The plan for the day was to ride north to a village called Losar which falls just below Kunzum pass. A hundred-odd kilometres away. And I’d return to Kaza through Kibber, Chichum and Key. A total of two hundred kilometres. An entire day’s ride. Possible. But it would be tough. And that was the first mistake of the day – underestimating the distance and also starting late. A fact that I was made aware of by the owner of the hotel Mandala – Amit. 

Nonetheless, I throttled on. But maintaining a fast pace after the first fifty kilometres proved to be quite a challenge. The scenery all around was painted white! And I could not resist stopping every few minutes to take pictures. 

And shortly after, I was slowed down by the terrain which I was itchin’ to ride on – Snow and ice! I had taken off-road training at Tribal Adventure Cafe in Bangalore specifically for this section of the ride! Although riding on ice is not something you can get coached on in a tropical city, but, riding on snow can be learnt by riding in slush. The key to which is to maintain momentum, smoothen out throttle input and to brake very carefully, only when necessary. And for riding on ice, without snow chains, it’s to follow the same procedure and to pray that the bike doesn’t slide out of control! I had these three principles etched in my mind and brought them to practice the moment the rubber hit the snow and ice. And the first few patches went much smoother than expected!

As I got closer to Losar, the amount of snow on the road was higher! I was cruising at a super fast and steady fifteen kmph on an incline and I thought to myself that I had mastered the art of riding on snow and ice! And just as the thought gave rise to a grin on my face, SWOOSH! The rear wheel slid under me and I landed on my butt! And it all happened in a split second! 

I picked up the bike. Tried and failed to gain traction midway on ice. Rode down the road, rode back up, and got stuck in deeper snow. The off-road tyres without the snow chains just could not move forward. With the time past 1 p.m., I decided it was best to turn around. Sunlight in the mountains, especially during winters is very limited. Sundown usually happens around 4 p.m. And this is where the first mistake of the day – starting late – would come back to bite me in the rear. I picked up pace wherever I could. I sped past dirt roads and cut through puddles – the second mistake of the day. 

As the plan was to make a round trip and return to Kaza via Chichum, I took that road. The first few kilometres were clear, just dirt. I was happy. Then a small patch of ice, then another, then another and then a never-ending blanket of snow lay on the road. The only vehicle track on it was mine – which meant that there wasn’t a single other vehicles that had used that road since it snowed in a few days ago. The clock struck four. The sunset behind the fifteen thousand feet high peaks. The temperature dropped. And I had my second fall. It was another uphill ascent and the bike slid under me, just like the first time. I was ever so cautious, but without snow chains, it had to happen. 

The next village – Chichum was ten kilometres away. There was no connectivity on the three SIM cards that I had with me. There was absolutely no one around. And getting stuck on the road meant spending the night outside in subzero temperatures. I turned around to connect back to the Losar – Kaza road. 

It was 5 in the evening. Twilight was all that I had. The multiple patches which I had completed with ease in the afternoon were now more difficult. The sun’s rays make the ice softer. That helped me when I was making my way up. Without the sun, the soft ice got back to being solid, glass-like ice. And I fell for the third time. 

I looked around. No one insight. I began contemplating what I would do if I wouldn’t be able to ride further. I picked up my bike. Slowly moved forward. Slipped again. And dropped the bike. But this time, I didn’t fall. The idea of abandoning my bike and walking for tens of kilometres or spending the night out in the open began to seem like a real possibility. Notwithstanding, I picked up the bike again, and prayed for some traction on the ice. And for my fortune, I got what I asked for. There were just a few more patches left. I told myself  “Maintain momentum. Smooth throttle input. No braking. And stay calm”. I was back on broken roads. 

Before I could breathe a sigh of relief, I thought I’d check on that tingly feeling that had been developing in my feet. I stopped on the side of the road. I looked at my boots and it had ice all over. I couldn’t move my toes by an inch. This is where the second mistake – cutting through puddles in the afternoon brought in a hefty fine. I had a plastic bag on my feet to keep it from getting wet. But my perforated boots would still let water inside the body of the shoe. The water which made its way inside stayed inside. As the temperature dropped, the water around my feet turned to ice. The unbearable biting cold made me feel weak and drowsy. I now had a bigger fear – of losing all my toes to frostbite! Sixty kilometres lay ahead (to Kaza). It got darker and colder. Yet, I had to ride as fast as I could to get some warmth around my feet. 

I reached the parking lot of Hotel Mandala at around 6:30 that evening. Amit and his wife Anju stepped out to get some groceries. I stopped Amit and showed him my feet. Amit, who hailed from Manali and had spent many years in Spiti, didn’t seem to be too worried. He asked me to get to the living room of his house – which also served as the ground floor of the hotel and undo my shoes. He started a fire in the ‘tandoor’ – a large, cast iron fireplace used commonly in the Himalayan villages. He brewed me a cup of hot chai. And baked a local delicacy called Siddu. 

Siddu 

Thirty minutes in front of the heat along with the chai and the food in the belly brought my feet back to life and awakened my drowsy mind. He even took the trouble of drawing me a hot bath. And later served rice with rajma (beans curry) and mutton – barley soup for dinner. An action-packed, thrilling, cold and adventurous day came to an end with hot food and warm company. 

Rice with Rajma 

Day 23: Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Kaza 

I’d learnt very well from my earlier mistakes. I planned the day with a lot of room for delays. Started on time. And reached the Golden Buddha statue at Langza quite quickly. 

Golden Buddha Statue, Langza

I then reached the world’s highest post office at Hikkim which is at an altitude of 14567 ft.! To make sure I’d never forget that place, I picked up a postcard and mailed it home. 

Post office, Hikkim

All along, the roads were a mix of broken tarmac, dirt and snow. I slipped and dropped the bike a few times, but I handled the terrain much better than the previous day, despite the sun being under the clouds and the temperature dropping to below -15°C at Komic! The monk at one of the coldest villages in India gave me a short tour of the monastery and some hot chai later. 

Komic 

Day 24: Kaza – Kibber – Chichum – Key – Kaza

The weather was sunny. A welcome change compared to the gloom of the previous day. The day was again well planned out, comfortable. The small town of Kibber which is perched on top of a mountain looked magnificent from far. 

Kibber

The Chichum bridge which is Asia’s highest is another splendid location. But there was a little more snow on the road that day. It got a little tough. And I started losing a lot of time. 

Chichum bridge

Still, I wanted to squeeze in another location, a secluded little village – Tashigong, but that trail was entirely blanketed with snow. I maintained a whimsical average speed of five kmph for two hours and abandoned the plan midway on reaching the village Gethe. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to make my way back to Kaza that evening. 

I reached Key monastery which is at almost the same altitude as Kaza and just a few minutes away. It was twilight. And getting cold. I entered the monastery just as it was about to close. And the day was done. All the places I had on my list, except Tashigong were ticked off. 

Day 25: Kaza – Pin Valley – Dhanker – Tabo 

Making my way back to the plains

The five nights that I spent in Kaza were highly memorable. Purely because of my hosts – Amit and Anju. They run one of the very few hotels that are open throughout the year in the village. The night when I reached Kaza, the village looked deserted. And with no internet facilities available then, I roamed street to street to find a shelter for the night and I found Hotel Mandala. I booked a room for myself only for the first night but the way they opened up their home and cared for me when I got my feet frozen made me extend my plan. 

I stayed with them for a total of five nights. Each evening after I returned from that days’ ride, Amit would prepare tea and fill it in a blue antique-ish glass flask (the kind that I’ve seen only in the mountains) and serve it in a glass chai tumbler. Anju would get the snacks and start the fire in tandoor (fireplace). The three of us would gather in the living room to share stories all night long.

The couple who have their origins in Manali have been together for sixteen years! But with the freshness they had in their relationship, I would have never guessed that number. Amit started this hotel three years back and stays here. Anju stays in Manali to take care of their daughter and comes to Spiti once in a few months to be with her husband. In my time at Mandala, I spent a great portion of it admiring them. It was evident in the way that they looked at each other, how much they missed the other when they were away. It was evident in the way they spoke, how much the other meant to them. It was evident, that they truly loved each other. A love that radiated like sunshine and made the -10°C evenings feel warm.

I left Kaza with a heavy heart, filled with adoration, admiration and the wish to be back in their company soon.

Anju & Amit 

The first aim was to reach the last village in Pin Valley – Mud. Pin Valley is in the Spiti – Lahaul district on the way down to the lower Himalayas from Kaza. A major chunk of the road was dirt and gravel, which was an absolute joy to ride on! But I would encounter snow closer to Mud. Probably, the last day of snow riding for the entire trip. 

Pin Valley

On each of the preceding three days, my luggage remained back at the hotel. If and when I dropped the bike, picking it up was easy. On this day, the bike was fully loaded – a whopping sixty kilograms of luggage! A drop on this day would lead to a lot of heavy weight lifting workouts! 

A bulldozer and a couple of buses had traversed the road earlier in the day. The sun was also shining bright and I was making the attempt at the peak of daylight – all of which provided me with a much-needed advantage! Yet, as usual, the bike had many slides, but I did not drop the bike even once! The thought of picking up the fully loaded KTM made me drive with extreme caution and awareness. It was tiring. It was stressful. But, man – oh – man, the joy of completing the patch without a single drop? Got me high up on cloud nine! 

