Roadtrip Day 40: Manali to Jibhi (Tirthan Valley) [Apr 17, 2021]
My first ride in rain & how my rain protection setup turned out to be insufficient
P.S. I forgot an important part in my previous post. I got BSNL sim in Manali for Spiti & for that, you need a local address in Manali. Unfortunately, Moustache address did not work & that is when I called Pankaj Thakur from Hardev Motors . Pankaj is the same guy who had earlier got my vehicle washed & inspected it. Pankaj gladly provided his address & also passed OTP sent to his mobile. I would like to thank Pankaj for this gesture. You would also need a local address with phone number if you intend to get BSNL sim in Manali.
I was up early at 6 AM with the resolve of leaving Manali as soon as I can (I was procastinating my Spiti plan for a few days now, read my previous posts to know why), but was disappointed to see that it was raining outside. Luckily by 7 AM, it had subsided. I was in Moustache hostel & all my luggage was lying in the common room. I got ready there itself (used the common room washroom), skipped taking bath, packed my bags & left Moustache at around 8:30 AM. I was hoping that someone from Moustache would show up & I would probably try negotiating a deal for last night stay (for which I had not paid), but I could not see anyone. Finally I decided to leave & to return the favor, had recommended them in my previous post. Per day cost of dorm bed at Moustache was Rs 274, which was the same at The Hosteller too. For booking, you can either book online or call them by finding the number on Google Map. The number would connect to their reservation team. I couldn’t get any discount even after telling them about my blog & they said that the Manali price is anyway a discounted price.
I stopped at a shop near the Manali market, which was one of the few open shops at that time, to have tea & bread omlet. The usual price in Manali is slightly higher than the places outside Manali. The tea costed Rs 15 & bread omlet Rs 50. Usually, you would get them for Rs 10 & Rs 40 respectively in Himachal.
I started my ride towards Jibhi. I had looked up places to stay in Jibhi & had found The Hostalgic. Anushree who was staying in Moustache had recommended The Mudhouse. I had not spoken to any of these & had decided to talk to them once I reach Jibhi.
The ride till Kullu was awesome. It was ok till Bhuntar. I stopped at a place prior to Kullu to have tea primarily to absorb the views around me.
I had to buy tire levers as part of puncture repair kit which I could not find while buying spares in Manali. I could not get it either in Kullu or in Bhuntar, even after asking around a lot. Finally, I reached a shop just after bridge in Bhuntar, which was a goto shops for mechanics in the area & decided to buy 2 large screw drivers as it could be used in a makeshift way to open the tire to take the tube out.
I was dreading the stretch after Bhuntar because of the dust it will offer . But thanks to rain in the morning, all the dust was settled. I got my tank filled at the same petrol pump (it comes before Aut & it is the only Reliance Petrol pump in the area) & headed towards Aut. After crossing the tunnel, I took the left turn towards Tirthan Valley. The road was pretty & scenic compared to the one that goes towards Mandi. I stopped at a HP Petrol pump for a restroom break. The pump in midst of mountain looked pretty unique & interesting.
I had taken out my leather gloves. Some distance ahead, I decided to wear my poncho, rain pants & shoe cover as well, as the drizzle had started to become heavy. Luckily, when I was suiting up, the drizzle did convert to rain. I continued riding & passed Bali Chowk market. I then stopped at Devasthali Cafe as I liked the poster & it also mentioned local Himachali food. On asking the person there, he said they could only make Parothas now to which I said yes. I asked him for a shade to park my bike & he quickly directed me to an area under his shop. It turned out to be both good & bad decision which I will tell later.
I asked for 2 parathas as it was Rs 20 for one. But once the first one came, I realized, eating the first one itself would be tough. Before I could have asked them not to make the 2nd, the 2nd one came too. After sometime, they also brought the tea, which was a fairly large serving of tea. I took my time finishing it all (I did request them to reheat the tea as by the time I reached to drinking tea, it was cold) & when I asked the bill, I was told Rs 50. I was surprised & asked the person to deduct Rs 70. He hesitantly deducted 60 & gave back Rs 40 to me (as I handed him Rs 100). I wanted to take a pic of the person but then other guests had come to the place & he was busy attending to them. The rain had also subsided & I thought its best to use the time to start riding.
