The last pass

The last “day before”, excitement, preparations, buying food, asking questions, studying the map, the last stressful morning, packing quickly, eating, leaving.

The last climb, slowly-slowly, climbing with every pedal, guessing where the pass is, estimating the time left till we’ll first see him.

The last satisfaction of reaching the pass… seeing the other side.

The last downhill… the famous question –“what do you like more, uphill or downhill?”

My answer is – both. There is no better feeling than climbing a whole day (or more) and then, in one second, it’s over; from here I can only slide down, down with the river, into a beautiful new valley.

I can still remember the first passes, endless, to many serpentines, to high to climb; another curve, another hour, the last hour, a few more kilometers, staring at the prayer flags situated at the pass.

And here I am now, in Rangdum, 26kmfrom the Pensi-La, my last pass (for this trip, anyway), my last climb, my last downhill.

When the idea of cycling in India first came-up, in Trujillo (Peru, 12/08) I searched the internet, fantasying. I bumped into a picture of the views from the ‘Pensi-La’ pass, to the Zanskar valley. Who would have believed it will be my last pass?

Gal