Original subtitles

(dramatic music)

The world's greatest mountain range,

the Himalayas.

Only few roads lead up this way.

They're dangerous and unpredictable.

Each journey is an adventure.

Using heavy machinery, the clearing party

advances meter by meter.

It's mid May, and the mountain villages

in Northern India have been cut off

from the outside world for seven months.

The Manali-Leh Highway lies hidden

beneath a thick layer of snow.

(snow plow hums)

The men have to take extreme care for they cannot

see the steep inclines beneath the masses of snow.

They clear the road as best they can.

It won't be passible for a number of weeks to come.

The first trucks will head into the Himalayas in June.

Most carry goods from the capital, New Delhi.

They've already been on the road for two days.

Hello.

During the summer months,

Narandra Kumar Bud regularly makes the trip to Leh.

I'll be in Manali soon.

I'm getting close.

The weather's playing up.

With luck, we should make Leh in three days.

No, everything is fine for the rest.

No problem, see you.

Each driver pulls in

at the garage in Manali.

Before Narandra ventures onto the mountain road

with his truck, everything needs to be

thoroughly checked one last time.

Give me that tool.

You check the ropes.

Narandra is making this trip in convoy

with his colleague, Kahir Singh.

It's safer together.

Kahir Singh doesn't own his truck.

He works for a haulage firm.

Narandra, on the other hand, is his own boss.

Narandra makes some final checks.

His truck needs to be 100%.

Otherwise, he'll be putting his life at risk.

The men are in high spirits.

They're not yet thinking about the trip ahead.

The road is like your wife,

impossible to understand, you never

know what's going to happen next.

The weather is unpredictable, and it can snow at any time.

There are many high passes, and the air gets very thin.

(slow music)

Before he sets off,

Narandra prays to the gods.

They have to get him to his destination safely,

and give him strength to rise to the challenges ahead.

(engine starts)

(dramatic music)

The Manali-Leh Highway lies in the northernmost region

of the Indian subcontinent.

Stretching some 475 kilometers, it's the only road

connecting the two towns,

Manali in the Himachal Pradesh province,

and Leh in the Kashmir region.

The passes are among the world's highest.

Just beyond Manali, the road rises steeply

to the first pass.

In many places, it's flooded by melt water.

Narandra has to rely on his experience.

Deep holes and sharp rocks take their toll

on the tires and axles.

Every year, water tears parts

of the reinforcements down into the abyss.

The next obstacle lurks a few kilometers ahead.

The road has turned into a mud course.

People all have their own reasons for fighting

their way through this quagmire.

They want to get to town for the first time in months,

visit relatives, and some simply

seek a few days adventure in the mountains.

(horn beeps)

Because the road is so bad, accidents happen.

When it's foggy, you can hardly see ahead,

and there are landslides.

When it rains, huge boulders come crashing down.

Take care of our truck.

Keep looking ahead.

If we have to stop, we'll get stuck.

It's too steep.

(engine revs)

Ramesh is Narandra's student.

He has to assist his boss, and make sure

that the truck gets passed obstacles safely.

Kahir Singh and his assistants follow Narandra's truck.

That may be easier than driving up front,

but it still requires great concentration.

The truckers maneuver their heavy loads

along the very edge of the precipice.

It's downhill for the next 300 meters,

and they can only hope that nothing

will come up the other way.

There are glaciers on either side.

You have to inch your way along like a tightrope walker.

You can't rely on your engine.

You never know whether it will cause trouble.

That's what makes it so hard.

For Narandra and Kahir Singh,

the journey has come to an indefinite halt.

Nobody knows how long it will take,

nor why the traffic has stopped moving.

Each delay increases the pressure on the drivers.

Clients are waiting for their goods,

and the road to Leh is still long.

Another reason why Narandra and Kahir Singh

want to cross the pass quickly is the altitude.

It's making them drowsy.

We're at around 13,000 feet now on the Rohtang Pass,

and breathing here is difficult.

When we're stuck in traffic, it's even worse.

When the truck is moving, the altitude

doesn't bother me so much.

When it's stationary, you become short of breath.

They will be going nowhere

until the road is cleared, as it has been buried

beneath an avalanche of mountain rocks.

For hours now, hundreds of people have been waiting

for the digger to clear the road.

Clearing parties are stationed at intervals.

Their practice is shifting even the largest boulders

to one side.

The road is yet to be even half cleared,

but, nevertheless, the first vehicles

attempt to make their way through the slippery mud.

Narandra makes it.

His truck is in good shape.

Kahir Singh is in trouble.

He needs more traction.

His tires are worn, and cannot find grip.

If you run into trouble with your truck out here,

then you're all alone.

