Saval Challenges

20/05/2026

Stage 11 – Spiti: Kaza to Tashigang 🏔️
Someone mentioned it almost in passing — ride to Tashigang, the world's highest polling station, and I'd unofficially be the first 50+ year old to do it unsupported after completing the full Spiti journey.
I didn't sleep on it. I just started preparing.
Beyond Kibber gate, it was pure wilderness for ~24 kms. No settlements. No shelter. No margin for error. The elevation pressed down on every breath. I slowed right down — in Spiti, pace isn't weakness, it's the only language the mountain negotiates in.
Then the wind found me. 30-50 mph, sweeping across open ridgelines with nothing to break it. I hugged the mountain side and kept moving. It took me down twice. Both times the answer was the same — get up, get your act together, keep going.
Because I was 50. Unsupported. And I had come this far.
Tashigang arrived quietly. I stood there a while, letting the altitude and the moment do what they needed to do.
The ride back was slow. The wind still made its opinions known. Through Kibber gate. Back into Kaza.
Done. Unsupported. 50-plus. First. 🙌

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20/05/2026

Stage 10 – Spiti: Tabo to Kaza
I started early. In Spiti, that's not ambition — it's survival strategy.
The road was the same single track from yesterday, but today it seemed to have decided to make a point of itself. Dusty, broken in stretches, relentless in its indifference to the person moving along it. The kind of road that doesn't reward effort so much as simply endure it alongside you. Every kilometre felt negotiated rather than covered.
And the heat. By mid-morning it was already sitting heavy on everything — the pale dust, the bare rock, the air itself. Spiti doesn't cool down gradually; it just switches. You're either in shadow or you're in the sun, and out here, there isn't much shadow to find.
There wasn't much food either. The valley between Tabo and Kaza is sparse in the way that reminds you this isn't a trail designed around your convenience. I kept grinding — head down, one push at a time — rationing energy and hope in roughly equal measure.
And then, a dhaba. Small, roadside, unremarkable to look at — exactly the kind of place that becomes a minor miracle when you've been running on empty. I ordered Maggi. There's a particular joy to Maggi at altitude, in the middle of nowhere, when your body is asking questions your legs can't answer — salty, hot, instant, enough.
And there was company. A group of motor cyclists, loud with the kind of enthusiasm that doesn't apologize for itself. We got talking — that easy, instinctive kinship between people sharing the same road, the same dust, the same stubborn decision to be out here at all. They were buzzing with where they'd been and where they were headed, and somewhere in that conversation, something in me reset. You forget, mid-grind, that this is also joy. They reminded me.
I rolled into Kaza with that energy still in my legs.
Kaza had been my endpoint by necessity — Kunzum Pass was closed, cutting off the route onward to Manali. It wasn't the ending I had planned.
Sometimes the mountain decides where your story ends.
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20/05/2026

Stage 9 – Spiti: Nako to Tabo
The day opened with a climb — purposeful, unhurried — up to Malling Post, the highest point of the stage. There's something about reaching a high point early in the day that feels like the trek is giving you a quiet nod of acknowledgement before letting you go.
And then it gave me the descent.
Long, open, generous. The kind that doesn't ask anything of your legs and everything of your eyes. The Spiti valley slowly revealing itself below — stark, wide, almost prehistoric in its silence.
But with the valley came the heat. Spiti doesn't do shade. The sun here isn't aggressive so much as persistent — it follows you through every bend, off every pale rock face. And the road changed character too. The comfortable width of two lanes that had been my quiet luxury for days narrowed into a single track of tarmac threading through the mountains. There was something almost appropriate about it — Spiti demanding that you pay closer attention, take it more seriously.
I moved through it with a couple of rest stops, letting the body recover and the scenery settle in. Tabo arrived without fanfare, the way good places often do.
I found a decent place to stay — simple, comfortable, exactly what the body needed after a day like that. And before the evening fully closed in, I made my way to the monastery. The Tabo Gompa. Over a thousand years old, they say, and you feel every one of them the moment you step inside — the murals faded but still speaking, the stillness almost physical. A fitting end to a day that had asked for presence at every turn

20/05/2026

Stage 8: Pooh to Nako — The Furnace & The Guardian Drivers 🏜️🔥

Started straight out of Pooh with a fast, technical descent down narrow mountain roads, but the cool air didn’t last long. Before I even reached the base of the infamous Ka Loops, the high-altitude desert heat began bouncing off the canyon walls like a furnace.

