We have written May words before about the simple
awesomeness of mountain biking in the Upper Mustang Region. This natural desert like area abounds with trails, single tracks and challenging passes with some very very spectacular scenery along the way. But to make it even more special, in the month of May, during the Full Moon the local people celebrate the Tiji Festival. Tiji is one of the most colorful
and authentic Buddhist Festivals in Nepal and it makes a special trip in Upper
Mustang even more spectacular and memorable.
Its a three-day ritual
known as "The chasing of the Demons" that centers on the Tiji myth.
The myth tells of a deity named Dorje Jono who must battle against his demon
father to save the Kingdom of Mustang from destruction. The demon father
wreaked havoc on Mustang by bringing a shortage of water (a highly precious
resource in this very dry land) and causing many resulting disasters from
famine to animal loss. Dorje Jono eventually beats the demon and banishes him
from the land. Tiji is a celebration and reaffirmation of this myth and
throughout the festival the various scenes of the myth will be enacted. It is
of course timed to coincide with the end of the dry winter / spring season and
will usher in the wetter monsoon season (the growing season for Mustang).
Tiji comes from the word "ten che" meaning the
hope of Buddha Dharma prevailing in all worlds and is effectively a spring
renewal festival. Its a colourful festvvial of dancing demons, horse back riding and racing and many other local tradition, surely an added highlight to any mountain bike trip in the Upper Mustang Region.
ITINERARY
17th
May - ARRIVAL IN KATHMANDU- Accom: Hotel Courtyard
18th
May - KATHMANDU SIGHTSEEING & WARM UP RIDE- Accom: Hotel Courtyard
19th
May - DRIVE TO POKHARA- Accom: Attiti Resort
20th
May - POKHARA FLY TO JOMSOM & BIKE TO JHONG (3550 meters)- Accom: Teahouse
21st
May - JHONG TO SAMAR (3660 meters)- Accom: Teahouse
22nd
May - SAMAR TO GHAMI (3520 meters)- Accom: Teahouse
23rd
May - GHAMI TO CHARANG (3560 meters)- Accom: Teahouse
24th
May - CHARANG TO LO-MANTHANG (3810 meters)- Accom: Teahouse
25th
May - LO-MANTHANG – Full Moon and Start of the Tiji Festival
26th
May - LO-MANTHANG – Tiji Festival
27th
May - LO-MANTHANG – Tiji Festival
28th
May - LO-MANTHANG TO GAMI (3520 meters)- Accom: Teahouse
29th
May - GAMI TO SAMAR (3660 meters)- Accom: Teahouse
30th
May - SAMAR TO JOMSOM (2980 meters)- Accom: Teahouse
31st
May - JOMSOM TO TATOPANI (1190 meters)- Accom: Teahouse
1st
Jun - TATOPANI TO POKHARA- Accom: Attiti Resort
2nd
Jun - POKHARA TO KATHMANDU- Accom: Hotel Courtyard
3rd
Jun - DEPARTURE- TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT
Amazing riding. Love that they built this place as I was used to riding out West at Northstar and Mammoth, and could not find a place in the east with trails truly designed for downhill and freeriding (merely having lift access to rutted, rocky, treacherous ski hills with no rhythm and forethought is not the same thing RE: nearly all ski mountains within a couple hours in New England). electric bikes nz
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