To provide a perspective, I cycled self-supported from Manali to Leh in September 2010 . Of course, riding this route once does not make me an expert. I should also clarify that I am now a middle-aged bloke, and for over a decade after college, I wasn’t really involved in any athletic activity. I also carry a torn meniscus in my left knee and a stent in my heart. Why am I telling you all this? Well, I am trying to drive home the point that while you do need to be fairly fit you do not need to be an athlete. So what does it take?

The single most important thing:
Passionate desire to do it. I think it is good to begin with the understanding that this is not an easy trip. Especially for those who have not spent too much time cycling in high-altitudes, climbing endless steep inclines, sleeping out in tents, cooking on stoves in the outdoors (or eating every day in roadside ‘dhabas’)… In my view there are broadly two kinds of people who are likely to do well on a trip like this: either you love the mountains or you are driven to prove a point, to your own self, perhaps.

If you are thinking of embarking on this trip and have never done any of the following, I’d urge you to try all, or most of them at least once before going:

• On this trip you are likely to spend multiple nights at or above 4,000 metres. If you haven’t ever been to these kinds of altitude, it may be a good idea to test them once. Ideally you should spend at least one night in a tent at 4,000 odd metres. But of course this can not be a ‘one-night-stand’. You will probably need to spend a week acclimatizing to get there. Just because you are extremely fit, does not mean that you will acclimatize to high altitudes quicker or better.
• You are likely to encounter multiple days of long climbs – in the range of 500 metres or more. If you have never climbed that kind of altitude before you might do well to try it. It is almost a given that in Ladakh the same climb will feel harder, because of the higher overall altitude and lack of oxygen (remember Ladakh is a high-altitude desert).
• If you decide to go self-supported (and this is a major question you have to address) then you should very carefully test all your equipment – the panniers, the pannier bags, the tent, the sleeping bag, the stove… at that altitude and that kind of harsh climatic conditions, everything has a higher propensity to fail. Be prepared to make emergency repairs. If you have never done it before, then you should try and go for a self-supported ride, even if it is only for a couple of days, and in familiar grounds.

Does it take a lot of money?
Depends. Some decisions are likely to have a major impact on your budget:

• Self-supported or vehicle supported: Depending on the season and the competition for taxies a support vehicle can cost you anywhere from 25k to 50k. The other option is to convince a friend or family-member to drive a support vehicle for you. Well good luck with that, and if you do find someone, remember that you have found true love. Just kidding of course.
• Night shelter: Manali and Leh offer a whole range of hotels, from the relatively inexpensive to fairly top-of-the-line. The hotels you choose here can have a significant impact on your budget. Also to a lesser extent, where you stay during the ride can make a difference. If you decide to cook and camp yourself through the trip then of course you can do the entire thing on a shoe-string.
• Return trip: A third thing that can affect your budget is the return trip from Leh. A last minute airline ticket can be costly, while booking a ticket months in advance can sometimes work out cheaper than a shared taxi on the return leg.

I have already posted a detailed cycling equipment list. The only thing I’d like to add is that you should avoid trying out new equipment on this journey. Make sure that you have clocked a couple of thousand kilometres on you bike, saddle and shoes.

Links:
Pictures and a short write up of the cycling trip from Manali to Leh
List of cycling equipment you should carry

A very eventful ride with more than it’s fair share of punctures, dynamite blasts, tumbles, scraped knees, nicked & bruised shins, un-rideable terrain with boulders fields & deep undergrowth, and traffic jams too.

The Indorie fort in Mewat

A ‘century ride’ by all means, it was around 125 kms for most people — give or take a little depending on where one started from. But felt much longer because of the ‘last mile’. The architects of the Qila had done an obviously good job, even when we reached it, we just couldn’t find a path into it. Eventually we had to climb a couple of hundred feet (for over an hour), sometimes pushing our bikes and sometimes carrying it on our shoulders.

