Preparation never did anyone any good ! Of all the things in the pic only 3 were used - Diamox tablet for altitude sickness, Band aid for taping my toes and 2 electrolyte concentrate tablets per person
one pair of old shoes and one pair of new shoes per person.....die hard Asics fans !
4 Asics all in a row - the Gel Nimbus for Rajat & the Gel GT 2140 for me
Rajat packing for the Day 1 of running...included a set of fresh towels and dry clothes for the return journey
The fleece jacket bought a day earlier from the local market, but wasnt used on the run, as it was raining
Time to lace up, strap the bottle..
Packed lunch from Johnson's Cafe.
the start of day 1 - across the bridge
the start point. We underestimated how UP the UP arrow would go :)
running in the heavy rain and cold. More than the light windcheater, the heavy duty layer of greasy Nivea cream all over our body was a saviour. It is like a zero-weight, decently water proof and superbly cold proof coating.
on on...
and on-on
On day 1 we got to 75-80% of the height of that snow capped range. Was an awesome feeling to get there. Only then we realised how high we had climbed
Soaked in the rain+uphill running for 3 hours plus+cold+exhaustion = 2 very happy runners ! Only some of us will understand why we do this to ourselves.
the scenery kept us company through the run
Rohtang was somewhere there...
finally it stopped raining, but the cold continued to linger in the air...
and the climbs keep coming incessantly..
my stripping habits die hard......whether it is Khardungla Pass in Leh, or the road to Rohtang....
thankfully the stripping stopped here and didn;t go all the way to bright yellow undies a la Khardungla Pass !
overcast skies just waiting to pour
we went up to almost 1.5 times the height of that hillock. felt great.
and more rain.....
the grass is greener on the other side....
at one of the quick stops to refill the hand strapped water bottles..
and just where is Rajat ??? Ahead, of course !
and then it stopped raining....
one of the reasons why we didnt feel tired
the road upwards..
spectator
packed lunch - 1 kela, one tuna sandwich (veg for Rajat), 1 slice chocolate cake, 1 slice lemon cake, 1 fruit juice.
Human greed....just why can't he focus on his own lunch box ???
...this is why..Rajat's still intact lunch box. No wonder he was eyeing mine.
the locals all bundled up, while we were in chaddi-banians ! PS - check the hues of the sky
at one point we were tempted to ditch the run and attempt climbing the trail...but then, unfortunately, better sensse prevailed after a 2 minute debate
one of the rare times when we attacked China !
at 9400 feet...all the way from 6000 feet...all in a few hours
he is almost expecting the pillar to kiss him on the cheek.....strange man indeed !
the road blocks...landslides beyond this point. the Border Roads Organisation was working overtime to clear the roads
now he wants a kiss from the pillar on the other cheek too !!!
whoa !!
strange...everyone seemed over dressed compared to us !
chai de do bhai, chai..at 10 bucks for a small cup, one is reminded of inflation even up in the hills !
Michael Jackson never died. He simply reincarnated in Gulaba, the mid-point to Rohtang.
the climbs we negotiated...is was uphill all the way
on the way down
rising up above Manali and Bhang
this was our mantra for the run. Had we hurried our pace, we might not have got there pain free.
I thought being vain was my full time job, till I discovered Rajat had a No. 1 tee shirt !
a lonely pine
a long way up
Strengthening work, huh ??? Ok, what about interval training ???
Big boys run at night..so says Rajat
apple trees on our way down
the calculations of pace, elevation and other such matters that only runners are obsessed with ! To cut a long story short, on an average we climbed 165 feet per km
swing low
back at the start point. He still insists on wearing the No. 1 tee, despite me being the vain guy
the bridge back to manali. End of day 1
the bros get running
Running. Its only a matter of getting from point A to point B and having loads of fun in between
elevation charts
banana & honey pancakes - before day 2 of run
All set for Day 2. Start point on day 2 was 5 kms outside Manali and at approx. 6700 feet altitude
We ran a good paced 17 kms to the Naggar Palace on Day 2. When we got there, we debated carrying on to Kullu, but better sense prevailed yet again (unfortunately). We had to get back in time to catch the bus to Delhi, so that settled the debate.
another day, another bridge, another starting point, another run...and life is good.
day 2 was nice & sunny.
the kick off on day 2
nice and cheery
the road to naggar had downs....
...and flats...
...and mild ups...
...and..more mild ups...(great for trying out quick strides)
and then downs again.....
through the villages
beautiful weather and crisp clean air...what more could one ask for ?
the valley below....running at 7000 feet altitude
finally at the Naggar palace
great place to end the Day 2 of run
Naggar palace - perched high up, probably offers the best views of the hills
2 days of running....time for them to relax
This balcony hangs over nowhere.
cricket down under...can you spot the red ball in the top of the frame ?
not a stylish shot, but it got him runs :)
the palace temple
post the run, food with a view...
same view, more food
a small break on the way back
and then back to uncivilised civilisation !!
a cottage up in the middle of nowhere.
