My cycling the Tribhuvan Highway video taken on my ride around South Asia. A collection of the photos and videos I took on my epic bicycle ride up the Tribhuvan Highway in November 2016.
For a while, the Highway was the only main road linking India and Nepal. It runs from the Raxaul/Birganj border to Naubise, 16 miles west of Kathmandu.
This video covers the section north of Hetauda in the Sivalik Hills, from Hetauda to Naubise. It’s only 20 miles as the crow flies, but the twisting, turning road takes it to over 60 miles! It’s an endless series of twists, turns, climbs and descents.
You can watch the video below or on my YouTube channel. But honestly, it won’t be any more enjoyable wherever you watch the video! You can also subscribe to my channel. You’ll then be amongst the first to know when I release a new video.
Cycling The Tribhuvan Highway
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Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.
Bicycle Touring South Asia: Nepal, the Tribhuvan Highway, a Hairpin Bend to Chisapani
Cycling around South Asia, my latest bicycle touring update from Nepal. A hairpin bend to Chisapani. 42 miles, on the Tribhuvan Highway. It’s been another ridiculously hard ride again today, and I’ve still not made it to Kathmandu!
Last night’s campsite
Last night wasn’t the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had; I was continually being woken up. As I said last night, my campsite was on the side of the road, on the apex of a corner. I thought that after a few hours, the traffic would stop, but it continued all night. It wasn’t so much that the traffic woke me up, although it did, no, it was more the fear of being hit by one of these vehicles! If the truck/car was going up the hill, I felt safe with those. But if it was something coming down the hill that I didn’t like!
I could hear them coming from a long way away, as the road continued to twist and turn up the mountain. I’d lie there listening to the trucks, as it was getting nearer and nearer. Then the sound would disappear when the road twisted in a different direction. That only made it worse, because the next time I would hear it was as it came around the final corner, and the headlights would light up my tent! I would just lie there, hoping the truck would make the corner, and not run over me! As soon as it started to get light, I was up and on the road; my nerves couldn’t take any more!!
Snow-capped mountains
Sounds about Right!
It turned out I was only an hour away from several hotels last night! But that was an hour this morning on fresh legs and in the daylight! I think stopping when I did was the right decision! After all, there was no guarantee of any rooms being available; they may have even been closed by the time I would have reached them, that’s if I would have reached them!
Sharing my breakfast with the girl from the cafe
I’ve had some spectacular views of the mountains today, especially as the landscape opened up at the Simbhanjyang Pass. Not too sure if I was looking at Everest, as all the signs read “Everest view.” All I know is that whatever mountains they were, they were majestic, with their snow-capped peaks gleaming in the sun.
It’s a long way down! Thinking about it, it was a bloody long way up!
My main problem at the moment, despite the normal ones! Is daylight, it gets dark too early, and these roads are really not a nice place to be in the dark!
Some People Never Learn
You’d think that after all the travelling I’ve done, I would have learned not to listen to what the locals say when it comes to terrain and distances! The distances that I kept getting told yesterday were wildly different, varying from 50km to 5km! And today was no different. I’d been told that it was downhill from Daman to Noubise, then it was a gentle climb for the last 20 miles or so up to Kathmandu. Well, it wasn’t downhill, and it wasn’t a gentle climb!
I’d debated whether to stop at one of the hotels in Noubise or push on to Kathmandu. After all, it wasn’t late, and it was only twenty miles, with a gentle climb! So I decided to push on, big mistake! For a start, it wasn’t a gentle climb, and the road was mega busy!
Stunning views
It started to get dark, and once again, there was nowhere to camp or stay! So I pushed on in the hope that it was only 20 miles to Kathmandu! Then, out of the blue, or rather dark, appeared a hotel. I’ve only got another 10 miles to Kathmandu, but it can wait until tomorrow; that road was far too busy to be cycling on in the dark!
Despite a tough few days, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself, although I wouldn’t want to go that way again!
Follow & Support Garry’s Bicycle Touring Adventures
If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. And of course you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.
