Plastic Phenomena

What They Don’t Tell You About Riding On The Roof Of The World . V Get ready for great roads but with 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. Although we were sure the road would go easy on us, we were aware that the heat certainly would not. Luckily we got cloudy skies with intermittent showers and sparse traffic. Whew. I’d heard that other riders had to stop every 10 to 20 kms to water themselves down to cool off from the blazing heat. Make sure you drink those Manali wines before you depart from Delhi. We’d ridden 1,500kms, 500 of them with glass wine bottles – apricot, peach, plum, strawberry & grape, all without breaking a single one – through the twists and turns of the Manali Mountains and then on Chandigarh’s traffic-ridden roads. We rode through potholes, muck and grease with the added weight. Yes, lots of care was taken. So whe...

What They Don’t Tell You About Riding On The Roof Of The World . IV  Remember… Every cloud has a silver lining. Our team-mate 40-Fit dropped out and our guide gave us a last minute notice that he would not be able to make it too. It was a disappointment, though one with a silver lining. This is how our back-up vehicle came into existence! We were 10 kms from Rhotang Pass when the bike’s front tire got punctured.   We were lucky to get some locals to put the bike onto the trailer until we got to Manali to fix said puncture. Now if we did not have a back-up vehicle in tow, we would have to shell out at least 25k to get the bike transported to Manali. There may be quite a few cars, bikes and vans, but they will not be able to help you. Most of the snow at Rhotang had melted away leaving mucky pathways with clouds blocking the way - being stranded at Rhotang will not be a fun experience. Stock up on those momos! We (well me) decided that Captain...

What They Don’t Tell You About Riding On The Roof Of The World . III   9.       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’ mindset away and ride like my granddad walks. I’d like to think that my natural instincts to embrace my old age kicked in – I conserved my energy to the point that I managed to smoke quite a few sticks and take out those ‘look, I reached the top, mom!’ photographs with ease.   10.   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 on your ride to Sarchu, you really don’t want to expose your delicate nether bits to it, do you? ...

What They Don’t Tell You About Riding On The Roof Of The World . II 5.        Always pay heed to the more experienced man (or woman!) Listen to the team mate who’s done more trips around India and 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. The charming (Army) Para-Military Col. we had the fortune of meeting advised us to do the same, and regaled us with tales on how he rode non-stop for two days to reach his base. The extreme training that all army personnel go through made that ride a breeze! That being said, warnings must be paid attention to, even the most severe, as there is quite a distinct possibility it could happen to you and if it does, you will be prepared for it – ...