We started off in light drizzle and immediately went into climb mode on 4-5 % gradient (good) roads exiting Manali.
At about the 5 km point that all changed when our cycle took us on back roads to avoid rockfall areas.
The road we took would have been better off dirt as the small chunks of bitumen remaining provided for a zig zag route avoiding the huge wash away sections. If that wasn't bad enough we we cycling now on much steeper segments and competing for those small sections of bitumen with traffic which often meant that to avoid a car you had to ride through the stony was a way sections.
We turned back on to the road and commenced our switchback ascent something lime 40 + by the rides end. The early ones though did provide for terrific views back down the valley to Manaki while riding at anything from 6-10 km/hr !
We stopped for morning tea at the 12 km mark having already climbed 700 meters in height and took in the sight of stunning mountain backdrops and a series of paragliders landing on the plateau having jumped from 10 kms further up the sheer valley.
More climbing and more switchbacks took us to lunch with mist begining to settle down the mountains and the temperature decidely cooler than our very humid start.
We restarted after lunch in the rain that gradually grew stronger for our remaining 12 kms as we ascended switchback after switchback on narrow roads while trying to avoid the fairly significant traffic coming in both directions as well as the ditch that awaited us if we moved over too far !
The glimpse s of scenery here were absololutely stunning with huge waterfalls plowing down the mountain sides
Reaching Mahri we were well and truly drenched and at altitude many of us now beginning to feel the cold. It was a case of running for cover and changing out of our wet clothes and consuming cups of hot tea to stay warm until ourbtrntsvcould be put up.
When the rain stoped for a bit we were rewarded with amazing views of the mountains some with snow and sadly of the remaining 17 kms we have to go before we finally clear the Rohtang pass.
Tenting will give zero chance of drying our gear out by tommorrow particularly our shoes mearning an inevitable wet start tomorrow for our 78 km ride.
For the moment its time to sneak off to the mess tent and see if there's a cold beer to be had as tenting with wet gear in it is dangerous to ones health !
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