Day 1, October 1 2007: Delhi – Ambala – Mandi – Kullu – Manali – Nehru Kund

Alarms blaring out loud at 0330 and we were up within minutes. We took an hour getting ready and tying the luggage up on the bikes. “We stick together, will maintain visual distance. It’s up to us now. Ride Safe!” I told Rohon and we were off. Today was to be first time the Bull would hit the Highways. Pleasant weather and few traffic jams on NH1 welcomed us. We were traveling quickly now and to keep the momentum going, decided to skip breakfast and keep going. A missed turn at Kiratpur (towards NH21) meant we were headed in the wrong direction. Had to backtrack 30 kms before realizing the missed turn at Nangal. Ate Lunch at Kiratpur, and started off again. A minor oil leak in the Bull and we would stop at the RE workshop at Kullu. A quick screwing up job and we hit Manali at 1830. The road from Kullu to Manali had been dug up royally and set the tone for the next few days. We loitered around in the town for a while before heading up to our resort (Highland Park, at Nehru Kund about 10 kms towards Rohtang). The resort holds importance, as it would host Rohon’s wedding in a few months time. Popped up the Diamox, OMR down the throat, alarms set for an early start, few calls back home, calls to fellow riders and we crash.

PROLOGUE

NEXT DAY