Tough Guts
Road to Top of the World
Day 0 (8 Sep 2007 11 pm):
Why the hell did we have to drink that night? And that too on the day when I was having my migraine headache?
That done, we thought of getting some sleep. It wouldnt have made sense if you fall asleep on the motorcycle while driving on NH1. Good nights are exchanged along with warnings to wake up at 6 am or you'll have your shower on the bed.
There goes the mood. Wanted to reply "Yes. On an early Sunday morning, we thought of racing on the village roads outside Gurgaon with sleeping bags tied to our motorcycles." But, 2 years of staying at that place has taught me not to take "panga".
We take the NH-8, fuel up the tanks in Delhi, get the tyre pressure checked and head for NH-1. It takes 2 hours. Finally, we get the roadspace to throttle our engines. It is worth mentioning that Himanshu was trailing Nilu and me at this point. The ride was uneventful until Murthal except for some baggage slips that were tightened at Ahuja No.1 Dhaba. After a full stomach meal, we continue our journey. After Ambala, we take the diversion for Chandigarh ending in a dirt path under a flyover under-construction. There were incidents of Shock absorbing by the motorcycle but luckily, no damages except for stomach bumps. After fuelling up tanks at Chandigarh and crossing many "Taverns" (yeah, we didnt stop at any of them to cover the maximum distance) and a light snack, the road heads towards Ropar. By now, its getting dark and the Ropar - Kiratpur road is not to be taken at that time. Potholes and more shock absorbing incidents take place. There were a couple of dreadful "clunks" that tested the forks.
As alarms ring, everybody wakes but nobody gets up. Nilu makes the first effort but gives up. So, he starts calling to the others to get up(It would be the routine throughout this trip). After much coaxing, I made the first move and get up. After everyone is ready and fed, the gear is tied again to the Motorcyles. They were tied better this time. Practice truly makes you perfect.
After a short ride of 10-15 kms, we start to ascend the hilly terrain. Suddenly, Himanshu is nowhere to be seen. Nilu and I tread along and after half an hour find him waiting for us way ahead. This seems to be his home turf and there's no stopping him. The roads are occupied by trucks going to Bilaspur to the ACC factory and the ride was spoiled by this. Still, we make good time and reach Bilaspur by 0930. Breakfast was alu parathas and omelettes at Neelam restaurant.
The journey beckons and we continue. After Mandi comes the 3 kms long tunnel that has 2 turns inside. If the lights are extinguished, you are given a good knowledge of nothingness.
Good roads continue and we arrive at Kullu. The words "Bhuttico" are drilled into the minds of tourists here. We stop at a nice looking place for lunch, Hotel Rock n River. We notice a car parked outside with a young couple in the front and another young girl at the back(we deduce her to be the "escape from home friend" of the girl in front). Here, Himanshu shows his public speaking skills. As we go in the restaurant we find it empty. No receptionist also. Himanshu asks a boy about food. Now, this boy is totally stumped by the sudden barge of questions. Here's how the dialogue went:
Himanshu: kyu? Hotel hi hai na?
Boy: haan
Himanshu: bahar Restaurant to likha hai.
Boy: haan
Himanshu: to kahan hai cook? chala gaya?
Boy: haan
Himanshu: Manager bhi chala gaya? Hotel bech diya?
Boy: haan
After cleaning up, we set off for some necessary shopping for the trip and got the motorcycles checked and oiled by a mechanic. Tarpaulin covers, woollen gloves, head hoods and alcohol for the night. Dinner was ordered as room delivery(as usual, very delicious).
Day 3 (11 Sep 2007, Manali to Darcha):
This was the lowest pass in our journey. Himanshu and I stopped only to find that Nilu has crossed the pass and riding away. He did return after 15 mins saying that he didnt realize this was the point since it looked a lot different when he came earlier. (Yeah, sure. We believe you). Time for photographs. We were assisted in this by a local chaiwala serving the best tea and coffee i had tasted. Himanshu came with some ingeneous poses for the conquest.
The descent was equally treacherous. After braving the slush and steep curves, we arrived at Koksar. Tasted the best cooked Wai - Wai(what happened to our taste buds?). The nearby stream water was freezing. Take off again after 45 mins. The roads were rough now with the stream running alongside throughout. The view was very picturusque throughtout. We rode through rubble, cobbled stones even streams. Just the way I dreamt it to be.
As we proceed, we were reminded of the dangers that would lie ahead when we saw casualties.
Soon after, we took our first casualty when I lost balance and the bike fell down breaking the right side bracket but fortunately, no human injuries. I was to continue like this till Leh.
We reached the Himachal Tourism guest house, Hotel Chandra Bhaga. This place would play a very important role during our return journey.
We are notified that they make lunch only on order basis and it would be tough to provide us a meal. We agree to eat whatever could be provided and what a meal it was. Matar Paneer, Alu Jeera, and tawa rotis. delicious.
But Fate had other plans, especially for Nilu. After reaching Hotel Ibex in Jispa, we found a whole motorcade of Royal Enfield Electras with disc brakes. I mention the brakes because I was not able to find a replacement for my broken bracket. It was a tour called as "Enduro Himalaya". Some 40 Bullets with backup mechanics. As much as we were awed by the sight, we were also raged 10 mins later hearing that the room rent was 800 Rs. The rage was incremented when we saw a firang enjoying a bottle of beer on the grass before our very eyes. Our expressions were exactly like street dogs. With a heavy heart we continued towards Darcha.
Day 4(12 Sep 2007, Darcha to Pang):
Next morning we awoke with tension. Where to take the dump? Seeing that we were out of options, the men began to take the dump by the riverside in serial order. But really, it wasnt bad. Part of the adventure you see. After breakfast and hot tea(delicious), we set off for our next scheduled stop, Pang. The roads were rough now. Interesting name for a place, ZingzingBar. A short distance after, we came across a lake, DeepakTal.
A pristine beauty in the middle of the mountains. Now, we know more about how heaven looks like. Interesting photographs.
After travelling some more, we were surrounded by snow. Here onwards, the roads were great. Distances pass quickly.
We reached Level 2, Baralachla at altitude of 16500 ft.
Himanshu had more interesting ideas of photographs now.
Some more kms later, we came to "Feel like God" territory.(Bajaj Avenger ad. We were wondering how that guy was able to travel here in just a T-Shirt).
There were tent sites on one side and "Grand Canyon" on the other. Nature is truly the best artiste.
Sarchu was a quiet place. We were reminded here of how much farther we had to go.
Lunch was Maggi("Delicious" goes without saying). The tent waala said that the mist forming on the clouds ahead was actually snow. It would be difficult to drive. But, as it was with us jerks, we still proceeded. Border Roads was getting more humorous with bridges named as Whiskey Bridge and Brandy Bridge.
Shortly after started the Gata Loops. A road with 21 loops on a single mountain that take increase the altitude by 3000 ft.
We were lucky till Level 3 Lachulungla(Alt. 16616 ft).
Then trouble started...... It began to snow. Pinched the face like needles. We could not close the helmet visors since they got clouded. So, tried to brave the nature's wrath by taking it in the face. Big mistake. The snow was flowing horizontally. We were under heavy artillery fire. No matter where we turned, it always came straight into the noses. I have a faint recollection of crossing another mountain pass which was later found to be NakeeLa. Finally, when we could not drive sanely, we stopped behind a parked jeep and looked for a place to pitch up tent. Then, a miracle happened. The person inside the jeep invited us to take shelter in the vehicle. The trunk was opened and all his luggage, including a bicycle, were taken out to make room for us. The person was an Indian Airlines pilot and had been coming to Leh for the past 20 years on all sorts of transportation.