The Qila, for those who may be interested, it was made by Yashwantrao Holkar sometime in the late 1700s. This ‘maratha’ ruled his kingdom from Indore, and that is why this name for the fort. The qila is now in ruins; we did not even see a ASI description board. Fortunately it is very difficult to get to, and tourists are unlikely to get there and ruin the ‘ruins’ any more.

Cycling map to the Indorie fort, Mewat; Exact coordinates: 28° 5'1.19"N, 76°56'40.12"E

Indorie qila is situated the Mewat area which is considered among the poorest regions of the country. Amazingly it is about 50 kms from the toast-of-the-country ‘millennium city’.  I won’t bet on it, but I won’t be surprised if one Gurgaon mall generates more revenue than the GDP of this district. I wonder if that has something to do with the fact that this is the only area that I have encountered hostility towards us cyclists. Kids of this area have, in the past, actually thrown stones at us as we rode past. On this trip too we had a couple of riders loose balance with the onslaught of stones. This time one kid even tried to incite his pet German-Sheppard to go after us. Later some gent caught hold of one of our riders as he was passing by, almost toppling him over in the process. I along with some of the fellow riders walked into the village where the stone throwing kids had run into. The idea was to try and establish what the hostility was about. Clearly it was not personal, because we have never been this way before, and even if we had, we never disturb anybody or come in their way. The older folk, mostly women were not hostile but not very helpful either. So the mystery remains…

Back to the ride. This was not the first ‘century ride’ for many of us, but somehow once you push beyond the 100k mark, it always gets tough. Especially when you ride on a mountain bike and throw in long off-road stretches. For me personally, last 20 odd kms were harder than I anticipated. Probably more so because I had to do it solo. I was accidentally left behind by the group. I came down the Sohna hill and waited with some of the riders for a full regrouping. Once all the riders were counted we started moving. Turns out I was the last to leave, and as I was about to start I realized I had a puncture. I just did not have the heart to call the rest back, it had been a really long day.

of ‘What’s Hot’ .

First published in Times of India, Delhi

If you can afford to ride a motorcycle or a car, then why ride a cycle. Its a question that often gets thrown at me, though not always explicitly. More often than not, when I ride, locals mistake me to be a foreigner. Despite the colour of my skin, kids will shout out ‘angrez’ and adults will try to start a conversation in English.

But, of course, that is not the reason why I cycle. While doing wonders for my health, saving money and making a green statement are all worthy causes, they are not why I cycle. For me, each time I take a side lane and a detour from the serious journey of life, I find that my life is more embellished, more fulfilling.

As I get older I find that the pace of the cycle is just right. I think of myself as a traveller and not a tourist. For me it is not so important to get to the most photographed spot. I am quite comfortable not getting there ever, as long as I can keep travelling and seeing places, and meeting people along the way.
The other important thing for me is the ability to experience the world around me without the frame of the windscreen, which reminds me of the glass tube facing my couch at home. On my cycle I can’t only be panoramically immersed in the surroundings, I can also smell, feel and hear the world around me. Sometimes, and only sometimes, after a long day of cycling when you just about set up the tent, and it is too cold to cook, and too windy to do anything else, and all you can do is shrivel up in your sleeping bag, you ask yourself, as your loved ones often do, what the hell is wrong with me. But more often than not, the sun rises the next day and warms your bones. You decide on a late start and sit there in the warm sun with a hot cup of lemon tea, reviewing the sights and sounds of the day before, surveying the landscape as if there was no tomorrow. And realise that there is no other pleasure that can rival being out there in the wilderness all by yourself with your faithful cycle.

Some rides I recommend:

• Manali to Leh:
  Cyclists around the world rate this as one of the toughest cycling trips
• Nako to Manali:
  One of the most scenic cycling routes in the country. Runs through the high altitude desert of Spiti in Himachal Pradesh
• Cycling across the Jalori pass (Aut to Luhri):
  Jalori is not among the highest passes in the region but it surely is the steepest. A real test of cycling prowess!
• Dharamshala to Manali (via Sach pass):
  A spectacular journey through a road less travelled

1. Bike and bike related gear
2. Clothes
3. Camping & Cooking gear
4. Toiletries & Miscellaneous items

I also carried a comprehensive first-aid kit, but I am not going to list the items here because I tend to carry too much — perhaps because I am trained to be a wilderness first responder.

