How it all began!
During the start of the last quarter of 2024, six lunatics came together and decided to go on an unprecedented adventurous tour. Unprecedented for them that is! Soon they were busy searching for options which could qualify for being the apt definition of an adventure. All of them had, had some experience with the long-distance cycling until now, but this time they wanted something more. More than just a mediocre challenge. Something they could term as a lifetime experience. After having evaluated on numerous parameters, they zeroed in on one such adventure. A challenge that looked intimidating and yet, inviting. It was a cycling tour to the 2nd highest mountain pass in the world with a motorable road.
YHAI Cycling Tour Manali-Leh-KhardungLa it was!
I was one those lunatics mentioned in the beginning and I really feel proud to write it. I'm really grateful to my family for all the help and support, sans which this journey would not have been possible. I also owe a note of thanks to the YHAI ( Youth Hostels Association of India) team, for arranging this trip in the best way possible.
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28th June 2025 - Reaching Base Camp
It seemed like any other day. With the Sun having risen in the east, the birds chirping in my window and a cool morning breeze the day felt just like a regular one. However, the excitement slowly started brewing and hit its culminating point only by the afternoon. I had been packing my bags for the last four days and yet there were so many essentials that I needed to stuff in my bag, the essentials that I had bought just a night before. Finally, hoping to have packed everything that I would require for the upcoming journey, somehow, I managed to zip up my bags. It was then that this feeling hit me.
The day has finally come!
The ever-growing number of butterflies in my stomach had had me restless by now and I had eagerly started counting down the hours on the clock.
With already having checked in our flight tickets online all of us were ready to roll. We had decided to fly from Pune to Chandigarh and then we would take the road to Manali. Our flight was slated to take off at 3 AM, so we had assembled at the Pune airport at approx. 12:30 AM. After the regular formalities and handing over our luggage to the airlines staff, we settled in the waiting area and got engaged into casual chit-chat. We met some of the travellers who were flying with us and who would be the part of the same tour as ours. One of these travellers was Dr. Tushar Apte, who would turn out to be our tent-mate later on. Our conversation was soon ensued by frequent laughters and discussions about the upcoming expedition. We were busy in discussing the itinerary when a loud announcement drew our attention. The boarding gate of our flight had changed, and to our surprise it was changed to an extent, enough to get us on our toes and rush to the new gate which was little far from our present location in the waiting lobby. Managing to get into the queue to board the plane caused a little hustle, for the boarding gate had changed. Thankfully enough the boarding time hadn’t!
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The flight took off at the expected time and we all soon dozed off as we hadn’t slept that night yet. Not sure how long it took for the radio to crackle but we were woken up the by the pilot’s announcement about landing the plane. There was a bit of air turbulence which caused us to jump in our seats a couple of times, but thankfully the rest of descent was smooth. We landed in Chandigarh at around 5 AM. We collected our bags from the conveyer belt, and sat on some of the vacant chairs close by. As the taxis that would take us from the Chandigarh airport to Manali would arrive around at 6:30 AM, we had some time to kill. We roamed around in the airport, clicked some photos, chatted for a while, but the tea stall that we all eyed on, would not open as it was too early in the morning for its business.
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Finally, the clock struck 6:30 am and after a while the cabbie called us.
It was still raining when we got out of the airport building and headed to the
taxi parking. It was then that we realized that the rain clouds had engulfed the entire area. The cabbies were even sceptical of our flight
landing on time. Since there were 7 of us, we had booked two taxis. The first
sign of luck favouring us was that the make of our taxis had been upgraded without
any additional charge. There would be other luck signs during our journey later on too.
Soon our taxis were cruising on the highway to Manali. The
weather was completely overcast and though the road was smooth it was completely waterlogged, apparently due to the rains that had lashed the city a night
before. Our taxis sped through the water causing it to splash sideways. Both
our taxis were in an excellent condition with the state of art wireless mobile chargers, plush seats and an audio system with crystal clear sound quality. As the time passed, we felt the urge to fill our bellies with some food. We
broke for a sumptuous breakfast at a restaurant on the way. Though it was morning time, we
could easily get Parathas, Chole Bhature and tea to satiate our salivating
tongues. We started the journey after the breakfast and soon the contents in our
bellies took over our consciousness and we dozed off in our seats yet again.
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Happy faces above and our mode of transportation |
Our destination for the day, the YHAI (Youth Hostels
Association of India) base camp was situated some 22 km shy of Manali. It was
located somewhere between Kullu and Manali at a place called Dobhi. Passing
through the scenic routes involving the views of beautiful mountains engulfed
by the clouds, river flowing along the road and some well-constructed tunnels,
we finally reached the base camp at Dobhi at around 1 PM.
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We
had planned to reach the base camp one day before the actual reporting day to
let us settle down comfortably. The entire camp was pretty much empty when we
checked in. We were greeted by our tour leaders Mithun and Hitesh. More about both
of them later on, since I feel my words can’t do justice to their traits and
personalities. The staff was generous enough to quickly prepare lunch for
us which although lacked variety at that time, was tasty and sated our hunger. Little did we know at that time, that
the food in YHAI camps would turn out to be one of best things in our journey. You
would read more praises on the food throughout this write up. As we hadn’t
slept the entire last night, all of us settled down into our tents after the lunch and quickly slipped
into a deep sleep. We were allotted two tents, with a capacity of three and four
people each. Akshay, Aniruddha and I shared a tent while Tushar, Vaibhav,
Sarvottam and Ishwar chose the other tent which was slightly bigger.
By the time we woke up the tea had already been served in a
tea canister. Unlike the familiar way of service in the hotels, here in the YHAI camp, we had to use our own plates and cup
for the food, tea and other beverages. Needless to say, we had to take care
of cleaning the utensils after its usage too. We poured tea into our cups from the canister and sipping the warm beverage got involved into a chit-chat about the trip ahead.
