Started From Delhi at 12:00 am on 1st October night.Reached Shimla 5:30 am. Moved to Narkanda..
After Shimla I took old Hindustan Tibet highway. Took left for karcham to turn towards Kaza and left Hindustan Tibet highway.
had light snacks at hotel hatu at 9:30. Reached Rampur ~12 pm.-> Recong-Peo where inner line permit is checked at 3:30.
..had planned (in delhi) to stay in Puh but did not stop there.. thought will stop at Tabo only... was already 4:30.Some local people advised me of stopping there as riding and driving on these road after 4:30pm is very dangerous as vehicles at stopped at Recong peo only ( in case any vehicle is there.).In case of any mishap or accident no help can reach as no one is there to spot you and one can freeze at those temperatures(-4 degree).Did not listen to them , continued. After 4:45, climate changed and cold winds started piercing both the jackets I was wearing and leather gloves. That was the first and only time I thought I was trying to be over- adventurous. On this entire highway, I remember , I saw following vehicles- 3 gypsies(Military), 1 truck, 2 Mahindra commander. Small vehicles(except trucks) move in convoys here. I was bit tensed, so did not even think of stopping and taking photographs.
Thought of staying sumdo. Could not reach there as malling nullah is closed. The road was closed due to land slide for past >1year. Himachal bhawan does not have any info about it, since buses from kaza to shimla are plying regularly. Buses from both the directions start, swap passengers and turn back. I stopped in yang-thang at 5:30 pm, a very high altitude village. nothing to eat for me (I am a vegetarian). I had foreseen these situations, so was carrying dry fruits with me. Thankfully yang thang has a PWD guest house, no one comes there anymore because road is no more functional.
Even approach road to the spain is not motorable,
YANK THANG MALLING
Next day persuaded people operating privately operated spain to cross my bike. Land slide is nearly for 1.5 km. No road at all. Paid Rs550 (500 for bike, 50 for myself) to cross the bike.
BIKE CROSSING AT MALLING - yes thats a KARIZMA hanging in mid air!
And terrain , views after them are excellent to look at. Could start my journey only at 2:00 pm. Entire bike was to be hooked to the iron ropes. One person to hook it up me and one more guy to lift entire bike(full of mud) over our heads... somehow managed to cross the bike.After crossing bike,I was the only one, could run the bike as if the road (if you can call it a road) was cleared of traffic for me. Absolutely no vehicle on the road.
KAZA ROAD
TABO KAZA
CHANGO TABO
Reached Kaza. small town. Introduction to kaza- Pics not taken by me-
KAZA HORSE RACE
Saw the only telephone in entire 200km of range, that too was dead. stayed at Kaza at night. Next day started for manali at 9:30, this was the most challanging terrain.NO reads for ~120 km. I was afraid of getting a flat tyre more than breaking suspension on the rocky road. Reached Kunzum pass 4551m high. have a look at the terrain and road. I saw only one jeep on this entire highway.
At certain places I was happy I was on my bike not in a jeep
KAZA
Reached Rohtang at 4:00 pm, Manali 4:45 pm. Got the bike washed. Called up home mother was very happy, I reached Manali. She sounded as if I had reached home. Next day(5th october) started from manali at 9:00 pm, reached Delhi(home) 5:30. Stopped once had a lassi. no other stops.
Pls note-
No close calls. Out of hassles of city life. That was bike and me. Tarmac roads looked like luxury. I don't complain about bad roads and pot holes any more.Starting from recong -peo till manali, there was deafing silence. The only sound I heard was of bike's engine being subsided by sound of freezing winds blowing at high speeds, which result in land slides also here. This region is rain shadow area.
Total Distance- ~1800 km.
Distance chart chd to Kaza
Stations Distance
(kms)
Chandigarh ---
Parwanoo 28
Dharampur 25
Barog 09
Solan 08
Kandaghat 16
Shimla 32
Kufri 16
Fagu 06
Theog 10
Matiana 15
Narkanda 17
Kumarsain 16
Kingal 10
Nirath 25
Nogli 08
Rampur 12
Jhakri 12
Jeori 11
Chora 11
Bhawa 19
Wangtu 09
Tapri 10
Karchham 09
Powari 13
Ribba 18
Akpa 03
Jangi 09
Spelo 06
Puh 24
Khab 11
Kah 10
Yangthang 14
Chango 11
Sumdo 18
Hoorling 09
Lari 19
Tabo 05
Attargo 25
Lingti 09
Kaza 13
Distance chart Manali to Kaza
Stations Distance
(kms)
Manali 19
Rohtang Pass 51
Gramphoo 13
Chhatru 17
Chhota Dhara 14
Batal 18
Kunzum Pass 12
Losar 18
Hanse 20
Rangrik 30
Kaza 08