Video: High in the Himalayas - On the other side

Oct 24, 2013
by Red Bull Bike  


Pain digs his way through to my consciousness. A dull hammer knocks from inside at my temples and wakes me up again. Obviously I try to turn around and find a better position to fall asleep, but after a thirty minute battle I give up. My nose is stuffed, the dry air tortures my throat. I want to go home.

But let´s start were we ended up last time. Attentive readers might have noticed that I wrote under the first episode that we were 60 pretty intense hours into our trip and really attentive readers might have noticed that 60 hours hadn't past over after the first episode.

So, after the first day and honestly just one beer each in Solang we had about three hours of sleep before leaving the place at 3am in the direction of dry unshredded soil.

The Rohtang Pass is known for being one of the most deadly roads on planet earth. Also because of the traffic that we wanted to avoid. By the way, Rohtang unfortunately means 'the land of the dead' - good luck.

The pass also devides the humid and green parts of the Himalaya and the dry high altitude valleys. This is why we came here. We pretty much stayed consistently over 4000 meter and after another 12 hour ride over roads that sometimes reminded me more of singletrack we arrive at our camp in Sarchu, an army controlled area inside the centre point of nowhere, to use the well known words of Cam McCaul.

Falling asleep was not easy, even now there is finally time to really sleep after meeting some 60 hours ago at the Munich airport. Coming to this altitude and not having the time to proper acclimatise costs some pain. The morning after is described in the beginning and I'm still proud that we took some pictures the same day worthy of being shown. Enjoy episode 2.

For more mountain biking related content from Red Bull, visit www.redbull.com/bike

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Member since Jun 28, 2012
634 articles

28 Comments
  • 44 7
 "My nose is stuffed...I want to go home." - PLEASE do us all a favor and DO go home. This video was lame and I can hardly believe that RedBull's name was attached. I mean really, you get the chance to travel to the Himalayas and yet you have to take shovels and build a small mound to jump off of? Even the teaser for the next episode was lame. But aside form the lame riding and cinematography what really bugs me is the complaining and whining. What spoiled kids. I would give my right nut to visit that part of the world.
  • 14 5
 I fell into cold water and nearly died. WTF!
  • 14 5
 WTF?? Boring crap.
  • 10 7
 Umm, has anyone here complaining actually had to walk up more than three steps at 4,000 meters? Most likely not cause non of you understand how thin the air is up there. Why don't you show us how rad you can shred when you can't even breath? For those that have actually been to big mountains and high elevations will truly understand and appreciate the beauty of this vid. The rest of you....well, maybe you should stay in the flat lands.
  • 9 3
 the rockies are littered with 14000 ft plus mountains. i think you are forgetting the audience your preaching to.
  • 4 0
 The highest peak in the Rockies is 14,400. These guys were starting at that. Fair enough the jumps were a bit shite and mr. 'Nearly died' needs to grow some but the glacier run off in the summer is colder than anything you can imagin and hypothermia sets in real quick when you can't dry off.
  • 13 1
 Yo guys. Its me.. the guy who drowned in the glacial river. I was scared because I dont know how to swim at all. And I got swept with my bike and my camera gear for like 150m. So for me it was scary.. thrilling and at the same time I was excited because I did not leave my bike. And it was evening time.. the temp drops to minus in that area. To make it better... there is nothing in that area for like 2 or 300 Km except 2 or 3 camp sites.
Sorry you did not like this episode.. but maybe following episodes might be interesting for you?
  • 3 0
 Fair play buddy. Hope they get better but the trip and the surrounding areas looked epic.
  • 3 1
 ^^Hey bud I liked your vid.. amazing scenery and what an adventure to be there with your bikes.
Good for you for getting a trip like that going, and if Red Bull is going to help you out with it so much the better.
The fact that folks are jaded enough to not find the vid exciting is an amazing testament to how gnarly biking has become in the last decade! Dudes like Buehler and Sorge are sending it so big and riding lines so committed in the furthest flung locations that freeride huck fest exotica has become the norm.
So keep taking your bike to cool places and people will keep watching your videos. I will be watching the boys huck 70 ft back flip step downs too.. it's all good
  • 3 1
 Like bakenbiking says, the problem with people that dont ride and watch Rampage thinks that it all should be the same. Congrats on your adventure and your video, we ride also at above 4000 meters in Nevado de Toluca and the Popobike race is at that alitude and know the meaning of thin air. Dont let dumb comments slow you down, for many of us its a dream to ride where you are doing it. Cheers
  • 6 1
 These guys would pass out if they did a 30 minute ride. The oxygen level up there is extremely low. I'm not even sure if they are allowed to ride in certain areas.
  • 2 1
 '' DID YOU EAT ANY FOOD GUY'S....I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO...BUT SHOVE A HEAP OF GRUB IN YOUR GULLET A GOOD TWO HOURS TO TAKE OFF...AND 1/2 AN HOUR BEFORE TAKE...SHOVE SOMETHING SWEET IN YOUR GUTS.AND DRINK SOME WATER TOO...MAYBE LOOK A CENTREFOLD 5 MINS BEFORE TAKE OFF...SHE MAY INSPIRE YOU TO WIN.ALL UP GUTS EFFORT!'' I'M GOING TO THE HIMALAYAS ONE DAY WITH MY BIKE AND A REDBULL IN MY POCKET!
  • 1 0
 Riding the Himalayas is a wild experience. I will be back out there in 2014. Both Rhotang Pass area and Gulmarg in Kashmir have the vert and natural trails. I love it and anyone who wants to come along is welcome to join me. Gondola to 4000m meters. Thousands of western skiers rip up the powder in winter, the mountain bike community is yet to be convinced.
  • 1 0
 Just a quick note about the water. It is the coldest flowing water I have known. Once your down your probably out unless you have a rope on you. Many indian tourists play in the rivers lower down and many die every year. Two years ago a young lad was pinned under the water. We couldn't pull him out even once we had a rope on his feet.
  • 9 4
 siiiick those jumps where at least 2 meters Big Grin haha
  • 2 1
 amateur hour....crossing the river bare feet.... yeah sure keep your shoes dry...but run extreme risk of breaking your foot on the slippery moving rocks in the river....

oh yeah and the riding was about as inspiring as mowing the lawn..... have the red bull creative writers taken a holiday or are they just done? WTF?
  • 4 1
 Blah blah blah, 5 minutes of nothing and a few skids. Oh and someone nearly died. A bit.
  • 5 6
 lame,boring,nearly died,why the f##k would one go to himalayas and ride in the desert,siiick,ashamed all these comments are lame.
looks pretty good to me but then i am probably older than you guys every days a bonus people.see if you can go a whole day without complaining about anything?
  • 2 0
 What is that half shell helmet? 5:20
  • 1 0
 Helmet by Sweet Protection (i.e. at 2:20). It might be a new 2014 AM model (which I think I tried a month ago at a fair), or the Fixer listed on the website www.sweetprotection.com/mountain-bike/helmets-protection - I ride the Fullface MIPS model and love it.
  • 2 0
 What a load of rubbish!
  • 4 3
 Everythings wrong with whining german AM-Drones.
  • 6 7
 That was one of the most boring bike videos I have ever watched. I don't even think they rode
  • 1 2
 Never mind, they rode a little bit.
  • 2 1
 BORING!
  • 5 6
 Lame.
  • 6 8
 Red Bull... Be ashamed!
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