It had been quite some time since I rode long distance on BB. being out of action due to a bike crash, has a damping effect on a rider’s life.
The effects of the nearing D-day were numerous… swinging between excitement and some feeling of fear as well… the knee was still on its way to being mended and I cannot strain it beyond a certain point as I start feeling the effects of the ligament rupture… Pain and then a very visible Limp when I start walking. But a man’s gotta ride when he has the urge to ride… You cannot keep a biker down for longer than necessary and that dictates my life as well :-)
Day 1 – Delhi – Mandi (500 KMS)
The day started early… at 0400 Hrs. Santosh one of my co-riders was at the designated spot and we started our wait for Sumit, another gentleman who was riding with us… Finally at 0600 Hrs, we saw Sumit riding on his iron steed and we exchanged some not so good pleasantries… all was forgiven as he had pulled in a triple shift to be able to go for the ride…
Filling up fuel and oil, we start riding… Pretty boring and nothing to write home about till the time we rode in plains. One flat tyre at Panipat flyover later, we rode again… The road condition varied from good to bad as we rode through. NH-1 being very good and then alll hell broke loose… The road from Chandigarh to Manali was closed due to landslides along the road from Swarghat to Bilaspur. Once this news was delivered to us, out came the map and an alternate route was found… we would ride on NH 22 for shimla, take a left from Dharampur and then on the Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojna’s link road to Sabathu, Arki, Sallaghat and exit upon the NH 21 at Ghaggas riding on the link roads of interior Himachal… a total detour of 90 Kms.
We managed to reach Dharampur by 12:30 and we considered it to be a good time with all that was going wrong with the ride… Flat Tyre and Closed Roads… Stopped for lunch in Dharampur and by 1400 Hrs, we were well on our way to ride to Mandi. Took the left from Dharampur Chowk and started riding on the link road… the first 15 kms were pure hell… both for the bikes and our backs… no road to speak of, which had been washed out due to heavy rains… but things changed for the better and we had our first break in terms of luck. We reached Sabathu and thanked God for showing mercy on our poor souls. Subathu had good roads for us and after riding for about 6-7 kms, we exited from Subathu.
Sabathu is one of the oldest cantonment areas in India, in Solan District of Himachal Pradesh. Situated at an altitude of 1437 m, it was the quarters of the British soldiers during British Empire. There is a Gurkha fort built in the early times of the 19th century by the Gurkhas. Now a days, Sabathu is the head quarters and training centre for the Gurkha Rifles regiment of the Indian Army.
Riding through Sabathu was a pleasant experience… Excellent roads and some eye popping scenery and architecture, dating back to British Raj times. Although we wanted to stop and enjoy the locale, we had to keep riding through as we had very little time before the sun hit the deck and vanished for the day. No touristy bit to be done today… It was a day of hard-core riding to be able to reach our destination well in time… Pretty soon we crossed Sabathu and we were crossing Gamberpul, and then into Kunihar, which extends from Kuni Khad (stream) to the Tukardia village, is located in Solan District, Himachal Pradesh. It has an average altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level.
The back roads were an eye opening experience… you could see the quaint houses built in the typical Himachali style and people still living like they used to way back when there was no electricity and phone connectivity… people walking and those who can afford a cycle, they ride. This was the most raw and untouched area I have ever visited in Himachal Pradesh.
But they were a nightmare to ride on… Narrow and winding, they were playing host to Buses, Trucks and various commercial traffic which was destined to reach Bilaspur or beyond… but were unable to commute on the regular NH 21 due to closure of the highway from Swarghat. This unusual traffic rush resulted in us taking 5 hours to cover the 90-100 km detour and exiting at Ghaggas… not a very pleasant situation, given the fact that riding in the mountains at night is fraught with danger and accidents just waiting to happen, not to mention the landslides which had devasted any road surface left… While riding from Brahmpukhar to Ghaggas, we saw a stretch of 5 kms lined with boulders the size of a small hatchback… these had been recently cleared of the mountain side which had caved in and come on to the road in the area.
