Saval Challenges

Stage 8: Pooh to Nako — The Furnace & The Guardian Drivers 🏜️🔥

Started straight out of Pooh with a fast, technical descent down narrow mountain roads, but the cool air didn’t last long. Before I even reached the base of the infamous Ka Loops, the high-altitude desert heat began bouncing off the canyon walls like a furnace.

It was a brutal, unrelenting grind, and my water bottles were emptying faster than I could fill them. That’s when the true spirit of the mountains showed up: Good Samaritan drivers started pulling over, refilling my water bottles whenever I ran dry, and shouting words of encouragement. They became my lifeline.

This was easily the hardest day of the expedition since Day 3—the heat made the climb feel completely never-ending. But just as the rain clouds began to roll in and threaten a storm, I finally pushed into Nako and found a place to settle down.

At 12,080 feet, this is my highest elevation of the trip so far. Lungs are working hard, but I’m hoping tomorrow pays me back with a long, rewarding descent down the other side! 🙏🏔️

Ki

Covered by Local news 🙏- Unofficially Shankar is first 50+ to scale that peak after Kinnaur-Spiti Adventure Solo unsupported🙏