Since we had pretty much nothing to do for rest of the evening, we set out to explore the local market. The nearest market was located in a village named Patlikuhal. We took a bus which dropped us right next to the market. It was a small market with a rustic feel with a view of nearby mountains. As we did not have anything specific on our shopping list as such, we preferred to just saunter in the market. After spending a couple of hours in Patlikuhal, we decided to head back to the base camp. A good long walk in Patlikuhal had already set our stomachs growling for food again. We waited for the city bus back to our camp but did not seem to arrive on its designated time. As it was getting darker, we decided to look for other options and thus bargained with a taxi driver to drop us at a decent restaurant near the base camp. After filling our bellies with a variety of food at the restaurant we walked back to the base camp. The lights lit in the camp looked like some sort of decorative arrangement and from the looks of it, the camp was all set to welcome the candidates arriving the next day. We entered our tents, changed into our night dresses and tucked ourselves into the beds.
I lied there in the dark, feeling one with the nature and thinking about the upcoming expedition. Slowly and unknowingly, I slipped into a trans where my thoughts felt like dreams. Don’t recollect when but I had fallen asleep.
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Initial
glimpse of the base camp at Dobhi. |
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  Picture clicked at a restaurant in Patlikuhal, base camp at night, a pic in the market and our first lunch at the base camp. |
It was the day for the candidate to officially report at the Dobhi base camp. YHAI camp kitchen staff was very punctual about the tea time and by the time we got up the tea was ready in the canister. We finished our tea and breakfast while having casual discussion with our team leaders. Since we had already checked in one day in advance, half of our formalities had already been taken care of the previous day. We submitted the remaining documents at the registration tent and were relieved to have skipped the queue, which was building up now. By this time, the candidates had started showing up at the camp and the environment had become lively, which otherwise had had a deserted look until now.
Our discussion with Mithun and Hitesh at the breakfast
table, had resulted into us making a plan of visiting some stores in the nearby areas
to buy winter gloves and jackets. As per our team leaders the possession of
good winter gears was an absolute necessity during our expedition. This time we decided to visit Kullu,
which was roughly equidistant as Patlikuhal from the base camp but in the opposite
direction. We caught a bus again and headed towards Kullu town. The Baes river kept
flowing along the road to Kullu. We alighted the bus at Akhada Bazaar, a place
which housed many sports shops. We entered a shop recommended by the staff at
the base camp and while some of us bought warm cycling gloves, others bought
jackets.
A view inside the
bus and picture shot at a bridge on Baes river. |
When we returned to the base camp in the afternoon it was already bustling with new candidates, workers and other staff who looked busy as bee. It had been announced that post lunch our leaders Mithun and Hitesh would conduct an orientation session followed by the cycle allotment.
Things were looking up now!
We finished our lunch and took a quick nap only to be woken up the whistle calling all of us for the evening tea. It was roughly 4 PM then. All of us with a cup of tea in our hands, gathered in the dining area of the camp where most of the candidates had already marked their presence. In the front, near the first row, by the table, stood Mithun and Hitesh. Rest of us were sitting on the chairs arranged opposite both of them. It was our first official interaction with both our leaders. Mithun was an ever-smiling person who was full of zeal and energy which never seemed to dwindle down. Hitesh on the other hand had a lot technical expertise with quite a few years of trekking and rock-climbing experience backing him. Both of them complemented each other very well and explained the participants about the upcoming expedition right down to each and every detail of what to expect on each of the upcoming days. To be honest some of their explanations about the weather conditions and high-altitude sickness led all of us to worry a little, but overall, the session was quite informative, interactive and cheerful. Followed by the session some essentials for the trip like sleeping bag slip, reflective vest and optionally a helmet and cycling gloves were distributed.
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We were also briefed about the test ride from base camp to
Naggar Castle planned for the next day.
After having distributed the helmets and gloves, our camp leaders segregated us height wise and allotted the cycles accordingly. We were asked to try out the cycles to see if they fitted us well
and to check if there was any issue with the allotted cycle so that it
could be fixed immediately. I got a silver cycle of Trek brand, bearing number
109, with 3 gears in front and 7 at the rear. Choosing the right cycle was an important
decision to make as we would own the same cycle for the rest of the journey. We
could get any maintenance issue fixed in the cycle during the trip, but
changing the cycle later on was not an option. After we were satisfied with the allotted cycle,
we submitted it to the YHAI staff, for they were responsible for parking the
cycles and other formalities related to the safety of their cycles. This practice took a
burden off our shoulders and it helped a lot during the rest of the trip.
 Our leaders. Mithun to the left and Hitesh to the right. |
At around 9 pm, after the dinner, all of us were called for an interactive session. They codenamed it as campfire, however there was no fire lit during this session and we sat on chairs arranged roughly in an oval shape. It was an ice breaker session where we were asked to introduce ourselves briefly. I, claimed during my introduction that when it came to cycling, I was a poor mountain climber. This claim of mine was about to be proven wrong in the days to come, or was it? The campfire continued for approx. 40 minutes after which all of us returned to our tents and quickly got into our beds. The next morning, we had to set out for Naggar Castle, and as we were asked to report to the leaders at 6 AM, naturally the entire camp fell silent after 10 PM.
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My companion
of the trip. |
1st July, 2025 - Ride to Naggar Castle
Naggar Castle is an old monumental structure atop a hill near Dobhi, which has been turned into a museum. It was by far nowhere comparable in size to a typical castle however it was nestled in lush green surroundings with breathtaking views of the valley.
Back in the camp, I got up around 4:30 in
the morning as there were a limited number of toilets in the facility and I
wanted to avoid the morning hour rush. The sanitation structure in the camp could
have been a little better but since we were ready to experience the trip as raw as possible,
I was ok with it.
As promised to our leader Hitesh, we gathered at an empty
area near our tents at around 6 AM. Hitesh quickly got into action and involved
all of us into some warm up exercises. After around half an hour of exercise he
let us go, leaving most of us catching our breath. Warming up of muscles is a very important aspect of the preparation for the ride. It helps to avoid muscle injuries
or cramps during the ride and keeps the muscle soreness at bay.
