We're on the road and things are starting to get a bit more interesting as we enter a large gorge, with the road hugging the sheer cliff sides. Other bikes are also on this route.




A route that takes us past some shops



A typical Himalayan bridge



Barbara walks across it first with two young women who we'd been talking to




Take a deep breath, close you eyes and just go for it!




I do a demonstration ride



And mind the other traffic while you're on it


A cold drink stop is required after that riding




And then continuing along the gorge - it looks great and it is, just not particularly when there are blind bends with buses and trucks coming the other way, the food vendors pushing their carts along and of course the random cows wandering around

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Our destination for the night is the town of Mandi and our hotel is on the banks of the river, a chance to relax and enjoy watching the river whilst having a chat and a cold on the hotel terrace



We take some unorthodox routes at times



which is all part of the fun in India.
Also getting up close with some of the animals




Typical traffic on the road - this trio on their bike




A lunch stop on the banks of the river, and Jill who rows for her village gig rowing team and is always interested in all things rowing poses with an oar



Another riverside activity is this



Hanging above the rapids suspended from a couple of cables and being bounced up and down into the raging water below - it looked a lot of fun and I'd like to give it a go sometime, just ran out of time on this trip.

We'd reached Manali, the start of the trickier sections of riding and a very picturesque town



Lots to see, particularly in the old parts of town, where there are many traditional buildings

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Thanks folks, good to have you along on the ride - maybe next year Karen (duchess) you might join us for real - I've seen you in action with Si Pavey, I know you can do this

Meanwhile, in Manali, we're getting to the end of our sightseeing and I appear to be having problems with my camera



Maybe I need one of these for good luck - it's the chillies dangling from the front grille - I think it's called a puja and they're to ward off evil



Here's a close up of it


For decades, Manali has been on the Hippy Trail, and here was proof that they are still alive and kicking


A brief pause outside a hairdresser's salon - I loved the posters



We have an evening of relaxation, a meal at Chopsticks, and a wander on the streets of Manali which seem to really come to life after dark when the snow tourists are out and about.

A genuine Indian head massage is on offer here - though to be fair, it does look a bit more sinister than that.



My personal favourite were the rabbits



Kids were queuing up to hold them and have a picture taken (for a fee), though to my eye they looked a bit nasty - more General Woundwort than Thumper - I watched Watership Down at an impressionable age. They're angora rabbits which they comb and use the fur for knitting.

On the other side of the street, Barbara was in demand as a photographic model, being asked by lots of different families to pose for photos with them



off to bed early as tomorrow it's back on the bikes, as we head out of town on this bridge


__________________

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

It was time to get dirty- some off-road riding practice for my group - some of whom have only ever ridden on the smooth tarmac of the UK
we cross the bridge out of town and take to some quiet roads out of Manali





lots of concentration as I take them through gravel, sand, dust and small river crossings not to mention narrow tracks around the hillside

Past women washing clothes by the street





We arrive at Ride Inn
Just Ride Inn

A place that I'd stayed at on my way up. We parked alongside the other Enfields

where another group had just arrived back from Ladakh


We made our way up to the terrace café bar where everything is made from parts of motorbikes



Including the ashtrays

We found the map on the wall very useful
__________________






there are various inspirational travel quotes on the walls


a chance for Barbara to relax and enjoy a cold drink

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

While at Ride Inn, we got a bit star-struck when we recognised Vinod who appears in the great bike travel film One Crazy Ride


Take a look here to see more about it - some incredible bridge riding.
Dirt Track Productions - One Crazy Ride


It was time to head back into town







More confident riding all round




Safely back at the hotel, I celebrate our off-road prowess with a bottle of and a sigh of relief - I know I can get them over the Himalayas


Then out to dinner, where we are joined by Moksha Jetley - local rider, bike guide and a legend, she has just completed the gruelling ride from Leh to Manali non-stop in one day, it took her 20 hours - an incredible feat.



She is also great fun and full of energy, we enjoyed chatting to her about life in India - as a female rider.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Up early the next morning, we load up and off we head, this is the mountain that is in our sights - Rohtang.



As we leave town, the streets are lined with shops like these that cater to the snow tourists - hiring out snowsuits to those venturing up to see this strange white stuff at the top of the mountain



We start to ascend -safety barriers are an unknown concept over here



It's a beautiful ride



Then conditions start to deteriorate, we're above the tree line and the snow appears


This is when the riding really does start to get tricky


We're riding through slippery mud on the edge of a 200 foot drop with cars inching along next to us
There's a bit of a bottleneck ahead, you can see the queue of traffic waiting to get down and around the bend which is virtually snow covered.

And on the other side of the cars we hear some cheery Aussie voices


It's a honeymoon couple from Melbourne in Australia, who have chosen to ride across the Himalayas on a tandem bike.
We have time for a quick chat and then we move on, through the fast-flowing water on the corner and over the rocks and boulders that litter the ground. Far too dodgy for me to take a photo. But this is Barbara's face immediately AFTER she got through

I'm so proud of my riders getting safely through this first major obstacle.

