Bicycle Diaries Through the Himalayas
After doing some important work in New Delhi, such as inspecting and replacing bike parts, preparing visa paperwork for Kazakhstan, and touring this magnificent metropolis. Dolma and I reconnected, a Nepalese mountain biker, Dolma is a stunning woman. Afterward, we had lunch and went for a stroll. Even if I don’t know when we can meet again after today, I shall miss her. A few days later, I was ready to go to the northern Indian Himalayas. My original plan was to bike up the Himalayas and into Pakistan, fulfilling a lifelong ambition of mine. However, I just learned that this would not be possible due to the closed and heavily guarded border between Northern India and Pakistan. That left me with no choice but to visit my dream destination before heading back to New Delhi.
Upon my arrival in Manali, I was informed by many that cycling to Ladakh during the winter in the Himalayas would be a highly risky endeavor. The weather would be dangerously cold, with snowfall in certain areas causing temperatures to plummet below zero. Despite my experience, I was nonetheless delighted I went ahead and visited this particular location. I received an invitation to stay at the home of a new friend I met at Zostel Delhi before embarking on this high-mountain trek. Rohan Keshewar, a young man from Mumbai, found himself stranded in the Manali-Kulu valley amid the COVID-19 outbreak. He holds a social entrepreneurship degree from TISS Mumbai. Following this, he set up a little chocolate factory called THC, The Himalayan Chocolate. After hearing his story, I came to respect and adore him. He hosted me, fed me, and even showed me about the town, including his chocolate factory.
I accompanied Rohan on a whole day of driving to several distant Himalayan regions in search of rye, a kind of European wheat so that his chocolate factory could make bread and other foods. As we shared chocolate with the mountain farmers, I was overjoyed to witness their sweet grins.
Now is the moment for my journey. Some of the mountains I have to pedal to are more than 5,000 meters above sea level. Although I have some climbing experience, primarily in Nepal’s northern highlands, I can tell you that this is quite different, particularly in the winter. Riding my bike up high mountains requires protection gear and is a challenging duty. I completely lost track of time since I was immersed in the breathtaking environment there. My position was 3,722 meters, and by midnight, the weather app predicted a dip to -15 degrees Celsius. Looking up at the sky helped me overcome all my worries with a sense of serenity. The view tonight was so beautiful, I whispered to myself. I would have felt regret if I hadn’t come here despite my fears. There was a particularly lovely night that I will never forget and an experience where I was freezing and my heart stopped beating. The pain in all 10 of my fingers made it difficult to hold things, and the lack of sleep was draining my strength. When I woke up to pack my things and prepare food, I was surprised to discover that my cooking gas and drinking water had frozen.
There are 428 kilometers between Manali and Leh, Ladakh, and I will be cycling up and down steep mountains, with elevations of over 4,000 and 5,000 meters, accordingly.
Zingzing bar is a town I arrived to one afternoon. After realizing I would freeze to death if I camped here any longer, I retreated. As the sun sets, the gentle rays that warm the ground give way to the return of cold temperatures. No homestays were found for me in this area. Because of the severe isolation of the northern Indian Himalayan area, it is a constant struggle for winter travelers to locate a suitable hotel or resort that can give them with a comfortable place to sleep and a hot shower. It happened here that I met Neeraj Tamang, while I enjoyed the mountain food. It was as if Neeraj Tamang could tell I was on a search for a secure spot to spend the night just by looking at me. Also, he mentioned that he typically sleeps in the storage behind us, so he thought I could stay there too. It has enough of space and power to charge all my electronics. I am overjoyed. Since the temperature is expected to drop to -5 °C tonight, some of the kids have begun searching for dead wood and other materials to use as kindling for their campfire. The weather is expected to dip later this evening. As a result of my insomnia and sometimes minor headaches — all symptoms of altitude sickness — I was unable to obtain a good night’s rest. Altitude sickness is the term for medical conditions that can happen when you move to a higher altitude too quickly. The higher up you go, the thinner the atmosphere gets. That means breathing in the same amount of air gets you less oxygen than at a lower altitude. Altitude sickness happens when your body has trouble adjusting to the difference in how much oxygen you’re getting with each breath. Despite having good physical and mental health, I still struggle with issues such as constant headaches and insomnia. I take medicinal products if I have a headache so I can keep traveling. The Himalayas are a high-altitude region that hardly everyone can explore. A high level of physical fitness, patience, and strength are necessary.
I woke up in the morning with exhaustion in the storeroom. Getting from Zingzingbar to the next location requires a long and steep climb to the town of Pang, so I thought of staying here for another day to save my strength. I got the necessities ready and double-checked my bike. I spoke with Neeraj, and he warned me that the next area would be extremely challenging, particularly due to the road conditions. I explained to him that I suffer from empathy sickness. He also suggested that I should travel to Pang with a friend of his who will drive to Pang tonight, and I can ask him to put the bike in his truck.