Although we finished our tea and breakfast on time, bathing was not an
option at this moment so after quickly washing my face I dressed up in my cycling pants and jersey. With everything
buckled up now I waited to collect my cycle from the staff. Mithun and Hitesh
were accompanied by our camp director Mr. Mittal, who was a retired officer
from the BSF. The trio explained about the test ride, informed us about
the route and after shouting some moral boosting war cries and belting out national anthem we
started moving out of the base camp.
We soon hit the road and started paddling our way to the destination of the day, Naggar Castle. The rain gods were favouring us and although the
morning was overcast, we were greeted by relatively clearer weather on our way.
This was a good luck sign, as the prediction about the rain had turned out to be false.
We faced little showers during the initial couple of kilometres, but no sooner
did I put on my rain jacket than the rains eluded themselves. This strange phenomenon would continue during the later days of the journey as well.
The ride started smoothly with gradual climbs and descents for most parts the road. The road then slowly, leaving the city lanes, made
its way to greener, calmer and colder areas. We were busy in enjoying the scenery
when we realised that the gradient of the climb had started getting steeper. The terrain we were cycling on, had transformed into a hilly one and this continued till our
destination. Some of the sections to Naggar Castle were quite steep and I had to
use my entire steam to propel my cycle up the hill especially for the last few kilometres.
Thankfully the Sun kept playing hide-n-seek with us and the cold weather played
its part on our side.
It was a small ride of approx. 10 kilometres mostly mix of flats and climbs, and all of us made it to the destination within time. The entry to the castle was at individual’s discretion and most of us opted for it. The nominal entry fee for the castle was totally worth it. The castle had some intricate designs beautifully carved in wooden panes which adorned the walls of the building. The view of the valley from the castle was yet another treat to the eyes. After spending an hour in the castle, we exited the building and on our cycles, moved in the direction specified by Mithun and Hitesh. The path took us deeper into the area surrounded by innumerable tall trees. The sunlight sieving through the branches of the trees was causing a hallucinating effect. It was a like a place I had never been to before. Riding cycle on such roads had always been on my bucket list. After riding for some time, we stopped at a temple, clicked some group photos and headed back.
View of the valley from Naggar Castle and the ride into the forest |
The ride to the Naggar Castle was important from the
perspective of judging ourselves for cycling at high altitude. I wouldn't say that we were really at high altitude, but it was high enough to test ourselves. Typically, any
physical activity at high altitude may cause several health issues, but luckily
no one faced any problem that day and looked fit as a fiddle by the end of the ride. Mithun and Hitesh were also happy to see
everything go as per the plan. When we returned to the base camp it was already
2 PM. Since it was still sunny, we bathed and finished our lunch soon after
that. Everyone in the camp looked pretty satisfied with the test ride and after having a nice lunch at the camp, rested in their respective tents.
Formation of Badam Saat: Empty mind is devil’s workshop, and lying idle in our tents, along with discussing other things, we came up with an idea to name the close group of seven of us as Badam Saat. A popular game of cards and called so in Marathi language, Badam Saat literally means Almonds Seven. It's game in which the players have to arrange the cards according to the seniority and the colour. The members of Badam Saat were, Ishwar, Sarvottam, Vaibhav, Aniruddha, Akshay, Saurabh and Tushar.
Although there was no activity planned for the rest of the day,
we decided to stay in the camp, rest and be prepared for the next challenge. The next
ride which would officially mark the beginning of the expedition, was indeed a
challenge. We were briefed about the plan for the next day, where in we would
cover a distance of approx. 56 km, comprising mostly climbs. We would take the route
from Dobhi to Marhi, a route which was also termed as one of most difficult ones
of the entire trip.
2nd July, 2025 - Dobhi to Marhi
As usual I got up a little early since
I wanted to avoid the morning rush at the washrooms. After sometime the day
broke and soon, tea and breakfast were served. I used to eagerly wait for the tea
canister to appear on the serving table, since the tea was something that used
to freshen me up. The breakfast used to be equally good. The kitchen staff had
quite a variety of options to serve us every day. After having finished the breakfast,
we were handed over packed lunch. We could eat the packed lunch anywhere during
the ride as per our convenience and this practice would continue for the rest
of the days. The packed lunch that day contained Puri (deep fried roti) and beans. We donned our custom-made jerseys to mark the start of the journey in style.
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Mithun and Hitesh were accompanied by our field director Mr. Mittal, an ex-officer from the BSF. All of the three briefed us about the route and after echoing the surroundings with some moral boosting war cries and national anthem we came out of the base camp. Soon we were waiting at the side of the road for Mr. Mittal to wave off the flag and officially start the ride.
With the flag off, the ride started with all the cyclists riding in a
queue and in small groups, as we didn’t want to crowd the road for safety
reasons. We followed the same route that we took the previous day for quite
some time. After having ridden for a few kilometres we diverted towards the road to Manali. The weather was
supportive and we started enjoying the ride, taking quick water breaks whenever
required. The terrain consisted of rolling hills and it wasn’t too challenging,
at least yet. We took the bypass route to go around Manali and continued our journey.
After approx. 30 kilometres, we came across a climbing section,
which consisted of nicely laid tar road and had scenic views. Climbing on a
smoother road is always preferable as you have to concentrate only on the
gradient and not on the other factors like maintaining balance over potholes, consistently
checking the correct gear ratio and the worst of all, handling the jerks coming from beneath your tyres.
Now we were feeling the climb which although being less in
gradient was relentless. The Sun was shining bright in the sky too, making us lose more nutrients through sweat and as a result we had to take
frequent drinks and supplements breaks. On the way we stopped at a water spring
named Nehru Kund, which was said to deliver not only potable but water full of minerals. It is quite common to
see natural springs in mountains, and as the water emanating is not adulterated
it is generally considered safe to consume directly. We refilled our water
bottles with the cold water from Nehru Kund and proceeded with our journey.
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The route now consisted mainly climbs. Smaller, bigger, randomly and there was no respite from it, but that’s what we had enrolled for. On the way, we broke for lunch at a hotel where the staff was generous enough to let use their space to eat our packed lunch. The balcony at the hotel which we occupied for our lunch break, offered a great view of the valley. We ate the Puri and beans from the lunch box and ordered some tea. Drinking tea was probably the biggest mistake I had committed that day.
