A truck expedition to Leh

Staying awake on a freezing cold night was never easy. My friend and I were crouched on a bench in Manali bus station waiting for daybreak. Finally, when we had a steaming hot tea at 4 am, it felt like drops of heaven. We waited for the bus in the newfound warmth. 

When the second bus that touched Rohtang Pass arrived, I was still in conversation with a native guy about the possibility of visiting Kaza. However, the guy terrorized me with all kinds of news that I hated to hear. He told us that there was no way of getting to Kaza by bus and that Rohtang Pass was one deserted location. I would have easily known these things if only I did minimum research about the place. But ever since I started planning this trip, Rohtang Pass was never even in the equation. So, as usual, we decided to jump into the bus out of the same impulse that led us there. I can only remember having fallen asleep against the cold window glass of the bus. When I woke up, I was surprised by the sheer number of snow-capped mountains that surrounded us. The reddish shades of the rising sun casted a surreal feel to the morning. When we reached Rohtang Pass at around 8 am, I realized that the place was indeed deserted. A tea-seller was the only other person who got down there into the mind-numbing cold. It was as if we reached a totally different world; we were dropped amidst those white structures all around.

Jeevan and me at Rohtang Pass. Happy souls!!

Walking around the deserted Rohtang pass in awe.

There was a thin sheet of snow at the pass. The absence of oxygen could be felt easily- there was an insatiable pull coming from the lungs. It was as if you are never satisfied with your breath; you always feel like you need another deep breath to feel better. It was unbelievably cold. And any activity was a struggle; not to mention the uphill task of clicking pictures on the phone. Taking the hands out of the gloves was truly painful. I’d never been that cold in my life.

The hitchhike

After some walking around, we decided to make a move. And we thought, next destination: Spiti. We just thought we'd hitchhike like always and how stupid an idea that was! We stuck out our thick hands. Luck was on our side that day and the first truck that showed up pulled over. When we told them we were going to Spiti they told us they were headed for Leh. Anyway we decided to jump in despite the confusion over where we were headed. As soon as we got in, the driver, Mr Parbinder Singh broke the news that Kunzum pass was closed at that time of the year. When we stopped for a tea at Koksar, he introduced us to some natives who also discouraged us from going to Spiti. I was very disappointed about having to give up my long-term dream, but as they say sometimes it’s not we who choose our destination; our destination chooses us. So we had to settle for Leh this time. I decided to go mainly because of the enthusiasm of my adventurous friend. And I’d like like to thank him for his crazy impulses. 

The cold desert

It's a bit surprising how things go from all well to disaster in a matter of minutes. We were having a dream ride, laid back on the front of the truck, listening to some golden oldies of Bollywood and immersing in this barren yet beautiful landscape. Chilling.

The view from the front seat of our ride.

Just before we were about to reach Sarchu, close to sundown, Bam! We got a flat tire, and it was really in the middle of nowhere. When we stepped out, there was just the snow-clad peaks and the endless whooshing sound of the cold cold wind.

Stuck in the middle of nowhere!!

Since there was no option other than to wait for some kind soul to offer a spare tire, the four of us sat crouched inside a woollen blanket and waited. Thank heavens we got some water from a fellow driver, so we cooked some food and waited in the freezing cold. Meanwhile, we kept asking every passing vehicle for some help but to no avail. 5-6 hours passed by. Every half hour or so, a vehicle would show up only to bring a wave of hope, only to disappoint yet again. It would be a Jammu & Kashmir registered taxi, or a private car. So basically, we did nothing but focussed on the struggle to take each breath. Help finally arrived close to 11 in the night. And the driver and his friend stepped out into the crazy cold weather to fix the tire. Although we offered to help, we just sat in there unable to step out even to pee. The sky was a piece of art that night but it was impossible to stand in the open for more than 5 minutes even with four layers of clothing. The tire was fixed close to midnight and we got going. After 2-3 hours of the bumpy ride, we reached the team-member of our vehicle only to find that he had some major issue with its engine. We halted near the broken down truck and spent our night squeezed together in the driving seat. Another night to remember!

