After a day's rest and exploring in Manali town, I start for Leh. Rotang is the first pass in himalayas that I have to cross; Rohtang means 'pile of corpses'. Soon I will be facing death.
Winter had already arrived in the Himalayan regions and it seemed that I was bit late to do the Manali to Leh ride. My first point of halt and today's destination is Rohtang. It's a mountain pass that closes down in winter, due to snow fall and ice formed, which apparently closes the road connectivity. Little did I know what I had to face today, what it means to be cold.
The initial stretch of road from Manali-Leh Highway was a death trap. The roads were broken due to landslides. However, after initial stretch the roads got better and I was enjoying some of the best Mountains and valley views of my life.
I met the first bicycle tourist in my entire life. His name is Petras and he was from Greece. He gave me few tips on how to ride uphills, especially with luggage on. I was still learning how to use a geared bicycle. He advised me to use more of the endurance muscles rather than using the power muscles of the legs.
I had met Petras while having lunch and he left soon after lunch. I didn't see him anymore that day. He was a very good climber and zoomed away as I watched him finishing my lunch.
The oxygen was getting low and I was feeling it slowly, as I climbed the mighty mountains. It was pitch dark when I reached Rohtang pass. The wind was making the temperature drop and I felt cold seeping into my bones. My palm and feet were almost numb. It was windy and I don't know how I did I pitch the tent and got inside and quickly jumped into my sleeping. Now that felt warm for a while.
With the wind blowing, the temperature was soon getting low and my sleeping bag was not good enough for subzero temperatures. I was freezing. My feet went very cold even inside the sleeping bag and I couldn't sleep in the night.
Suddenly, I heard a tapping sound on top of the tent. I started to wonder what's happening.
Winter had already arrived in the Himalayan regions and it seemed that I was bit late to do the Manali to Leh ride. My first point of halt and today's destination is Rohtang. It's a mountain pass that closes down in winter, due to snow fall and ice formed, which apparently closes the road connectivity. Little did I know what I had to face today, what it means to be cold.
The initial stretch of road from Manali-Leh Highway was a death trap. The roads were broken due to landslides. However, after initial stretch the roads got better and I was enjoying some of the best Mountains and valley views of my life.
I met the first bicycle tourist in my entire life. His name is Petras and he was from Greece. He gave me few tips on how to ride uphills, especially with luggage on. I was still learning how to use a geared bicycle. He advised me to use more of the endurance muscles rather than using the power muscles of the legs.
I had met Petras while having lunch and he left soon after lunch. I didn't see him anymore that day. He was a very good climber and zoomed away as I watched him finishing my lunch.
The oxygen was getting low and I was feeling it slowly, as I climbed the mighty mountains. It was pitch dark when I reached Rohtang pass. The wind was making the temperature drop and I felt cold seeping into my bones. My palm and feet were almost numb. It was windy and I don't know how I did I pitch the tent and got inside and quickly jumped into my sleeping. Now that felt warm for a while.
With the wind blowing, the temperature was soon getting low and my sleeping bag was not good enough for subzero temperatures. I was freezing. My feet went very cold even inside the sleeping bag and I couldn't sleep in the night.
Suddenly, I heard a tapping sound on top of the tent. I started to wonder what's happening.
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