Tuesday 15th July 2014, Nako-Tabo The most pleasant day so far. It was initially steep up to the Malling Slide area (notorious for regular landslides and road closures), a climb of around 200m vertical up to 3800m. The last section was steep sand and rocks, not rideable, but (which the exception of a particularly offensive …
I’ve been here for three days now and am feeling largely recovered from my exertions on the way up. I’ve spent the time sleeping, eating, reading, catching up on my blog, and wandering around taking pictures. It’s a nice place to while away a few days. I’ll be back on the road tomorrow, on to …
Thursday 10th July 2014, Kalpa – Dubling 76.9 km, 9.7 kph, 559 km to date I ate breakfast in Kalpa and coasted down to Reckong Peo. The internet cafe which had had no access the previous day was available for business now and I fired off an email home to let those that cared that …
Late start, about 10:30, after a breakfast in town (the cook from the Mehta Resort had gone to visit his family in Rampur for a few days). Straightforward downhill to Kircham, much easier than on the way up! Back in the Sutlej valley, the road followed the north side of the river with a nice …
This is my fifth day here; time to get back on the road. After my dismal performance on the ‘ride’ up to Sangla, I had a very low-key day, resting up around my hotel. My legs are sore. On the next day, I wandered around Sangla. Not much to write home about; typical small Indian …
1st July, Tapri – Sangla Day 9 riding/pushing Distance: 37.30 km, Average Speed: 5.96 kph, Total: 396 km 2300m, somewhere between Tapri and Kircham, 12:40pm I found a passable hotel (as in one that would be easy to ride past if there were alternatives) in Tapri so decided to stay. Good thing, as it …
30th June, Jeori – Tapri Day 8 riding Distance: 44.9 km, Average Speed: 9.7 kph, Total: 358 km On the road at 8:30, after a hotel breakfast of parantha and chai. Climbing on a good surface. There is more evidence of hydro-electric projects. These projects are criticised by the authors of the standard travelers’ guidebooks …
I left the hotel at 7:00 am and rode (wobbled, more like, now that I had a load again) up to Chail, where I stopped for two cups of chai at the first place open. There were a few people about and the town had a pleasant relaxed feel to it. Setting off again, I …
9:30 am Sitting on a bench at Baijnath Paprola (again) I had a relaxed, although early, start to the day. I left the Hotel Uhl at about 6:30 and walked halfway to the station before a young man on a motor cycle stopped and offered me a ride. I was in no rush but why …
From Macleodganj, I got a taxi to Kangra Mandir railway station, the nearest point on the narrow gauge railway line from Pathankot to Joginder Nagar. More precisely, I took a taxi as far as it could get down narrow lanes until it could go no further, then walked across a suspension bridge and through more …
21 May 2013 Back here again, after only 23 years. It is a much busier place than I remember, the central square (the size of a small roundabout) clogged with four or five cars and trucks everyone leaning on their horn. Shops with bright lights all around the ‘square.’ Not a great first impression. …
Triund 23rd-24th May 2013 I have only vague recollections of a day hike I made from Macleodganj in 1990. If it weren’t for the old and deteriorating slides I have in a box in my basement in Canada, I might have misplaced the memory altogether. Fortunately not. I do remember it was a special day, …