Day 11 : Keylong - Rohtang - Manali - Chandigarh

Day 11: Events (Aug 25)

• Tried to push start the bike, but failed. Finally using wires which Sameer had, we Jump started the bike, it was a success!!
• Started from Keylong at 9 am.
• Crossed Rohtang La and entered Manali
• Got the bike checked and fixed (Replaced the rear-brake pad, tightened the handlebar screws, tightened the chain)
• Had a long chat with the mechanic who also owns 6 new bullets which are given on rent.
• Had lunch in Manali, just next to the garage.
• Headed towards Chandigarh (350 km)

Route:

Keylong - Rohtang - Manali - Chandigarh

Road condition:

Keylong till Rohtang there will be some tough roads and some places with no roads or under construction (a path carved out by bulldozers). Just before Rohtang, the road gets back to normal (tar+smooth) all the way through Manali and the rest of Himachal Pradesh mostly or till Mandi.

Mandi till Kiratpur Sahib:

Not sure if the starting point was Mandi, but consider that as a reference for now. This was the worst stretch of National Highway (21) I have ever ridden in my whole life. Add to the pain, I did this stretch at night. Here are the challenges:

1. Pot Holes (Gazillions of them)

2. Big Sharp Pot Holes (not the same as point one, it's a different breed)

3. Baddest Tar Roads (like making a tar road and then processing it to make it worst)

4. 95% of traffic on this road are trucks (the positive part is they go slow)

5. Dust and tons and tons of it

6. Black smoke is emitted by almost 60% of the trucks

Sigh! Enough said. It's better I just get over this experience. Check out the pic I took of myself in Keylong in the morning and then the one I took after reaching Chandigarh. The change in appearance is ONLY due to this stretch of the road. Dammit!

Kiratpur Sahib till Chandigarh:

Good broad highways again. Just the way one would have come to expect from Punjab.

Climate/Weather:

The climate was moderately cold all through, but during the clear sky daytime, sun rays are strong too. So when on the bike I was getting a cold breeze, but if I stand longer in the sun, it was a bit annoying.

Fuel Stops:

Don't remember if I filled at Manali. Will update if I recall this bit later.

Got up early for the ride. All fresh and ready to roll.

Didn't fill at Tandi, as my tank seems to have enough petrol to make it to Manali.

A beautiful view of clouds on the mountain, and the best part is it's all at my eye level. This I don't get to experience every day :)

Sameer and myself outside the hotel, about to leave (or help push start the bike).

A view of Manali while I was passing through. This was the off-season, so the tourist count was less, which was good for me, as I could maintain a good speed while riding down the mountain.

Got my bike checked, rear-brake shoes replaced and the chain lubricated. Add to it, I had a stuffy lunch with roti, dal, and kadhi at the restaurant next door, which is run by this gentleman's better half.

Leaving Manali city behind.

Sun fading into the mountains.

A duplex mountain house near Kullu.

Interesting colonies after Manali.

Just before leaving Manali, picked up a few stuff for my family.

Decided to stretch the day till Chandigarh by any means.

One of the many beautiful sights one gets to see while passing through Himachal Pradesh.

Reached Chandigarh by the next day morning 1 am. The road to Kiratpur Sahib (Punjab) via Himachal was horrible, to say the least. Mountain roads, with giant potholes all through. Add to it tons and tons of dust and black smoke pumped out by the trucks. During the whole night of driving, I could see only 4-5 private vehicles, the rest were trucks. The condition of my face and eyes was much worse, than it may seem from the above photograph. Anyhow made it to Chandigarh and this ride topped my list of the most torturous ride of all time.

I could call this my return to the planes. If I could ignore the ordeal of the bad road I dealt with in the last leg of crossing Himachal, I was kinda enjoying cruising on straight open highways again, after all these days of mountain riding.

Night Halt:

Place                 : Chandigarh (City/Union Territory)

Accommodation : Modern Residency, Sector 41

Cost per room    : Rs 500

Room Capacity   : 2

Other Details     :

- Bikes parked in front of the hotel, where they have CCTV camera looking over the space

- At 500 bucks a room, it was quite spacious and the ceiling was high (maybe the building was of old architecture and later turned into a hotel)

- Simple rooms with hot water facility (not sure if all the time or only in the morning)

- Had parantha for breakfast and the taste was good

- Reached at night 1 am and checked out in the morning at 10 am, so this is the last place I would care to remember.

