15 hours ago
I love bikepacking—especially on my fatbike. I left it in Nepal last year hoping to eventually ride it across Western Nepal into the Indian Himalayas, right where I find myself today.
Ladakh is incredible, nestled between China, Pakistan, and towering Himalayan ranges. I arrived a couple of days ago and quickly realized I need my own bicycle. Everyone here rides chopper motorcycles, Royal Enfields, and while a friend kindly offered to lend me his, I’d much rather explore this landscape on foot and/or bicycle..
Since I plan to stay for around two months, renting isn't practical. A local shop that rents Treks and Giants suggested buying an entry-level MTB instead.
Alongside the bike, I’ve to pick up: a helmet, bottle cage, gel seat cover (left my padded shorts in Nepal), and a rear-view mirror. I'll have a spare tube and patch kit, but portable mini-pumps are nowhere to be found—my backup plan will be flagging down passing military convoys.
This is a photo of a few downhill cyclists i found yesterday as I sent there to acclimatize..this is at around 13,000 feet
I’ll be carrying everything in a 50lt backpack and climbing passes up to 17,800+ feet where snow is common, so balancing weight and cold-weather gear is essential.
Here’s the bike I might end up getting:
https://firefoxlife.com/products/dominator-1
I did a month-long tour across Southern India carrying just two changes of clothes, but the Himalayas are different —extreme altitude, dry heat, punishing winds, sparse settlements, and patchy cell coverage.
For those who’ve done high-altitude touring out here: what are your best tips or hard-learned lessons for packing light, staying self-sufficient and safe?
Ladakh is incredible, nestled between China, Pakistan, and towering Himalayan ranges. I arrived a couple of days ago and quickly realized I need my own bicycle. Everyone here rides chopper motorcycles, Royal Enfields, and while a friend kindly offered to lend me his, I’d much rather explore this landscape on foot and/or bicycle..
Since I plan to stay for around two months, renting isn't practical. A local shop that rents Treks and Giants suggested buying an entry-level MTB instead.
Alongside the bike, I’ve to pick up: a helmet, bottle cage, gel seat cover (left my padded shorts in Nepal), and a rear-view mirror. I'll have a spare tube and patch kit, but portable mini-pumps are nowhere to be found—my backup plan will be flagging down passing military convoys.
This is a photo of a few downhill cyclists i found yesterday as I sent there to acclimatize..this is at around 13,000 feet
I’ll be carrying everything in a 50lt backpack and climbing passes up to 17,800+ feet where snow is common, so balancing weight and cold-weather gear is essential.
Here’s the bike I might end up getting:
https://firefoxlife.com/products/dominator-1
I did a month-long tour across Southern India carrying just two changes of clothes, but the Himalayas are different —extreme altitude, dry heat, punishing winds, sparse settlements, and patchy cell coverage.
For those who’ve done high-altitude touring out here: what are your best tips or hard-learned lessons for packing light, staying self-sufficient and safe?
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