Mud, Pin Valley 

I checked out Dhankar, a millennia-old monastery. And put head to a pillow in a small homestay in the town of Tabo. Where I’d wake up to the other millennia-old monastery in Spiti in the morning. 

Day 26: Tabo – Reckong Peo 

When I’d passed by Tabo about a week ago, I had only seen the one monastery in front. I had been breaking my head all along on why people would refer to the seemingly new monastery to be over a thousand years old! It was only when I saw a postcard in Hikkim (the highest post office in the world) that I realised that I had seen the new monastery built in front. And missed the old one behind. And that prompted me to halt at Tabo. 

In the morning, I loaded up my motorcycle for the long ride back towards Reckong Peo and the plains to make my way to the next leg of the trip – Bhutan. With little time available, I rushed into the Tabo Gompa (monastery). The monastery was built of wood and mud and I was stunned to see that such a simple structure had withstood the test of time for 1023 years! 

I searched and found a monk to help me know more about the temple. He opened the locked doors and took me inside. The temple was dark. No artificial light, to prevent damage to the paintings on the walls. The monk carried a small hand-held torch to use as a pointer. In ten minutes, he showed me all the paintings which were painted by Kashmiri Artisans more than a thousand years ago. The story of the life of Buddha, among many others, is depicted on those mud walls. 

When my short tour was complete, I was back at the entrance ready to head out when a couple walked in. They inquired with the monk about the paintings. But in reality, they were confirming what they already knew about the temple and the paintings.

During the course of the tour, the handheld torch had come to my hands. When the woman started talking more about the pictures, I gave her the torch as I was ready to walk out. She invited me to stay back for a while. My interest had peaked with their knowledge. And I decided to go tag along with them for a second tour. 

The couple introduced themselves as Gita and Pradeep Khar. The duo seemed to have amassed an ocean of knowledge about Buddhism and the temple. I was grateful to be around them. They knew the story behind most of the paintings on those earthen walls and I eagerly listened to them talk passionately about them. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I had my eyes wide open with excitement and admiration for their knowledge and the synergy that they shared with each other. Listening to them talk was like listening to a song, a duet. Their love for each other lit up the dark chamber like a supernova.

Pradeep & Gita

When we stepped out after an hour and a half! We got to talking more. I learnt that they’ve been together for sixty years, since their twenties! They were high school sweethearts! I could not and did not want to stop talking to these wise souls who to me, looked like the personification of Ying and Yang – perfect balance and harmony. And when they showered their love on me, I got lost! My heart was ecstatic to have met Gita and Pradeep.

Day 27 & 28: Reckong Peo – Rohru – Dehradun 

And on that wonderful note, the second leg of my 5 month trip of the Himalayas, came to an end. The roads leading South were much wider and warmer. I maintained faster speeds and stayed on the saddle for long hours. I reached the big city of Dehradun, where I rested in comfort and prepared for the third leg. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading Spiti: Part 1 & 2. 

Until next time! 

Ride mad! Ride safe! 

Coming next: Bhutan! 

Apart from the blogs, you can follow my entire journey on my Instagram @mentlmanja

Thank you

The post Overlanding in the Himalayas #8: Winter Wonderland – Spiti: Part 2 appeared first on Roadtales.

The smog in the Capital carried a strong sulfur-like pungent odour. The visibility was around twenty metres. And the citizens moved around with masks over their faces. I stayed indoors for most of my time in Delhi – the time designated to prep my bike and luggage for the journey ahead.

A good old friend Devender Bijania and new friends – Yuvan, Avi and Ana

Day 16:

The day’s ride to Narkanda in Himachal Pradesh was supposed to be relatively short – four hundred kilometres and a ride time of nine hours. The first half of the ride demanded throttling across four-lane highways till the mountains arrived. This was the first time I had clad my bike with dual-purpose tyres – the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR and was worried about the performance on the canyons. I was amazed to see that they broke my insecurities by clinging onto the tarmac much better than most road tyres while leaned over.

Day 18:

I had ridden into the Last village on the Indo – Tibetan road Chitkul very late the previous night. I’d managed to find a decent hotel, one of the very few open. And woke up to some more snow-capped mountains. “Riding around in the Himalayas can never get boring,” I said to myself.

‘Overlanding’ has many meanings. One of them is “a self – reliant journey” – one that involves camping. I had never travelled in that fashion before and it became one of the goals of this ride. Hence the name – Overlanding in the Himalayas. I had rented a Quechua 3-person tent from a store called X-DOG Trekking in Bangalore along with my decent sleeping bag and other camping equipment. I didn’t have the tent with me in Ladakh and I’d been eager to use ’em. Spiti would be colder than Ladakh and I wouldn’t be able to use it there either. Reckong Peo in Kinnaur district of Himachal would be the perfect place. The weather on the day was forecasted to be cool at 8°C – the best conditions I could hope for.

The town is perched almost on the top of a big mountain in the Sutlej River Valley. I had heard that finding a spot to camp here was quite easy. Which I found to be untrue. The town reminded me of many other growing towns throughout India with reducing open spaces – ones not occupied already or not having a dry apple orchard. The two hours spent searching for a spot was a bitter reminder of the need for Humanity to ever expand. Notwithstanding I had to find a place to camp.

I wandered upwards into a smaller town with a sweet name – Kalpa. I came across a young boy who worked in a homestay nearby. He turned around and pointed higher up the mountain towards the alpine forests. Saying there’d be ample space for me to pitch my tent there. Ample free space. Along the way, almost everyone I enquired about a place to camp had pointed towards only one direction – Up! I was quite unsure if the teen’s suggestion was reliable.

Venturing up, I took a left turn onto a mud road. The kid had told me about this. The sun which was shining bright when I began the ascent a few hours earlier was now running into the horizon. The path turned dark. The evening breeze grew strong. A while after chugging through the loose soil, I found one flat spot. Eight by eight feet. Enough for me to set up camp. Not enough to light a fire and walk around. Covered by trees on either side, a cliff in the front and the road behind, it wasn’t the most tempting spot. But the only one I’d seen all afternoon.

A thin old man, who I’d passed earlier on the path caught up with my stalled bike. I asked him if the spot was safe. The question seemed to make him wonder why I’d wanted to sleep there. Alone. He gave me the same suggestion that I’d got all day long – “go higher up!”. He stopped my eyes midway, which had begun rolling by telling me that he’d show me the place.

The spot was at the very next turn up the dirt road. It was a big patch of absolutely flat land about half the size of a badminton court. The rear side was the mountain, the left was the road, the right was an orchard and in front was an uninterrupted view of magnificent snow-capped mountains – which the day’s last rays of light painted gold. One can try to imagine a better spot. But cannot. The generous man walked me further up to the house he lived in, to get me a 5 litre can of water and half a dozen apples – freshly plucked from the orchard. On my way down to the spot, I borrowed some firewood from their pile.

I had a warm fire started. My ‘ready to eat’ food cooked slowly on the butane stove. I sipped on my hot cup of water and gazed at the slightly cloudy, star-studded night sky. I am fortunate to have my first moto-camping experience high up in the Himalayas.

Day 19:

The night was supposed to be cool. Not cold. At around three in the morning, it started to drizzle. At around seven, the drizzle seemed to become lighter. But the ground grew colder. From atop the mountain, there was a voice. A man yelling “Tent wale babu, utho, baraf padh rahi hai ” which translates to “Tent man, wake up, it’s snowing”. I’d never experienced snowfall before, and I was tempted to get out and admire the phenomena. But the chill from the night had kept me mostly awake. I wanted to get some more sleep. But failed to. A little later the enthusiastic voice came closer. Next to my tent. He asked me to open up. He had chai, he told me. That always gets me right up. I unzipped my tent, and it was indeed snowing. Pure wonder. The mountains in front had disappeared behind the precipitating clouds.

The view from my tent

It was the first time I saw this stranger’s face and I let him in my tent. He had two cups into which he poured his hot tea. He told me that his twelve-year-old granddaughter had asked him to bring me the tea. His name was Mani Lal. A proud Kinnauri Himachal man with an old brown checkered blazer and a traditional ‘pahadi’ cap. As he left he handed me a dozen apples from his orchard. Of which I kindly accepted only a few.

Mani Lal

Worried that it would get difficult to pack up if it snowed more, I started getting ready. I heard another voice coming towards my tent. It was the old man I had met the previous evening. The one who showed me the camping spot. He had come down with another flask in his hand. Some more chai. I stopped my work and invited him in. He told me he was a daily wage worker. When I’d met him, I’d assumed he was the owner of one of these apple orchards.

Amar

He had come down from Nepal in search of work. To put his son through school to see him become a local doctor in his village. The man’s name was Amar. He was probably in his fifties. And I would consider him ‘old’ to be working as a daily wage labourer. But such is the reality of life.

Amar helped me pack up my tent. Mani Lal came down too to lend a hand. Two people I had never met before, showered me with love and generosity. Both of whom had no reason to do that. But such is the beauty of life.