It was a brutal, unrelenting grind, and my water bottles were emptying faster than I could fill them. That’s when the true spirit of the mountains showed up: Good Samaritan drivers started pulling over, refilling my water bottles whenever I ran dry, and shouting words of encouragement. They became my lifeline.

This was easily the hardest day of the expedition since Day 3—the heat made the climb feel completely never-ending. But just as the rain clouds began to roll in and threaten a storm, I finally pushed into Nako and found a place to settle down.

At 12,080 feet, this is my highest elevation of the trip so far. Lungs are working hard, but I’m hoping tomorrow pays me back with a long, rewarding descent down the other side! 🙏🏔️

Ki

19/05/2026

Stage 7: Kalpa to Pooh 📍

Started the day with a nice, long descent, using the initial miles to carefully get a feel for the new "Frankenstein" bike setup. Fueling was tough this morning—I started on an empty stomach and had to survive on just biscuits for the first stretch.

Finally spotted a small roadside hut where I stopped for a much-needed coffee and proper breakfast. Re-energized just in time to face the brutal first taste of the high-altitude desert heat! I knew this was just a preview of the furnace waiting for me in the next two legs.

Finished the stage with a tough, final grinding climb up into Pooh village. After hunting around to figure out the logistics of where to sleep, I finally tracked down a guesthouse and settled in for the night. One step closer. 🙏🏔️

19/05/2026

Stage 6: Kalpa to Roghi Peak. After a 500+ km journey back and forth to Shimla to scavenge parts—massive thanks to the guys at Bike Bros!—my new 'Frankenstein' bike was finally ready, complete with a new fork, wheel, and cranks.

I arrived back in Kalpa to restart the expedition and immediately took it out for a test ride over Roghi Peak. I used the climb to dial in my saddle adjustments and check the handlebar stiffness. The road up Roghi Peak was incredibly narrow, and I had to stay sharp on the descent to watch out for oncoming tourist vehicles.

Along the way, I caught a stunning view of the Kinnaur Kailash mountain and took a moment to visit a local monastery. The bike is officially ready to continue the journey, though I think I still need a few more miles to fully adjust to its new personality! 🏔️🚲⚡️"

19/05/2026

Day 5: Sangla to Chitkul. This stage was all about riding above 9,000 feet to reach 12,000 feet for crucial acclimatization. The conditions were brutal—not just the unforgiving road surface, but the thinning air testing my lungs. I fought through every inch and finally made it to Chitkul.

There was a checkpost another 4 km away, and I honestly thought about skipping it to turn around and race the incoming storm back to Sangla. But a good Samaritan convinced me to push on, promising well-paved roads ahead. Encouraged, I turned back up to climb. Along the way, an elderly couple stopped their car to wave at me, exchange pleasantries, and kindly offer me water.

Right after they left, as I tried to move, my front fork completely snapped off. I wasn't even moving fast, and thank God I wasn't descending like I originally planned when it happened! It took a few minutes to fully process the impact of what just occurred. I immediately called my hotel and a taxi, and I'm now heading back while weighing my options. Finding replacement parts or a proper mechanic for a high-end bike in this part of Himachal is no easy task. 🙏🛠️"

18/05/2026

Day 4: Rampur to Sangla. The tone was set right at the start in Rampur early this morning, when I had to deal with a pack of aggressive dogs chasing me down. I noticed a few locals carrying sticks for protection, so I picked one up myself to keep the pack at bay.

Once past them, it started with a long, slow climb along the NH5 toward Sangla. The moment I hit the junction where you leave the highway for the Sangla road, the forecast rain began looming on the cards. I quickly geared up, got my layers ready, and started grinding.

I quickly realized the Sangla road is not for the faint of heart! It was pure gravel + pot holes, right beside a cliff with a 500-to-1,000-foot drop testing my nerves at every turn. The unforgiving surface severely tested both my body and my bike. Slowly, I grinded my way to the top, completely wet and drenched. Finally found a hotel where I can rest up tonight and dry off. 🌧️🏔️⚡️

13/05/2026

Covered by Local news 🙏- Unofficially Shankar is first 50+ to scale that peak after Kinnaur-Spiti Adventure Solo unsupported🙏

13/05/2026