The kick of driving through the mountains!

N. Bhadran Nair is basically a science writer. However, for the last few years, he has developed a new hobby—that of a biker. He loves to travel long distances on his motorcycle. Recently, he undertook a long journey from Delhi to Lahaul-Spiti, most of which was done on motorcycle. We requested him to take a break from his science writing and write a travelogue for our readers, which narrates his adventures on motorcycle. He provided us the following piece which is accompanied by beautiful photographs.

The kick of driving through the mountains!

N. Bhadran Nair

High adrenaline adventures are considered to be the forte of the youth, of course with exceptions. Usually once a person crosses the active age of 60, his or her mental and physical faculties decline and they prefer to retire to a laid-back life. But that is the real life when you have the time to venture out and explore the world, in whatever way you chose. It can be travelling to see places, indulge in all those hobbies close to your heart, but kept aside amidst the familial responsibilities.

What I preferred post-60 is travel and adventure – adventure on two-wheeler. First, I ventured out for an ambitious plan of driving upto Kanyakumari, cruising close to 3,000 kilometres and back, with a close friend. I was a novice in biking, but my companion was an expert. Unfortunately, we could only reach upto Bengaluru, as exertion took a toll on my skills.

It took another one year to return to long ride and the second venture was to go to the mountains and valleys of the Himalayas – through Lahaul-Spiti. This time, we were four and we did it. All rode in unison for eight days, covering over 1500 kilometres through finely laid roads to off-roads and no-roads with boulders. Some stretches were treacherous – high mountains on one side and deep gorges on the other along Sutluj and its tributary Spiti rivers. The high mountainous roads seek cent percent concentration of all your faculties as a minor slip of the tyre would take you deep down, with no chance of survival.

We planned for a rather leisure ride seeing places along the way. The first stop-over was Shimla and our third companion joined us from there. From Shimla to Rampur, Rampur to Nako, Gue Village, Tabo, Kaza Valley, Hikkim, Chicham Bridge, Ki Monastery, etc. Spiti Valley is home to several wonders that make for a lifetime experience.

Since our mission was not adventure, but exploration of the Himalayan region and the cultural heritage of the mountainous habitation, we used alternate means of transport, where it was indeed difficult to cruise on the bike.

While the southern region of Himachal Pradesh receives heavy rains and prone to cloudburst and landslides, Lahaul-Spiti is rugged, high-altitude terrain, with desertified barren landscapes. The deep valleys and steep cliffs offer stunning views of the Himalayas with Jammu and Kashmir and the Tibetan region of China on the western and northern border.   

The long-winding roads with cliffs on one side and gorges on the other side, give a stunning view of the Himalayan mountains in between and fruit-laden apple orchards along its lower reaches and valleys.

The road from Rampur took us to Nako in Hangrang Valley, surrounded by a backdrop of stark, brown mountains and snow-capped peaks in the distance providing a visual experience.

At a distance, you can also view Kinnaur Kailasa, which according to Hindu scriptures is the abode of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is the fourth important among a group of peaks collectively known as Panch Kailasa or Five Kailash - Mount Kailash, Adi Kailash, Sikhar Kailash, Kinnaur Kailash and Manimahesh Kailash. Situated at a height of over 6,000 metres, the peak is considered sacred for both Hindus and Buddhists alike.  

Nako is home to one of the highest villages in the valley with a lake and a Buddhist monastery attracting visitors. The monastery was established in the 11th Century by Lochen Rinchen Zangpo, who played a key role in translating Buddhist scriptures. The murals, sculptures and scriptures reflect the region’s rich cultural heritage and the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition. The monastery’s architecture blends traditional Kinnauri and Tibetan style, with ornately carved wooden pillars and pagoda-style roofs. It stands as a testament to the cultural exchange between the region and Tibet, especially in art and philosophy.

The next destination was Gue Village, a few kilometres from the India-China Border. China claimed this village as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Almost 10,000 feet above sea level, the remote village houses a monastery and a mummy of a medieval Buddhist Monk from Tibet.

The discovery of the self-mummified Monk named Sangha Tenzin was accidental after an earthquake in the region in 1975. It was discovered during the excavation of the bunker by Indo Tibetan Border Police, who secure the border areas. Research by a group of international scientists reveal the mummy is over 500 years old and no chemical preservatives were used. Carbon tests by Professor Victor Mair, an anthropologist from the University of Pennsylvania, USA revealed the mummy dates to 1475 AD.

Tabo, 40 kms from Gue Village is yet another place of religious importance to the Buddhists. It is believed to have been built over a 1000 years ago by the Tibetan Buddhist translator Rinchen Zangpo. After an earthquake in 1975, the monastery was rebuilt and now maintained by Archaeological Survey of India as a national historic treasure of India. The 14^th Dalai Lama held the Kalachakra ceremonies in 1983 and 1996 and Tabo Monastery.

The penultimate destination of our adventure bike ride was Kaza, the sub-divisional headquarters of the remote Spiti Valley in western Himachal Pradesh. Saddled by brown mountains on both sides and situated on the banks of Spiti River, a tributary of Sutlej River Kaza is surrounded by several key places of interests, like Ki Monastery, Buddha Statue of Langza, Chicham hanging bride, Komic Village, the highest village in the world connected with motorable road at an altitude of 4,587 metres and Hikkim, where world’s highest post office is functioning.

Ki Monastery (also spelled as Key) was founded by Dromton, the chief disciple of Buddhist master Srijnana Dipankara Atisha and the founder of Reting Monastery in the 11^th Century. The monastery was destroyed several times by Mangolis, Dogras and Sikh armies. In 1975, it was ravaged by a fire and damaged in an earthquake, but was restored by the Archaeological Survey of India and the Public Works Department of Himachal Pradesh.

From Kaza, our final destination was Manali. The perilous road forced us to pack our bikes to two Mahindra Pickup vans and travel on it. Manali however received us with rains and we had to evacuate the land-slide prone area early the next day morning. 

N. Bhadran Nair has wide-ranging industry experience both in government and private media, ranging from broadcasting, television, and digital platforms. He currently writes mostly on science and technology and edits a digital journal named Indian Science Journal.