It snowed till I descended to Reckong Peo, the big town below. Where the snow turned into the bitterly cold rain. The rain lasted for four more hours all the way till Spillow. My jacket and pants held up very well against the downpour. But my gloves and shoes did not. Two hours in, my hands and feet became wet. With the cold wind, they soon became numb. And riding became a task. I fell short of my destination of Tabo by sixty kilometres. With the weather getting worse again, I halted at the small village of Nako. It snowed all night long. I snuggled into my sleeping bag, under two blankets.

Friends made at the Dhaba in Nako – (from right) Karan, PK, Chacha, Kamal and gang

Day 20:

Spiti and Lahaul District begins at the check post at Sumdo. I took a right after the yellow coloured steel bridge to the village of Gue. A place that came under the spotlight many years ago for housing a naturally mummified body of a Buddhist monk. At noon, the place looked deserted. With not a human insight. And spectacular. With all the snow in sight.

The chilly, overcast day got cloudier, darker and colder. My visor fogged up and my face was exposed to the prickly wind. I entered Kaza, the biggest village in Spiti. This too seemed deserted. I went from street to street in search of a hotel to stay the night. All but a handful were closed. The only open shop at seven in the evening, in the market, directed me to a Hotel Mandala.

To be continued…

Instagram: @mentlmanja

Also Read – OVERLANDING IN THE HIMALAYAS #7: FINDING PASSION ON THE ROAD & DAY 10-DAY 11

The post Overlanding in the Himalayas #8: Winter Wonderland – Spiti: Part 1 appeared first on Roadtales.

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Day 10: Chumathang to Leh City

I woke up after a warm night’s sleep, the warmest in Ladakh, to begin the last day in the region. I packed my luggage and loaded up Ebony. In stark contrast to all the cold mornings, Ebony started instantly. The warm night and the instant start were attributed to the natural hot spring, which the valley was known for. I stayed in a budget hotel next to it. I let the engine heat up in idle and moved toward the compound to gaze at the sight in front of me. 

A hundred metres ahead, the hot spring released waves of vapours into the atmosphere. A little farther, the teal-coloured River Indus flowed north-west towards Leh which became my navigational guide for the day. 

The bike had idled long enough and it was time for me to get on the saddle. The road leading out of Chumathang was broken but was better than the road from Lukung to Chushul. My mind drifted back to the days I had spent in Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley, Khardung La, Lamayuru and Leh city. And further back to a burning thought that was the reason behind me starting this ride. 

Bangalore, the place of my birth, is the only city I’ve called home. My father and his fathers have their roots in Devanahalli, which is an hour away from Bangalore. In the 80’s he came here to study and eventually built a life for himself and the family. I came into this world in 1994 in the Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences hospital. I studied up till tenth grade in St. Claret High school and the next two years in Vidya Mandir Pre-University College. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Sir. M Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology. All of my extended family live in Bangalore and so do all of my oldest and most of my closest friends. Bangalore, a city close to my heart, a city I shall always call ‘Home’. Yet, for the longest time, I’ve felt estranged here.

Like every other soul on this planet, I’ve been searching for that place which has my name written all over it. After riding through 20 of the Indian states in 2018, I thought I’d found it – Mumbai. I fell head over heels in love with the city of dreams! The hyper-fast life, the energetic people and the ambition that seemed to be dosed in the air of Mumbai drew me in like a flame that draws a moth. As a young adult, with eyes on the business world and making wealth, Mumbai seemed to be the perfect fit. But life had other plans. 

I had completed my previous trip ‘Long Way Round‘ in April of 2018 after which, I had a choice to either get back to work and travel once in a year or live life by and for travel. I had chosen the former. In May 2019, I went on a short 4 day ride to Kerala and this is what I had posted on my Instagram (@mentlmanja).

“Man, I had an amazing time these four days. I really needed it and I’m so glad I decided to take this break from work. But I’ve been wanting too many breaks, haven’t I?  Well, it doesn’t matter, I’ve got to push through it because I need the money to keep travelling like this” I said to myself. 

It felt good that my mind was looping back to the thought that I had on the day that I’d started this ride – the quest to understand this unexplainable, ununderstandable “want” to earn big money.

Ten years back, my family could not afford most of the stuff that we can today. My father gave his blood and sweat for his work and sacrificed ALL of his wants for the family and to get us to the place we are in today. He had to do it all alone as mum was a house maker. But no matter how tough it got, my parents made sure that my sister and I had a happy childhood and gave us all that we needed without a second thought. But giving us things of ‘want’ was something they had to think upon deeply. 

I remember an evening when I was in my 4th grade. My old rusty second – hand bicycle which I’d named Raja had been stolen a few months earlier. As a kid, I loved riding a bicycle! (perhaps my love for riding motorcycles began then) and I desperately craved for a new one. I asked Appa for a new Hercules, one of the popular brands then, that was priced Rs. 2500/-. An amount that was not as easy to earn then as it is today. He asked me to wait another year and I broke into tears! I threw myself on the floor and begged him for two hours! Unable to see me so sad, he finally took me out to fulfil my desire. 

A stark contrast to our limited lifestyle was that of my uncle, who was a man of rich taste. He indulged in the luxuries of life to which I was a witness. And I guess that influenced me. For the longest time, I’ve dreamt of wearing a Hugo Boss suit and a Tag Heuer watch, chauffeured in a BMW 7 Series to a 5 – star hotel to meet with HNI clients. For the longest time, I’ve wanted to live the ‘high life’. 

Maybe, the reason I chose to get back to work once I returned from Long Way Round was partly to live that life of extravagance, which I got to do this year. I got to indulge in some of the ‘rich’ experiences that I, as a kid, saw my uncle indulge in. I thought they’d make me happy but they never seemed to satisfy my heart. Something was missing. 

I joined this company with the sole intention to earn. Maybe the motivation to work for money has dwindled down since the life funded by that earning isn’t fully satisfying. Maybe, that’s why I’ve been wanting too many breaks lately. 

“I believe that a person finds motivation to work for three reasons – passion, money or gratitude”, I had stated in an IGTV video that I’d made. ‘Working for money’ could mean ‘working for sustenance’ and/or ‘working for bigger aspirations in life’ and at the time, I didn’t see a distinction between the two. After this trip, I see that they are two sides of a coin. ‘Working for bigger aspirations in life’ is a lot like passion, heck, it is a passion. It requires unwavering determination, relentless dedication and ceaseless effort. Earning ‘big money’ was surely a big desire of mine, considering it’s been with me for ages, but I knew that it certainly was not my passion. 

These four days of riding have given me more happiness than all the other experiences I’ve had in the city in the year that went by. Maybe, the road is where I ought to be.” 

What I was missing was the beat of my heart and my heart would beat only on the motorcycle. A city, any city, any luxury would not make me “dil se happy”. The path ahead was clear. 

The dream of living the ‘high life’ was retired, framed and placed on the mantle as a memory of a former self. 

I put my papers down in the last week of June ’19, spent four months trying to find a sustainable way to live a life of travelling. Once I did, I got on the saddle to ride the great Himalayas.

And that brings me to this final day in Ladakh. Where a long quest seemed to have come to an end. I had finally found what I was looking for – the place where I felt belonged. It was on the road and in the vast, barren, cold, magnificent land that I’d come to love so dearly. 

Ebony had to be returned that evening, which left me with little time to explore the many points of interest that lined the road to Leh. 

Stakna Gompa 

The first was Stakna Gompa. Gompa means monastery in Ladakhi. Gonpa, Gumba are other versions of the same. The monastery looked majestic on top of the hill, with the blue background. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go in. 

Stakna Gompa

Thiksey Gompa

Like I’d mentioned, this road is lined with attractions. After a very short time on the road from Stakna, I took a right towards Thiksey monastery. I was stopped immediately by the imposing view of the Gompa and the traditional Ladakhi houses built around it. I rode to the top and made my way back down to head to Shey Monastery. Then to the Druk Padma Karpo School where the iconic Bollywood film ‘3 idiots’ was shot. The Choglamsar Gompa had to be savoured from a farther distance. 

Shey Monastery

Druk Padma Karpo School

Choglamsar Gompa

NH 1: Srinagar – Leh

I reached Leh by 5 P.M. and dropped my dear Ebony off with whom I’d travelled for ten days and enjoyed every single moment. 

Ebony

A stone’s throw away from the bike rental shop was a German cafe with an open courtyard. As the sky turned dark, I sat relaxed at the centre table and sipped on a cup of piping hot tea. The owner, Stanzin, an adorable and sweet woman kept me company till I finished my cup. In a way, she was the personification of Ladakh with her kindness, beauty and joy. 

Day 11: Leh – Delhi 

A shared cab dropped me off at the very busy Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport of Leh city at 6 in the morning where I boarded my flight to the Indira Gandhi International Airport of a very smoggy Delhi. The first order of business upon landing was to pick up my sweetheart – El Poderosa! 

Up next: Leg #2 – Spiti 

The post Overlanding in the Himalayas #7: Finding Passion on the Road & Day 10-Day 11 appeared first on Roadtales.

