Day – 1
Speedo- 000 km
Packed my bags and got some first aid stuff along. This was my first Solo ride out for long distance. Just a few days back I had done a short trip to Chail along with friends Yogi and Shamik. This trip boosted up my spirit and will to get to heights where people think twice.
What I decided was nothing, had no destination on my mind and just had one thing in my mind. Explore – Explore.
Left home at 10:30 pm, went to the nearest gas station and filled my baby up. Took a 2 lt. bottle of extra fuel for just in case. Moved on to ring road and thought of getting some engine oil as well. I went to the next petrol pump open and got a lt. of engine oil and some additives. Basic purpose of this trip from Delhi was to check the miles I log and mileage my bike gives out along with discovering new places where people in cities like Delhi have no clue. When all set and ready to leave called up home and informed my folks that I am leaving Delhi now.
Hit NH-1 by 12 mid-night.
Started cruising at 70kmph and I was joined by a bunch of drunk guys on a Scorpio who were talking crap. I gave them the sign: D but that infuriated them even more. The frustration of being alone on the highway with no weapons on board and no back crimped up and that was a matter of concern for a min. I thought of loosing them on my tail and ripped at 120-125kmph. But was again followed by those hooligans. I didn’t care to bother after that and slowed down to my pace when they decided to throw a bottle at me. The bottle just touched my helmet and I soon was off balance. I stopped for a few seconds and was furious. I started my bike and soon caught up with those guys. As expected those guys were so drunk that they fail to see an upcoming trailer on the wrong side. For the first time in my life I had seen a head on collision. Scorpio was out of shape and guys inside were screaming with pain. I decided to stop and try helping them. Walked up to them and tried to pull one of the guy’s from back seat out. Some on going truck drivers who decided to get them out of the car soon joined me. The horrific accident was worth a lesson for me. After 30 odd minutes we were joined by highway patrol. I decided to leave and didn’t want to get in trouble. Started cruising down the highway thinking about those stupid guys who might have lost their lives just coz of few bottle of alcohol and who might have killed some one on the road on the same time.
Soon I stopped at the nearest Dhaba and had few cups of tea along with few cigarettes. I left all that behind me and called up home and spoke to my wife for a few mins and again left the dhaba. Proceeded NH-1
Reached Karnal - at 3:30am since I was riding too slow and took a break and coz of the accident I was delayed. Stopped at my favorite dhaba and had hot parathas along with a full glass of lassi which was very re-freshing for me. My next aim was Kurukshetra.
Left Karnal at 4:00 am and called up my friend Rahul who is a part of International biker club and proceeded on further. Within an hour I was followed by a group of bikers on Thunder Bird and found out that I was not alone. My friends have come to meet me on the highway. Reached our meeting point with all bikers on view. Spend some time along with them talking about conditions and roads up front which I was about to encounter.
7am – left from that place and said bye to all those bikers who woke up just to meet me at night and thanked them all.
7:30am – reached Ambala and met a fellow photographer who was waiting for me for last 2 hours. He was some one who inspired me by his work and always showed me something new that he did. Sat with him for a few hours discussing about his recent trip to New Zealand. Saw some breath taking photography of his, which was published, in National Geography few months back. I would now say he is a professional. He always carries around a huge load of boxes in which he has different types of lens and more equipment for his cameras.
11am- Left Ambala and was riding along side lush green fields of farm. Temperature rising and was becoming unbearable for me to ride. Then I decided to take a turn and not go to kullu. Instead took a turn towards shimla, as I was very familiar to this road. I hit NH-22 soon and started cruising at 80-90kmph and aimed at kalka within 30 mins.
After being on road and talking to different people I was a little tiered and wanted to take some rest but the sun was shining brighter than ever and the heat was just unbearable for me. Every 10 mins I had to stop at a dhaba to just purchase a bottle of mineral water to cool off. I drank less and was almost playing holi on road. By the time I reached kalka I had purchased 5 bottles of chilled water to cool off the heat.
12pm – Reached Kalka and took a break for some food. As it had been so much of time from the last time I had food. I also was out of cigarettes. Had some food at saines dhaba where I usually do and cooled off for an hour over there. Sat there gazing at the road ahead and unable to decide the destination where I had to go.
1:30pm – Left Kalka and proceeded to Shimla. I had no plans of staying at shimla but had to take some rest before I could go anywhere as I was almost drained off energy and had very bad backache.
Took a diversion towards Chail, as I loved the roads to that place. Enjoyed every possible view of the place but didn’t stop even once for photos. Reached Chail by 4pm and took a room for the night stay. I was so damn tiered that I didn’t even enter on the guest book of the hotel. The owner knew me as I had been there just few days before and didn’t ask anything. Took the room and laid on the bed. The next thing I know was that it was 8am next day. Hehehehe.
Day-2
Speedo – 382km
Temperature around 10 degrees.
Woke up and had few cups of hot tea which the owner had send. Had a nice hot shower and was fresh as a pine and was ready to leave. I had loads of chips with the tea so I was not feeling hungry at the moment.
