It is one of the highest inhabited regions on the planet. Ladakh, in northern India, is nestled in the hollow of the
Himalayan mountains. A monastic silence reigns there. But like a curse, this quietude is disturbed all
in the mornings, when the great city of Manali wakes up. At dawn, its narrow streets are taken by storm
by a multitude of small carriers. Here, there is only one road code, knowing how to stay zen, And for everyone. Out of town, two men and an old truck
out of age get ready before hitting the road, Or rather the highest track in the world. * Before leaving, Ajaye, the driver and Ali, the co-pilot, try to wedge about fifty filthy-looking cans. They contain a precious liquid in Ladakh, tar. In the country, very few roads are paved. This cargo must be used to restore one, 500 kilometers away. The journey promises to be perilous. Ajaye leaves nothing to chance. When the road is steep, the engine heats up quickly and as up there, there is a lack of oxygen, the engine can break down immediately. And does it happen often? If we're not careful, it's a breakdown. Ali checks every wheel. If a tire bursts,
it is a sure fall into the ravine. * If there are stones in the tires, there is a risk of puncturing. They must be removed before driving, otherwise it is dangerous. Ajaye and his mechanic will only cover 500 kilometres. But the road is long and full of pitfalls. To go from Manali to Leh, it takes three days. But if the road is too bad or if we fall
down, you can add two or three more. I take longer to cross the passes
because my truck is not powerful enough. On the flat, I do 20 km/h, but in
the coasts, I do not exceed 4 km/h. * And sometimes, when my engine gets too hot,
I have to stop and wait. You can have a lot of problems up there. * Arrived at the foot of the mountain, the tar gives way to the earth. Road narrows. Ajaye and Ali, his co-pilot, begin
an interminable first climb. 50 kilometers of switchbacks on the wire of the ravine. * How do you do when the road is very
narrow and you come across a car? So there, it's haphazard luck.
We advance, we retreat and then there are codes. In fact, it mainly depends on the place there is. The first crossings are made to the nearest millimetre. It's okay, go ahead, go ahead! Without his mechanic co-pilot, Ajaye, the driver,
would have ended up at the bottom of the ravine more than once. My job is to check the condition of the wheels.
I check that they are not punctured. * And then when you double, you don't have to
not that they go off the road. You should also pay attention to
very tight turns in the mountain. * Because the driver can't see if a car is coming. * I'm here to warn him. I make sure the road is solid enough,
otherwise you can easily have an accident. * Ali especially monitors the low sides. 'Cause in some places it's order
a miracle if they still hold. A real trap for truckers. For nine months, the shoulder suffered the onslaught of winter. At that time, the thermometer was close to -40 degrees, Extreme temperatures that explode the bitumen and the rock. * In places, entire sections of roads have disappeared. But winter has not only weakened the bitumen. * This bridge is very dangerous. Look at the height and then it moves a lot. I hope it won't collapse. I'm a little scared,
I'm still going to see what condition it is in. Before passing, all drivers check
its suspension bridges. They are rarely maintained. This bridge supports just nine tons. And my truck weighs nine tons, precisely. I really need to move slowly. Look at these boards, they are really very damaged. Above all, I must not get stuck
one of my wheels in one of these holes. * But your truck is very loaded, are you going to pass anyway? * I think I can pass. It's true that the truck is heavy, but it should be fine. I will drive very slowly. Unlike the rest of India,
Ladakh does not experience any monsoon. It rains very little, which makes the
very arid region and poor in flora. Without the roots of the plants to retain the earth and the stones, These peeled mountains continually crumble on the road. To avoid disasters, they must constantly be consolidated. * * * There's just been an accident there. This is the road to go to Leh. We are in
widening it with a second track. A bus slid over there. people have been
carried away by the river. We haven't found them. * These workers come from the poor regions of India. Hunger drove them here. Entire families perform work
of convict for barely 4€ per day. * We come from Jharkhand to work and earn some money. We work here for five months. We arrive in May and leave in October. There is little oxygen here. At the slightest effort, it is really difficult to breathe. It's a very dangerous job. * Fifteen days ago, a worker died
when the truck was unloading the stones. These works save lives, but they paralyze traffic. * Ajaye lost a lot of time in the
traffic jams. He will have to drive faster. If he is one day late, his employer
will take part of his salary away from him. To make up for lost time. He will have to take risks. For hours, Ajaye has been driving in torrential rain. It's dangerous, the rain hides my holes. Above all, I must not take one. And then there's another problem, the road is narrow
and soggy, it can sag at any time. The road gradually turns into a muddy track. Ali and Ajaye are not very reassured. However, it has been six years since they
make this trip every week. They are approaching the Rohtang Pass, 4000 meters above sea level. And as if the rain wasn't enough,
fog now enters the game. Damn, we'll have to back off. Extreme conditions that make maneuvers tricky. The ravine is never far away. Here I am starting to get tired. That makes two
days that I haven't slept a wink. We work a lot but we don't earn much. Well, I'm not doing this for fun.
but quite simply to earn my crust. Daily risks for a pittance. At 38, Ajaye risks his life every
days for just €160 per month. Just enough to pay for the studies of
her two daughters and feed her family. There are still eight kilometers before reaching the summit. More hours of hassle. What is happening ? I do not know. Come on, move on!
