Back On the Motorcycle

 Having felt well rested and refreshed from the day off, as well as the lower altitudes, I thought I'd get back on the motorcycle.  So in the morning I suited up and headed off down the valley with my compatriots.  A full day of riding lay ahead.

There was a cool drizzle  falling as we assembled at the lined up motorcycles.  I had my rain pants on as well as my rain slicker on inside my riding jacket.   

Ready to Go

Solang to Shoga

We would be following the Beas River Valley using primarily Highway 3.  Since I was riding the motorcycle, I had no opportunity to take photos.  

The first part of the day we were in the rains. The road traffic was relatively open as we got down near the bottom the the river valley. Snaking down the road was a new challenge for me since I've never ridden a motorcycle on curving roads with wet pavement.  So I was working up my confidence that the tires would grip while leaning into the curves.  But obviously they did. I could see my compatriots ahead of me leaning and cutting into the shifting course.  As we continued, the road began to open up into a 4 lane and our speeds increased.  Soon we were going nearly 50 miles and hour!  The fastest I'd ever gone in India.  

I learned that in India we often stayed in the passing lane (inner) since the outer lanes were line with shoulders where traffic was constantly entering and exiting.  There were no ramps off the 4 lanes.  Just continuous shoulder.  As usual, I was still at the back of the pack and often lost sight of the group.  But I had Paul with me so I felt confident that we were on route since he would pull ahead of me if we came to a change.  Sometimes Paul did pull ahead in order to push us forward and then I would tail him as we wove in between traffic.  At some point, while motoring along at around 50 mph around the town of Bakaira, Paul was ahead of me as we approached a large area where a bridge crossed the Breas and there was a decision point for people who wanted to stay on the left side of the river.  A sedan started shifting to the left without any sign that the driver saw Paul.  

Bridge Crossing Near Bakaira

Paul honked his horn but continued to yield to the left to avoid a collision. I dropped my speed and followed behind Paul about 20 feet, monitoring the overall situation as best as I could.   Within seconds Paul was forced to evade and turn off the road totally via a roundabout.   On the shoulder, he pulled over and came to a stop. I rolled up beside him and put in my clutch and braked to a stop.  "I had to exit!" he yelled to me.  "I thought he was going to take me out!"  I nodded emphatically.  It was instructive to me to see an experienced motorcyclist take evasive action in chaotic Indian Traffic.  It is not like a motorcycle can 'stand it's ground' against a sedan. I'm not sure if the sedan driver had his windows closed and a radio or phone going. But he didn't seem to have heard Paul's horn nor saw him. Oblivious.  

We re-entered the roundabout and were soon back on course.

Eventually, we came to a road junction. Lynn, with her bright red helmet (seen easily at a distance) was waiting for us to direct out turn off the main highway. Here the Beas and Sainj Rivers converge. After going thru a tunnel under the rivers, we got on Highway 305 which follows the Tirthan River which is a tributary of the Sainj . Now, we were back to climbing on a narrow two lane road, passing through countless smaller villages. Periodically we would encounter congested two-way traffic including some problematic oncoming trucks and buses.  Twice we stopped. Once for lunch and later for a rest break. The rain had long ceased and so I was able to strip off my rain gear.  Underneath of these, it was quite stifling when the bike was not in motion.

Back on the road, around 3:00, it was obvious that schools were emptying in the villages along the road and the traffic was filling up and as we climbed, we were in a very slow moving traffic jam while climbing this narrow road.  When occasionally there was a way to snake between vehicles the group would slowly push ahead. There was a lot of time we were also sitting while using clutch and brakes.  A nearly frozen mess.  

A Real Shit-Show!

At some point, Paul and I were trapped behind a narrowing of vehicles on this sidehill road.  Paul got ahead and tried his best to push us forward. But it was difficult for him. Eventually we came to a disorienting situation where we saw a bus facing down the road at us as well as a dump truck on the left side also facing toward us. What?  It turns out the dump truck was trying to repair damaged road and was dropping a load of rocks.  Not gravel. But rocks!  Paul was ahead of me, trying to snake between bus and truck as the load was coming off the back of the truck and Paul's motorcycle was inundated with cabbage-sized rocks flowing around and under his bike.  He got stuck and workers were reaching around and under his bike, pulling the debris out so he could pass.  Unbelievable!  Paul was eventually able to get purchase with his tires and gunned the motor and move forward beyond the bus and truck.  Not wanting to be trapped on the wrong side of this "Shit Show", I gunned my throttle and squeezed through the same pile of loose rocks. I could feel crunching under the bike but I kept working the engine and clutch whilst in 1st gear and soon I was beyond the two big vehicles.  Like toothpaste being squeezed between cracks in a rock.  As I rolled forward the road workers were calling out and pointing to the bottom of my bike.  As I got up to where Paul was waiting, I stopped and Paul also pointed out that My kickstand was hanging limp from the bike. It had been partially pulled and damaged by the rocks!  The retaining spring had been stripped away and the kickstand was slightly bent.

