Day 9-Bikeday 6

We followed the Spiti river on our way up the mountains.  The first part was wonderful moutain terrain.  This video shows some of the ride. (Click on the arrows to show it in full format.)

The road was great to begin with but deteriorated as we got closer to the Kunzum pass at altitude 4600 meters .  The mountain passes are often decorated with prayer flags.  Here there were many.

The lunch of the day was «Real Turmat» or Real Field Meal.  Below is a picture of Rolf who opted for an additional snack of crisp bread.

Food:  We were requested to bring with us some bags of Real Field Meals to vary our food. Some days we were provided with lunch packs from the hotel while others were Real Field Meals.  The chief mechanic Darmender would fire up his gas heater and boil water, which was then poured into the Field Meal bag, and abracadabra we had a great lunch.  On our previous Himalaya trip Rolf and I had a poor experience with Indian food.  A Dehli belly light. We dared not let wind astride a motorbike!  Crisp bread and tube cheese helped us then and was therefore in Rolf’s bike bag.  This trip we were blessed with firm bellies.

On our way to our night destination, the roads deteriorated again and we did our first river crossings.  These went well but Gunnar had a close encounter with a mountain rock, which bent his bike’s brake pedal into the bike’s foot peg. That efficiently locked his rear brake.  You do not get far with a locked brake.  Darmender was there in seconds.  Found some stones as a substitute to a hammer and beat the brake pedal back in place.

Our night destination was a tent camp.

After arriving at the camp we got on our bikes and drove 3-4km to Chandra Tal which translates to Moon Lake.

A strange lake in this dry and desolate mountain desert.  This a sacred lake and again there were many prayer flags here.  There were also many other tourists at the lake. They had driven up the bad road but in cars.

That evening Gunnar was in bad shape.  Shivering and all the symptoms of a bad cold. He skipped dinner and hit the bed.  A paracetamol and a good night sleep did wonders.  The next morning he was feeling much better but not 100%.  The next day was tough and so much tougher when one is not 100%.

Day 10 – Bikeday 7

Yesterdays road was bad.  Todays was terrible and some sections almost impassable and 63km of it!  On the bright side was the beautiful nature.

We crossed several water obstacles, rivers and streams that ran right across the road. Or to rephrase the river was the road!  In addition to have to make our way through flocks of Kashmir sheep and goats.  Here a couple of videos illustrating the challenges we faced.

We had a few overturned bikes whereof Gunnar was one.  No damages or injuries.  The final strech was a welcomed paved road. We fared well while on our bikes.  We must admit that when we arrived at our hotel to relax we were exhausted.

Right next to the hotel there was a cockoo bird nesting.

Day 11 – Bikeday 8

A slow start of the day to relax after yesterdays strenuous day. Departure was set for 09;00 which proved to be an unwise decision. Explanation to follow.  Great paved roads to start with as we were on the main north bound Himalayan highway.  Impressive nature to be seen.

The above picture shows one of hundreds of trucks we met or passed.  A few words about the trucks.  They were all heavily loaded and under powered. Meaning:

1. We had to pass them to get to our destination within reasonable time.
2. The under powered engines could not burn off the diesel. The result was dark black exhaust emitting clouds we could hardly see through.

Passing the trucks was no easy feat. Not easy to see meeting traffic through the black exhaust as we held our breath as long as possible.  We got our huge share of NOX, soot and other fumes.  Not all trucks reached their destination as the below picture shows.

The driver of this one was fortunate as his truck stayed on the road.  Had it gone over the side it would have been a Himalayan roller coaster. The truck was loaded with jet fuel.  Flammable but not as dangerous as gasoline. We saw another less fortunate truck, which had ended up far down the mountain side completely smashed.

That was the end of the good road!  Low and behold a river where there should have been road.  Melting glacial water had found a new way beyond the bridge.  The current was fast and difficult to pass.

The fast current can be seen in the above picture and the bikes needed help in crossing.  The river had created a high bank on the other side which was impossible to ride over.  The bikes got lifted and pulled.  That is heavy work in the thin air at 4700 meter altitude.  Many of our group contributed tremendously. Especially the mechanics who ran to and from getting the bikes over.  See the below videos showing how strenuous it was.

Two of the guys got a «bath».  Jens seen on one video and Øyvind who swam a few meters in the current.  Another motorcyclist who was travelling in the opposite direction managed to overturn and got stuck under the truck which also was stuck.

