Ladakh: Every Rider's Dream!!

 

One day Piyush formed a Whatsapp group "Ladakh" and added everyone. Ofcourse we were planning it for the last 3 years, I've being dreaming about it since last 6 years!!! Something or the other always kept us from going there. Initially I wasn't interested saying to myself that this year would also be like others - all plans and no action. As days passed, I kept myself busy in work and daily life but somewhere that group was ticking and one fine day there there were hundreds of unread messages, hotels and routes were discussed, bookings were going on. Suddenly it felt like this could actually happen but i still wasn't certain. Then i called Abhishek and told him about the plan, without a thought he said lets go - Train ticket book kar!! Abhi nai toh kab jayenge??? And that was it, we were finally going, Ladakh 2022 was actually happening!!!

Plan was to ship our bikes to Delhi and start our ride from there. The route - Delhi-Amritsar-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh-Hunder-Siachen-Pangong-Hanle-Uming La- Pang-Manali-Delhi. I would be taking my Gixxer 155cc over those mountains, the bike was in no condition to do it, everything from the suspension to the chain sprocket needed to be changed!! Told my mechanic the she will be going to Ladakh and he said "Don't worry, give me 2 days!!" He changed and serviced everything there was to be done except one tiny part, which we'll discuss later! We had already narrowed down on a transport operator. Me, Abhishek and Mousam gathered at my Nerul branch on 6th June where our bikes would be packed and loaded. The packer did a fantastic job of wrapping the bikes with Foam, Plastic wraps, Cardpapers, Gunny bags, Cellotapes and ropes. We were impressed!! With bikes loaded our tour had finally commenced!.

Bikes being packed

Abhishek on his Tank !!

I still had to shop for all biking gears like riding pants, shoes, Fog insert, Bungees, Hydration bladder which were bought from Wroom Store in Airoli (Genuinely good store started by a rider couple). Went there twice just to be sure i had everything!! And in such a long tour one can never be sure - Kuch na kuch to reh hi jayega....

Day 1: Friday 10th June 2022: Mumbai To Delhi

Just a day before our train Abhishek called and said that he might not be able to make it due to his joining formalities with an airline. He is a licensed Pilot afterall. I found all the excitment vanishing that my best friend won't be able to join. He still had some hope and asked me to not cancel the ticket. On the D Day i had everything packed and left for office. Around 11 am Abhi calls and says " I,m boarding the train- Aage ka pata nahi" Woah!! My own leave from office wasn't sanctioned yet, But I was going anyway!! All of us met at Bandra Terminus and we left Mumbai at 5:30 pm. As soon as we boarded the train I got and email confirming my leave has been sanctioned!! Woohoooo!!!!

 That train "Yuva Express" had a wierd arrangement of seats with the side berth having 3 berths instead of regular the 2!! So 3 people sleep on the side berth but only 2 can sit and the third has to adjust with the regular berths!! Never gonna book that train again. Next stop Delhi. 

In Train From Left Abhishek, Me, Bikash, Sanjay, Mausam

Day 2: Saturday 11th June 2022: Delhi

We reached Delhi around 10:30am and checked into our Hotel. Next job was to pick up our bikes from Gurgaon. Heat in Delhi around that time was at its peak with the Temp hitting 50 Deg!!, we booked an Uber and went to pick our bikes at Gurgaon. There were a total of 7 bikes and 9 people. After riding back to our hotel a dinner was arranged by our newly married couple Piyush and Shivani at their home in Faridabad. This was also the first formal introduction of all gang. I had known only my friends Abhishek, Piyush and Mousam before this. After a delicious dinner we went back to our hotel. Tomorrow would be a big day.

At Piyush's Home. The entire gang from left: Rajib, Sujan, Mausam, Sanjay, Bikash, Abhishek, Me, Piyush and Shivani

Day 3 : Sunday 12th June 2022 : Delhi - Amritsar

We were up by 3:30 am. A long stretch of highway Delhi - Amritsar (465 kms) was to be covered today. Abhishek had decided to join us at Srinagar as he had to complete his medical in Delhi after which he would take a flight directly to Srinagar. His bike was ridden upto Srinagar by a teammate named Sujan who was originally suppose to ride pillion on other bike.