Hitting The Rishikesh Road

Rishikesh is good to visit at any time of the year. For adventure sports and outdoor activities, I suggest visiting the place between mid-September and April.

Rishikesh Route : New Delhi → Meerut → Muzaffarnagar → Roorkee → Haridwar → Rishikesh via NH 334

Rishikesh Distance: 235 km

There are two routes to Rishikesh from Delhi by road, NH334 and NH9. We took NH334, which in my opinion is the best route as it goes through Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, and Haridwar to Rishikesh with adequate time to spare.

Pit Stops On The Delhi-Rishikesh Route

Moti Bazar

We stopped at a Punjabi restaurant in Meerut to have breakfast. They make mouth-watering parathas. After having a satisfying breakfast and relaxing for a bit, we continued on our journey. In Haridwar, we visited Har ki Pauri, Gau Ghat, Ashti Parvath Ghat, and Subhash Ghat, as well as temples. We drove to Moti Bazaar and shopped for a while, and had street food for lunch.

Haridwar is one of the greatest pilgrimages in India. The city is livelier during Kumbh Mela when thousands of devotees visit the place. Chardharms in Uttarakhand—the temples of Gangadwara, Kushwart, Bilwa Tirtha and Neel Parvat—are also famous pilgrimage centres. People gather in great numbers for the Arati ceremony held every evening where priests light huge lanterns and chant religious hymns in chorus. We witnessed the Arati ceremony, watched the beautiful sunset, had tea at a small stall nearby, and set off on our one-hour journey to Rishikesh. 

The Rishikesh Experience

Rishikesh offers plenty of avenues for backpacking, spiritualism and adventure. There are numerous ashrams where sadhus teach yoga, spirituality, and meditation. Over the past few years, the place has been developed into an adventure hotspot with activities like bungee jumping, white water rafting, mountain biking and more. We were excited to explore this beautiful place. The following are the must-visit places in Rishikesh.

Lakshman Jhula

Located at a distance of 5 km from Rishikesh, Lakshman Jhula is a popular 70-feet-high hanging bridge over Ganga that connects two villages, Tapovan and Jonk. The mythology associated with the place is intriguing and will fill any Indian with pride. People believe that Lord Lakshman, the brother of Lord Rama in Ramayana, crossed Ganga on jute ropes where the bridge is built. The bridge was constructed in 1929 to mark the epic event. Today, the bridge serves as an adjoining bridge connecting religious shrines Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Thousands of people visit Lakshman Jhula each year to savour the richness of the grand temples and local markets. We toured Lakshman Temple, Terah Manzil temple, Ram Jhula near Lakshman Jhula and more.

Kaudiyala

Located at a distance of 22 km from Rishikesh, Kaudiyala is an adventure paradise. Surrounded by a dense forest, Kaudiyala is the heart of nature. Rock jumping to river rafting, mountaineering, camping and other exhilarating activities await adventurers. You need to book your tour package in advance to have the most fun with these activities. Camping amid the flora and fauna, bonfire in chilly nights, playing games and eating barbecued food is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Visiting Time of Rishikesh: 8 am to 6 pm (daily), night bookings are also available.

We spent a night at Kaudiyala, went river rafting in the afternoon, hiked a mountain during noon, and caught the sunset and at night, set a bonfire at camp.

Flying Fox

Flying Fox is the most thrilling activity to do in Rishikesh. In this, you zipline above the majestic Himalayas and the lively Ganges. I was stunned by the enthralling views of mountains and the river from the top. It was truly an exhilarating experience. Do not leave Rishikesh without trying Flying Fox!

Triveni Ghat

Situated on the banks of Ganga, Triveni Ghat is the biggest ghat in Rishikesh and has significance in Hindu mythology. The place organizes Maha Aarti, a religious ceremony where every evening devotees gather to offer prayers and milk to the Gods and feed the fishes in the river. The Ghat is open for religious activities from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm every day.

Bungee Jumping

Rishikesh hosts a plethora of fun and adventurous activities, and bungee jumping is the top exciting activity. If you have nerves of steel and yearn for the thrill of hanging in the air and swirling, then you should try bungee jumping at Rishikesh. I didn’t do this activity as I have vertigo. But I watched people scream, hovering above the ground, having fun in the air and falling in the water. Not only mountain cliffs, but bungee jumping in Rishikesh is also carried from helicopters and hot air balloons. Bungee jumping is open throughout the year except in the rainy season.

Neelkantha Mahadeva Temple

There are plenty of famous temples in Rishikesh. We visited the Neelkantha Mahadeva temple. The route to the temple is interesting with dense forests and rushing breeze. It relieved our travel stress and refreshed us. The temple is open on all days of the week from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. Devotees offer the water from Ganga to this temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Trek To Jadh Ganga

If you are interested in valley trek, then you should tread along Jadh Ganga. You will be accompanied by nature, gushing streams, pristine glaciers, abundant flora and dramatic landscapes. Trek to Jadh Ganga is said to be one of the most difficult treks in Uttarakhand. Go on this adventure only if you are absolutely sure.

Bharat Mandir in Rishikesh

Bharat Mandir is a shrine founded by Adiguru Shankaracharya in the 12th century. The speciality of this shrine is that it houses a statue of Lord Vishnu carved from a single piece of saligram (fossilized shell). The architecture and interiors of the temple are also very interesting.

Byasi

Located 30 km from Rishikesh, Byasi is a small village on the banks of Ganga. The village is famous for water sports like rafting, as the waters there are calm and predictable. The white sands, steady water and water sports keep you entertained and make it ideal for camping.

Raghunath temple, Swami Dayananda Ashram, The Beatles Ashram, Neer Garh waterfalls, Swarg Ashram, Osho Ganga Ashram, and Rishi Kund are the places worth visiting on your trip to Rishikesh.

There are plenty of eateries on the Delhi-to-Rishikesh route. You can relish on mouth-watering sweets made of pure ghee (clarified butter) besan ki barfi, besan ke laddu and nariyal barfi are a must-try in Rishikesh.

A road trip from Delhi to Rishikesh is an exciting and spiritual escapade meant for adventurers, travellers and families alike. Once you have been to this place, you will get to know why Rishikesh is a sanctimonious place and attracts global tourists.

The post A Road Trip With Family From Delhi To Rishikesh appeared first on Roadtales.

Hunder to Pangong Lake :

Mr. Glen Livet made waking up a tad bit difficult for the lot of us, yet we managed to get on the road at a very early 8 a.m. (very early for me!). Me on my Ebony (my rented RE 500) and Jae, Saji, Arun and Geraldine in the XUV 500 headed towards the sand dunes of Nubra Valley. With the sun slowly rising behind the gargantuan peaks, the desert lit up like an Indian bride on her wedding day.

The road from Hunder to Pangong Tso (Tso means Lake in Tibetan) takes about 5 hours and goes alongside the River Shyok till Shyok village and this road like all the others in Ladakh is filled with wonder! Even after 8 days of riding in Ladakh, the landscape continued to surprise me and fill me with wonderment on how this heavenly land came to be. Some mountains are made of some sort of rock while some seem to be just piles of sand, some are grey in colour, some are green, some yellow, some purple and some with a mix of a million shades of brown. Never in all of India had I seen this landscape where there’s absolutely nothing but in that nothingness there’s everything! For long I’d abstained myself from going to Ladakh as it was on the mouths of every wannabe biker in India and assumed it to be just an overrated holiday destination, but man was I happy to be wrong! 

I rode on dirt and gravel for most of the hundred-odd kilometres till Shyok village along which I got to do some tiny river crossings, well you can call them stream or puddle crossings as it was the beginning of winter and the water levels were quite low.

After Tangste though, the roads were arrow straight, pitch black and butter smooth! And the best part about travelling to Ladakh in October which is the end of the tourist season is that there are hardly any vehicles on the road! So empty that the gang and I had a makeshift photography studio right on the road with the clear blue skies as one of the most perfect backgrounds that one can imagine!

My friends had to return to Leh city that very night so we kept moving and in an hour we reached Lukung Village of Pangong Tso. Pangong has 4 main villages on its banks on the Indian side – Lukung, Spangmik, Man and Merak and some smaller villages. The majority of the lake is in the Tibetan a.k.a Chinese side.

The 5 of us got down to the shores of the pristine, multi-blue coloured Lake, jumped around like little kids, took more pictures, shared more stories and made more memories till it was time to bid goodbye to them. I’ve had the blessing of meeting hundreds of people in my travels, but it’s not always that I find someone, in this case, a group of people that I got along so well. I wished I had more time with them. To date, I miss the company of Jae, Saji, Arun and Geraldine. 

Lukung had only a few campsites operating at the end of October and I’d chosen one for the night’s rest. A night which was probably colder than the one in Lamayuru (Day 3) owing to the cold winds blowing over the vast lake. Google had forecast the temperature to be -5° C. But even with my sleeping bag and a couple of rugs on top, it certainly felt a lot colder than that.

Day 9:

Lukung to Tso Moriri

Fortunately, being in Ladakh for more than a week, I’d gotten used to the cold and I could manage to sleep quite well which was essential for the very long day ahead. With no cellular network and neither offline nor paper maps, I had to rely on people for directions.

