I had modest goals for my first day. Cycle the 35 odd kms from Manali to Marhi, spend the night there, acclimatize and then push towards Rothang pass and beyond. 

Sounds simple enough but the 35km ride does involve climbing from 1900m to 3300m. I've never cycled at any of these altitudes before, so i was a bit anxious and wanted to take it slow.

After an eventful first day, where i was caught in a freak hailstorm and had to camp by the side of the road, i was looking forward to a new day. Many questions still remained. Will the rains abate ? Will the road to Rothang pass be open ? and more importantly.. Will i be able to cross the Rothang pass on my cycle ?

Read on to find out..