Bike Ride To The Mecca Of Road trips- Ladakh!

Mountains or beaches is always the question when it comes to a vacation but a land of high mountain passes, frozen lakes, mesmerizing mountain vistas, colossal glaciers is a temptation too hard to resist. Himalayas, a mystic destination that is addictive in so many ways.

We embarked on a memorable bike ride to the majestic land of Lamas, dream destination of every biker- Ladakh. The two of us, with our ever reliable and trusted lieutenant 'Stallion' Standard Bullet left for heaven on earth. These unforgiving mountains were our home for 45 days. Fighting high altitude, extreme cold conditions and rugged terrain, pushing our bike to his extreme limit, we rode to witness the best of lakes, deserts, stunning valley, battle fields, monasteries et all.

Our slow ride commenced with the aroma of mustard fields and glimpses of water canals, single lane roads and beautiful landscapes painting a beautiful picture of rural Punjab. Of course, when it comes to Punjab how can one not experience the rich Punjabi cuisine and the Lassi. The humble land with its humble people gave us an experience of a lifetime in their Gurudwaras.

While one can try and be prepared for a bike trip by ensuring proper first aid kit is available, bike is in good shape and serviced with spares in hand, extra layers of clothing to battle the cold, the fact remains that you can never prepare yourself for everything and that is the biggest lesson that travel teaches you. Change is constant and things might not go as per the plan.

We were way too excited to visit the Kashmir valley and enjoy her pristine beauty with an initial plan to spend at least a month in South and North Kashmir but fate had other plans. Unrest in Kashmir valley has become a normal phenomenon but who would have expected a total shutdown and a shutdown this massive that lasted for months. Our able Security forces shot and killed Terrorist "Burhan Wani" which lead to massive protests in the valley bringing normal life to a standstill and all our plans shattered. We were unable to comprehend and come to terms as to why would locals create havoc for killing a terrorist. The day he picked up guns, posed for pictures and was unceremoniously given a poster boy imagine, his days were numbered!

With hopes that the situation would be under control and normalcy would return in a few days, we changed our itinerary and headed to Dalhousie for a respite. However, sanity did not prevail in the valley and we were unsure if we should completely abandon the trip and get back. It would have been easy to let go and come back later but with getting our third partner this far and not going to Ladakh did not seem right and we never expected the situation to last for that long. With the impression that this situation is just an obstacle we took a tough call wherein one of us flew back home and the other decided to brave it and ride to Sonamarg.

With the valley under curfew, the only option to ride to Sonamarg was with the help of Army. The Indian Army had made arrangements for a convoy escorting Pilgrims to Amaranth Ji Yatra from Anantnag to Gulmarg. With the help of the Army, all night I rode from Anantnag to Sonamarg fighting bitter cold conditions and low visibility plus no network coverage, far away from the stone pelters and thugs on the streets but all this was not without drama and chaos. I was stopped by so called "misguided youth" in South Kashmir and was put through a horrendous experience. Luckily, I was alone and not with my wife.

I spent some 10 hours on the streets waiting for night fall and witnessed CRPF being attacked and they were left with no option but to retaliate. These 10 hours gave me a chance to have lengthy conversations with locals about every sensitive topic! Most of them were not happy with what was happening but were being dominated and felt helpless and were forced to go with the flow in order to not be harmed. Something which is never told by the media. The experiences travel life gifts us! After the harrowing experience, maybe had we known what exactly was in store I may have not crossed the valley this way.

Resuming our dream road trip, from Sonamarg I rode to Leh and Reshma flew into Leh and we aging kick started our roadtrip! We were so glad to leave behind the Kashmir issues and from Leh we headed to Zanskar valley.

Ladakh gave an entirely different version of the Jammu and Kashmir state with a startling contrast to the valley. The place has a sense of calm with the most mesmerizing views, a perfect destination for soul searching. The natural beauty of the place is enough to take your breath away and make you wanna embrace the place for your entire life. A place where the basic occupation is agriculture and tourism away from high rises, polluted environments and stressful life. The almost empty roads, the centuries old monasteries, the loving and affectionate people, the amazing food and of course the breathtaking beauty makes it the most blessed place on Earth.