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After the lunch, we continued the journey and made our way into
spiralling roads passing through a beautiful route, showing ice capped mountains
and lush green trees. Although my eyes were wide open with bewilderment, watching the amazing scenery that filled my view pane, my stomach was in a mood of
narrating a different story. I had started feeling nauseous and in all
probabilities, it was not due to high altitude sickness.
Slowly, the nausea took over me and it affected my cycling cadence. I had to stop frequently to be able to suppress the urge to vomit,
but somehow that was not helping. At times I tried to force myself to throw up, but that didn’t work either. I was lagged behind and it
caused the frustration to build up. The path now had rising gradient, which had
added to my woes.
While I took a break and waited by the side of the road trying
to put myself together by distracting myself by appreciating the scenic beauty
and waving hands to the passing by fellow cyclists, I saw Tushar emerging out
on the road from behind the trees. Tushar was taking the ride easy and seemed to
paddle slow and steady. He stopped and asked if everything was fine. I
pretty much with a flat tone said, "No". Tushar being a doctor immediately
expressed his concern and offered some tips. I felt a little relieved by his
helping gesture. He waited for some time and we both then continued riding. The
weather condition was perfect, the surroundings were cool and daylight was at an
optimum level. Normally, cycling under these conditions is enjoyable even when you
are going uphill. While, you need to put efforts to go against the gradient,
you hit an equilibrium with your breathing rate and the paddling cadence. I
call this as a sweet spot, where even with heavy breathing and sweating you
can maintain your speed for a longer duration. Today, I was struggling to find
this sweet spot of mine. The nausea was not letting me concentrate on breathing
nor on paddling, I just wanted to get over that feeling of sickness.
As the road continued to go uphill, after a while, we took a
water break again. Tushar stopped with me and he was generous enough to propose
to be with me until we reached Marhi. That offer was quite relieving for me
because there were no other cyclists in sight on the road, and being lonely and
sick would have been devastating for me. As we waited near a hairpin turn, we
saw Mithun approaching us on cycle on the road behind us.
This was the regular pattern our leaders followed during the ride. While Hitesh
led from the front, Mithun watched our back. Hitesh would be amongst the top 5
riders and Mithun used to be amongst the last few. As I saw Mithun, I knew
Tushar and I were the last of the lot that day. Mithun asked about my condition
and suggested some measures to improve my condition, which I tried and moved
forward with the ride. After sometime there was no respite for me so Tushar and
I stopped again. Mithun was following us at a distance, while coordinating with
the other staff members on phone and otherwise. Our support vehicle was nearby and I
think there were some members who had already had made use of it. The 14-seater
traveller had a provision of 6 seats, a section dedicated to medical
instruments, oxygen cylinders and other medical emergency equipment. We called
this vehicle as ambulance. As the ambulance overtook us, I saw some riders
which had had some trouble riding, seated inside. I said to myself that
ambulance would be last resort, if at all I had to take. I was not going to let
it go so easily. Mithun offered me his left-over cold drink, which eased my
troubles a little bit for some time. With that support I could cover some more
kilometres. Tushar did not have any trouble as such but he seemed quite exhausted
with the climb. At our next break Mithun offered me some tamarind candies, which
I put in my mouth and moved on. Next was something that really started making
the difference and it was some raw Amla given to me by the same person was watching
our back. Tushar and I moved on and I had already started feeling better now,
for now I did not feel the urge to take breaks. However, now it was Tushar who was
asking for frequent breaks as his conditions seemed to deteriorate.
As we climbed higher the temperature dropped and the entire
valley seemed to be engulfed with clouds. In the distance we could see mountains
covered with snow and some of them even had glaciers on them. The light seemed
to have diminished a little and we were losing time. After a couple of turns Tushar
decided to quit the ride and expressed his willingness to take a seat in the
ambulance. I tried to persuade him to continue riding but he was already exhausted beyond the
state of return. More importantly he wanted to preserve his energy for the next day ride. I bought his argument and we waited for the ambulance to arrive which used to be the last vehicle in the convoy. In some time other members of
support staff had arrived and I could see the ambulance approaching us. I was
feeling a lot better now and had decided to continue my ride on cycle. Tushar took
the ambulance and I started paddling. At this point of time, I felt sad for
Tushar for not having him along for the rest of the ride. He did help me a lot
that day both physically and mentally. If it wasn’t for him, I would have quit
the ride that day a long time back.
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With the clouds all over the place it was now getting a
little darker. I was riding on a narrow road with a very poor visibility, hence I
decided to keep myself away from the cliff side of the road and continued using my
whistle on every turn. After sometime I saw Mithun coming closer from behind. He didn’t seem to be flinched with that weather condition at all and was even singing songs while riding. I kept asking him if I was the last rider of the rally, but
he we would always lie to me to boost my morale. Mithun played a lot
of mind tricks on me that day which actually helped me keep going on. After Tushar I owed
the ride that day to Mithun.
Slowly and steadily,
I kept my paddling cadence in control. It looked like I was hitting my sweet
spot now. Riding through loops and turns on the road, I kept moving forward. At
last, we came on a flat section which I mistook as our camp site. I asked
Mithun if that was it and it was then that he showed one long straight climb in the
distance that we had to cover to reach our destination. He would never
discourage riders by disclosing the actual ride conditions, which actually
seemed to work quite well that day.
 Mithun riding along with me in a poor visibility condition. The other side of the road is a sheer drop of 50-60 feet. |
As we climbed the last uphill section, we saw Nikesh walking with his cycle. Mithun coaxed him to join us and ride the cycle rather
than walking with it. All he needed was a gentle push from Mithun and there were
four of us riding together now. One more rider had joined us some time back.