The detour we had to take was as follows:
NH 22 till Dharampur, left from Dharampur Chowk till Sabathu (15 kms), PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram sadak Yojna) Road from Sabathu to Gamberpul (7 Kms), Kunihar (9 Kms), Batalghati (11 Kms), Arki (4 Kms), Shallaghat (7 Kms), Darlaghat (12 Kms), Bhararighat (5 Kms), Namhol (5 Kms), Brahmpukhar (9 Kms), Ghaggas (15 Kms), exiting on the NH 21, 11 kms ahead of Bilaspur.
From Ghaggas, the roads unsurprisingly, were also not in good condition… the incessant rains had taken a toll on the road surface and it would be some time before it would become as good as it used to be before the heavy monsoons lashed North India. However, we made up for some time we had lost and pretty soon, we had crossed the ACC Cement Plant at Barmana. From Barmana, the next landmark was the Kol Dam bridge, followed by Slapper and then Sunder Nagar. Taking the left turn for the Manali road, we rode through Sunder Nagar and then along the canal… Mandi, the destination of the day was just a mere 25 kms away…
18 hours of non stop (well almost) riding later, we were all tired and exhausted…
we decided to stop over at a road side food joint and have a cup of tea to awaken the deadened nerves and give our well numbed butts a rest… the stopover extended from 15 minutes to 30 minutes and then it was time to haul ass… had to reach Mandi in time to be able to get a room as the hotels usually do not let out rooms late at night… Managed to reach Mandi at about 23:30 and the hotel in Bijni (6 Kms from town) on the Mandi Pathankot road by mid night…
Unstowing the luggage and checking into the hotel took us 15 minutes and soon, the geyser was switched on for a hot shower, followed by a booze session… thankfully, one of my friends had already ordered food for us, which was a feast for empty stomachs. Pretty soon, we called it a night and conked off…
Day 2 – Mandi-Manali (110 Kms)
When we woke up at 1000 Hrs, the lingering effects of the hard riding done yesterday were still visible with all three of us looking haggard and drawn… but after a quick shower, all of us started resembling humans and decided to depart for Manali… 110 kms away. As soon as we started getting ready, it started pouring and then came the bad news that the road from Pandoh to Manali had been closed due to a huge landslide… That dampened our spirits some and we slowed our getting ready process… but then decided to ride anyhow… if the road was closed, we would return to the hotel or else we would keep on riding till Manali.
Donning the rain gear, we kick started our iron horses and mounted the saddle… ready to take on the wrath of the Rain Gods… getting out of Mandi, we took to the NH 21 and soon were lashed with heavy rains… thanksfully, the riding gear and the rain gear on top ensured that we did not have to halt for the rains to stop… the riding was slow as there was a chance of the tyres losing their grip on the roads, resulting in a skid and a spill, which would have dampened our spirits as any crash does. Soon we were near Pandoh Dam… stopped over to see one of the sluice gates open, sending a thin stream of water down into the valley… a beautiful sight to see… the raging water with all that force coming crashing down… Soon, we started riding and we crossed the Hanogi Mata Temple… a bow of the head for a safe journey later, we were riding on the dream stretch. Winding roads amidst green mountains and a raging river beside us… Perfect setting for a rider. However, since we had left Mandi without having breakfast, we started feeling the pangs of hunger and decided to stop at a Tea Stall for Bread Omellete and tea…
Post a longish halt, we started moving and the tunnel came and we thundered through it. One of the most amazing engineering feats of boring 2.8 kms through the mountain to make it an all weather route…
Exiting the tunnel, we rode on covering destinations like Aut, Larji Hydel Station and then onto Raison and katrain… As we neared Bhuntar, we took the right turn and started riding on the right bank of Beas. This was not intended but happenstance… Sumit came up and asked “Shouldn’t the river be on our right side?” It was then I realized my mistake and asked one of the locals for the way… he said that this way would also take us to Manali… but from the Naggar side rather than the usual route.