From Leh we headed to Kargil to pay our respect to the martyrs and then back tracked to Leh with a lot of pit stops on the way enjoying the lesser known places such as Likir, Alchi, Chilling. After reaching Leh, we rode to Nubra Valley and Hunder.

From battling sub zero cold temperatures, to visiting the second coldest inhabited place on earth, to riding through several high altitude passes with no roads but boulders and crossing one of the highest motorable terrains, the experience has been amazing. We got to relish traditional Ladakhi food at some amazing homestays, met some like minded fellow travellers who had also quit their comforts back home and were touring India, volunteering and helping kids with education. Met many bikers on the way, exchanged itineraries and had the best of apricots plucked right from the tree.

The beauty of homestays is that one can actually live like a local and gain more experiences. We were glad that one of our hosts took the time out to give a tour of their in house farm and also took us to their paddy fields teaching us the nuances of farming and treating us to their farm fresh and sweet peas. Also another enriching experience was staying in a monastery and interacting with the lamas, getting to know more about their school, their discipline and having 3 meals with them. Surely an experience of a lifetime.

We were also very fortunate to be in Leh while His Holiness, The Dalai Lama was visiting and we got a glimpse of him and were very happy to see this Humble soul.

We saved the best for the last. After all this we had to ride back from Leh to Manali. This 470 odd kilometers was the best part of the ride. Riding through slush, encountering boulders, some crazy nallas and waterfalls to sleeping in the middle of nowhere under tents and fighting freezing cold to riding in pouring rain, the ride though the most challenging was one hell of an experience.

A total of 4130 kilometers in 45 days and still we crave to go back again :) Never will it be enough!

Ride To Heaven On Earth!

Blissful

It is a biker's dream to ride through the magical Himalayan passes, get awe inspired by breathtaking snow clad mountains, witness glacier melts gushing downstream, all screaming for attention.

Riding Thru Glacier Melt

Virgin beauty at its best- The 475 km ride offers thrilling view of deep gorge, mountain peaks, frozen lakes, and more plains. 

The mesmerizing ride starts from Manali, a lovely hill station in Himalchal Pradesh at an altitude of 2050m above sea level. The place has so much to offer - lovely apple orchids, Beas river, natural hot water springs, Hidimba temple, monasteries and thump of Royal enfield bullets crisscrossing Kullu valley. Above all, it is the gateway to Leh.

Picture Says It All

The Himalayan passes connecting Manali and Leh are open for 4 to 5 summer months (mid May to mid October.) Access and condition of the highways, that are maintained by Border Road Organization (BRO), depends on the amount of snowfall. You can check status here.

The area is prone to landslides which could result in heavy traffic jam on the highway. Remember here you are at the mercy of Nature.

Natures Fury

14/15 days would be ideal to ride from Manali to Leh, also cover Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso.

The Route

Manali -> Rohtang -> Keylong -> Jispa -> Baralacha La -> Sarchu -> Gata Loops -> Pang -> More Plains -> Tanglang La (Second Highest Pass) -> Upshi -> Leh.

Jispa, Sarchu or Keylong are best option for night stops. Jispa offers awesome tented cottages by Bhaga river. Avoid staying overnight at Pang due to it's high altitude, I would recommend Sarchu.

Road Map

The first and most important step is to hire the right bike - Royal Enfield, enough said! We hired bikes from Anu Auto works in Manali and the condition of the bikes were pretty good. I would suggest one to ride around the city for a couple of days and get used to the bike. This will help you fix any issues or worst case scenario change the bike before your ride could start. Respect the machine, it will ensure you have a smooth ride.

Keep in mind there is only one fuel station on the Manali - Leh highway at Tandi. Refill fuel in your bike and buy additional fuel (Jerry cans) as there are no petrol pumps for the next 350 kms. However, one would find villagers selling fuel on the way at a premium price, cannot guarantee the quality of fuel though.

Massive Snow Clad Peaks

Day 1 Manali

I had hired a Machismo 500cc, took her for a spin and got a few things fixed. And she was all set to be my best companion for the next 15 days to take me through one of the most toughest yet beautiful terrains. We visited Manali market and Hidimba temple. Manali was awesome, the perfect place to start your trip.

