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Friday, October 18, 2024
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Himalaya calling...
The Himalayas have always been a special place for me. I did a 10-day trek in 2001 and a family trip to Manali in 2013, but riding a bike on Himalayan mountain roads was always a dream of mine.
After a few turbulent situations at the workspace, we (my two friends and I) decided to tick off an item on the bucket list.
We asked a few friends about it. A few agreed to join us and later backed off.
One fine day we blocked three slots for "Leh to Leh with Umling La Bike Trip". It was an 8-day trip from 11th to 18th May. We booked the flight ticket from Bengaluru to Delhi to Leh. We had an option for the Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 or the new 450 bikes. Also, booked the 450 with the additional premium of 6k.
10-May-2024
We started from Bengaluru on 10 May, so that we could reach a day earlier and get used to the Leh weather before the biking. When we landed in Delhi, it was burning hot at around 39C. After a couple of hours of layover in Delhi reached the Leh airport at 13:30. The temperature was in single digits! in the middle of the day!
The hotel was hardly 2-3 km from the airport, and the pickup was arranged by the trip organizers.
View from the hotel:
After reaching the hotel and unpacking the luggage, took a small stroll around the town and had a few local foods. We were careful enough not to try new things which may upset the stomach health and spoil the trip.
Long rides on Himalayan roads (and non-roads) awaiting...
Day-1 (11-May-2024)
Day one was actually for the people to arrive. In the morning people started arriving. In the evening after the self-introduction of all members, our team Marshel Sikkinder Khan briefed us about the dos and don'ts of the ride. After that, we got the keys to our rides and the riding gear.
There are 17 bikes, 11 solo and 6 with pillion riders and the Marshal to lead. A backup jeep with a bike mechanic to follow the group.
Had a nice dinner, and the cold was catching up(around 5-6C).
Day-2 (12-May-2024)
Started morning at around 9:00 with all the exitements. After navigating through the narrow roads of the town and a few turns and twists, reached a fuel station at the top of the hill to fill up the petrol.
The first stop was Leh Palace. It is a 9 storied royal palace. Spent 35-40 minutes in the palace and the museum.
The cold slowly started pinching the body. The fingers inside the ventilated gloves started feeling the cold breeze.
The next stop was "Hall of Fame" on the Leh-Kargil Road. It is a museum constructed by the Indian Army in memory of the brave Indian soldiers who laid down their lives defending the motherland in the Indo-Pak wars.
The next stop was "Gurudwara Shri Pathar Sahib"
With all the riding gear and shoes, we were not able to go inside.
The next stop was "Magnetic Hill". It was relatively crowded. We clicked a few photos and started from there.
The next stop was "Sangam Point". It is the point where the Zanskar River joins the Indus River.
The next stop was "Shanti Stupa". Shanti Stupa is a Buddhist white-domed Stupa (Chorten) on a hilltop in Chanspa, Leh district, Ladakh
From here we rode back to the hotel. The total riding distance was around 90 km.
Day-3 (13-May-2024)
Time to ride to the famous "Khardungla Pass", one of the world's highest motorable roads, which reaches a height of 17,852 ft. & passes a glacier.
All our luggage was loaded onto the backup jeep (Mahindra camper).
Riding was very tough. The fingers were freezing, and the valley on the side was frightening. A couple of times we stopped and held the silencer pipe to warm the numbing fingers!
After lunch (Maggie) in a small hotel at the foothills, visited the Go Cart circuit
The next stop was the "Desert Himalaya Adventure Park". The road to this place was awesome. It is about a 4km straight line facing a huge hill. The hills on the left and right sides are probably 5-6km away. So we were riding on a flat surface of the size 12 x 4 km! The flat surface here makes you lose the perception of distance.
The next stop was "Nubra Valley Hunder Sand Dunes". Nubra Valley is a relatively green area with trees and bushes. The dunes here look totally out of place. There is also a small spring flowing next to sand dunes! We had a difficult time riding in the sand. The back wheels were stuck in the sand while the front wheels were uncontrollable.
Reached the "Reva Camp Tents". It was a tiring ride. We covered about 14km. Had a nice dinner and crashed on the bed. The temperature was -8C!
Day-4 (14-May-2024)
Got up early and started at 8:00 from the Nubra Valley.