I feel like we're stuck. Go see what's going on ahead. A few meters further on is a spectacle of desolation. Dozens of vehicles are bogged down, blocked by mud. * It doesn't start anymore. Why ? It's because of the falling temperature. How long have you been blocked? It's been 30 minutes, in this damn mud! * You won't get there that way. You have to pull it. * Open the hood. Hook the rope underneath. It's the month of July, in this season,
the road is very busy. Indians flee the sweltering heat of the cities
to take refuge in their high altitude villages. Some already regret having embarked on the adventure. Have you taken this route before? No it's the first time. You didn't know she was in this state? * No, I have never done such a route. * Sometimes it takes several days to
get vehicles out of the mud. * That's it, the road seems clear. There are still how many kilometers in this state. With the mud, between three and four kilometers. This is especially dangerous for small cars. You think I pass with my truck? Yes, don't worry, you'll get there, that's for sure. * Not so sure. When leaving... * You have to put a stone. Wait, I'll ask for help. Quick quick quick ! Come on, let's push. Let's go ! * Go ahead, go ahead, it's good! Advance, advance, advance! After 5 hours of waiting, Ajaye and Ali finally leave the quagmire. Today they got lucky. Last time they were stuck for 8am. * When they arrive at the top of the Col du
Rohtang, 4000 meters above sea level, The crew was half a day late. His friends are worried. Hello ? Yes I'm coming. I just passed the pass. It was my friend Ali. What did he tell you ? He asked me where I died, that fool! * To make up for lost time, the descent will be done with your feet on the floor and blind on a road transformed into a skating rink. When he passes another truck, he and his
co-pilot do not hesitate to force the passage. Go ahead, you can move forward a bit. No, it's not possible, we will find ourselves stuck. Brave, but not crazy. He backs up. Yes, but no. Thanks for stepping back, Ajaye. You took risks! Dependent contrast ! Ajaye runs. But an unexpected event will stop him dead. Damn, it's a buddy's truck. But what happens to him? It's been almost two days since her boyfriend
broke down on the side of the road. Generally, between drivers, it is each
for himself. Delays cost too much. But for a friend, it's not the same thing. Pass me the key here. - What key?
- Key 17 which is there in the tool kit. It is this single bolt that is the cause of the failure. He was that big. It broke clean. This part there must fit here. * The trucks, their old and patched up, threadbare. The mechanics never resists very
a long time on these rutted roads. Be careful not to break anything else. * Since yesterday evening, I lost at least 17h because of this breakdown. * This delay will cost me dearly. It will make me lose at least 150€. * - In how long do you earn 150€?
- Fifteen days. Skinny reward with unnatural color. What is that ? Of the **** ! Chips, what. And these colors, how is it done? I do not know. It's made in a factory. No one knows how they are made,
but it doesn't really look like food. In the face of danger. If he could do otherwise,
Ajaye would return his steering wheel immediately. His life as a driver, he did not choose it.
It's the only job he knows. And his license cost him too much to stop now. For once, the ascent of Taglang La went smoothly. At 5360 m, this pass is one of the highest in the world. Ajaye takes a short break to
get your body used to the lack of oxygen. There is very little oxygen at this altitude. We run out of steam quickly. Sometimes it causes a terrible headache and sometimes death. Come on, it's too cold! On the way. We leave. It's almost the end of his journey. Last mystical stopover before arriving in Leh. No question of passing in front of this mausoleum without paying homage to it. A few years ago, at this place,
a driver died a violent death. Since then, according to truckers, his
ghost haunts this part of the road. To curry his good graces, the drivers
lay offerings like cakes. But sometimes the dead man has special requests. Sometimes he is thirsty and asks us for water. So we give it to him. Cigarettes too. He was a mechanic. He died doing his job. So now it protects all trucks
of the road. He is there to watch over us. I too was a mechanic and then I became a driver. He didn't have time. His truck wouldn't start So the driver asked his mechanic
to place a stone under the wheel. * But the stone was too small and the
truck backed up on the mechanic. He was crushed. Since leaving Manali, Ajaye has been driving under stress. Fatigue begins to set in. After 500 kilometers of rutted roads and seven days of travel, Ajaye and his co-pilot finally arrive at their place of delivery. No question of hanging around to unload the truck. Go on ! We must hurry to empty the truck. * The nine tons of tar are unloaded in no time. But these few gleaned minutes won't prevent
not his boss to fine them. They took two days longer than usual. * I went to have the receipt signed.
Without this paper, one cannot be paid. He told me to give him €15, otherwise he wouldn't sign. It happens often ? Yes, it's always like that when you arrive late. Two days late which costs them 10% salary,
the two accomplices immediately take the road again. They set off again for Manali, to recover a
new cargo of tar. Hoping that this time, the road will be favorable to them.