Chail- distance from shimla – 45kms
Route to be taken – take a diversion from Kandaghat would be same distance to shimla
Population roughly 350 people
Road condition – poor
View of Himalayas – 6/10
Nearest petrol pump – Shimla
Rent of the room for one day – Rs. 500
Nearest hot spots – Kufri
Distance – 20kms
View of Himalayas – 7/10
On the way to Kufri you will find dense forest and lovely scenic views of the landscape you would melt by just looking ……
It’s a perfect week end get away so guys if you are planning to have a silent week end with your family, I would suggest you all to go to Chail.
9am – Left from Chail to Kufri to find out so much of traffic, was surprising to see people flocking to this place just for the heck of it. The specialty of this place is mountain leopard, which I doubt any one would have ever seen. This place is writhed if you come during Jan-Feb because of heavy snowfall around this area this would be line heaven.
Basically HP is divided into 12 districts
Shimla
Solan
Sirmour
Bilaspur
Mandi
Kinnaur
Kullu
Una
Hamirpur
Kangra
Lahaul&Spiti
Chamba
I was aiming to explore half of them at least.
I was on the road to Chopal, which is lead by state highway, Reached Chopal by 3pm and had a good stomach full of Parathas. Now I had to reach Theog, which was 80 odd kms from there and was a little out of schedule and wanted to hurry.
12:30- Left Chopal to Theog, with more breath taking scenic beauty of Himalayas I am out of words to describe.
3pm – Reached Theog just to find out that it was a short cut I took and I was on right way with half of the way tar less road.
Total Distance Covered for the day- 140kms. [Including exploration of few forest areas]
Speedo – 521km
Decided to get a hotel room and stay so did that.
This day was full of fun as I was alone and along side Himalayan Ranges I was just freaking out with Joy and Happiness it gave me. Took a ¼ bottle Vodka and some Chips and had fun watching movies on TV
Day - 3
Woke up Early in the morning and got myself ready to head towards more exploration.
6:00am – Left Theog and started off to Narkanda.
8:00am – Reached Narkanda and soon my bike was loosing power, which I never noticed. So happens that now I was catching higher altitude and due to less oxygen a motor engine with carburetor would loose power as the carb is set up for plains not higher altitudes. What a horrible road to be on with a bike. This was pure off-roading from now on. No roads at all. It is barely wide enough to accommodate a small car like Maruti van or 800. Guys please beware of truck or else you will end up doing off-road out of off road…. loll… trying to negotiate obstacles is a tough enough job on roads like those but semi’s and Mahindras which usually do 40kmph also look horrifyingly fast. Keeping the bike straight is a tough job.
5:00 pm I reached where I always aimed for --- climb to Jalori Pass.
Had to reach Rampur by 9pm and get room there...
I had to ride down to Rampur before it gets to late. And was hurrying but the steep decline made me ride with the engine on for the first time. Temperature around 2 degrees here was damn chilling and took a stop to pie to find out that my hands were almost frozen and during this I could not even click the shutter button of my cam. My gloves were not warm enough which I never had expected. It was becoming increasingly difficult to overtake vehicles and would find broken roads; I had encountered large ice stones larger than the width of my tyres, which usually tossed me off to corners. Usual bloody Qualis drivers were driving at 40+ kmph and some times touched the rear of my bike and I would shaken up to find my self out of the so called roads.
Day - 4
Wokeup and left to the road once more. Next stop Banjar....By 9 am I hit the spot and had my brk there.
Kullu and Its Valey was next up
by 1pm reached Kullu with some fasinating views of Landscape
By 6pm Reached Manali and had an option either to stay or to leave So i stayed there for the night ..,, It’s the nearest to Rohtangla Pass.
The experience was almost so tiering that I could collapse before I could get a room. Finally got a room where I could just lay down and sleep over and so I did. Slept as soon as I got inside the room.
Day-5
Got up early at 6am
7:00 am – Left to Rohtang Pass.
Steap Climb up was too much for my bike but did it without hault. Reched the destination by 9 am...
1pm – Reached Keylong.
Then proceeded back on the same trail.
Day-6
Left from Kullu at 4:30am
Fine roads, which would turn and twist were filled up of traffic after 8am – 9am so I had to cover the distance as soon as possible and I reached Chandigarh in few hours time.
10:00am – Reached CHD and had a nice breakfast with some of fellow riders who met me along the highway. They were a group from Kolkatta who just recently did whole of Leh-Ladhak region on 2 stroke bikes. Damn. I was stunned to know that. One of them was riding 84 RD LT … [DARKY it is possible dude] … The RD was a good condition and was also had some good modifications added to it.
Reached back home with so much of memories that I could only put few words on this thread. Wish I had more time to explore more.
I will go back there once again and do it once more until I an satisfied.
Total Distance Covered on my Bike: 2982km
Fuel : 71 Lts
Average : 42kmpl
Damage to Bike: Needs new Clutch Plates.
For More pics check out this link
http://adrenaline-riders.com/forum/inde ... 55#msg1055
Route Taken:
Panchkula
Dharampur
Solan
Kufri
Theog
Narkanda
Rampur
Banjar
Kullu
Manali
Rohtang Pass
Jispa
KeylongThen Back
Manali
Aut
Mandi
Bilaspur
Shimla
Chandigarh
