Rains are troublesome in the hills. At the same time they are the greenest. So, when monsoons reached their end, we wasted no time in getting back into the Himalayas. We consisted of:
The Ride offered a great testing opportunity for the Himalayan. So half of my mind was continuously observing it. Would it be the worthy successor to my ageing Electra? Vikas was also eager to test it on a long ride.
The destination Janjehli was considered many times but wasn't attempted yet because it was 500+ kms away. But recently we have been pushing the envelope. So, this time we decided, why not? Also, since attendance has been consistently low, we do not try to lessen the distance to accommodate more riders. Google Maps showed the distance to be 510 kms from Leisure Valley Park, Gurgaon. We have been swindled many times by Maps, but it's still the place to check for distances.
We had planned to reach the landfill site by 4 AM. I had to drop off my cousin, Anmol at Karnal. We met at the Delhi-Gurgaon border at 3:30 AM. Straightaway there were admirations thrown at the Himalayan. The dashboard was well lit up and provided good amount of information. The two trip meters is a nice touch, but a limit to 1000 kms on a tourer is not done. We had a good amount of distance to cover, so we put the complements on hold and resumed our journey. The air was cool with the recent rains.
We rode non-stop to Anmol's place, dropped him off and covered another 25 kms to stop at a dhaba. The sun was just starting to rise. Usually one sees many other riders along the way too on weekends. But due to this early hour, we did not see any. Soon as the thought arose, in came two other bikes, Avenger and Gixxer, on their way to Spiti. Their destination for the day was Rampur. Well they had surely left from Delhi at a good time.
The discussion then quickly jumped back to the Himalayan. It was a comfortable cruiser. The long travel of the front forks showed great off-road characteristics. The speed was right now restricted to 80.
We didn't hog much and were quickly on our way again, wishing a safe ride to the Spiti-riders. Since there were only two of us, there was less time spent on breaks too. Vikas was also considerate about his smoking breaks, finishing them before we got ready, unlike another of my co-rider who deliberately starts when we are ready to depart.
The next stop was at Decathlon, Zirakpur. Vikas needed new boots. We reached the store at 8:30 AM. There was half an hour wait for the store to open. This must be a first for us, shopping on the way to the destination. We had time on our side, for the time being.
In another half an hour we were in the hills. For a Saturday, there was very less traffic. It can also be attributed to the early hours. The crowd from Punjab and Haryana must be waking up and starting to make their way to Shimla for their weekend break.
We paused for a water and maggi break before Solan. A large group of Scorpios, Thars and XUVs was noticed. We later found out they were part of Mahindra road trip. The two riders we had met earlier heading towards Spiti were also seen passing. Due to a healthy monsoon, the surrounding hills were lush green. We soaked in the sights.
The road to Solan is not that good anymore. We used to enjoy sliding the footpegs here, but now couldn't due to potholes. Very unpredictable. We passed Solan distillery, the oldest one Estd. 1855. Now, I have theorised that this distillery has played a role in the 1857 uprising against the Britishers. Its not such a wild theory when given some thought. Until the distillery was established, there was only country liquor. This distillery enabled mass production. Allow two years for national distribution. Obviously the major consumer was the military. Now imagine Mangal Pandey (Not Aamir Khan) tasting Old Monk. The mind brightens as you start thinking about your actions. Then you pour more thought on the cartridges, the greasy layer over it and then...BOOM, the uprising. Or maybe, it was just so that they could take over the English-run distilleries, acquire Old Monk. The exact reasons for the revolt are still not clear. I'm just adding in another possibility.
(I hereby copyright the above theory calling it Monk-al Pandey. If ever it came true, I should be recognised as the originator. And just in case,
Disclaimer: This theory does not mean any disrespect to our freedom fighters or religion, in any manner.)
