19th Nov 2004 – “Rohtang Pass” – A Day of dream getting shattered.
Alarm rang up and I get up at 06:35hrs. Start getting ready, the hotel is providing hot water so took a bath, unlike previous day at Theog. I put on all my warm clothes (t-shirt, leather jacket gifted by my sister and a thin woolen jacket) and come down with lugguage. After paying the hotel bill I put the lugguage on bike, top up the engine oil and battery water. It is early in the morning and with all my clothes on, I’m still feeling them to be insufficient to keep the cold away. Warm up the bike, possibly disturbing sleep of some tourists sleeping in the nearby rooms.
At 07:45 with odo showing 18,259 I start my day. The road is almost empty with no sign of tourists starting their journey towards Rohtang, so even being late it seems I’m still early to avoid tourist traffic. Soon I’m cruising on the empty roads battleing with the early morning chill. Newely bought gloves are better than my older ones but still they are not good enough, cold air in hitting my face, getting there from underneath the helmet. Ignoring all the pain I carry on conquer Rohtang Pass. Soon I cross Palchan to come out in the barren land area. As told by the manager, wind is no better than previous evening but so far no signs of that heavy crosswind. Wind is so heavy that when riding into the wind on a relatively plain surface, I have to drop a gear to 3rd while going at 40 and when I’m riding with the wind, all of a sudden the speed will go up from 40 to 60 without me doing anything. Hoping to not encounter any heavy crosswind I ride on this lonely road.
While riding I see this small patch of water on road, what I do normally, I just carried on without dropping any speed. Result, it is not just water on road, it’s a small pot hole as well. So the bike goes into the pot hole at a speed of around 50 and I’m in the air with front tyre of the bike splashing water and broken ice pieces in air, which I realised when I landed back on the seat with wet pant and seat. The moment I landed on broken ice pieces on seat, a wave of chill went through my body. Right way I promised to myself to go easy next time I come across such a spot. It didn’t take much long and soon I’m heading towards another such pothole, filled with water which now has a layer of ice on top of it. So I slowed down to the speed of 20 to cross it slowely, Mistake. As soon as I see my front wheel has gone past it, I accelerated. My rear wheel is still on that ice, which has not broken yet result is that the rear lands up fishtaleing. I thanked my bike and god for not loosing it at all and coming out of it exceptionally well. All this being learning experience, I tell myself not to accelerate at all unless I’m 100% sure of having crossed the ice patch completely. Few more such patches are on the way and having learned from my previous two mistakes, now I would simple drop speed and let bike cruise over it before I accelerate. In case one is wondering what kind of thing I’m talking about. Here is a picture of it.
Crossing these stretches I wonder what if I get such thing on a uphill climb? How will I tackle it? Well I’m not having any answer of the question, so I shrug it out of my mind to see what needs to be done when such thing happens. I continue to ride on enjoying the climate. After riding for around an hr I catch up with a truck carrying heavy iron rods. Decide to follow him for some time, as the road is not wide enough to force him to give me side. Driver seemed to be a experienced one and he on his own gave me signal to pass once he came across a slightly wider section of road. Waving him thanking I overtake him. Few km’s later I have reached a section of road I have never thought of riding through in my whole life. It seems that water flowing across the road has frozen on a 10-15feet wide patch on the road. No way that I can ride on this patch, thinking what to do, the truck driver comes to my rescue. He takes his truck over the ice, where there is a small dip made by previous day vehicles crushing the ice. Result is that the ice is crused and a nice canal is formed where I can ride my bike. Still, since the road beneath that crushed ice is not smooth, I need to balance the bike with my legs. Reminding myself not to brake, no matter what happens, I put my bike in 1st gear and slowely at speed of around 5-10 with hardly any acceleration, I start to cross this patch with both my legs out on either side of the bike, trying to balance the bike, everytime my shoes touch the ice, I get a reminder how slipry ice can get. Somehow I manage to cross this section and get back on tarmac. After sometime I come across this frozed waterfall with a small tea shop right next to it. So I decide to stop for a cup of tea
It has got a bit windy here as I park my bike. Entering the small tea stall I see him making a cup of tea for himself. I ask him to give a cup to me as well. The wind is so strong that it is moving a box full of wafers and chocolates keept on a table inside the hut. The mercury is down so much that the moment he gets the tea off the stove, pours in a cup and gives it to me, it has gotten cold enough that I gulped it down in two sips. Paid his for tea and I start walking towards bike, when one of my glove is blown from inside the helmet by wind, I have to run to catch it. Just after running for 10-15feet I felt tired, low oxygen. I get back on bike to carry on. Soon after restaring I come across another patch of thick layer of frozen ice across road, only thing is that it is much much wider than previous one, probably around 50-60feet. The truck has crushed it for me making a small canal to ride through. So following the same steps I start to cross it. While half way though it I realise that I’m riding almost at the edge of the road, towards valley and one mistake and I would be down into the valley, so I tilted the bike a bit towards right side and carried on. Once again I successfully cross it to continue my ride. Soon nearing a small river I catch up with the truck to see him going off the down towards the banks of river, wondering for the reason I carried on towards the bridge to find it missing, giving me answer of my question as to why truck guy when down. So I head back to come down to the river side, I wait for the truck to cross the river before I would venture out. Right after crossing the river, truck start to climb up on the other side, to come back on the road, seeing that I start my bike, suddenly I see truck sliding back downwards on the slope. I stop my bike to go closes to look what happen.
