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Begin July 2008, the horrible beautifull road to Leh (India)
Geplaatst op Wednesday 10 September @ 05:30:44 GMT+1
Onderwerp: Around the world in 8 years
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 This is the second part of my story of driving from Pokhara to Leh, the previous part is below.
After two previous attempts I really wanted to drive the exciting road from Manali to Leh. This is the highest 'passable' road in the world with three high passes, one of 4900 one of 5000 and one of 5200 meters. And this is India's, so then you know it, road of hell .....?
This story covers from many photographs, who say more if I could show you
This story has been automatically translated by google, so some grammer might be a bit funny
After 2 days in Manali (very busy) I departed on Wednesday, July 2 towards Leh. It lies 470 km across the Himalayas. The first challenge waiting me the Rothang pass, only 50 km away, one of the most dangerous mountain passes in the world they say. And it showed. I'm accustomed, have driven the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan, the Bolan pass, but this was still something else again. The road was shitty, and then I say it nicely. As often in India, they placed asphalt and then everybody thinks that the next 50 we are pretty well. Maintanace… what’s that? That, combined with a road that goes up almost sraight, the big traffic and the sometimes very dangerous bends, makes the Rothang indeed the narrowest and most dangerous road I have driven. In the beginning it is ok, you'll only meet about 500 shops that warm clothing renting (I really do not exaggerating because the shops are numbered). This for the Indian tourists who apparently happy to keep warm his / her things
Clothing for rent
Above arrived, it's like a circus. What I was pleased that two days ago the Indian holiday season was past. But even now it was bade. Many India'ers, dressed in their rented thick clothing, staring at a tiny piece of what was left of the snow.
With all on a small piece of dirty snow
There are so many peopley that you do not even see the snow from the black muck. Of course my car also got the necessary view, and when I was not fast enough to close the door behind me there was a India'er with me inside. I have him with a firm push worked out by saying that Indians apparently have no manners.
It was 12 degrees above zero, crazy people there
One of the nasty things of that road is the Indian tourists. They rent a car with driver and steaming up as soon as possible to that mountain. They have one day for up and down, so time is important. These drivers have the horn disease ofcourse, and I have a nice solution found. Fun for myself, because I'm stressing when a car behind me continuously remains pushing his horn beyond me to try and pass that wants, while he can see that it is not possible.
Poor and narrow roads, that is where they want to overtake me
What I do then I stop my car on a very narrow stretch along so that nobody can really pass, stop, get out and ask what is going on. With a stupid face… I say you horned so much, I think I have a flat tire or something? Haha, you see that driver cooking, but he can not be angry because I am still very sincere (ahum). His horn behavior cost him than 5 minutes, and I have a good laugh.
After the top of the Rothang pass, which has a height of 4000 meters, it immediately goes back down.. Since arrived in the village of Koksar I was tired and broken. It was nearly 16:00 hours.. Did that day, in nearly 9 hours of driving, 70 km . That gives an average speed of 13 km p / h.
Also down, many hairpins
Next day the road was slightly better. Please note, relatively. But the biggest difference was that there was little traffic. All those day trippers who go to the Rothang, stop there and go back. So all that remains is pretty much local traffic and trucks and tanker trucks. But these are accustomed to driving in the mountains and do not already horn from far away behind you like a small child.
And there I was at 4000 meters
Met Rick, an American / Frenchman who was en route to Leh… on the bike. Made him a cup of tea. Further on I came across a place called ZingZingbar. I sang loudly but I could not find bar.
The path/road followed a river and was thus curvy but not really spectacular. Had some headaches and neck pain probably some trouble with the altitude. After a few hours, I was at Keylong. This is a small place with narrow streets. Then an army convoy came from the opposite side which was scary. From Keylong onwards the road was spectacular.
Poor roads but spectacularly beautiful
Man oh man those Indians make shitty roads, but oh oh what spectacular. Thus steep up a slope, climbing sessions of almost 1000 meters at a time, hairpins… one after another. At a place where there are 29 zigzag one after the other. Sometimes I was really dizzy off the mountainsides and views. On the map (GPS) seemed as if you stood still because you rode in principle but only zigzagging up. Horrible chasms, real scary narrow roads, I had 150% concentration. Sometimes pieces of road that I think… how do I get in earth will go through. Fortunately, my MAN did his work without protest or complaints and succeed in the long run always. Glaciers pending with snow right above you, it's no pen to describe. Halfway through the second pass, the road super bad. The hairpins where so sharp that I almost had to backup to make the turn. I fortunately had a slightly smaller turning circle that Ad and Susan (www.diverontheroad.com) so I did not require a hairpin stabbing.
