The "Journey" - Bikes and Us!

We were in Leh now – excited and brimming with enthusiasm – ready to explore the resplendent beauty of the majestic mountains of Ladakh. We had booked ourselves five thunderbird bikes well in advance to take us further on this trip. But things never go as per plan - our bookings got cancelled at the very last minute!! And there we were, out in the markets, scouting for bikes - It was peak season and as such the probability of finding bikes at such short notice was very less. Hence, we had started planning for alternative - hiring two cars; though at this point the second option seemed more plausible, our hearts laid with the first one – the one that would allow us to soak the elements of the untouched nature, that would let us feel the still clean crisp air wiping across our faces and let us experience the pure raindrops and dust penetrating the cover on our bodies.

And then the event happened – the less likely one - after spending half a day in the market, we were able to get 5 Enfield 500 cc!  We also hired a car along with the bikes; firstly to carry our luggage and secondly to defy the law of diminishing marginal utility - yes, you heard me right, to defy the law of diminishing marginal utility - as the tiredness from riding the bikes would start reducing the incremental utility from every additional km covered, a brief rest period in the car would rejuvenate us and bring back the utility to the initial levels.

We were ready now – ready to scale the heights on this hostile terrain.

And the "journey" starts..

For others it was first long motorcycle journey, for the two of us it was first ever motorcycle journey - yeah Prateek’s entire driving experience was barely 150kms before this; I, on the other hand, had sat on a bike only once before this that too like for half an hour!. But then this was one of its kind experience, everything about it was new to all of us.

And thus began “The journey”; the journey that took us through some of the most spectacular terrain in the world, across high passes,streams and tumbling mountain surfaces.

An unforgettable Ladakh trip with > 2,500 Kms of road trip including ~900 kms of tripping on Royal Enfield covering 2 of the World's top 3 highest motorable roads (Tanglang La & Chang La), 3 breathtaking lakes (the scenic Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri with its crystal clear waters and the pristine TsoKar) with an amazing bunch of people ! Truly the trip of a lifetime.. !!! Courtesy: Narsi

The first leg of our journey was from Leh to the Pangong Tso – not a very easy terrain to navigate I must say, at least not for the novices that we were. The first 100 kms were smooth – splendid roads, clear blue sky, brightly shining sun and a slight chill in the air – a biker’s delight I shall call it.  We were now making our way to the Chang-La Pass; as we approached closer, it started getting colder – and it was expected, after all it is the third highest motorable pass in the world or so it claims, We reached the top and to our surprise some parts of it were still covered in snow. As we made our way past this, the road started getting tougher – broken patches and covered with small pebbles that made the bikes skid – we had to be very careful. Nevertheless, we got past this patch, crossed the streams that flowed through the roads and finally reached Pangong Tso towards the evening. We spent a night here. Next morning, we started early towards our second destination - Tso Moriri.

The journey back till Chang-La Pass was more or less the same except that we got to encounter, on our way, these beautiful shy little creatures called the marmots – there were a bunch of them, enjoying the morning sun in the open meadows – a wonderful sight it was!

The playful marmots

After crossing the Chang La Pass, we became more relaxed and may be a bit less careful, as we believed the tougher patch of the road was over. After travelling for a while, we realized that two of the bikes were not to be seen, perhaps they might have stopped for photo shoot, or so we thought. We decided to wait for them before moving ahead. We waited for almost twenty minutes and when saw still no signs of them, started getting a little impatient and a little afraid. We prayed and hoped that they were safe. We thought of going back and checking for them; as were about to leave, we saw them coming – we all heaved a sigh of relief! Once they reached, we learnt that one of the bikes, while trying to get past an army truck, had skid but thankfully the bikers (Karthik and Rekha) weren’t hurt; perhaps there was also some issue with the bike that they were riding. Hence, this point on, we decided to move together.