Well something which I feared long time back has happen. There is a huge amount of ice on the slope which truck was trying to climb up. Telling myself, if a truck is not able to climb, how am I going to climb up? Also as I go near the river, I realise that the water is flowing fast, with lots of stones in the base, so no way I can cross the river without putting my legs in water. About the water temperature, well looking at ice floating on top of water at many places was good enough to send shivers down my spine. Truck driver on the other hand is still trying to climb up unsuccessfully and after a few more tries he gives up.
I’m standing helplessly on the river side watching the dream to ride to Rohtang Pass getting shattered. I would have spent few minutes standing there, thinking what to do. By now tourist vechiles has started to come and join me for company, as they also saw the ice on the other side. Slowely more and more vehicles started to come, making the place look like a parking lot. Some people started to walk on the river side, click pics and watching in surprise a lonely biker standing alongside them. Few qualis drivers tried to do what the truck couldn’t do and failed in their attempts.
Few minutes later a taxi driver, having a 4×4 wheel drive, comes to me telling me that, if I want he can take me to Rohtang Pass and beoynd. I’m very happy and I ask him the price. He replies back saying Rs 6,000. It is too high for me, I told him what about my bike, which he says leave it here and we will collect it on the way back. Well I’m not leaving my bike behind we both are going to climb to Rohtang. So I say no to him, to stand there thinking what next to do. Suddenly I see a group of vehicles on the other side of the river at some distance. Wondering how they reached there, I ride upto the main road to see vehicles going in the opposide direction of the river flow, to a point where the river is less wide and cross river from there and then climb up to the main road via a mud patch. This much of hope is enough for me and I also follow the vehicles, riding on stones towards river. There is a small queue of vehicles, driver being sensible are not hurrying, waiting for one vehicle to cross the river before another jumping in. As my turn came, I put my bike in water, revving the engine with clutch half pulled in, to avoid water entering the exhaust. Tried to balance the bike but failed. The moment bike went in the river, it tilted towatds right side the instant reaction is to put my right leg down in the cold water. The freezing water shock me up and I immediately takes my leg out of it, resulting bike to start bending towards left, making me put my left leg also in water. Having now both my legs wet, I decide nothing can be done and to cross safely I need to put my both legs in water. Finally with both legs in freezing water I cross the river. Then I’m waiting for my turn to climb upto the main road. Here also peple are waiting for one vehicle to climb up before another one attempting. When my turn came, I start to climb, putting power down in 1st gear with declutching. Suddenly as I’m half way up, engine dies making bike starting to slip downwards. Jumping on brakes also didn’t help as bike continues its slide. I immediately jump off the bike to stop the slide and then gather all my energy to push the bike up the climb.
After a few minutes of struggle, I’m back on main road and kick start the bike. The moment I put the bike in gear and leave the clucth, engine dies off. I’m now scared. With bike in this condition I can’t ride up nor can I cross back the river. Possible the clutch has heated up touching the clutch cover I don’t find it to be too hot. I wait for few minutes before trying again. This time bike is able to move, so now I decide to use as less clutch as possible but the question is troubling me as to how am I going to cross back the river. Well again having no answer I decide to carry and to worry when I’m back.