Bicycle Touring South Asia: Nepal, Hetauda to a Bend on the Tribhuvan Highway
Cycling around South Asia, my latest bicycle touring update from Nepal. Hetauda to a hairpin bend on the Tribhuvan Highway. 30 miles. Well, there was no putting it off. I had to leave the hotel and head up the Tribhuvan Highway. I found out last night that’s the name of the shorter route to Kathmandu. And despite all the dire warnings about the state of the road, I thought seventy miles has got to be better than two hundred.
After eating two omelettes for breakfast, I couldn’t put it off any longer and had to get moving! And left the hotel; as I left, the staff told me not to go that way, saying, “The road is non-existent, there are rocks and potholes everywhere, it’s too steep to cycle, you’ll have to carry your bike, it’s so bad! And with all these warnings ringing in my ears, I left. The uphill part I can cope with. It’s the off-road cycling I struggle with these days. It jars my back! And because my walking isn’t so good these days, I’m a bit more cautious! Whereas in the past, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought! I’d have just gone for it!
The ominous mountains in my way
I can’t deny that I was a little concerned as I cycled up the road and stopped at the junction where the road turned to the left, the longer route to Kathmandu. I wondered if maybe I should listen to what people were saying and take the longer route. The only thing that gave me a bit of hope was that small vehicles were coming down the Tribhuvan Highway. So it couldn’t be that bad, could it?
One of the many twisting roads
What a Relief
Anyway, my fears of a rough road proved totally unfounded. The surface was as good as any I’ve had over the past few weeks! But boy, it’s been hard work. I’ve been going uphill constantly right from the get-go this morning! As I started the day, the mountains dominated the skyline in front of me, but as the day went on, I was slowly but surely beginning to look down on them!
Meeting people on the Tribhuvan HighwayMore twisting roads that I’d come up
Not too sure where I am tonight. I just had to stop, as it was getting dark! For all I know, there might be a village just around the corner, but that corner is still going uphill. I think I saw a sign saying the next village was 6km away, but it’s just too far! If it were light, I would have carried on, but not in the dark, it’s too scary with the way they drive around here! I’d been looking for somewhere to stop for the past hour or two. But there’s nowhere to pitch a tent. On one side of the road, it’s a rock face. On the other side, it’s a drop of several hundred feet! So when I turned a corner and came across this small flat piece of land on the apex of a corner, I just had to stop!
Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.
Bicycle Touring South Asia: Nepal, the Tribhuvan Highway, Birgunj to Hetauda
Cycling around South Asia, my latest bicycle touring update from Nepal. Birgunj to Hetauda. 33 miles. The start of the Tribhuvan Highway. Short day today, with only thirty-three miles cycled, but it was a hard thirty-three miles! They were all uphill, and it took me five hours! And as I couldn’t see another town on the map, I thought it was best to stop.
A dried-up river bed
Tomorrow looks just as bad, if not worse, than today! Great, I can’t wait!
Possibly more of this tomorrow!
The other reason for stopping early was the road splits in Hetauda, and there are two routes to Kathmandu. One is over two hundred kilometres, or there’s a more direct route of seventy kilometres. The only problem, the shorter way is more of a track than a road. The road surface disappeared a long time ago! Plus, there’s also the small matter of a 2000-metre uphill climb!
Followed this riverbed uphill all day
I spent most of the afternoon in my hotel room, updating the website and trying to find information on the shorter route to Kathmandu. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find out that much. Some online maps show a road that goes all the way to Kathmandu. Other websites show the road just stops in the middle of nowhere. This is one of those moments when I wish I had a smaller-scale map with me. In the end, I gave up on the internet and went out to see if the staff on reception could help. They didn’t help either; they just said, “Road out, gone, washed away!” I gave up and went out for a shave and a wander around Hetauda.
Not Much Help
I hoped the barber could help, but he didn’t speak English. I struggled to get him to understand that I wanted a shave! I tried asking a couple of taxi drivers, but they didn’t understand me either. I think I’ll wait until the morning before deciding!
Nepal reminds me a bit of China, with all the street vendors and their barbeques. They all cook food on wooden skewers. Although I seem to remember there was a little more variety in the food they cooked in China. Here, it was mainly chicken, but it still tasted good.
Watch my YouTube video “Cycling the Tribhuvan Highway.”
Tour Information
It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:
Subscribe to my blog and follow me as I continue to travel around on my bike. Plus, as a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always buy me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.