“Take the road right alongside the lake and in three hours you’ll reach Chushul and from there Tso Moriri is just another 4 hours,” said the owner of the campsite with great certainty. He added, “The roads are all Kaccha (dirt roads) but it’s not too difficult”. I took off with his suggestion and got lost three times in the first half-hour. There was a tarred road for a short distance but it was either split into bits by landslides or just wasn’t complete, which got quite frustrating. There were several trails available to keep moving forward, but with so many options came confusion. The trails were a mix of sand, talcum sand (the tricky one), gravel and rock. If I had my bike which was much more capable (with the tyres) to handle these terrains, I would not have worried. But the RE had road tyres and I did not want to get stuck with no vehicles nor people around to help me if I did. I slowly reached Spangmik, asked for directions, continued to Man, asked for directions and finally reached Merak. The trail took me inside the village wherein after a turn I came across a steep ascent. I hadn’t looked far ahead enough to rev the bike right and ended up losing power very close to the top. And once you lose power on an ascent, especially on gravel, it’s almost impossible to regain traction from that point. One has to make their way back. 

Pangong Tso is at an altitude of approximately 11,500 feet and some bikes suffer from altitude sickness here. They lose the capacity to rev high and climb steeper ascents. While freer-flowing air filters make a difference, I wasn’t going to buy one for a rented motorcycle. Furthermore technique is far more useful and effective (till it’s not!). 

There was a school on the other side of the road. When the kids saw me get stuck close to the top they all came running towards me, along with two men. I slowly began walking my bike down in reverse but soon lost control and dropped the bike over myself. I saw the kids who had their curious eyes on me break out with laughter and looking at them I too joined them! It was such a silly way to fall! I’d forgotten my training where Sanjay and Deepak (my trainers) had taught me that first I should always look as far ahead as possible, choose a path and then twist the throttle appropriately! In the event of getting stuck (like how I had) I was taught to always kill the ignition switch and control the bike with the clutch and not just the brakes to move back down. The exact opposite of what I’d just done.

The two men helped me up and I got the bike back down to take another shot at the incline. I told them I feared that the bike could still not make the ascent so they offered to push the bike in case I got stuck again. With that confidence, I revved all the way up (to 4000 rpm!) and reached the top! 

It had taken me more than two hours to reach Merak and according to the information by the campsite owner, I was supposed to reach Chushul in an hour. And the next hour went something like this, have you ever seen a movie where the protagonist rides a motorcycle on an absolutely empty road and his position is fixed in the frame but the landscape behind him keeps changing? An effect that filmmakers use to portray a faster passage of time? In my head, it felt like I was the protagonist! Cause man, the road just did not end! Well, until it did, three hours later.

The fuel gauge blinked as I reached Chushul, which was the biggest of the small villages, yet had no fuel pump. I found a small shop which sold loose fuel and topped up my tank. While I was having my lunch (a packet of Parle G biscuits) an ITBP Officer parked next to me. We had a brief conversation and I asked him about the route ahead. “Don’t take the dirt road further, it’ll take you many hours to reach Tso Moriri, instead take the road to Mahe. It is 60 kilometres longer but the road is new and you can cover the distance faster” he said. And he was right! The road ahead was incredible! My average speed from less than 10 kilometres an hour until Chushul rose to around 30 kilometres an hour. What he did not tell me though, was that this road too would seem never-ending!

So, I had to cross a pass to reach Mahe, the next town, and the pass, in my experience was one of the longest to ascend (from the Chushul side). There were no markers to indicate how far Mahe was or even the name of the places I was riding through. There wasn’t a single soul on this road, neither human nor animal, I doubt if there were even any insects on that 100-kilometre stretch. As the sun began its descent behind the mountains, I began fearing a breakdown. I would have felt more secure if I had my tools with me but they were in Delhi with my bike. And even if I couldn’t repair the bike, I would have felt secure if I had my tent with me, but that too was in Delhi. “Getting stuck here can be dangerous” I warned myself. 

As the ascent continued, the bike slowed further down, it struggled to pull in the third gear, then after a while in the second gear and eventually even in the first gear. I had only one gear to ride in, if the ascent got any steeper or if the altitude got higher, the bike would NOT move forward. And if the bike stalled and if I had to push the bike, it would take me hours to reach the summit! “This pass is a 100% higher than Khardung La where apart from a tiny headache, I had zero problems to ascend. So which pass is this!?” I asked myself in utter bewilderment. 

The road being empty had a plus side though, it let me enjoy the enthralling scenery in all its glory. I came across two lakes in the valley which was crystal blue in colour, just like Pangong and looked absolutely stunning! For a while they made me forget about my breakdown worries. And just as I began to forget, the bike began to struggle more with the ascent, to an extent where my fear was about to be realised – the bike was losing air even in the first gear! And I didn’t even know how far I was from the summit. I pleaded with Ebony “Hang on dear!”. To my fortune, that was the last stretch and I finally reached the pass! There were no markers even at the top so I left the question to be answered by Google when I’d be back in a network zone. Looking at the road going all the way down, my choked lungs finally let out a sigh of relief.

By the time I reached Mahe, the clock had struck 5, the sun was down and I was both mentally and physically exhausted and I asked myself if I really wanted to go to Tso Moriri. I hardly ever back away from my plans, but if I ever feel like, strongly, I pay attention to that feeling. The town of Mahe was in sight and I put off making the decision till after I had a REAL lunch. REAL lunch translates to piping hot momos dipped in hot chilli sauce!

My flight to Delhi for the next leg of the trip would take off in less than 36 hours and after considering my tired state, I decided to not ride 60 kilometres in the dark, cold night to Tso Moriri, instead made my way to Chumathang en route Leh where I halted for the night.

The name of the pass is Kaksang La is the 8th highest motorable pass in the world, at an altitude of 17,841 feet. It was, in fact, taller than Khardung La which is the 11th highest motorable pass, at an altitude of 17,582 feet. The two lakes I came across are Mirpal Tso and Yaye Tso.

Next: Chumathang to Leh City. The last day in Ladakh!

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The post Overlanding in the Himalayas #6: Nubra Valley to Tso Moriri (Day 8-Day 9) appeared first on Roadtales.

I stood at the top, with eyes wide open and whispered ‘WOW’. I turned 360 and uttered those words which seemed magical at the moment three more times. There was snow all around me and the board in front read “Border roads organization welcomes you to the top of the world – Mighty Khardung La”. The ascent to which was steeper than expected, from 11,500 ft at Leh to 17,582 ft.  and gave me a tiny headache. But, apart from that, it was quite easy to make my way there. I wondered what all the fuss was about, difficulty-wise! 

Moving on, my destination for the day was Diskit in Nubra Valley which was just a few hours away. As I began my descent, I was mind blown by the view at hand. The valley which stretched as far as the eyes could see was painted with snow, sparing a few patches and the road trailing it’s way to the end of the frame. And as if this wasn’t captivating enough, the clear blue sky transformed into a dramatic dark and dusky background. I stopped my bike ever so often to gaze at the wonder I beheld.  I made my way to the army wet canteen at South Pullu close to where I saw a herd of yaks grazing the frozen Himalayan grass and a mountain dog sipping water from the ice-cold stream. The wet canteen had a limited menu but served an amazing aloo paratha to a very hungry stomach which got me saying “Man, that hit the spot!”. My small headache vanished along with my hunger and I got back on Ebony and on the road.

The clouds that came in after Khardung La, had no intentions of leaving. And as it goes in the mountains, “if the sun is down the cold comes out to play”. The winds were strong and the temperature dropped further. In my discussion with one of the soldiers at the canteen, I remembered him saying that it was -10° C that day. Maybe it was or maybe it was just a few degrees below zero. My shivers though seemed to agree more with the soldiers’ estimations than my own. By then I’d begun to enjoy the gloom, for it made everything more beautiful and let me take some amazing pictures, of the road, the mountains and ponds.

Soon enough I reached Diskit, which looked abandoned. I swear I could see tumbleweeds rolling on the roads! Or maybe I’m being overly dramatic! Among the few hotels open, I found one and put my head to the pillow.

Day 7: Nubra Valley to Hunder

The Northernmost point in India is the Indira Col (in geomorphology, a Col is the lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks, basically a gap) which falls in the Siachen glacier, eastern Karakoram range. It is the border between India, Pakistan and China. The northernmost point accessible by road is RD0 (Read Dead 0), the LoC with POK after the last village on the road, Thang. That’s where I had planned to reach and return by the end of the day to Hunder. Saji, Arun, Geraldine and a new friend, Jae (who we’d met on day 5 in our hostel in Leh) were on the way from Leh to join me there for the night and the day ride to Pangong the next day.

Before I started my ride to Thang, I dropped down to Diskit Gompa. Pressed with time I could only admire it from far. But, I did get to visit the Maitreya Buddha statue, built to a height of 106 ft and painted gold, like most Buddha statues. This statue though was absolutely magnificent and overlooked the river Shyok. I spent a good hour in admiration of it!