As this was the first day everyone was still figuring out on how to manage their luggage. By the time we left it was already 5:15am. We decided to stop at India Gate for a group pic and officially flagged off our ride from India Gate. After a short photo session at India Gate, much to the surprise of Delhi morning walkers, we left for Amritsar.

Flag Off From India Gate

After the initial couple of hours as we hit the highway, the weather started taking its Toll! It was just to hot to be riding and no amount of water/juices were helping.

En Route Panipat

We stopped for breakfast around 11:00 am and continued riding, taking frequent water breaks. At around 3:30 pm as we were approaching Jalandhar my bike started loosing power. I thought it was due to engine overheating so we decided to stop at KFC Jalandhar to grab a bite whilst the bike cooled down. I even poured some water on the engine just to help it cool down. Even after 1 hour the bike wouldn't accelerate. 

We found a mechanic who chose to help inspite it being his Off Day. Turned out that guy was a biker himself and his business was to customize bikes!! He had a garage full of Royal Enfields and a modified Nissan Jonga to boot. He opened up the entire bike and opening a Gixxer SF takes time!! The problem was in fuel pump. My mechanic in Navi Mumbai had left just that part out!! The Fuel pump was full of rust because of which fuel wasn't reaching the engine in adequate quantity. He cleaned the whole set up which took almost 2 hours! After the bike was ready I asked for the charges and he simply said Rs. 400!!!! Four Hundered Rupees was nothing compared to the time and effort he put in!! I asked him to take more which he refused and insisted that I take the change. Such a Gem of a guy!! 

Rust in Fuel Pump

Our guy doing his job.

 By now it was 7:00 pm and we still had 2 hours of riding left before we could reach Amritsar. We reached Amritsar around 9:00 pm and checked into Hotel Lemonade. After freshening up we went to Golden Temple at 10:00 pm and spent sometime in its serene complex. It's always a pure bliss to stand in front of the magnificent Golden Temple and today it looked even more wonderful.

A place where I can spend hours!

Golden Temple

Dinner was called in at the Hotel and after a long, hot and tiring ride we called it a day.

Day 4 : Monday 13th June 2022 : Amritsar- Srinagar

Plan was to get up at 5:00 am and leave by 6.!!!! No one amongst 8 guys heard the alarm go off and then suddenly someone shouted "its 8:00 am"!!!! 

Riding to Srinagar would take us 9 hours and 30 mins not accounting for breaks and it was crucial that we leave early. We somehow managed to be in saddle and leave from Amritsar by 9:00 am. The road was quite normal winding through the beautiful Punjab landscape and after about two and a half hours we entered Kashmir. We stopped at a roadside dhaba for breakfast and there on the Kashmir side on that roadside Dhaba  I had the most delicious Paratha's ever!! If I didn't have to ride the whole day I would have simply kept gorging on those delicious paratha's!! 

I was looking forward to today's ride as Kashmir came with the promise of cooler temperatures and as soon as we left the highway to climb the Ghats the weather became pleasant. it was only going to get cooler from here. We stopped for a late lunch around 3:30 pm and kept riding. We kept riding till nightfall encountering heavy traffic in between. The road had become somewhat adventourous with Ghats, Tunnels and valleys. After a small break at 8:30 pm we rushed for the last mile stretch. Piyush was in a great hurry as Shivani's flight had already landed and she was waiting at the Hotel. 

The last stretch of about 2 hours was in complete darkness and somewhere I lost track of everyone. After riding completely alone i entered Srinagar. Now the problem was - it was 10 pm, I was alone in Srinagar with no mobile network and I had forgotten the name of our Hotel!!! I had converted my airtel SIM to pospaid before leaving Mumbai but even that wasn't working. In short i was screwed.

After riding for a bit more I found a departmental store opened and requested them to allow me a phone call. Now in Kashmir they don't trust people so easily, took some nudging from my side to make a phone call. I called Piyush and could sense the relief in his voice " Kaha hai tu bhai???" Asked him to send his location on that guys phone, copied the same on my phone ( Thank God I had downloaded offline maps) The Hotel was in one obscure corner of Srinagar, reached there by 11 pm!! The last couple of hours were racing through my mind, roaming all alone in the deserted streets of Srinagar at  night, without any help,  is dangerous by all counts!! Had our dinner and slept. Tomorrow would be a rest day.

