Nepal Himalayas expeditions, by motorcycle

Upper Mustang is the northern half of Nepal's Mustang district, a high desert valley that sits behind the main Himalayan range and opens onto the Tibetan Plateau.

It was a separate kingdom, Lo, until 2008, and closed to outsiders until 1992. The culture, the architecture and the language are Tibetan rather than Nepali, and Lo Manthang is still a walled city.

For a rider, it means:

• Ochre canyon country with almost no vegetation
• Roads cut into cliffs above the Kali Gandaki
• Villages and monasteries that have changed very little
• Dry air, hard light and a wind that gets up every afternoon

It is the closest thing to riding in Tibet without crossing the border.

The Kali Gandaki river cuts between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri, both over 8,000 metres, and the gap between the peaks and the riverbed makes it the deepest gorge on earth by most measures.

The road follows the riverbed for much of the way. You ride out of forest into desert in a single day, with the two massifs directly overhead.

Moderate. Less technical than Ladakh, but longer on unsealed surfaces.

• Sealed road from Kathmandu to Pokhara and beyond
• Gravel, riverbed and loose surfaces north of Jomsom
• A strong headwind up the valley most afternoons
• Altitude around 3,000 to 4,000 metres in Mustang, higher on side trips

It suits riders with basic to intermediate off-road experience. The wind is what tires people, not the terrain, which is why the riding day ends early.

Yes, with a properly staffed expedition. The risks are altitude, weather and the state of the road after monsoon, and all three are managed by planning rather than by riding skill.

Every expedition travels with an expedition leader, riding guides, a mechanic and a backup vehicle. We also run:

• Acclimatisation days before anyone rides high
• Daily checks on how each rider is coping with altitude
• Oxygen and first aid carried at all times
• Routes built from experience rather than from a map

Mustang is remote. Evacuation from there is by helicopter, which is one reason insurance is not optional.

Yes. It is mandatory, and it must cover:

• High-altitude travel above 4,000 metres
• Motorcycle riding, which many standard policies exclude
• Emergency evacuation, including by helicopter

Check the exclusions on your policy rather than assuming. Helicopter evacuation from Mustang is expensive and uninsured riders have found that out the hard way.