Kick Starting The Trip

Day 2 The Ride Commences

It was the best day of the tour, ending the long wait for this journey to begin. We left early to avoid the heavy traffic in Rohtang pass. It is a 52 km black carpet ride. As we approached the pass, Mother Nature had a surprise- there was a massive landslide the previous night and a heavy truck was literally thrown off the road leaving us stranded.

Traffic Jam Due To Landslide

The calm serene mountains had shown us, mere mortals, what it is capable of. Fury of nature could be unimaginable. Traffic was piled up for kilometers. It was snowing and this made things even worse, the pass soon turned into slick muck making it very difficult to crossover.

The India Army was pressed into action to rescue the truck and clear the road. It was amazing to see how swiftly they started their work. Heavy army vehicles tried their best to get the truck back on road. Like someone rightly said 'You cannot argue with Nature.' The more they tried to lift the truck, the more it triggered landslides. With no options left, we decided to camp that night hoping for the best.

Day 3

The next day we were rudely woken up by a noisy film crew. It was stunning Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar filming a song sequence. After drooling for a bit we rode to the pass. By then, the BRO had turned their attention towards clearing the road. In matter of hours with the help of people stranded, the road was fixed and wheels were set in motion. One by one the vehicles started moving. It was difficult to ride through due to snow. Finally, we crossed Rothang pass and it was such a wonderful feeling.

Our Camp

Third day on there was no looking back, no hurdles, Mother Nature was very kind to us. We were passing through one of the most beautiful landscapes. It was a treat to our eyes mystic land far away from all commercialism, life here was so beautiful. A place where dal chawal and hot maggie was all that one needed and craved for. Those few settlements that you pass through everyone greets you with a smile.

One Of The Very Few Dhabas

Day 4

Pics Do Not Do Justice To This Place

We reached Leh, the then capital city of Himalayan kingdom. Leh is at an altitude of 11562 feet above sea level, hence altitude sickness is guaranteed, please be prepared. It is advisable to stay in Leh for a couple of days and get acclimatised, best to consult a doctor and get prescription to fight AMS.

Black Carpet

Attractions in Leh are plenty, you can ride to Sindh river- one of the best places to watch the sun set, Santhi stupa, Leh royal palace, War museum, and fantastic monasteries.

Rest of the days one could plan according to their convenience, a day's trip to Pangong Tso is highly recommended. This high altitude lake is 150 km from Leh it spreads across India and China.

Pangong Tso

Nubra valley - this cold desert is 150 km away from Leh and is famous for double humped camels. En-route one would pass through Kardhung la (17,582 ft) - the ultimate destination, widely claimed to be the world's highest motarable road. A quite pass housing an Army camp. One would not be able to spend a lot of time there due to the altitude, and low oxygen level. It is beyond explanation to set foot there it can only be experienced not explained.

18000 Feet - Awesome

To visit the above mentioned places you would have to get prior approval. Permits should be obtained from Leh tourist office. It is advisable not to approach tour operators for these permits as you might not get permits for all places, apart from burning a hole in your pocket.

An extensive trip to Kargil - Drass - Kashmir sector is possible if you have couple of extra days to spare. Provided there is no political unrest or curfew imposed. 

Returning to Manali was the toughest part - reason not the ride but parting ways with mighty Himalayas, scenic surroundings, waving and greeting locals, hot maggie and finally saying goodbye to the dear bullet. 

Leh is so charming you will not be able to stop yourself from visiting again! 

Things To Carry

Good Leather Jacket.
Gum Boots are mandatory.
Meds for altitude sickness is must.
Bike spares - fuse, clutch/accelerator cables, tube, chain links.
Puncture Repair kit.
Torch.
Helmet, Balaclava and good pair of riding gloves.
Jerry can.
Thermal wear.
Sunscreen lotion.
Nuts and chocolates.
Saddle bags.
Postpaid sim card. Prepaid cards do not work.
There are very few ATMs carry enough cash.
The lighter you pack the better the comfort.