What they don’t tell you about riding on the Roof of the World
You can do your
planning & packing in half an hour.
A 6
day motorbike voyage to the Land of the Llamas can be packed for and flights
booked in 30 minutes. But make sure your team consists of trusted &
adventurous mates.
Those who have
gone before you will give you the most apt advice.
They will tell
you it will be cold, that you won’t be able to keep up with the other riders
and among other gems - you can’t smoke at high altitudes. Choose not to listen
to that. Instead get those essential tips from people who’ve been there.
Know your
Airports.
The Bombay
airport will graciously provide free Wi-Fi; police officers will smile while
giving you directions. Strangers will tell you how to get to the smoking room
in the quickest way possible, and the airport bar will make lone women
travellers feel safe and welcome.
Always pay heed
to the more experienced man (or woman!)
Listen to a team
mate who’s done more trips around the world than you. His advice will make the
difference between you getting carried away to hospital on a helicopter, or
coming back home without a single fall or mishap.
I was advised to
sit tight and drink plenty of water. The constant drinking and minimized
exertion helped me deal with the onset of AMS.
You can light up
at 17,480 ft.
Just make sure
you don’t jump up and down like a silly idiot trying to get the best shot to
put up on your social networking page. First ride through the 15,400 ft plateau
of More plains like the cops are chasing you – fast, don’t forget to bank
though! Then put that ‘teenager on speed’ mind-set away and ride like my
granddad walks.
Don’t forget
that toilet paper.
At 14,000ft it’s
cold enough for your fingers to freeze. As pretty as those crystal clear glacier
springs look, you really don’t want to expose your delicate nether bits to it.
So make sure you
get more than one toilet roll… and strap them, tie them, hang them or just
plain shove them in your bag, but for heaven’s sake don’t forget to take them
with you!
Ride that extra
mile for a better tent.
Don’t just jump
off your bike in delight as soon as you hit Sarchu. Numb butt aside, you endure
that a little more and get your sweet numb ass to those luxury tents.
We did, and were
rewarded with a huge tent containing a bed above the freezing ground with a
separate compartment housing a very comfy WC.
Big Chief say Ride like wind – run from sun.
Considering that
the Siachen Glacier is 76 kms, the ‘smaller’ ones could still swallow you
whole. So do all your admiring of Sarchu the day before and set off as early as
you can the next morning.
You’re free to
be a joker, a smoker or a midnight toker at Manali.
We were welcomed
into the realm of grade-A weed into a hotel that overlooked a multitude of grade-A
greenies. At 4000ft, cigarettes were a pleasure to imbibe and we stocked up on
those wines.
Take a breather
before you ride to Chandigarh.
We set off
pretty late from Manali and rode through never-ending twists and turns, all
filled with gravel, oil spills and rude trucks. With 300 odd kms left to
complete, we decided to stop at the first bed n’ breakfast. Non-stop riding can
challenge some of the most seasoned riders, so go easy on yourself and take
that rest.
Get ready for
great roads but high temperatures.
From a jarring
introduction to Chandigarh with potholed roads for 20kms it was a welcome
relief to ride on the smooth roads of the plains. Luckily we got cloudy skies
with intermittent showers and sparse traffic; or the heat would’ve slowed us
down considerably.
Make friends
with those waiters in the long-distance trains.
We left Delhi by
train and the smoking restrictions are pretty harsh. So in utter desperation you
could do what I did, get a waiter to keep a watch out for the powers that be.
Lastly... what
they don’t tell you above all is…
Fellow travellers will help you out willingly.
You could lose at least up to 10kgs walking up
staircases!
You’ll get to sample the best cinnamon tea in the world.
So go on and get those shoes and leg armour soaked in
that icy cold river, it will dry. Swim in the happy vibes, smiling does cure
grumpy team-mates.
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