Decided to ride on this road itself and see where it would take us to on our way to Manali… Although it was dark and the roads not so good, the riding in itself was fun… We rode through quaint little settlements with its usual quota of old structures and some friendly people walking on the road with torches… soon we lost our way and took a road going down from an intersection… when asked, a local told us, this would also take us to Manali, the only difference being that this route would be longer by about 5-7 kms. We did an about turn and took the road going up… taking us through the town called Naggar… we also bypassed the road which goes to the famous Manala Village, where people claim to be the direct descendants of soldiers from Alexander’s Army and that their ascendants were “Rakshashas”. It so happens that the language which they speak is also known as “Rakshashi” language…
Coming back to the ride, we are halted by a guard, at a check post where you are supposed to pay a “Green Tax” which is utilized by the governing body of Manali for its betterment and to ensure that the environment is not hampered by the horde of tourists who flock this “Heaven on Earth”.
3 kms ahead, we pass along the bridge which connects Manali with its neighboring settlements of Prini, Naggar and Vasisth… A couple of kms later, we ascend into Vasisth, which has a plethora of cheap and good hotels… they usually cater to the foreigners who come to Manali on shoestring budgets… for the well heeled and well off people, there is a long list of resorts with names like Holiday inn, Sterling Resorts, Apple Valley, which line the road when you enter Manali from the NH 22 side and then on the Prini Naggar Road. since we did not fall in the bracket who could afford these properties, we ended up in Vasisth… located a cheap hotel with a clean room and the most important, clean bathroom, and checked in. Unhitching the luggage and sorting out the sleeping arrangement, we ended up with the ever present alcohol and reminiscing the ride till Manali. Plans for the next day were made and we started to knock ourselves into La La Land.
Day 3 – Manali and around (25 kms)
After a comfortable resting period, we all woke up fresh and then the mood started declining for the worse… the sky was overcast and it was raining heavily.
We all could feel our plans for the ride to cross Rohtang and head into Kaza going for a toss… no visibility and to top it up, chances of landslides ensured that we stayed indoors and not entertain any thoughts of crosssing Rohtang.
Decided to act like tourists and got ready to roam around in Manali… descending from Vasisth, we ended up at a Tibetan Food Joint called Phuntsok… A mom and pop joint which dishes out some amazing tibetan fare… We had a Rosti – Potato Pancakes with a filling of Chicken/Mutton inbetween, fried with potato juliennes as garnish… To wash it down, we ordered a Lemon, Ginger & Honey Tea… Yum Yum I say.
After this fare, it was time to get started with visiting the touristy places in Manali… we started with Hadimba Temple… a temple where they used to sacrifice animals… This is well documented by the number of skulls hanging on the periphery of the temple… dunno if this practice is still on or not.
No one was there to answer our questions about the importance of the temple or its history… all we could see was a signboard which prohibits photographing the interior of the temple and declares it as a national monument…
From here we rode back to the main road and parked our bikes near the bus stand… queried a lot of drivers whether it would be advisable to travel on the NH 21 till Swarghat… we were told that the road was opened now but the going would be slow… Post this news, we decided to go on a nature walk in Van Vihar, bang on the Manali Main road… entry fee of 5 bucks per adult paid, we entered the place… just a sort of a park with its usual crowds of tourists making noises, a small pool for paddle boating and a trail going to the riverside… we took this trail and ended up here…
While on our way out, there was an old gentleman who was holding a rabbit and charging 10 bucks for a photo with it… We asked him to get his photo clicked for us…
While clicking his snaps, we got talking and found out that this particular rabbit was 1 year old and cost him 5-6000 rupees per animal and that their life expectancy is about 5-6 years. This gentle creature was a delicate one… dont be misled by his size… its mostly the fur.
