Dr. Rakesh Verma, head, department of Physical Education, G.G.D.S.D. College, sector 32, Chandigarh was on a solo cycling expedition to Spiti for covering the Spiti Circuit (Shimla – Narkanda – Rampur Bushar – Karcham – Pooh – Nako – Tabo – Kaza – Kee Monastery – Chicham Bridge – Losar – Kunzum Pass – Chatru – Gramphu – Manali). I decided to cover the Spiti Circuit this summer because of its picturesque and adventurous terrain which is full of challenges that test you both physically and mentally. Many people from all parts of India and abroad cover the circuit on motor cycles or four wheelers, but covering it on my bi-cycle was an adventurous dream I had nurtured in the recent past. I had learnt that the route remained out of bound and closed for traffic for almost eight months from October to May, due to heavy snow fall on Kunzum Pass and the route towards Manali, passing through Chhatru and Gramphu. Therefore, I decided to complete the circuit during the summer break. During the excursion, I had the privilege to visit the monasteries at Nako, Tabo and Kee.
I was riding my Mountain Terrain Bike (MTB). I was carrying 2 extra tubes, puncture kit, gear wires, brake wires and tool kit to meet the basic mending requirements.
Preparation: It required a higher level of physical fitness to go on a long distance cycling tour like this. Being a national level basketball player and a physical education teacher, I had a fair idea of fitness development for such endeavor. Therefore, I undertook regular cycling training sessions to ‘Morni Hills’ and ‘Parwanoo’ for almost three months. These preparatory sessions provided me the much needed strength and cardio trainings required for undertaking such an endeavor.
The Plan: Originally, I had planned to cover the circuit in 10 days, but my extra efforts on day 1 of paddling and later the weather circumstances on last leg of the circuit, cut it by 2 days and I ended up covering the circuit in eight days. My solo cycling expedition started on May 31, 2024 from Shimla and ended at Manali on June 7, 2024 thus covering a distance of about 620 kms. This exhilarating high altitude and challenging terrain route tested my physical endurance and mental toughness as I passed through the beautiful landscapes, rough terrains, water streams and uphill climbs at high altitude in one of the distant regions in the country. There are three major uphill climbs on this circuit. The first is from Shimla to Kufri, the second from Khab to Malling Nala and the third from Losar to Kunzum Pass. I found the second climb from Khab to the Malling Nala to be most demanding and challenging followed by climb to Kunzum pass and Kufri.
Day 1: On May 30, 2024, the very first day of our summer break, I moved to Shimla along with my ‘Mountain Terrain Bike’ (MTB) (Terrain Ten model from the Raleigh brand) on a personal vehicle. Next morning, I woke up at 4.00 a.m. and after quickly finishing the morning chores, was on the wheels around 5.00 a.m. As I had fresh muscles, I reached the designated destination for day one ‘Narkanda’ around 11.30 a.m. After quickly rescheduling the plan and in order to make use of the remaining day light, I promptly decided to move to Rampur Bushar, where I eventually reached by 5.00 p.m. despite the scorching heat of Sun and saved a day.
Day 2 & 3: The next two days from Rampur Bushar to Karcham Dam and from Karcham Dam to Pooh were also spent paddling under the mercy of Lord Sun, who perhaps in an attempt to check my physical and mental toughness was burning extra hydrogen. On day two, I entered Kinnaur District and clicked photos at the famous ‘Rock Tunnel’.
Day 4: Day four was a physically demanding day despite a relatively small distance of about 40 kms from Pooh to Nako. I had to ascend the toughest climb of the trip, going from 8000 feet at Khab (confluence of Spiti and Sutlej rivers) to 12000 feet at Nako. Though, I reached Nako by 2.30 p.m. after an early morning start from Pooh, I felt sapped and drenched due to intense heat and lot of muscular efforts. At Nako, I had the opportunity to meet the contingent of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh consisting of five teachers and 18 students, who were returning after completing their cycling expedition from Shimla to Kaza. A stroll to Nako Lake in the evening was a gratifying and re-energizing experience.