The Shimla bypass has now become a long and busy stretch. It's really difficult to tell whether the bypass saves any time or not. It took a good amount of time to reach the other side of Dhalli tunnel. Nearing Khufri however, the weather improved. Clouds came on the roads. We stopped by a theka to have some beer. Since no light beer was available, we had to opt for Thunderbolt Super Strong. It was super strong for sure. A group of college students were tipsy at the neighbouring table along with their Madam. We were not lucky to have such teachers in our time. But later when we thought more about it, it was for the better. These students will spend their parents' hard earned money on Madam with no fruitful gain. At least we spent the money on ourselves.
Moving on, as per the maps, the distance to our destination showed to be 120 kms. We were hopeful of covering this distance within 5 hours with a lunch break. It seemed possible to reach the destination before dark. A quick lunch at Matiana and fuel-up at Narkanda and we continued on NH-5. Rampur came closer and closer. The last time we had been on this route was way back in June 2009 during the Jalori Juggernauts ride, one of our bests. Earlier we had thought that the distance to Janjehli would be more or less the same as Rampur. When we reached the turn towards Ani at Luhri and enquired, it was revealed that our destination was 70 kms away. On the other hand, Rampur was just 30 kms away. The time was already close to 6 PM. The sun would be setting soon. Moreover we were warned that the last 12 kms would be very rough. Google Maps had taken us for a ride again.
We didn't have a choice but to move on. There was no place available to stay. After Ani, we left the Jalori route and only now started a road stretch we had not ventured on earlier. One realises the extent of his travel when an undiscovered stretch of road starts after 450 kms. The road turned narrow but was in good condition. We preferred this road over the wide and broken Shimla road. We were told to follow the road to Chhatri which we did behind a leading Bolero. Apple season was in its bloom and most of the vehicles and godowns were bursting with freshly plucked apples. However, in the darkness we failed to notice the turn towards Chhatri and kept on climbing the road after Shwaarr. Google maps do not even have this road. Vikas was slightly worried about the Himalayan's fixed headlight, but its spread is good. So it wasn't a problem. After 5 kms, we reached a fork in the road unsure of which direction to take. The Bolero we had overtaken 10 mins back came ahead to meet us. He pointed us in the right direction and we made our way back from the mis-navigation. Well, some amount was bound to happen, its all part and parcel of a ride.
We asked at Shwaarr if there is a place to stay nearby. We had 40 more kms to cover and we were not sure that even if we reached Janjehli any place would be open, and even if we chanced on one, anything would be provided to eat. So we decided to rest up for the night at the nearest available place which was only found at Chhatri. Most of the shops had closed up by the time we reached, beyond 9 PM except for the wine shop where some men were seen rushing to. We went up to the PWD rest house, but there was no room available there. On returning to the bus stand, checked out one very closed and confined place and the other some distance away, but roomier. We opted for the latter. The owner was very insistent on advance payment, the reason being that the wine shop was about to close and he needed to get topped up. We paid him and returned to the dhaba to have food. While the food was being prepared, a couple of Old Monk pegs were downed. This was our mini-BBB for the night. A simple meal later and exhausted from the long haul, we retired for the night.
(Route taken: Gurgaon - Ambala - Shimla - Narkanda - Luhri - Chhatri)
4th Sep 2016:
Vikas woke up very early and went to his Himalayan. He cleaned it up and tightened a few bolts, a fact I found strange for a brand new motorcycle which is made for the offroad. We went for breakfast at the same dhaba to have some very oily parathas with milky curd. We were anxious to reach our destination and left early.
The 25 kms stretch that separated us was rough to a very high degree. But the Himalayan didn't have any problems. This was the surface it was specially built for. It handled it with ease while I crawled along. There were water crossings, no asphalt surface, bouncy rocks that tested the travel of the front forks numerous times. Clunking we carried on as the road was ascending all along. We were enjoying this stretch to the full. Thankfully, we did not cover it in the dark or else we would have been completely lost with no one around to guide us. Here also we reached a fork where some helpful locals guided us in the right direction.