Day 5 : Monday 14th June 2022 : Srinagar

Today was a rest day and after last night's encounter the first thing I did was to get a new SIM Card. As only postpaid SIM's of JIO, Airtel, BSNL  or a prepaid SIM bought in Kashmir would work here. I then accompanied Mausam to a Garage as he needed some work to be done and I had to get a few things from market before we head for the mountains tomorrow. We had our Lunch at the storied Ahdoo's restaurant which is famous for its Wazwan meat preparations but I found the place disappointing and exorbitantly priced. Perhaps the only place in our tour where the Lunch bill went to Rs.6K!! After Lunch we went to Dal Lake, where we spent a few hours getting pictures clicked. Abhishek's flight was to land at 6 pm and after he arrived we went for a Shikara Ride in the serene waters of Dal. At night we went to a place called Zero Bridge, a wooden bridge beautifully lit up in yellow lights and only meant for pedestrians, worth visiting if you are in Srinagar as its not under any of the tourist places.

Dal Lake!

The buzzing market on Dal Lake

Behind the scenes!!

                  

Mother's Love.

Day 6 : Monday 15th June 2022 : Srinagar - Kargil

Today was the day when we would actually enter Ladakh region and for the first time the whole group was riding together. The most challenging part of the day was crossing the mighty Zojila Pass. As we started in morning the enticing beauty of Kashmir was all around us, though I've been to Kashmir before, riding your bike is a completely different experience. Me and Abhishek were connected by our Helmet Intercoms and were constantly chatting. After having breakfast at Sonamarg we started climbing towards Zojila. Situation at Zojila can get nasty anytime due to Black Ice, snow and roads full of slush. Thankfully we crossed it without any hurdles. We spent sometime at Zero Point for a few touristy activities like ice scooter and Kahwa!!

Somewhere between Srinagar and Sonamarg

 

At Zero Point

Namik La pass 12198ft

Just after we crossed Namik La pass and were riding smoothly I saw a bike crashed into a ditch on my right. Thinking some other group rider must have crashed I stopped and got down to help him. Then I saw Mausam walking agitatedly towards a pick up truck. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that it was Mausam's bike which had crashed and it had something to do with the truck!! Ofcourse we all gathered , other groups started gathering to see what had happened. Apparently Mausam was overtaking the truck and that truck had swevered to the right pushing him in the ditch. All of us then picked up the bike, it was damaged at a few places, the handle bar and gear lever were broken. The bike was then put on the same pick up truck and transported till Kargil to get it repaired. The truck driver agreed to bear all the costs.

After this initial setback we started riding  again and reached Kargil War memorial around 2 pm. Here we saw a short film on Kargil War alongwith displays of bravery of our armed forces and stories of how different points were captured. The Samosa's and Chai made by Indian Army Canteen over there are delicious.

Kargil War Memorial

 By the time we left Kargil War Memorial it was already 3 pm and we decided to stay at Kargil today as reaching Leh was impossible. The route was very scenic and Me, Abhishek and Piyush were riding together. 

Somewhere before Kargil

One Day you will wake up and there won't be anymore time to do the
things you always wanted to do. Do it now!! 

When everyone reached we got to know that there was another accident in group. A rider Sanju, riding with a pillion, felt asleep while riding and drove his motorcycle on the mountain, through a tree, crash landing in a ditch with the motorcycle above him!!! Thankfully there were no injuries to both of them and even the bike seemed to be in good condition. Everyone was feeling dizzy here due to sudden gain in altitude. A hotel was selected and we simply crashed on bed and woke up for dinner. Few people also had mild headache. One peculiar thing about this hotel was its height of Commode, one had to climb on a stool to manage to sit on it with your legs dangling all the way!! 

After a simple dinner we went for a walk in the Kargil market and called it a day!!