Few km’s of riding up twisties I come across this place with a big hotel and some small shops, which are closed right now. So I decide to stop for a cup of tea. Odo is showing 18,289 and clock is showing 08:45. By now my legs have gone totally numb. As I park my bike and walk towards hotel, hotel owner who is coming out of hotel looks at my bike as screams, who has come on bike here? Looking at me as I’m walking towards hotel wth helmet, he gets his answer. I quickly go in the hotel and order tea and something hot to eat. After a 10min break for tea and pakoras I start towards Rohtang Pass. The clutch do not give any problem and I slowely start my climb towards Rohtang, enjoying the scenery. Sun is slowely coming up, getting mercury level up with him. At 10:15 with odo showing 18,313 I reach Rohtang Pass, after climbing through lots of hairpin bends.
I park my bike and start looking around. Some of tourist has already reached here. A skiing guy comes to me, offering me a 15min ride for Rs 100, with he there to help out learning also. Having never done skiing, I decide to give it a try. To get on the skis, I need to remove my wet shoes, which by now has frozen into ice. Two man struggles to remove them. My wet socks have ice formed on them and they are retaining the shape I give them. I put socks next to the engine of bike and get on with skiing. After few falls I somehow manage to move on my own for few feets. The skis guy clicks some videos and pictures.
Having a first time experience of skiing and spending some more time at Rohtang I decide to return back, tempted to go a bit more futher but clutch acting up I decide to head back. At 11:00 I start my ride back. As I’m climbing down, I can see more and more tourists climbing up. Coming down the scenery is better than what I was when going up.
At 11:30 with odo showing 18,329, I’m back at the hotel. I order for lunch. I remove my wet/frozen shoes and one jacket to come out in open walking bare feet. Coming out I see this satellite phone, fortunatly as I reach there, the signal has come, so I quickly I call up my mechanic in Pune telling him the problem with clutch. He gives me instruction how to set the clutch as clutch setting has probably come loose. I’m so lucky that the moment I’m done with the call, signal again goes and I’m told that once signal are gone they might not come for hours or days. I go to the bike and set the clutch. With clutch worry away now, I enjoy the food to resume the ride at 12:15. As I start to come down, I reach the river bed, wating for my turn to cross it. With clutch properly set, wet shoes, I didn’t hesitate putting my feet in water along with bike.
With no unknown wating ahead I’m having no problem coming down. Some of the small ice patches are all crushed and melted into water but not the huge ones. Soon I reach that 50-60feet wide section of thick layer of ice across road. I see some qualis struggling to cross it. This time I have to cross it from the mountain side, so no worries of falling into the valley. I get into one of the canal at slow speed with both legs balancing. Maintaining a constant speed I’m almost in the middle of the patch when I see a small pothole in the way, the moment I come out of it, bike looses its balance and trying to balance bike using my right foot, my shoe slips on the ice and with bike almost crawling at speed of less than 5km/hr, I go down with the bike in a slow motion action. I have landed on my right side with my right leg under bike. No way, I will be able to come out of the bike on my own. Luckily for me there is a tourist bus stopped on the other side of the ice patch. Watching me go down some guys starts to run towards me, forgetting that they will be running on ice, a few of them fell the moment they step on ice, rest slows down. 4-5 guys walk towards me to lift the bike and help me get up. Thankfully due the legguards and a straight handle, bike didn’t landup on my leg. Then I push the bike to the road. One old man advice me to take a small rest. While taking rest, I look back at the place I had a fall, vehicles are still struggling to cross it.
After a 10min break I start back towards Manali. As I’m coming down the temperature is improving, making it much better to ride now. Coming down is giving a mnuch better view of what I missed while going up.
Rest of ride down hapenned without much of problem and at 13:35 I enter Manali with odo showing 18,365. I decide to carry on as long as I can. By now I’m almost in plain and it has started to get a bit hot as I’m riding towards Kullu. As I reach near Kullu I start to feel hungry and I decide to stop at the same place I had food few days back. At 14:20 with odo showing 18,403 I stopped at the hotel. This time the guy is not here instead her mother is at the hotel. I place my order the waiter recognises me and tells about me to the lady. She tells me that her son told her about me as he is also a travel crazy guy. By now my socks has dried so after food I put back my socks and shoes. At 14:45 I start to ride towards Delhi. Looking at the distance to Delhi, I knew I’ll not be able to reach Delhi at humanly hours. Still not worrying about it I decide to ride on. Soon I crossed Aut and I’m once again riding on road, I have never ridden on. It’s a lovely twisty road with a river down in valley on left side. At places one can see some beaches on the river side.
