Cruising up the Rohtang Pass

July 6^th, 2012

Matthew had his Enfield motorbike, the one he wants to sell, serviced for the overheating issue we experienced driving up from Bir so he wanted to take it out for a bit of a test drive.  What better test than to slap Garth on the back and head up a mountain.  We cruised north of Manali and started the lovely drive up the Rohtang Pass.  We only went about 13-14 kilometres up, stopping short of the popular area for Indian tourist known as Snow Point (where many Indians experience touching snow for the first time), before turning around and heading back to Manali.  Thankfully the traffic wasn’t as bad as last year when I motorbiked up the same road with my German friends Pascal and Charlotte and the views were quite stunning.

Stopping for a break on the way up:

To enjoy the views:

The road we came up:

Garth and some silly guy named Matthew:

Wouldn't you like to have this bike?  This was the pic Matthew used to sell his bike...and it worked!

The view from the highest point we got to:

Me and my buddy Garth:

The view down: 

A near traffic jam as we hung out at this hairpin corner:

The boys do a fly by:

Now my fly by:

Riding down:

That's a truck smashed down against a rock below one of the many hairpin turns:

I wonder if the guy was okay:

Matthew and I inspecting the truck from above:

The singing motorcyclist:

If you look closely, there's a paraglider flying in the background in the middle of the screen:

Gliding motorless down the mountain:

A slow pass:

A high speed race Matthew and I had as we neared Manali:

Garth left the next day, heading north to Leh to do some trekking.  It was great to share a bit of India with him.  Safe travels Garth!