Nice Roads BRO!

On the road to the Himalaya

 Close your eyes (figuratively, or you won't be able to read this) and imagine an old beat up country road, one with pots holes, bumps and gravel everywhere.  Now put that road on a mountain pass that goes up to above 4000 metres, add a heavy load of trucks, buses, cars, motorbikes and even push bikes and you have a 'good' section of the Rohtang La pass on the Manali - Leh road.  The road we put our lives into the hands of a mini bus driver who promised to take us deep into the Himalaya.

Heading up the Rohtang!

 The bad parts of this road are beyond my descriptive abilities, but add flowing rivers (across and down the road), mud pits almost up to your knee, holes that could swallow small cars, rocks of all shapes and sizes, and traffic that you can overtake whenever you see a gap or can create one!  I don't mind admitting that it was one of the most frightening things I've ever experienced.  Sliding up the mountain with no rails to keep you on the road should you slide too far.

Why? Suzuki's aren't made for these roads surely??

King of the road, the coolest looking trucks are in India

Thank god that once we got over the Rohtang, things dried out!  But the holes, rocks and other obstacles stayed around for a long time ensuring that we didn't get too comfortable.  We continued to climb over passes and drop through valleys (there's apparently 7 passes above 4000m) for two days, covering a mere 450km (ish), that's how tough going the road is.  If you get over 20kph you're going too fast, and will probably end up over the edge!   Some people attempt this trip in one 18hour long journey, which is way too much for us, so we stayed in Sarchu on day one. 

 

The road literally cuts through the mountains

 

You never know what's around the corner

 Sarchu isn't exactly a town, or a village, more a temporary collection of parachute tents and small sheds sitting on a plain at 4200m.  Needless to say, we all felt the effects of being at altitude a little, but thankfully not too much.  A bit of a headache and not much sleep was the worst of it.

The "town" of Sarchu and our home for the night.

Our highest pass was also our last, Taglang La, 5359m, the second highest mountain pass in the world!  A quick stop at the top was more than enough for most of us, with walking about for 5 minutes about all we could manage, the altitude really hit you quickly.

Matty 'higher than a kite' Matt and Sophie 'I'm no mountain goat' Soph

A Smooth section of road, amazing!

 Why would anyone voluntarily do this you ask? Well there's two reasons, one it means that you don't have to go back to Delhi and fly into Leh (3200m), and two, the scenery was absolutely amazing!  Again, my words won't do it justice, nor will the photos, but imagine two days driving non stop through the Himalaya, with the scenery changing every ten minutes!  Huge mountains, snow capped mountains, glacial rivers and chai tents everywhere.

 

You can get a Chai (tea) anywhere in India, even in the middle of the Himalaya!

 The road itself is an incredible experience and journey and you have to take your hat off to BRO the border road organisation that build the roads.  I won't say they repair the roads, more that they make them usable and passable which in these conditions is no easy feat.  You can see them clearing landslides by hand, making improvements one shovel load at a time and working endlessly to carve a way through the roof of the world.  And they do it with a bit of flair, the road signs keep you guessing and you find yourself peering out the window to get a glimpse of them.  Life saving messages such as "divorce speed", "After whiskey, driving risky", "corners are blind and sharp, make a mistake and hear a harp", "be gentle on my curves", "It is not rally, enjoy the valley", "don't gossip, let him drive" and my favorite of all "safety on the road means safe tea at home"

When the going gets tough, BRO gets going, and don't we love their signs!

So thanks BRO, we love your work!!