There's nothing you can do.

You just sit there and wait for an angel.

There's no help on this road, no telephone, no hotel.

The road is a disaster.

(slow electric guitar music)

For a few hours, the trucks make good time.

(explosion booms)

A dangerously narrow spot is being broadened.

Large boulders just beyond a blind curve

have made the road treacherous.

Without heavy machinery at hand,

the workers combine their strength

to heave the rocks to one side.

The traffic must flow.

The workers fashion gravel by hand.

They use it to fill holes and reinforce the road.

Most of the men are young, and come

from India's poorest regions where there is no work.

The road construction company has taken them on.

Hassan Kumrul is a foreman, and has worked

on the high road for 19 years.

Strategically, the Manali-Leh Highway is very important.

Hassan's company works for the military.

Pakistan, China, and India all have

claims on the Kashmir region.

India has thousands of troops stationed

high up in the mountains.

They need supplies, and therefore these men

tirelessly perform their maintenance.

God always wins.

It's out of our hands.

Our wishes count for nothing here.

Nature prevails.

We don't have her under control.

We construct walls, for instance.

It's very hard work for many men.

We use a lot of steel and cement,

and yet, the walls fail.

The glaciers swallow everything in their path.

Narandra has spent half his life on the road.

He knows all of India's main highways,

and none is as demanding as the road from Manali to Leh.

When I'm in trouble because of this road,

and it's closed for eight to 10 days due to snow,

and I get stuck,

and when the army has to come out to bring food,

or even rescue us, then I think why do I do this work?

What is this occupation that I've chosen for myself?

When the truck is moving, however, I'm happy.

When it's rolling, I have great fun.

The 80 ton load means that Narandra

cannot drive fast.

He's not keen anyway on making the journey

as quickly as possible to earn more money.

He's seen too many trucks end up in the abyss.

(horn honks)

The two trucks reach the Rohtang La.

Prayer flags mark the pass's highest point.

(ominous music)

The trucks are parked up beside the road as dusk sets in.

It's the first night.

Since there are few restaurants or cafes

along the route, the drivers cook themselves.

Their cabin is kitchen and bedroom in one.

(speaking in foreign language)

If everything goes well, then men

will reach Leh in three days.

Kahir Singh is well-equipped.

He ensures that he has enough supplies with him,

even if he breaks down.

Help can be a long time coming.

The nights are cold, even in summer,

and the days are often very hot.

(ominous music)

The drivers have no time for the landscape's unique beauty.

They must concentrate on making quick and safe progress.

If anything, nature is an obstacle to them.

Deep gorges and raging rivers can only

be crossed using military bridges.

They can be built quickly, but rarely last

more than a few months.

Each time the snow melts, the water

finds itself a new course.

(water rushes)

For three days now, another driver's truck

has been stranded by the roadside.

The men can't get the engine going.

Two mechanics have arrived.

The truck belongs to Yaspir Singh.

This isn't the first time he's been stuck

on the Manali-Leh Highway,

and two years ago, he didn't have

any mechanics to help him out of trouble.

(mechanics speaking foreign language)

Yaspir was caught unawares by snow on the highest pass.

His truck got stuck, and its engine froze.

Yaspir held out for almost a month.

He was afraid that his cargo would be stolen.

After the winter, he had to buy a new engine.

This time he's getting off lightly.

It seems that the repair work will be successful.

The mechanics can at least get the truck moving again.

Although this is costing Yaspir a lot of money,

it's nothing compared to last time.

His family faced financial ruin.

My father died because of this truck.

He was so angry that it got stuck, and we

were suffering its loss, that he had a heart attack.

Too many debts.

We had no money left.

(dramatic music)

Narandra has a close relationship

with the road.

It's like a temporary marriage, a four month marriage,

when I'm on this road.

She no longer frightens me, though.

I set out for New Delhi, and the trip

takes me between seven and 10 days.

It's like a marriage.

I love this road, and there's a lot I can forgive her.

The journey has hit yet more trouble.

Narandra can feel what's wrong with his truck.

He makes it to the next tire shop.

Hey friend, can you fix that tire?

Sure, I think it's punctured.

Get the tire off, it's punctured.

Can you patch it up?

Make yourself useful and undo the wheel nuts.

Check the others, too.

Come on, get on with it.

Get your people moving.

There's work to do.

I hope he can fix it.

Do you want him to check yours, too?

Yes.

It's high season for the tire madden,

as tires take the hardest beating.

They have to deal with razor-sharp edges and pointed rocks.

Narandra hopes the tire can be saved.

Profits are already lean as it is.

The inner tube is fixed, but how long will it last?

