DAY 5 Kaza-Tapri

Day5 -Time to Return back to home

 

To read this log from begining click HERE
Previous night was very cold.Me and Jaimaca(hotel owner) had a very long conversation.He had hosted many groups from around the world in his humble hotel.
He also discussed another BCMT member Abhishek (author of Blanket of Snow).
Sleep had taken over my tired body very quickly and easily.
Few hours of sound sleep what i need and ready to face the gruelling run back home for next 48 hours.
No water in hotel.So going to perform early morning rituals with toilet papers was impossible for me.You know we are like this.
So no early morning rituals in the morning.India is wide open.
How would scooter behave in that sub zero temp?
You are right!!!Tantrums.Tantrums for being abandoned it in the open,freezing cold parking lot.It was little Naaraaz.
I had to persude it with lots of kicks.Scooter took it sweet revenge by making me breathless at 3800 Meters altitude.
Jaimaca was against starting my journey so early.But i assured him that i am fully prepared and I have come here to face the hardships and difficulties.It is an opportunity for me.
Road after Kaza was open so i decided to venture little ahead and reached next village Rangrik.I could have gone further but i came back from Rangrik itself so that i can reach Pio today.

My hotel at Kaza

Day 4 Nako to Kaza part 3

To read this travelogue from begining click HERE

I am currently at Lidang village engaged in a conversation with a boy returning after his Ski practice in adjacent snow fields.I shared some ski tips with him and told him about right tecnique to Ski which I learnt during my Ski course at Auli back in 1998.
Kaza was still 10 kms away and time was around 4.30 pm.Ok boy,time to take you leave.Nice to have words with you.
Vistas around Kaza were casting a spell on me infusing a fresh energy.My only concern was the availability of hotel.Cold was very harsh in the evening.As I was riding towrads Kaza,i saw some kids waving at me asking me to come to them.Some kids were playing cricket at the periphery of Kaza.It was snow everywhere,how could they find such a vast open space to play cricked?I manouvered my scooter towards them and surprised to discover that actually it was a helipad turned into cricket ground.It was opposite to new circuit house.Spent some wonderful moments among the kids who all were amazed at sighting of a scooter.A kid also snapped some picture of mine at Helipad.

Spitian Antarctica

Day 4 Nako-Kaza part 2

Day-4 Nako to Kaza contd part 2

I wanna keep day 4 very relaxed for many reason-

To read this travelogue from begining click HERE

Firstly,its is only 110 kms to be covered during the whole day.No need to hurry.Hurry makes worry,true.Secondly,i am among the most desolated part of my ride.Feeling of being alone,insignificant among here was evoking a strange sense of thoughtlessness in me.I was enjoying such state.Thidly,photography bhi toh karni hai bhai logon.Itni door aya kis liye hoon.Sirf scooter chalaane.Each curve on the road was compelling me to apply brakes and bring out the camera.
Then came Sichlling village.Some kids were playing cricket in the middle of the road.As soon as they saw me riding they started shouting “scooter scooter scooter”.
A gentleman waved me to stop and advised me to relax there.He was itching to have a conversation with someone.
We started chatting and he introduced himself as a govt doctor posted in Spiti.He belonged to Punjab.His job was to visit remote villages of Spiti.He shared many interesting experience with like how once he visited Kibber in 6 feet snow,he had to cross a river on a hand pulled trolly to reach Chicham village.
He had been there for 12 years and visited almost all the remotest villages.He advised me not to come here again as there is nothing to enjoy.lol.I realized that Profession kills the passion.Time to say good bye to soft spoken doctor and move ahead.Nice talking it was.

Scenes on the road

DAY4 Nako to Kaza part 1

To read this travelogue from begining click HERE

Spending night at Nako was quite an experience.
Dhaba owner and two other men played gamble till late in the night.It was their favorite pass time during winter months.Venue of gamble keep changing,Women serve them wine,chai.This is how they spent the long punishing winter by sitting near bukhari and playing THOLO.
A Young boy from Meerut was also staying at Dhaba.
He sells cloth in different villages.His knowledge about Spiti and its people was quite impressive.He told me many things about Spitian people.Later we both visited the Nako lake togather.
He told me that a a new road is being bulit near Yanhthang village.Once completed,Nako would no more be an important place instead Leo and Yangthag will come into picture.This new road goes to Kaza.
A local from Chango village was also with me.He joined us for our Nako visit and treated us with hot cup of tea in Nako village.Tea was procured from one of his relatives in the village.Sipping tea in the street of Nako was an amazing experience.He told me that many girls from Chango village is married to the boys from Nako.
Time is now around 8 am.
Enough of Nako and I ignited the Bravo.My frozen water bottle was indicating the sub zero temp at night.
Scooter threw some tantrum.It was its coldest night.Finally scooter came to life after making me breathless.
Today is day to assault Kaza and see the real Spiti en route.
Adieu Nako.
Just after Nako,devilish Malling raises his head before me.Offered a prayer at the temple built by BRO workers and crossed road under the dreary Malling mound.But it was as pacified and seemed in slumber.
Downhill descent starts and scooter rolled down on its own.
Village Chango(17 kms from Nako) is my next halt to get my scooter registered and some breakfast.
Cops were very amused to see a scooter all the way from Delhi.
Chango is at much lower altitude and yields high quality apples.While chit chatting with dhaba owner at Chango I came to know that rich apples crop has given birth to many millionaires in the village.

