The Countdown Begins

Eight days to go for Bumblebee and Bono to ride up to Ladakh for yet another awesome adventure.

Sunday Ride, Goa

Jamshed at Sunset Point in Mollem, Goa

Uttrakhand ride - finis

A week in the mountains of Uttrakhand comes to an end. It rained and poured and the sun came out and then it rained again. Rode through clouds by rivers and beautifully green valleys and over some awesome roads and a few no so awesome roads all in all one kickass ride. Thank you Uttrakhand for a great week on the road.

Oh yes let me not forget to thank Castrol for sponsoring this trip for me.

My ride is not over as I am still in Delhi and will ride to Chandigarh tommorrow park the bike and fly back to Mumbai at night.

Not my day

Accelerator wire bust seriously not my day today.

The plains

And as I leave the hills behind its all flat land to delhi and I can feel the heat already.

Sun is out

The sun is out and the wait continues. Got my Royal Enfield genuine spares with me too. Shouldn't be long now. I hope!!! I have 300 kms to do to delhi.

Waiting

Having a chai waiting for the mechanic. Too lazy to try and do it on my own when there is a mechanic somewhere here.

Great start

Got a broken clutch wire. Luckily I am in Nainital and will find a mechanic to get it changed.

Roads got better

Before Pithoragarh the road started getting better but very marginally.

Jaul-jibbi

Fueling up at Jaul-Jibbi. The mountain in the background is Nepal by the way.

Neighbour

And one of the only two countries we as Indians can ride into Nepal. Castrol rules stated for the ride no should leave the country and since I am a stickler for rules I just waved and am moving on to Pithoragarh.

BRO

The BRO and the awesome roads they build and keep up and running. Rained all night and it brought down a huge tree. The men and women of the BRO were out and cleared it up on a jiffy. Kudos to them

Gori Ganga

Left as early as I could and have been riding for an hour or so. Now beside the raging Gori Ganga.

Pondering

Just pondering on the next few days ride. After tomorrow I start riding back towards Chandigarh so just trying to figure what route to take but I keep getting distracted by the view.

Munsyari

So reached Munsyari that's the end of my riding day.

Breather

Don't have much distance to cover so just found a nice spot to sit and chill.

Cobblestone

Todays route

The road snaking up the mountain is the one I have ridden on today. Just going to go over the mountain no clue about reception on the other end so till the next post.

Landslides

Lots of landslides on the road to Munsiari the road was closed 2 days ago apparently just opened up.

Great roads

I know I will take back what i said the first day and replace it with. All the highways and main roads are really bad. Traffic and the rain have buggered them. These back roads all over Uttaranchal seem to be brilliant.

Monday morning blues

After a great nights sleep and a hot paranthas for breakfast I am on the road again. Don't have much ground to cover today so will take it easy and should be there by lunch.

Chakouri

It's been a long but awesome day on the road. I have gone from awesome valley to another and everywhere the roads just seem to get better. Well found my room for the night its got a great view, a hot shower and maybe some fire water.

Paddy fields

Kumaon

At I leave behind Gwaldham, I have also leave behind the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand and entered Kumaon.

Rain has caught up

40 km from Gwaldham and I am happy to be on the back roads again. The highway is full of buses with pilgrims flying up the mountain. What's worse are the pilgrims in high spirits ripping around corners. Seems the rain is going to catch up with me again oh well!

Chai break

Mandal

As I rode down the mountain I came to the village of Mandal a small village in the valley with a river flowing throught the fields. As it would be in the mountains the men are sitting drinking their tea while the women are tilling the land.

Under Chopta

The ride down from Chopta goes through a thick forest. Seen some deer again, some sort of wild hen, two leeches in my boot and lots if birds.

Around the bend

This is what lay around the bend from Chopta

Drying off

Sun is out drying out the bags and gear. Ready to leave soon.

Dinner

My dinner being cooked on an open fire by the owner of the establishment I am staying at.

Ghansyali

Riding down from Ghansyali it started pouring. I could see stones and rocks falling from the top of the mountain as I was riding past. There was no way I was stopping to be stuck behind a landslide. Water was flowing over the road on almost every turn but there was this one raging muddy crossing that was so hairy that I could see it eating away the mud around the road. I found a line and stuck with it and ploughed through and kept riding.

Yesterday's route

It was pissing down most of the day yesterday and the clouds were covering the view. I got up in the morning the sky has cleared and this is what I saw. Damn!!!

Still on the road

20 kms to chopta my days halt.

At Ghansyali

Super ride today mostly through the clouds while the road has been great except in a few spots. Here there are small stones all over the road making it a bit tedious.

Breakfast at New Tehri

A samosa and tea for breakfast at New Tehri and now time to hit the road.

Landslide

Need to find a new route apparently there is one ahead as well. First they will clear that and then get to this one.

Rainy mornin

Wanted to start much earlier today but was pissing down in Dhanaulti. So took off first chance I could.

One of those days

Slow going today Dhanaulti is 20 kms down the road I think I will call it a day there.

Before Damta

The roads have not got better but worse according to me. Broken Tarmac and loose gravel is better than a bumpy narrow highway. We are spoilt by riding in Himachal and their well kept awesome roads.
This is the best bit of road I have got today. Done about 100kms lets see how many more to go.

En-route to Lakha Mandla

Done 50 kms in the last 2 hours. Roads are all broken tarmac and stones. Slow going but will soon hit a larger road in about 15 kms.

Left or right

Decisions to be taken what road to take ?

Morning from Uttrakhand

Mad view

Killer views from the room.

Chakrata

Found the hotel and checked in what a great spot this is.

Chakrata around the corner

About 5 more kilometres to go to hit Chakrata and apparently Hotel Snow View is what I am looking for.

The road

No traffic, beautifully paved roads, great weather, smell of pine in the air things couldn't get better.

Assan Barrage, Uttarakhand

Just crossed into Uttrakhand a while ago and stopped for the first time since I met the cops like 2 hours ago. Has some rain but mostly empty decent roads.

Haryana's finest

Haryana's finest stopped me outside Panchkula for doing 80 in a 60 zone and well let me off with not such a little fine.

Time to ride

Rain or not it's time to leave now been sitting around too long now.