40 mins later, the snowing stopped. We expressed our gratitude and were able to continue on our journey. We were 18 kms from Pang. Now, the road was even more treachorous with the fresh snow and oncoming trucks. Many a times, the tyres of the trucks went off the road. These guys are amazing drivers. The progress was paintakingly snow with each kilometer taking 10 mins or more. It was clearly affecting our hand grips(and arses).
An hour later, everyone was relieved when we saw the tent houses at Pang.
We chose Hotel KhangriLa.(Mustve been due to all those passes that we scaled). By now, I was having a headache and Amol was quite nauseous as well. Diamoxes were passed around and we retired for the night at 6 30 pm. Himanshu and Nilu took to interacting with the other guys in the nearby tents. Two of them were returning from Leh and advised us not to go. TanglangLa was under heavy snow and they were also not able to see Pangong lake also because a connecting bridge had been washed away by the melting snow(This would turn out to be an unforgettable experience later on). For a minute, we did worry whether our effort would go to waste.
Day 5(13 Sep 2007, Pang to Leh):
The next morning brought a clear sunny sky. As we "freshened up", we shared the same thought. Cant go back now. But, the bikes thought differently. There was a layer of frost on all the machines.
After breakfast, it was time for morning drill. Start kicking the bikes. Fortunately, it didnt take that long and the machines sputtered to life. The enthusiasm was shared there as well. At 9 30 am we set off for our next stop, LEH.
After ascending for a while, we came to a clearing. This was More Plaines.
A flat area stretching for some 25 kms with peaks all around. The dirt road looked smoother than the main road. This was an infinite lane expressway. The experience was like out of this world. Himanshu measured that we saved only 1 km by coming through the dirt path. Forget the distance, I couldve travelled on such a path forever. Some 25 kms later, we reached Level 4, TanglangLa, the second highest path of the world, Alt 17582 ft.
Yes, we were having some breathlessness, but the excitement was too great. Himanshu had this brilliant idea of sledding down the slope.
Of course, he didnt mention to me that there were stones underneath the snow. But, we escaped without injury. It was fantastic fun.
The road after this was beautiful. We were making good speed and there were good straight stretches even at 15000 ft. Little did I know that this was going to be my most traversed path of the journey. We stopped at Rumtse for Lunch. After that, it was a dash towards Leh.
There was a large military presence here onwards. Now, the temperature was increasing and by the time we reached Leh, it was hot and sweating. We chose the first hotel that we came across, Hotel Chospa, which turned out to be a very good place. The guys cheered on reaching so close to our goal Khardung La.
All were relieved to find a proper toilet. A shower and short nap later, we set out to explore the city. Foreigners were aplenty. Our feet stopped when we came across a T-shirt shop with a beautiful print on display "World's Highest Motorcycle Expedition". Orders were placed.
Returning to the hotel, we finished the Old Monk, had dinner at the hotel, asked the Hotel Manager, Kenjog, to get the permits for KhardungLa and Pangong Lake, and retired for the night. Oh yes, Nilu was able to find Momos here.
Day 6(14 Sep 2007, Leh and Beyond):
So, the day had finally come when we would reach our goal. We awoke lazily. Then asked Kenjog for a place to have some Ladakhi food. He suggested ALUYA association. Had gone to get some breakfast, but our order turned out to be enough for Lunch. Thentuk, Skyue. Except for Sanjay who had ordered Egg Burjee, and the order came as half cooked omelette.
At about 12, we took warm clothes in the saddle bags and set off for Khardung La. We thought of giving Sanjay's bike a rest and so Amol joined me as pillion. The road there was a piece of cake as compared to the previous passes. Gradual ascension and well paved roads led us to Khardung top in no time. Sanjay had his Enfield drop to reserve and then run out of it in a distance of only 13 kms. Shows you how the terrain affects the mileage. Himanshu took out some 1.5Ltrs of his fuel to put in Sanjay's machine. The triumph of reaching Khardung top was unparallel.
This was our goal. This was what we had been dreaming about. This was why we had set off on a journey of 1100 kms across treachorous roads, deep gorges, high mountain passes,
through wind, rain, hail and snow.
Words cannot explain what we felt at that instant.
After spending an hour there taking photographs, rum shots, interacting with Army convoys, we started the return journey. At this instant, there was also a sad feeling that comes after you achieve a major milestone and the next one is undecided. But hell, get high on the achievements.
In the evening, we headed to the Polo Grounds for the music concert. Traditional, Himachali and Ladakhi dances were performed for the tourists. Saw many beautiful Ladakhi girls too.
Nilu again ordered Momos for dinner while Himanshu and me passed because we had broken Nilu's belief that you should not have tea after gol-gappas. Never mind, dont try to understand. Its too complicated to explain. We tried the local rum of J&K, OB. It was quite good. Had this fragrance to it.
The next day was planned for Pangong Lake so we retired early.
Day 7(15 Sep 2007, Pangong Lake and beyond):
By now, alarms were not required to wake up. This was going to be our most adventurous day(and night). We set off very early at 6 30 am towards Pangong, some 160kms from Leh. I was a little worried that the bikes had not been checked yet by a mechanic. But, it had been performing excellently.
The road took us to World's third highest pass, Changla(Alt 17800 ft).
It struck us that this was higher than the World's second highest pass, TanglangLa(Alt 17582 ft). Sanjay took longer to reach there since he had been asking for a lift before a Border Roads truck lifted him. His Enfield wasnt providing enough pickup to carry both of them.
The Indian Army was providing tea free of cost at the mountain top. Bless those souls.
After many military checkpoints and Army convoys later, we reached Tangtse for the last checkpoint before PangongTso. This place is worth mentioning because PangongTso is 30kms from here. More reasons would follow.
Now, the landscape was changing rapidly. Sometimes we found water, sometimes desert sand, sometimes the colour of soil changed. This went on till we reached a small lake. The hue of the water was a very different shade of blue. It could not be captured fully in the camera.
After a round of photographs and travelling some 10 kms, we reached PangongTso.
You could see every shade of blue in that lake. The water is salty. Himanshu and I took off our shoes in an instant and were wading in the lake. Yeah, it was chilly.
NOW THE ADVENTURE STARTS
It should be mentioned here that we had planned to return to Leh on the same day. HAAAAHH
Survivor Series Episode 1:
At the local restaurant, we learnt that the bridge we had passed some 5 kms back had been washed away by the melting ice. There was a detour that took you to a far away village, Chushul through village roads, some 250 kms from Leh. The tourists started to head that way. We were easy going and had plain dal rice lunch(Man, even that was tasty) before heading off.
We reached the next village Spangmik. There was a checkpost here with a sign, "Trespassers would be prosecuted".
Fact is, the village roads take you too close to the Chinese border. There was no one on duty at that checkpost. The lump in my throat was impossible to swallow. We only had 1.5 hrs of daylight and the signboard indicated Chushul to be 45 kms.
Tightening our guts, we crossed the unmanned checkpoint. We were all alone on 4 motorcycles. Now, you can imagine that a place where main roads are all stones, what the village roads would be like. "Treachorous" would be a too small word for it.There were mud pits, slush and what not. The bikes skidded and waded. It took all our strength to keep sitting on the motorcycles. The landscape now was like Scottish countryside. Nilu and I were thinking of breaking into a barn and stealing some Scotch. No more than 5-6 families stayed in a village.( I think it was Mann).
The natives said that Chushul was some 30 kms ahead. Each kilometer was taking 15 mins and darkness was descending fast. After some 15kms, we came across a horseman. He told that Chushul was another 35 kms. So much for the signboards. At twilight, we came across a tree stump with horns all around it. One of them is now sitting at my desk as a souvenir.
