13th Hero MTB Himalaya
Hero MTB Himalaya Unveils Route for 2017
Press Release / 27.09.2017
The 13th edition of Hero MTB Himalaya is all set to kickoff from Shimla this week. The annual cross country multi-stage mountain biking race organized by Himalayan Adventure Sports & Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA) and Hero Cycles will be organized from 29th September to 7th October 2017.
Yet again, the race will take us to Dharamshala. The riders will advance from Erstwhile British capital-Shimla to the land of His Holiness, Dalai Lama- Dharamshala traveling from the Shivaliks to the mighty Dhauladhars, traversing 4 districts of Himachal Pradesh and crossing two ferocious rivers of the Himalayas- Beas and Satluj.
The Shivaliks formed by tertiary deposits of the outer Himalayas are the southern geologically youngest east-west mountain chain of Himalayas. The Dhauladhars feature major passes across the range like the Indradhar pass and the Rupin pass. Dharamshala is the closest tourist town from Dhauladhars also known to be the home to the Central Tibetan Administration and Dalai Lama's residence. Shimla and Dharamshala are soon going to be Himachal Pradesh's only smart cities.
The race will also be touching the boundaries of the Great Himalayan National Park which is one of the biggest national parks in India and is located in the Kullu region. Bir-Billing, known to be the world's second highest point for paragliding will also feature along the race route. The race is considered to be one of the toughest of all other cross country races around the world.
This year's race spans along 8 stages with a total of 650 kilometers and features an elevation gain of 16,000 meters, covering 60-90 kilometers every day. It is a scenic route with the Himalayan beauty at its best and the team has worked hard to add some super new and previously unseen stretches to the route this year.
Major towns near the race route will be Shimla- Gadagufar- Narkanda- Luri- Swad- Jalhori- Jyot- Gadagushaini- Jhanjeli- Mandi- Barot and Dharamshala. The race tracks will be tarmac, broken gravel, rocks, mud, and sand. The highest point of the race is Jalhori pass at a height of 3500 meters. The race has received the maximum ever participation with 92 riders from more than 15 countries across 5 categories.
This year, for the first time ever, HASTPA has introduced a interesting short prologue to the race, which will take place on 28th evening to decide the seeding of the riders. The competition has been fiercely building up over the years with the race gaining popularity around the region and everyone is eagerly waiting to see how the next few days unfold.
SleepMonsters will have regular updates and pictures for you when the race takes place.
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