We had barely moved a few kilometres, when one of the other bikers – Jigish – suffered the same fate; but this time it was bad – the bike had apparently skid a few metres ahead and Jigish was trapped under it - our hearts skipped a beat; thankfully he escaped with a few minor scratches. The bike, however, was completely damaged and could go no further. We called up the agency from where the bike was hired and asked for it to be picked up from that location. This incident had scared us all – me especially given Prateek’s experience or rather inexperience at riding a bike. At this point, a kind of debate spurred up – whether we should go back to Leh, forfeit our bikes, hire another car and then continue with the journey or we should just move ahead with the original plan. I, intimidated by the incident, was supporting the first option. It almost seemed like the debate would never end. It was at this point, that Narsi came up, and said something which put an end to all this; wondering what? So it went something like this –“I had come along not because I was interested in seeing all these beautiful lakes, but because I wanted to enjoy the thrill of riding bike through this challenging and exciting terrain. But if you guys wish to hire a car, it’s ok, go ahead”.

And that was it; we all decided to stick to our original plan, but this time with some more precautions. So before we started, we decided on the speed limit that we shall maintain through the journey as also the position that different bikers would take as we moved ahead.

BRO doing some wonderful work out there..hats off

That night, we took a stop at Chuma Thang – and it turned out to be one of the best stays we have had during the tripWe reached Chuma Thang at around 8 at night – welcomed by a light drizzle that had further intensified the chill in the air. We started searching for an accommodation for the night – asking people if there was one nearby; we came across an army personnel and posed the same question to him. He took us with him and showed us some of the rooms that were available in their guest house – and the rooms were awesome, equipped with heaters to keep warm. We happily took the accommodation and expressed our gratitude for helping us out. But their hospitality did not end here – they arranged for a sumptuous dinner spread for us – chapatti, vegetables, chicken, rice, daal and kheer – the food was lip smacking! They provided us with extra mattresses and blankets so that we could keep ourselves warm. In the morning again, they arranged for some delicious breakfast for us. When before leaving, they handed us over the bill, we were amazed – it was lower than what we had paid at any of the other places we had stayed at! What more, when we tried to offer them some extra money out of our gratitude, they simply refused it and did not take even a penny extra than what was mentioned on the bill. These rare awesome living souls, none of us will ever forget.

Stay at the Army Camp at Chumathang

Post this, we made our way to Tso Moriri, first passing through a stretch of what we called the “vibrator roads”; then a stretch of buttery smooth road and lastly through a long patch of dirt (plus vibrator) road. Having spent the afternoon there, we then left for our next destination – Tsokar – again passing through a similar combination of roads. The only difference I believe was that we hardly encountered any other car or bike or for that matter a living soul – and I am not exaggerating when I say this - on our way to Tsokar from Tso Moriri. We reached Tsokar around the evening and spent the night there.

Smooth roads, dirt roads, pebbled roads..this journey had it all!!

It was now time for the last leg of this (bike) trip – journey back to Leh. We started the next morning; covered the rough patch of road to reach Tang Lang La –the second highest motorable Pass in the world. After a quick photo session here, we continued our journey traversing through the smooth curves of the mountains, travelling by the crystal clear streams to finally reach Leh.

Tang Lang La: Second highest motorable Pass in the world

The amazing bike trip had come to an end; but the incredibly wondrous experience that it was shall never fade away from our memories - Not in this lifetime.

The vivid memories of the amazing journey will stay with us forever..

A place 'Tso' surreal!

Hidden in the crest of these lofty mountains are some breathtakingly beautiful lakes - like stunning mirrors of outstanding natural beauty, these lakes reflect the splendour of the picturesque landscape in their waters. The circuit we travelled across covered three of these stunningly marvelous “piece of arts”  -  Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Tsokar ('Tso' in Ladakhi means 'lake').

Pangong lake is the more famous and commercialized one – the one most frequented by tourists. A larger part of this lake lies in the Tibetan province. The first view of this sapphire blue lake left us spellbound, it was magical. It was like a kaleidoscope – different shades of blue playing with the sun rays amidst the snow-covered rocky mountains.

First view of Pangong Tso as we approached the place

The beautiful sapphire lake

 Once at Pangong, we headed straight for the camp where we had pre-booked six tents for ourselves. I shall not be exaggerating if I refer to these as “luxury” tents – carpeted floor, cozy comfortable double bed with blankets, two single sofas, attached bathroom with hot water facility – located barely 100 meters away from the lake offering spectacular views; what else could I ask for in this supposedly remote place? The delicious food offered at the camp was icing on the cake.