The outer tire, however, is worse off.

A stone has become lodged, and ripped it.

Narandra will need a new one for the next trip.

The tire has had it.

It'll cost me at least 170 Euros.

Curse this damn road.

I'm not coming back.

I'm never gonna drive again.

(slow haunting music)

The trucks reach a plateau.

It's a good opportunity for a driving lesson.

It's safe here.

You have to stay sharp, young lad.

The first thing to watch on the Manali-Leh Highway

is your engine temperature.

Ramesh wants to drive a truck, too,

one day, perhaps even his own.

He dreams of overcoming the Manali-Leh Highway

sitting in the driver's seat.

He can learn a lot from Narandra

about the transport industry,

and about the art of driving.

Come closer.

When you sit here, you have to be submissive,

and pray to the gods.

We're going to hit sand.

What should I do?

You have to steer carefully in sand,

and you should change down into first gear.

Yes, that's it, exactly.

The most important thing in the sand

is to change down and keep a steady pace.

If you hit a sand dune, never brake.

Either brake before it, or after you've driven through it.

Kahir Singh's truck suddenly

refused to go on.

It simply stopped.

Kahir Singh put his foot down on emptiness.

The deflecting lever for the throttle control

cable has broken.

He doesn't have the spare part he needs.

It's time to improvise.

Narandra noticed that Kahir Singh was no longer

following him, and has returned to find out

what's going on.

The drivers would never leave each other in the lurch.

They know what it means to get stuck

out in the middle of nowhere.

Narandra does what he can.

He has a knack for fiddly jobs.

Kahir Singh and his assistants have already

tried everything they can to fix the lever.

With Narandra's help, and a tiny metal pin,

they finally manage to solve the problem.

They can continue their journey.

I wouldn't like to get stuck

for more than a week or 10 days.

You can't simply leave your truck behind, you see.

There are goods in the back, and it's my responsibility

that nothing gets damaged or stolen.

There are thieves out here who'll

steal everything if you get stranded.

You never know, without Narandra,

I'd have been in trouble now.

(dramatic music)

The men on their motorbikes

have just one motto: the road is the destination.

The bikers from Mumbai seek adventure

and the boundless freedom of the open road.

Many don't realize until they're here

just how dangerous a trip on unpaved roads is.

To the bikers, the Taglang La is literally

the high point of their journey.

It's the best feeling around, man.

Oh, yeah, man.

The best feeling around.

The Pass lies at 5,325 meters.

Cheers, guys.

Cheers, man.

(all laugh)

A quick souvenir snap and a cup of tea.

One doesn't last long in the thin air.

A headache and shortness of breath can set in suddenly.

The bikers acknowledge the dangers of altitude sickness.

These friends are out for a challenge.

These passes, basically, there are no roads on the passes.

It's like, basically, stones, or a stream

of water flowing, and then there are like

huge trucks coming across in a convoy.

You're to handle all these things.

It's very scary, very, very scary.

The most scariest moment of all I guess.

I can't stop the bike on a slope,

and the bike skidded, and I fell off.

I had a slight injury on my hand.

Now I can't ride, but I'm not going back

on a flight or something.

I want to be on the road so I can enjoy the place at least.

(ominous music)

Narandra and Kahir Singh

have almost reached the highest pass, too.

The climb is hard on their trucks.

It's an uphill stretch of many kilometers.

Narandra is worried about whether

his patched up puncture, and Kahir Singh's

throttle control lever will hold out.

The drivers have not yet allowed themselves a break today,

as time is short due to the repairs

that needed to be done.

(brakes screech)

Finally, they reach Taglang La.

Two thirds of their journey is now behind them.

Look at the tires.

Looking good.

Yeah, did the engine heat up?

Yes, it got very hot, indeed.

Come on, let's pray.

(bells ring)

Narandra is a religious man.

Being a Buddhist, he has learned to be relaxed,

to take things as they come.

(rings bell)

(slow solemn music)

The following morning, the drivers have to navigate

along the edge of a deep gorge.

Narandra doesn't like to drive this stretch

unless he's had a good night's sleep.

He really needs to concentrate.

Each section of the Manali-Leh Highway has its own perils.

There's never a moment to relax.

Driving in the mountains requires a completely

different technique from driving on ordinary terrain.

You have to really be on the ball.

The slightest error, and you disappear into a ravine.

Your truck could be a total loss.

You have to be careful all the time

because the road is so bad.

There are huge holes in it.

Narandra has been driving

along this Himalayan road for 15 years.

He has overcome his fear, but he still

has much respect for it.

When I drove along this road

for the first time, I was terribly afraid.

I knew the road, but I was so frightened, I couldn't eat.

