What's included?

This is how we run the rides. In terms of costs, the price covers pretty everything in India, bar a few bits and pieces listed below.

Group sizes

We aim for 8 people in a group, plus us. We've found this works well as it's nice and social, but small enough for everyone can get to know each other well and not make a great big impact wherever we go. Even if the groups are smaller, we'll run the trips whatever the numbers we have - but we won't go above 10.

Equipment

For our jeep-supported tours, we'll supply tents, mattresses and all cooking equipment (and a cook too!). Our tents are roomy- they're traditional A-frame designs with external storage space, two doorways and fully waterproof outers. Two people share a tent, though they're easily big enough for three. You will need to bring personal kit and a suitable 3+ season sleeping bag that's rated to minus 10C to be sure you sleep well at night. Check out the Kit List for more details.

You must make sure your bike is in tip top condition and you have the necessary spares - see Bike Setup for advice. We'll also carry tools and spares, but anything you use will have to be returned to us, as they're impossible to come by in India.

We've found that most people who sign up for the Manali to Leh self-supported tour have much of the kit needed already. To make life easier and to keep baggage weight down, we've amassed a pool of lightweight equipment that we store in Manali. This covers thermarests, MSR multi fuel system stoves, pots and pans, spare tyres and tools. We've also got several lightweight tents to hand, though many riders prefer to bring their own - we'll coordinate all this with anyone interested in coming. You will need to bring personal kit, a suitable 3+ season sleeping bag that's rated to minus 10C, a mug/bowl and cutlery. Check out the Kit List for more details. For self-supported tours, tents will be split between pairs to share weight.

Trailers/Racks and Panniers for self-supported trips

For our self-supported tours, you have the choice of bringing your own racks and panniers - we'll advise on which ones are best if you don't have them already - or renting one of our bike trailers. We have a small 'fleet' of two BOB Yaks and two BOB Ibexes to hand. Ideal with MTB hardtails, they'll be ready for you at the beginning of the trip, so you have less to worry about on the plane. The charge for a trailer (and bag) is £65, which covers our maintenance, shipping and storage costs in India.

Trailers can be a good idea for touring with dedicated MTBs as many aren't suited to self-supported travel without making several modifications. Either they don't have mounts to fit racks, or (typically) their chainstays are very short, reducing clearance between heel and panniers. The single wheel trailers hook onto the axle of the rear wheel to get round this problem - note though that they're not suited to full sussers. We also like the way they ride, shunting weight away from the frame and improving off-road handling, while putting less stress on the wheels. See Bike Setup for more details.

Please make sure your racks and panniers are properly setup for your bike and suitable for the rough conditions. Steel racks tend to be best (eg Tubus) but well fitted, quality aluminium racks (eg Blackburn) are fine too. Panniers that are hardwearing and waterproof (eg Ortlieb, Vaude, Carradice) are recommended. Ensure there's plenty of room between your heel and the pannier, and that the mounts don't slide around when you're riding on unpaved roads.

Accommodation

We try and book accommodation whenever we can in simple, clean, family-run guesthouses or hotels that promise great views. The majority of them will include en suite bathrooms too, such as our longer stays in Manali and Leh. On the odd occasion, the remoteness of the places we spend the night, such as a family homestay, will dictate that we use shared toilets and bucket showers. See our Philosophy page for our thoughts on the matter, and the Health page for what you're letting yourself in for. We've picked these guesthouses as they're friendly, characterful and atmospheric, and offer the best insight into the region. Rooms willl be shared and we can't generally make arrangements for single supplements as most don't cater for big groups - which is why we book them in the first place... Please not that some of the beds are (big) doubles. It's a bit weird, but this is the way things work in India - we'll seperate them whenever we can! All our hotels have ensuite bathrooms, with air conditioning in Delhi. But please be aware that India is India, and no hotel is impervious to the whims of powercuts and at times, fitful plumbing.

Tents are split between two people and those we use for the jeep tours are particularly roomy, three man models with two doorways, so you won't feel too squished next to your camping partner - see Equipment for more details. Camping spots are generally quiet and idyllic, and close to fresh water whenever possible.

