Capital to Country Multi Day Ultra
A Nepalese AdventureCAPITAL to country multi day ULTRA
A self sufficient 120 mile race over 5 stages through the incredible
foothills of nepal supporting the local economy
Run through the mesmerising Nepalese foothills with the mountains as your backdrop, and immerse yourself in the local culture of Nepal. This is a self sufficient race until the end of Day five, you will be carrying all your own food and kit so choose wisely!
Your adventure starts with an early morning visit to the World Heritage Site of the Monkey Temple or Swayambhunath in the west of Kathmandu City. Here you will warm up with the locals before returning to the hotel for breakfast and the bus ride to Sanku.
The historic ancient town of Sanku in the north eastern corner of Kathmandu valley, will be our starting point for the epic journey through the spectacular Nepalese foothills. Following jeep tracks cut in to the hillsides, incredible tree covered hills and breathtaking drops, your journey will take you through a diverse mixture of towns and villages and into areas that tourists don’t normally get to see. Expect a warm welcome and some jaw dropping temples and holy sites. Panoramas of lush vegetation and snow-capped peaks in the distance are more than worth the challenging ascents!
Staying in pre prepared campsites for the first 3 nights, and then the relative luxury of the village bunk house/tents on nights 4 and 5. On the morning of day 5, you will be awoken by the sound of the chanting monk who will be blessing the mountains and the runners – you will be itching to complete the challenge of the final day before the traditional evening meal, cooked by the local ladies in the village.
Throughout your adventure you will be taken care of by our fantastic local race manager and his team who literally know the area like the back of their hands. This challenge will give you an incredible insight into the Nepalese culture.
We’ll finish with a short down hill walk to the bus and some time to explore Kathmandu before our farewell meal − the perfect end after an epic adventure!
We are taking only a small team with us from England and equipment (trackers) that we can’t source within the country – everything else is bought locally and we are paying our local team well so we giveback to Nepal in a positive way.
Price for 2024 – £350 initial deposit (non refundable) one payment of £425 due by 31st July, one payment of £450 due by the 31st August and one payment of £450 due by the 30th September – Total Payable – £1650
WHEN
Arrive in Kathmandu by 26th November 2023. Event starts 27th November 2023 until 2nd December 2023
PRICE
£299 Initial deposit (non refundable) payable on booking.
Followed by:
3 Payments of £400
Due by 31st July 2023/31st August 2023/30th September 2023 – Total payable £1499
only 20 places available for the inaugural event
Ready to commit for 2024 ? Book online here
or not ready for 2023? Register your interest for 2024 here
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
For information about charity places or general enquiries please contact us.
COURSE description
Capital to Country is a multi day Ultra Marathon starting on the edge of the ancient Nepalese capital Kathmandu and winding its way through the foothills to Lama Village for the final stage. The terrain will be a mix of roads, jeep trails and challenging off road paths
flights
We will email you to confirm that it is safe to book your flight. Naturally holding an event in a different country requires some pre-race checks! Please book your flights to arrive in Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu (KTM) no later than the 26th November 2023. we recommend searching for flights through Skyscanner. Once you have booked your flight please let us know the flight number an arrival time. It is a 20 minute journey from the airport to the hotel.
You will arrive at the Hotel Moonlight by the 26th November.
Day one (27th November) – an early start and a 30 minute walk to the Monkey Temple to watch the sun rise and warm up for the next few days running with the locals. After walking back to the hotel we will have breakfast, carryout the kit check, say good bye to our suitcases and get on the bus to the start, a 40 minute drive to Sankhu. The race starts with stage one approx. 25 miles to Kasibanjayang – camp overnight
Day Two (28th November) 25 miles via the Dhuikhel view point to Bhukundebesi – camp overnight
Day Three (29th November) Bhukundebesi to Mukpatar approx. 27 miles – camp overnight
Day Four (30th November) Mukpatar to Manegaun Village (the Lama home) approx. 24 miles – rooms in the bunk house or tent and a flushing toilet!
Day Five (1st December ) the Lama Trail Marathon approx. 27 miles in a loop around the village – rooms in the bunk house or tent. End of event traditional Nepalese party .
Day Six (2nd December) – Breakfast cooked by our Nepalese hosts followed by a downhill walk to the bus pickup point and the drive back to Kathmandu to be reunited at the Hotel Moonlight with your real clothes! The day is then your own to explore the city , visit The Garden of Dreams and then our farewell meal and prize giving.