Day 7 : Tuesday 16th June 2022 : Kargil - Leh

By the time we had breakfast and left Kargil it was already 11:30 am!! The first few hours were uneventful and we were looking forward to Lamayuru which is known for its moon landscape!! After lunch we passed through Lamayuru and the name moon landscape stands justified, it is mesmerizing. Though we did not stop for any photographs the distinctive place was etched in our memories. Just as we crossed Khalsi I noticed that Abhishek was not in my sight, he was right behind me!! I decided to wait for him wondering if I should turn back and go looking for him. After about 15 mins I saw 2 bikes coming, I could figure out Abhishek and Mausam riding at slow speeds, and just as he approached riding very slowly he said " Break fail ho gaya"  ( These Royal Enfields!!!) Why do the Enfields have the lowest quality parts on their bikes. And still their owners are absolutely smitten by them. We still had about 1.5 hours to go for Leh. It was begining to get dark and cold now, we told others to go ahead as Abhishek could not ride faster. For about 1 hour we were riding on that cold, deserted mountain, with bone chilling winds, shivering all the way. Those 50 mins were never ending and by the time we reached our hostel Rover's Den  in Leh we had no energy left.

This was the first time I realized that Leh was at an altitude of over 12000 ft!! It was COLD!! I got into all my warm clothes and we decided to go for dinner at a restaurant named "Asian Corner" in Leh Market. The Fried chicken Momo's here are to die for!!

That was one heck of a cold night!!

Day 8 : Wednesday 17th June 2022 : Leh

Rover's Den is an interesting Hostel started by a couple from Pune, who fell in Love, quit their jobs and decided to move in LEH forever. Stuff of fairytales eh!! They have build the place mainly for riders with the travel theme everywhere. Most riders now look forward to stop here and catch up with fellow riders exchanging stories....

Rover's Den

Today was a rest day in Leh. Abhishek had to get another test done as a part of his joining formalities and we started walking towards Dr Path labs as shown by google. When we reached the spot Dr Path Labs was nowhere to be found. On asking a local he pointed to a 2nd floor and said" Waha tha, 2 saal se khula nahi hai"!!! 😅😅 We could see a sign board of Dr Path labs dangling on the 2nd floor. On making a few enquiries we took a taxi and went near S N Hospital looking for the Test Lab. Once inside the test lab Abhishek told them about a test and the girls sitting there had no idea about it!!! From the moment we walked in there was commotion in that Lab, no one could understand what he was saying and the pretty girls were having puzzling discussions amongst themselves.  I was trying hard not to laugh looking at this.  It was as if a cat has been set amongst the pegions. After a few phone calls everyone understood what was to be done,  test was finally conducted and we came out laughing hard!!!  

Next part was to get his bike fixed, others were also getting their bikes serviced at Royal Enfield service centre, we found a good mechanic in Leh just a few steps away (Sonam - 7051596295). We were planning to go in interior Ladakh tomorrow, till now we had good roads, good weather but after we climb those passes tomorrrow all this would change. Nothing much could be done today, we did make a plan to visit Hall of Fame but even that was closed. 

Day 9 : Thursday 18th June 2022 : Leh

It was 7 am , we were supposed to leave for Khardung La and it was raining heavily!! Locals said they hadn't seen such a rain in Leh in ages! I went out to do a rain check and it really was cloudy, there was no way we could to Khardung La in this weather. Later we got to know that Army had blocked access to the pass due to dangerous conditions. I decided to utilise this day to do a bit of local sightseeing. After a sumptous breakfast at Rovers Den (Omlettes and corn cheese toast) I , Abhi, Piyush and Shivani left for the Shanti Stupa. The Shanti stupa is a towering stupa made of marble and there are brilliantly intricate statues of Lord Buddha here. It is primarily known as a destination for spirituality and photography.

At Shanti Stupa, Leh

We then went to the Hall of Fame, a wonderful place dedicated to Kargil War and one of the top tourists attractions of Ladakh. 

Evening was reserved for a Light and Sound show at Zorawar Fort. This show is a must do in Leh. The setting of this show is amazing, it is held in an open courtyard of Fort and as it gets dark with ladakhi cold entering your bones the show starts with superb display of Lights and the amazing story of Gen Zorawar Singh, who  along with his army fought the freeezing winters of Ladakh and managed to bring entire Ladakh, Tibet, Baltistan and Skardu  under his control. We owe him the territory of Ladakh!!

After some shopping at Leh market and dinner we decided to head back to our hostel.

Day 10 : Friday 19th June 2022 : Leh - Tangtse

The Gods were finally smiling, we loaded our bikes had maggi and roved towards Khardung La. It was a beautiful day and we were excited to actully go beyond the mountains where the real Ladakh starts.