Items we did not take and wish we had: (will take next time)
Duck tape
Rubber bands
Cable/lock
Chain Degreaser tool
Bicycle chain maintenance kit – old toothbrush, degreaser, large rag
Plastic clothes pins (6)
Dromedary Bag or extra water bottles
Rain cover for shoes OR Plastic bags for shoe covers
Sunscreen

Items that are likely to be on many lists but we did not take and did not miss:
Sewing kit
Shaving kit
Book to read
Sun hat
Poncho (required only if you do not have a good cycling Rain jacket)
Windbreaker (required in you do not have a good cycling rain jacket)
Sweat shirt

Items that were on our original list but we did not carry and did not need. :
Spare Tire

Items that broke down or malfunctioned:
Solar charger malfunctioned and I could not recharge my Garmin (has a very poor battery that performs even worse in the high-altitude cold environment)
Garmin GPS clip that attaches the GPS to the handle mount
Cateye headlight (On two occasions we rode in pitch darkness. Sorely missed a good light)
One rear spoke – probably because of all the weight on the rear panniers
Heart monitor – ran out of battery

We rode with all our gear including clothes, sleeping bags, tent, stove, utensils, food, water, cycle spares, on our cycles — an estimated weight of about 25 kgs (not counting the weight of the bikes, pannier racks, and bags.

It was hard work (some of the 5000 mtr passes never seem to seem to end), we had our share of broken bridges, riding trough streams, sand storm (yes, sand storm!), dust, grime, and cold, but by and large we did not get into any real trouble…

Click here to see s slideshow of Manli-Leh Cycling pictures (opens in a new window and requires Flash). You can also see individual images here.

Two riders: Sanjay Jaiman and Ajay Jaiman
September 4th to 14th, 2010

It is an absolutely incredible way to see the countryside. The slow pace of waiting for buses and hitches, or walking the mountains gives you all the time you want to experience the landscape in a whole different way — I should know because I have been through this valley multiple times before, but I saw it differently this time. And if you like landscape photography then the slow pace allows you to see the landscape again and again in changing lights too…

Some pictures from the trip:

A rather upright hill in the middle of an expansive, flat valley that jostles with lush green farms and endless bamboo groves, houses this little guest house. It just sits there whitewashed plastered bamboo walls and rusted tin roof, under a glorious blue sky and stinks to high heaven. A pity? Or perhaps a minor inconvenience for keeping the geography inaccessible to people who don’t yet know how to drive without high-beam or use a camera without flash.

An Apatani tribal woman in Arunachal Pradesh

But then you do not go the other end of the world — trust me, that is how getting there feels — to enjoy the hotel. You’d rather just stay out in the country side, spend time with the locals and get to know their customs. And this part of the world has a lot of it — inhabited by Apatani tribals, whose women have traditionally worn large nose plugs and characteristic tattoo on their face, running from the forehead to the chin. Ostensibly these practices were supposed to make their women unattractive to the males of the neighbouring tribes.

They of course make compelling portraits, and I chanced upon one such lady sitting on the ground in her doorway and busy with her housework. You could tell that her eyesight, like her tattoo was beginning to fade. I am sure she would have weathered many a storm, and now in the winter of her life she just sat there upright, and did what she had to do, with absolute dignity.

She did not seem object to my approaching her tentatively, as I often do, to ensure that I don’t infringe someone’s privacy and am always willing to apologize and quietly retreat if they express displeasure. She did not even seem self-conscious as I knelt down to make some portraits. Pleased with what I saw on the small screen of the SLR, I stepped forward to share it with her. Perhaps I crossed some cultural barrier or perhaps she mistook my advance as a threat, the old lady literally sprang up like a young martial artist and threatened to attack me with the long knife she had in her hand. I suspect she did not intend to hurt but teach me some etiquette. And I must say she succeeded, as I now approach older women folk even more carefully.

