Spiti and Lahaul Epic Itinerary

Day 1 - Delhi

As flight arrival times vary, we all converge at the hotel Delhi at midday to catch the evening luxury coach up to Manali. It's an all-night drive to Manali - once we reach the foothills, the road winds manically through valleys, overlooking swift rivers and flanked by mountains. Volvo night bus.

Day 2 – Manali (2000m)

Arrive in Manali, in the foothills of the Himalaya, late morning. Adjust to the new pace of life and the sound of auto-rickshaws. Explore New Manali for a real Indian feel, take in the market and the tangle of backstreets. We’ll check over bikes and tuck in to a meal at one of the many restaurants. Guesthouse.

Day 3 - Bijli Mahadev to Manali (2000m) 65km

Depending on the weather, we'll get a jeep out to Bijli Mahadev early in the morning. Aside from being an interesting Hindu temple, it's a great spot to see the convergence of the lush green Kullu and Parvati valleys. The first 40km of the ride back to Manali is along a superb trail that teeters on the ridegetop of the mountain with little singletrack deviations, then we hit some tarmac to back blast down in altitude to Nagar, and home to Manali on a village-lined backroad. Guesthouse.

Day 4 – Manali to Solang (2600m) 30km

This is a short day to ease us into the ride, and get some altitude under our belts. A rough jeep track winds its way through various traditional villages to the winter ski resort of Solang, where we'll camp for the night in the forest. Camp.

Day 5 – Manali to Marhi (3360m) 35km

Following the Beas River gently upwards, today's a big day of climbing and altitude gain, following a smooth tarmac road to the small small settlement 16km before the top of Rohtang Jot – the first Himalayan pass. Set in lush and green surroundings, a motley collection of tea stalls and restaurants provide ample opportunity for the first Indian dhaba experience. We’ll pitch tent on a hillside with views down the valley. 1200m climbing. Camp.

Day 6 – Marhi to Chatru (3350m) 50km

Sharing the road with brightly coloured Tatas, local transport trucks, we polish off the 16km climb to Rohtang Jot, at 3980m, marked by hundreds of prayer flags. We’re now about to enter Buddhist Himalaya. As we're towards the end of the season, hopefully we'll escape the worst of the monsoon rains. The descent is along and loopy, with some lovely, alpine style singletrack shortcuts along the way. While most of the traffic heads north, we'll branch off at Gramphoo along the Chandra river on an unpaved road and camp further up the valley. 1090m climbing. Camp.

Day 7– Chatru (3350m) acclimatisation

Our camping spot at Chatru is so idyllic that it's worth spending another day here to help acclimatise. We can either chill out round the tent and wash in the glacial waters, or those with energy to burn can hike up towards a nearby pass for some great views. Camp.

Day 8– Chatru to base of Chandra Tal (3950m) 40km

From here on, the road starts to deteriorate. Although the distance may look short, this is a good day's ride. It's rough and lumpy in places, with stream crossings and a particularly bouldery dry river bed. Then we turn off towards Chandra Tal lake on a sublime track that skirts above the river, camping by a waterpoint for the night. 900m. Camp.

Day 9– ride round Chandra Tal and back (3950m) 20km

A short day, to rest, further acclimatise and take a dip in the glacial waters of Chandra Tal. There's an extra sliver of singletrack that encircles the lake that we can ride too, before heading back to last night's campsite via some fast singletrack. 500m climbing. Camp.

Day 10– base of Chandra Tal to Chicham (4225m) 65km

Our longest, toughest day. From the campsite, we backtrack to the 'main' road and begin the second pass - Kunzum-la, 4500m. It's one of our favourite passes, with a beautiful collection of chortens and a small temple that's said to test the purity of your soul... A fast blast feeds us down into Spiti Valley along an unpaved road, whose switchbacks are linked with technical singletrack. Respite comes in the form of 20km road stretch (and usually a tailwind!) before a challenging unpaved climb through 'Giant Termite' valley to a high altitude pasture, where we'll camp for the night. 1200m climbing. Camp.

Day 11– Chicham to Llangza (4270m) 50km

Following a trail to the idyllic village of Chicham, we pick up some lovely, rarely ridden singletrack down to the river bed, before a short but tough hike out on the other side to Kibber. Toil over, it's time for a descent, on a fast and swooping tarmac road past Ki Monastery. Then - you guessed it - an tough unpaved climb back up to the high altitude pastures of Llangza where we'll sleep in the homestay of a local family for the night. 1200m climbing. Homestay.

Day 12– Llangza to Demul (4200m) 35km

It's track all the way between Llangza and Demul, via another 4500m pass and the remote monastery of Comic. There's some great singletrack options along goat trails, sometimes with the odd hike back up here and there. Depending on the state of the track, we may have to clamber over the odd rockslide. Our destination, the village of Demul, is perched in the fold of the valley, where we'll crash out for the night. 700m climbing. Homestay.

Day 13– Demul to Kaza (3600m) 50km

A donkey track drops down to Lalung via a stretch of trail we've come to know simply as "Unfeasibly Steep." It's saddle down time as the switchbacks are very tight and technical. This is a remote part of Spiti so we advise taking great care - or walk what you're not happy with. From here, a jeep track contous the horseshoe shaped valley, stopping off at the small but perfectly formed Lalung Monastery, and onto crumbling but majestic Dankar Monastery, set into the mountains. A fast tarmac descents drops us to the main road for the ride to Kaza. 600m climbing. Guesthouse.

Day 14– jeep to Rohtang and ride to Manali (2000m) 52km

Loading everything up into the jeeps, it's time to head on home to Manali. It's a stunning but bumpy journey, much of it will be new as we've been keeping to the high altitude tracks and trails. If the waether is good, there's no better way to round it all off then with the 52km descent back to the guesthouse - rewards for our toils ten days before. Tim for a much needed shower in the guestouse and feast in a local restaurant. 200m climbing.

Day 15– ride to Kullu 40km, O/N bus to Delhi

The bus to Delhi leaves in the afternoon. After packing the bikes, we can head down to a secluded creek for a last mountain dip, or wander the market for souvernirs. Overnight volvo bus.

Day 16– Delhi

Delhi can’t claim to be the most cycle friendly city in the world but it’s certainly an overwhelming hubbub of life. The bus arrives in the morning, so there's time for a wander around the city. We’ll meet back at the end of the day to enjoy a last group dinner. Most flights will leave very late that night, or unreasonably early the following day. Hotel.