A fortnight in the mighty Himalayas on a bicycle! Part III
Many moons ago, I knew nothing about cycling. For that matter even now I just about balance my bike and life! This story is about how I got into serious cycling after giving it up in my school days.
Previous episode recap:
The pain was so tremendous, that it was the only highlight of the day. I didn't even notice the beauty of the lush green mountains in the monsoon. The day was spent head down, grinding away on the pedals. Continuously questioning my decision of cycling in the Himalayas.
Day 4
The morning started off on a sore note, as my body was bruised from the fall down the stairs. The tumble had left me black and blue and my bike stuck in first gear.
I gingerly made my way out of Jeori and stopped for breakfast at the first dhaba I saw. A dhaba is a local eating joint, typically identifiable by good food, friendly owners and a complete lack of hygiene! I was fortunate to witness the making of momos. If you can stomach the lack of cleanliness in the process, then you will be able to stomach the food as well! Watching them work with the raw meat was like watching an artist. The movements of all cooks was so fluid and natural, they would put any dancer to shame!
After tanking up on steaming hot momos, I was fully charged and ready to take on the mountains. As I plodded along, I realised that you don't 'take on/ challenge' the mountains. You give yourself up into the arms of nature, let the world envelope you and accept whatever is thrown on your literal and figurative plate.
Further down the road, a shopkeeper stopped to chat and in the course of conversation he offered to buy my bicycle. When I told him the cost of the bike, he flatly refused. Stating in the same amount of money he could buy a motorcycle and still have spare change!
Along the road, the mountain was being blasted to make room for the road widening work that was in progress. As I sat there eating mud from the mountain, I struck up a conversation with one of the labourers working on the site. The people working there weren't locals, they were from some of the poorest parts of the country. Their work conditions were both dangerous and without any benefits. Yet, everyday they put life and limb at risk, because back home, they wouldn't manage to put food on the table. These are the times when I get supremely angry with the people of my country. Wealth distribution in India is terribly skewed, we have the super rich and people so poor, that it is just depressing.
Near a tiny village called Lal Dhang, I got the fiercest winds I had ever encountered. Pedalling my bike was out of the question, I barely managed to push it up the slopes. My helmet was doing the job of a parachute and threatening to snap my neck in two. The wind won and I sat on a rock and waited it out.
When I reached Reckong Peo and got a room there, I was so exhausted, that I immediately fell asleep, without a bath, food or even getting out of my sweaty grimy clothes. I slept for 4 hours before waking up for a late night dinner! By late night I mean 9 PM, after that everything shuts!
Welcome to Kinnaur it says. It could just have easily been 'Welcome to Cycling Torture'
100 metres later, they once again welcome you to Kinnaur. What am I, the prodigal son that I need to be welcomed so many times!
This is a series of photos in which we play the game of spot the bike! A mountain wormhole
Overlooking the Karcham Dam. You can also see the weapons of dog's ego destruction. The two bottles of water!
The place where I encountered terrible winds. I waited at this spot until the wind subsided. Buses of course move on unfettered.
Notice the Tibetan prayer flags on the bridge. From this point on, the Tibetan culture is more pronounced
Day 5
Tourists generally don't go beyond Reckong Peo and therefore after RP, there was no road. Just some mud and rock which passed off as a national highway! But one really can't blame the government for not improving infrastructure here, because it is extremely difficult to build anything here thanks to the mountain drifting and sliding more than Ken Block! (if you don't know who Mr Block is, go search!)
The 5th morning I awoke feeling truly alive. I could feel every muscle in my body hurting. Cycling was only supposed to hurt the legs right? Wrong! There were these little invisible cycling monsters stabbing me with pins in every square inch of my body.
I love dogs. I love being alone. Travelling alone and finding a friendly dog is nirvana. Well... this wasn't one of those days!
On a desolate stretch of road, four big, mean looking viscous mountain dogs appeared from behind the rocks. There wasn't a human or vehicle in sight. It was going to be another episode of Man vs Wild. The dogs snarling and growling circled me, as I stood behind my bike, quaking in my boots.
Fortunately I have been an avid reader since a lil boy. At that moment my life didn't pass me by in seconds. What did enter my head was the stories from the American westerns with the cowboys and Indians. The Comanches were known to attack their enemies with a blood curdling yell.
