd of donkeys, they should be able to take the weight of us two.

On day three, we rolled out of Besishar. The road started to run out and the track began to get rougher and steeper. The valley walls were growing around us, and it felt like we were properly getting up into the mountains. We felt very small as we started to climb up, up, up.

Many sections of the route are right on the edge, and they are constantly under construction as landslides roll through during every monsoon season. It’s a testament to the hard work of the Nepalese people that they keep everyone moving up and down the valley. The new roads improve life expectancy in the remote villages. But the counter effect is that the smaller villages down the road are now missed and driven past, and it’s just the final destinations that are visited. Guest houses and villages are now deserted and empty.

Our third night was spent in Syange. A local boy proudly gave us a tour of the nearby waterfall and filled us in on all the activities he and his friends got up to before and after school. One such activity included swimming lengths in the hydro dam and a death-defying, tightrope-esque walk along a wall above a 100+ waterfall. “Do you think I can still do it?” he asked, obviously hoping to show us. Our hearts were racing far more than his ever seemed to as the boy wandered along the concrete beam. Thankfully, we all made it down to enjoy dinner and watched videos of his dad hunting for honey high up the valley. Seriously worth a watch, it’s so gnarly!

As we climbed further up the valley, the villages started to become a mass of colour, with prayer flags, prayer wheels, and ancient monasteries dotted throughout the valley and up as high as the eye can see. Switchback after switchback, slowly we were making our way up. On day five, we made it to Chame and stayed with a lovely Tibetan family. It was a very intimate experience, we sat and ate dinner with them, sharing stories round the fireplace, and then in the morning, they gave us a tour of the local monastery, which they looked after each day. We were kindly taught a common Buddhist mantra – Om Mani Padme Hum – to help calm any fears or anxiety we might have, specifically for our time heading towards Thorong La Pass.

Calmed and relaxed, we pressed on, the views over the next couple of days would blow our minds. They just got better and better as we rode through Upper Pissang and reached Manang. We had Annapurna II and Gangapurna towering above us. We were quite lost for words. The size of these mountains is hard to comprehend. Frequently we’d have to pick our jaws off the floor and keep our eyes on the trail.

Whilst in Manang we had our first break from the bikes and took the opportunity to explore the ancient village of Braga and to head up to Ice Lake to acclimatise up to 4,600m. The hike had us wandering through the narrow alleyways of the traditional stone buildings and past the 600-year-old Buddhist monastery before heading up the steep climb to Ice Lake. The skies were clear and the sounds of eagles and vultures were above us.

The ride out from Manang saw the end of the road and the start of some fun single track, which would see us up and over the pass to Mukinath. The days to the pass were short, but they packed a punch, with steep climbs, lots of hike-a-bike, and sleeping at new heights. After learning a few tips from Farawayistan and Project Pedal Further, who had ridden this route before us, we decided we were going to ride up to Thorong Phedi, leave our kit and then hike our bikes up to high camp. This was a real help, and the steep push from Phedi was manageable with the lighter bikes. This also helped with acclimatisation, as we hadn’t been over 4600 before, it made sense to hike higher and then return to sleep lower.

Our plan was set. We started to climb up as the sun rose along the valley. There was a mix of steep climbs and flowy descents to start, and then it just got steep. We eventually made it to a risky landslide location before Phedi and made sure not to stop too much, even though we were breathing heavily. After surviving the landslides, we found our guest house for later that day, tucked into some chow mein, and then set up to push out bikes up to high camp. The steep path towered above us and we started to climb slowly, pushing up for a few steps, braking to pause, and then repeating all the way to the top. The views were epic at high camp, but we decided to not stick around too long as the wind was picking up and some clouds were starting to move up the valleys. Our decision was wise as by the time we made it back to camp, the first flakes of snow were starting to drop. By dinner time, the valley was completely white. We went to bed a little nervous about what we might see in the morning, hoping that it wouldn’t snow too much more.

Summit day. Our alarms went off at 3.45 am after a relatively good sleep. The stars were still out, and thankfully it hadn’t snowed much more. We tucked into a pancake and briskly set off to collect our bikes from high camp at 4:15 am. By 5.30 am, the sun was breaking the top of the peaks and we were starting to warm up. The fresh snow was making it slightly slippery in places, but the beauty of the scenes around us made us forget about it quickly. Slowly, step by step, the top became ever closer and by 8.30 am, we sighted the colourful prayer flags atop the summit. The sun was blaring down on us, the wind and clouds were still at bay, and everyone else was celebrating at the top. We were both so proud to have gotten our bikes to this point and felt so grateful to have had such a good weather window. It wasn’t time to relax, though, we still had nearly 2000m to descend. It was anything but easy; the top section was covered in snow and the majority of the descent was covered in loose rocks. Some sections were super flowy, and others were super steep switchbacks. But after a couple of hours riding, Muktinath was in sight.

We took a well-earned day of rest in Muktinath and didn’t move for at least 24 hours, just relaxing to the max and eating everything in sight. Our plan was to stay in Kagbeni for a couple of days to sample some of the lower Mustang trails. We chose to take the northernmost route across the valley first, which flows through a few traditional Tibetan villages, Jhong, Chongur, and Putak. These settlements were off the beaten track, and it was nice to see some untouched homes and streets where the tourism industry hadn’t arrived. The scenery was also starting to change; behind us were the snowy peaks and in front was barren, desert-like terrain that was dry with stunning yellow and orange tones. After climbing uphill for so long, it felt like such a dream to ride downhill all day. The trail was fast, flowy, and extremely windy. It turns out Kagbeni sits within the Kali Gandaki valley, the deepest gorge in the world, which turns into a massive wind tunnel. You don’t want to be stuck in a headwind down here.

The Lupra Trails were next on our list; however, this meant a mighty 1300 m climb back up. Luckily, the team from Himalayan Singletrack were in town and keen to give us a lift back to the top. Our legs couldn’t be happier. As we got dropped off, we could see the mountains behind us and the flowing singletrack beneath us. We dropped our seats down and set off. Descending for about 1000 m down into the valley, it was steep, loose and winding. Once we made it to Lupra, we tucked into a healthy portion of dal bhat (top tip: the second portion is always bigger). As we watched a squad of baby goats pulling some gnarly stunts off the village walls, the afternoon wind was picking up. We rolled down the valley and called it a day in Martha.

Our final few days were spent flying back down to Pokhara, each day was a contrast of pretty valley views and construction work. Smooth tarmac and road works. Tasty local cuisine and naughty roadside snacks. Sunshine and monsoon downpours. Long discents and big old climbs. Early on we had learnt the phrase ‘Nepalese flat’. Even if you think you’re in for a nice jolly ride downhill or along the valley floor, be sure to know it’s still going to be tough, with many punchy climbs and varying surfaces. Finally we made it back to the hustle and bustle of Pokhara, feeling content and chuffed with what we had experienced over the last couple of weeks in the mountains. We celebrated with a big feast, a good long scrub, and reminisced on the good times we’d had up high in the Himalayas.