Now, darkness enveloped us. All around us, the sight was pitch black. We were just following whatever of the dirt path was visible. 4 headlights piercing the darkness. Of course, each one of those light was wobbling like hell due to the smooth road. We expected a Chinese bullet to hit us at any instant. 2 0r 3 times, we missed the path. Amol had to get off and then search for a path by a torchlight. By now, we could not even keep track of the kilometers. Nilu did mention at one time that we are now 80 kms from the lake. Oh yeah, we were still besides the lake. It wasnt looking that pretty now. In fact, it looked ghastly. It wasnt funny then, but Himanshu was still going far ahead.
Now, a grass path appeared. It was a difficult choice to make whether to take the grass path or the rocky one. I took the grassy one. Bad choice. The wheel got stuck and it took some 10 mins to inch its way out. We came across what looked like a stable for yaks. We missed a path here and it was half a kilometer ahead that we realized our mistake. We returned back to the stable to find another path. By now, the yaks were alarmed by the headlights and motorcycle noise and they began to run helter skelter. One of them missed Himanshu's bike by inches.
After following the path for another 30 mins, we caught a sight of truck's headlights. It was a police truck. There was so much relief. The policeman told us to keep following the path to Chushul. It was another 20 kms. Now, we were confident and there was much less tension. We kept on the path till we reached Chushul. A road never looked so better. It was another small town and we asked the local villagers for directions. Tangtse was 80 kms from there. We decided to keep on riding till Tangtse.
Now, the five riders formed a line with Nilu in the front, followed by Sanjay and Amol, then myself followed by Himanshu.
I'm sure Himanshu was pissed riding in that position.
I dont remember much about the path, but there was a steep ascend, followed by a fairly level road, then a small descend. The kilometers were crawling. Some rabbits were hopping along and across the road and Nilu joked that he was seeing hopping meat. We kept at that pace till we reached an Army checkpost at Parma.
It was a small checkpoint. Our hands were numb from the cold and it was getting increasingly difficult to ride. Amol got into his marketing skills learnt in Carl Zeiss. We requested to stay for the night. The jawans took the phone to ask permission from the Commanding Officer. I wouldve used my army background card if it hadnt worked out. But, there was no need. The CO let us stay for the night. We were amazed by the jawans' hospitality. They fed us pistas, biscuits, gulab jamuns, rice, rajma, and gave us warm mango juice. For sleep, we had a 1.5m wide bed more than half of which was taken by Sanjay's huge bulk. The rest four of us crammed into the remaining space. It was a help really from the cold. Sleep was discontinuous as we had to lie in a fixed position. Any one person moved and the rest of them had to adjust accordingly.
Episode Ends. To be continued.......
Day 8(16 Sep 2007, Return to Leh):
Next morning, we expressed our gratitudes and bid farewell to the jawans. The road after that was smooth. As we reached Tangtse, we observed that how far we had gone to reach back to this point. Taking advantage of the time and roads, we stopped at Thiksey monastery on the way back. Its about 20 kms from Leh. By now, it was very hot and we were sweating under all the layers of clothings.
The monastery looked very peaceful. Met some little lamas there.
At last at 2 pm, we reached back to our hotel in Leh. Everybody was tired to the bone.
A shower and nap later, we decided to see Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and Magnetic Hill. Amol and Sanjay passed since they wanted to sleep. This was our last evening in Leh, so we thought of utilizing it to the full.
The gurudwara was 25 kms from Leh towards the Kargil highway. The road was excellent and we let the motorcycles stretch. The gurudwara was a small one. There's this rock kept in that place with the outline of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
We parked our motorcycles on the marked spot only to find that we were not defying gravity. The road is really downhill though it gives an illusion of uphill. A couple came in a Qualis and they believed that they were defying gravity. The husband remarked that you need to have more metal in the vehicle. Wanted to give him the finger. Hell, I have heavy metal in my bones. More than that qualis. But, he did get a finger in his face(as did we) from a truck driver. He stopped at the marked line and spilled some water. It proved that the road was really downhill. We got a smack in the face. A fat lot of good the four years of engineering had done to us.
Getting back to Leh, we stopped at ALUYA again for butter tea.
For dinner, we headed to Tibetan Kitchen. Beer was ordered. Nilu ordered Thupka. It was really good. Himanshu and I were missing our good old Punjabi food and we ordered Butter Chicken and roti(yeah, in a Tibetan Restaurant). But it did turn out to be quite good. It was better than what I have had in Gurgaon. Am still to find a decent butter chicken in Gurgaon.
Nilu and Himanshu began shopping for souvenirs. They bought the prayer wheel.
Day 9(17 Sep 2007, The Return):
In the morning, we took the motorcycles to the local mechanic, Mohan Sharma, to get them oiled. It took another 2 hours to get all the machines checked. I got my broken bracket replaced and the spokes checked(which Sanjay did not, a decision that he would regret).
Lunch was at a nearby restaurant, Mutton Thupka. We were in sorrow when we left Leh at 12 30 pm seeing the adventure come to an end(I was wrong).
We had planned to cross Sarchu that day. This time we shifted all my luggage onto Sanjay's Enfield and Amol joined me as pillion. The progress was swift until we began to climb TanglangLa. We were about 13 kms from the top when.......
SURVIVOR SERIES EPISODE 2 (3:15 pm)
......Sanjay's Enfield began to wobble. It was found that 10 spokes were broken. Everyone was stumped on what to do. Nilu came out with the first idea. Take the tyre out and take it towards Leh. There would probably be a mechanic in Karu. He was getting slightly dizzy now, so I was chosen to take Amol with the tyre.
We raced back. It was very uncomfortable for both of us. Amol had to hang on to the tyre as well as me because my Enfield doesnt have a back support. Meanwhile, the tyre was digging at my back. We had to travel all the way back to Mohan Sharma in Leh to find a suitable mechanic. By now, it was 5:15 pm. It was Mohan Sir recommended to take the rim of the tyre to Moti market to a cycle shop. Taking the spokes and rim, we raced to Moti Market to the cycle shop. The mechanic was just closing his shop and asked us to come tommorow. Yeah sure, we have all the time in the world. On begging, the person finally agreed. 14 spokes needed to be replaced. While Amol was getting that fixed, I got my tank filled again. As I was heading back to the market, Amol had got the rim and met me on the way. By now, it was 6:30 pm. We had 30 mins of daylight left.
Nobody spoke in the entire journey. We were stopped by an oncoming motorcycle group with a message from our team that they were worried waiting for us. Exchanging good lucks, we continued on our rescue mission. Just as we were climbing TanglangLa(it was 9 pm now), we found our team heading back towards Rumtse. They had a truck following them with Sanjay and all the luggage. While Nilu headed back to the hotel with the luggage, I took Sanjay and the tyre on my Enfield and Amol sat with Himanshu. We got back to Sanjay's Enfield and fixed the tyre. Getting back to the hotel, everyone was bone tired and stories were exchanged on what happened with each other.
We learnt that the other team had been waiting for 3 hours before Nilu and Himanshu started back towards Rumtse to get the hotel booked. Nilu was feeling too dizzy now and Sanjay was worried sick from all the waiting. Thats why they decided to leave the Enfield there and head back.
We had more of the OB that night.
Episode Ends
Day 10(18 Sep 2007, The Return):
This hotel had better facilities than the one at Darcha. Toilet was now a small shed with a hole in the ground. The experience was worse because the wind blew up from the ground and was concentrated on your arse. In the riverside, at least you get uniform cooling.
Plan was to reach Keylong.HAAAHH.
So, began another ascend to TanglangLa. We were 5 kms from the top when.....