Day Seven (3rd December) – fly home or extend your trip to further explore this amazing country
course marking
The course will be marked by our experienced local team. You will have an electronic tracker so we can monitor your progress
CHECKPOINTS AND AID STATIONS
We will provide water at a number of places during each stage and hot water at each overnight stop for your food.
AWARDS
Mandatory Equipment:
- Backpack
- Sleeping bag
- Head torch and a complete set of spare batteries
- First Aid kit comprising blister plasters, antiseptic cream, Paracetamol x5, bandage, rehydration sachets
- 10 safety pins
- Lighter
- 1 Whistle
- Knife with metal blade
- Hand sanitiser
- 1 Aluminium survival sheet
- 1 Tube of sun cream
- Cash for beer on the last night in the village
- Passport or identity card
- Food for the five days of the race itself. You must select the type of food best suited to your personal needs, health, weather, weight and backpack conditions. You must have 10,000 k/calories (2,000 k/calories per day minimum), Any food not in its original packaging must be clearly labelled with nutritional details. Try Base Camp Food, Expedition Food and Adventure Nutrition amongst others
MEDICAL COVER
For the event we will have a local medical team who will assist with any basic needs. You must have medical insurance to cover any serious issues and helicopter evacuation back to Kathmandu. Once this is booked you must provide a copy of your insurance and the emergency contact number they have provided.
AGE LIMIT
Due to the strenuous physical demands of a multi day ultra marathon event Capital to Country is restricted to competitors over 18 years of age only.
ACCOMMODATION
Your stay at the Hotel Moonlight on the nights of the 26th November and 2nd December based on two sharing are included in the cost of the event .
TRACKER
The Geo Tracks GPS Tracker is lightweight and easily fits in a small pocket in your rucksack. Your family and friends can track your progress in real-time and you can use the Geo Tracks app combined with the tracker as an accurate tool for navigation during the event. The Event can be followed using the web link or via the app which can be purchased prior to the event for Apple or for Android. When opening the web link please click on start times and this will display a list of bib numbers (they are sorted alphabetically by surname). The GPS Tracking units upload your position every 10 seconds to the live view tracking map and are accurate to 5 metres. To find out more please visit the Geo Tracks website.
– STAGE ONE – Swayambhunath-Sankhu- Chhauki Banjayang-Nagarkot-Kasibanjayang. Approx 25 miles
We start our tour with an early morning cultural experience at an ancient religious World Heritage Site called Swayambhunath, or The Monkey Temple as it is better known. From here you can watch the sun rising up over Kathmandu, and watch the locals come out to make a ritual circumnavigation of the stupa, spin the prayer wheels and take their morning exercise. Around 6:30 am it’s back to hotel for breakfast.
After breakfast it’s a 45 minute bus drive from our hotel to East Kathmandu, to a place called Sankhu the start our event. Sankhu is a historical ancient town located in the north-eastern corner of the Kathmandu Valley, which is about 17 km from the city centre of Kathmandu. The people who live here are traditionally called Newars. From Sankhu (4500 ft) to Jhule (6531ft) we have to run up hill. From Jhule to Kattike Banjayang is easier but from Kattike (5769ft) to Tourist site Nagarkot (6353ft) is another climb and then from there is mostly down hills and flat to Kasibanjayang. – Overnight camping
STAGE TWO – Kasibanjayang- Dobas-Dhulikhel- Dhulikhel View Point- Kavre Banjayang- Namobuddha- Dapchha- Kakre- Bhakundebesi. Approx 25 miles
Today our running trail is mostly up and down with some incredible views. We have to run around 1 mile on black top road and you will have to carefully cross the main road as well, there will be a marshal there to help.
Overnight camping
STAGE THREE – Bhakundebesi- Kanpur-Kot Timal- Narayanthan- Tholoparsil- Dulgu- Chovatar- Mukpatar. Approx 27 miles
The view of the mountains from the running trail is just spectacular. Of course you will also see the dramatic landscapes of terraced farmland. The culture and traditions of the Tamang community are the main attraction of this stage. Although, in Temal area there are other castes or communities (Braman, Chhetri, Dalit(lower cast) as well, but the majority of people living here are Tamang from the historic Tamang Empire .
