Checked off one more item from my bucket list. Did the Manali Leh cycling trip with an adventure touring company. We were eight cyclists. I was accompanied by a friend on this trip with whom have done a motorcycle trip too so we refreshed a lot of memories. Have put down crisp notes and will let the pictures do most of the talking.
Day 0: Delhi to Manali overnight in a Volvo. Pretty uneventful but a long bus ride to Manali. While all the tour operators claim that it’s a 12 hour journey, trust me they all take 15 hours or more so plan accordingly.
Day 1: Rest day in Manali. Was a little painful on realizing that the organizer did not have proper rental bikes. Went to the main market and talked to the Scott & trek distributor. A gem of a guy. Rented us brand new bikes at 50% of their price.
Day 2: Manali to Marhi (37 Kms). Elevation gain of 1250 meters. Marhi is at an altitude of 3200 meters. The first day’s ride was very painful as none of us were accustomed to uphill rides. The stay was mesmerizing to say the least.
Meeting Anastasia on the way who being a mathematics Phd scholar was cycling all around the world in her free time!
Day 3: Marhi to Sissu (52 Kms). Crossing Rohtang La @ 3978 meters. Sissu is at an altitude of 2800 meters. Rohtang la is the passage to Ladakh. Don’t miss the mutton-rice at Khoksar; incidentally a police check post as well. A dog ‘Nikki’ followed us right from Marhi to all the way till Rohtang where I fed her mutton rice. Didn’t see her after Rohtang so believe she turned back after ensuring that we were able to do the uphill. Hope to see her back in Marhi on my next trip.
Day 4: Sissu to Jispa (60 kms). Jispa is at 3300 meters. Riding along the Chdnra river till it meets the Bhaga river at Tandi. The confluence creates the Chandrabhaga river or Chenab as a lot of us know it. The highest café in the valley after Stingri. This was a water crossing where I had a fall of a life time, literally
Day 5: Jispa to Patseo (easy 22 Kms). Patseo is at 4000 meters. The camp has to be experienced for a time of your life.
Day 6: Patseo to Sarchu (65 Kms - a tough ride). Sarchu is the border of Himachal & Jammu & Kashmir states. Experienced a hail storm for the first time in my life at Sarchu. The weather for sure is changing and landslides are going to be a regular feature of this region in July-August so plan accordingly. The climb starts right from the camp and all the way to baralach-la. Baralach-la literally means ‘a pass with crossroads’. It is at an altitude of 4892 mtrs.
Day 7: Sarchu to Whisky Nullah. (15 kms). This day was supposed to be a ride till Pang but due to the collapsed Whisky bridge, we spent the day camping here. The best part was managing traffic here, lending hands to the BRO for putting together the makeshift bridge.
Day 8: Whisky Nallah to Tso Kar (in a car). We passed Nakee-la, Lachung-la & the Gata loops on the way. Part of the ride missed due to incessant rains & landlsides. The bright side was, will have a chance to go back and complete this part of the ride! FYI - the military base at Pang has a satellite PCO which can be used at INR 6 per minute.
Day 9: Tso Kar to Rumptse (80 kms). Crossing Tanglang-la. Tanglang-la at an altitiude of 5350 meters is the second highest motorable pass in the world as per the BRO. It was snowing when we reached Tanglang-la!!
Day 10: Rumptse to Leh (85 kms). The ride from Rumptse is downhill and mostly event free but it wasn’t to be for us. The bridge at Gya village (8 kms ahead of Rumptse) had collapsed and we faced severe supplies and water shortage for the first time. We finally got to cross the bridge only to realize 20 kms down the road that a part of the road had been washed away by the river due to a landslide blockage of the natural river bed. After waiting and deliberating, we decided to lift our cycles and cross the river holding on to ropes tied by the army. What a feeling it was to get to the other side! Its on this road that you come across Thiksey monastery, the Shey palace and multiple Tibetian & Ladakhi settlements.
The feeling of checking into a proper hotel & taking a running hot shower can sometimes be a revelation!!!!
Day 11: Rest day.
Day 12: Leh to Kahrdung-la (5600 meters) & back (84 kms). The mother of all rides. The ride up will almost kill you. One needs to dig deep for physical and mental strength.
The body starts to ache by the time one reaches South Pullu, only to realize that the road is virtually non-existent from South Pullu till K-top. It snowed on the way up. 4 Kms before the top it became a fight of resolve vs nature. Thankfully the resolve prevailed only to be rewarded with steaming hot Coffee at the highest café in the world.
Day 13: Flight back to Delhi (read urban madness
).
Have been thinking for 2 months to pen down this travelogue but something or the other keeps me away so letting pictures do most of the talking. Do post any queries that you may have.
Overnight stay at the hotel Page 3 in Manali.
Gift of the Maggi!
First stop at Gulaba
Nehru kund
Ride up Rohtang
The guest house where we camped on the first night in Marhi
Anastasia (Right most) riding all the way from Russia
Layul dhaba serving at Khoksar since 1971
Road to nowhere
Bridge over troubled waters
Hot cuppa on reaching camp Jispa
Tee-off from camp Jispa
The roads that we rode
Heavy heavy fuel
Confluence of Chandra & Bhaga rivers; Chenab as most of us would know
Remember those who made it possible
Like a rolling stone
Re-start from Jispa
The troubled Darcha valley
One of the water crossings
Deepak Taal
Put your head down and keep pedalling
Our camp at Patseo
Troubled bridges
A refreshing fall!