Markha Valley

Health, Safety & Altitude

Health & Safety:
Let's face it - if your health is going to suffer in India then it will probably be your guts. Generally, local food is less likely to send you scarpering to the squat than attempts at Western food eg pizzas, for the simple reason that the cook knows what channa masala should taste like. If you do develop diarrhoea, check your symptoms against those for giardia, campylobacter etc before resorting to antibiotics. Don't put off seeing a doctor either - the longer you leave it, the longer you'll take to recover. Many people carry a spare supply of ciprofloxacin, metronidazole and most importantly rehydration salts as a backup in remote areas. These can be picked up locally and will be much cheaper than buying them in the west. Check the expiry dates.

The Indian Himalaya is generally a very safe region to travel in, where violent crime is extremely rare and local culture esteems hospitality and honesty. That said, certain precautions are always worth taking - lock the bike and keep your luggage in sight when you're not in the saddle. Nearly all hotels, guesthouses and family houses will find you a safe place to leave your bike overnight, or else you can keep it with you in the room. India has something of a love affair with 'sykels', and any foreign bike will be surrounded by curious men in seconds, particularly if it's boasting gears, a bell or anything as weird as a Bob trailer. The gears will be fondled until the chain falls off, the bell will be flicked and the brakes will be squeezed knowingly, but usually as far as it goes. Dealing in charas (marijuana) is another matter altogother, which hits the international headlines every few years when another backpacker goes missing in Kullu or Parvati. Girls in particular will notice that the harassment levels are much lower in the mountains than on the plains - usually the most hassle either sex will receive is from Kashmiri carpet sellers.
The political situation in Kashmir is another consideration when planning routes through the region – is it safe to visit? Despite the legions of Kashmiri 'travel agents' in Delhi, Manali and Leh who’ll swear blind that there’s no risk at all, the fact that a million Indian troops are posted along the border will either make you feel safer, or even more circumspect. A new, more moderate state government and the initation of peace talks with Pakistan by India’s PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in April 2003 certainly look promising, but until the two governments finally resolve the status of Kashmir, the region will always be unpredictable.

Altitude:
Many travellers in the Indian Himalaya suffer initially from mild AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). This is caused by ascending too fast for your body to acclimatise to the decrease in oxygen and atmospheric pressure above 3,000m. Long ascents, such as the 2,000m vertical climb from Manali to Rohtang La, and the extraordinarily high altitude of some of the roads (the Khardung La climbs above 5,600m) require you to be properly acclimatised. Mild AMS is characterised by a dull headache, difficulty sleeping and loss of appetite – all symptoms common to fatigue. Cyclists aren’t nearly as prone to more severe AMS for the simple reason that they can’t climb as fast as passengers in jeeps – but care should be taken to sleep no more than 300m higher each night, no matter what altitude you reach during the day. Cyclists arriving in the Himalaya from sealevel (including Delhi) should spend a day or two acclimatising in Manali (2050m), and at least two if arriving by plane in Leh (3505m).

Spiti Valley

Khardung La

Manali-Leh