I went downstairs to get the bike & soon realized that taking it out is going to be a task because of the narrow path. I tried to take it out eventually rubbing the left side of the bike rear & at some point of time, the bike seemed stuck & fallen to the side, which I after a significant pulling effort, was able to bring it back to its tires. I was also able to take it out successfully but with a good amount of effort going back & forth.
I realized I had forgotton my poncho which I had left outside the place & I went picked it, wore it & started riding. After reaching Jibhi, I then realized that I also forgot my thermos water bottle (you could see it in the paratha pic). When I told this to my wife, she said - guess that is how much time you & bottle had to spend together as per destiny :).
Unfortunately, the rain has started again by the time I left. But I had good faith on my own rain protection which I had tested during my bike ride in Arunachal. Thankfully my confidence remained intact but what I ignored was the untested rain protection of my luggage, which I am going to write about it later.
The road from Bali Chowk to Jibhi stayed narrow & the uphill climb goes through villages. There were other trucks also driving which made me ride on 1st gear behind them with a good amount of patience. I enjoyed the ride as it was the first time I was manevouring through a route that is steep climb & going through a village market with shops around me. I could not take the pic as I could not stop the bike, as there were vehicles behind me & there was hardly any space for vehicles to cross/overtake.
At around 3, I crossed Banjar & reached Tirthan Valley. The views have now become pretty magical with the foggy clouds at a distance. This is the first time I am seeing the kind of views in the trip. It also reminded me of Kodaikanal which is my favourite hill station in south India.
Homestays started to show up even before Jibhi officially started & that is when I knew I am close to my destination. Since it was raining, I had covered my phone & the holder with a polythene to prevent water going into the phone & the charging setup. I passed by Accoustic Cafe & then turned back when I realized it has nice open ground which can be used for campsite & a toilet at the end. I met Manpreet (not sure if I remember the name correctly) who told me that camping isnt allowed as only cottages have permission to let people put their tents. His cafe was also under renovation. He asked me to check Old School Cafe & said that it has tenting setup right next to the river. I could not find Old School Cafe even after asking around, as it seems, that I had to park my bike on the road & then take stairs to reach the place. With all the luggage I had, I decided to use that as my last option.
I changed destination to The Hostalgic on Google Map & I had no difficulty finding the place. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Himalayan with KA number parked outside. I went up to find a few folks who seemed like running the place. They had 4 bed & 8 bed dorm. The bed in 8 bed dorm was Rs 350 & the one in 4 bed is Rs 400. On asking why the fares are higher compared to Manali, they mentioned that it is the cheapest I can get in Jibhi & they were actually right. I later called Mudhouse (recommended by a friend in Manali) & was surprised to know that their one bed costs Rs 600+ & they only had 3 empty beds. Chandan, who is the manager at Mudhouse, invited me over for dinner (quoting it is on him) when he came to know that I am doing solo bike trip & had been riding from Bangalore. He said that he would like to do pan India solo bike trip & would like to talk more about it. I accepted the offer but decided to stay in Hostalgic only.
While Hostalgic is the cheapest stay option in Jibhi, I got fairly cold vibes from people there. Maybe, they felt that I am cheapo kind of person looking for cheap deals. When I entered into the 8 bed dorm, the bed I chose was not ready & I requested them to make it ready. One of the founders of the place was sleeping on the bed next to it. He got up & with a lot of authority in his voice, explained that it is the off time of their staff & the bed would be ready by 5:30 (It was 4:30 then). I did not like the way he talked as it had no sign of courtesy. That is the moment, I decided that I am going to end my stay at Hostalgic in a day. Guess my inner voice told me that. Although views from Hostalgic were pretty mesmerizing. But I guess, that should be the case from any place in Jibhi.
There was a good amount of stairs climbing in Hostalgic & I decided to leave my camping setup tied on my bike covering it with the blue tent cover. Only later I realized how big the mistake that was.
I met Angaar (I could not click a pic with him) who was in the 4 bed dorm but since his place does not have electricity, was in the 8 bed dorm charging his mobile. Angaar looked like a sardar with his hair open but then I realized he had dreadlocks. After some conversation, he mentioned that he is a lead guitarist of a band & they had performed in Bhopal as well. I did envy him for his hair but then I realized that we all are blessed in our ways & my hair isn’t that bad either :).
The bed was finally readied at 5:30 PM & I decided to head out for a walk. I inquired about stairs that are going towards the river if it is a private path & I was told from locals that I can go. The place was surreal & I spent sometime just absorbing the beauty. The thought of meditating there did cross my mind but then I felt that I should explore more as it was sundown time.