Overnight camping
STAGE FOUR – Mukpatar-Titretar-Tilchaur-Yougar-Mechhe-Longsal-Kaldunga- Lama Home. Approx 24 miles
Admire the stunning natural beauty around you, mixed with an unspoiled ethnic life style. The most significant attraction of the region is its exciting rural community, friendly and affectionate people. Enjoy the majestic view of Gauri Shankar (7134m/23405ft) and the Himalayan range of Langtang and a multitude of small peaks
STAGE FIVE – Lama Trail marathon. Approx 27 miles
You will be woken by the sound of the chanting monk who will be blessing the mountains and the runners. This route will take you in the sacred footsteps of the Grand Master Buddha through the heart of traditional Nepalese villages
This is a little personal note about why we are doing this. In November 2022 my wife and I took part in an organised sightseeing trip to Nepal and this was topped off by a half marathon or marathon in the foothills. We have fallen in love with Nepal, its beautiful, kind and friendly people and its amazing scenery and want to share this magical place with you. The other side to this is supporting the local community, now I’d rather not just give donations so the event will employ a team of predominately local people and pay them well. Also we will buy as much of the event equipment as possible locally. Which for me means that we all win. I have tried to explain the idea of a self sufficient race to our team leader Binay Lama who is horrified at the thought of not being able to care for your every need! I have compromised and said that he can make you coffey (sic) if he wants to!
What’s included
- Seven days in the most beautiful scenery with the care and love of the Nepalese people
- Two nights bed and breakfast hotel accommodation (based on two sharing) for the day before and day after the race
- Bus transfer to the start and finish
- A trip to the Monkey Temple
- A blessing by a monk!
- Permits and entry fees to the national park
- General Ground Assistance during the race
- Campsites with shared tents for the duration of the event
- Bottled water for the duration of the race
- Hot water in the campsite for breakfast and dinner prep
- Local medical assistance, if required, for the duration of the event
- Tracker
- Finisher’s Medal
- Finisher’s T-shirt
- Professional photos of your adventure on a memory stick (post event)
- Traditional Nepalese end of event party with a local band and food
- Breakfast before the return to Kathmandu
- Farewell dinner at a Kathmandu restaurant
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- Your flights
- Evening meals at the hotel on the first night
- Food for the race
- Running equipment
- Medical Insurance to cover advanced medical care and medivac
- Cancellation insurance
- Spending money
- Tourist Visa
2023 – Coming soon
How will I find a cheap flight and when should I book it? We found that Skyscanner.net is a good place to find good value flights. We suggest you book approx. 3 months before.
Do I need a visa for Nepal? Yes, you have two options here. You can either buy it in advance from the Nepalese Embassy (you will need to send off your passport ) or you can buy your visa at the airport on arrival but be prepared to queue. The cost at time of writing the was £25 GBP or $30 USD
Can I get currency before I travel? No, Nepal has a closed currency so you will need to exchange your money on arrival. There are currency exchange shops on every street with the same rate of exchange. There is also an ATM by the Hotel Moonlight. The local currency is the rupee.
Will I need vaccinations? You will need to take advice from a healthcare professional – https://www.passporthealthglobal.com/en-gb/destination-advice/nepal/#vaccines
Where is the hotel? – Your hotel is the Hotel Moonlight and your event price is based to two sharing. The hotel is on Paknajol Marg, KTM44600
What is the time zone in Nepal – Nepal uses Nepal Time (NPT). Standard time is used all year, and the country has never used Daylight Saving Time (DST). Unlike most countries, Nepal, with its UTC offset of +5:45, has a 45-minute offset instead of the usual full-hour offset: Clocks in Nepal are 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of UTC.
What will the weather be like in November/December? Expect warm sunny days between 19 and 23 degrees C. The evenings will be cool between 7 and 3 degrees C
Will I feel the effects of altitude? It is most common above 2500m altitude, so you’re unlikely to be significantly affected in Kathmandu (1400m) or much of the rest of the country.
Will I need insurance? Yes you will need travel insurance and helicopter medical evacuation cover. You will be running in a remote environment. We will require a copy of your insurance and an emergency contact number.
Is the course marked? Yes our local team will mark the course and make sure that it is easy to follow. We will also be monitoring the race with electronic trackers to ensure your safety.
Is there a mandatory kit list? Yes, please see the race information tab.
What happens if I get injured or want to drop out? Please let a member of the team know either at a checkpoint or a member of the mobile team. We can then make you part of the event team until our return to Kathmandu
Will I need a lot of money in Kathmandu? No, a pizza costs about £5 and a beer about £2. You will have to pay to enter some tourist attractions
What if I have a question not covered above? Please email us admin@gobeyondchallenge.co.uk
Capital to country Day 1 views
capital to country Day 2 views
capital to country Day 2 views
capital to country Day 3 views
capital to country Day 3 views
Capital to Country Day 4 Views
Capital to Country Day 4 views