SURVIVOR SERIES EPISODE 3
.......Himanshu's bike punctured. On top of it, there wasnt a spare tube. By now, we were all looking up to Amol to fix any mechanical faults. This time no one was stumped. A decision to remove the tyre was quickly reached. Our strategy was to send Nilu and Himanshu onwards towards Pang with the tyre. Meanwhile, Sanjay, Amol and I waited with the bike. Amol removed the tyre in seconds.
As we waited, it was agreed that there was no sense in waiting. So, we stopped a passing empty dumper to ask if they would transport the bike to Pang. They agreed. Now, we were stumped as to how to get the bike on the truck. The driver solved that problem. "4 bande ho. utha ke chadha do." So, we huffed and puffed and loaded the bike somehow. Amol got in the truck while Sanjay and I proceeded ahead. It turned out to be a good decision because Pang was a good 60 kms ahead. If we had waited, it would have taken a full day to get to Pang. Nilu and Himanshu also agreed because they had a message passed onto us to by a passing truck to get the bike to Pang.
It was a swell ride till More Plaines. Our Enfields were light now and a couple of rum shots helped. As the More Plaines started, we took the road this time instead of the dirt path. Bad decision. The road was broken in several places and they were huge dirt pits. I mustve got at least 20 pounds of dust on me. We caught up with Nilu and Himanshu at a small mechanic's shop just before Pang and waited for the truck. It was a good 2 hours later that the truck reached there. Now, there were 7 people so unloading the bike wasnt that much a problem. Amol described his truck riding experience as scary.
Episode Ends
While the tyre was fitted, we had lunch at the neighbouring dhaba. The cook had made distinct parathas there. They were more like bhaturas, but with the stuffing of a paratha. Tasted swell.
With full stomachs, we crossed Pang and reached Sarchu easily. Shortlyafter crossing Sarchu, we noticed that our tent was missing from Sanjay's Enfield. Stumped, didnt know what to do next. When suddenly, a truck driver coming behind us asked if we had dropped something. They had picked it up and handed it to us. Bless their souls.
After reaching BaralachLa, the road was newly paved and excellent. By now, it was dark. We made good time on that. But, just before ZingZingBar, it grew very rough. It was that way all the way to Darcha. When we reached Lama's tent at Darcha, there was a huge crowd there. A bus had picked that place to pass the night. We rushed into the dhaba to reserve our beds before the others. At night, it was again party time. The other guests staying at the Dhaba mustve been disturbed, but we could not forgo without celebrating. After all, we had covered over 200 kms that day. This time Lama had prepared meat.
The other group that was staying at the dhaba were a US family. They asked where the toilet was. Lama replied, "Toilet is anywhere. Jungle me mangal." We burst out laughing on hearing this.
Tired bodies went to sleep easily.
Day 11(19 Sep 2007, The Return):
The next morning, the other group had left before we woke up. They slipped out very quietly. This time we didnt freshen up "anywhere". We reached the Hotel Chandra Bhaga at Keylong for that purpose. (This is why I mentioned that this place would play an important role).
After crossing Tandi, a couple of guys were standing besides the road. Their Enfield was giving a missing problem.
Our mechanical expert, Amol, went to take out the spark plug. We joked on Amol to take out the tyre and carrying it back to Leh. We got their Enfield going and directed them back to Tandi.
Nearing Koksar, we shot videos while wading through the stream.
Own the Road
Close to Rohtang Top, Nilu stopped to take some pics. There was a heavy wind blowing. I screamed at him to take care of his gloves, but one flew off the road and down the hillside. We could see it lying down there. A short debate happened whether it could be retrieved. But, respect for the mountains stopped us. Rohtang top was crowded with tourists quite unlike when we crossed it earlier. A short distance downwards, we came across a paragliding site. But, the rates scared us. Moreover, we had work to do in Manali, so we continued. The road now had dried up and covered with dirt. We all agreed, that this path was the most dangerous encountered in this trip.
After reaching Manali, we took to the same hotel that we had stopped at earlier, Hotel Solang. After cleaning up, Amol and Nilu went to burn a DVD of all the pics. Meanwhile, Himanshu, me and Sanjay explored Mall Road. We sought refuge in Khyber bar. Beer flowed through the night. The rates were very cheap compared to the ones in Delhi and Gurgaon. Nilu came very excited since he had completed another goal. He had finally interacted with an Israeli and got her contact. So, we celebrated again for him. That was one fun night.
Day 12(20 Sep 2007, The Return):
When we were nearing Mandi, Nilu noticed that Sanjay's Enfield had a wobbling tyre again. Got it fixed in Mandi. We were travelling till late at night and decided to stop at Anandpur Sahib.
At the same hotel that we had stopped earlier. Hotel Sarang Cozy. A hefty dinner was ordered while Nilu and I went in search of beer. This time we crossed the territorial limits of the city to find the beer shop.
Day 13(21 Sep 2007, The Return):
We stopped at Murthal for lunch and reached Delhi by 6 pm. Evening, we got together with Amol, Sanjay and their highly experienced Doctor friend to share the experiences at TSF, Nehru Place.
This is the complete narration of the greatest days of my life. Maybe, we'll do it again next year.
Adieu.
Day 0 (8 Sep 2007 11 pm):
Why the hell did we have to drink that night? And that too on the day when I was having my migraine headache?
So, I suffer. As the night passes, I take a power nap of 1 hour. The guys come and wake me up to start packing for the trip. Well, the headache wasnt going to go away easily so, what the heck, lets get some work done. All clothes and equipments are taken out. My room looks like the Godown room of Old Delhi. Rucksacks are packed. Onto the next mission, cleaning the jerrycans. We create a solution of Surf and start rinsing. 3 guys dressed like dhobis at 3 am in the night cleaning oil cans is not a pretty sight. I wouldnt even know whether we blocked the Sushant Lok drainage system because of all the residue oil. Who cares, I wouldnt be there for the next 2 weeks.
Day 1 (9 Sep 2007 7 am, Gurgaon to Anandpur Sahib):
Alarms ring, and comrades get up reluctantly. Its Sunday morning. We take all the motorcycle equipment and baggage to bind it on the motorcycle. Now, the confusoin starts. How to bind the saddle bags?
The Pulsar owners had more confusion. I could at least screw one strap securely, little knowing that it would be my turn to go bonkers soon. How to screw the 2nd strap? Himanshu "Bungee Master" Martoliya comes to the rescue. He's the expert in rope knots. Somehow, the job gets done. Bikes do look impressive. I was just admiring the view, when the witch-voice rings in my ears, my Auntyji. "Ye kya race lagaane ja rahe ho?"
There goes the mood. Wanted to reply "Yes. On an early Sunday morning, we thought of racing on the village roads outside Gurgaon with sleeping bags tied to our motorcycles." But, 2 years of staying at that place has taught me not to take "panga".
After the engine oil is changed by the nearby mechanic, and we are all bathed and dressed, (By this time it is 1030), time for take off.
We take the NH-8, fuel up the tanks in Delhi, get the tyre pressure checked and head for NH-1. It takes 2 hours. Finally, we get the roadspace to throttle our engines. It is worth mentioning that Himanshu was trailing Nilu and me at this point. The ride was uneventful until Murthal except for some baggage slips that were tightened at Ahuja No.1 Dhaba. After a full stomach meal, we continue our journey. After Ambala, we take the diversion for Chandigarh ending in a dirt path under a flyover under-construction. There were incidents of Shock absorbing by the motorcycle but luckily, no damages except for stomach bumps. After fuelling up tanks at Chandigarh and crossing many "Taverns" (yeah, we didnt stop at any of them to cover the maximum distance) and a light snack, the road heads towards Ropar. By now, its getting dark and the Ropar - Kiratpur road is not to be taken at that time. Potholes and more shock absorbing incidents take place. There were a couple of dreadful "clunks" that tested the forks.
