Mission Spiti 2015 - Day 03

Kalpa – Roghi – Recong Peo – Pooh

Having popped in 3 tabs of Diamox in total till morning, my headache was showing good symptoms. My stomach was also behaving well when in seeking help in filling water in the Wiper pipe, I struck a conversation with an Udaipur driver Mukesh driving a RJ-27 Innova. Amidst many HP vehicles, there was also a ZoomCar DL XUV and 5 DL-HR-UP Bikes parked in the Parking Lot.

We had cleared all Bills last night and started towards Roghi Suicide Point at 08:40. Our target was to reach Krish Auto by 09:30. The Roghi village was sleepy and despite our intentions not to go to the village, we touched it and turned around to spot a Suicide Point. Actually the spot was quite dangerous especially for the acrophobic ones – Imagine after climbing 2000m over 15 km on a single mountain you still see the Satluj river down below. Such a sight can make anybody acrophobic.

Parking Lot of HPTDC Kinner Kailash

HPTDC Kinner Kailash

Mr Sachin Goel relishing the Kinner Kailash range

Kinner Kailash Range with a Hospital below

Roghi Suicide Point

Without getting down, we drove to Krish Auto where we were confirmed by the Workshop Manager that our Clutch Plate was in the Bus and due to arrive at 11:00. We insisted that the work be started immediately but were insisted back that the car parts would be disassembled only after arrival of the part. We were guided for the breakfast at the nearby HPPCL Rest House Dhaba where we could feast at awesome home-cooked Aloo Paranthas for Rs 25/- each. Promising to be back for Lunch of Rajma-Chawal at Rs 80/- each, we spent the next 6 hours looking at our car being disassembled and reassembled helplessly. Our presence there surely ensured that no nut-bolt was blown away by the wind and no part was forgotten in the reassembly. Mr Shiv Bhagat was busy all day with some religious function organized by the local RWA and sitting outside his residence above the Workshop, I observed how his toddler daughter happily returned from the school finding her own way into the house independently. Within my mind, I appreciated her independence and her parents’ way of bringing her up – a balance of home-foster and self-dependence.

Car Surgery in Progress

Krish Auto - Authorized Service Centre at Recong Peo

While waiting for the completion of car surgery, I had advised my brother that we should reach Pooh for the night if we want to visit Shipki La the next day and reach Sumdo the next night to which he agreed. Discussing about the punctured tyre at 17:00, Mr Bhagat advised to put a tube inside the tyre. I frantically went to Neelkanth Tyre Shop in the Main Market and got an R15 tube for our R16 tyre for a whopping Rs 600/-. Profusely thanking the entire team at Krish Auto, we left the Fuel Pump at 18:15 after filling an extra 2L bottle and a 5L Plastic Can provided to us by Mr Ansari. All the while my thoughts were pinned upon whether we made a sensible decision to install a tube considering that we could refill a tubeless tyre and continue but a tubed tyre would be flat instantly thereby requiring us to change the tyre then & there (possibly middle of nowhere).

But we continued – and before Spello, we were asked to enter our Details at the check-post. At this post we encountered 5 DL bikers with a Support Innova. As darkness loomed over and terrain not only changed but kept changing steadily, we observed that the traffic had now thinned. We had finally entered the Level 5 Travel Area. I had explained my concept of 6 Travel Area Levels to my brother when we had crossed Narkanda on the first day. My Concept was:

Level 1 – Shimla, Manali, Nainital

Level 2 – Narkanda, Sarahan

Level 3 – Sangla

Level 4 – Kalpa, Leh

Level 5 – Kaza, Munsyari

Level 6 – Chadar Trek or Everest Base Camp Trek

And as per my concept the traffic thinned as one climbed each level. Later, after we crossed Rohtang La on Day 08, I re-affirmed this concept by saying that I do not intend to undermine the Level 3 travelers or scoff at the Level 1 travelers. It is a mix of circumstances, capabilities and lifestyle statuses which formulate the level at which a person or a family will travel and that too might for only a limited period of time before climbing the next level.

You are Travelling on the World's Most Treacherous Road

You are Travelling on the World's Most Treacherous Road

Anyhow, we covered the road from Spello to Pooh in total darkness again breaking our own rule but only because there was no option. My heart was stuck on the newly tubed tyre whereas my brother’s lungs stopped breathing at every blind curve. Fortunately, as we discovered, the night driving had its own advantage – that any vehicle could be noticed from a huge distance because of its headlights. It is an interesting story that, on the following days, each and every BRO member told us it was too dangerous to cover Spello to Pooh in the dark. That also is a fact that we could not see the danger due to dark.

Dining Hall at Pooh

Room at Pooh

Dinner at Pooh

Bathroom at Pooh

The BRO Officer at Pooh had categorically told us over phone that our phones would stop working 1 hour after Powari and so you have to stop at the 68 RCC Camp at 424 KM Chainage (Please refer to my Kashmir Winter 2014 Travelogue to understand the concept of Chainage). As we approached Pooh, the entry to the Village climbed the hill on the left but we saw few lights glooming over huts that could be BRO establishment only and yes, our guess was right. We took the steep lane to park outside the BRO 68 RCC Guest House. The JE in charge welcomed us and took a relieved breath himself at the fact that we could reach Pooh safely at 21:30 and did not miss the BRO post at 424 KM Chainage. We thanked the caretaker and the cook profusely for providing us with a sumptuous meal and slept for the good night ahead as the clock showed 22:30. Our phones were now out of reach and the peace calmed us.