Taking inspiration from my American 'Indian' friends, I grabbed a bottle of water in each hand and let out a guttural yell running straight towards the dog directly in front of me. I launched the H2O filled missile straight at the head of the biggest dog. Suddenly their attack stopped, they put their tail between legs and did an about turn. Ha! Victory. I am pretty sure Liam Neeson's last scene from the movie "The Grey" was copied from my Spiti ride. They better send me a royalty cheque in the mail soon!
Lunch was had at a place called Spillo with an English cycling couple. They were going in the opposite direction as me and had taken a far more difficult route than what I had planned. The woman was battle hardened and really tough and far crazier than me! I think I was in love. Again!
As the riding day was nearing its end, I reached the town of Pooh. Like Winnie the Pooh. At the start of the climb there were these little kids who started pushing my bike up the slope as I pedalled uphill. 100 metres up and they showed their true kiddie colours and hung onto the back of my bike, not allowing me to move an inch.
After a full day of riding, cycling up a steep slope, with all my luggage and then having these little monkeys pulling my bike backwards. No wonder I don't like children!
From Pooh, one moves from the hills to the mountains. Gulp...
Kasang Nallah Bridge. These bridges are fine for cyclists, but it is scary to see a loaded truck going over them
Another round of spot the bike! The sky might not fall on your head, but the mountain just might!
The road is often shut down to allow the debris from a landslide to be cleared
My Samsung phone camera comes with a mode called, 'Beauty Face'. Which promises to make you look better tha you actually are. Ha! That is how you beat technology!
The lil brats who tried their best to pull my bike backwards while I rode!
The road which I climbed, all the way from the river to Pooh on the top of the hill
If you like Bike Travel tales:
Cycling in the mighty Himalayas
Cycling in the mighty Himalayas Part II
You can read my previous travel tales from Goa and beyond below:
You can read my experience of bicycle racing below:
Road race in Delhi: The ATH KMP 100
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Thank you @travelfeed :)
Wonderful writing with some awesome snaps...Loved the way you made all the efforts to looks like that we too travelled with you in the bicycle...
I am here in your blog as @mirrors included in the Xpose Curator's rebound
Thanks for the kind words @angelro :)
Such an experience. It is the kind i connect to easily. In my country, and especially in the rural places, the bicycle is the most popular means of transport and carriage.
I am Featuring this in the latest Xpose Curators rebound in the hope it will bring you some much deserved exposure and reward.
Thanks a lot @mirrors. Greatly appreciated.
Btw, which country are you from?
I am from Uganda. And you?
India. Would love to know more about the cycling scene in Uganda!
Hahaahhh.....let me schedule some time late next week and write some thing about it! Its a promise -
Wonderfully written mate. Glad you did the right thing with the dogs. I've had to do the same thing myself in the past. I'm loving your cycling treks...thanks :)
Thank you @steemonkey :) The positive outcome from that episode is that dogs no longer scare me when I am on my bike. They do sometimes surprise me and make jump out of my skin, but that's another matter!
That must be a very unique experience! It seems like you enjoyed it quite a lot and I would've loved to see you and the dogs - pretty good move you made there (I think I would be lost and wouldn't know what to do in this kind of situation, so well done)!
It's always great to experience new things and it seems like you had quite an exhausting but also fun trip :)
Yes absolutely. I loved the trip. Afterwards. Not when my legs were hurting :D
When you are pushed into a corner with your back up against a wall, you think fast. That's how humans have survived all this time. One never really knows how they will act, until they find themselves in such a situation.
Hi twowheeledmonkey,
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Thanks for upvote @curie community :)
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Yes
Thanks @for91days
Your story is fascinating, although sometimes a scary read...
well, you certainly won't find me on a bike in the mountains any time soon...:D
Hahaha. Thank you :)
Great series of shots! Those tunnels are so cool...but a little scary.
Thank you :) Yup the mountains are gorgeous, but one cannot take them lightly. One must respect nature to stay alive there
Hey @twowheeledmonkey, I've been really enjoying these accounts of cycling in the Himalayas - entertaining and very well written. I spent a lot of my childhood in the area between Kalka and Shimla - in the 80s, and know it well. I also used to cycle everywhere in Delhi in the 80s, but it's a different city altogether these days and I certainly wouldn't attempt it now :D
Looking forward to the next parts.
🚣
Thank you @barge . I hope it brought back good memories of living in the hills :)
I still cycle in Delhi. Commuting on a cycle is faster than in a car in Delhi!
Yes, I've mostly good memories of living in the hills. And the pahari folk are gentle, unlike the dilli gundas :D. Here's a pic looking North from Kasauli (from 2006).