It was relatively flatter atop the hill, and we had to cover a kilometre more or so to reach the camp site. It was dark by now and the clock showed 7 PM, when I reached the camp. As I handed over my cycle to the staff, the clouds had completely covered the area. Everyone, who knew about my condition that day congratulated me for having made it to the camp on cycle. I felt relieved and confident at the same time. I entered the allotted tent and sat there completely silent for some time. Other members of Badaam Saat were already present inside.
I changed my clothes and put on a warm jacket and a woollen cap, as it was quite cold in Marhi. Knowing that hot soup was being served, battling the cold I came out the tent and poured the hot soup from the canister into my
cup and started sipping the hot beverage to console myself in that cold evening. Soon after a chit chat session with other members, we were served dinner. It was quite dark as I switched on my headlamp. It helped many of us
eat the food and wash the plates alike. Washing the plates and cups with cold
water felt like needles being pierced into our hands, however as I said earlier this is what we had enrolled for. Soon after that it started raining and we had to take
shelter in our tents.
The tent housed eight of us. A new member Suman was added to our
tent. He seemed to be quite exhausted due to the ride and didn’t talk
much. Most of the time he was lying motionless in his sleeping bag. The night deepened and so did the rain which seemed to cause troubles for us as the water flowing on the ground outside the tent started making its way inside. The generator had already been shut off, so
we had to use our torch lights to gauge the situation, which at that moment, seemed anything but good.
It was then that Ishwar quickly got into action and called
the support staff to dig a small trench around the tent to divert the flowing rain
water. He even dug some portions of the trench with his bare hands. In all this action
he got himself drenched in rain in that cold night. After a while he dried himself, changed clothes and put on some warmers. We all owed him a big note of thanks for his efforts due to which we could sleep without worrying for the rain
for the rest of that night.
3rd July 2025 - Marhi to Sissu
As always, I woke up early in the morning and started looking
for the lavatory. It was a decent sized hole around 2 feet deep dug up in the ground with two
planks of wood put on either side of it to help you do your regular chores. This
setup was housed inside a small tent to let you cover your modesty. We had to deal
with the cold water for cleaning ourselves as well, which certainly was not a
comfortable thing to do.
Although the rain had subsided during the night, the morning was foggy and
cold, with a prediction of rain during the day. The entire camp site was full
of puddles caused by the rain last night. After having breakfast, we packed our
lunch boxes and started dressing up for the ride. Some of us had their mobile
network working so we quickly checked messages using the hotspot connection. I
skipped the morning tea that day as I suspected the stomach acidity that
caused me trouble the last day was due to consuming tea right after the lunch. I
didn’t want to take any chances today.
 I, sipping warm water on a cold morning at the Marhi camp |
The luck sign showed up again and by the time we all were
set to start the ride, fog had cleared up and the sunlight was already sieving
through the clouds. The fading away fog made us witness the mighty mountains
which rose tall in front of us, all around the camp site. The same mountains whose silhouette looked intimidating last night presented a pleasant sight now. After getting ready for the ride and having my cycle checked for the
basic functional requirements, I quickly raced towards the exit of the camp,
for I wanted to shoot the cyclists emerging out of the camp on my camera. There was at least
half a kilometre of stretch between the camp and the main road. I could not see this patch in the dark last night while coming to the camp, but now the cow sheds and
small huts built around it were clearly visible.
After reaching the main road, I waited for all the cyclists to arrive so that I could shoot them using my phone camera. The
path today had started with a climb which would continue for some distance.
Thankfully the rain clouds had now cleared up completely and the morning sun
was shining bright on our faces. As we climbed higher in the mountains the
breeze got colder but still it was comfortable. We all were enjoying the ride today, for
it seemed fairly easier than the previous day’s ride
Today, we were excited to know that we would cross Rohtang
La, a mountain pass. It was the first of the mountain passes we would come
across during our expedition. With a steady pace we continued cycling over
the climb. I was feeling relatively comfortable and confident as compared to
the last day.
 A view of valley after climbing some height. The Marhi camp site was located near the buildings with the red roofs. |
As we progressed, we started coming across milestones and signboards reading the distance to Rohtang La. This kept our momentum steady and
morals high, even though the weather had started getting foggier and colder. A
mountain pass is a relatively higher point crossing which you actually reach
the other side of the mountain and naturally the height makes the place colder.
After riding some more distance finally we reached Rohtang
La, which resembled a typical tourist place bustling with shops, locals and
tourists. Clouds were continuously flowing through the place and the wind was quite chilly. The words of advice from Mithun and Hitesh regarding the importance warm clothing, had
started making sense now. We quickly put on rain jackets and winter gloves to
get some respite from the cold wind. The cold weather made us feel hungry;
however, as the weather was anything but comfortable, we decided to descend the
mountain and have lunch when it would become a little warmer. I just wanted to get out of that cold place as quickly as possible. Some of us didn’t
buy this idea and decided to have the universal snack, Maggie. We sat down in a
small shop and ordered some tea and hot Maggie. Fearing from my experience of
the last day I still avoided tea and had some snacks and dry fruits instead,
that our camp staff had packed for us.
 Maggie party at Rohtang Pass( clockwise: Saurabh, Meenal, Ishwar, Sarvottam, Aniruddha, Akshay, Janhvi and Vaibhav) |
It was still very cold when we started our descent from Rohtang La. The winter gloves we bought in the market in Kullu, were about to prove
its worth.
 The Rohtang Pass |
While descending from the mountain the cycle naturally
acquires higher speed, and since the wind would be colder for the initial few
kilometres, it would cause your fingers go numb making it difficult to apply the
brakes when it matters the most. Having a good pair of hand gloves thus,
becomes a must have accessory in the mountains, whether you are riding a bike, a cycle or even walking.
The descent from Rohtang pass was approx. 17 kilometres
long and we thoroughly enjoyed it while watching the breathtaking views
of the valley. As we descended, the weather kept getting warmer, the wind
however kept us from taking our jackets and gloves off. After having
spiralled down for some time, we hit a flat section and as the weather was a
lot comfortable, we decided to break for lunch, something that most of us had skipped at
the Rohtang pass. We located a small hotel
and decided to eat our tiffin. The hotel owner too, was generous enough to let us do
that. Towards the end of the lunch we bought some biscuits and ordered tea as
a sign of courtesy to the hotel owner.
