Hmm, thats a masking tape...good way to keep away from the scratches of Cramster saddle bags. I on the contrary initially used a heatlon sheet for the cushion, but later on discarded it and did not use any thing for the protection against scratches. each scratch and abrasion on my bike reminds me of the last wonderful trip I had.... and I get nostalgic. Cheers. wonderful log and great Pics. I loved few of them, Goat wali was really funny and the one from the Mobile cam was good though not so clear. but then it was refreashing!! Cheers again.

@mik: Great you did Rohtang, but what for july then?

He will do it again!

Superb Stuff..!! love to ride in those kind of weather . But when ?

Great ! now i got the 'itch' to see rest of the pics ! that phone pic looks like a PS pic with a coloured charcoal filter , i told you to take out the DSLR !

@ Mik : That bike's photo in the snow is tooo scary..!! What would be the temprature out there...around minus -10 or something..

@inder: Exactly. It was downright scary time for us. This was shot at around 5:30 in the evening. There was this snowstorm goin on and we simply had to get off the pass as there was no accomodation there... and the weather was getting worse and worse.
More of that when i complete the trip log at home

@Niks: Buddy, when one is simply trying to save ones life,, dslr is the last thing on his mind

@DCS: Yup.. masking tape. Was useful till it was dry. When we got all wet in the snow/rain, it kind of got soiled. Lots of scratches on the bike. But worth it

@Sudhi: Yep, the july ride is still on. Destination not confirmed.. but i am tempted to go to Rohtang again

@Rakhsup: Its FastTrack.

@Ken: Yep, i never thought that i could face a traffic jam going up the pass. There were hundreds of Qualis/Innovas coming down at that time.

Also learnt a few things. If its a DL/Punjab registered vehicle, be prepared that the driver won't give you any way. A HP registered vehicle on the other hand does give you right of way

Couldn't have said it any better. I fear an HP registered Taxi more than a Tiger on a prowl. the chances are...the tiger might not eat you for he just had a kill few minutes ago, but an HP registered Taxi....they believe in..The More The merrier!!

Ohh SH*T..!! Did you ride on further in that weather then..and that too with a tinted visor helmet...!!!!

This is news..!

Time to complete the log

Day 2 Continued::




Right from the first day, we were searching for Bhuttas. I mean whats better than a bhutta, hot and salted, nimbu maarke, in such a weather. Got them in Marhi which is about 11km from the top. The last 11km took almost an hour because of the road condition, two landslides a few trucks ambling down the pass and the sheer number of qualis/innovas.
Ofcourse, some people were kind enough to park their vehicles right on the road, leaving barely enough space for a big 4X4 to pass through

On the top, finally, i was disappointed. Too many tourists, soiled snow and shops. We decided to move ahead a bit. And rewarded we were

Enjoy !!









Some guys parked at one of the turns beyond the pass and enquired, excitedly.. "Going to Leh!!". I replied "Not yet" Next year i definitely will!!!








The standard biker baba pic


Me.. posing.. hindi film style





The Alien and the Earthling



The lid and the bike


As we played and posed around.. the weather changed dramatically. At first i thought it was a drizzle. But the white specks on my jacket made me jump with joy. This was the first time i was seeing live snow fall. Soon, the snowfall got more intense. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon. We decided to stop for lunch at the touristy place we had left behind. Surprise Surprise!! most of the vehicles were gone.
Tactical Mistake #2:: When in unknown area, do as the locals do.

We didn't. Stopped at a small tent for some tea. This is when the things started going bad. Soon, the snow fall had become violent and the wind had started howling. It was getting very cold now and the only respite was the gas stove on which the tea was being made.
We asked the vendor, whether we should make a move. He said "Don't worry. Kal bhi hua tha. Bas dus minute ki baat hai". We ordered one more round of chaai.. but now i was genuinely worried. Tables were upturned, not a soul seemed to be in sight.





It was now 5 and light had started fading. The wind wasn't letting up at all. Now, the vendor himself said, "Saahab!! yahaan rehne kaa intezaam nhi hai. Aap bikes pe kaise jaaogey."
Subrata and i exchanged worried glances.
5:30 and still no let up. Visibility was down.


