Tucked away between Tibet and Pakistan, the Indian Himalayas are something of a cycling paradise, criss-crossed by dozens of magnificent roads and high altitude passes. The Sach Pass is some 4500m high and links Lahaul and Pangi Valleys to Chamba, near Dharamsala. Having just opened this year (2005), conditions are a still rough round the edges, with a remote and rarely travelled feel to the journey.

Like much of the Himalayas, the word epic springs to mind. But what really struck me was how much the landscape changed over just the space of a few days: forests, rickety bridges, rocks, boulders, mud, gorges, glaciers, frozen waterfalls, and lots (and lots) of snow. We tackled it in mid October, which is a little on the late side. The going was unusually tough; we managed to get caught in a storm and spent the night in an abandoned road workers' camp. But after a 15km push through mud and snow, the reward was very sweet indeed. A two day swirling descent, dropping some 3500m in altitude through autumnal forests to temple-packed Chamba. Here's our picture story...

By the way, we also run bike trips in the area. Our website is www.out-there-biking.com