While I stayed parked with my right hand on the hand brake, Paul got some tape out of his medical kit and wrapped it around the leg of the kickstand and was able to secure it in place so it didn't drag on the pavement.  Gads!

After that, we continued up the hill.  There was no following traffic.  We were the last to escape the mess below and would not see any following traffic for the next half hour as we continued up through a series switchbacks passing thru heavily forested sidehills. Rising towards to ridgeline. 

Finally, we made it to the top of the ridge and there was our hotel, the Sojha Holiday Inn!  As we rolled to a stop our companions were all standing by their motorcycles and gave us a round of applause for making it!  I think this was especially directed at me.  The retarded motorcyclist had made it!  I shook my head. I felt like the poor guy who'd just won the "Special Olympics" for completing a day on the bike.  Still it was a bit of an accomplishment for me with my lower skill level and so I took the well-meaning congratulations and encouragement with good spirits.

The hotel was one of several hilltop hospitality locations on the ridge. The view looking down and across the forested valley was lovely.  I again got my own room with a view.   It certainly was a nice compared to the usual tenting venues I often am in when bicycling in North America!  There was hot water but no shower.  A sponge bath was the only alternative but I took it gladly.

My Compatriots on the Balcony

Nice Toilet But No Shower

Well Laid Rock

Parking Above / Kitchen Below
Baloo and Sanjay Tending to Their Equipment

Solang Nala: A Resort Town

Mountain View Up The Valley

At the Iceland Hotel I had a very good room with a view that looked up to the Northeast and the High Mountains.

This is resort town, Solang Nala, reminds me of Banff in British Columbia, Canada or Jackson Hole in Wyoming, USA.  I'm sure there are various locations in the European Alps of the same type.  I expect that this will be an ever growing destination for the Indian Middle Class and Overseas visitors over the next century. A website that describes Solang Nala from a tourist perspective is HERE 

Usually, this is not the sort of location that I gravitate towards.  Nevertheless, I appreciate it from a business standpoint.  These are the sorts of places which draw in a great deal of money and give opportunity for local individuals and families to improve their lots in life.    

And obviously, these tourist areas provide a form of entertainment for visiting families and individuals.  I won't get on my 'High Horse' and judge nor condescend down on these.  

Defining Poster

Khem Raj Thakur, Former Shepherd

Some of our folks were sitting out on the patio by a table and I came over and sat down and listened to the conversation.  Damon and the Indian gentleman were recalling various interactions they had over the last couple decades.  Khem was the owner of the hotel and Damon was around as the Iceland was being developed.  It turned out that Khem had grown up in a family of shepherds and had walked those high valleys in the late spring and summer with their flocks.  He was relaxed and very well spoken and radiated intelligence and grace. I found this initial story of his origin fascinating and began asking him a series of questions. His answers revealed a great deal about a life of growth. He did a number of different jobs in his late teens and into his mid 20s. This while being discouraged by his family to forsake their traditional way of making a living. He paid close attention to the larger world, taking mental notes, reading, meeting people, trying various business opportunities.  He both failed and succeeded and continued to try different ventures, skills and activities. He became a world class skier. Also a competitive motorcyclist like Damon (I think this is how they may have originally met.).  He also let motorcycling tours as well as back-country treks.   I came away very impressed with this remarkable gentleman.  It was a very pleasant and informative discussion with him.  A little about Khem is HERE  .   

And why did he name the hotel "Iceland"?  Was it associated with the country in the north Atlantic Ocean?  No, he smiled.  Rather, so many people from locations such as Delhi had called him over the years and asked if there was "Ice" (snow) currently at his location. Many Indians have never encountered snow in their lives and so this was a big draw for the people from the south. As a result he decided to name the hotel Iceland to suggest that this was, indeed, a snowy location much of the winter season.   

Original Hotel/Guest House

Beside us in the patio was a smaller guest house. This was the original hospitality venture.  Now, several decades after building it, he's planning to tear it back down in order to open the patio area.  He's not afraid of change.  

I went for a couple walks from the hotel and looked over the local landscape.  I saw vendors promoting bungee-trampolines, short soaring across a soccer field, small dhabas for sitting down.  

Bricks

Back at the hotel, I could look down from my balcony at a assemblage of tents and shelters. There was a large high school group.  In the morning I saw the young girls lined up to wash their long hair.  In the later afternoon the teachers had the kid all assembled and they were playing a game of Duck Duck Goose.

Duck, Duck, Goose!

Zip Line and Bungee-Trampolines

In the evening I watched an group of young adults in the front patio doing a traditional line dance in custom, with reed instruments and large trumpets blaring to the beat of drums.

