One fine evening during the lockdown, we were outdoor playing Volleyball which had become our daily pastime since lockdown. Tired of being indoor 24/7, one of my cousins brought the idea of going on cycling to some nearby destination.
The next few days, we contacted the cycle renting company, enquired them and asked them for the recommendations and set the date to cycle around the hometown.
31 July 2020 was the D-Day!
As per the plan, we had breakfast and left home early for the day. It was an early time of the dawn when we reached the cycle renting company and got bikes for all of us. We were a team of 7 girls accompanied by 2 guides.
And there, we were at the Panauti bus park starting our cycling journey. We began cycling in a line with the light of the day rising from the east and sound of the honks waking up the town.
We started cycling towards Khopasi which lies at the outskirt of Panauti valley. After cycling for about 20 minutes, our immediate realization was that “Monsoon is not a good season to pedal for beginners.” This realization immediately vanished within our excitement to cycle and finally be outdoor since lockdown. Being beginners to cycling, most of us were stopping our bikes whenever the big honking vehicles passed by. We were slow on pace whenever the puddles were in front of us. We could feel the scared heartbeat whenever any big vehicles passed by. However, knowing we had no real event to attend and no one to meet at the end of the journey, we didn’t care much about muddy roads and puddles.
After cycling for an hour, we reached suspension bridge of Roshi Khola of Khopasi situated nearby the Khopasi hydropower. The thrill of reaching this far and a self-led trip made our hearts pump in joy and stopping by the high suspension-bridge, I immersed deep into the luxury of nature that the havoc of COVID also seemed puny.
We then headed toward the Khopasi-Sankhu road. The road was steep and unpaved. Most of us walked instead of cycling. After the steep road was over, we cycled downhill. Cycling downhill was so overwhelming that we could feel the adrenaline rush in us. It came to us as closer to almost flying and that was an unmatched joy. We took rest every once in a while.
In no time we were amidst the large spread fields of Sankhu. The plain and well-pitched road of Sankhu made cycling quite fun and comfortable. We were lowkey wishing the road to never end.
Then on, the road we were cycling got allied with the Panauti-Namobuddha road. After having brunch in a local hotel, we then continued our returning journey. The Panauti-Namobudhha road was well-pitched with sight humps, giving a different thrill on every jerk. We were almost at the Panauti bus park when it started raining. We took shelter at the roadside hotel. When the rain stooped, we headed to Panauti. The road now looked more like puddles than the road. However, we headed to Panauti as fast as we could where we had lunch and headed towards our home all happy and tired.
About Panauti Bike Station
Panauti Bike Station is an initiation of the local youths of Panauti that supports eco-tourism and aims at promoting tourism of the locality through local empowerment. They provide a full range of service associated with cycling (i.e. Bike Rental Services, Guide Services, Route Design and Recommendations) for individuals and groups. I recommend their service for anyone willing to cycle around the town and nearby areas
About the route
Panauti-Khopasi-Sankhu and back to Panauti is not an established route for biking. However, the route suites the cycling novices with love towards the off-roads. The route may not be suitable during monsoon season for beginners. However, it serves joyfully to those who love mild adventure.
The route passes through the Silk Farm, Khopasi Power House Reservoir, Khopasi Hydropower, Suspension Bridge of Roshi Khola, Balthali Eco Village Resort (nearby) and Salmitar Gumba. One can stop by at these sites for a brief break and enjoy the deeds the places serve at the same time.
One can find many convenience stores during the journey for snacks and the breaks in between. Still, carrying a personal water bottle will be fruitful.
Lastly, I recommend the journey to people intending to go cycling around nature-fed areas for a short break. Since the route is inclusive of the off-road trail as well, it is commended to keep the season and weather into consideration.
Connect with Panauti Bike Station here