After crossing Kiratpur, road conditions improved and we reached Anandpur Sahib and checked into a hotel. My parents had told me to visit the Gurudwara, but seeing the height that needed to be scaled to reach there, I passed. Not that it was much, but my muscle joints were creaking at every movement and asses were sore. We learnt that the nearest "theka" was 4 kms away and since none of us wanted to mount the motorcycle again, we passed on alcohol(Now you know how creaky we were).
After washing off pounds of dust and a full stomach meal, lights were extinguished and alarms set for next morning at 6 am.
Day 2 (10 Sep 2007, Anandpur Sahib to Manali):
After a short ride of 10-15 kms, we start to ascend the hilly terrain. Suddenly, Himanshu is nowhere to be seen. Nilu and I tread along and after half an hour find him waiting for us way ahead. This seems to be his home turf and there's no stopping him. The roads are occupied by trucks going to Bilaspur to the ACC factory and the ride was spoiled by this. Still, we make good time and reach Bilaspur by 0930. Breakfast was alu parathas and omelettes at Neelam restaurant.
The ride after the ACC factory is excellent. Roads have good curves and not steep.
You get the "Rossi" feeling while driving there. We cover distance fast. The drive through Sundernagar with a canal flowing besides and onto Mandi was splendid. We were awed by the male/female ratio in Mandi. There were 3 girls for every guy there and that too beautiful ones. Hmmm, good place to study.
You get the "Rossi" feeling while driving there. We cover distance fast. The drive through Sundernagar with a canal flowing besides and onto Mandi was splendid. We were awed by the male/female ratio in Mandi. There were 3 girls for every guy there and that too beautiful ones. Hmmm, good place to study.
The journey beckons and we continue. After Mandi comes the 3 kms long tunnel that has 2 turns inside. If the lights are extinguished, you are given a good knowledge of nothingness.
Good roads continue and we arrive at Kullu. The words "Bhuttico" are drilled into the minds of tourists here. We stop at a nice looking place for lunch, Hotel Rock n River. We notice a car parked outside with a young couple in the front and another young girl at the back(we deduce her to be the "escape from home friend" of the girl in front). Here, Himanshu shows his public speaking skills. As we go in the restaurant we find it empty. No receptionist also. Himanshu asks a boy about food. Now, this boy is totally stumped by the sudden barge of questions. Here's how the dialogue went:
Himanshu: khana milega?
Boy: nahi.Himanshu: kyu? Hotel hi hai na?
Boy: haan
Himanshu: bahar Restaurant to likha hai.
Boy: haan
Himanshu: to kahan hai cook? chala gaya?
Boy: haan
Himanshu: Manager bhi chala gaya? Hotel bech diya?
Boy: haan
Yeah, may not sound funny now, but it was at that time. We exit laughing and cross Kullu to find another place to eat by the riverside. I point out that we havent taken alcohol for 48 hrs now. Its getting bad for our health. Realizing this fatal mistake, we order the local beer brewed in Solan. The taste is different(I'll leave it at that). Then after having a delicious lunch(Everything that we've eaten in this trip tasted exquisite), we set off for our next planned pit stop, Manali. We reach Manali by 3 30 in the afternoon and set into a cheap(but good) accommodation. It was off season rates.
After cleaning up, we set off for some necessary shopping for the trip and got the motorcycles checked and oiled by a mechanic. Tarpaulin covers, woollen gloves, head hoods and alcohol for the night. Dinner was ordered as room delivery(as usual, very delicious).
Day 3 (11 Sep 2007, Manali to Darcha):
Awake next day at 6 am and Nilu starts his routine to wake everybody else. After breakfast, we load up the gear onto the motorcyles again. We notice the snow at the top of the mountain peaks. It had rained the previous night and praying that we do not encounter rain on the way, we set off for Rohtang La. The steep ascend is combined with slushy roads. We saw many foreigners on the Bullets returning without a care for their machines. Bastards, they dont need to care. They have mechanics following them.
We reach Level 1. Rohtang La at 13050 Ft.
This was the lowest pass in our journey. Himanshu and I stopped only to find that Nilu has crossed the pass and riding away. He did return after 15 mins saying that he didnt realize this was the point since it looked a lot different when he came earlier. (Yeah, sure. We believe you). Time for photographs. We were assisted in this by a local chaiwala serving the best tea and coffee i had tasted. Himanshu came with some ingeneous poses for the conquest.
The descent was equally treacherous. After braving the slush and steep curves, we arrived at Koksar. Tasted the best cooked Wai - Wai(what happened to our taste buds?). The nearby stream water was freezing. Take off again after 45 mins. The roads were rough now with the stream running alongside throughout. The view was very picturusque throughtout. We rode through rubble, cobbled stones even streams. Just the way I dreamt it to be.
As we proceed, we were reminded of the dangers that would lie ahead when we saw casualties.
Reached Tandi, the last petrol pump before Leh. Filling up the tanks and checking tyre pressure, we set off again quickly. By now, we were joined with Sanjay Rao and Amol coming from Pune on their heavily loaded old Bullet Machismo. More comrades.
Soon after, we took our first casualty when I lost balance and the bike fell down breaking the right side bracket but fortunately, no human injuries. I was to continue like this till Leh.
We reached the Himachal Tourism guest house, Hotel Chandra Bhaga. This place would play a very important role during our return journey.
We are notified that they make lunch only on order basis and it would be tough to provide us a meal. We agree to eat whatever could be provided and what a meal it was. Matar Paneer, Alu Jeera, and tawa rotis. delicious.
After a filling meal and some photographs, we head for our next planned pit stop, Jispa. It was recommended by a Doctor friend of Amol and Sanjay whom we would meet when we reach Delhi. Hearing that this guy had come to Leh 7 times, we chose to pit there.
But Fate had other plans, especially for Nilu. After reaching Hotel Ibex in Jispa, we found a whole motorcade of Royal Enfield Electras with disc brakes. I mention the brakes because I was not able to find a replacement for my broken bracket. It was a tour called as "Enduro Himalaya". Some 40 Bullets with backup mechanics. As much as we were awed by the sight, we were also raged 10 mins later hearing that the room rent was 800 Rs. The rage was incremented when we saw a firang enjoying a bottle of beer on the grass before our very eyes. Our expressions were exactly like street dogs. With a heavy heart we continued towards Darcha.
Oh yes, Nilu made friends with a local village girl asking her for a place to stay. He got a delightful wave as we passed her again. This was going to be an everlasting memory for Nilu and a weapon for us to taunt him throughout the journey.(Well, the weapon is still sharp)
Reaching Darcha, we found Lama Dhaba. A brilliant host. At 40Rs a bed, we decided to pitch there. I was stupid enough to ask for a place to shower and dump in that place. With a river flowing in the back, the place was fascinating, at least at that time. We paid tribute to Old Monk here while Lama was providing the food. Drinking in that environment was amazing and also helped in sleeping in that bitter cold. We made good friends with Amol and Sanjay here. It must be mentioned that Nilu didnt get his favourite meal, Momos, here.
Reaching Darcha, we found Lama Dhaba. A brilliant host. At 40Rs a bed, we decided to pitch there. I was stupid enough to ask for a place to shower and dump in that place. With a river flowing in the back, the place was fascinating, at least at that time. We paid tribute to Old Monk here while Lama was providing the food. Drinking in that environment was amazing and also helped in sleeping in that bitter cold. We made good friends with Amol and Sanjay here. It must be mentioned that Nilu didnt get his favourite meal, Momos, here.
