New year ride to Sirmour district

A small request to all: Enjoy nature, enjoy your travel but please don’t spoil MOTHER NATURE. Refill bottles, don’t throw plastic in water bodies or roads. Dispose your garbage at proper place. Cheers!

"Let's ride again to some nearby place, like we rode to Dalhousie." I could remember only this conversation on phone with Vaibhav.

"Yeah, when are you coming to Delhi? I want to ride as well, a weekend ride may be." Vaibhav replied.
At Biker Zone facebook group Ranjeet posted and asked us to confirm by 24th December if we are coming to Chandigarh to ride further ahead.
On 27th December, I called Vaibhav and confirmed my ride. A few quick adjustments he made to his other plans and we were ready for exploring a lesser known, lesser visited district of Himachal - Sirmour district.
As I reached Delhi, I called Vaibhav at my place and discussed about the ride with some Red Label.
On 30th December 2011 night, we left for Chandigarh on volvo. Reached there at around 1am and assembled at Archit's flat. Ranjeet picked me from ISBT and Vaibhav had some other work so he left. We assembled at Archit's room at around 2:15 am on 31st December. Prashant and Satish also joined us there and all 5 of us were now ready to ride.

Room of a biker

The bikes were out, 4 of them:
1) Bullet Electra 4s (Archit's) : Riders Me and Vaibhav
2) RE Desert Storm (Prashant's Thor)
3) CBZ Extreme - Ranjeet's and
4) P180 - Satish's. 
 
The bikes looked fresh and thirsty to raid some new roads in Himachal. We left and in no time hit Chandigarh-Shimla highway. As we moved towards Dharampur, we stopped for a tea and ordered Parathas. It was 31st December morning and was very cold, and we started having general conversations at Dhaba.


A few days back in Hyderabad I met Bullet riders of Hyderabad - Wanderers club and I remember a conversation between them : "Morning time is the riskiest to ride, the truck drivers are sleepy and can hit you." The other guy nodded and said "Yes and we shouldn't ride after 6pm, before it's dark we should settle wherever we are", another guy agreed to previous 2 statements and added "Yes, if we are stuck in night or morning with a fault or puncture, we will be left with no other option than to get stranded in the mid of the highway." For once, I thought about it then smiled and thought about the fun of night riding in hills with less traffic, reflecting light which makes us aware if someone is coming from opposite side, that chill in the spine and a sense of thrill.

Ok, so after having a good round of tea/parathas/bakchodi we started for Dharampur and then took a right and a quick left from there(not towards Nahan). A few kms ahead there is a Y shaped road and we had to take the left one. It was there when we all started feeling the real cold inside our double layered gloves.

Moved further ahead only to stop at roadside and gathered some sticks and wood and lit up fire. We sat again and till that time it was 6 am. Since we had no fixed destination, se we were enjoying all these long stops for bakchodi. Now we reached this place ---- and stopped for attending nature's call and breakfast/tea. Now when everyone started feeling sleepy at around 8:30 - 9 a.m., Vaibhav was active and took the lead. I was a pillion rider on Electra 5s and now we entered Sirmour district.

For the first time, I was without my own bike and as a pillion I had my own apprehensions. I kept alert and made sure Vaibhav is listening to my tips and unwanted guidance.
The landscape now looked similar to lower areas of Uttarakhand, we kept moving and passed many places. Ranjeet remembered the names of most of the places on the way. Now the sun was sharp and so were we, as we crossed villages of Sirmour, one after the other.
Finally we reached Haripur Dhar and decided to stay there. Went to some temple at the top of the hill. It was nail biting cold so after getting a decent room we opened up our stock of Rum and Vodka. We had a good dinner later and then we dozed off, all 5 of us celebrated New Year in deep sleep.

At our hotel in HaripurDhar

Beautiful Sunset

Bikes parket next to 'theka'

Haripurdhar village



One of these 3 was our dinner



Stairs leading to temple

Renuka Ji lake

The next morning was fresh and we were supposed to head back for Chandigarh via Renuka ji and we started off after a heavy double breakfast. Had our lunch at Renuka ji and continued via Nahan towards Kala Amb. It was there I parted from the group and boarded a bus back for Delhi.

Another day at home and I flew back to Hyderabad. It was a short, crispy trip to Delhi and Himachal and I wish I could get more time for such trips to escape from madness of city life, from madness of dull, boring people & places. It's almost after 7 months I am writing this blog and my heart still remains there in Himachal.

Cheers,
Puneet!!!