6\7\13 - Early morning start with breakfast whilst packing the bikes.
Today we are starting the Manali to Leh Highway. Happy Birthday Kirsty not going
to wake her up a 3am so sent the facebook message. Andy has found a missing nut
on the rack of his Enfield so we troll around a number of mechanics trying to
find a nut to fit. Eventually we find a shop that can help, the chap takes the
same nut off his own bike so we can get going. (The kindness of strangers.) Whilst
moving around town the one thing happens we feared the most – getting separated.
So I park up and wait, within a short time Simon appears and we join Andy on
the other side of town.
I notice the small carabineer on my handlebars for my GPS
has been nicked – Bugger.
It’s close to lunchtime and we get out of Manali and almost
immediately it starts to rain, we stop and kit up in wet weather gear. The
first place to go is the Rotang Pass about 13000ft we climb and climb through
the clouds switchback after switchback. We hit mud, thick gloopy mud. With
coaches and TATA trucks overtaking and coming at us its hard work with a loaded
Enfield. We get stuck in a traffic jam, at least 50 vehicles of all sizes just
trying to get down. We are stuck and just like on the television one person
starts directing the TATA trucks around each other with inches to spare from
the cliff edge. We are boxed in and have to wait. I see through the clouds the
traffic lined up around the mountain side waiting to get past. We also have our
first sight of snow. Eventually we reach top and there of hundreds of locals and
tourists skiing, snow mobiles and snowball fights. It
seems the in place to be.
Chi at the top then push on down the other side of the pass.
Its deserted but the views….Throughout the three days it took to make this ride
(300km+) the views were stunning, every corner was a picture postcard or photograph.
The Himalayas truly are outstanding and beautiful.
The roads on this highway are another matter. They are a
combination of gravel, sand, rocks, water crossings, tarmac, poorer tarmac, potholes,
animals, TATA trucks, landslides, cliff edges etc. Some parts are great to ride
others are a bitch especially with a loaded Enfield. At one point we got
stopped by a road crew and with a few minutes 3 blasts took place. Now I have
never been in an explosion but could feel the impact on my chest even though we
were some distance away. Cleared to ride on we rode around the bulldozer whilst
it cleared the landslide.
After 112 km ride we were close to a place called Tandi. It
was 6pm and needed to find a place to camp. I found a place under a bridge a
couple of kms up the road. An overlanding vehicle with a German called Fabin
was also there. We put up the tents, made a campfire and cooked cous cous. Some
young lads found us and asked the twenty questions who why etc. We talked them
into cycling into the village and buying us beer and they did for a few Rupees.
That night before we retired to the tents we did some star gazing. Never seen
the sky so alive with stars, planets, satellites, shooting stars. One of the
highlights for me.
I was also having the first signs of altitude sickness
(headaches) but as we were up and down passes it wasn’t a big issue. We also
had been stopped by the police and details recorded at one the fixed
checkpoints.
The next morning we awoke to the sound of cows and when we
looked out the herd were drinking from a pool right where our camp fire had
been. We were dry. During the bike checks found a broken weld on Andy’s pannier
frame which we would need to get fixed. I also had the unfortunate timing of a
bit of the Delhi belly (Al Frescio).
Andy’s bike was also a bitch to start but more of that
tomorrow. We rode into Tandi and had coffee and Chi. We ordered boiled eggs but
on arrival decided not to eat them…dodgy to say the least. Following this we
rode into Keylong where Andy had his frame welded up for next to nothing and
fixed my other horn which had come loose. I have to say not feeling my best from
the altitude and DB I was feeling a little home sick, two minutes on my own and
a quick blub, I was ok. The best medicine was some tarmac and the chance to lay
down a few miles. The road conditions were as yesterday and went through two
static police checkpoints. The riding was very hard and one river crossing was
a fast flowing river on a bend on a mountainside, deep and very rocky, we all
got through unscathed.
As the altitude went up so did the effects, dehydration,
headaches etc. Simons bike was running particularly bad and at high points he
was feathering the fuel tap to keep the bike going higher. We stopped for an
hour of so whilst Simon took his air filter apart but it didn’t fix the
problem. At the real high points 15000ft my Enfield was running like a pig with
misfiring. We were running behind and thought we could reach Leh in two days
but we were nowhere near Leh. The plan was to ride till 6pm and find a suitable
campsite. Well just before 6pm we did but thought we could find somewhere
better but found ourselves half way up a mountain not realising it was 15000ft.
We crossed the top and rode as fast as we could down the other side which went
on for miles. We had done 40km past our stopping point. I saw down below a
number of tents and raced down the hillside Dakar style. It was nown gone 7pm
and the light was fading. We were at 13000ft and it was a chi stop with beds. I organised
us to stay for 500R=£5. So we slept in a Tibetan Yurt with them. They cooked us
Maggi noodles and coffee for tea. Our heroes, so as they was no electricity off
to bed at darkness. Total milage for the day was 160km and we were about 25km
from a place called Pang.
Third day on the Manali to Leh highway. We awoke at first
light had coffee and tea, bought some outrageously expensive petrol from the Tibetans
and prepared to leave. Andys bike would not start and we could not afford to
run the battery flat and you try kick starting an Enfield at 13000ft. We tried
bumping it – exhausting. Now we had always been told things sort them out in
India. Whilst we are fannying about 8-10 Enfield’s rode past on an organized
trip from Delhi. One stopped and so did a taxi. Out jumped this man with a tool
box and started fixing the Enfield's foot rest. We went over. Turned out he was
from a workshop in Delhi two streets away from Lalli Singhs. He set to work on
Andy’s bike changing the plug and diagnosing the exhaust valve had closed its
gap and would not have started in a month of Sundays. He whipped off the
adjustment cover and within minutes had Andy’s bike running. Best two quid we
spent that day. The altitude was causing problems with my bike and Simon was
still having fuel issues. (Just a reminder this is all in the most stunning
scenery)
We eventually made it to Pang for breakfast then more
altitude onto the Moray plains. WOW.
From the plains which was a ride of sand, gravel and tarmac
(awesome) we went up Taglang La at about 16000 ft and around the world’s highest
roundabout. At quick photo shoot and down the other side switchback style to
the run in to Leh. Andy and Simon had both switch to reserve fuel and used the
expensive petrol. I have an enormous touring tank which takes gallons. So we
had to find fuel and that is not easy. Village after village we passed through
had none. Eventually getting to the Jummu and Kashmir border. Another police
checkpoint and out of county bike tax 20R=20p.
17km further on was fuel at Karu. We found it and fuelled
and rode on semi good roads into Leh. Went to a luxury hotel (Hotel Dragon with
internet access, secured yard). Two rooms about £50 per night all in with food.
Had a shower and washed 3 days of grime off, got changed and into town for a meal.
Had Chicken curry, rice and nan. Now it’s a bit dry here and we managed to get
beer but it could only be ordered as special tea and served in teapots with
glasses covered by napkins. I did not take part as dehydrated and suffering a
little. Alcohol would not have helped.
Managed to Skype Alison and the girls for a while in between
power cuts then off to bed. The beds are as hard as a pool table and it wasn’t
the best nights sleep but I was so knackered.
Day 8 (today) was a day off a bit of shopping, permits for
Khardung La, blog writing and bike servicing. Really feeling the altitude effects, its only 11000ft headaches, slight nose bleed and breathless. Had a few dizzy spells during the bike servicing. Found a nice place for tea tonight, all ready for tomorrow and Khardung La.
Well jel!
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