Day 5 & 6: The fifth and sixth days of cycling from Nako to Tabo and from Tabo to Key Village near Kaza were relatively less demanding, regardless of not so well maintained road.
Day 7: The highlight of day seven was reaching Chicham Bridge, known to be the Asia’s highest bridge at an altitude of 13596 feet. It was June 6, 2024 and I was celebrating my 53rd birthday away from my family and friends. But, the feeling of loneliness if any, and the absence of my family and friends was compensated by the valleys, landscapes and the breeze of accomplishment that passed by my mind. The day ended up at Losar as planned. The traffic beyond Losar was not allowed to go further towards Manali after 2.00 p.m. due to security reasons.
Day 8: Starting early from Losar, I reached Kunzum Pass in about three hours by covering an uphill climb of about 19 kms. Kunzum Pass is one of the highest motorable mountain passes in India and is about 15000 feet above the sea level. My eyes got damp as I offered obedience at the Kunzum Stupas. The eighth day was supposed to be the penultimate day but, it ended up being the culminating day of my journey. The weather throughout the trip was clear as anticipated except on June 7, 2024, when, I was riding from ‘Kunzum Pass’ to ‘Gramphu’. I had moved about 20 kms ahead of ‘Batal’ (a small stoppage at the base of Kunjum Pass) towards Manali, when the weather changed gears very quickly and the valley covered with envelop of clouds. In no time, I found myself caught in a light spell of showers that was swiftly followed by snowfall. Guessing the nature of nature, I gazed for a shelter but in vain. Looking at the road conditions, I could easily guess that a refuge was at least one and a half cycling hours away on either side of the road. Trying to stay calm and focused, I took out my cycling raincoat from my bag. I continued cycling for about 5 minutes in snowfall before I realized that conditions could go out of hand as the traffic on that stretch reduced very quickly post afternoon and it was almost 2.00 p.m. Moreover, my feet were already wet as I had failed to successfully cross one of the many pots of land that were filled with water. Now, I had a concern at hand as mobile network was also not available between ‘Losar’ and ‘Gramphu’, consequently, help was not possible in case of an emergency. That was the time I realized the first disadvantage of solo cycling as I had no backup support system. While planning the trip, I had comprehended such a scenario and had decided to seek assistance from the other travelers considering them as my backup. So, before the situation could go out of hand, I decided to seek assistance from the other travelers. I was lucky that a couple of Traveler Vans approached and promptly offered help on my request. My destination for the day ‘Gramphu’ was still more than 30 kms away, which I covered on the Traveler Van. And, when I was back on the saddle in the evening, I had fresher legs that helped me to paddle quickly to Solang Nalah in Manali through the Atal Tunnel. One of my old students from Manali arranged accommodation for me at Solang Nalah, where I settled for the night. Thus, another day of my cycling was cut; otherwise it would have taken me one more day to travel from Gramphu to Manali. Next afternoon, I took a Volvo from Manali and reached Chandigarh in the evening.
Though the trip was a sheer test of physical and mental toughness, it filled the sack of my memories with gratitude, contentment and accomplishment that I would cherish for the years to come. I owe gratitude to the local people en-route for their hospitality during the home stay. My mind is also filled with memories of encouragement from the people, who stopped, enquired and offered support. Last but not the least, I am genuinely thankful to my family and friends, who offered unconditional moral support and honored my decision of accepting this daunting task. I have received the souvenirs in the form of tanning on my face, hands and legs and really cherish showing these to my friends. I believe that with a little spark of adventure and an appropriate bodily conditioning along with proper gear and equipment, one can undertake and conquer this heroic ride and can craft memories for lifetime.
Previous Cycling Trips: In the last summer vacation I travelled from Srinagar to Leh on my cycle. I have also gone cycling to Shimla thrice and to Chail and Haridwar once.