The next stop was "Diskit Chamba Monastery". It is the oldest and largest Buddhist monastery (gompa) in Diskit.
After this, there was a strenuous stretch of about 5-6km of Shayok River crossing. The road (if you want to call it!) is full of pebels of different sizes and shapes. No soil or mud at all! Sitting on the saddle and riding was next to impossible. By this time we are used to doing the saddling (standing on the footrests).
Stopped for a tea break in a small hotel. There we met 3 guys from Bangalore! They were riding from Bengaluru to there in 15+ days!
The next stop was at "Pangong Way Restaurant Dubruk" for lunch.
After lunch, we started our ride towards Pangong Lake. Here the roads were good. In an unfortunate event, one of our teammates met with an accident. It was a good road with sharp twists. In one of the turns the bike went out of the tarmac and slipped. Fortunately, he was not injured much but the bike was heavily damaged. Luckily his brother was also in the team, so he hopped onto the pillion seat of his brother's bike.
The front fork was broken bike was loaded on the jeep.
By evening, reached the "Pangong Lake". It was an amazing view.
Our stay for the night was at "Ciya Residency Cottage".
The cottage was just opposite to the Pangong Lake. It was a breathtaking view from the cottage.
The backup team took the injured person to the nearby village clinic. Luckily there was no fracture, but a sprain in the ankle.
The temperature was freezing. The cottage was facing the Pangong Lake, so the cold breeze from the lake was directly hitting the cottage doors! The bed and the blankets were ice-cold. So we needed to warm them with our body temperature before getting some sleep. We were shivering inside the thick blanket with our 4 layers.
Today's raid was about 150km.
Day-5 (15-May-2024)
We got up in the early morning. Hot water was available in the bathroom. But quickly dressing up after the bath is an art!
After breakfast ride started. The person with the injured leg hopped onto his brother's pillion.
After a long muddy road, our next stop was "Rezang La Memorial, Ahir Dham".
The muddy road continued till the next stop for lunch.
Dharkitling Tsaga Restaurant.
Our backup jeep had 2 flat tires. They had to piggyback on another vehicle to fix it.
The next stop was "Indian Astronomical Observatory Hanle".
Our stay for the next 2 nights was at "Milky Way Home Stay".
The temperature at night was -10C!
The total distance for the day was 167km.
Day-6 (16-May-2024)
As usual, the ride started after the breakfast. Two of my friends Ganesh and Naveen backed off from riding. They opted to sit in the backup jeep.
Next stop was "Umling La Pass". The highest paved road and mountain pass in the world!
One section of the road was horrible. It was a steep road with 6-7 inches of loose dirt. Our bikes were struggling for oxygen. Another section was full of snow hills on one side and a deep valley on the other side.
We could hardly stay there for 20-25 minutes. The place was completely frozen, including the toilets!
On the foothills of the mountain, we had lunch.
On the way back to homestay, visited the "Gamma-ray Telescope". It is India’s largest and the world’s highest gamma-ray telescope.
The total distance covered was 153 km.
Day-7 (17-May-2024)
Last day of the ride! Riding back to Leh.
We started in the morning after breakfast. Had a tea break at a Panjabi Dabha in Nyoma.
On the way, visited the "Chumathang Hot Spring".
We had a late lunch at the "Riwo Hotel" in Kharu.
The next stop was "Rancho's School Shey".
After lunch, returned to the Capital Hotel Leh.
The total ride for the day was 257km.
The total ride from Leh to Leh was 961km.
Handovered the bikes, and riding gears.
In the evening, we assembled in the restaurant, and the head of the Golden Eagle felicitated the certificate to all the participants. We shared our experiences.
Day-8 (18-May-2024)
All riders started leaving in the morning. Our flight was on the 19th. We had a buffer day to relax and explore Lah town. We booked a taxi from the hotel to Leh market. Surprisingly the taxi driver was speaking Kannada! His parents were in Mysore when he was a kid, and he did his schooling there. We did some shopping and back to the hotel.
19-May-2024
After the early breakfast, reached the Airport. By evening we reached Bengaluru.
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The Himalayas have always been a special place for me. I did a 10-day trek in 2001 and a family trip to Manali in 2013, but riding a bike on... -
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