Excited Jiggy at the Pangong camp

We settled down in our respective tents, rested for a while and then walked towards the lake. The cool breeze blowing rejuvenated our senses and helped us get rid of the tiredness from the long journey. The newly acquired kid-like energy and curiosity pushed us to step into the lake – the water was ice-cold – no sooner had we stepped in, we ran crying out loud as the chilled water numbed our senses. But that did not stop the over-enthusiastic bunch of guys in our group from taking a dip into the lake – still wondering if it was the adrenaline rush or the Anushka Sharma effect!! 

Sagar's 'Anushka Sharma' moment

This was followed by a small photography session as we tried to capture ourselves against the backdrop of this immortal beauty. This done, we went for a stroll along the banks of the lake, soaking up the serene grandeur and magnificence of the surroundings. Soon it started getting dark, the winds became chillier and harsher; we decided it was time for us to go back to the camp. After getting back to the camp, we had our dinner which was followed by a bonfire – there we spent around an hour chatting before calling it a day and returning to our respective tents. For me, it did not end here. Although I was feeling a little unwell all through, it worsened at night – I was experiencing breathlessness and feeling extremely cold. I had put on layers of clothes and had covered myself in the blanket but was still feeling the chill. I somehow managed to sleep; when I got up in the morning, though the breathlessness was gone I was still feeling feverish – possibly my body had not acclimatized to the height.

We had an early breakfast, after which we left for the so called “shooting point” - the place where this movie 3 idiots was shot. We halted here for a while and took a few shots before bidding adieu to the wonderful scenic lake.

3 Idiots Shooting Point

Next, we visited Tso Moriri; it was a “masterpiece” to say the least – seemed as if the nature had come alive. Looked like it had been craftily designed by “God” himself and been designated the duty of being a mirror to the rustic mountains that stood in the background; the majestic mountains in turn optimally utilizing the gift bestowed upon it so as to look eternally “perfect” – the right amount of snow covering its head and perfectly shaped clouds hovering over it – just the right combination, always. 

Stunning Tso Moriri

The Gang- Poo, Jiggy, Rinky, Sagar, Narsi, Rekha, Karthik, Patty, Anu, TK and Rohitha - at Tso Moriri

We reached Tso Moriri around noon; did not have much time to spend here as we had to reach Tsokar the same evening. Unlike Pangong, there weren’t any camps close to the shore of the lake. The sun was shining bright with a gentle breeze blowing in the area - a combination that rendered the weather just “perfect”! As we went close to the lake, the splendid view left us all dumbstruck. 

The 'Perfect' landscape of Tso Moriri

The water was crystal clear – the small and large pebbles forming the bed of the lake were clearly visible, so were the tiny fish floating in the water. We sat on the banks of the lake gazing at the idyllic beauty; few of us throwing pebbles at it and watching as it responded back through multiple ripples on its otherwise pristine and still water.

Ripples in the otherwise still lake

 This was followed by a short photography session post which we went to a nearby village to have our lunch. After having our lunch, we left the place, with this utopian landscape etched in our brains forever.

Soaking in the serenity at Tso Moriri

Done with Tso Moriri, we next visited Tsokar. This lake is known more for the migratory birds, especially the black necked crane. We reached Tsokar towards the evening – as we caught the first glimpse of the lake, we realized that it was no different than the other lakes we had visited – in fact it felt that the other lakes might have been a tad bit better. We crossed the lake area and went towards the village to look for an accommodation for the night. As we made our way ahead, we were stuck by the surreal beauty of the landscape surrounding us – It was divine. It seemed like we had trespassed into a painter’s canvas – mighty mountains standing tall at some distance, a spread of pastures surrounding the dried up salt deposits from the lake, the clouds rising up right from the ground (yes, believe me!) and  a double rainbow adorning the skyline. It looked as if the landscape changed colours every hour in sync with the painter’s imagination.

Rainbow adorning the skyline at Tsokar

Poo posing against the stunning Tsokar landscape

We took accommodation in one of the camps close to the village; not that we had much choice – the other homestay option that we had explored didn’t even have a properly enclosed bathroom! The tents in the camp were pretty comfortable; the food they offered was good. The only ‘drawback’ being that electricity availability was till 10 pm only; who knew it was rather a boon in disguise! After settling down in our respective tents, we set out for a walk in the sprawling pastures. We sat there for some time, engulfed in the immense beauty of the landscape, chatting with each other. 