As we stepped out of the eatery, the Sun was shining bright
in the afternoon sky. We sat our bums on the saddle and started the journey
again. On the way we encountered Atal tunnel, a famous passage which helps
bypass Rohtang pass. However, being adventurous creatures, we did not take the
Atal tunnel, nor was it allowed for cycles and two wheelers to use that tunnel.
Rest of the route that day was relatively flatter and we did not face any
specific challenge riding it.
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Finally, just after the board, reading a welcome message to Lahaul, we took a left turn that led us to a big plain covered with a lot of tall trees with a river flowing nearby. This was the site of our camp at Sissu. We were relieved to see that place as the entire area, unlike our previous stay at Marhi, was warm, dry and brightly sunlit. We were quick to act to take out our wet clothes out of our bags and put it to dry as there was still a lot time left before the sun would set. The tea canister soon appeared on the table in the common area and we sipped the tea while munching some snacks. After setting up our luggage in the tent we roamed around in the vicinity. The mobile network had sufficient coverage here and hence most of us called home to brief our families about our journey that far.
 The camp site at Sissu |
Our camp site at Sissu was a beautiful place with a nice
view of mountains, a river flowing nearby and abundant fresh air. There was a recreational area for kids at some distance, that bore a
deserted look due to that time being an off season.
Just before the sunset, we collected our clothes that we had put to dry. Shortly after that, the dinner was served, which as usual was delicious and provided us some healthy items too. My favourite used to be the Daal (lentil soup), and I used to do many rounds of the serving table for it.
The trip next morning was to begin with a climb and thus
after some light discussions we slipped into our sleeping bags early. After
toiling for the entire day sleep proved to be a cheap commodity and it surely,
came in swiftly.
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4th July, 2025 - Sissu to Jispa
By the time the day broke, some of us had already done a round to a
nearby toilet. This paid toilet, at some distance from our camp site was located
roughly opposite the recreational arena. The regular lavatory at the camp had
been set up similar to the one at the camp at Marhi, but we Badam Saat did not feel comfortable using
it. After relieving ourselves at the paid toilet, we clicked some photos of the nearby mountains
whose sun kissed peaks had now started glowing golden.
 A morning view of the mountains from Sissu camp. |
After a quick early morning stroll, we returned to the camp site and started packing our bags for the trip of that day. Every day we would hand over our bags to the support staff and they would load it in the truck. We used to carry only one sack on our cycle carrier. This sack contained basic essentials like rain gear, a winter jacket, a tiffin and a spare water bottle.
After everyone was ready, Hitesh called
all of us for the warm up exercise after which we spent about half an hour on the
ground. I tried one set of 10 reps of Hindu push ups; just one set so as to avoid any
surprises during the day. When I had tried it last, 3 sets of push ups had
resulted into sore triceps muscles which had taken 4 days to heal. I didn’t
want anything of that now. After the warm up we headed for the breakfast.
Bathing was out of question for the last some days and we relied on wiping our body
either with wet towels or medical wipes. The last time I had had a regular bath was after the ride to Naggar Castle, back in base camp in Dobhi. After the breakfast we got into our riding
gears and packed our bags and lunch boxes.
The previous night we were briefed about the ride to Jispa,
which seemed to be a relatively easier ride with less climbs with clear
weather. With this impression about the route, we were all a little relaxed
that morning. Ignorance is bliss and little did we know that we were
misinformed and our comfort would prove to be ephemeral.
After the regular morning huddle, shouting of war cries and singing
of the national anthem, we hit the road. Just before we merged into the main road,
I saw two kids waving hands at us. I gave both of them some chocolates and
bid them good bye. The climb had already started when we began cycling on the
main road, and it would continue for quite some time. The gradient was gradual
but was continuous and with the time passing the Sun started getting harsher on us. It kept getting
hotter as we progressed, however the mesmerizing views of valley and regular water breaks
kept us going.
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After having paddled for some time, we reached the village
Keylong. It was a serene place with amazing views of the mountains. As it was almost noon, we
decided to break for lunch. Many other riders who had joined us for the
lunch later on, considered waiting at Keylong for a couple of hours until the
heat subdued. However, the members of Badam Saat, decided to move on, since
waiting in Keylong would delay our entire trip of the day.
  A view from
the dreams at Keylong and our lunch place nearby ( Akshay with a local kid) |
We kept pushing ourselves and with frequent breaks we kept
moving on. To our respite we encountered some downhills on the way and
ultimately after approx. 2 p.m. the Sun showed some mercy upon us as the heat
turned milder and the wind got cooler.
Gradually passing through some deserted villages we reached
our camp site in Jispa. The camp was situated at the foothills of a mountain
and a river flowed behind the camp at some distance. Instead of tents, we would stay here in a big
dormitory, with bunk beds. After securing my bed, I headed for a quick cold-water
bath.
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Getting a chance to bathe was nothing less than a luxury already and asking for hot water was out of question. As the day was still brightly sunlit, after bathing I put my clothes to dry on the bushes in the nearby field. After, the evening soup and snacks we roamed outside the camp and explored the vicinity which more or less seemed deserted.
Around the dinner time we would also get a chance to recharge our mobile phones. As the electricity would not be available in the camps, the staff would turn on the power generator for two hours during which we would strategically occupy the changing slots. It used to be a fun activity though. Thankfully, that day our dormitory had power supply and a dedicated charging point for each bed. Along with my phone I put my power bank to charge after a long time or maybe for the first time in this trip.
After finishing another finger licking tasty dinner that day, I climbed up and settled in my bed, which was on the upper deck of the bunk bed. As the dormitory hall was quite big, even a pin dropped on the ground would echo the sound in the entire hall. Everyone, therefore, like the most disciplined student in the class, laid in their beds, hushed.