Day 4(12 Sep 2007, Darcha to Pang):
Next morning we awoke with tension. Where to take the dump? Seeing that we were out of options, the men began to take the dump by the riverside in serial order. But really, it wasnt bad. Part of the adventure you see. After breakfast and hot tea(delicious), we set off for our next scheduled stop, Pang. The roads were rough now. Interesting name for a place, ZingzingBar. A short distance after, we came across a lake, DeepakTal.
A pristine beauty in the middle of the mountains. Now, we know more about how heaven looks like. Interesting photographs.
After travelling some more, we were surrounded by snow. Here onwards, the roads were great. Distances pass quickly.
We reached Level 2, Baralachla at altitude of 16500 ft.
Himanshu had more interesting ideas of photographs now.
Some more kms later, we came to "Feel like God" territory.(Bajaj Avenger ad. We were wondering how that guy was able to travel here in just a T-Shirt).
There were tent sites on one side and "Grand Canyon" on the other. Nature is truly the best artiste.
Sarchu was a quiet place. We were reminded here of how much farther we had to go.
Lunch was Maggi("Delicious" goes without saying). The tent waala said that the mist forming on the clouds ahead was actually snow. It would be difficult to drive. But, as it was with us jerks, we still proceeded. Border Roads was getting more humorous with bridges named as Whiskey Bridge and Brandy Bridge.
Shortly after started the Gata Loops. A road with 21 loops on a single mountain that take increase the altitude by 3000 ft.
We were lucky till Level 3 Lachulungla(Alt. 16616 ft).
Then trouble started...... It began to snow. Pinched the face like needles. We could not close the helmet visors since they got clouded. So, tried to brave the nature's wrath by taking it in the face. Big mistake. The snow was flowing horizontally. We were under heavy artillery fire. No matter where we turned, it always came straight into the noses. I have a faint recollection of crossing another mountain pass which was later found to be NakeeLa. Finally, when we could not drive sanely, we stopped behind a parked jeep and looked for a place to pitch up tent. Then, a miracle happened. The person inside the jeep invited us to take shelter in the vehicle. The trunk was opened and all his luggage, including a bicycle, were taken out to make room for us. The person was an Indian Airlines pilot and had been coming to Leh for the past 20 years on all sorts of transportation.
40 mins later, the snowing stopped. We expressed our gratitude and were able to continue on our journey. We were 18 kms from Pang. Now, the road was even more treachorous with the fresh snow and oncoming trucks. Many a times, the tyres of the trucks went off the road. These guys are amazing drivers. The progress was paintakingly snow with each kilometer taking 10 mins or more. It was clearly affecting our hand grips(and arses).
An hour later, everyone was relieved when we saw the tent houses at Pang.
We chose Hotel KhangriLa.(Mustve been due to all those passes that we scaled). By now, I was having a headache and Amol was quite nauseous as well. Diamoxes were passed around and we retired for the night at 6 30 pm. Himanshu and Nilu took to interacting with the other guys in the nearby tents. Two of them were returning from Leh and advised us not to go. TanglangLa was under heavy snow and they were also not able to see Pangong lake also because a connecting bridge had been washed away by the melting snow(This would turn out to be an unforgettable experience later on). For a minute, we did worry whether our effort would go to waste.
Day 5(13 Sep 2007, Pang to Leh):
The next morning brought a clear sunny sky. As we "freshened up", we shared the same thought. Cant go back now. But, the bikes thought differently. There was a layer of frost on all the machines.
After breakfast, it was time for morning drill. Start kicking the bikes. Fortunately, it didnt take that long and the machines sputtered to life. The enthusiasm was shared there as well. At 9 30 am we set off for our next stop, LEH.
After ascending for a while, we came to a clearing. This was More Plaines.
A flat area stretching for some 25 kms with peaks all around. The dirt road looked smoother than the main road. This was an infinite lane expressway. The experience was like out of this world. Himanshu measured that we saved only 1 km by coming through the dirt path. Forget the distance, I couldve travelled on such a path forever. Some 25 kms later, we reached Level 4, TanglangLa, the second highest path of the world, Alt 17582 ft.
Yes, we were having some breathlessness, but the excitement was too great. Himanshu had this brilliant idea of sledding down the slope.
Of course, he didnt mention to me that there were stones underneath the snow. But, we escaped without injury. It was fantastic fun.
The road after this was beautiful. We were making good speed and there were good straight stretches even at 15000 ft. Little did I know that this was going to be my most traversed path of the journey. We stopped at Rumtse for Lunch. After that, it was a dash towards Leh.
There was a large military presence here onwards. Now, the temperature was increasing and by the time we reached Leh, it was hot and sweating. We chose the first hotel that we came across, Hotel Chospa, which turned out to be a very good place. The guys cheered on reaching so close to our goal Khardung La.
All were relieved to find a proper toilet. A shower and short nap later, we set out to explore the city. Foreigners were aplenty. Our feet stopped when we came across a T-shirt shop with a beautiful print on display "World's Highest Motorcycle Expedition". Orders were placed.
Returning to the hotel, we finished the Old Monk, had dinner at the hotel, asked the Hotel Manager, Kenjog, to get the permits for KhardungLa and Pangong Lake, and retired for the night. Oh yes, Nilu was able to find Momos here.
Day 6(14 Sep 2007, Leh and Beyond):
So, the day had finally come when we would reach our goal. We awoke lazily. Then asked Kenjog for a place to have some Ladakhi food. He suggested ALUYA association. Had gone to get some breakfast, but our order turned out to be enough for Lunch. Thentuk, Skyue. Except for Sanjay who had ordered Egg Burjee, and the order came as half cooked omelette.
At about 12, we took warm clothes in the saddle bags and set off for Khardung La. We thought of giving Sanjay's bike a rest and so Amol joined me as pillion. The road there was a piece of cake as compared to the previous passes. Gradual ascension and well paved roads led us to Khardung top in no time. Sanjay had his Enfield drop to reserve and then run out of it in a distance of only 13 kms. Shows you how the terrain affects the mileage. Himanshu took out some 1.5Ltrs of his fuel to put in Sanjay's machine. The triumph of reaching Khardung top was unparallel.
This was our goal. This was what we had been dreaming about. This was why we had set off on a journey of 1100 kms across treachorous roads, deep gorges, high mountain passes,
through wind, rain, hail and snow.
Words cannot explain what we felt at that instant.
After spending an hour there taking photographs, rum shots, interacting with Army convoys, we started the return journey. At this instant, there was also a sad feeling that comes after you achieve a major milestone and the next one is undecided. But hell, get high on the achievements.
In the evening, we headed to the Polo Grounds for the music concert. Traditional, Himachali and Ladakhi dances were performed for the tourists. Saw many beautiful Ladakhi girls too.
Nilu again ordered Momos for dinner while Himanshu and me passed because we had broken Nilu's belief that you should not have tea after gol-gappas. Never mind, dont try to understand. Its too complicated to explain. We tried the local rum of J&K, OB. It was quite good. Had this fragrance to it.
The next day was planned for Pangong Lake so we retired early.
Day 7(15 Sep 2007, Pangong Lake and beyond):
By now, alarms were not required to wake up. This was going to be our most adventurous day(and night). We set off very early at 6 30 am towards Pangong, some 160kms from Leh. I was a little worried that the bikes had not been checked yet by a mechanic. But, it had been performing excellently.
The road took us to World's third highest pass, Changla(Alt 17800 ft).
It struck us that this was higher than the World's second highest pass, TanglangLa(Alt 17582 ft). Sanjay took longer to reach there since he had been asking for a lift before a Border Roads truck lifted him. His Enfield wasnt providing enough pickup to carry both of them.
