Nature surprised us with a hazardous challenge on an expectedly easy day to truly ensure that we experienced it all before graduating us on the last day as “expert” motorcyclists
Distance traveled: 110 kms
Ride time: approximately 5.5 hours
Total time (w/ breaks): 7 hours
Health check: few moments with paused breathing and skipped heartbeats
Mental check: mixed emotions being the last day
Motorcycle check: Clutch issues continued
It was supposed to be another easy day of ascending to the last high pass of our tour Rohtang La (3,979m) en route to Manali. After a fun-filled campfire evening, we woke up to freshen up with cold water in the make-shift bathrooms of our bamboo cottages. After lifting the 25kgs bag from the cottage to the Tempo traveller, we refueled our bodies with the much-needed hearty puri-bhaji and toast-butter-jelly. Drizzling rains shifted us from open-air table surrounded by green mountains in all four directions into indoor breakfast area as it converted to pouring rain.
As we kick-started at about 8am in rain, I emotionally blackmailed Gopi to be a pillion on the “last day”, even though a lot of rough patches were expected. We initially lucked out with the rain converting back to drizzle until we reached the permit and snack stop at Khoksar.
But as soon as we started ascending the steep and unpaved Rohtang Pass, it started pouring again. Our rain gears didn’t prevent the flooding waters to seep through to our bodies! Rain caused over-flowing water to mix with the terrain and make the sandy clay loose causing the motorcycles to slip and slide. Fortunately none of the few skids by us “expert” motorcyclists caused any falls. 
It required separate set of skills to counter steer the motorcycle against the direction of sliding tires. Besides that, we were in the foggy clouds that changed the visibility to only 20-25 feet – about 2 motorcycles in front of us. The while it took for us to get to the top of the Rohtang pass exhausted us so much physically and mentally, that none of us even got down to take pictures at this milestone.
Even worse was the descent, which was the most dangerous experience of this trip. 
The pouring rain on the slippery rough terrain was made exponentially dangerous with the almost zero visibility riding through the fog of the clouds, while the heavy warm breaths caused fog inside the helmet visor that already was filled with water droplets on the outside. It was so scary riding almost blind on these twisty mountains with really high fatal cliffs on the terrain wide enough just for one truck. 
Our only north-star riding blindly was the tail light of the motorcycle immediately in front of us without even being able to see the rider riding it. We were desperately attempting to find even loose gravel in the 5-10 feet behind that north-star tail light on the water-filled clay terrain to lower the chances of sliding.
The single lane caused quite a bit of traffic jam as only one-sided traffic was opened at a time when the staring headlights of buses and trucks would be on our face only when it reached within 10 feet of us. In fact on one of the sharp turns on angled terrain, we stopped to check for traffic and cliff distance but since my right leg couldn’t reach the inclined terrain, 
we leaned over on the truck getting all its mud on our jackets. Thankfully the truck wasn’t in motion! Being completely wet on snow covered peaks made it so cold even with four layers of clothing, that many of us complained about numbness in the fingers and some like Gab even got frost bites! I kept the visor slightly open for a little better visibility, but those rain droplets on my face converted my eyebrows and mustache to icicles!!
Our road captain Sachin was supposed to switch positions with Gaurav at the base of the mountain, but this dangerous and messy delay made them switch the motorcycles somewhere in the descend itself, not allowing us to say proper goodbye to Sachin or Bhuvansir. But so is the nature of nature, and we ought to believe that we’re destined to meet again soon… 
Steadily we kept rushing through where we got to the newly created tarmac by BRO (Border Roads Organization) following Gaurav’s lead.
Continuing through all the twisties, the fog started clearing up in the steep descends of Manali. The 
gorgeous green landscapes of Switzerland summer postcards appeared in front of us normalizing our heart-rates and breath counts. We regrouped and convoyed through the town to hotel Valley View, the pseudo-headquarters of Ride Of My Life (ROML) where we were welcomed by the staff with hot Pakoras and tea.
WE MADE IT! We all did it! We’re still alive. One of the most common responses on our first day briefing to the question of expectations was “Stay Alive”. And here we are with no major injuries, a lifetime of experience and memories, a better pumping heart and breaths – STILL ALIVE 🙂
Reminds me of a beautifully written Javed Akhtar’s poetry recited by Imran in the movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (Won’t Get This Life Again):
Toh Zinda Ho Tum (You’re Alive)
Dilon mein tum apni betabiyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum!
(If you carry restlessness in your heart, then you are ALIVE)
Nazar mein khwaabon ki bijliyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum!
(If you carry sparks of dreams in your vision, then you are ALIVE)
Hawa ke jhonke ke jaise aazad rehna seekho,
(Learn to live freely like the gusts of wind around you)
Tum ek dariya ke jaise leharon mein behna seekho
(Learn to flow like the tide flows with the water)
Har ek lamhe se tum milo khole apni baahein
(Meet every moment of your life with open arms)
Har ek pal ek naya samaa dekhiye
(and experience newness every moment you live)
Jo apni aankhon mein hairanian leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum!
(If you carry bewilderment in your eyes, then you are ALIVE)
Dilon mein tum apni betabiyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum!
(If you carry eagerness in your heart, then you are ALIVE)