Chitkul

Our first challenge for today was riding up the hill we descended yesterday. It's about a 100m vertical climb on a dirt track and it requires judicious use of the clutch on the tight corners. Another challenge to relish. The rear tyre of the Enfield grips well, and its single cylinder 350cc pulls strongly once you get the throttle at the sweet spot giving maximum power at given revs - too much and the engine sputters in complaint, too little and the engine slows, as it should - once you have achieved this mechanical nirvana the engine pulls very well and the bike makes the climb easily.

We're heading for Chitkul further up the Sutlej valley. The roads, dramatic as ever, are carved into the sheer cliff faces - and without any barriers, death lurks at every corner if you are stupid. We wind our way along the roads with the line of bikers stretching as we go, and peel off individually to take pictures when the opportunity arises (many!). The valley floor flattens out below us and it seems to be rising to meet us as we are mostly riding with no incline. The character of the road also changes and instead of clinging to the rock face the road layout is now dictated by fallen boulders the size of houses - I wonder how many motorcycles are squashed underneath? Surprisingly the tarmac here is pristine.

Further on the road can't decide whether it is a road or a river and turning a corner into a large stream is very strange at first; but there is no choice, that's where the road takes you. Riding over the slippery rocks is especially difficult and many of us falter - but not me for once -). The downside is that I get to discover that my super tough boots are not waterproof. (Note to other self: spend more on your kit in future you cheapskate).

We pass many army looking facilities and cross a few girder bridges with slippery sheet metal surfaces, which need care to avoid an embarrassing off. Villages are interspersed seemingly every few kms and the road is broken as is the norm for this type of highway.

Reaching Chitkul, I don't realise we are as high as we are; it's located at 3400m and I've not been that high before. My nose should be bleeding and I should be gasping for air, but everything is fine and I don't feel any ill-effects. However I didn't do any physical exertion, which is the real test.

The Chitkul I saw was like a frontier town; there wasn't much to see but the spectacular mountains. A few hotels are dotted amongst the local houses, which are themselves of great interest. One of our party noted that they may not have windows, but at least they have satellite TV and it's true dish antennas are scattered everywhere even on what look like the most rundown houses. Shiny corrugated steel is the most popular roofing material giving the town/village a strange pristine top, decayed bottom look. From where we parked we could see a hill temple in the distance; true to type, it went up!

The local kids are fair skinned and some fair haired, reminding me of other communities with similar characteristics; something to do with the altitude or the water I wonder? Or, is it the genetic legacy of that Alexander chap?