I topped up my fuel at Diskit, the only filling station on that road and thumped my way to the top of India. It was a bright sunny day and the view was spectacular (as usual!) but a bit dangerous due to a lot of blind turns and ups and downs. I stopped at an army wet canteen in Chulungkha for some Samosas (one of the best I’ve had!) and momos. I sped fast Bogdong, Chalunka and Turtuk to reach Thyakshi where the road to Thang was barricaded by the police. 

The recent abrogation of article 370 in Kashmir had escalated the tension with Pakistan and hence the always accessible RD0 was blocked off to civilians. I was disappointed that I couldn’t reach the very top, but hey! I did reach the northernmost point of India at that time! The cop showed me to a trail leading to a village on the top of the mountain which gave me a view of what I missed – Thang! 

The sun, compassionless towards my excitement decided to disappear behind the mountains casting darkness over the valley. It was time to throttle back to Hunder before it got too cold! Fortunately, I could do it quite easily. Hunder is a village known for its sand dunes and the double humpback camels native to the area. 

The driver Abdul who drove Saji, Arun, Geraldine and Jae took us to a hotel he knew, a Habib Guesthouse. We had a fantastic dinner which was Roti with Mattar Paneer (peas – cottage cheese curry) followed by 5 hours of conversation with a certain Mr. Glen Livet as the moderator to end the eventful day. 

Also Read- OVERLANDING IN THE HIMALAYAS #3: THE JOURNEY BEGINS-ARRIVING IN LEH CITY (DAY 1-DAY 3)

The post Overlanding in the Himalayas #5 : Khardung La, Diskit, to Hunder. (Day 6-Day 7) appeared first on Roadtales.

“I explored my options and chose the corner room on the first floor which gave a beautiful view of the valley below. With the orange – black clouds hovering around, it got colder that night and the first-floor room in a hotel on top of the hill meant it was exposed to strong winds; They howled all night as I tried to get some shut-eye. In colder regions, it is a common practice to keep water bottles under the blanket/inside the sleeping bag to keep it warm and drinkable. After I had a sip, I laid my bottle below the sheets without fastening the cap well. Within a minute one side of the bed got completely wet. Luckily, I moved before my sleeping bag got wet. I shifted to the other side of the bed and was forced to keep the bottle outside fearing another disaster! 

Acute mountain sickness, lovingly abbreviated as AMS is described as the physical distress caused due to difficulty in adjusting to lower oxygen levels at higher altitudes. Many recommend Diamox (Azetalomide) tablets for acclimatisation while others warn of its possible side effects. The natural way to get acclimatised to high altitudes/low oxygen levels is by not exerting physically for the first few days, eating and sleeping well, consuming less or no alcohol, smoking less (if applicable) and most importantly drinking lots of water. Although one can assume that one wouldn’t feel thirsty due to the lower temperatures (lesser sweating), the higher altitudes make you pee a lot more. And breathe more which lets out the water as vapour and you do sweat a little inside the many layers of insulation. All this leads to a loss of water without which the efficiency of the red blood cells to carry oxygen drops, giving rise to Acute Mountain Sickness. 

The abandoned water bottle picked up the temperature of the room, which I estimated to be around -5 degree Celcius and deemed itself undrinkable. With dehydration setting in at 3 in the morning, I had no means of quenching my thirst and woke up with a headache. Fortunately, a hearty breakfast proved itself as a cure. I went to the monastery to make some videos and in an hour was on my way back to Leh.

.

The road which had mesmerised me the previous day caught me by surprise yet again. It seemed like an entirely different road. In all the roads I’ve ridden on in India I had never seen such, how do I put it? Magic!

I continued with my usual practice of stopping often to click the views that this POV had to offer. The black clouds from the previous evening had covered the sky and made it really cold that day, but as a blessing it made the snow-capped mountains look splendid. I reached the top of one hill and had my jaws drop to the floor looking at the beauty that was Ladakh.

As I closed into Leh, the clouds gave way to clearer skies. While passing through the peak of another hill, I saw a strange wonder below, the Zanskar – Indus confluence. From the peak, it looked spectacular! The Indus was greenish in hue while the Zanskar was more turquoise. And their Sangam (confluence) appeared as a marriage made in heaven, blending in with each other with perfect harmony to form a colour which was an equal mix of both. I rode down to admire it from close but preferred my top-of-the-hill view.

It was around lunchtime and I walked into the cafe there to feast on the staple food of Ladakh – Maggi which is generally had with another popular beverage – chai! I was gazing at the cloud play through the door of the cafe when an Indian looking guy with a non-Indian accent walked in asking if he could have a Maggi. I looked down at my riding gears and wondered what gave him the impression that I worked at the cafe. When I looked up at him with a confused look, we broke into laughter. The Indian looking “banda” was from Kerala but spoke that way as he was a resident of Abu Dhabi. His name was Saaji and shortly we were joined by his friend Arun who shared the same history. We had a good ten minutes of conversations and they told me about the hostel that they were staying in, where I eventually decided to stay the night. They made their way to Nimoo and I got back on my way to Leh.

I crossed the Magnetic Hill which for some reason didn’t fascinate me that much. It’s a flat spot on the road which gained popularity for moving vehicles when parked there in neutral, by means of magnetic force. As a bike can’t stand vertical without the centre stand, obviously, I couldn’t verify the phenomena. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it if I had a car and saw it roll.

Ever since my visit to The Golden Temple in Amritsar, I’ve been in love with the energy, love and hospitality ever-present in a Gurudwara. Thirty kilometres from Leh is the Gurudwara Pathar Sahib which has a legend that says that the Holy Guru Nanak Ji was meditating at the place many centuries ago to rid it of a demon. The demon hurled a bowlder at The Guru with the intent of disturbing him, but the moment the boulder hit The Guru’s body it melted and took the shape of his back. Infuriated, the demon came down and kicked the bowlder which took his imprint. Acknowledging The Guru’s power the demon stopped tormenting the locals. The legend was forgotten over the centuries and was rediscovered in the ‘70s when the Leh – Nimoo (towards Kargil) was being built by the army. The army then along with the locals and a few Lamas constructed the Gurudwara and is being maintained by the army since then. I have high reverence to the Guru and walked in to seek His blessings. I had the Langar – roti and sabzi with chai and walked out bowing down to His might. The boulder still has the imprints of the Guru’s back on one side and the demons foot on the other. 

I reached Hearth hostel where Arun and Saaji were staying in and along with Geraldine, we went out to Amdo cafe in the market. I tried out my first Ladakhi food which was ‘Thigmu with Shapta’ – Tibetian bread with mutton curry. It was out of this world! This is a must-try for anyone going to Leh. Oh! and make sure you ask them to make it spicy!

Day 5: Attempting travel to Khardung La only to be faced by issues.

I crawled into my sleeping bag but was woken up mid-sleep as I ran out of water. I looked around but could not find any and was not going to disturb anyone at 4 in the morning for a glass of water. I woke up with a terrible hangover, which this time was not cured by a hearty breakfast. I struggled to pack up and make my way to Khardung La but was lagged by another problem – the delay in getting my permits. It had snowed the previous week and the tourism office had stopped giving permits to motorcyclists for Khardung La and I had to approach the LAHDC (Leh autonomous Hill development council) to get one. I spoke to the Dy. Commissioner and submitted a letter stating my purpose and riding credentials to get the papers. In the office, like never before I found government staff eager to help. My letter signed by the Dy. Commissioner was submitted at the Judicial office where I met Angchuk, who helped me with everything else I needed and in an hour handed me my permits. A traveller himself, we got to talking and he took me out to lunch along with his colleague and her sweet kid.

My head still throbbing, I reluctantly popped a Diamox and went back to the hostel to get more rest, resting my plans for the day along with me.

Recommended Story – OVERLANDING IN THE HIMALAYAS #3: THE JOURNEY BEGINS-ARRIVING IN LEH CITY (DAY 1-DAY 3)

The post Overlanding in the Himalayas #4: In & Around Leh (Day 4-Day 5) appeared first on Roadtales.

20th Oct 2019

On my previous ride “Long Way Round”, I finished my packing completely only two hours before the ride. I had an hour of sleep after that and rode for the first hour with eyes half-open. I ended up taking a nap in a dhaba after a mere 60 kilometres. 

This time, my packing and preparations were complete well in advance. By that, I mean 5 hours before my departure! Well, I wasn’t getting on a motorcycle straight away so I put that time to the best of use, by spending it with those I wouldn’t see for the next 120+ days, my family. The sadder part of going away from home for such a long time was leaving my babies behind, Snoofy is a 13-year-old Indie and Duke, a 6-year-old Lab.

The clock hit 3 a.m and my closest friends, my biker boys, Battalion Bikers came home to escort me to the airport. I bid farewell to Snoofy and Duke and got in the car with my brother Chandu and friends Mohit and Jeet. My parents along with my sister Sangeetha and brother-in-law Kiran followed us in his sedan. I stay in the north of Bangalore right next to the airport road and that 40-kilometre highway drive at night is one of my most favourite. With my hand outside the passenger window surfing the wind, my eyes wandered far beyond the dark horizon. This ride is one of my life’s biggest dreams. The beginning of a new phase in my life and I looked up at the sky and thanked the stars for making it come true.