Negi Dhaba at Nako Helipad

Day 3-Tapri-Pooh-Khab-Nako

To read this story from begining click HERE

Woke up early and saw that few people have arrived in Sai guest house later in the night after a slept.Completed my routine morning tasks and came outside carrying all my luggage and tied it on scooter parked on the road.It was still dark and day was just breaking.No one was there.No shop open yet.I was feeling itch for a hot cuppa,actually two cuppas.:P

Luggage was secured tightly on scooter and after that starting of scooter  in cold morning took my breath away.After many attempts,scooter finally came to life and i was able to start my ride towards Powari,towards Pooh,towards Spiti valley….my final destination.

Powari is very small place on NH and a petrol pump is there but today it is put of stock and only option left for me is go to Reckong Peo and fill the tank and also buy spare fuel for 400 kms as petrol pump at Kaza may not have petrol.Peo is approx 13 kms from Tapri and off the main NH.Its steep narrow road between Powari and Peo.I went to Peo and luckily found petrol there but power was out.So i had to wait for sometime and finally refill my scooter and also jerry can for further journey.

Going to reckong Peo for petrol

Day1,2- Delhi to Solan and Solan to Tapri.

To read this log from begining click HERE

Now let me unfold the story of my solo debut scooter ride to winter Spiti valley in March 2011
First day was very anxious as i was not aware of how i and scooter perform on long journey.I was simply clueless about this fact and was ready to return back half way if any problem pop up.Surprisingly Machine and me both were enjoying early morning 5 AM breeze on NH1.Suddenly gear wire snapped bang on Murthal flyover.Time 6 am,no mechanic.Drove to Gannaur continuously in fourth gear.Two hours wasted.Somehow found a mechanic mobile no written on shop and called him to fix the problem.Labour charges 20 rs.I am again good to go.No pic on this day.
Day 2 was butt burning,hand aching and neck breaking.Reason,road from Simla to Narkand is hell.There is no road and my poor scooter with zero shock absorber and small tyres was breaking each bone of body and i was repenting my scooter decision.
Finally halted at Sai guest house Tapri near Wangtoo dormitory for 100 rs and meal at 35 rs two sabji and unlimited rotis.
Note-most of the pics are self portraits shot with timer and camera placed on road,milestones,scooter’s seat hence lacking the quality and poor in composition.
Route=Delhi-Panipat-Ambala-Zirakpur-Kalka-Parwanoo-Shogi-Solan
Delhi to Solan -320 Kms Approx
Solan to Tapri distance-240 kms approx
Route=Kufri-Theog-Narkanda-Rampur on NH 22 also called Hindustan-Tibet Road.

Somewhere near Rampur

Sai Guest House,Tapri.JP Power Project workers were staying there

Spiti Scooter Ride-Foreword

FOREWORD

Almost zero experience in long riding.
No riding gear.
An 11 eleven years old scooter fit only to be scrapped.
Out of three tyres,two are near bald.
I had a fall then had a second fall.
Got stalled in the middle of water crossing with shoes submerged in chilly water.
Had a puncture.
Had to drive in night to find a hotel.
And guys it was still winter out there.
Butts kept burning all the time.
But I finally made it.Against all odds,I rode to Dreamland

Spiti valley has always been a fascination since my childhood days when we used to subscribe NAV BHARAT TIMES newspaper at home.The news that tribal region of Lahau-Spiti is cut off from rest of the world due to heavy snow fall(हिमाचल परदेश के जनजातीय इलाको लाहौल और स्पीती का संपर्क भारी बर्फ़बारी के कारण देश के बाकी हिस्स्सो से कट गया है).This news created a long lasting curiosity.This childhood urge to see Spitian life in those hostile winter months was hard to resist and compelled me to ride there in March.

Inspiration Sources-Salil and Dixit’s winter ride to Spiti.A Different Spiti
.That log is instrumental in making me aware that Spiti is reachable in winter.Thanks Salil,thanks Dixit.And the final nail in coffin was this report of three scooters doing Comic village of Spiti.This report is the real inspiration behind my decision to take my scooter to Spiti.Thanks to these three muskeeteers as well. Spiti on Scooter

Moral booster–Pragya,my wife.

Friends,presenting before you,the story of my solo scooter ride to winter Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh which I undertook in the last week of March 2011.I started my ride from my home in Delhi and completed this solo ride in 6 days and reached till Rangrik village beyond Kaza.