Back in the early 1970's when I was living in the Kulu Valley below the Rohtang Pass leading to Lahoul & Spiti and on to the Bara-lacha Pass into Ladakh, I badly wanted travel to Leh. After a couple of years trying to get the permission needed to drive by motorcycle into the then military restricted zone, on the day I was set to finally go, I had a motorcycle accident and the trip was off! There is only a small window of opportunity to drive through the Bara-lacha Pass each year, and I had blown it!