Post this discussion, we headed out to the tibetan market in order to pick up souvenirs… close but no cigar… could not find anything worthwhile… so we ended up in the HPTDC Hotel on the Main Road… since the mall has been closed to traffic, the parking lot of the hotel has been converted into a Bistro of sorts… tables with Umbrellas on top dot the parking lot and we ended up guzzling beers there… while waiting, we were again lashed with rains… and we thanked our lucky stars that we were not riding up to Rohtang… it had suddenly become cloudy and the clouds up above looked ominous… The beers downed, we started walking towards our bikes and rode to the hotel…
Again the usual session of booze and food happened… only this time, we were in the rooftop cafe called World Peace. Live Music and a kickass television set to entertain you by airing the Beijing Olympics…
With plans to start riding for Bilaspur as early as possible, the alarm was set to ring at 0700 Hrs… and we moved on our way towards sleepy land.
Day 4 Manali – Bilaspur (290 Kms)
The Alarm rang and was shut by Santosh… and that was that… We finally stirred at 0900 Hrs and realized what a fiasco it was going to be… we had not booked any hotels before the start and were banking on the lean season to get rooms and good rates along with it… Till now our luck had been with us but I was a little worried about the scene at Bilaspur.
Sumit started getting ready and me and Santosh decided to check on the bikes… fortunately as it turned out… BB was running low on oil and her clutch was as hard as a rock to operate… opened the gear box to figure out what could be wrong and found the cable to be twisted, resulting in no movement at all… The cable would have snapped if I had forced it… A quick change of clutch cable later, figured that the running would be good as the other bikes were fine, we also got ready and got out of the hotel by 11:30 hrs.
As we headed out of the hotel, it started pouring… Halted on the Manali Vasisth road to catch up santosh’s other mechanic friends and got the gear oil topped up and the bikes’ chains tightened up.
Finally started to move at about 1300 Hrs and with no breakfast to speak of, we stopped over in Raison for some food and the result was a Brunch which lasted for almost 1 hour… consisting of Parathas, Maggi, Sandwich and some more parathas, we had our tummy filled to the brim… and soon the rains stopped their lashing and we were finally blessed with some sunlight.
Rode till the entrance of the 2.8 km long tunnel, and stopped for a photoshoot and a helpful local clicked our snaps…
As soon as we exited the tunnel, we saw a very high seasonal waterfall, the water making its way down to the river…
Some clicks later, we rode on till we reached Pandoh. The dam had two of the 4 sluice gates opened to half and the sight was one to behold… the mad rush of all that water resulted in a torrential display of the water’s force… truly an amazing sight…
Only 80-90 kms separated us from our destination of the day – Bilaspur. Rode a little hard to be there by daylight, but Sumit started having some problems with his bike.
We stopped, checked up the bike and found that the only problem was that of loose tappet/pushrods. adjusted them and moved on… The riding was just awesome… not only was I riding after a 3 month long absence but I was riding on a road which is perfectly suitable for the “Man and Machine working like One” situation. Taking turns and bending into the curves, it felt like BB was responding to me as if she was just an extension of my body… That bit of riding was just fabulous and a moving experience… It is very rare that one would get a road perfectly suitable with barely any traffic and to get the machine to heed to your mind… This was a case of perfect “Jugalbandi” till Slapper. Then all hell broke loose. Trucks and cars and local traffic ruined the perfect movement. With the concentration and focus gone, the ride became mundane again…
A biker would give his all to be in that “Zone” whenever he is riding… that is what makes all the efforts, pains and difficulties worth it… The feeling of oneness with the machine is so overwhelming that it can make you an addict… As I have become. Finally, with the Jugalbandi over, decided to brake and indulge in some photography… really liked the scene of the cement factory being lit up against a darkening mountain, decided to click it… did some adjustment to the camera and this is what came out of the effort…
Post this creative effort, decided to ride the next 20 kms without halting… but at the first sign of a hotel, all of us stopped and checked out the place… looked neat but the rooms were a disaster… dark and dingy… did not even think of checking out the bathrooms… was sure of what I could expect there… decided to ride on further and another hotel was checked out with similar results.