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The day had been pleasant and uneventful, except for the fact that Tushar, had decided to quit the journey and had headed back home. He had started showing early symptoms of fatigue during the ride to Marhi and had taken ambulance to Marhi camp. Today, he had started from Sissu but after some time his condition deteriorated and he was taken to a government hospital where he was advised not to continue the journey to a higher altitude any further and thus, he decided to end his tour with immediate effect and return to his home in Pune. All of us would miss him during the rest of the journey.
5th July, 2025: Jispa to Zing Zing Bar
On the previous night we were told to be ready by 7:30 AM so that the
trip could start around 8 AM. It was going to be a trip full of climbs and
flats, and chances of riding downhills were scanty. After having my favourite
breakfast of Idli Sambar, and having packed the lunch box with Puri Chana (Deep fried roti and spicy grams) , we
waited for some time, in the daily huddle. The Sun had already been showing its
cruel intentions for the day. Along with our field director and our team leaders, the head of the village authority was present with
us that day in the daily briefing. After the flag off, the rally started with
the Sun shining bright on our faces with the cold wind to our rescue.
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Making our journey through the climbs we crossed Darcha bridge, the longest bridge in Himachal Pradesh and halted at Deepak taal, which looked nothing less like than an oasis.
As we progressed on the route, the greenery gradually kept withering, for we were headed towards a desert. A cold desert, Leh. The mountains slopes had started looking barren and occasionally, the taller of the lot, would have their peaks covered with snow.
After having paddled for some hours now, we reached a place named Patsio. The name resembled a familiar food item and was enough to trigger us to stop for the lunch break. There were one of the (Dhabas) roadside eateries that we decided to eat our tiffin in. It was hot now and we extended our lunch break a little so that we could get some rest. The tap at the dhaba, sourced water directly from an underground spring and flowed continuously. After finishing our lunch, we cleaned our tiffin boxes under this tap and put it dry to on the table in the Sun. We had followed the same practice in the hotel in Keylong village too, as during the day, we could use the warm water instead of the chilly water that we used to get in the camp in the evening.
 Badam Saat members at lunch. Left to right: Saurabh, Sarvottam, Ishwar, Suman (replaced Tushar in the group) Aniruddha, Akshay and Vaibhav |
When we started again, it was approx. 1:30 in the
afternoon and the Sun was shining brightly with its full glory in the clear blue sky. The day had become hot now and we
could clearly feel the heat emanating from the tar on the well paved road. As far as our
eyes could see there were no trees or anything else which could be used a shelter
for a quick break and hence we just pushed on. On the way, on a flat section of
land, we encountered an abandoned military facility. It was probably once used
to serve a large number of military personals. There were living quarters,
offices, mess and other establishments in the vicinity. The facility that might
have been once bustling with army men and machinery looked like a ghost town at
that moment as we went cycling past it.
Finally, we made our way to the spiralling sections and started the climb. This climb would lead us to the destination of the day, Zing Zing Bar (for the sake of brevity abbreviated as ZZ Bar henceforth). There were two levels of ZZ Bar, one was lower and the other, as you might have guessed, the higher. Naturally, the higher section was situated at higher altitude and was our stay for the night. After covering some distance, we reached the lower level where the weather seemed to have gotten relatively easier with us as the air felt a little cooler. With the head down, chin tucked in and feet on the paddles, we continued the relentless climb which seemed to lead us to a never-ending road. As we climbed higher and higher, the temperature kept dropping. It looked like some of the ice capped mountains which seemed far away had started looking closer now or maybe it was just another hallucination.
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After having gone through numerous spiralling turns, we
finally reached ZZ Bar camp site. Unlike, the regular tent setup, today we were
accommodated in three roadside eateries (Dhabas). Badam Saat along with three other
members occupied one of these facilities, which had a capacity of housing ten people.
The setup inside the Dhaba was quite cosy with ten beds lined up on one
continues raised platform. There was a fire place in the centre, with a chimney to let the smoke out. Although the place was small it sufficed our needs. It also offered blankets and pillows so we didn't have to sleep in our sleeping bags. There were a
couple tables and some chairs arranged outside the Dhaba, which we used to put
our clothes to dry.
After setting up my bags, I peeped out of the Dhaba momentarily and saw the tea canister been put on the table. I quickly grabbed my cup and stepped out for tea and snacks. The day was still bright and warm and I decided to bathe while it stayed that way. Although the lavatory was set in the usual manner, there was no covered bathing area. As I had already made up my mind I decided to go ahead and bathe in the open area near the lavatory. The water was relatively colder and the wind was chilly enough to make one shiver. I decided to bathe in my cycling pants and took my t-shirt off. I grabbed the mug, filled it with the water from the bucket and after an initial hesitation, emptied it over my head. I felt the chills of the cold water in every single bone in my body. The second mug however was not so cruel. Probably, I hadn't bathed in open in a very long time. It was an exhilarating experience though.
After resting for some time in our Dhaba, we walked up to another Dhaba
nearby and had a cup of coffee. We negotiated with the owner to let us use the toilet as and when we required it, for there were only two lavatories back in the camp. As the day was dwindling down, we decided to
head back to our camp. Although the wind had stopped the temperature was
dropping fast and we decided to get inside our Dhaba to seek some warmth.
After a while we heard a callout for the dinner. Dinner was something that
everyone eagerly waited for. Not only we used to be tired and hungry by the end
of the day, the food used to be delicious enough for a normal meal too. This combination
of hunger and delicious food used to be the most awaited event of the day,
every day, every single day.
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Unfortunately, there was absolutely no mobile network
coverage in ZZ Bar. However, we had informed our families about it in advance and was not
a cause of concern that night. As the night progressed it got colder and windy
outside and all of us slipped into our beds. The small enclosure of the Dhaba
had quickly become warm with the presence of ten of us that night.
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6th July, 2025- Zing Zing Bar to Sarchu
Following my usual instincts, I woke up early and after the regular morning chores spent some time enjoying sipping hot tea. The kitchen staff was very punctual about serving the tea and
it used to be on the table before you started yearning for it. Last night we
were told to be ready for the ride by 7 AM and we seemed to follow the plan that morning.