With 7 kms to go the road started descending and then asphalt appeared. The road turned very smooth now and we covered the distance quickly. Janjehli was right in a valley complete with a stream running through the middle. It would have been a paradise staying here. There are large meadows that serve as camping grounds. But tourist matters pressed us and we opted to go to Shikari Devi temple in a taxi. Vikas used his negotiating skills to strike a deal. The temple is situated at a height 1 km above the town center, to be covered by a distance spanning 16 kms. So the stretch was quite steep. When requested, the driver stopped at an apple warehouse and a passing pickup and sourced some apples for us to taste. They were sweet and juicy alright, but we have gotten much used to the synthetic taste available in our metros now. They were useful in keeping the ears from getting air-locked though, as per Vikas. The higher we climbed, the tougher the road got. The car was moving in first gear throughout. We could have ridden our motorcycles, but at that time just wanted to relax. We appreciate our age and fitness now. The 540 kms covered the last day was adventurous enough.
It was a good thing we relaxed too because when we reached the top, a flight of 500 stairs led to the top where the Shikari Devi temple stood. This information was revealed by the cab driver after reaching the spot. What an interesting surprise. This temple has quite a following in the surrounding area and beyond. We warmed up and started the ascent, only to stop 3 minutes later, panting. Yes, we had made it past 2 minutes climb. At the same time, a group of ladies had started and they were heading comfortably up the stairs. They did not stop for one instant. The elderly amongst them did, once or twice, smiling at our apathy. They were our nearest competitor. Ultimately, we also reached the top.
The temple is located on a very high peak. If it wasn't for the clouds, there was a fantastic view all around. Our cab driver had also joined us up the steps. He pointed out the nearby Forest Rest House, looked very interesting for a night stay.
This temple is famous for being roofless. Legend has it that it never snows inside the temple even when the surroundings are entirely covered with snow. We paid our respects then came out to admire the view and rest our tired limbs. The panoramic view of mountain peaks all around has a soothing effect on worn bodies.
The descent was quick. The driver recommended the Mandi route for our return. We stopped at a nearby dhaba for lunch. It had been quite a while since we had non-veg. Fresh whole chickens had just arrived at the dhaba. Within 15 minutes, the dish was prepared and served. It tasted well for such a quick preparation.
After the meal, we stopped by briefly at Pandav Shila, 2 kms from Janjehli to see the miracle of a huge boulder that can be moved with the little finger. The boulder was huge placed over another stone and it did move. It gives a feeling of super strength. Shaktiman.
Mandi was 75 kms away. But the road was excellent throughout. Had we taken this route while coming to Janjehli, we would have reached before sunset. Google Maps prescribe the Shimla route, but that is Wrong. The road turned plain 15 kms before Mandi and that is when we had the chance to open the throttles. But on reaching Mandi, we found that we were now travelling towards Manali, 120 kms away. Although the milestones did look attractive, we forced ourselves back the way towards Sundernagar. The misnavigation had costed us 20 kms extra, but they were covered in high speed. While crossing Sundernagar it was noticed that the place is still as "sunder" as we had encountered on our earlier visits. A canal runs through the middle of the town.
We decided to halt early for the night but at least cross the bad patch after Sundernagar. We needed a good night's sleep. It was right on this bad patch that we were struck by a brief bout of rain. After crossing the bad patch, we halted at the first highway hotel. The rooms were decent and a deal was struck. Bilaspur was 30 kms away from this point.
A solo rider was having his meal quietly in the restaurant. He was on a month long vacation between jobs. It seems that is the only way one can have a long vacation. Wonder when we would get the chance. We wished him a safe ride as he carried on towards Chandigarh.
The hotel owner was indifferent to our visit at first. Later we learnt that this was deliberate. They first check out the tone of voice of the guest. Mine was polite and on learning that we were on a ride specifically to Janjehli, he instantly warmed up. One can't really blame them for being cautious given that they do face certain rowdy clients too. He told us very few travellers headed in the direction of Janjehli and also told us two more spots that we would find interesting, Barot and Tirthan Valley. More undiscovered spots added to our depleting list. The new DSP of Mandi had ordered billboards to be set up displaying the tourism potential of his district. There is so much more to Himachal then Shimla and Manali.