Stuck in the middle of nowhere; literally

The next morning I woke up to the most amazing of views you could hope for. Bright blue skies and the Himalayas with no living thing in sight. The place had an element of desolateness to it; there was not even a bird or a blade of grass in sight.

Waking up in the front seat of the lorry, to be treated with views like this.

Cold desert, cold winds and unbearable cold!!! The endless wait for help.

Just the mighty Himalayas all around bathing in the sun. The moment you step out it became a struggle, to stay warm, to shelter yourself from the relentless wind. Our bhaiyya had promised he would fix the engine by noon and get going, but help did not arrive as expected. So we waited, doing something to stay awake, taking brief detours outside only to rush back immediately. Sun hid behind the mountains at around 3 pm so, from that point, the cold got out of control and before we knew it, it was yet another night in that unforgiving landscape. Thankfully, our bhaiyyas were brilliant cooks and we had the privilege to taste the masala rice on the first day and their special dal curry on the second. It was absolutely delicious, with its high spice content. They used a lot of ghee which added to the taste. Also, the hot steaming food felt so good in the extreme cold weather.

These bhaiyyas cooked some delicious food in the harsh conditions

Meanwhile, our bhaiyyas were indulged in a desperate attempt to get the engine running. They were burning anything from faulty tires to wood from the truck itself. They placed the fire underneath the fuel tank to keep the diesel from freezing. Since there was no connectivity, their only hope was that their message had travelled to Manali and reached the right set of ears so that help could reach them. They had no way of knowing if it had snowed at Rohtang or if the guy did make it back to Manali safely. I constantly pondered the possibility if things worked out against him. He would be stranded here until he runs out of provisions. They were relying purely on luck here and I think this is where the element of devotion comes into play, to set things in motion mysteriously, to steer them back home safely.

A night to forget

That night was one that I would like to forget. It became so cold that initially I got a terrible headache which persisted throughout the night and I was unable to sleep despite my frantic efforts by twisting and turning inside the limited space of the truck. To make things worse, all of the water had turned to ice. Those hours felt like an eternity. These are the moments when you realize the importance of even the smallest of comforts that you might have taken for granted till then. This is why I love these off-the-hook kinds of trips. It is guaranteed that it will teach you lessons of life that no other kind of experience can. Finally, close to dawn, I managed to sleep for a couple of hours. But unlike the night, we were greeted with good news in the morning; that we would be leaving that day. Finally!! After all the repair works, we started the ride around noon.

A road carved through paradise

One by one we crossed some of the world’s highest passes before halting at Pang for a tea. After Pang, what I saw will be etched in my memory forever. It was the most memorable stretch of road in our journey, and probably in my life too. First came the mysterious stone formations that rose up from the valley floor in cylindrical shapes and it reminded me of the UFOs.

A beautiful spot on the way

The magnificent 'Morey plains'.

The occasional lorry or two that looked pretty amazing against this backdrop.

 A little later we reached the ‘More plains’ and man it was a soulful sight. Flanked by naked brown mountains on both sides, the road stays plain for about 35 km and it is like a scene straight out of your dreams. Along with crystal clear skies sprinkled with cottony clouds, this place will surely mesmerize you with its simple beauty. I am sure it will make any traveller thank the universe for such spectacles.

Mr Parbinnder Sing aka Mr Thuglife in his element.

Bhaiyya Ji making some last minute adjustments to protect the engine from the nigh's cold. Meanwhile, the last light kisses the mountain tops.

The last night

As the roads started to gain elevation, the sun was slowly dipping beneath the mountains. When we reached Tanglang La, it was almost impossible to step out due to the biting cold winds. So we stayed there for just a few minutes and continued towards Leh. We passed by a frozen stream which was followed by some small villages that rushed past in a hurry. It really amazed me to find that people lived in such harsh climates in the scarcity of all resources. We reached Karu and halted in the Truck again for the night, much to the embarrassment of my comrade because we hadn’t had any external contact for 4 days then. After a tight sleep, we left the next morning for Leh and reached around 8:30. We bid farewell to our bhaiyya Ji and stepped out at Leh for another venture...

The gorgeous roads just before Leh.