When the road ahead seems impossible - start the engine!

Setting up for the big day.

 After an hour of riding we were stopped by police at South Pullu and asked to wait. The roads at top were filled with Black Ice and only four wheelers could go!! All the bikers had to stop here till further instructions. We waited and waited and waited a bit more. It was becoming increasingly apparent that  another day would be wasted in LEH. 

At South Pullu

At South Pullu

Weather at Khardung La!!

 I had an alternate route in mind which could take us to Pangong. We decided to give it a serious thought and finally decided to go to Chang La. One parth of the group decided to wait there and cross Khardung La and Me, Abhishek, Piyush, Shivani and Mousam decided to go down and take the route towards ChangLa. As we reached a restaurant in Leh news came that Khardung La had opened. Mousam decided to leave for Khardung La and went back to south pullu. It was now just the four of us.  We zeroed at Zamserling Guest House at Tangste and made our booking for the night. It was 3:40 when we left leh and headed towards Chang La. 

We thought it would be a normal pass and one could cross it easily. Ladakh was about to give us the experience of our Lifetime today!! People start ascending Chang La at sunrise and here we were at its foothills joking around at 5 pm!!! We were stopped by police checkpost , he checked our documents and looking at me said go slow, be carefull. I didn't give it much thought at that time and shrugged it off as a casual advice. 

As we started our approach it grew colder. The Pass started, slowly the tarred road ended, we were riding on mud rocks and soil, it grew more colder and around 6 pm it started snowing. No roads, Freezing cold and heavy snowfall, and a climb of 17,688 ft!!!. We kept going at it. At one point i had to slow down and gixxer's engine simply stopped!! i tried starting but nothing happened. In that weather its difficult for anyone to help you out. Abhishek had gone a bit ahead, Piyush came behind me. It wasn't possible for him to give a push due to conditions. I was thinking of getting down and call help from Army. Just then i opened my fuel cap and pushed the start button again. The engine ROared to life!!! What a relief that was Man... I pressed the 1st gear and went as fast as i could deciding not to stop anywhere now. We finally made it to the top!!

The Mighty Chang La!! 
This is the only pic we managed to click. From Left Shivani, Piyush, Abhishek and me.

Khardung La may be the highest but if you want to experience the real Ladakh pass do Chang La!! We had conquered the pass now we had to conquer ourselves. With absolutely no energy left we started descending the pass. The road seemed never ending with one turn after another. It was beautiful, freezed lakes and surreal beauty all around you. It grew dark now and we could see a town lit up at a distance. We started going towards it thinking it was Tangtse but it wasn't On reaching we got to know it was Dubruk. Tangtse was still some distance away. By the time we reached our Hotel it was 9 pm!! No one in their right minds would do this 😅😅 

After reaching the Hotel we unloaded our bags checked in our rooms. The four of us had not spoken a word until then. We gathered at the common area looked at each other and started Laughing!! We just kept on laughing and laughing!! No one could believe what we had just experienced and we knew in our hearts that it was an extra ordinary special day. The people at Hotel had given up hopes of our arrival. Nobody arrives this late in Ladakh!! But they were kind enoughto help us set up a fire and serve us an awesome dinner!! Cheers to Zamserling Guset House, in that remoteness they serve you out of pure goodness of their hearts!!

Day 11: June 20 Tangste- Pangong- Chusul

We decided to sleep a bit more and have a leisurely breakfast!! Tangste was a beauty! Snow covered mountains all around, Drinking Water straight from the mountains and a lawn where we could laze around having breakfast!! We were mesmerized by the location, the people, the food. It was just such a feel good day!!They even served Hot bathing water!! ( Our last bath was probably in Amritsar!!)

  

It was almost 12 pm when we started riding towards Pangong. But we had to fuel up first. There are no petrol pumps here and petrol is sold in Grocery shops. So we had to take a bottle a funnel and top up your bike tank!!

Fuel Stop!!

 The road was a dirt track all the way. There were no tarred roads in this part of country.  After about 1:30 hrs we got the first view of Pangong Lake.

A glimmer of blue can be seen in the distance.