I crossed a foot bridge to go the other side of the river. I saw Shiva Cottage & there was a tent pitched there.
I got curious & went inside but could not find the person running the show there. There was a guest sitting who gave a very cold vibe to me when I asked him about the person there. At that moment, I was feeling maybe Jibhi isnt the right place for me. But the feeling changed as the day progressed. I noted the phone number written on the wall & called the guy, who turned out to be brother of the person managing the place. The guy talked very nicely though & he said that he can help with stay when I go to Chitkul. His name is Yuvraj Vashisth & at the time of writing this blog post, his place suggestion in Chitkul is the place where I will be staying once I reach there.
I decided to pursue the trail that went uphill & soon emerged on an uphill road. Soon I was ascending & had similar views of the valley.
I also happen to see a milestone of the village ahead & it looked like a village from Karnataka (ask your Kannada friend why :-]. The south Indians who cant read hindi, ask your north Indian friend what it is :-D )
I saw a slightly oldish man walking & when I caught up with him, I casually asked where the road leads to. We started talking. His name is Gopal Thakur & he is an advocate. He talked about bad times corona has brought to him but did mention how his family learnt to manage during the time. He had plans to build a treehouse & was building a guest house. I really liked the vibe & I would recommend at least talking to him if you happen to be in Jibhi & looking for a place. Maybe, his guesthouse would be ready by then.
Gopal ji invited me to his place but it was 7 PM & about to go dark. So I told him if I happen to extend my stay at Jibhi, I would call him & then come down to meet him. With that promise, we parted ways & I started descending on the road.
While going down, I remember that Chandan from Mudhouse had invited me for dinner. When I opened Google Map to check Mudhouse location, I realized it is very near to the place I was standing. So I decided to head there. Once in, I did realize why Chandan said that the vibe Mudhouse has to offer is unique. He was right. The common area was nicely lit. They had a dedicated coworking & the way they had named their toilet is innovative :).
I could not click a pic with Chandan. I spent some time in the common area & I happen to meet the Bangalore guy who had come in his Thar & I had met him in Dalhousie, there. His name is Anubhav Kumar (sadly I again forgot to click his pic).
I also happen to meet another Anubhav who is also WFHing but he has been learning one adventure sport at a time. This time, he had completed the training course of paragliding in Bir before coming to Jibhi. He had also done all the levels of skiing training in Gulmarg. I asked him a lot of questions & he patiently answered. We had a good conversation & connected well. Anubhav intends to learn all the adventure sports & intend to go to US to learn one (I forgot which one). I liked the dedication in him & wish him well for his endeavours. He is the first guy I have ever met who is so passionate about all the adventure sports. I could not click pic with Anubhav the same day but we happen to meet again the next day when I was on my towards Rampur from Jibhi at Jalori pass. I clicked a pic with him then.
I realized that it has been raining for sometime & I had left my camping setup on the bike. So I decided to go back & put them in the room. While I unpacked it, I realized the sleeping bag had become wet. I was disappointed but could not do much. Hostalgic did not had a place to dry up clothes (which was fairly disappointing). They had one shaby room with washing machine & asked me to dry my stuff there. But there was no ventillation in the room & I realized I am better off drying stuff in the dorm. I spreaded the sleeping bag on the floor next to my bed. I decided to complete my pending blog post from the Hostalgic common room before heading back, but then the internet in Hostalgic was down. I was helped with internet but I could not sit there for long amidst a lot of cold vibe. Soon Chandan pinged saying my food was waiting & I decided to head back to Mudhouse. I would like to thank Chandan for the gesture although he did not talk much about my bike trip (although he did mention to the folks around in the hostel about me & my trip). Chandan is a friendly guy & you can reach him at 9459895806 . If you are not on shoestring budget, I would recommend Mudhouse over Hostalgic. I guess Jibhi is an expensive place & the homestays might not be very cheap either. But I would recommend exploring that as well as I did not do much of exploration myself.
After having dinner at Mudhouse, I headed back to Hostalgic & slept off at around 11 PM. The plan for the next day was to head to Rampur if the weather clears. Else, I would probably just stay put at ‘cold’ Hostalgic. Another thing I did not like about Hostalgic is their exorbitant food price. The tea costed 40 bucks. I did not even try anything there. Rather I chose to walk 30m towards city & had tea for 10 bucks.
Stay safe. Corona cases are breaking a new high everyday.