Our *RealWorld* caveat: India is India, and whener there are people around, noise seems to follow. Stray hounds have been known to bark at night, and Tatas to blast their horn in the early hours... Not much we can about that we're afraid (-;

On our Manali to Leh self-supported tour, we stay one night in a memorable, family-run Parachute Tent - effectively a large ex-army parachute propped up into a home for the summer. Bedding down on quilts like a giant sleepover party, these atmospheric spots are a chance to sample the way truckers travel. Though the one we've picked is geared towards western travellers and we also nab a whole tent to ourselves, we can't claim they're the very cleanest of places...

Route Notes

We'll provide detailed route notes for each riding day of the trip. These will cover distances and times, altitude changes, where water and food is available, and meeting points along the way in case any of the group want to ride ahead. We'll run through these at breakfast too .

Meals

All but 6-8 meals (depending on the trip) are covered, to give you the freedom to forage around towns for yourself. Two non-alcoholic drinks are also included with each restaurant meal - any more and we'll ask you to chip in! Meals are inexpensive compared to western standards, though western foods and beer do fetch more of a premium. Personal snacks and drinks throughout the day are also up to you. We normally do it in tea rounds when we stop off in roadside cafes - a cup of tea is just 5r (7p or so). An extra £60 should more than cover everything, with plenty of change for using the internet or phoning home.

Whilst camping on supported tours, as much of the food as possible will be sourced locally, and be simple and nutritious. Our cook will rustle up a variety of Indian, Ladakhi and Spitian cuisine, interspersed with some pasta... We'll have pack lunches most days - fruit, nuts, rolls, eggs, and juice. Breakfasts will mainly be warm fresh bread, muesli, omlettes, fresh fruit and local jams. This being India, the diet is predominantly vegetarian though meat is available in some restaurants.

For our self-supported trips, to keep weight down we'll make the most of local dhabas (truckstop cafes) and guesthouses. The rest will be carried with us.

See Food & Drink for more of an idea of what will be on the menu.

Transport

Internal flights, bus transfers and jeep support where mentioned are all covered. International flights are not included, but we can advise on bookings. Costs are around £400-550 with European carriers (such as Austrian Airways and BA) who tend to have good connections times - though they're a little more expensive than the Middle Eastern carriers. For advice on who to book with, check out the Flying page.

Entrance Fees and Permits

Entrance fees to monasteries and parks are covered - of course you're welcome to make any extra donations. Where needed, permit fees are covered - you just need to provide 4 passport-sized photographs.

Visas

Most nationals will need a Visa to travel to India, which costs around £30 and is very easy to get. You need to make sure you organise this in advance - we've posted a Visas page with the full lowdown.

Insurance

This bit is extremely important. You must take out full medical insurance, and we'd recommend personal travel cover too. Bring a copy of the policy and contact details with you, and make sure it covers you for bicycle touring for self-supported trips, and mountain biking for jeep-supported trips. Reputable companies include Traifinders (www.trailfinders.co.uk) and STA (www.statravel.co.uk), though if you want to insure your wheels, you may have to do so seperately. The CTC recommends Butterworth's (www.butterworthinsurance.co.uk, 0870 873 0067) and we've found them good in the past. They also organise their own, bike friendly travel insurance (www.ctc.org.uk).

Health

We'll carry a comprehensive medical kit and means to purify water in the morning and evening - bring a personal first aid kit too and enough tabs to purify water during the day (allow for 5 litres per day). You'll also need to sort out your vaccinations well in advance of the rides. See our Health page for everything you need to know.

A note on Self-supported Tours

Because of the nature of these tours, it is possible that illness or tiredness will cause you to miss a day or two. If this happens and you decide to seperate from the group, you will have to pay any extra costs of travel, food and accommodation. In most cases, hitching a cheap ride with a friendly Tata or jeep and having a day off the bike can be a great adventure in itself - and it won't be expensive. We'll make sure everyting is sorted out and if need be, one of us will come too.

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