We mentioned that the late departure was an unwise decision.  The reason is that as the day warmed up the glacial melting increased.  Had we arrived 2 hours earlier we could probably have driven through the lower river with out any sweat.

We got all the bikes over. Gunnar got one of the leaders to drive his.  Rolf tried another crossing which appeared easiest only to end up in a rock pile on the other side.  Difficult to get out of but then again Darmender did his magic.  Thanks.

The strangest of all that this is the north bound highway in Himalaya. The only way to avoid the crossing was a detour of 600 km.  In our part of the world an excavator would have been there to dig out the original riverbed.  Not so in India.

Later there were several other water crossing but no where near the same scale.  Gunnar broke a foot peg on one crossing on a close rock encounter. He took over one of the mechanics bike while his got repaired. The repair took only minutes!  We finally arrived at Goldrop Camp, Sarchu, and altitude 4400 meters.

There was plenty birdlife here.  This Hoopoe bird is one.

There were also many marmots to be seen.  The live in small burrows they dig out in the ground or rock piles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 6 – Bikeday 3

 After our visit to the village which ended the prior letter we had to descend on the same road chisled into the mountain side as our ascent the day before.

 Driving through, albeit fewer, villages was also an experience. High risk of traffic jams but a greater risk of holy cows and stray dogs.  They were everywhere and sometimes in unlikely places. There were many pedestrians.  The children smiled and waved.  Laughed when we waved back and often wanted a high five, which we reciprocated as we passed them.  The first days were in lush and green valleys and steep hillsides. We saw houses built on steep slopes.  Crazy real-estate!  Driving to higher ground the landscape became more barren and houses scarcer. Snowcapped mountains came to view and the valleys narrowed.

 Roadwork was just about everywhere and getting through could be challenging. (Click on the below picture and view it i full format)

The below picture is taken on one of many photo stops.  Randi and Rolf shown here.

In spite of barren and desolate landscape, there were still some green oasis to be seen.  Usually due to a stream, irrigation and local agriculture.

As were now moving into a disputed area between India, China and Pakistan. They do not agree on where the actual boarder should be.  The Indian authorities want to know who is in the area at any given time.  We therefore had to stop in the city of Kalpa to get permission to enter the area.  There is a major Indian military presence here.  Time spent on obtaining the necessary permissions resulted in a short drive that day.  We spent some time walking around the area and observing the local life and nature.

Below the view from our hotel.

Day 7 – Bikeday 4

Up early 05:00 hours and depature at 06:30.  My clutch cable snapped and another rider punctured! This was promply repaired by our Indian mechanics who drove last in the group. Leaving Shimla we divided ourselves into two groups.  One leader first and a mechanic last in each group.  The mechanic had a «bag of tricks» on his bike with the necessary spares and tools to perform quick fixes.  The accompanying van was a rolling workshop with all spares and heavy duty tools.  The clutch and puncture were quickly fixed. Below is the chief mechanic Darmender performing his magic.

We are now very close to the Chinese/Tibet boarder. Only 5km to the mountain tops where the boarder is located.

We continued our journey into «Spiti Valley» which used to be the administrative center of inner Himalaya.  On the bright side there was less traffic than before.  We entered in through a very narrow side valley, which then emptied out in wide valley.

The below video shows our entry into Spiti Valley.

The valley is best described as a desert valley.  Not much greenery but still inhabited by locals. It is a fantastic valley granting us some great views and experiences the following 2-3 days. Our first stop was in the village of Nako where we took the opportunity of taking a walk and observing the village.

In Nako I spied this wonderful young woman doing her laundry.

The below picture is a local farmer’s cowshed. Not much space for the animals but the winter fodder of hay is stacked on the roof.

The night was spent in the town of Tabo an old monastery township. The monastery was founded in year 996 AD and was magnificent.  The below picture is taken inside showing monks beating their drums and humming their prayers. I appears to us to be a despicable existence.  Then again, who are we to judge?

It was claimed that Dalai Lama had stated the he would move to Tabo when he retired. (Do Lama’s retire, abdicate, retreat or just wither away?)  It’s evident that this is a place celebrating an ascetic way of life.  It is forbidden to smoke or drink in the monastery.

Before the monastery was built the monks lived in caves on the hillside above.