I bid goodbye to my family and friends, my loved ones and walked into Kempegowda International Airport. I boarded my flight to Delhi on which I passed out for the length of the journey and was then transferred to the flight to Leh city which was a short one – hour flight. After taking off, as I looked through the windowpane, I could see the mighty Himalayas, waiting for me. This sight got my heartbeat racing. The flight touched down at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport at 11 a.m. It was 7°C with the sun shining bright and I boarded a taxi to Shanti Guesthouse where I would be staying for the next 3 nights.

After a four hour nap, I wandered along, the almost empty Shanti Stupa road singing “Yuhi chala chal rahi”. and “Yuhi chalke” and I ended up reaching Leh market. Since this was my first time in high altitudes (the city is at an altitude of 11,562 ft), I struggled to walk those few kilometres to the market. I found a neat little Cafe named Rabsal Cafe and sipped on a Cappuccino to warm myself up as I waited to meet an old friend Rajendra in the market, whom I dearly addressed as Sir. I met Rajendra sir two years ago on Long Way Round in Delhi and we stayed in touch ever since. That is what travelling does to two people right? Binds them together for a lifetime over a single meet. This time, I was honoured to meet along with him, his wife Harminder Kaur Ji. After three hours of ‘Travel talks,’ I retired to my hotel and bed with my heart still racing due to the excitement.

Day 2 – Exploring Leh City 

The October temperature in Leh City during daytime hovers around 7°C – 10°C and at night it drops to a few degrees below zero. Having good warm gear is pivotal to getting a good night’s sleep and waking up fresh the next day. I had on, both my thermal fleece liner and jacket along with thermal pants. And jumped into my sleeping bag which ensured I woke up fresh to admire the mountains through the window in front of my bed.

I began my walk back to the market gleaming with joy like a little kid. For, I was on my way to pick up my ride for the next nine days in Ladakh! The market, unlike the previous evening, was full of colour and life. I enjoyed a cup of tea in the German Cafe before meeting Arnab who had arranged the Royal Enfield for me. It was a matte black Classic 500. I took it for a short spin and satisfied, I paid my advance for the rental. I was warned though, that due to the cold climate the battery had become weak and that I’d have to kick start the bike every morning. As a person who’s owned only a KTM all my life, riding a RE was going to be an interesting experience. 

I thumped my way from the market to the Shanti Stupa that lay on top of a hill in Chanspa. It was built in 1991 by a Japanese monk Gyomyo Nakamura. It overlooks the entire city of which it provides a mesmerizing panoramic view along with that of the mountains beyond and all around. 

Day 3  – Getting my Ride and Travelling to Lamayuru

I woke up with the same freshness to look at the same beautiful mountains with more awe, only to find an interesting addition in the scenery – the Royal Enfield. I’m a sucker for anything black and her look stole my heart. I decided to name her Ebony. The plan for the day was to ride to Lamayuru which was 115 kilometres away. A journey which I began by learning how to kick start a cold motorcycle! Honestly, with the altitude, I struggled for a good 15 minutes before the owner of the hotel decided to end the struggle by lending a hand.

Among the many things about Ladakh that get people drooling, the one that I drooled over was the arrow-straight section of the Leh – Kargil road. It’s not about blasting the bike at full power but the joy of having a view that spanned for miles! And the beauty wouldn’t end there. Each turn brought with it a new wonder. I couldn’t resist stopping every few kilometres to take my camera out and I couldn’t resist going off the road and getting on bridges to click pictures. And with my never-ending photo breaks, the 2.5-hour journey went on for 4.5 hours.

Just before I reached Lamayuru, I saw the strangest landscape. It seemed like the set of a Hollywood sci-fi film and was aptly named Moonland. It had several shades of brown where Khaki was the most prominent. The shape although, is a lot harder to describe which would be better left at the hands of the pictures to do. From there, Lamayuru was a stone’s throw away. There was only one hotel open in the town, the one right next to the monastery. I explored my options and chose the corner room on the first floor which gave a beautiful view of the valley below. 

The Gompa (Monastery) at Lamayuru was built in the 11th century and is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh. When I saw it for the first time, I had no problem believing that. It looks the part with the paint faded in most places or even chipped off, bricks have fallen off in places and some crumbled structures. At first sight, I thought it was abandoned until I saw a monk walk in. I took a stroll around the monastery and with shivering hands (it was really cold that day) I followed the path the monk had taken. He was performing the last prayer of the day in the prayer room and with the permission of another monk, perhaps his disciple, I walked in and had a seat on the warm wooden floor of the cold dark room. I believe the prayer was in Tibetan as it is a Tibetan monastery, and although I could not understand a single word, it’s power was felt. I sat there for an entire hour with absolute silence lost in the prayer.

After a while, a devotee walked in carrying a traditional painted glass flask with hot tea and some biscuits. The monk took a break from the prayer and sipping on his tea asked me if I wanted some. My answer was an obvious yes. I had my tea quietly as the monk got back to his prayer. I waited for half an hour more till the prayer was complete and asked the monk if I could take his picture. He told me his name was Konchok Sundous and I figured he was the head priest (Abbott) of the Gompa. After the prayer, he was courteous enough to give me a small tour of the monastery. And as the sun went down he walked back to his house and I stayed back (shivering to the winds) to gaze at the beautiful orange – black clouds spawning at the end of the horizon laughing at my earlier assumption that the temple was abandoned. 

Recommended Story – PREPARATIONS FOR OVERLANDING IN THE HIMALAYAS

The post Overlanding in the Himalayas #3: The Journey Begins-Arriving in Leh City (Day 1-Day 3) appeared first on Roadtales.

The PLAN for North India Motorcycle Tours:

Although the initial plan was to start the ride in August, the planning and execution pushed it all the way to October. I had wished to ride to Leh on my El Poderosa (Èsp: The Mighty One), my 2012 Duke 200, but the roads to Leh were just about to close. I could ride in but if it snowed hard I would get stuck there. Well, I could fly out but the bike would be stuck there till the roads opened next summer. That would make me rush through Ladakh and after waiting for so many years to ride there, that wasn’t something I wanted!

The plan then became to fly into Leh for the first ten days of the ride and then fly down to Delhi where my bike will be shipped along with all my luggage and then head to Spiti, Himachal Pradesh for the second leg of the ride. Bhutan would be the third leg.

My group – Battalion Bikers, the one with which I learnt how to ride a motorcycle, the one because of which I got a purpose to live is one, of the most important aspects of my life. We have a tradition of riding to India Bike Week that happens in Goa every year in December. So to be with them and keep the tradition going, I will be riding down to Goa for the beginning of the fourth leg to spend a few days with them and slowly make my way back up north to Rajasthan and finish the fourth leg of the ride, the only non – Himalayan leg.

I’ll be making my way to Delhi for the new years and heading to Nepal for the fifth leg then exit at Siliguri and begin the sixth leg, the longest leg (about 45 days) in the northeast! With the end of the sixth leg, I will have covered all 28 states of India and 2 other countries – Nepal and Bhutan.

Apart from the Goa – Rajasthan leg, all the other legs will be my first-time visit. And since they’re all in the Himalayas I am super excited for them! Ladakh! A dream for such a long time would be realized in just a few weeks! I am so ecstatic that I can hardly shut my eyes at night!

With all planning sorted the date was set – Oct 20th and the flights booked! Now it’s time to get the preparations in order!

Recommended Story – WELCOME TO THE HIMALAYAN EXPEDITION

The Preparation for North India Bike Riding:

MIND

The first and the most important preparation in any long ride is mental preparation. To be ready for breakdowns, setbacks, delays, crashes, injuries, homesickness (I don’t get homesick though, I love the road too much!) and anything that can make me want to close up and head back home.

BODY

Then it’s the physical preparations. Riding long distance and every day is not easy. There’s a big toll on the body – the neck, shoulders and especially the back. To add to that I have a bad knee. The physical state, mainly flexibility of the muscles determines how comfortable the ride can be and also to an extent determines the success of the ride. I had a good routine of running and practised yoga to keep the body fit and flexible.

MOTORCYCLE

The next is preparing the bike for such a ride. The most pivotal is engine health, especially since my bike is 126,000 kilometres old. The piston-cylinder kit is quite new, but the headset had done it’s time and needed replacing. Then it’s the usual chain health, cooling system, clutch plates, fueling system, electronics and safety and luggage accessories and tyres.

For safety I have the Bark buster hand guards which last as long as the bike will and crash guards by Zana motorcycles that I’ve been using since my previous ride. I also have their saddle stays and tail rack for luggage, a radiator grill to keep the radiator safe from stones flung by the front tyre, a handlebar riser for a more upright riding position which means more comfort and a GPS mount bar for mounting a GoPro and a phone holder. I got an Easy Clutch by Prosepc performance parts which on first impression is superb. It makes the clutch at least 3 times lighter and is a great comfort mod.

