[Sky]

Hello fellow bhpians.
I would like to share how i conquered Sach Pass( daddy of all passes) as it is called, on a 7 year old Yamaha FZ 25.
I happened to join a riding club while I was in Jalandhar. (Nomads on wheels) More info about the club in the coming posts.
It was in the middle of June 2024 when we planned this thrill seeking adventure. Initially we had planned for chanshal pass, but due to a landslide on the way we decided to cancel it. But now, the itch to ride couldn't get cancelled, hence we decided to go to Sach pass instead.
I started the day early at around 5 to cover the strech of 300 odd kms from Jalandhar to Bhairagarh. Fellow riders started way early as they were coming from ludhiana. The reason for starting early was the we reach at around 12 and then would have the rest of the day to explore and relax.

Waiting for fellow riders to join near Jalandhar Bypass.

Stopped just outside pathankot for some breakfast. Then headed towards Chamba, the roads were freshly laid till Chamba, so had no trouble cruising. We reached Bhairagarh at around 1( we would have reached sooner, but my urge to have tea looking at the amazing view took a long time)

View from Chamba.
Had booked a hotel in Bhairagarh, enjoyed the evening and fast forward to the next day.
We decided to leave early so that we cover killar kisht and the entire sach pass circuit. And then it started raining( talk about bad luck). By the time the rain halted it was 10. And our bad luck didn't end there, got a news from a local pickup driver that a landslide has taken place after sach pass and road to killar is blocked. But the itch to ride couldn't understand this, hence we decided to go to Sach pass and head back to the hotel since it was 40kms from the hotel one way and thought would come back by 12-1 and end the day at Dalhousie ( or so we thought)
Left the hotel and after 5-7 kms reached satrundi, the checkpost. Had to provide details, dl, rc, contact number etc. we were again halted there for 30-45 minutes as the weather changed and it started pouring again. Now we could just sit there in the middle of the road and wait for it to pass, got on the raincoats and headed towards the mighty Sach.
at the checkpost.

As we travelled the roads started to disappear. The terrain started getting harsher and harsher. Let me tell you about the bikes they were took. We had 2 Himalayan 450s, 1 classic 350, and my Yamaha FZ 250.
The guys on the Himalayan started to enjoy the terrain (ofcourse they would, thanks to the modern suspension setup) but as for the classic and yamaha, we started getting sore( if you know how). After around 10 kms, the terrain suddenly changed from lush green forests to barren desert like mountains. We encountered massive waterfalls on the way, and started encountering snow on the sides (in the middle of June). We couldn't decide wether we should go forward or stop to enjoy the views, the views were breathing. Hence we started stopping wherever we would see good views.



Fast forward to the last 8kms from the pass. We started encountering massive 20 feet walls of snow. We were warmly welcomed by the black ice. I was fortunate enough to recieve the first welcome( wanted to turn right, bike turned left, kissed the ground). The fellow riders mates came to the rescue, on the count of three the bike was lifted and aligned with the road. Bike refused to move for the next 100 meters, had to extensively pull and push. Body got exhausted, breath started getting longer. In the moment I realised that my bike was running on 30-35 psi( usual pressure that I use for city and highways). Lowered the pressure.
The classic with brand new tyres was also struggling, but the Himalayans showed no signs of struggle, moved like it owned the terrain.
Upon reaching Sach pass, we were met with heavy traffic(the typical park on the road take pictures crowd) and witnessed snow fall. I would say it was the first time I was witnessing snowfall in the middle of June. Took pictures waited for 5 minutes before we decided to return. On the way back my rear brakes stopped working ( the fall had caused the break oil to leak, and air entered the rear brake). But somehow slowly managed to go back to the hotel. By the time we reached the hotel it was 5:00 pm. Our initial plan of returning at 12 became 5 and body didn't allow to travel any further.

Despite the ups and downs that the pass laid for us, we got to realise why it is called the daddy of all the passes, the incredibly unforgiving terrain is not for the faint hearted. I was more than happy that my 7 years old Yamaha conquered the mighty Sach.

[NiInJa]

Thrilling stuff !
Good to see someone living my dreams I got the Yamaha FZ250 as well and did a few rides from Pune to coastal Maharashtra and had some plans for the future with this bike, but fate had other plans and I moved out of India.

I still have the bike at home and ride it when I am in Pune. The FZ250 is a highly underrated bike, she is easy to maintain, has great riding dynamics and excellent torque. The engine was literally picked from a dirt bike (explains why the throttle has a return cable). She is perfect for remote excursions where you want power, DIY maintainability but minimum electronic shenanigans.

Happy mile munching on this steed.