Day 8 – Bikeday 5

A very special and interesting day. Our first visit was to Dhankar, the old capital of Spiti. On our way we stopped to view some special rock formations as shown below.

Dhankar’s special location high up on the mountainside.

The fortress high on top of steep cliffs.  Small in size and no easy target to conquer.

 Kaza is a town located in the valley below. Surounded by desert.

We ate lunch at a restaurant in Kaza.  I was allowed to take pictures in the kitchen.  Now we know why the pot of chicken consists of small pieces full of chicken bones.  The chop up the chicken.  Not exactly a chicken filet!

The below women’s head gear show that there is a substantial muslim population in the area.

Our last place to visit was Kibber. Altitude 4200 meters over sea level with world’s highest post office. On our way we veiwed the Key monastery and it’s incredible location:

Time did not allow us a visit th monastery.

The Kibbber village viewed from an adjacent cornfield – 4 200 meters above sea level.

A long queue of bikers at the world’s highest postoffice.  Post cards to send home!

Where was Postman Pat?  No mail man no mail! Our saviour again was our chief mechanic Darmender. We gave him our post cards and money and he as usual fixed it.  The million dollar question is:  Did the post cards ever arrive? Yes, they did, after almost three weeks.

The day’s destination was the town of Kaza.

Our hotel appeared to be nice and fairly new. Poor carpentry almost ended with an accident.  While we were having supper the owner told Gunnar to come to our room immediately. A window was almost falling out.  Gunnar had opened the window to dry the bike clothes.  The screws holding the window hinges had fallen out. Only one screw was holding the window hinge in place.  See the below mickey mouse screws the carpenter had used to hold the window hinges.  This was a heavy window.

 

 

 

 

I’m back from the world’s toughest motor cycle trip through the Himalaya’s.  A 13-day trip including the world’s highest drivable pass.

Our mission.

We enlisted on a trip organized by a Norwegian company, Indian Adventures who offer motorcycle trips primarily in Asia.  Rolf and I have been on a trip with them before and had an idea what we were in for.  This year’s trip was “The world’s highest MC trip!”  A travel through the Indian Himalaya mountain range.  We had 13 days on the bikes whereof one day of rest. We covered 1563 kilometers, 6 mountain passes, 4 with an altitude over 5000 meters and 2 just below. One pass, Kardung La, is rated as the world’s highest.

En route we visited villages, temples, monasteries and local sites of interest. The roads can best be described as prepare for the unexpected. We drove on wonderful asphalt, gravel, stones, landslide remnants, rivers and streams. Many of which would never qualify as roads in our part of the world.  Many challenges, which we proudly overcame.  On the bright side, we experienced unbelievable nature sights and views.  We also witnessed a small view into Indian/Himalayan folklore and culture. More would be high on the wish list.  Time did not allow for more.  This trip will be a lifelong memory.  The bikes were the means but the trip was so much more.

The MC/Motorcycle.  The brand Royal Enfield is based on English 1950-60 technology refined in India adding a disc brake and electric start.  A single 500CC engine with the amazing output of 22,5 horse power! Not a racer by any means.  When speeding at 80km.h the machine vibrates and wobbles.  The upside is that the bike works well on the Indian roads and manages to get one through the worst obstacles. Below the machine:

 

Who we are!

“We” is myself (Gunnar) and my good friend and neighbor Rolf Grant Johnsen.  In total, we were a group of 19 participants plus 2 leaders. Some had prior off road MC experience which was a great advantage.  Others only paved road experience.  I fell into the latter category.

The two leaders, Willie and Frank were experienced off road drivers and had done the trip several times. They did a great job in choice of routes.  They and the rest of the group contributed socially and the atmosphere within was great.  Our only female participant Randi had only paved road experience but learned quickly how to handle the poor gravel roads.  She did a brilliant job of updating the travel blog for the team.  Finally, yet importantly are our mechanics and the accompanying van with our baggage.  We carried the bare necessities on the bikes. The van was a rolling workshop with spares and our luggage.  One driver, Lokesh Kumar, and four mechanics.  Fantastic people who fixed everything on the fly. Punctures, clutches, wheel rims, daily maintenance and carburetor adjustments in to the late evening hours. The mechanic Capo de touti Capo is Darmender. He was brilliant. His motto is: “You speak, I fix!.”  He is employed by Indian Adventures and worth his weight in gold and key to the success of the trip.