Finally managed to reach the outskirts of Bilaspur and a hotel called Sagar View was checked out… this was a surprise as it had the look of a modern business hotel in a place where there were none. Checked it out and was pleaantly surprised to see the amenities and the immaculate state of the place… seems like it had been recently renovated… Decided to check into this place and relax for the night… it was already 2100 hrs and the going had become a little difficult… the truck traffic and the condition of the roads made the decision for us… we halted, got ourselves into the room, had a quick shower and the ritual started… booze, food and music.
Decided to move out of the hotel by 0900 Hrs the next day to ensure that we would not have to ride in the dark and we should be in Delhi by 1800 Hrs if we rode at a comfortable speed.
Day 5 – Bilaspur – Delhi (350 Kms)
1000 Hrs and we were still asleep… finally woke up at 1100 Hrs, opened the door to the rear balcony and was astounded… the view was just awesome….
Hustled to get ready and were out of the hotel by 1130 Hrs. already late, we were further delayed by the condition of the roads… the roadside was lined with the remnants of landslides for a stretch of atleast 15 kms. We took a breakfast halt about 4 kms before Swarghat… 30 minutes later, we started riding. The 43 kms from Bilaspur to Swarghat took us almost an 2 hours to cover and we finally limped into Kiratpur by 1330 Hrs.
The road (NH 73) from Kiratpur to Rupnagar is being converted into a 4 lane highway… finally the high and mighty in the NHAI got the brains to do this… earlier, this stretch was a pain to travel on… due to the construction work, loads of diversions have popped up… but the road condition has improved and that helped us some in covering up on some of the time lost. We finally hit Chandigarh by 1600 Hrs and now came the crucial decision of whether to travel on the Chandigarh Ambala Road or should we take the Panchkula Saha Road…
Most of us would have taken the Chandigarh Ambala Stretch but for us, this it was the difference between a comfortable ride on a tree lined road (Panchkula – SahaRoad) or a harrowing ride on a barren stretch where the heat would be unbearable and the only place where there would be a shade would be the numerous dhabas lining the road (Chandigarh – Ambala Road).
We opted for the tree line and decided to cut across Chandigarh, going through the VIP area, the Governor’s house, Golf Course and finally exited in Panchkula. Delhi from this spot was about 240 kms and we decided to make a break for Delhi with as less stopovers as possible.
We covered the Panchkula – Saha stretch quickly and halted for a sunset shot.
We finally exited at the turnpoint about 5 kms before the Shahbad turn and then it was a free ride on NH-1. With a snacky halt at Mayur Dhaba in karnal, we were comfortably on our way home. Managed to cross the Panipat Toll Plaza and this is where confusion happened… Santosh did not take the overhead bridge and managed to venture onto the city road which had loads of red lights and the rush of traffic due to the Janmashthami celebrations…
A quick conversation from across the barricades later, we all decided to catch up once the barricaded roads were over… Confusion and chaos resulted in Santosh venturing ahead of where we were waiting for him. when we managed to get through to his cellphone, he had already crossed us and was just 40 kms short of Delhi. It was decided that it would be a waste of time if he waited for us… we adsked him to carry on and if possible we would try and catch up with him. Post this decision, we started riding and managed to reach Delhi by about 2300 Hrs. Thankfully there was no jam on the entry point to Delhi, which meant that we would be home comfortably and well in time.
Thundered our way into Paschim Vihar to find a throng of people on the Jwalaheri market road due to the Janmashthami celebrations and we could see the rowdy crowds on their motorcycles… blaring horns, shouting idiots, general rowdy behaviour and rash riding… These were enough to tell us we were truly and finally in Delhi.