I said, "we have to get off the mountain". Can't risk wasting anymore time. The multiple orders of tea + maggi thing had cost us 280 Rs !!!

Ventured out of the tent and my visor went foggy. Shit!!! no chance i could use it. Opened the visor and was stung by the ice.
This is when subrata took this mobile pic.



A few kickstarts later, the zma roared to life. The 220 seemed dead. Have had a few starting problems previously. I pleaded with God "Not today!! just not today!!"
Tried dhakka start but even that wasn't working. Finally, my moody bike relented and started up

We went ahead. 100m on, the windward side of the pass was covered with thick snow. The road was all white. Even at 10 kmph, i lost control. We skidded. Looked back for help from the Zma guys but saw that they had also fallen down. Subrata's leg was stuck somehow in the Zma. Parking there, we helped him up. The Zma fairing had suffered a big crack. The clutch lever had broken in two. I looked around but there was hardly anybody there. For the first time.. fear engulfed me.
He said that he could drive it. So we started again. Both the pillions(my wife and bro-in-law) got off and we decided that they would walk down a kilometer or two while we would drive the bikes at a snails pace. Both feet on the ground.
We saw a Swift in the distance. A newly married couple was sitting in it. The Swift seemed perfectly capable of dealing with the snow. I asked them if they could take my wife down to Marhi while we follow them. The charming couple obliged and now the first of my problems were over. Went ahead a bit and Subrata fell down again. This time, he hurt his knee. I was shaking my head. This was just not part of the plan.
God has a way of testing you and then showing you the way, in our case, a truck
Talked to the driver who was ready to load up the bike. A few localites joined in and we were able to lift the zma up. Now, i had to take a call. Either i could continue alone in the snow or get my bike loaded up too. Bravery and bravado have a thin snow laden line and i decided not to risk freezing in the snow in the dark.. Plus i was concerned that the Swift might be able to negotiate ahead easily and if i got stuck my bike would be a big liability
Both the bikes loaded up, Subrata and Rishabh went in the truck while i joined my wife in the comfort of the Swift. Even with the heater on, i was shaking. The snow on my clothes was melting and simply soaking them.
Anyway!! we were safe now
Needless to say, the climb down the mountain was treacherous and took quite a while. We stopped at just one point where i finally mustered enough courage to take out my camera. The lens was all foggy. To hell with scratches i thought and cleaned it with my gloves.
Took a few shots. Here they are,









As we crossed Marhi again, i looked up. The dark clouds had engulfed the mountain above. I guess we had been very lucky

This was the most exciting part of the journey. Rest of it is just--
1. All wet and mudded in Manali(the couple dropped us there) among the scores of tourists in their bright shawls and monkey caps. Bongs, Bongs and more bongs. Well how can i complain!! i am a Bong too
2. We ate some boiled eggs so that we could finally get warmed up a bit.
3. We took a taxi from Manali to kullu as subrata said that he couldnt drive so better to take the bikes to kullu.

Day 3:
Sunday is a lazy time in the hills. Nobody gets up and even if they do, they won't open their shops. Finding mechanics was tough. Some jugaad with rope to tie up the zma fairing, and we decided to move on.
The day was dusty and downright hot. But i had no complaints. We were alive.
As i sipped tea in a roadside dhaba near Ambala at 7 in the evening i reflected on a few things.
My tactical mistakes, pillions on these mountain rides and whether a car was a better option.



I drifted off to sleep and my wife woke me up. It was time to roll on. The wind gently energizing me, the rising moon for company, i was content. Saw a family get out of a car, all decked up and asking at the dhaba if they had a cooler, the kids shouting out for pepsis , their mouths full of fatty chips. I had the answer to the car Vs Bike dilemma
I revved up, engaged the gear, and screamed past them.
It was time to go home.

Great write up! it seems you really got lucky with the s-storm! so when are you going to Leh?

wow stunning pics.....really

It seems that bongs are everywhere!

When am i going to Leh... well the answer is same every year. Next year
But seriously, be a man and come to delhi next year. We shall do it.

Amazing pics Mik..the snow covered mountains pics have come out really nice..!!