It was 2 pm by the time we reached Pangong Lake. An interesting fact about this lake is that no has till date being able to measure its depth and more than half of the Lake is under Chinese control. Looking at the shimmery bluish azure lake is an out of the world experience. There are no water sources, no rains and yet at this altitude we have a lake filled up all throughout the year. Its Magical!! 

 

Piyush and Shivani...Things you do in love 😁

We went all over the top with all the pics!! And who wouldn't?? Pangong makes you do it.

After lunch of Momos and chowmein at Pamgong we started riding towards our next stop Chusul. Abhishek was riding at front, Piyush, Shivani in between and I was behind. The road seemed never ending and there was not a single soul around. For the longest of time it was just the 4 of us. We got so bored that Abhishek and I started playing Antakshari through our bluetooth headsets!!

We arrived at Chusul village around 4 pm. The entire village seemed to be deserted. I n other places villages mean a group of children playing, village elders sitting and discussing, women working....but here there was no one!! All the folk seemed to have shut themselves in their homes. We somehow found a shop and inquired about hotels/homestays and after searching around for a bit zeroed in on one place. 

It was a homestay with 2 rooms to let out and 1 massive kitchen to eat , chill and share your stories. There was another group of bikers staying in the other room. The entire evening was spent in that kitchen around bukhari (a heating device) with tea, snacks and sharing your stories. It was a lovely evening . Uss shaam ki hawa kahi aur le jaa rahi thi!! That evening in Chusul will always have a special place in my heart.

 Bukhari

At night we went on terrace to watch the night sky. The sky and the number of stars that can be seen from here is heavenly. We were even able to spot the milky way from here!! I was badly missing my DSLR. With absolutely no pollution and zero light noises this place is a must visit for star gazing.  

Day 12: June 21 Chusul to Hanle and Uming La (19,024 ft)

The other group who stayed in the same Homestay were also going towards Hanle and we decided to ride together. Road to Hanle is non existent. We rode on sand and rocks for almost 2-3 hours before finding a proper road. Even the tarred road was filled with sand patches in between. Controlling bike on sand is utmost difficult and everyone at some point got swirled or stuck in it. Hanle has to be one of the most remotest places to reach on earth. 

We reached Hanle around 2 pm and checked into Sonam Guest House. Discussions started about doing Uming La today itself!! Another guy randomly joined the discussion and we started delibrations on whether its safe to go over ther this late in the day. uming La is after all the Highest motorable pass which was recently opened to public by Indian Army. Earlier this credit went to Khardung La!! Usually riders start early in the morning for Uming La and return by noon.

Finally we decided to give it a shot, it was 3:30pm. We were out of our minds!! Our Hotel owner drew us a rough map and kicked our bikes to achieve the impossible. The road to Uming Lai s again full of mud and rocks and sand. One has to climb this steep patch for 2 hours till you reach tarred road. As we were riding for more that 7-8 hours that day and it was 10th day of riding bikes fatigue had started to set it. Climbing Uming La was an absoulte nightmare of a task. The biting cold, crazy winds, fog and whirlwind roads didn't make it easy at all!! Also one has to cross Nurbula Top (17,238 ft) before starting the climb to Uming La (19,24 ft)

 

We reached Uming La at 5:30 pm. It was so bloddy cold and windly that none of us had the courage to even remove our Helmets for pictures.

All these pictures were taken like " Bhai jaldi nikaal thand se phat rahi hai!!!"

As soon as we turned back from Uming La we again had to climb Nurbula Top and then go down again. It was dark when the tarred road ended. Now the real challenge was to go steep downhill on completed offroad in the dark!! We had no idea where the path was so we just decided to go straight down on our bikes at full speed!! Riding slow is not feasible as its the momentum that carries you and rocky roads. If we slow our bikes we might get stuck. All I remember was riding hard on rocks in the dark of night at an angle of 45 deg for more that 2 hours!!

Finally Oh God finally we could see lights of Hanle village and made our way towards it. We checked in, had dinner and crashed. Hanle is also known for its clear skies but there was no energy left to even sit and talk about it!!

Day 13: June 22 Hanle to Pang

We got up late very very late!! It was a buffet breakfast, simple fare but a buffet nevertheless. Fuel had to be purchased locally here as well. Hanle is known for the highest Indian Astronomical Observatory at a height of 14,764 ft!! The telescope is situated on a mountain top accessible by road. We left to explore it at 10:45 am and were at the top within half hour. The views from the top are breathtaking. At the top there's a 2.01mtr Himalayan Chandra Telescope which is operated remotely from Banglore using a dedicated satellite link. 