At the top is a lot more snow

__________________

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Snow everywhere


and snow tourists as well


We'd stopped close to the top- the worst was behind us (for the moment) and we wanted to get our breath back - a bit of a mistake at 4600m where oxygen is scarce. We were also fascinated by the snow tourists who flock up here from the hot plains . Above is a picture showing racks of fur coats for rent.
and here are some of the tourists, horseback rides and sledging being just some of the varied activities on offer



we took some photos and I get well and truly photo-bombed



Hmm, a bit over-friendly, not sure if it's the rather fetching balaclava that did it for him
we found some more normal people who wanted some photos with us



The woman in yellow is on her honeymoon, accompanied by not only her new husband but also various other members of the family.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

We'd entered a whole new snowy world and we were pretty excited at reaching the top of Rohtang, knowing that we would be leaving all the endless streams of snow tourist cars behind as we descended the other side. First we had to make the most of being in the snow



Some bike and snow pictures were called for - but first we had to get into position


Result!!


I attempted to ride on snow

with limited success.


A final hurrah - we've made it. Then off down the mountain

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

The descent from Rohtang, quite different from the ascent as there is very little traffic, but the road conditions are worse.





We had some dodgy moments on river crossings, then as the snow disappeared, the mud got worse




Luckily things started to dry out - but the steep curves still meant we were unable to fully appreciate our surroundings




I was extremely impressed (and proud) with everyone's riding - with minimal off-roading experience, here they were tackling gravel and slippery mud on narrow, high roads teetering on the edge of steep precipices.


It takes a very steady nerve to do that kind of riding.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Great!!! Must get back and do this route again. The Leh to Srinagar via Zanskar is fantastic too. If only you could buy some sort of small dual-sport in India, but I guess Enfields are part of the experience.

We start to go a bit faster because we know there's a cup of tea waiting in the village at the foot of the mountain



Just a couple more water crossings




The track we're on starts to resemble more of a road


We know the village is down there somewhere, the ride is starting to feel a bit endless.


We made it, and stop at the first tea shop we spot


A welcome break with cups of tea in the sunshine and warmth - and phew, almost normal levels of oxygen in the air.
_____

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Jackets and helmets back on, we get back on the bikes


Negotiating the narrow alley past the tea shop


We were pleased to see tarmac


there were even bridges over the rivers

some more modern than others




But we still had the occasional reminder of snow


That is a massive snow bank hanging over the edge of the road.

The final approach to the village of Keylong - and our destination for the night included squeezing past a bulldozer


One bike stalled as it passed and hit the bulldozer - but these are Enfields and we think the bulldozer came off worse. It did mean that the rest of us were a bit more cautious


and before we knew it, we were checking in


We sat out on the balcony of our third floor rooms, admiring the views



Life couldn't get any better...or could it?


A plate of the best vegetable pakora I'd eaten so far

We were still at more than 3000m, and at these altitudes, and after the riding we'd done, simple tasks are tiring - hence the lying down to clean teeth!



Phew, our group had made it safely over the first big mountain pass - I could relax...at least until tomorrow.

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Early morning and we're on the road, continuing northwards and with the dreaded Baralacha La ahead of us (the scene of my high altitude blizzard ride).


To the group's delight it wasn't all gravel tracks- we did have some nice tarmac as I'd promised them



The checkpoint guy was very helpful and friendly, though he seems to have a problem smiling for the camera - he's based in a tent next to the road


There are even signposts/stones


And then it was Armaggedon - we'd reached the river crossings, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves..but rest assured that NONE of my riders dropped their bikes in the water - well done team







Barbara takes the full-steam ahead approach to any water


Another rider had a few problems and I waded in to help out


One of the scary things is the way that the other traffic didn't even pause - it ploughed on through, just a few feet from the fallen rider in fast-flowing water


And then the pillion riders appeared - as I'd walked through, I shouted advice about how strong the water was flowing and not to underestimate it


And then waded in to help them as they were in danger of being swept away.


The end result being...


Boots full of water
__________________

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

Things are still somewhat on the soggy side...



We had got through the worst of the river crossings, and were now facing lots of water on a very broken-up road - you can see how fast flowing it is as it flows over my feet.
Luckily a bridge has been constructed over this particular river



and then we found ourselves in quite a dry valley, high up above the river


A flock of sheep and goats lurked alongside the road


It always amazes me the minimal amounts of grass and how so many animals can live on it.

We'd been following road signs promising ZingZing Bar ahead, and we finally reached this oasis of roadside refreshments after many miles of nothing



The reality of ZingZing Bar is...

A roadside tent with a bench outside and no hint of alcohol


Three bowls of Maggi noodles were swiftly served up and equally swiftly consumed as we sat in the sunshine enjoying the warmth.

With a great slogan signpost next to it


It's the shortest of breaks as we've still got a rather large mountain ahead of us...plus more snow again






As we passed the frozen lake - now not quite as frozen as it had been when I passed it two weeks ago

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo

We're ascending Baralacha, accompanied by the usual slow moving lorries



Tiresome to overtake, but at least we're still on tarmac...for the moment



We're enjoying the beauty of the wintry landscape around us, and still feeling quite warm




We make it! Such a contrast to my previous visit in a raging blizzard at sub-zero temperatures. My joy at being there in such wonderful conditions is contagious and I get the others to agree to a short trek across the snow and rocks for a summit photo



Up we go

We made it!!

__________________
Tiffany
On the road from...I'm not sure any more
http://www.tiffanystravels.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAUhV1r-kUo