View from the Sunshine Lodge Hotel in Manali, our base for a couple of days acclimatising

to the altitude (about 10000ft here) before setting out. Looks very 'alpine' doesn't it.

Woman washing clothes in Manali.

The big green bush is Canabis.

The first road sign we encountered.

Very helpful.

Looking down across the tortuous twisting road after the first real climb.

We would later look back on this as a 'very good safe road'.

Rhotang La.

The first of the high passes.

The valley road after Keylang.

Baralacha La.

16500 feet, and the air's a bit on the thin side.

The bike, a 500cc Enfield Bullet, fully loaded.

The entire Enfield factory was sold and shipped out to Delhi, where they still build the bikes today.

John at Lachlang La, the third pass.

The extraordinary Gorge Of Pang.

Notice the trucks on the road cut out of the cliff.

John at Tanglang La, the fourth pass.

And a travelling Frenchman who tagged along.

Well it's not as if you can just go behind a bush...

The man on the back of the bike is the driver of the truck in the background.

A wheel has fallen off his truck and rolled down into the bottom of the valley, 5000 feet below.

We gave him a lift to go and look for it.

Crossroads in the Indus Valley.

Temple at Leh.

Khardung La.

The world's highest motorable road, at 18380 feet.

Me on the left, and John on the right wearing some excellent goggles.

From left:

In the white jackets, two boy soldiers on their way to defend the border with Pakistan.

John, my brother in law, a heroic biker and fearless explorer.

Sean, a former colleague, one of the nicest blokes you're ever likely to meet. Not a brilliant biker.

Anu, who owned the bikes, fixed the bikes, and enabled a lot to be done in a short time.