A group of Wanaka men will soon be wheels up to northern India and wheels down to learn about the country’s geography, people and culture. A total of 16 people from Wanaka Motorcycle Club and from Christchurch will travel to Manali this Tuesday and tour the Himalayas by motorcycle. They plan to ride for a total of 10 days, covering about 1500 kilometres of land and 5600 meters in elevation along the highest motorable road in the world.
“I had a conversation with Woody [McMartin] regarding riding in Himalayan Nepal and, after exploring possibilities, I decided this one looked good,” said Peter Cleveland, group organiser. “The attraction of riding the high passes and riding the old-style motorbikes was compelling. This is the highest motorable road in the world, and so will be completely different from anything any of us have done. Some of the team have ridden Australia, Alaska, Canada, United States of America and South America.”
The group’s journey will be guided by Ladakh Moto Tour who will supply oxygen to the riders should they need it.
“We are all looking forward to this big challenge,” said Cleveland. “…some parts of the road look a bit scary, but the views from the road look amazing. Travelling only about 20 to 30 kilometres per hour, we will need to keep focused on where we are riding. Some days will be long. We are also concerned about keeping healthy and so have all had our shots and got pills for altitude sickness…and more. There are some snow melt crossings that look [like] they are going to be fun and memorable.”
The group will return to Wanaka on August 20. Wanaka Motorcycle Club has approximately 55 members in the Wanaka-Hawea region, including racers, roadies and adventure riders as well as the dirt bike contingent.
Source: Wanaka Sun