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Day 10 : Pang - Keylong

Day 10 : Events (Aug 24)

• The bike had a serious starting problem at Pang (despite pushing downhill the bike refused to start)
• Took the battery out and with the help of Padma to charge it for an hour.
• Push started the bike with the help of Murali and Sameer
• Rode towards and crossed the Baralach-La pass
• Reached Keylong and spoke with mechanic Chunnilal and got to know, it may not be possible to find a new battery until I reach Manali

Route:

Pang - Keylong

Road condition:

Pang onwards, roads don't get any better until there is roughly 50 km left to Keylong (Himachal Pradesh). So gotta bear with some challenging (not sure how cars do this stretch) roads with some good roads thrown in between to help you retain your sanity. The rewarding experience would be as you get closer to Jispa valley. 

*I recommend a stay here if your itinerary permits. The valley is beautiful and quite different in flora and fauna as well as the architecture of houses compared to what you might be seeing all the way. I may visit this place later during my future trips to this region (whenever that happens).

The road to Jispa is awesome in all possible ways and continues to be so till Keylong and much ahead you touch Rohtang and Manali which are well-known tourist locations. Hence have good roads.

Climate/Weather:

The temperature as we got down to lower altitudes (like Jispa and Keylong) was pleasant. I was roaming around in Keylong in the evening on my bike wearing just a full sleeve shirt and a tee on top of that. The full sleeve was a thermal by the way:D Still not as cold as up north where a riding jacket with a thermal liner on top still didn't cut it. So the point is, Himachal was relatively warmer.

Fuel Stops:

I don't remember filling here.

However Keylong seems to be quite developed with a lot of cars around, so there must be a source of fuel close by.

The lifesaver accommodation in Pang. 

One of the numerous metal bridges I passed through on the way.

Some snow on the mountains, still melting.

Pegasus enjoying a scoop of ice cream:)

A common sight once I entered Himachal Pradesh. Lambs are giving the shepherd a hard time.

You may call it a landscape selfie..:)

Toyish-looking houses on the mountains.

One of the many such water streams I had to cross after entering Himachal Pradesh. Though looks quite easy from here, every crossing was a challenge, as the surface was very smooth and uneven as the soil was washed off by the stream and the road was already narrow.

Reached Keylong and the first mechanic shop I found to get the battery issue rectified was this. However, the mechanic was out of town for the day.

Google's history of my route is too vague to share, so here is a more accurate route as per Google Maps online.

Night Halt:

Place                : Keylong, Himachal Pradesh

Accommodation : XXXX Hotel

Cost per room    : Rs XXXX

Room Capacity   : 2 / 4

Other Details     :

- Bikes parked just outside the building but in a private space owned by the hotel

- Good warm wooden furnishing with a good view

- Food charges are separate but was quite delicious

- Hotel has a restaurant downstairs for a proper dining experience

- Breakfast area is outside the building with a tent-like roof which gives a fresh outdoor feel. One can enjoy the morning sun and the flowers around during breakfast.

- 2-3 Motorcycle workshops are there which are close by (1-2 km) evening 7 pm

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Day 9 : Leh - Karu - Pangong Tso - Karu - Pang

Day 9 : Events (Aug 23)

• Started from Leh towards Karu
• Headed to Pangong lake
• Had lunch near the lake and roamed on the road around the lake for a km or two
• Started from Pangong lake towards Karu
• Reached Karu and had momos and coffee
• Left Karu at around 6:30 pm for Pang (BIG MISTAKE!)
• Rode through sub 10 degrees temperature for over 100 km at night and somehow made it to Pang by 10:30 pm. Luckily that we didn't get frostbite riding at such low temperatures for so long on the high-altitude mountain roads. Forgot to tell you, there were no roads for 50+ km.

Route:

Leh -  Karu - Pangong-Tso - Karu - Pang

Road condition:

Leh to Karu is a small length of 30+ km of good tar road (as you would expect from a highway). There would be a lot of dust though, the same as one would experience in Leh.

Karu to Pangong-Tso has good rideable roads for the most part of the 100+ km. At times I came across gravel/non-tar roads but very less. The only challenges on this route are water crossings and white sand patches. Here are my tips for both:

Water crossings: The length of a water crossing could vary from 10 feet up to 30 feet. Go slow in a lower gear, as there might be deeper sections that may not be clearly visible while riding. Riding slowly would splash less water onto your clothes and luggage. Also, keep your distance from your front and back vehicles (if any). Falling in water with luggage would be a mess, so if at all you need to stop and put both feet down in the water. It's ok. Then start riding again. Make sure your exhaust pipe doesn't sip any water as you pass through.

