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A journey to Himalayas is a feeling which cannot be expressed in words. When landscape changes for every turn, where one is presented with many first time things in life,where many extremes can be seen, there are a lot of things to express for which a post is merely insufficient. Here I would like to stick my self to travelling details and few technical aspects.I will add a link to my blog later where I would write about my feeling about nature and landscapes there.
I will present my everyday experiences in upcoming posts one by one.
Bike : This trip is done mostly out of enthusiasm , to see the celestial lands,to know the challenges in riding, to experience the climate there and mostly to touch the natural ice. I have initially planned to venture out with a single speed bicycle. I have soon learnt about some technical aspects in cycling and fter talking with many ,I got myself a SCHWINN Frontier Sport.It is an entry level MTB. I can say , it handled the terrain very well. I got flat tyres only twice and that too because of uncontrolled riding on downhill path full of stones. Apart from that I haven't faced any issue with regards to the bicycle. Any bike with similar specs or higher can do.
Here is a short glance of what happened and what I feel is necessary for the trip to be comfortable.
Before going further I would like to mention that all the weather I faced are in early days of July and may be best valid till the end of month.Please ensure you learn about the weather conditions during the time of your travel.
Before the tour :
1. I have ensured that my bicycle is in good condition.
2. I have learnt basic repairs and fixes.
3. I have practised 50 kms everyday for a month (with a rest day in week) ,did a 100 km ride and completed a 200km brevet. (Did little uphill practice).
4. I have carried only 9/10 kgs of load.
5. I made sure I learn about the weather conditions of the place. (This step is compulsory)
I have taken these references below to plan my trip and I'm additional points from my experience.
1. http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/bicycles...cessfully.html
2.http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/2...le-2014-a.html
3. Nobal.in - Cycling in Himalayas: Doing the Shimla - Spiti -...
From My Experience riding prioritiescustom made and DIY's for replacing panniers,frame and saddle bags. I didn't test them properly and had problems for 30mts to an hour evryday while riding.I would advice to make sure that you testfrom plains like me and have no riding experience in hills ,please try to go for a short tour to any hill station before riding in himalays. The Shimla-Kaza- Manali circuit has all extremes.Steep uphills,very steep downhills ,loose gravel roads, roads paved will all sizes of boulders ,no roads ,river roads, stream crossings with freezing temperatures and many things beyond anticipation A ride to any hill stationBrakes are very important for riding there. Ensure you have good brakes and make sure you know how to replace/repair brakes.Carry extra set of front and rear brakes. I have used V brakes and I have no idea about hydraulic disc brakes. I'm stressing brakes are really importanttravelling by domestic airlinesafraid of dogs and Himalayas are no short of them. I faced few dog chases during the tour. They have taken many beautiful moments away from me and decreased my momentum many times during the tour. If you too are afraid of dogs, there are many articles in internet about dog chases in bicycle touring. Go through them to protect yourself before you start pedalling.
Things I carried :
I. Bicycle Related :
1. Rear rack
2. Water bottle - 1+1( a cycling one and normal 1L mineral water bottle)
3. Extra brakes
4.Patch kit
5. Mini hand pump
6. Multi toool
7. Cycle wrench
8. Extra derauiller ,brake cable.
9. Extra tube.
10. Rags
11. Saddle bag
Clothing :
1. Bicycle vest-1
2. Shorts-1
3. T-Shirts-3
4. Track pant-1
5. Boxers-2
6. Underwear-1
7. Towel-1
8. Thermal pair-1
9. Sweater-1
10. Rain coat/Pant-1
11. Windcheater-1
12. Reflective vest-1
13. Bandana-2
14. Wrist bands-3
15. Gloves-2 sets( one set of half gloves and other set of full warm gloves)
(I used to get groin numbness whenever I ride with underwear and riding with boxers below shorts solved my problem)
Medicines :
1. Avomine
2. Medicine for leg pain
3. Vicks action 500
4. Savlon
5. Band aid
6. Nebasulf
Others :
1. Sun screen lotion ( Very important)
2. Cold cream
3. Lip balm
Food :
Apart from Gatorade, I brought food/fruits/chocolates/Dry fruits in the towns I stopped.
