2022 Indian Himalaya: Lahaul, Spiti, Ladakh, Kashmir

22 days/1440 km/21500 m altitude gain
I just love India. It's my fouth visit, second visit cycling.

The journey began with a dramatic descent from 2,700m into the scorching heat of northern India. As usual, the route evolved on the go, and taking an unfamiliar forest road turned out to be a great decision: perfect asphalt, tiny villages and almost no traffic. The heat remained brutal, but there were plenty of memorable moments—excellent dhaba food, cold water from roadside fountains, generous locals, and unexpected hospitality. In Tarpi, a group of Indian cyclists invited me to their hotel, shared dinner and drinks, while later a stranger in the mountains offered me a beautiful room and dinner when I was about to sleep outside. Along the way, I also revisited places I had cycled through in 2009, seeing how dramatically the roads and hydroelectric projects had changed.

As I climbed deeper into Kinnaur and Spiti, the landscape became increasingly spectacular and the altitude increasingly punishing. Roads were often excellent, but climbs at 3,700–4,000m left me constantly out of breath, while monsoon storms brought sudden drops in temperature, rain, thunder and strong winds. There were dramatic gorges, desert-like valleys, Buddhist villages, falling rocks and enormous mountain formations. At times the cycling was miserable—especially on gravel with headwinds—but the scenery repeatedly made up for it. I stayed in homestays and dhabas, met cyclists from around the world, enjoyed endless Indian food, and even spent a night alone in a meadow beneath a sky full of stars. After reaching Manali and having my damaged crank repaired by an exceptionally kind mechanic, I continued toward Ladakh.

The road to Leh brought more extreme riding: endless climbs, thin air, powerful headwinds, trucks and occasional terrible roads. But beyond Leh, the journey became quieter and more rewarding again. I found peaceful village roads, incredible Ladakhi hospitality, and beautiful rides along the Indus River, surrounded by dramatic rock formations, greenery and endless apricots. I passed through remote Brokpa villages and then into Kargil, where the atmosphere suddenly felt very different from the Buddhist regions I had just left. The final stretch toward Srinagar brought greener mountains, increasing humidity and heavy military presence, followed by the chaotic, noisy arrival in the city after an exhausting day. Throughout the journey, the combination of brutal conditions, extraordinary landscapes, spontaneous encounters and unexpected kindness made it feel like far more than just a cycling trip.