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High in the Sky
Riding a motorcycle in the Himalayas , an arc-shaped mountain range that spans parts of Bhutan , China , India , Nepal and Pakistan , can be tricky . Known as the “ roof of the world ,” the Himalayas are home to 50 peaks higher than 23,000 feet and 15,000 glaciers . They ’ re also home to roughly 53 million people , and where there are people , there are roads for trade and travel . Most of the roads are unpaved , and due to extreme weather , high elevation and dodgy maintenance , twowheeled travel is often slow-going and challenging . These intrepid travelers catch their breath in the thin air of the Upper Mustang , a region deep within the Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal near the Tibetan border . Motorcycles of choice tend to be low-tech , bulletproof , Indian-made Royal Enfields , like the single-cylinder , 411cc , aptly named Himalayan models pictured . Photo by Eric Moffat