Motorbiking in the Himalayas

Riding a bike in the hills is a matter of great pleasure. It is also an adventure, to be relished long after it has past.  Riding a bike in the Eastern Himalayas is a test of your driving skill and I will now relate my riding trips up the hills from  Siliguri to Darjeeling. Just for the record, Siliguri is on the plains and Darjeeling is perched high up at 8000 ft above mean sea level.

The road winds upwards from the plains and it crisscrosses the mountains ridges and is an engineering feat. The British built the narrow gauge line from Siliguri to Darjeeling. It's a great pleasure to drive along with the train also referred to as the "toy train". It is now a world heritage rail line as classified by UNESCO.

The Bike I invariably used was the Royal Enfield. This is a 4 stroke bike and develops 18 BHP and is excellent for the steep climbs ahead. It is advisable to wear protective clothing and a helmet, though I am guilty of not wearing one. This was the time when I was stationed at an airbase close to Siliguri called Baghdogra.

The road starts from Siliguri and crosses the tea gardens of Matigura, after which the climb begins. As the road climbs upwards you can look below and see the deep gorges and the river flowing. The road heads for Kurseong. This is a small hill station and has some of the best residential schools in Bengal. I had a girlfriend who taught at St Helen's and it was a pleasure to ride up. I would invariably ring her, that I was on way and she would become my pillion rider for the rest of the trip to Darjeeling. Kurseong is also a lovely place and has a quaint railway station. The toy train halts here for about 30 minutes. There are also some good eating joints and snacks with hot tea is a great refresher. Kurseong is at a height of 4900 ft.

After  Kurseong the road becomes steeper and one has to climb up in lower gears. The train can be an excellent company and its great fun to drive along with it.  However one must be careful not to get entangled with the train. The train crosses the road any number of times and one has to wait to let it pass, before going on.

The bike ride up the hills is a moment I cherish and  I hope I will do an encore at some stage.  The time to drive up the hill? just about 3 to 4 hours.