The route I have taken :
Shimla-Kufri-Narkanda-Baghi-Bahli-Taklech-Darangathi-Mashnu-Rampur-Jeori-Tapri-Karacham-Sangla-Chitkul-Sangla-Powari-Recong Peo-Pooh-Nako-Tabo-Kaza-Losar-Batal-Rohtang pass.
Day-1 : Shimla- Kufri
(Got exhausted after the uphill and stopped at Khufri)
Distance : 19Km - Steep Ascent.
Day-2 : Kufri-Narkanda-Baghi-Sungri-Bahli
Distance : 104km
Descent and undulating till Narkanda.
10 Km climb to Baghi and descent till Sungri and 10 km beyond.
Last 8km climb to Bahli.
Day-3 : Bahli-Taklech-Darangathi-Mashnu-Rampur
(Took vechile between Taklech to Darangathi 24 kms due to rain and from Mashnu to Rampur 30 kms due to flat tyre)
Distance : 100 km
Distance covered by bicyle :46km
Steep downhill for 22 kms till Taklech
Steep Ascent from Taklech to Darangathi for 36 km
Darangathi to Mashnu 12 Km steep descent
Descent to Rampur 30 Kms
Day-4 : Rampur- Bhavanagar
Distance : 48 Km
Mostly undulating and descent
Day-5 : Bhavanagar- Sangla
Distance : 62Km
Distance covered by bicyle : 30Km
(Took lift after Tapri to cross the landslide and few kms in landslide prone area on the way to Sangla)
Bhananagar- Tapri : 20 Km undulating
Tapri-Urni-karacham : There was a landslide between Tapri and karcham so there is an additional 24 Km with 12 km uphill instead of 9km direct distance. I have taken vehicle between this stretch.
Karacham- Sangla : 18 km gradual ascent. (I have taken ride for 8 km in landslide prone area before Jaypee dam )
Day-6 : Sangla-Chitkul-Sangla-Powari- Recong peo
Total Distance : 86Km
Distance covered by bicyle : 71 Km
Sangla- Chitkul -Sangla: 22 km + 22 km gradual ascent to Chitkul.
Sangla- Karacham : 18 Km Descent.
Karacham- Powari : 11km ,mostly undualting.
Powari- recong Peo : 13Km with 6km uphill
(After Powari Took lift till recong peo due to fear of Dogs , saw nearly 30-40 dogs on the way )
I would suggest to avoid Jeori-Recong peo completely as Hydro electric project work,road work is going on .There may be blasts and roads are very worse.
Day-7: Recong peo- Pooh
Disctance : 69 Km.
Mostly undulating tarmac road,with little gradual increase in height as one progresses and last 6 km is uphill ride to Pooh village.
Best Roads in the whole trip.
Day-8: Pooh-Nako
Distace 40 Km
Distance covered by bicyle : 36 Km
Gradual Ascent till Nako through Ka zigs and another set of switchbacks.
Day-9: Nako-Tabo
Distance : 62 Kms
Climb to Malling ascent : 5 Kms
Steep Descent to Chango : 17 kms.
Chango to Sumdo Undulating, 13 kms
Sumdo to Tabo is Undulating, 27 kms ( last 5kms is a gradual climb through Lari village)
Riding would be in desert conditions and will be very hot.One enters Spiti from Sumdo
Day-10:Tabo-Kaza
Distance : 47 Kms
Undulating stretch with gradual climbs in between.Desert riding conditions.
Day-11: Kaza-Losar
Distance : 52 Kms
Undulating stretch with climb trough switch back after Kyoto bridge and gradual climb till Losar village
Day-12: Losar-Batal
Distance : 33 Kms.
Ascent till Kunzum La and 11km descent till Batal ( Worst riding conditions and heavy winds)- Missed Chandrataal
Day-13: Batal-Rohtang pass
Distance : 64 km
Batal to Chatru : 32 Kms undulating and descent through Chota Dhara
Chatru to Rhotang pass : 32 Kms.
Undulating, Descents,ascents till Gramphoo and gradual ascent till Rhotang pass.
I got into a bus for returning to Delhi the same day.
Total distance covered by bicycle : 681 km
Expenses incurred (Chennai-Chennai, Excluding Air travel): 15,000/- (Including transport,food, lodging and other misc expenses)
I have mentioned many things to the best of my memory.I will update post ,if I remember any additional points.
