Motorcycle roadtrip to the Himalayas - A photoblog - The mighty Sach Mountain Pass

The himalayas and the valleys of Himachal Pradesh are full of routes that traverse some of the highest and often, the most difficult dangerous passes. Mountain roads with high altitudes of over 12,000 feet are the norm here in the Himalayas. Stretching from its eastern border at Arunachal Pradesh, across the Indian states of Assam, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, the Himalayas offer plenty of mountain roads for the curious traveller. One of the best ways to explore these roads is on a bike. That was what we did, we took a motorcycle roadtrip to the Himalayas.

One of the best ways is to explore the Himalayas on motorcycle, and that is what we did.

Sach Pass. One of the most difficult passes I have ever attempted. Pictured here is my motorcycle Hope, with Sach Pass in all its treacherous glory.

One of the more difficult mountain passes and roads of the lower Himalayas is the Sach Pass in the Lahul valley of Himachal Pradesh. The Sach Pass, at an altitude of 4200 meters and far removed from the tarmac roads of the Ladakh valley is a challenge for man and machine. High altitude, narrow roads with sharp stones and rocks, water crossings, slush, and the cold and snow make it for a test of perseverance, skill, and ability. But more than these, it is a test of endurance. If you are able to take the discomforts, the lack of roads, and the difficult uphill climbs while the cold hurls itself across the valley, it is one of the best experiences that you would look back to.

The climb towards Sach Pass started after the village of Thissa. It is the last village and the only stop that could be had for the next 140km before the village of Killar. From Thissa, the road curves its way across the mountains before entering into a forested region. From here, rocks and stones make an appearance on the road at regular intervals, before taking over fully. This is the start of the road to Sach Pass, and it makes for one heck of a journey!

The road to the mountains!

Exiting the village of Thissa and on towards Sach Pass!

The start of the ascent to Sach Pass

If the road was any indication, it was only going to get worse as the altitude increased. What constituted a road was a mixture of rocks, stones, dirt and water crossings for nearly 80+ kilometres. It was an adventure that really defined us on that journey. It was unexpected, and having to face it within the first few days of the journey made us a lot tougher and our mindset geared itself to handle such things.

The roads of Sach Pass

As the altitude increased, it got colder and more treacherous. The fog and the mist, combined with the treacherous roads made the ride as difficult as it could get. The going was slow, and we had to constantly stop to evaluate the difficulty of water crossings before making them. Often times, I had to help my companions across, either by pushing their bikes, or doing the water crossing myself.

After what seemed like forever, we finally rounded a sharp curve and found ourselves on top of the mountain! At an altitude of nearly 4500m, we had arrived at the top of the pass. We were ecstatic and overjoyed at having arrived there, considering all the difficulties and bad roads we had to go through. The initial jubilation quickly disappeared as the cold winds that blow across the valley and the mountains made themselves felt. In the fifteen minutes or so since we had reached the top, the temperature dropped by nearly 2 degrees. Cold as it already was, this drop in temperature made it worse. Before long, we were freezing and my teeth started chattering involuntarily. I did not want to be on the top anymore, and wanted to head down the pass.

Atop Sach Pass at an altitude of nearly 4500m.

The descent of Sach Pass and into Pangi Valley.

It was raw nature ... Mesmerising, deadly and utterly beautiful.

On the other side of Sach Pass is the Pangi Valley. Isolated, desolate for most part, and utterly beautiful is probably the only way to describe it. There are very few villages in the Pangi valley, and the region is one of the most backward in all of Himachal Pradesh. There is a basic lack of connectivity in the form of roads, and this contributes to the desolation of the Pangi valley. However, a lack of all these fundamental requirements has ensured that the Pangi valley is pristine. Nature is at it's rawest form here. I do not think I will ever experience Himachal Pradesh in this way ever again; Mesmerising, deadly, and utterly beautiful.

The major water crossing at the base of Sach Pass.

We encountered a major water crossing as we completed the descent of Sach Pass. The water was very, very cold. We had to walk across it once to ensure there were no hidden dips under the water and our feet froze, literally. I had to cross over thrice; Once to take my friend Ranjana's bike across, then cross over again, help her across and get back to take my own bike across. It was the hardest part of the entire ride across Sach Pass.