The Indian Army was providing tea free of cost at the mountain top. Bless those souls.
After many military checkpoints and Army convoys later, we reached Tangtse for the last checkpoint before PangongTso. This place is worth mentioning because PangongTso is 30kms from here. More reasons would follow.
Now, the landscape was changing rapidly. Sometimes we found water, sometimes desert sand, sometimes the colour of soil changed. This went on till we reached a small lake. The hue of the water was a very different shade of blue. It could not be captured fully in the camera.
After a round of photographs and travelling some 10 kms, we reached PangongTso.
You could see every shade of blue in that lake. The water is salty. Himanshu and I took off our shoes in an instant and were wading in the lake. Yeah, it was chilly.
NOW THE ADVENTURE STARTS
It should be mentioned here that we had planned to return to Leh on the same day. HAAAAHH
Survivor Series Episode 1:
At the local restaurant, we learnt that the bridge we had passed some 5 kms back had been washed away by the melting ice. There was a detour that took you to a far away village, Chushul through village roads, some 250 kms from Leh. The tourists started to head that way. We were easy going and had plain dal rice lunch(Man, even that was tasty) before heading off.
We reached the next village Spangmik. There was a checkpost here with a sign, "Trespassers would be prosecuted".
Fact is, the village roads take you too close to the Chinese border. There was no one on duty at that checkpost. The lump in my throat was impossible to swallow. We only had 1.5 hrs of daylight and the signboard indicated Chushul to be 45 kms.
Tightening our guts, we crossed the unmanned checkpoint. We were all alone on 4 motorcycles. Now, you can imagine that a place where main roads are all stones, what the village roads would be like. "Treachorous" would be a too small word for it.There were mud pits, slush and what not. The bikes skidded and waded. It took all our strength to keep sitting on the motorcycles. The landscape now was like Scottish countryside. Nilu and I were thinking of breaking into a barn and stealing some Scotch. No more than 5-6 families stayed in a village.( I think it was Mann).
The natives said that Chushul was some 30 kms ahead. Each kilometer was taking 15 mins and darkness was descending fast. After some 15kms, we came across a horseman. He told that Chushul was another 35 kms. So much for the signboards. At twilight, we came across a tree stump with horns all around it. One of them is now sitting at my desk as a souvenir.
Now, darkness enveloped us. All around us, the sight was pitch black. We were just following whatever of the dirt path was visible. 4 headlights piercing the darkness. Of course, each one of those light was wobbling like hell due to the smooth road. We expected a Chinese bullet to hit us at any instant. 2 0r 3 times, we missed the path. Amol had to get off and then search for a path by a torchlight. By now, we could not even keep track of the kilometers. Nilu did mention at one time that we are now 80 kms from the lake. Oh yeah, we were still besides the lake. It wasnt looking that pretty now. In fact, it looked ghastly. It wasnt funny then, but Himanshu was still going far ahead.
Now, a grass path appeared. It was a difficult choice to make whether to take the grass path or the rocky one. I took the grassy one. Bad choice. The wheel got stuck and it took some 10 mins to inch its way out. We came across what looked like a stable for yaks. We missed a path here and it was half a kilometer ahead that we realized our mistake. We returned back to the stable to find another path. By now, the yaks were alarmed by the headlights and motorcycle noise and they began to run helter skelter. One of them missed Himanshu's bike by inches.
After following the path for another 30 mins, we caught a sight of truck's headlights. It was a police truck. There was so much relief. The policeman told us to keep following the path to Chushul. It was another 20 kms. Now, we were confident and there was much less tension. We kept on the path till we reached Chushul. A road never looked so better. It was another small town and we asked the local villagers for directions. Tangtse was 80 kms from there. We decided to keep on riding till Tangtse.
Now, the five riders formed a line with Nilu in the front, followed by Sanjay and Amol, then myself followed by Himanshu.
I'm sure Himanshu was pissed riding in that position.
I dont remember much about the path, but there was a steep ascend, followed by a fairly level road, then a small descend. The kilometers were crawling. Some rabbits were hopping along and across the road and Nilu joked that he was seeing hopping meat. We kept at that pace till we reached an Army checkpost at Parma.
It was a small checkpoint. Our hands were numb from the cold and it was getting increasingly difficult to ride. Amol got into his marketing skills learnt in Carl Zeiss. We requested to stay for the night. The jawans took the phone to ask permission from the Commanding Officer. I wouldve used my army background card if it hadnt worked out. But, there was no need. The CO let us stay for the night. We were amazed by the jawans' hospitality. They fed us pistas, biscuits, gulab jamuns, rice, rajma, and gave us warm mango juice. For sleep, we had a 1.5m wide bed more than half of which was taken by Sanjay's huge bulk. The rest four of us crammed into the remaining space. It was a help really from the cold. Sleep was discontinuous as we had to lie in a fixed position. Any one person moved and the rest of them had to adjust accordingly.
Episode Ends. To be continued.......
Day 8(16 Sep 2007, Return to Leh):
Next morning, we expressed our gratitudes and bid farewell to the jawans. The road after that was smooth. As we reached Tangtse, we observed that how far we had gone to reach back to this point. Taking advantage of the time and roads, we stopped at Thiksey monastery on the way back. Its about 20 kms from Leh. By now, it was very hot and we were sweating under all the layers of clothings.
The monastery looked very peaceful. Met some little lamas there.
At last at 2 pm, we reached back to our hotel in Leh. Everybody was tired to the bone.
A shower and nap later, we decided to see Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and Magnetic Hill. Amol and Sanjay passed since they wanted to sleep. This was our last evening in Leh, so we thought of utilizing it to the full.
The gurudwara was 25 kms from Leh towards the Kargil highway. The road was excellent and we let the motorcycles stretch. The gurudwara was a small one. There's this rock kept in that place with the outline of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
On enquiring the whereabouts of Magnetic Hill, a driver in the Gurudwara parking told us it was just next to the Gurudwara. However, it was a good 6 kms before we found the Border Roads signboard.
We parked our motorcycles on the marked spot only to find that we were not defying gravity. The road is really downhill though it gives an illusion of uphill. A couple came in a Qualis and they believed that they were defying gravity. The husband remarked that you need to have more metal in the vehicle. Wanted to give him the finger. Hell, I have heavy metal in my bones. More than that qualis. But, he did get a finger in his face(as did we) from a truck driver. He stopped at the marked line and spilled some water. It proved that the road was really downhill. We got a smack in the face. A fat lot of good the four years of engineering had done to us.
Getting back to Leh, we stopped at ALUYA again for butter tea.
For dinner, we headed to Tibetan Kitchen. Beer was ordered. Nilu ordered Thupka. It was really good. Himanshu and I were missing our good old Punjabi food and we ordered Butter Chicken and roti(yeah, in a Tibetan Restaurant). But it did turn out to be quite good. It was better than what I have had in Gurgaon. Am still to find a decent butter chicken in Gurgaon.
Nilu and Himanshu began shopping for souvenirs. They bought the prayer wheel.
Day 9(17 Sep 2007, The Return):
In the morning, we took the motorcycles to the local mechanic, Mohan Sharma, to get them oiled. It took another 2 hours to get all the machines checked. I got my broken bracket replaced and the spokes checked(which Sanjay did not, a decision that he would regret).
Lunch was at a nearby restaurant, Mutton Thupka. We were in sorrow when we left Leh at 12 30 pm seeing the adventure come to an end(I was wrong).
We had planned to cross Sarchu that day. This time we shifted all my luggage onto Sanjay's Enfield and Amol joined me as pillion. The progress was swift until we began to climb TanglangLa. We were about 13 kms from the top when.......
