Himalayan Enduro Team: How three riders from Nepal and Bhutan came to visit MONDRAKER ENDURO TEAM

Himalayan Enduro Team: How three riders from Nepal and Bhutan came to visit MONDRAKER ENDURO TEAM

The shared joy of biking, spending time with like-minded people, friendships in the international bike community and camaraderie across borders have been the focus of MONDRAKER ENDURO TEAM since the very beginning. This culminates in a very special kind of international encounter this year: for the first time, we are welcoming three riders from Nepal and Bhutan to our event, united in the Himalayan Enduro Team in the Fun category. This was made possible by the commitment of Globetrotter and Abenteuerreisen for bike trips in the Himalayas: the tour operators got to know the riders as local guides on site and have now invited them to Switzerland.

Mangal Lama, 39, has become famous in his home country Nepal in 2022 at the latest: He was the first person to complete the Great Himalaya Trail solo on a bike – a 1700-kilometre long-distance hiking route that is an incredible challenge even on foot. It took him 88 days to complete the “GHT on Wheels” project. He is a real pioneer when it comes to biking in Nepal: He is committed to developing the region for bike tourism and has his own bike guiding company. One person who works for him as a freelance bike guide is Ashish Shresta – a 30-year-old Nepali who loves biking and adventure. 21-year-old Tandin Whang also works as a bike guide in his home country Bhutan – when he is not racing locally.

Met local guides on a trip in the Himalayas
Mangal, Ashish and Tandin were all in charge as local guides, when the tour operators Globetrotter and Abenteuerreisen from Switzerland organized a two-week bike trip in Nepal and Bhutan last year. Dany Gehrig, CEO of Globetrotter Travel Service, had already met the three earlier when he had been biking in the region. The Swiss guide for the Himalayan trip was Flavio Marfurt, who now accompanies the three Asian riders together with Niklaus Mösle in a fun team of 5 at MONDRAKER ENDURO TEAM in Davos.

International exchange to show biking in Switzerland
But how did the Himalayan Enduro Team come about? “It was mainly the idea mainly of Dany Gehrig,” explains team member Flavio Marfurt, who works as a bike guide for Abenteuerreisen and in IT at Globetrotter Travel Services. “We wanted to show these committed Himalayan guides what mountain bike tourism is like in Switzerland, how events and races are organized here, how trails are used and built and how guiding works here. An international exchange, so that the three of them get some input to further develop mountain biking in their home country. This way, we can give something back after our Himalayan trip with 11 guests last autumn.”

Assistance with travel organisation
Flying to Switzerland is a very special chance for the three guides from the Himalayas. “They have very few opportunities to travel and are mostly in their own country,” explains Flavio Marfurt. Ashish Shresta is leaving Nepal for the first time ever for this trip, the same concerning the Himalayas for the young Bhutanese Tandin Wang – a fantastic opportunity for both of them. Globetrotter und Abenteuerreisen supported the three of them intensively in organizing their trip: “We obtained their visas, booked the flights and organized everything locally for their stay in Switzerland. I will be accompanying them the whole time during their two and a half weeks here,” says Flavio Marfurt about the cooperation.

Laax, Valais and Davos
Mangal, Ashish and Tandin have been in Switzerland since 23rd August. First they visited Laax, where they took part in the Swiss Enduro Series race. Niklaus Mösle, who is also looking after the guests during the competition, organized the starting places. The Himalayan bikers will then head to Valais for a few days, where they will be out and about with local trail builders, actively helping and getting to know some of the best routes. From 1st September, they will then be in Davos to familiarize themselves with the area and the MONDRAKER ENDURO TEAM event organization. During this time, they will be staying in the House of Riders of the Davos Klosters tourism organisation, which is available to MTB athletes and teams free of charge.

Familiar with natural trails
Do the three of them have racing experience? “Yes, but in different ways,” says Flavio Marfurt. “Ashish and Mangal used to race in Nepal, but now concentrate mainly on guiding. Tandin is currently racing in Bhutan and Nepal – but he's still very young and probably at the start of his career.” However, they will be able to cope with the alpine, technical trails here. Even though there are far fewer trails in the Himalayas than here, they are all natural. At higher altitudes, they are often rocky, while in the forests they tend to be more flowy with roots. “There are no bike parks with men-built trails,” adds Flavio Marfurt. “An no cable cars either. They only shuttle with jeeps on adventurous unpaved roads.”

Passion makes friendship
The riders from Nepal and Bhutan as well as the Swiss riders are very much looking forward to participating at MONDRAKER ENDURO TEAM in Davos as the Himalayan Enduro Team. “On our bike trip to Nepal and Bhutan last year, we developed a deep friendship with the local guides,” enthuses Flavio Marfurt. “We got on very quickly and biking as a shared passion unites in a special way – it's an international being together, a real community!” And what does ENDUROTEAM organizer Britta Wild think? “We are delighted and honored to have these riders from the Himalayas as our guests. Stories like this that arise in the bike community are always very touching and emphasize our event philosophy. The fact that we are part of it also makes us a little proud!”