I was constantly worried about the altitude.

How would my truck get across the passes?

Then, close to Leh, I got very excited.

I was happy.

It was as if I'd arrived in heaven.

That's what it was like.

In some places, the road

has been blasted out of the rock.

There are no nets to catch falling rocks,

and no crash barriers to stop a truck

plunging into the depths.

(brakes screeching)

A truck has come off the road.

The men are trying to pull the truck out of the water,

and save whatever can be saved.

The crew have already been rescued, and taken to hospital.

They were lucky.

They survived.

Soldiers pull the truck out of the water.

Only the Army has equipment for a job like this.

The owners lose at least one truck on this road each year.

They can afford to because they own a whole fleet of trucks.

One should keep away from this road

to not do business here.

It's not worth it.

There's too much competition,

and there are too many thieves in this trade.

The money isn't good, and there are few contracts.

Sometimes, the losses are huge.

When this truck went off the road,

it was carrying 12,000 liters of petrol,

and it's all gone.

The battery's been stolen.

The tools, almost everything.

It really is a huge loss.

Sunim Pangree is making packaged soup

and brewing tea.

She's from Leh.

During the summer months, she earns a living

running a roadside cafe on the Manali-Leh Highway.

She also provides mattresses for people to sleep on.

The bikers from Mumbai spent the night here.

It was cold, and their journey had taken its toll.

They all work in the IT sector,

and they're not used to the raw climate,

the altitude, or the bad roads.

To them, the Kashmir region is unknown territory.

Where do you get all this stuff?

From Leh, mostly.

Sometimes from Manali.

Life here at this altitude can be difficult.

Sometimes the tent is blown away by the wind.

Sometimes the rain destroys it completely.

It's hard.

The women are proud of their small business.

They offer some creature comforts

in the otherwise harsh, natural environment.

I owe a lot to this road.

I'm independent.

I can pay for my children's education.

Everyone comes here:

high ranking officers, priests, and poor people, too,

whom I feed for free.

Some people are very nice to me.

The other day, there were 10 people here

without any money at all.

Their bus had broken down.

I had to give them tea and cake for nothing.

That's how this road is.

All the shopkeepers here owe their existence to it.

The day the road opens, I am happy.

The day it closes, I'm sad.

(dramatic music)

The vehicles edge their way through the fog.

It's become hard to tell the road from the abyss.

Narandra directs the traffic.

Nobody else feels responsible.

To prevent traffic from coming to a standstill,

he directs the buses, trucks, and cars

coming down hill past his own truck.

A narrow section a few hundred meters

further along, offers room for one way traffic only.

Narandra and Ramesh have learned from experience

that it makes more sense sometimes to wait a while

in order to make better progress later on.

Since there are no crash barriers,

Ramesh takes up position by the roadside.

He acts as a human marker to show oncoming traffic

where the edge of the road is.

(dramatic music)

The drivers are on the road for weeks,

sometimes months on end.

It's difficult for their families,

but during the trips on the Manali-Leh Highway,

Narandra misses his family even more than usual.

I miss my wife.

I miss my family,

my parents, my children.

I really miss them a lot.

I'm in foreign territory.

I'm on the road, and I've left my family behind.

This is very risky work, and nobody knows

whether I'll make it back.

There are accidents and many difficulties to overcome.

The two trucks are getting close

to their destination.

They've almost made it.

(slow solemn music)

The capital of Ladakh Province lies

at an altitude of more than 3,500 meters.

People from neighboring villages come to Leh

in order to trade their wares.

For hundreds of years, the town was

the center of Tibetan Buddhism.

Narandra has to take care that his truck

doesn't tear down the prayer flags spanning the road.

In town, Narandra and Kahir Singh go their separate ways.

They have different clients.

Narandra's client is eager to find out

whether his goods have arrived safely.

The drivers are responsible for them until they're unloaded.

Despite the breakdowns and traffic jams,

the truck arrives with only a couple of hours delay.

(speaking foreign language)

I'll be very happy when the truck has been unloaded.

I'll quickly drive home then to Delhi,

where I'll load up again before coming back here.

That's the drill.

When the truck is unloaded, I take care of the loading.

If it's loaded, I take care of the unloading.

It's the life of a truck driver,

up and down, up and down.

When his work is done,

Narandra calls his wife at home.

She needs to know that he's arrived safely.

I've unloaded the truck,

and I'll be on my way back tomorrow.

How's the weather?

The bikers have made it to Leh, too,

almost without a hitch.

They'll now rest for a few days,

before embarking on the return journey.

Early the next morning, Narandra is on the road again,

heading back from Leh to Manali.

(dramatic music)