Today's post is about an epic journey where there is as much adventure as there is adrenaline rush. This journey is dangerous and I was not able to gather the courage to make myself strong for this journey. To get answers to countless questions and to make myself strong, I first take the first step which includes buying an MTB. I go to Jhande Wala in Delhi where I buy an MTB according to my budget. The shopkeeper says that this cycle will fly like an airplane on the Manali-Leh highway.
After hearing the shopkeeper's words, I started thinking that then I don't even need to train if the cycle will fly like an airplane. I have made a plan to cross the Manali-Leh highway by bicycle. This highway is 460 km long and is counted among the toughest and most inaccessible highways. People come to test their endurance by crossing this highway in different ways. Of course, I was not going to test anything but I wanted to experience the feeling of being on this highway.
Himachal Pradesh, also known as Devbhoomi, is located in the north of the Indian Himalayas and this magical highway is located here, which is known as Manali-Leh Highway. This highway starts from Manali and reaches Leh, in this distance the traveller has to cross 5 mountain passes. In this distance of 460 km, one has to face an elevation gain of 10000 metres. There is only one petrol pump on this highway and some small shops which are operated by local residents.
So I reach Manali from my home on 5th June by bus. Tying my bicycle properly on the roof of the bus, I embark on this 16 hour long journey. The bus leaves in the evening and drops me at the Manali bus stand the next morning. The altitude here is 2000 metres and the cold breeze coming from the Beas river is cooling my mouth. According to my plan, I have to spend 2 days in Manali so that my body can be prepared for the weather here, but after reaching here I change all the plans.
After getting down from the bus, I put my rucksack, sleeping bag and a tent on the handle of my cycle and at 7 am I set out towards my destination. I go to Palchan and have breakfast and by the time I reach here I have realized that this journey is not going to be easy at all. I am saying this because I live in Faridabad and this is a plain area where there are no mountains or hills, so I have not been trained for elevation.
From 2000 meters, I have reached 2800 meters and now I feel as if I have loaded too much luggage on the cycle. At such a height, the cycle feels like a truck while walking. I am getting so tired as I have never felt before. While battling with my problems, the gear cable of the cycle breaks and I spend a lot of time in repairing it, it takes about two hours to repair the cycle.
Gulaaba is the first check post on this highway where motor vehicles are allowed to enter. When I asked if my cycle would also be allowed entry, the policeman said that eco-friendly vehicles are not allowed entry. Moving ahead, I meet 3 more cyclists and after talking to them I come to know that these three are friends and are going towards Leh. There are big patches of snow on the way in front of which the cycle looks insignificant. Where earlier I was alone, now being with these three gives me the courage to cross this highway safely.
By 3 pm we reach Madhi which is situated at 3400 meters. To reach here from Manali, I had to cover a distance of 35 km in which I had to face an elevation gain of 1450 meters. Like me, these three had also brought their own tent, the only problem was that they had a 2 person tent, I solved this problem by saying that one person can sleep in my tent.
After setting up the tents on time, we roam around Madhi, there is a small dam below which looks like a beautiful green lake from above. There is a traffic jam of tourist vehicles on the highway below. We spend our evening watching this jam. I am feeling very good to complete the first day, if these three were not there, I would have stayed at Gulaba and slept there for the night. The journey from here onwards is more difficult, I hope that by sleeping here tonight my body will adapt to the environment here and it will be easy for me to cycle tomorrow.
Disclaimer: This post is originally written in Hindi and I have used Google Translator to translate the Hindi text in English. All the photos have been clicked by me from Sony h100 point and shoot camera and edited in lightroom, post thumbnail created in adobe photoshop.
[//]:# (!worldmappin 32.35459 lat 77.21462 long Riding the Roof of India: My Manali-Leh Cycling Journey (Part-01) d3scr)