We were quite tired from our long spells of riding for two days. Sleep would come early but first we had the task of finishing the Old Monk. It has been a curse in our past few rides that an Old Monk bottle would arrive back at the source unfinished. We ordered snacks to be brought up into the room. The windows were opened as it started to rain heavily. The food was not very good. We would need to organise a foodie trip once we get back to refresh our taste buds.
Since both of us are not big talkers and Vikas was already settling down to sleep, on came the TV. Rowdy Rathore was on. The Old Monk made it enjoyable somehow. But alas, the rum went unfinished tonight also.
(Route taken: Chhatri - Janjehli - Mandi - Sundernagar)
5th Sep 2016:
I had a long sleep. Vikas was up early again and tending to the Himalayan. No bolt-tightening this time. The weather was clear. It would be hot when we get to the plains. After breakfast, we got ready to leave by 9:30 AM. We had calculated that it would take 12 hours to reach our homes. The timing looked right but we were actually off the target.
There were little stops to take. The road to Bilaspur was good and traffic was light. We got through the city with little trouble. I do not remember this city this way. Usually it is very crowded with numerous cement trucks moving to the ACC factory at Barmana. We did forcibly stop before Swarghat as the hills would end soon and from here on, the heat would be dehydrating. Many riders were heading towards Manali-Leh at this time. The comforting Thumbs-ups and Vs were encouraging at both sides.
As we got out of the hills, much of the road under construction till Kiratpur Sahib is now complete. We again had to stop before Ropar as the endless droning on smooth highways was causing drowsiness. We took the smart decision of wiping out this drowsiness by having lassi. When in Punjab, one has to have lassi.
Reaching Kharar at noon, we were thrown head first into traffic and heat. The stops at traffic lights were most excruciating. Crossing Banur, we were on the lookout for some refreshing beer, but there was none to be found. It was only a short stretch and then we would be in Haryana where thekas would certainly not be found besides the highway. Time ran out for us as we crossed the state border. There is a business potential for a wine shop on the stretch between Banur and Shambhu border to whoever is listening. We certainly would be regular visitors.
Now we were on NH-1. This is home turf where we can ride endlessly at any time of the day. Vikas took it too seriously and went on crossing Ambala, then Shahabad, then Kurukshetra without stopping. He wanted to get home before 8 pm. I was dreading the traffic mess that would hit us all the way from Delhi border to our homes if we touch at 6 pm. We decided to take our final halt at Karnal Lake.
It had been ages since I had stopped here, decades in the case of Vikas. The beer was quite refreshing. The service was not. We had ordered dry lemon chicken, boneless for snacks. The waiter brought lemon chicken gravy with bone. When complained he took the dish back and returned. It was the same dish with gravy and bones removed by hand. We plainly asked him to take it back again. This time without any replacement. When age-old waiters are still present at government posts, what is the level of service one can expect. It would again be ages if we ever stop here again. Not to waste more time by stopping for lunch again, we opted for the plain veg buffet, finished quickly and were on our way again.
The only decent meal we had had on this Ride was at Janjehli that was cooked in 15 mins and served with master hospitality. We did not encounter much of the traffic mess I was dreading all along the way and were at the Delhi-Gurgaon border at 7 pm. 400 kms covered in less than 10 hours, 80 of which had been in hills. This wasn't expected. So we hung around for a while wasting time. In the old days we used to wish farewell over a pint of beer. Today we did so over paneer patties. We were in our homes before 8 pm.
At the end of the Ride, the Himalayan came out to be a fantastic tourer. Vikas did not complain of any sort of body ache while I was discomforted on my trusted old steed. Mileage wasn't an issue as well. It provided 30+ km/l with a 15-litre tank. Agreed that he was on an 80km/h speed limit, but that figure is not bad. It performed very well off the road and is a night rider too. However, certain quality issues still niggle and those are the ones putting me off right now. Long term reliability remains to be seen. The "Himalayan" is a big name to live upto. I hope RE is able to sort these issues out for good.
As for Rides, Anniversary month is coming up. An Annual Long Ride is in the offing. Until then,
JAI BoP!!!