Below link has complete travelogue
I will add more pictures in the coming posts. Till then please check out the below link for few best pics from my trip.
I will present my everyday experiences in upcoming posts one by one.
Bike : This trip is done mostly out of enthusiasm , to see the celestial lands,to know the challenges in riding, to experience the climate there and mostly to touch the natural ice. I have initially planned to venture out with a single speed bicycle. I have soon learnt about some technical aspects in cycling and fter talking with many ,I got myself a SCHWINN Frontier Sport.It is an entry level MTB. I can say , it handled the terrain very well. I got flat tyres only twice and that too because of uncontrolled riding on downhill path full of stones. Apart from that I haven't faced any issue with regards to the bicycle. Any bike with similar specs or higher can do.
Here is a short glance of what happened and what I feel is necessary for the trip to be comfortable.
Before going further I would like to mention that all the weather I faced are in early days of July and may be best valid till the end of month.Please ensure you learn about the weather conditions during the time of your travel.
Before the tour :
1. I have ensured that my bicycle is in good condition.
2. I have learnt basic repairs and fixes.
3. I have practised 50 kms everyday for a month (with a rest day in week) ,did a 100 km ride and completed a 200km brevet. (Did little uphill practice).
4. I have carried only 9/10 kgs of load.
5. I made sure I learn about the weather conditions of the place. (This step is compulsory)
I have taken these references below to plan my trip and I'm additional points from my experience.
1. http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/bicycles...cessfully.html
2.http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/2...le-2014-a.html
3. Nobal.in - Cycling in Himalayas: Doing the Shimla - Spiti -...
From My Experience riding prioritiescustom made and DIY's for replacing panniers,frame and saddle bags. I didn't test them properly and had problems for 30mts to an hour evryday while riding.I would advice to make sure that you testfrom plains like me and have no riding experience in hills ,please try to go for a short tour to any hill station before riding in himalays. The Shimla-Kaza- Manali circuit has all extremes.Steep uphills,very steep downhills ,loose gravel roads, roads paved will all sizes of boulders ,no roads ,river roads, stream crossings with freezing temperatures and many things beyond anticipation A ride to any hill stationBrakes are very important for riding there. Ensure you have good brakes and make sure you know how to replace/repair brakes.Carry extra set of front and rear brakes. I have used V brakes and I have no idea about hydraulic disc brakes. I'm stressing brakes are really importanttravelling by domestic airlinesafraid of dogs and Himalayas are no short of them. I faced few dog chases during the tour. They have taken many beautiful moments away from me and decreased my momentum many times during the tour. If you too are afraid of dogs, there are many articles in internet about dog chases in bicycle touring. Go through them to protect yourself before you start pedalling.
Things I carried :
I. Bicycle Related :
1. Rear rack
2. Water bottle - 1+1( a cycling one and normal 1L mineral water bottle)
3. Extra brakes
4.Patch kit
5. Mini hand pump
6. Multi toool
7. Cycle wrench
8. Extra derauiller ,brake cable.
9. Extra tube.
10. Rags
11. Saddle bag
Clothing :
1. Bicycle vest-1
2. Shorts-1
3. T-Shirts-3
4. Track pant-1
5. Boxers-2
6. Underwear-1
7. Towel-1
8. Thermal pair-1
9. Sweater-1
10. Rain coat/Pant-1
11. Windcheater-1
12. Reflective vest-1
13. Bandana-2
14. Wrist bands-3
15. Gloves-2 sets( one set of half gloves and other set of full warm gloves)
(I used to get groin numbness whenever I ride with underwear and riding with boxers below shorts solved my problem)
Medicines :
1. Avomine
2. Medicine for leg pain
3. Vicks action 500
4. Savlon
5. Band aid
6. Nebasulf
Others :
1. Sun screen lotion ( Very important)
2. Cold cream
3. Lip balm
Food :
Apart from Gatorade, I brought food/fruits/chocolates/Dry fruits in the towns I stopped.
The route I have taken :
Shimla-Kufri-Narkanda-Baghi-Bahli-Taklech-Darangathi-Mashnu-Rampur-Jeori-Tapri-Karacham-Sangla-Chitkul-Sangla-Powari-Recong Peo-Pooh-Nako-Tabo-Kaza-Losar-Batal-Rohtang pass.