The telescopes of Indian Astronomical Observatory

Inside the Himalayan Chandra Telescope

Control Room

View from top

After exploring the observatory we loaded our bikes started riding towards Pang. Most bikers don't come this far and usually return to Leh after Pangong because of which you don't come across many bikers in this region. The only vehicles we came across were Army trucks. The roads here are long and isolated and you have a lot of time for yourself to just keep riding and take in the breathtaking views. Lunch was maggi at a roadside stall.  We took the lesser known route of Mahe - Debring which is complete offroad  of 3 hours but a shortcut to reach Pang. At around 5 pm we reached Debring and took right on the Leh Manali Highway.  By the time we reached pang it was almost 6 pm. Accomodation at pang is scarce and consists of only tents or basic dormitories. We booked the first available tent for all of us with beds and double blankets!! Pang was COLD way colder than anything we had experienced before. It was so cold that we had to use Warmee (a chemical warmer) to keep us warm in the night. Our first thought was that Pang would be around 5000-7000 ft but when we checked it showed at 15,280ft!!!

Day 14: June 23 Pang to Manali

Pang had a huge challenge with toilets. They were a bit away from tents and the water was ice cold!! Abhishek actually had to go and ask for a bucket ful of Hot Water!! and the tent owner shouting " Iske liye kon garam paani leta hai 😅" It was so cold at night that there was black ice on our bikes!!

We had a quick breakfast and left pang by 7:30 am. We had no network for the last 3 days. My last mobile contact was on the morning of June 21. Our network was restored at Sarchu. Baralcha pass was a torture with heavy traffic and tourists from Manali and crossing Atal Tunnel on our own bikes was an experience in itself!!

As we entered manali I booked an Hotel which turned out to be on top of another winding mountain!! Shivani was really irritated at this point " Itne pahad chad kar tumhara mann nai bhara jo manali me aake bhi pahad chadne hai" We checked into hotel and rested a bit. Shivani was leaving for Delhi that night so we dropped her at manali bus stand. After she left the 3 of us went to a nearby food stall, bought old Monk and drank it heartily with fried chicken!! We were happy, our dream of so many years was coming to an end. Today was our last night in the mountains.

Day 15: June 24 Manali to Chandigarh

Abhishek and I had to book our tickets for Mumbai. The train tatkal window opens at 10:00 am and we somehow managed to get tickets for Home. The ride from Manali to Chandigarh was full of traffic. We were stuck in traffic from the moment we left manali. This part can be dangerous because from the past few days we were riding in absolutely no traffic and were used to ride in a certain way which is not suited for city riding. At around 3 pm my bike suddenly stopped and wouldn't start. We checked the fuse box in which one fuse was brokem. thankfully Piyush was carrying extra fuses. After some time smoke started coming from my bike and it stopped again. there was no way I could start my bike and even a mechanic was not nearby. Piyush had to go get a truck, we loaded my bike in it and took it to the machanic. The mechanic diagnosed a fault in electric circuit which was due to additional electrical accessories i had installed. Thank God this didn't happen somewhere in Ladakh or else my ride was doomed!! By the time we reached the plains of Chandigarh it was almost 10 pm. We found a roadside restaurant with rooms and called it a night.

Day 16: June 25 Manali to Chandigarh

We left at 7:00 am in morning and reached Delhi by 12 pm. Delhi was HOT!! Piyush went to his home while Me and Abhishek had to go to Gurgaon to deposit our bikes for transportation to Mumbai. We reached Piyush's place at 4:30 pm. After a good rest and dinner it was time to say Goodbye to Piyush and Shivani and catch our train to Mumbai. With heavy hearts i saw India Gate passing from our car. It was here that our ride had started!! There were a hundred things which could have gone wrong in this ride with dangers lurking at every corner but the mountains and their Gods held us all the way!!

The train journey back home was even more special!! Somewhere the Gods in Ladakh were smiling!!

Ladakh changes you in ways nothing else can !! 

 Its a place i'll definitely visit someday again and Thank the God's again for it!!