While enjoying the ride I once again encounter an idiotic rider, who wanted to race me. He would pass me, only to slow down for me to catch up and when I do catch him, he will again rip to slow down. Felt like pushing him off the valley in one of the turns. After some time I come across this underconstruction tunnel, should be atleast 500m long, reminds of the tunnel on the Pune-Bombay Expressway. Road is not improving with each kilometer passing by. Around 16:30 hrs with odo showing 18,480 I cross Mandi. After Mandi road gets very smooth and wide with mountain on left side, people are following lane discipline it is fun riding here. Its one of the best places for one to practice riding in twisty. Though it is slowing me down but I feel like riding on it for all day long, crossing some small town on the way I’m enjoying every moment of the ride which is now on the way of getting end. At 18,543 with clock showing 17:45 it started to get dark and I have to switch on lights. Though it is dark and I’m riding in twisties thanks to the wide road and people following lane discipline. Soon I start to get bored and impatient and I was expecting to reach Chandigarh by now.
Around 20:20hrs with odo showing 18,646, I reach Roopnagar where twisties finally ended to some extent. Now I’m on a narrow road with lots of oncoming vehicle and no one ready to dip to low beam, time to tuck behind a big vehilce as I’m not aware of the road. Start to follow a qualis before the qualis is too fast for me to keep up and instead of following a four wheeler at speeds of 100+ I opted to ride alone at 60. After some 20odd kilometer I’m approaching a ‘T’ junction. Having no idea about the direction, I slow down my bike and move towards a poilce booth. A cop is standing outside, hearing a bullet approaching him, he thing some officer is coming and he beign to salute, seeing a civilian on bike he aborts his action. After a small chat with him, telling from where I’m coming, going where, as MH registered vehicles are not normal to be seen around here. I ask him direction for Chandigarh and I’m onto the road towards Chandigarh. Finally I’ll be riding in the beautiful city of Chandigarh.
At 21:05 with odo showing 18,684 I enter Chandigarh. Immediately I’m greeted with smooth and wide roads, lots of big circles at each junction. I drop the speed to around 60, enjoying in the city. Few minutes later I’m out of city on NH21 heading towards Ambala. Few kilometers later, at 18,703, bike comes into reserve. At the next gas station at Devi Nagar, odo showing 18,713 and clock showing 21:40, I stop for 5min to fill in some fuel to reach some big city.
After I resume my ride, soon I pass Ambala and I’m on NH1. Very soon I’m surprised to see why NH1 is one of the best highways. There are small plants/trees on the divider blocking almost all the light of the vehicles coming in the opposite side lane, making night riding/driving on this stretch a pleasant experience. Road being 4 lanes, I decide to ride in the left lane to leave right lane for the fast moving traffic, mainly consisting of cars, going at speeds of minumum 100. I’m accompanied by trucks and ocassional two wheelers in the left lane. I can ride all night long on this road but then I realise if I do that, I’ll enter Delhi by around 1-2am and it will not be wise to wake up people at that time. So I decide to stop at some decent place and close to Delhi. After enjoying the night ride, after a long time, I kept of passing town looking for some good place. Around 23:00hrs I come to a crossing for Kurakshetra city. I decide to take a break here. So in search of a hotel I enter the town. After riding for few kilometers, I see a small hotel on right side of the road, so I decide to stay there. Odo is showing 18,786 and clock 23:00hrs when I stop my ride for the day.
On entering the hotel, it looks nice and I quickly take a room and place a order for dinner. Few minutes later after having dinner I go to sleep, a bit tired after day’s ride. Few minutes later my sleep is broken by some noise in the room I gets scared and quickly switches on the light. I see a big rat is roaming in my room. With lights getting on, he runs out of the room, underneath the space in the door. I can’t sleep with the fear of rat in the room. So I put on the light and go to sleep. Few minutes later rat is back in the room, as I get up he again runs out of the room. So this time I also put the TV on for noise and go to sleep, luckly the rat didn’t come back and I could sleep.
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