SURVIVOR SERIES EPISODE 2 (3:15 pm)
......Sanjay's Enfield began to wobble. It was found that 10 spokes were broken. Everyone was stumped on what to do. Nilu came out with the first idea. Take the tyre out and take it towards Leh. There would probably be a mechanic in Karu. He was getting slightly dizzy now, so I was chosen to take Amol with the tyre.
We raced back. It was very uncomfortable for both of us. Amol had to hang on to the tyre as well as me because my Enfield doesnt have a back support. Meanwhile, the tyre was digging at my back. We had to travel all the way back to Mohan Sharma in Leh to find a suitable mechanic. By now, it was 5:15 pm. It was Mohan Sir recommended to take the rim of the tyre to Moti market to a cycle shop. Taking the spokes and rim, we raced to Moti Market to the cycle shop. The mechanic was just closing his shop and asked us to come tommorow. Yeah sure, we have all the time in the world. On begging, the person finally agreed. 14 spokes needed to be replaced. While Amol was getting that fixed, I got my tank filled again. As I was heading back to the market, Amol had got the rim and met me on the way. By now, it was 6:30 pm. We had 30 mins of daylight left.
Nobody spoke in the entire journey. We were stopped by an oncoming motorcycle group with a message from our team that they were worried waiting for us. Exchanging good lucks, we continued on our rescue mission. Just as we were climbing TanglangLa(it was 9 pm now), we found our team heading back towards Rumtse. They had a truck following them with Sanjay and all the luggage. While Nilu headed back to the hotel with the luggage, I took Sanjay and the tyre on my Enfield and Amol sat with Himanshu. We got back to Sanjay's Enfield and fixed the tyre. Getting back to the hotel, everyone was bone tired and stories were exchanged on what happened with each other.
We learnt that the other team had been waiting for 3 hours before Nilu and Himanshu started back towards Rumtse to get the hotel booked. Nilu was feeling too dizzy now and Sanjay was worried sick from all the waiting. Thats why they decided to leave the Enfield there and head back.
We had more of the OB that night.
Episode Ends
Day 10(18 Sep 2007, The Return):
This hotel had better facilities than the one at Darcha. Toilet was now a small shed with a hole in the ground. The experience was worse because the wind blew up from the ground and was concentrated on your arse. In the riverside, at least you get uniform cooling.
Plan was to reach Keylong.HAAAHH.
So, began another ascend to TanglangLa. We were 5 kms from the top when.....
SURVIVOR SERIES EPISODE 3
.......Himanshu's bike punctured. On top of it, there wasnt a spare tube. By now, we were all looking up to Amol to fix any mechanical faults. This time no one was stumped. A decision to remove the tyre was quickly reached. Our strategy was to send Nilu and Himanshu onwards towards Pang with the tyre. Meanwhile, Sanjay, Amol and I waited with the bike. Amol removed the tyre in seconds.
As we waited, it was agreed that there was no sense in waiting. So, we stopped a passing empty dumper to ask if they would transport the bike to Pang. They agreed. Now, we were stumped as to how to get the bike on the truck. The driver solved that problem. "4 bande ho. utha ke chadha do." So, we huffed and puffed and loaded the bike somehow. Amol got in the truck while Sanjay and I proceeded ahead. It turned out to be a good decision because Pang was a good 60 kms ahead. If we had waited, it would have taken a full day to get to Pang. Nilu and Himanshu also agreed because they had a message passed onto us to by a passing truck to get the bike to Pang.
It was a swell ride till More Plaines. Our Enfields were light now and a couple of rum shots helped. As the More Plaines started, we took the road this time instead of the dirt path. Bad decision. The road was broken in several places and they were huge dirt pits. I mustve got at least 20 pounds of dust on me. We caught up with Nilu and Himanshu at a small mechanic's shop just before Pang and waited for the truck. It was a good 2 hours later that the truck reached there. Now, there were 7 people so unloading the bike wasnt that much a problem. Amol described his truck riding experience as scary.
Episode Ends
While the tyre was fitted, we had lunch at the neighbouring dhaba. The cook had made distinct parathas there. They were more like bhaturas, but with the stuffing of a paratha. Tasted swell.
With full stomachs, we crossed Pang and reached Sarchu easily. Shortlyafter crossing Sarchu, we noticed that our tent was missing from Sanjay's Enfield. Stumped, didnt know what to do next. When suddenly, a truck driver coming behind us asked if we had dropped something. They had picked it up and handed it to us. Bless their souls.
After reaching BaralachLa, the road was newly paved and excellent. By now, it was dark. We made good time on that. But, just before ZingZingBar, it grew very rough. It was that way all the way to Darcha. When we reached Lama's tent at Darcha, there was a huge crowd there. A bus had picked that place to pass the night. We rushed into the dhaba to reserve our beds before the others. At night, it was again party time. The other guests staying at the Dhaba mustve been disturbed, but we could not forgo without celebrating. After all, we had covered over 200 kms that day. This time Lama had prepared meat.
The other group that was staying at the dhaba were a US family. They asked where the toilet was. Lama replied, "Toilet is anywhere. Jungle me mangal." We burst out laughing on hearing this.
Tired bodies went to sleep easily.
Day 11(19 Sep 2007, The Return):
The next morning, the other group had left before we woke up. They slipped out very quietly. This time we didnt freshen up "anywhere". We reached the Hotel Chandra Bhaga at Keylong for that purpose. (This is why I mentioned that this place would play an important role).
After crossing Tandi, a couple of guys were standing besides the road. Their Enfield was giving a missing problem.
Our mechanical expert, Amol, went to take out the spark plug. We joked on Amol to take out the tyre and carrying it back to Leh. We got their Enfield going and directed them back to Tandi.
Nearing Koksar, we shot videos while wading through the stream.
Own the Road
Close to Rohtang Top, Nilu stopped to take some pics. There was a heavy wind blowing. I screamed at him to take care of his gloves, but one flew off the road and down the hillside. We could see it lying down there. A short debate happened whether it could be retrieved. But, respect for the mountains stopped us. Rohtang top was crowded with tourists quite unlike when we crossed it earlier. A short distance downwards, we came across a paragliding site. But, the rates scared us. Moreover, we had work to do in Manali, so we continued. The road now had dried up and covered with dirt. We all agreed, that this path was the most dangerous encountered in this trip.
After reaching Manali, we took to the same hotel that we had stopped at earlier, Hotel Solang. After cleaning up, Amol and Nilu went to burn a DVD of all the pics. Meanwhile, Himanshu, me and Sanjay explored Mall Road. We sought refuge in Khyber bar. Beer flowed through the night. The rates were very cheap compared to the ones in Delhi and Gurgaon. Nilu came very excited since he had completed another goal. He had finally interacted with an Israeli and got her contact. So, we celebrated again for him. That was one fun night.
Day 12(20 Sep 2007, The Return):
When we were nearing Mandi, Nilu noticed that Sanjay's Enfield had a wobbling tyre again. Got it fixed in Mandi. We were travelling till late at night and decided to stop at Anandpur Sahib.
At the same hotel that we had stopped earlier. Hotel Sarang Cozy. A hefty dinner was ordered while Nilu and I went in search of beer. This time we crossed the territorial limits of the city to find the beer shop.
Day 13(21 Sep 2007, The Return):
We stopped at Murthal for lunch and reached Delhi by 6 pm. Evening, we got together with Amol, Sanjay and their highly experienced Doctor friend to share the experiences at TSF, Nehru Place.
This is the complete narration of the greatest days of my life. Maybe, we'll do it again next year.
Adieu.
posted by Ken Slayer at 4:48 AM
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