Day 1 and 2

We arrived in New Delhi late evening August 22^nd.  The following day was sightseeing day.  The most handsome sight was our driver:

We witnessed a lot of poverty where the street is their home here shown in the below picture.

She survives by selling hot coal to be used for heating meals.  Her spot here is probably her home.

Day 3

We boarded the northbound express train from Delhi to Kalka at the foot of the Himalaya’s.  Where we transferred to the Toy Train to Shimla.  The British Empire summer HQ in India.  The poor Brit’s needed a temperate climate thus avoiding the scorching summer in Calcutta, which then was the Indian capital.  The Brit’s brought all their files and archives with them to govern the country. Shimla is located at 2200 meter above sea level.  To allow for the logistic challenge of transporting tons of files and people they built the train track in 5 years.  It opened in 1903 and is a classic trip on Unesco’s world heritage list and found in Guinness book of records as the worlds steepest train ride.

It was great to leave the Indian plains, crawl our way along the valley and watch the view passing by.

Day 4 – Bike day 1

We stayed the night at the old governor residence from 1938 and were allocated our motorcycles. A crash course in Indian traffic behaviour was provided. In short, “survival of the fittest and not for the faint hearted.”  To gain the right of way, use your horn, demand a space and keep together with the group. The most important feature is the HORN.  Use it all the time or you will be ignored. Used it in blind curves, when passing and when in doubt.

We were very fortunate with the weather.  Rain was predicted but we had sunshine and not a drop of rain. It did get a little too warm and beneath our protective clothing. We were drenched in sweat.  The first day was through green valleys and hills on paved roads.

The part of India is densely populated with people living everywhere.  Understandable as this is great climate compared to the plains.  The monsoon rain gives life to nature.

The last leg of the day gave us a flavor of what to expect.  Our destination was a hotel high up on a hillside.  The proper road was closed as a bridge had vanished in a landslide. The only alternative was a 4-5km steep, curvy, stony gravel path/road.  We managed that challenge and arrived in the town of Sarahan.

Day 5 – Bike day 2

The first item of the day was to visit a temple for 3 religions, Christian, Buddhist and Hindu.  Religious tolerance is greater in the Himalaya’s than in other parts of India.  Tolerance in one thing but sharing a place of worship is another.  There were strict rules to follow before entry. Belts off, no cameras or cellphones. Here are some of us before entry.

We had to use the same stony gravel path/road down to the valley. Resulting in 3 bikes down.  No damage or injuries.  Just a warning of what could lie ahead on bad roads.

We encountered heavy traffic on the main road heading north.  Heavily loaded Trucks, buses and Indian kamikaze car drivers.  Where the asphalt was worn out to “rock bottom” potholes were filled with stones and gravel.  Not ideal conditions for a motorcycle.

Traffic jams in India are usually in both directions due to everybody believing that they have the right of way.  Nobody gives an inch. Reversing is for pussies even when two trucks were wedged together.  You never know if police presence make things worse or better.  However, low and behold in this case it actually helped.

That is when the trucks hit the gas and spewed out black diesel exhaust.

One thing is traffic and roadwork.  Then there are holy cows and dogs.  Holy cows own the road and move around as they see fit.  Nobody chases them or try to move them, they are king.

Here a resting dog joins them.

The last leg of the day was interesting.  To get to our camp for night we drove on the below road that was chiseled out of the mountainside. The drop off a couple of hundred meters was not tempting.

 Our reward for staying on the road was our first and finest camp.  These permanent tents have two beds and a bathroom with a WC and shower. 

The tents are taken down during winter when snow isolates the valley from the world.

Day 6 – Bike day 3

The day started with a visit to a village on the other side of the river running through the valley. We had a local guide which proved interesting.  The village was prosperous and their source of income was apples.  Here one of the trees.

The guide claimed that these apples were of the best quality and mainly produced for export. One farmer here apparently gets the same price per kilo as a Norwegian apple farmer in Hardanger. Taking the Indian cost of living into consideration then these are indeed Golden Apples.

The village showed many signs of prosperity. Both the school and the below temple is evidence.

Nor is this a population of prudes!

The people in the region, both men and women wear the below hat/headgear.

Men are more open for contact than the shyer women are.

As mentioned above the village is wealthy and new building construction under way.  Their construction technics differ from our standards.  However, it evidently works.

The village is completely isolated between November and March as the altitude is 3000 meters.