Riding through the foothills of the Himalayas

[kurtrules]

I went on a bike ride in the last week of November, to India. My destination was the district of Kinnaur in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The name of the state, translated into English means the land on the foothills of the Himalayas. The average height of the district was around 3000m above sea level. Total distance, round trip from New Delhi was around 1500kms, 1000 of which was in the mountains - on mostly graveled roads.

The itinerary:

Day 1. Delhi - Chandigarh - Narkanda
Day 2. Narkanda - Rampur - Reckong Peo - Kalpa
Day 3. Kalpa - Charang (Last indian village before Tibet) - Kalpa
Day 4. Exploring Kalpa
Day 5. Kalpa - Chail
Day 6. Chail - Chandigarh
Day 7 Chandigarh - Delhi

I had the pleasure of riding the trusted V-Strom 650 on this trip.

It was mostly a way for me to relive my days from a decade ago. I went back to Kinnaur after 12 and a half years!

Sharing some pictures for you to enjoy.

 

[bigpoppa]

Nice trip!
they have vstroms in India?

 

[Sunday Rider]

Wow, beautiful scenery. India is on my bucket list.
Thanks for sharing!

 

[kurtrules]

Nice trip!
they have vstroms in India?

Yup, they have them all.

 

[kurtrules]

The next set of pics are of the day I travelled to a remote village deep in the Himalayas called Charang from my base location in Kalpa, Distt Kinnar. The village is at a height of 3550 ASL. The road was opened only a few years ago parts of it were horrendous, narrow, with deep cliffs on the side. An 80 km round trip took the entire day.

The village

 

[kurtrules]

 

[kurtrules]

Here's a video snippet of the route:

 

[bigpoppa]

great pictures.

I had always wondered why bikes in India have the weird pannier racks, turns out they’re saree guards

 

[kurtrules]

Yes, it's a legal requirement for dealers to sell the vehicle However, most customers remove them almost immediately.
The racks on the bike above are for the saddle bags

 

[Lightcycle]

Beautiful pics!

 

[Jayell]

Fantastic!

 

[shanekingsley]

Very nice and that video was awesome to watch.
Thanks for sharing that sir!

 

[kurtrules]

Beautiful pics!

Thanks!

Fantastic!

Thank you

Very nice and that video was awesome to watch.
Thanks for sharing that sir!

Thanks Shane!

Have a few more videos that I will upload and share.

 

[Norcorider]

Great pics and video. You , sir , are a true adventurer.

 

[mimico_polak]

Wow that is phenomenal! Thanks for sharing and ride safe.

 

[sburns]

Amazing, thanks for sharing.

 

[Mad Mike]

Here's a video snippet of the route:

That video is captivating. That’s a trip I’d love to do. Maybe someday.

 

[oioioi]

Looks like a great trip and great pictures.
We are all jealous.

Thanks for sharing

 

[justride]

thanks for taking your time to share the pics and video. epic ride!

 

[bigpoppa]

I always took the Himalayas for granted because they were so close, maybe I should plan a trip back

Any other international flight options besides Delhi?