At 6 a.m. the next morning, DJ was ready to start on his journey to Kaza Himachal Pradesh. He made friends with Mayank, a trekker from Chandrataal. From him, DJ found out that the group vehicle had got stuck in the difficult terrain, and they had returned only at 12 a.m.
Within a few km of his journey on Day 5, DJ encountered a Naala. This Naala started after a tight bend, and he made the mistake of using the front brake, as a result of which the bike fell down. Within a short period of time, he discovered that the Bullet’s front brake shoe was completely gone. After crossing a small stream, he covered 5 km. to reach a famous Naala known as Chota Dhara. Interestingly, only the name has ‘Chota’ while the stream is one of the most dangerous ones in that area.
Chota Dhara has the potential to stall both big and small vehicles. DJ noticed that it was best if vehicles proceeded only in one direction at a time. The key here was to not break while in the water, as the collection of stones would not allow your vehicle to stop anyway. Lots of rocks were present on both sides of the road here at the turn, and this was coupled with flowing water. The silencer of DJ’s bike got stuck on a rock, and could not move in any direction, as much as he tried to shake it. In a matter of minutes, 2-3 people came forward to push his bike off the rock. Not only did he thank them, but also got to know that another Bullet had been standing there for 3 days.
DJ decided to help other people out by waiting there for another two hours. One or two vehicles were already stuck here. 100 meters ahead, DJ found that a guy riding a Royal Enfield Himalayan was unable to get his bike through. His pillion rider kept trying but she was unable to attain success. DJ came to assist them in getting the bike through, and they managed to do so, thanking him. In the same manner, our traveler managed to help half a dozen more vehicles before heading ahead.
Ahead of him was the famous Kumzum pass, which was yet another challenge to cross. Fortunately, DJ found a person named Shubham who, like an angel, offered him help to cross the pass. Since most two-wheelers have been known to break down here, DJ did not want to take a chance and took his help. After crossing the pass, DJ thanked him and remembered his next stop as Chandrataal (nallah).
On his path ahead, DJ met a person named Avin at the T-point of Chandrataal. Along with his friends who were behind him, he was returning from Kaza. Something clicked between them, and the entire group decided to proceed towards Chandrataal together. They encountered two more nallahs on their way to the lake. Though these nallahs were not deep, the flow of water was rapid. However, being the experienced riders they were, the entire group crossed the nallahs soon and got to the Chandrataal checkpoint.
During check-in, the group found out that there was no point in keeping their luggage at the lake. They could either keep luggage on their bikes and ride to the lake, or leave it at the checkpoint. They decided to leave their luggage and the checkpoint and road ahead with enthusiasm towards the lake.
From the parking lot near the lake, the actual water body is a 20-minute trek. Not only did the group see the lake from the top, but also went down to it. All of them were spellbound by the beauty of the blue Chandrataal. Within moments of admiring the sparkling clean lake and its surrounding area, all of them took out their cameras and smartphones to capture the moment.
After a bit of time, it suddenly started raining. As they started moving towards their bikes, two people walked up to them for a lift up to their car. DJ and the troop dropped the two persons to their car, fixed luggage onto their bikes, and restarted their journeys.
On the way towards the Chandrataal T-point, DJ’s bike slipped in a nallah and he fell, hurting his knee. Avin didn’t step down to help, feeling that the guy would be able to manage. DJ got up soon, started his bike and they managed to cross the nallah. Once the bikes reached the T-point, they bid farewell to each other and continued towards their respective destinations.
DJ’s plan was to reach Kaza within the same day, but he also gathered knowledge of other homestays and hotels on the way just in case he couldn’t make it. At a check post just before Losar, DJ had to enter his personal details. Once he was done, he started on his way towards Kaza, stopping at the gorgeous Key monastery on the way. DJ found the complete view of the entire monastery to be extremely beautiful. He also went inside to get a complete feel of the famous Buddhist place of worship.
Finally, he reached Kaza by 5:30 p.m. and took a room at Dolma homestay. Tired as he was, DJ unpacked his luggage, took a bath, and went towards the local market. He visited the Kaza monastery, the world’s highest petrol pump, and the market in the evening.
Thoroughly enjoying the beauty of Kaza in the evening, DJ returned to his room at 7:30 pm and had dinner by 8:30. At dinner, he met two travelers from France and the owner of Dolma homestay. He talked to them about his travel plan for the following day. After spending an hour or so, they bid farewell to each other and DJ went to sleep, with happy memories of a day well spent.