After the breakfast, in which I did a few rounds of corn flakes and milk, we were all ready roughly by 7 AM and waited for the daily huddle to begin.
At around 7:15 AM, after the daily briefing the rally started and we climbed further into the hills leaving ZZ bar behind. Although it was sunny the wind felt cold on our arms and legs, but overall the weather was pleasant and we continued enjoying the ride. All the riders kept climbing for the next approx. fourteen kilometres.
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While riding the climb we reached a spot whose breathtaking view compelled us to stop for clicking a few photographs. It was yet another water body which presented an amazing view. Unlike Deepak taal which we had come across a day before, Suraj Taal was bigger in size and had a better view from the top.
 Aniruddha at the Suraj Taal. I didn’t have a handkerchief to tie a knot and make a wish. |
After resting for some time at Suraj Taal, we continued
again. Tiwari Ji informed us about a bifurcation in the road ahead and
instructed us to avoid the older section of the road. Tiwari Ji, was our go to
person for every technical issue related to cycles. When we met him in the
Dobhi base camp, we found him a little grumpy, but over the time he had proved
himself to be otherwise. Every morning, we would check our cycles and inform
Tiwari Ji for any issue to be fixed. He was quick to respond and we kept
him busy during the morning hours. During the day he would ride his motorbike
and made sure that all the cyclists were doing well. He would carry water cans
on his bike and help us refill our bottles during the hot afternoons.
 Tiwari Ji posing for a photo |
After climbing some really nicely laid tar roads we ultimately
reached another mountain pass, Baralacha La.
It felt like another feather in the hat. All the sweat, tears
and sometimes blood that you shed while climbing brings the rewarding feeling of
achieving something substantial when you reach at the top. The journey afterwards mostly contained slopes which gave us some respite from the continuous paddling we had been doing so far.
 I (camouflaged in black) at Baralacha La |
After having come down from the hilly region we were now hitting plains of Sarchu. The terrain of Sarchu was full of mesmerizing views. The mountains slopes were covered with the hues of every possible colour known. The entire landscape looked like a beautifully painted piece of art worked upon by a maestro.
Maestro indeed it was!
The roads
were pitch black in colour, well laid and marked properly. Now that we were not in the mountains, the weather favoured us too. Riding through the
beautiful plains of Sarchu, we reached our camp site. The camp site was located
at a vast flat land which had a huge amount of empty space with almost no trees. It caused the wind
from the nearby mountains pass through the plain making it very windy. You
can judge the amount of wind from the fact that while relieving myself in the open I had wetted my pants due to
peeing in the opposite direction of the wind. The lavatory tents fluttered
dangerously and it seemed it could blow your cover anytime when you were busy
doing your business. Although it was quite sunny that day, bathing was not a
possibility as holding the towels while wiping my face was a challenge in itself. We
checked around in the vicinity, and there were some other tents available on a
paid basis. The rented tents which were of slightly better quality, had the
provision of two beds and an attached western toilet. Similar to the paid toilets at Sissu and ZZ Bar, we immediately cracked a deal with the staff overseeing the rented tents
and bargained for using just the toilets. Our tents in the camp had a better
sleeping arrangement and we had started loving staying in those tents now.
We, Badam Saat, settled in our regular tent and occupied our usual positions inside. As I strolled outside, I caught a glimpse of a river that flowed nearby. Although it didn't a lot of water flowing, it had a huge canyon which might have been the result of those strong winds. After having tea and snacks some of us sat, basking in the Sun, on the piles of yet to be distributed blankets and sleeping bag. The Sun which had caused a lot of burns on the earlier days, today felt like a soothing warmer, caressing our skin. The weather clearly was indicative of a cold night. As we expected to have a clear and cloudless night, some of us showed their interest in stargazing.
After some time, soup was served in the canister. A similar
canister kept nearby contained tea, however I preferred the first canister and poured a little amount of soup in my mug, just enough for three to four sips. The blowing wind would make the hot beverages in steel mug to cool down quickly and hence I chose to fill my mug in smaller amounts multiple times.
At approx. 7 PM dinner was served and as weather had already gotten colder, we grabbed our plates and headed for the dinner table. The wind had become milder now. The dinner used to be a buffet and we would serve ourselves from the serving bowls. After finishing the dinner we came back to our tents and started picking the dress for the ride next morning. Soon after that, all of us slipped into our sleeping bags and laid in our positions chatting about the things that had happened during the day. That chat soon got hushed and quickly enough there was a silence in the tent, as we had started falling asleep one by one. The plan of stargazing also went for a toss, as nobody would’ve bothered to go out in the cold, if they were awake in the night in the first place.
  Plains of Sarchu and the view of the camp at the midnight |
   I at the start of the Gata Loops. A photograph showing the bends in the road halfway up. Sarvottam posing at the end of Gata Loops ( Hitesh is in orange jersey and Akshay behind the Tricolour) |
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I at the
Nakeela pass. In the middle Ishwar and Sarvottam. At the bottom our camp at
Whiskey Nala |
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Bottom: Riders enjoying lunch
on the road |
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At the top: Vaibhav and Ishawar at the Tanglang La. In the middle: Sarvottam and Ishwar enjoying near a wall of snow. At the bottom: The slopes which challenged us to race against each other. |
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 Above: Suman riding his bike. Below: Sarvottam followed by Saurabh |
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Above: The
members of Badam Saat at Khardung La (Left to right: Vaibhav, Sarvotta,
Saurabh, Akshay, Ishwar and Aniruddha) Below: Sarvottam at the view point platform. In the background is the Karakoram Mountain range |
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Above: One of the roads that we climbed. Middle :
Ongoing road work Bottom: First view of Leh from the mountains |
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Above: The
certificate distributed to all the riders. Middle: I (Saurabh) with Mithun and Hitesh (below) Below: The cake marking our success |
Superb write-up 😍✌🚴🏔💦🌲 enjoyed every part of it. Lifelobg memories summed up precisely! Keep coming back for more adventure... Ki ki so so Lharghyaalo ✌🚴🏔
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