A tribal craftsman in Arunachal Pradesh

Most of these kids had never seen a camera before, let alone handle one. However, they were off to a flying start within minutes of being handed over a digital camera.

You can see the photo-documentary produced by kids in rural Karnataka, however the kids in remote Ladakh or Arunachal Pradesh had equally fascinating stories to tell.

[If you are on a slow connection the movie may take time, consider downloading the movie to your computer and viewing it after the download completes. Right click here to download the movie to your computer]

Rural kids in Karnataka working on their photo-documentary

On a test ride with pannier bags

Map and elevation profile of the cycle ride (click to enlarge)

I started riding from Ranikhet (Uttarakhand) and the plan was to ride up to Gwaldam and then turn back. Four or five days would be a long enough to give me a sense of how it really feels. It turns out that just one day was enough. There was much to learn about self-supported cycle travel. And I am sure I still have much to learn, but here is a sampler:

1. Carry less weight: No matter how strong a rider you are, carry as little weight as you can get away with. Critically evaluate every little thing in your luggage and then ask yourself again, can I do without it? Carry the smallest possible tooth paste, better still carry one that is almost ready to be thrown. If you can get something in a sachet buy it. If you can transfer it into a zip-lock, do it. I can tell you that on steep climbs you seriously start thinking about opening your bags and start throwing out all but absolute necessities. I was carrying over 30 kilos and I really had to pay for it.
2. Carry a small tent: Yes, I know, I just said carry less weight. But it appears to me that you can not really be liberated from ‘tourism’ unless you can pitch your own camp. Also see the net point.
3. Don’t try to set a scorching pace: If it is a race you like then find one. But if you think of yourself as a traveler then take it easy. Enjoy the sight and the sounds. And the smells too… When you are on a cycle, you are natural magnet and local people want to know more about you and what your are up to. It is a great opportunity to make some friends and get to know the local culture. Don’t rush. Trouble is that you are bound to be a little anxious if you have to get to a hotel 30 kms further and you are already tired and know that it may get dark before you reach. Unless of course if you have a tent.
4. Start very early and plan to finish you cycling by early afternoon: If you start early and finish early you have all the time ion the world to find a good camp site — or hotel, if you really want one, and some times you will. The other advantage of starting early is that even if you get waylaid by local sights and sounds or by mechanical trouble, or in numerous things that can and will go wrong, you will have some buffer time.
5. Plan the route and time of the year carefully: Keep in mind that in the mountains you may have to come down to a low valley before you start to climb again. In summers you often end up staying high so you climb down in the morning, and it is early afternoon by the time you are ready to cycle out of the low valley. You can’t. Or at least I couldn’t. It was way too hot, so I had to wait for the sun to start dipping. And then it was a race against time to climb out of the valley and reach the hotel on top. This may be a lesser problem if you are at very high altitudes ? for instance in Ladakh or Spiti.

Well that is what I have for now. I am sure there is much more to learn ’till then’

Slightly bemused by my adventure

Looking down at the fields

The farm at eye level

Play of light

On day two rode through rain and climbed 1,234m over 17 kms, (that’s pretty darn steep, eh!) see elevation profile. The downhill after the pass was endless — the break shoes were totally worn out, and our wrists were hurting by the time we reached down. And to top it all we narrowly missed a landslide, by minutes…

Ride stats: Cycling across the Jalori Pass (3,142m), Himachal Pradesh
Total Ascent: 2,610m
Start: Aut ( Manali Road; NH 21)
Finish: Luhri (Hindustan-Tibet Road; NH 22).
Riders – Anuj Shrivastav & Ajay Jaiman

Elevation profile of the Jalori pass cycling trip

Road map of the route (Jalori Pass, Himachal Pradesh)

Raju Bharti's guest house

home-made luge! these kids were having a blast

Ominous cloud build up

Temporary respite from rain

The climb was a real grind

The smell of rain, the clean air...

Finally. Jalori pass