It seemed the moon but occasionally
Above arrived (almost 5000 meters) was already 5 pm. Go down with a bumpy speed of 5 km p / h the road was at its narrowest. Suddenly three lorries came around the bend towards me while there is no possibility to pass. Left a yawning abyss, and I to ride backwards for almost a km. That almost cost me my life because I did not see a the piece of fallen down road drove almost into the abyss. I think that the 5 cm more and I would have gone down. Decided to find a place to sleep up here. I found it at 4600 meters, on a grass overlooking beautiful red mountains.
View of beautiful mountains
I enjoyed the view and the silence because when it once was dark, there was no traffic. But it was cold, very cold, and that night temperatures dropped to 4 degrees! Oh so nice. Less fun was that I was getting some altitude problems . I slept very badly, shocked awake every few minutes with a lack of breath and was then again a few minutes panting like a dog. Once again snoozed off only to wake up again after a few minutes, as if someone had close squeezed my throat and I had again a few minutes panting to come. I was a little scared because altitude sickness can kill if it is serious. And there I stood, in the middle of oblivion, on a mountain at 4600 metres altitude, no person kilometers in circumference. There is only one solution and that is decline to lower altitudes. In the dark on this narrow roads in my opinion, however, was a last resort so I tried to make it to the morning. For 4:45, there was enough light to drive and I decided to leave my wonderful place. Was just afraid that my diesel would not have survived (and its going flakes), but it was ok after all.
Far views
The road, which was super super super bad went down slowly and after 2 hours, I was driving at 4000 meters, I felt a lot better and I stopped for a well deserved breakfast.
Besides it being bumpy it was wonderful. Stops for coffee making and while I did have a motorbike stopped next to me. They sat Becky, Sam and Isaac, an English couple with their 3 year old son. They also had a truck but had left it in Keylong and had gone further with the motorbike. Their truck was an old man CAT, a huge diesel slurper. Despite that 1000 litres of diesel they carried, they did not want to use it on these mountains.
Becky and Sam
We drank some coffee and took farewell. I took some photos but every time I went down from the car and ran a piece it was as if I had walked a mile. The height hit again. When I arrived at half past 4 in Pang (a tent camp), Sam and Becky already waiting for me. It was a fun set and we cooked in my car and drank a beer. .
The fourth day began driving up again. At 4700 meters, there was a plateau. The road they were working on and you were almost obliged to go to offroad driving. Well, I found that not so bad, so I am very happily drove through the sand leaving plumes of dust behind me. I just felt Mr de Rooy, who with his MAN always rode the Paris-Dakar.
But it became increasingly uneven terrain and the probability of an unexpected bump was growing, my speed is going down. At the end of the sandstones another steep climb and halfway this climb Sam & Becky passed me in with their motorbike. I asked them for some photos of my car if what they were away.
Poor old me in the barren landscape
Strangely enough they were sitting on the road a few miles onwards. A huge stone had hit Sam full on his arm.. He suspected that it was broken. As a motorcyclist was a problem. He took a couple aspirines and looked in pain. After some consultation I parked my car on a passing place, I took al their luggage in my car, his wife Becky and baby Isaac, and Sam with relentless pain he rode with his engine towards Leh. That must have been hell for him but there was no other solution. Above arrived on the highest mountain (5200 metres), there was no sight of Sam, who thus apparently made it through. Suddenly there was a red light on my dashboard. Oh no, the EDC was light red, and that’s not good. Mus not even think what would happen if my car broke down in the middle of this mountains. However, when I get back to the other side and I rode down under the 4900 meters the light went off again. Pfew. The road was very bad but the wonderful views.
almost there ..... .....
Among arrived at the first village Sam already waiting. His arm was very painful but he could still continue so up towards Leh, which is only 50 km on reasonable roads. This was also the most beautiful piece of road, down through a narrow gap with brilliant colored mountains on both sides.
Can the next few days enjoy Leh, and my car undust, but also because everything about everything under a thick layer of dust…
Another golden tip for anyone who drives in India or is about to driving. Put your mirrors not to tight entirely. Not to loose ofcourse but just so that when you blow against onather car they give, not break. This saved my mirror a few times, because if somebody drives against your mirror (and believe me, that happens) then not break off but they do not slide with the blow. In some ways it is passing millimeter work together.
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