In the electronics department, I got a new wiring harness last year as the previous one had cuts and tapes all over. I got a new set of LED lights by Mad Dog Scout LED’s and paired them with my existing Nilight spotlights. I used the wiring harness and waterproof switches by Mad Dog as it makes it so much safer and reliable against dust, water and temperatures. I have a set of Hella sharp tone horns for the last 3 years, they’re quite reliable and has a strong sound. This is important on Indian roads. I ALWAYS use navigation when on the road, so having a charger is really important. The Indian brands are quite expensive, so I got a generic dual port fast charger from Ali Express for 500 bucks!

It’s important to have a mechanic who you trust, to do all the work for you and for me it was Thomson Richards who runs APT bike point in Bangalore. He’s a long-time friend and since the time I met him, he’s the only one who’s allowed to work on my bike.

The last prep for the bike is for the tyres. When you’re riding only on-road almost any road tyre will do the job. I’ve always preferred the Michelin Pilot Street radial. Since I’m heading to the higher Himalayas, I need a dual purpose tyre to handle the dirt, gravel, sand, slush and snow there and also give me speed and stability when on the highways. My choice was the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres which I picked up from tyremarket.com. It helps that they have the widest range of tyres to choose from. All the way from Michelins to Pirelli’s to Metz to Ceat… ahh! the list is never-ending. And the Pirelli’s are really the best choice as their road grip is far better than most road tyres.

LUGGAGE

Carrying spare parts is pivotal on any long ride. It adds weight, yes, but I’d rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them and waste time and money later to source them. In general, I carry at least 2 litres of engine oil, I prefer Motul 300V, oil filters, fuel filters, air filters, 1 litre of Coolant, 1 extra clutch and accelerator cable, extra spark plugs, front and rear brake pads, engine gaskets, Gasket glues, a surplus of nuts and bolts, 2 front sprockets, engine drain bolt, gear Shifter arm, fork seals, a whole set of oil seals and o rings, front and rear wheel bearings, 2 sets of Fuses, a cone set, a clutch cam, gear and brake pedals and a stator coil. All the things that I would need and wouldn’t be able to find easily when needed.

Well, these spare parts don’t fit by hand so I carry a host of tools with me. Always. Like a Stanley multi-tool, a wire cutter, a nose plier, a complete set of open and ring spanners, Loctite, Allen keys, an air pressure gauge, a screwdriver and a Stanley 1/4 drive socket set. I have also stocked emergency tools like a 4T tow rope, a generic puncture kit, a Resqtech air compressor, a standard medical kit, cable ties, electrical tape, electrical wire, M seal, JB weld, Feviquick and double-sided tape. Chain maintenance is taken care by a Bluebird Moto Jack that I picked up from Amazon and Tribocor chain cleaner and lube with a generic three-sided chain cleaner brush. For safety of the bike when off it, I’ve bought a cheap bike cover from Amazon and a good quality disc lock.

As a mechanical engineer I’ve always liked working on bikes, and I’ve been doing that for quite some time. But I needed more knowledge, so before I started I got training on advanced bike repair and maintenance by my dear buddy Thomson.

This ride is an Overlanding ride. Overlanding is a self reliant form of travel where the journey is the primary goal. It involves camping for the most part. Being a biker for most of my adult life, I hadn’t ventured into camping, hence didn’t have any camping equipment of my own. To keep my budget down, I decided to rent from a company called X – Dog trekking in Bangalore a 3 person Quechua tent, a -8 degree Himalayan Tribe sleeping bag, an air mattress which would double as my yoga mat and an air pillow. For cooking, I am carrying a generic stove which costs about Rs. 1,700 and a couple of 500 ml cans of butane which cost about Rs. 250. I am carrying 30 meals of ready to eat/cook meals from a Bangalore based company called Express Feast. I’ve used them before on my Long Way Round and back with them for the cost, the taste and the ease of preparation. I have sent an additional 30 packets to Delhi and will replenish my stock when I run out. I use an aluminium vessel to cook and eat my meals, along with a steel mug, an LED light, a head torch and a solid knife (this doubles as protection!).

Creating content is a thing I love. The main camera for the ride is the highly capable One Plus 7t and the secondary camera is my old LG V30. The phones each carry 256 GB and 128 GB storage respectively. I got a GoPro Hero 7 Black just for this ride. Storage is handled by 2 x 128GB, 1 x 64GB and 1 x 32GB SD cards. In my previous ride, I’d found that this wouldn’t be enough, so I’m carrying a safer and more reliable 1 TB SanDisk SSD and a backup for that a 2 TB Seagate HDD. To transfer the date from the cards and the phones I’m carrying my 5 year old HP laptop. A 20000 MAH MI power bank for power on the go and a Telesin 3 Gopro battery charger which doubles as an SD cardholder. For the GoPro, I’m carrying a whole host of mounts and a set of ND filters.

This may make me seem like a heavy packer. I am and I’m not. I pack only 4 t-shirts, 1 shirt, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of tracks, 2 sets of Klim riding inners, a – 5 deg warm sweater, a – 5 deg warm pant, a pair of warm gloves, 5 pairs of inners and that’s it. It’s going to be super cold in all the places I’m visiting, and the warm gear is crucial for completing the ride. For added warmth, I’m stocking 15 packets of Warmee, which are self-heating warmers made by “Warmee” in Mumbai and last for about 10 hours per packet. I’ve used them before on long Way Round and knowing that they work, they’re back in my pack.

There’s only one luggage manufacturer that I trust with my luggage and that’s Dirtsack. I’ve put their products to hell during Long Way Round and I’m using the 50L LongRanger Pro WP saddlebags, a 50L Frogman dry bag and the WP Boomerang tank bag for this ride. The ton of stuff mentioned above all go into the bags logged and in order, except the tent and mattress which are mounted on to the bags.

SAFETY ON THE ROAD

Riding gears are the next important thing on the list and I’m going with Solace Furious V2 jacket which has L2 armours on the elbows, shoulders and back and L1 armours on the chest and Solace Tourjet Pro pants with L2 armours on the knees and hips. Both the jacket and pants have Cordura 1000D abrasion-resistant fabric on high impact areas. I’m been using the Cortech Latigo air boots for almost 4 years now and they’re pretty worn out, so I’ve ordered for one of the best ADV boots by Sidi, their Adventure 2 Goretex. Which I hope, reaches me in time. I’m getting two sets of armoured gloves, one for dry and the other for wet riding conditions by Let’s Gear up in Bangalore who I’ve known for ages. The dry one is the full gauntlet gloves by Viaterra and the Bikeratti waterproof gloves. I’m carrying my 4-year-old HJC CL – 17 helmet for one last long haul. I also never leave behind a tinted visor for day time riding.

ROUTE

I don’t prefer planning every day in advance and like to go with the flow. So the route planning is always a skeleton and I add the details in as I ride.

SKILL

This brings me to the last part of the preparation – training. Off-road training. I’m entering Ladakh and Spiti at a time when it almost always snows and since I haven’t ridden in the snow till now, I can’t afford to go in unprepared and get stuck. I approached Tribal Adventure Cafe in Bangalore run by Sanjay, an INRC champion for my training which was focused on slush, as riding in slush is very similar to riding in the snow. With 6 hours of gruelling and sweaty training by Sanjay and his protégé Deepak, my preparation was complete.

With bags packed and bike shipped to Delhi it’s now time to fly to Leh!

The post Overlanding in the Himalayas #2: The Planning appeared first on Roadtales.

A few months later he started his biking club and named it Battalion Bikers. I didn’t have a motorcycle then, heck, I didn’t know how to ride one. He bought a new Bajaj Pulsar180 and with such love taught me how to ride it! In a few months, he took me on my first ever ride to a place near Bangalore called Devrayandurga. I rode a KTM DUKE 200 belonging to a friend for the first time and made my decision to purchase that! I came back home gleaming with joy and with a great desire to get that Duke 200!

On March 24th 2013, my desire was fulfilled and I had a black 200 parked in my garage. As much as I loved riding it, as a teenager what I really wanted to do was to show it off more than to ride it well. Within a month of getting it, I had my first newbie fall. Another fall within a month and this went on for a good 5 months during which, I hit a dog, missed my exams and also had to give my bike away. Five falls in five months which immediately led me to become the laughing stock amongst my friends.

I’d never faced such embarrassment in my life. But, as they say, some things are meant to happen, so was this. This was the best thing that ever happened. I picked up the book Twist of the Wrist by Keith Code. I watched his films on YouTube and practiced what I’d learnt once a week on my friends Pulsar 220. Week after week, I started becoming a safer and a better rider. This time the desire was not to show off, but to learn the art of motorcycle riding and if possible try to master it. And the drive to make that happen was ever-increasing. It was like a fire burning in my heart. I didn’t know what it was then, but a couple of years later I realized that that’s what they call “Junoon” or “Passion”.

I spent the next three years covering a bit of South India with each ride. I had my first solo ride in 2016 towards Orissa. And in Dec 2017, I set out on my longest trip to date, a 2 month 10,000km trip, which extended to four months, 20 Indian states and 18,000 kms, a broken collar bone and gave me a thousand new friends, a million memories and made me realize the purpose of the beat of my heart – travelling.

I’m Manjusagar a.k.a Mentl Manja. Follow me as I embark on my next long journey to conquer the Himalayas of India, Nepal and Bhutan for 4 months.”

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