Manali to Dharamsala via Sach Pass

We first rode this route in 2005, at the tail end of the season. The pass had only just opened to jeeps (and bicycles), and it remains a rarely used route to Chamba. We've put together an outline of the ride, though we'll be re-riding the route before the season starts to update our notes. Distances will be similar to our other rides, averaging about 50km, with climbs of up to 1200m in a day.

Effectively the 'back way' from Manali to Dharamsala, the ride crosses two big passes (4000m+) and one smaller one. Terrain’s a mix of paved and unpaved surfaces - so think roughstuff touring rather than mtb’ing. What we love about about crossing the Sach Pass is the extraordinary variety of geography and culture it emcompasses, over a relatively small distance. From the greeny lushness of the Kullu Valley, to the drier climes of Buddhist Lahaul, to the all-but-empty Pangi Valley. From the Indian honeymoon destination of Manali, to temple-packed Chamba and finally Dharamsala, centre of Tibetan studies and home to the exiled Dalai Lama.

The first part of the ride follows the Manali to Leh road, kicking off with a 52km climb up and over Rohtang Pass (3985m), before veering off into the Pattan Valley towards Udaipur, and the Triloki Nath temple - unusual in that it's a place of worship for both Hindus and Buddhists. Things get rougher from here, as we pick up an unpaved road through pine forests in a deep and narrow gorge, alonside the Chandrabhaga River, which should be milky with glacial melt at this time of year. Squeezed between the two ranges of the Pir Panjal and the Great Himalayas, peaks round here are up to 6700m, and gouged with glaciers. After crossing the tough but stunning Sach Pass (4428m), there’s a 100km descent (that’s right) south, dropping right down to temple-packed Chamba, ancient capital of the Pahari Kings, at a lowly 996m. In fact, we'd go as far as saying it’s the most beautiful pass we’ve ridden in Northern India. One last, long hurdle in the Himalayan foothills, Jot (2650m), remains to be negotiated before our final stop in Dharamsala, home of the HH Dalai Lama and all things Tibetan. It’s a challenging ride with plenty of climbing - but overall altitudes are a little lower, so it’s easier to get your head around.

Mid september to mid october is the best time to be here. The monsoon should be over, leaving crisp, dry and blue skies, while the mountain tops should have a sprinkling of snow.

We’ll running it as a minimal, jeep-supported trip, with Norboo our cook on hand to rustle up our evening feasts and Phunchok to carry our gear. We’ll camp most of the time, with some guesthouses too. Unlike our Spiti ride, the route isn’t technical at all - though we’d recommend mountain bikes or touring bikes with wider tyres for the mixed conditions as the road is very rough in places.

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