MotoTraQ

Subrata's bike under snow cover

There are as many different techniques for riding on ice and snow as there are varieties of snow. I have gain some experience in my last rohtang ride.There are certain common techniques that seem to be useful in many instances. One of main thing to remember is use your breaks care fully. New fallen snow presents problems for bikers due to the extra effort need to get through it. Six inches of really light powder is tireing and slow, but you can go for long distances. Its very little worse than riding against a good stiff wind. Even a foot of powder is manageable as long as you get there first, before someone else makes a mess of it. You will find it much easier to travel in totally undisturbed snow than to follow car tracks, or even another bike. If you are the first vehicle along the route your biggest problem is the extra effort needed to push through the snow. If you are following others you also have to contend with their ruts and the front wheel diversions these cause. On open road ways, watch for small bumps in the snow which appear without any apparent cause. These can signal debris in the road, or potholes under the snow. You will find that things happen slowly in heavy snow. Falls take a fair bit of time to happen, and you will find that most are avoidable by quick bike handling. Sharp turns that would only exacerbate a fall on ice are quite viable recovery techniques. By a “sharp turn” I mean turning the handlebar in large increments, and fairly large lean angles. You may feel you front wheel slip sideways. Don’t over react. The snow will supply resistance to this sideways slip, but it takes time to kick in (your tire has to compact a couple inches of snow as it slips before there is real resistance). Maintain forward motion, wait for the tire to catch. More often than not, the side slip will simply cease with you still in the saddle. If you dab, you dab. No big deal.

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This was not supposed to be the RohTang Ride. I had it scheduled for July so that we could also cover ChandraTal. Even on Thursday, a day before the ride, i was peering over the map of Himachal trying to figure out the best way around the Dalhousie Khajjiar circuit. At 7 in the evening, i gave a call to Subrata and asked… “What if we go to RohTang”. He asked why the change in plan and i said… “Its an itch. I need to go there. Plus we will get snow ”

Day 1:
0300 Hrs:
Had planned an early start to offset the horrible heat. 9 missed calls later, Subrata got up and we were ready to roll.

Riders:
Pulsar 220: Me and my wife
Karizma: Subrata. (Pillion was going to be my Bro in law whom we were gonna pickup from Ambala)

0400 Hrs:
We rode out from Noida and did a pretty quick time till ISBT Kashmiri gate. There on there was incessant traffic in the form of trucks. Some ten kilometers of negotiating between them and we had a clear road. Maintained a good cruising speed and took the first stop at about 600 Hrs.

Notice the number plate.

The sun was up and we had our morning tea. My wife was not having a great time as pillion. The Cramster saddlebags were being used for the first time and it was making it uncomfortable for her. I was a bit worried but she smiled.
We reached Ambala at 0725 Hrs and waited for Rishabh(My Bro in law). A breakfast of oily bread pakodas and chaai later the four of us headed towards Chandigarh. Oh yes, i must mention i was constantly feeling sleepy (no sleep last night, not even an hour). The roads to Chandigarh don’t help. One can cruise at 85kmph for an eternity and simply go to sleep.
The day had begun and i was already feeling the heat through my heavy Cramster jacket(The heaviest in the business i guess)
Problem Time: Subrata’s chain started making a lot of noise and we finally had to make a stop at a mechanic’s shop.
Shot this beauty just lying there. Notice the number plate.

Tanked up from there (The petrol pump proudly displayed that the petrol there was cheaper than Mohali by 4.xx Rs) Noticed one thing about Chandigarh, everyone does follow the speed limit. Was a bit of a problem for an NCR bred like me
The Road from Kharar to Ropar was good in patches. Double laning is in progress there. Now the heat was really getting to me. Every half an hour i had to stop to literally pour water over myself to keep myself cool.
Ropar to Kiritpur is very dusty and with the sun beating down on us, we were frustrated and desperately wanted to be in the hills. I prayed for Rain.
The hills beckoned after Kiritpur but the heat didnot let up.

Crossed Bilaspur and then.. finally the skies darkened. There was a dust storm in the valley.

Beyond Bilaspur we started some serious climbing. Here we encountered two posers on a bullet and an RX100. Time and again they overtook us just to slow down and invite us for a race. Luckily for me, my wife is a calming influence and i didn’t get tempted.

Repeiring subrata's bike

Just 30km from Mandi, i got a call from Subrata. He had a flat tyre

The Dam

To top it up, the rain came down heavily and we had to stop. The whole ordeal of getting the tyre repaired in a shop and then waiting for the heavy rain to stop took almost 1.5 hours. In the meanwhile we snacked on bread butter toast and some really great elaichi flavoured tea
With the sunlight fast fading, we decided not to do Manali and instead stop at Kullu.
Here on progress was rapid but the rain started again with some howling winds near the Pandoh dam(i guess thats the name)

Riding in the hills with the rain pouring down on you, sunlight fading fast and those bloody DL Registered Innovas splashing past you is not easy. We finally made it to the tunnel and took a well deserved break there.

RohTang: Inside tunnel

There on it was steady progress to Kullu. Checked in to a very cheap hotel, Hotel Vikrant (600 Rs for two rooms with gated parking but very shoddy and lazy service). I was sleep deprived and fell asleep over dinner.
The day was over, and i drifted off to sleep dreaming about the snow.

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