October: the month to go
If you only ride out of Delhi once a year, make it October. The monsoon has washed the haze out of the mountain air, the high passes have not closed yet, the rivers have dropped, and the plains are finally rideable by day. Almost everything in the route library is in season — here is where October is genuinely the best window.
Sharpest mountain views of the year
Post-monsoon is when the Himalaya is clearest. For the big panoramas:
- Delhi to Khirsu — a 100 km wall of Himalaya from a village almost no one rides to
- Delhi to Kausani — the 300 km Kumaon panorama, harvest on in the tea gardens
- Delhi to Chopta & Tungnath — meadows at 2,900 m and the walk to the highest Shiva temple
- Delhi to Binsar — a forest sanctuary with a 300 km line of peaks at Zero Point
Last window on the high passes
The passes stay open into October and then close with the first snow. Go now or wait for June:
- Delhi to Chitkul — the last village before the border, before the Baspa road shuts
- Delhi to Chanshal Pass — 4,520 m, firm surface after the monsoon mud has gone
- Delhi to Spiti circuit — the full loop — Kunzum La usually holds until late October
Plains and desert, finally cool
The Rajasthan and terai routes become rideable again as the heat breaks:
- Delhi to Shekhawati — the painted-haveli towns in kind low-angle light
- Delhi to Jim Corbett — the reserve's core zones reopen in mid-October
Book ahead.
October is peak riding season and everyone else has worked this out too — hill guesthouses and the popular routes fill up on weekends. Sort your stays before you leave.
Ride one with us
Pick a date on the meetup page, or browse the whole library.