Food & water on trail
Loaded climbing burns through calories faster than almost anything, and at altitude your appetite often lies to you. Plan to eat more than you feel like, and never let water run low between sources.
The dhaba network is your resupply. Riders who've done these routes report that leaning on roadside dhabas for hot food and even shelter is genuinely feasible — you rarely need to carry days of food. A plate of dal, rice and rotis is cheap, hot, and exactly the carbohydrate you want. Between dhabas, carry dense snacks: nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, biscuits.
Eat before you're hungry and drink before you're thirsty, because at altitude both signals arrive late. The classic mistake is under-fuelling on a big climb and then bonking near the top with nowhere to stop. Keep something edible in a pocket you can reach while moving.
Treat water as the thing you never gamble on. Streams high up are often clean, but lower down — past villages, fields and animals — assume they're not. Carry a filter or purification tablets, top up at every reliable source, and start each big climb with full bottles. The gaps between water can be longer than the map suggests.
The short version
- Village dhabas make resupply easy — hot, cheap, carb-heavy meals; you need not carry days of food.
- Eat and drink ahead of the signals — at altitude, hunger and thirst arrive late.
- Carry dense snacks for the gaps between dhabas.
- Filter or treat water below villages; start every climb with full bottles.
More from Bikepacking 101
What is bikepacking?
The difference between a cycling tour and bikepacking — and why Himachal suits beginners.
Choosing your first route
How to pick a route that honestly matches your fitness, your bike and your experience.
Packing your bike
Frame bags, bar rolls, seat packs — what goes where, and how little you actually need.
Camping on the road
Finding a spot, asking permission, setting up fast — mountain camping basics for HP.
High-altitude basics
Acclimatisation, AMS and cold-weather riding — staying safe above 3,000 m.