May 23, 2016
to Tabo - 3300m: watch out for landslides
The sign reads, “Shooting Stones, Stop, Look, Go.” Another sign reads “you are travelling the most treacherous road in the world”. Today we saw why these signs are posted. This is also the type of road where views in all directions reminds us to stop and look back as well as forward.
From Nako, we first climb another 150meters before starting a long descent back to the river, with lots of switchbacks to the river and to 3018 meters. Throughout the day we will climb back to 3350meters. On one switchback, we hear and see rocks coming down. Then the driver of a truck coming from the other direction is out tossing rocks out of the road so traffic can pass. The area is looking more Tibetan, with prayer wheels and prayer flags flying from houses. There are more apple orchards tucked away among the steep barren hillsides. One small village had a row of prayer wheels that looked made from old paint cans.
By 11:30, we are 2kms from Sumdo. We come across a few parked cars and looking ahead, we see the road is blocked by a giant landslide. We are stopped for 3 ½ hours. At first a bulldozer is pushing frontally against the huge pile and making very little headway because he cannot turn enough on the narrow road to push the rocks into the river. Finally a backhoe arrives and starts digging on the other side of the blockage. Finally at 15:00 we can get through with the motorcycles. The hill is still very unstable so we scurry through.
At Sumdo, we have a second Inner Line Permit check. Patrick asks the guard how far we are from Tibet, we are told 17kms. There is a military base but no Dhaba for food. Nine kms on at Hurling is the first opportunity for water and food. The town has a giant prayer wheel. We stop for a chow mien and rest, before pushing on. Another 10kms we come to Lari and a steep hill through the town along with water rushing across the road. A motorcyclist that we talked with at the landslide passes us, we see them again at the top of hill having the brakes of their Enfield worked on. The mechanic says Tabo is 4kms.
We climb then descend into the town. It’s been a long day, it’s 7pm, we made it to the Tashi Khangsar Guesthouse just before dark. We have a nice big cup of coffee. There is no power which means no hot water, but we are given a bucket of steaming hot water so we were able to wash the road dust away.
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Today's ride: 64 km (40 miles)
Total: 17,583 km (10,919 miles)
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