Day-1 : Shimla- Kufri
(Got exhausted after the uphill and stopped at Khufri)
Distance : 19Km - Steep Ascent.
Day-2 : Kufri-Narkanda-Baghi-Sungri-Bahli
Distance : 104km
Descent and undulating till Narkanda.
10 Km climb to Baghi and descent till Sungri and 10 km beyond.
Last 8km climb to Bahli.
Day-3 : Bahli-Taklech-Darangathi-Mashnu-Rampur
(Took vechile between Taklech to Darangathi 24 kms due to rain and from Mashnu to Rampur 30 kms due to flat tyre)
Distance : 100 km
Distance covered by bicyle :46km
Steep downhill for 22 kms till Taklech
Steep Ascent from Taklech to Darangathi for 36 km
Darangathi to Mashnu 12 Km steep descent
Descent to Rampur 30 Kms
Day-4 : Rampur- Bhavanagar
Distance : 48 Km
Mostly undulating and descent
Day-5 : Bhavanagar- Sangla
Distance : 62Km
Distance covered by bicyle : 30Km
(Took lift after Tapri to cross the landslide and few kms in landslide prone area on the way to Sangla)
Bhananagar- Tapri : 20 Km undulating
Tapri-Urni-karacham : There was a landslide between Tapri and karcham so there is an additional 24 Km with 12 km uphill instead of 9km direct distance. I have taken vehicle between this stretch.
Karacham- Sangla : 18 km gradual ascent. (I have taken ride for 8 km in landslide prone area before Jaypee dam )
Day-6 : Sangla-Chitkul-Sangla-Powari- Recong peo
Total Distance : 86Km
Distance covered by bicyle : 71 Km
Sangla- Chitkul -Sangla: 22 km + 22 km gradual ascent to Chitkul.
Sangla- Karacham : 18 Km Descent.
Karacham- Powari : 11km ,mostly undualting.
Powari- recong Peo : 13Km with 6km uphill
(After Powari Took lift till recong peo due to fear of Dogs , saw nearly 30-40 dogs on the way )
I would suggest to avoid Jeori-Recong peo completely as Hydro electric project work,road work is going on .There may be blasts and roads are very worse.
Day-7: Recong peo- Pooh
Disctance : 69 Km.
Mostly undulating tarmac road,with little gradual increase in height as one progresses and last 6 km is uphill ride to Pooh village.
Best Roads in the whole trip.
Day-8: Pooh-Nako
Distace 40 Km
Distance covered by bicyle : 36 Km
Gradual Ascent till Nako through Ka zigs and another set of switchbacks.
Day-9: Nako-Tabo
Distance : 62 Kms
Climb to Malling ascent : 5 Kms
Steep Descent to Chango : 17 kms.
Chango to Sumdo Undulating, 13 kms
Sumdo to Tabo is Undulating, 27 kms ( last 5kms is a gradual climb through Lari village)
Riding would be in desert conditions and will be very hot.One enters Spiti from Sumdo
Day-10:Tabo-Kaza
Distance : 47 Kms
Undulating stretch with gradual climbs in between.Desert riding conditions.
Day-11: Kaza-Losar
Distance : 52 Kms
Undulating stretch with climb trough switch back after Kyoto bridge and gradual climb till Losar village
Day-12: Losar-Batal
Distance : 33 Kms.
Ascent till Kunzum La and 11km descent till Batal ( Worst riding conditions and heavy winds)- Missed Chandrataal
Day-13: Batal-Rohtang pass
Distance : 64 km
Batal to Chatru : 32 Kms undulating and descent through Chota Dhara
Chatru to Rhotang pass : 32 Kms.
Undulating, Descents,ascents till Gramphoo and gradual ascent till Rhotang pass.
I got into a bus for returning to Delhi the same day.
Total distance covered by bicycle : 681 km
Expenses incurred (Chennai-Chennai, Excluding Air travel): 15,000/- (Including transport,food, lodging and other misc expenses)
I have mentioned many things to the best of my memory.I will update post ,if I remember any additional points.
Below link has complete travelogue
I will add more pictures in the coming posts. Till then please check out the below link for few best pics from my trip.
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