Hearing this made my day. On top of that, I had plenty of time to get everything ready for the journey, create my travel diaries, and unwind in the evening before the truck came. My bike and I were brought to Pang Town by the driver around midnight. The temperature here is very low; I’ve heard that it may go down to -15 °C tonight. I was accommodated in a homestay at a restaurant, where they provided a storage room for me. I still can’t sleep and have a persistent headache from that terrible night. What will happen while I keep climbing is beyond my comprehension. Now I’m starting to remember that several people in Manali warned me not to come here in the winter because of how dangerous it is.
I woke up early and saw the woman, who is the owner of the restaurant, burning wood in her furnace. I went to warm myself up and ordered breakfast before gathering my bike and belongings for the journey ahead.
I felt like I was transported to another planet when traveling from Pang, thanks to the breathtaking and unique terrain. Taking shots of the beautiful, unexpected surroundings here required me to constantly stop my bike. It was going to be perfect for my documentary film about my journey, I just knew it. I would deeply regret missing out on this experience if I didn’t come here. It is truly a place that many adventurers dream of. I had to take medicine for my headache, rode my bike slowly uphill, and sometimes even walked while riding it. With a combined weight of more than 70 kg, including my bike and luggage, climbing the Himalayas was a challenging task.
At 5,359 meters above sea level, the highest point near Taglang La is Moore Plain, so I moved on on my way there. I had to lay down on the plain and put down my bike today because I felt so low that I couldn’t even walk. This location exudes beauty and brings me the utmost tranquility as it remains secluded from humanity. It seems like another world. Although it is beautiful, I have no strength to continue. Even though I am taking pictures here, I lack the strength to capture the moment. I fainted. Out of nowhere, I opened my eyes to see a group of vehicles, several taxi drivers, and absolutely no one inside. At that moment, I thought an angel was helping me, so I grinned at them. I asked if they could do anything for me and replied, “Please, help me climb the mountain to the town ahead.” They laughed and questioned why I was cycling up here in the winter. “Come on!” they said, while simultaneously giving me the thumbs up and complimenting my pedaling up here.
The driver admired me, saying, “You’re a daring adventure that can survive here in the winter.”
I don’t remember the name of the driver who helped me, but I took a picture with him, he was quite kind; he didn’t charge me anything, but I did have to give him some money for petrol. With his assistance, I was able to reach Rumste, a village situated 4,260 meters above sea level; from here to Leh, there was no more climbing but rather a downhill bike ride.
I was pleased again and rested in a warm homestay here before continuing my journey tomorrow. Rumste to Leh was going to be my cycling destination.
I made it to Leh, Ladakh, after traveling all day and into the night. While on my trip, I met Ladakhi Villa owner Mr. Punchok. He suggested for me to stay at his residence. He reassured me that I shouldn’t be worried and offered to give me a discount because it’s winter and there are fewer tourists and fewer businesses open. Every store is closed for the winter, and I am the sole tourist here, so I am sure to be seen. The entire city of Leh remains empty. Despite the closure of all hotels, restaurants, and homestays, some businesses continue to operate, and there are still places for shopping.
In the heart of town, nature lovers from the Nature Conservation Foundation are displaying endangered Himalayan animals as a tourist attraction. India and Pakistan have conflicted over the territory since 1947, while India and China have conflicted since 1959. This area makes up a component of the bigger Kashmir region. The presence of a military base, strict security measures, and the ban on crossing via this international gate to reach Pakistan or China are all explained by this.
I met Tanzi Nubu, a tour guide who takes tourists from Leh to some special tourist sites, such as Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. He was aware of the bicycle mission’s efforts to support children in Cambodia.
He supported and expressed his desire to accompany me on a multi-destination journey. The next stop on his tour bus was to a location I’d read about in the hit Indian film “3 Idiots,” a location that had long been on my want list.
Nubu made the wise decision to carry all my bikes to this location. My experience camping here and capturing the stunning nightscape of Pangong Lake is what makes it unique. Pangong Lake was the last stop on my northern area expedition, and I took a bus back to Manali. My visa application to Kazakhstan was unsuccessful due to the country’s complex document requirements, prompting me to alter my plans and apply for an online visa to Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country. It took barely a week to get the e-visa for Kyrgyzstan, and the process was easy as well.
I went back to see Rohan again; this time, he invited me to stay at his place for several days and had some important work planned. After listening to Rohan’s adventure from Mumbai to the Kulu-Manali valley and the launch of his company, THC The Himalayan Chocolate, we made an exceptional film project. In addition, we started working on a short film entitled “A Story in the Himalayas”.
I spent ten days going across the mountains with Rohan, meeting locals, and even stopping by his chocolate business to help make this video. Just before I left, I gave Rohan this one-of-a-kind present. With overwhelming happiness,
Rohan viewed his little film. He would never forget this unique piece of art.
In his desire to create a magical film about THC, he insisted on accompanying me on a journey to every region of northern India, sharing his love for THC.
Simultaneously with the completion of our short film, I received an email from the Kyrgyzstan embassy detailing the approval visa to Kyrgyzstan. It was now time for me to bid farewell and return to New Delhi to purchase a flight ticket to my new destination, Central Asia.