Group Camping

Khem Conducting a Staff Meeting

All in all, it was a restful day and evening.  At these lower elevations sleep came easier and was much more restful.  Also, bodies eventually acclimate to higher elevations and so 9500 feet didn't feel as challenging as 5-6 days prior.

Crescendo Over the High Pass

This was the BIG day. Climbing dirt and gravel roads over the highest point of the tour, Kunzum Pass, .  A very rugged road with plenty of snow melt waters passing over the road surface.  The road is generally closed to traffic for over 7 months of the year once the snows deepen.

Losar to Manali

T

During the tourist months, the road is often filled with tourist vehicles. Traveller vans, motorcycles, small sedans and the occasional bicycle tourist.

The Main Road Through Losar

Outside of Losar we foreigners had to stop at another checkpoint to be registered.  Then we passed under the arch. The most rugged portion of the trip lay ahead.

Charlie and Paul at the Kunzum Mata Temple, 15,000'

We reached the Kunzum Pass which connects the Spiti and Lahaul Valleys.  This is as high as we got in the Himalaya.  Very impressive.  The road is closed for over 7 months of the year because of the snows and weather that can get over 60 feet deep.  Trying to imagine the travelers who have gone over this pass over the last 10,000 years...  Perhaps with yaks as pack animals.  

Yaks with Packs
(from the web)

The road was incredibly challenging.  There was a series of switchbacks that was jammed with sedans, vans, motorcycles and small trucks. Too rough a ride to photograph.  I saw a motorcycle stuck in a waterfilled pothole with people pushing to get him out.  

The government of India has plans to eventually put in a tunnel under the pass so that traffic can get thru.  But it is understandable why the road is closed for the 7+ months.  Nearly impossible to maintain.

The road is torn up a great deal of the way.  At one point we were on a long series of severe, narrow rocky switchbacks with traffic snarled in both directions.  99% of the people were Indian tourists trying to navigate.  As I wrote above, it was too rough a ride in the truck for me to take photographs.  But I recommend this Youtube video HERE (in Hindi) from 2023 that shows the nutty situation at times along the trail.  Below are two screenshots from the video showing a sedan stuck in a water on the road in what is really just a bunch of small boulders. Traffic quickly backs up when these situations occur. If the weather were to turn bad, this stretch of trail could turn deadly in a hurry.

At some point we stopped for lunch at Batal's Chandra Dhaba. Dhaba is an Indian word for "Roadside Cafe". In this remote spot it is a refuge for bad weather.  There is no roof. Just a tarp pulled over some rafters that are taken down once the snows come.  The road up here is closed for nearly 8 months of the year. Weather can turn bad quickly. The couple that run this are the Batal's and have lived in the area for many years.

Batal's Chandra Dhaba

Neil, Paul and Damon in the Batal's Dhaba

Here is an Interesting Article With Photos by a traveler who lingered here for a bit:  

Continuing on behind the group, we entered a long valley of the Lehaul River and followed the road. we really were just following the rocky bank of the river. The scenery was stunning as is shown in the photos.  Although some sections of the road did not appear that challenging, I was glad to be in the truck since I could photograph so much of this.  On the bike I would not have been able to capture these views.  

Kashmiri Goats Grazing

Pack Horses Roaming and Grazing

Another Dhaba Rest Stop Settlement Further Down the Valley

River Cutting Thru Glacial Till

Shepherds and Pack Horses

Commercial Mountaineering Base Camp

Rains Are Beginning

Sanjay, Robin and Paul Ahead

Checkpoint Stop in the Rain

Sanjay In His Rain Slicker

We entered the Atal Tunnel which is the highest "Single-Tube" tunnel in the world.  5.6 miles long.  There are plans for building a higher tunnel to go under Kunzum Pass.  The pass is covered each year with up to 50 feet of snow.  Such a tunnel would be much higher and longer.  Other tunnels and highways are planned to replace the inadequate 'roads' that currently exist.

Atal Tunnel

The Indians and Chinese had two wars over borders in the 1960s and more recently they've been clashing again. The militaries continue to build roads and infrastructure up into the high mountains.  The Atal and other planned tunnels are partially the result of this military tension.  The soldiers have clashed without fire arms.  Rather, as shown HERE, they've used staffs, axes, rocks and other nasty items. A number have died on both sides. Something to think about.  

Indian and Chinese Soldiers Clash in the Himalayas in 2021

Indian Military Convoy on the Move Near Manali

Roads to the Northern Borders

After passing thru the tunnel, we were magically transported from the nearly barren east side to a warmer, almost tropical landscape.  The tall foothills that the tunnel passes thru is giant fence which can, depending on the season, limit the heat and moisture that can get over it to the other side. Solang (elevation 9500 feet) stills gets plent of snow but nothing like the higher plateau on the other side of the mountain ridge.

Solang was planned to be another stop where we would have a rest day to recover from the higher cold desert.   Very nice.  I was given a single room again. No complaints.

Iceland Hotel in Solang