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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