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 In
the far North Western corner of India is the remote region of Spiti which
offers unrivalled opportunities for the keen cyclist. This predominantly
Tibetan area boasts 1000 year old monasteries inhabited by monks whose
every face can tell a hundred stories. It's like drifting back in
life a couple of centuries.
The riding is on sealed and dirt roads with a mixture of gradual ascents,
steep switchbacks, mellow freewheeling, fast blasts, and mind-blowing
views.
Getting
There
Jump on a plane and soar into Delhi. Mrs Colaco's Guest House (3 Janpath
Lane) is an excellent low budget place to stay. An 18hr (overnight) bus
ride from hell takes you north to Manali. Avoid "the people factor" and
buy your ticket from Hari Travels, Shop A, Hotel - The Connaught Palace.
The fare is 350R, plus an extra 5R to put your bike on the roof where
it's safely tarped down for the whole journey.
Around
Manali
Manali lies at the head of the lush Kulu Valley in the mainly Hindu State
of Himachal Pradesh. To get your biking legs going after all that bus
and plane travel, take a day trip up to Solang village and on up the Solang
Nallah (river). Or for an over nighter cruise down the left bank of the
Beas River to Bhuntar. Hang a left into the Parbati Valley and continue
up to the hot springs at Manikaran. Taking the bus trip to the top is
an exhilarating experience too - the drivers get into rally driving on
the narrow road which hangs over a deep gorge way below. The downhill
ride speaks for itself - but listen out for the loud honk of an approaching
bus around the corner.
 Through
Spiti
Starting from Manali, the trip through Spiti can be done in either direction.
To tackle the high passes first and enjoy a gradual downhill cruise through
Spiti is probably best. Allow two days to get to the top of the Rohtang
Pass (3980m), the Gateway to the Himalaya. You can stay in the rest house
at Marrhi (3320m) on the way up. A series of switchbacks takes you down
to Gramphu at the base of the Pass. Take a right into the Chandra Valley
(left leads to Ladakh and Leh) and continue towards the Kunzum Pass. It's
a couple of days gradual climbing to get up the Kunzum (4551m). Chatru
and Batal on the way both have tea stalls for the standard rice, chapatti
and dahl meals - rely on your tent for somewhere to stay. The top of the
pass is marked by a temple, a chorten of stones and a colourful array
of Tibetan flags. This is the entrance into Spiti. Time to disengage brain
and select top gear for some of that big ring thing.
Lying in the rain shadow of the Himalayan chain, Spiti has an arid landscape
creating a moon-like appearance. The feeling while cycling through there
is one of total isolation, occasionally broken by the sight of a small
village or a monastery - locally known as a gompa and usually perched
high on a hill with a brilliant view.
Kaza
(3660m)
is the district head quarters of Spiti, and being so close to the Chinese
border you'll need a permit to go any further. Allow at least a day in
Kaza for the paper work and being shuffled from one office to another.
You'll have to fight to get a 15 day permit rather than the standard 5.
Carry at least 3 pp sized photos with you. Depending which rules suit
on the day you could be told that a permit is only available in Recong
Peo.
Ki Monastery, Dankar Gompa
and the 1000 year old Tabo Monastery are all worthwhile visiting. It is
possible to stay at Ki and Dankar. The monks will cook you a basic meal
- usually barley of some description.
Allow at least a week to cruise through Spiti to Recong Peo (2290m). It's
a gradual descent following the Sutlej River and there is some impressive
engineering with the road often hanging above the gorge below. Recong
Peo is a larger town, and the place to obtain your permit if doing this
trip in reverse. Close by is the town of Kalpa. You can feast on great
sunsets and impressive views of Kina Kailash (6000m) from the balcony
of the one and only guest house there.
Continuing down the Sutlej River Gorge,
the towns become increasingly busy and the people more typically Hindu.
You eventually arrive in Simla - an important hill station and "summer
capital of India" in the days of the British Raj. You could end your trip
here and catch the train back to Delhi. To continue back to Manali, it's
two days up Jalori Pass (3223m) and down through forests of Indian chestnuts
to Aut, and then up the Kulu Valley to Manali via the quieter left bank.
Biking is the best way to discover the pulse of India.
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