White Sand Patches: These patches are dynamic and get formed on the tar road based on wind speed and direction. If you come across one, again the rule of thumb is to ride slowly but firmly using the right (lower) gear. DO NOT RIDE WITH A CLUTCH ON SAND. DO NOT DO THAT!

Always keep the rear wheel powered. If still you experience a wobble, slow down further and put your both feet down until you stop. Then start again slowly. That's all.

Climate/Weather:

The climate was cold all through, but during the clear sky daytime, sun rays are strong too. So when on the bike I was getting cold breeze, but if I stand longer in the sun I feel the heat.

Fuel Stops:

Karu :

Rs 1000 / 79.74 pl = 12.5 Ltrs

No fuel available at Pangong-Tso. So the nearest filling station is Karu.

Karu : (Before heading to Pang)

Rs 580 / 79.74 pl = 7 Ltrs

Sun is playing hide and seek with the valley.

Me and Sameer on the way toward the lake

Remember the water crossing I mentioned in Day#7's post. Well..there you go!

The scariest part of crossing such streams is the surface underneath the water is uneven (rocks/stones/etc) and you don't know if there is a pothole. If there is one, how deep it could be.

It's a great feeling when you make it to the other side, dry!:) Well almost:P

Never Ever!!

Another lake on the way to Pangong. Not the famous one, but it doesn't make it any less beautiful in my eyes.

Cloudy mountain near Pangong lake.

BEFORE

It was very cloudy and there was a mild drizzle when we reached Pangong lake. This was the color of the water when we reached the lake. Yes, it was as ordinary/usual looking as any other lake you or I might have seen. 

But when we were about to leave, something (maybe it was Murali) whispered in our ears to take a ride along the shore of the lake and we did exactly that. We started riding on the shoreline of the lake looking at the beautiful mountains around and just then the clouds parted and the clear sky made an appearance. My God!! It was a long time since I had last experienced something I can call magic. The whole bloody lake turned blue like a sapphire. We couldn't believe our eyes. We jammed our brakes and stood still wherever we were on that narrow road and just stared at the lake for some time. Man...it was an awesome experience. I got down from the bike and took a few shots, sharing those here.

AFTER

The mystical Pangong lake with unbelievably blue water.

Cold breeze, mild drizzle, chapped lips, and a dent on the tank pretty much sum it up.. :)

Notice the shoreline where the water is shallow, there is a tinge of emerald green color. Not sure if the lake turns to that color too at some point. I would love to see that someday.

Heaven!

The 'Key' to heaven! 

Now you must remember, finding either of these ain't enough when in Ladakh, you gotta have both 'In Time' !! :P

Saying adieu to the beautiful Pangong-Tso.

This snow wasn't there a few hours ago when we passed through this route while going to the lake.

 "The land is so barren and passes are so high that only the best of friends and fiercest of enemies would want to visit us."                                            

                                                                                                      ~ Local Ladakhi Saying

Another picturesque road on the way back from Pangong-Tso.

Had some delicious paneer momo and sugar-less (didn't ask for it though) coffee at Karu.

Tanked up at Karu, before starting for the risky endeavor of reaching Pang by night.

This shows the route from Leh to Pangong-Tso only. Though we rode back to Karu and then to Pang by night. I think my phone had died out by then for Google to know where we went afterward :P

Well..this is the route we took and how!

Night Halt:

Place                   : Pang

Accommodation : A concrete structure with cloth and tar (yes! you read it right) roof for warmth

Cost per Person : Rs 100  (in a common space)

Room Capacity   : 6 + luggage

Other Details     :

- Bikes parked just outside the house (its so cold, you in your right mind won't thing of stealing a bike, in case you did, you can't run anywhere!)

- A couple/family runs this setup and provides snacks (tea, coffee, noodles, etc), cooked food (parantha, roti, dal, sabzi) as well as packed confectioneries (chips, chocolates, biscuits, etc) in another room in a nominal cost.

- Not that I care but whoa they had a tv :)

- There is a hot water facility for brushing teeth and washing face

- A clean (relatively speaking) Indian-style toilet was also available (out of the two drums with water, one had gotten frozen on the surface in the morning o_O)

- Many other tent shops and accommodations are also available in Pang at a decent cost

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