Ever-changing landscape at Tsokar

As it started getting dark, we made our way to the camp – had our dinner and then went inside our tents. We decided to assemble ourselves in one of the tents; we chatted, sang songs and danced - before we knew, it was 10 and the electricity went off. It was pitch dark – we did try to use our cell phones but that did not help much. We stepped out of our tents, and there we stood dazed – gazing into a clear night sky studded with thousands of twinkling stars. And then it was time for the magic to start – innumerable streaks of glistening lights shooting past the sky. It was like the stars had come alive to entertain us. It was spectacular. We simply sat there, looking up at the sky, hoping that it was not a dream and if it were, hoping it was never broken.

Novice attempt at capturing the star-studded sky from our campsite

The next morning, we had our breakfast post which we left for Leh. Tsokar was more about the landscape than about the lake. Unfortunately, except for a couple of us, none were able to catch a glimpse of the famous black necked crane while at Tsokar. Well, no regrets. The starry night experience that we had shall remain with us for eternity.

Photo credits: Poonam, Jigish and Patty

The day we got Leh'd

Bike trip to Leh-Ladakh…sounds fun doesn’t it? I first got introduced to the possibility of this trip happening in January 2014. Every time I thought about this trip, I experienced an adrenaline rush. However, Pattyy kept warning me “The idea is still at a nascent stage…not sure if it will actually happen…so don’t get very excited about it”. It was true; after all it is not easy for a dozen people to come together and successfully do such trips! Also, with the kind of experiences I have had in the past – everything being planned and looking perfectly fine; however, just when it is about to happen, something or the other going wrong and the plan falling apart – I was forced into attaching  a 60% probability to the event of this trip not materializing.

But then, it happened…

There were six of us flying to Srinagar from Mumbai; five others were to join us at the Srinagar airport. I reached the Mumbai airport in a stuporous state at an unearthly hour. I was certain that I would flake out as soon as I boarded the flight; don’t know if it was excitement, anxiety or something else, but I couldn’t sleep during the journey – a rare feat for a person like me who has religiously stuck to the practice of dozing off before the flight takes off and getting up only after it lands! After the restless four hours in flight, we finally reached Srinagar. The moment I stepped out of the flight at Srinagar, I could feel the change – it was a welcome relief from the impure polluted Mumbai air.

The first task, as we reached Srinagar, was to arrange for our conveyance to Leh - I must admit that the experience we had in this regard was indeed not a pleasant one. After three hours of struggle and some hiccups, we were finally able to hire two cabs to drive us to Leh. As we travelled from Srinagar to Leh, I witnessed the nature transition itself - from the lush green Kashmir valley to barren desert mountains of Ladakh. It was like a page out of those mystery novels we read as kids – a mystery yet to be unravelled, yet to be solved.

We started our journey from Srinagar late in the evening, making our way to Sonmarg. The panoramic view of the plush green mountains and the freshness of the air around was a panacea for our tired souls. The sound of the clear streams flowing through this tranquil setting was relaxing - a sharp contrast form the hustle bustle and the honking of horns you get to hear in the cities. This pleasantness was, however, dampened to some extent coz of the tantrums thrown by our cab driver! We managed to reach Sonmarg around 9 at night and then began our hunt for accommodation – thankfully, it did not take long. We found a dormitory, big enough, to house all eleven of us. It was a nice, cosy place; offered 24 hour hot water supply – as we were not sure of getting hot water in places we would be staying at in the future (remember…the trip was totally unplanned!!), we all took bath before retiring to our beds.

The early morning view from our balcony was breathtaking – clouds hovering over the snow clad mountains with a stream flowing about 500 mts away! Sounds like a fairy tale…doesn’t it? After our failed attempt to capture the beauty of the place through our lenses, we decided to leave the place and proceed towards Leh. The journey to Leh began with a small scuffle with the cab driver though it was not long before we settled down. Soon after, we made our way through the Zojila Pass. Back in Mumbai, I had done some research on the places around Leh and the route that we would take to reach these places. I was taken to believe that Zojila Pass was the most dangerous stretch of our route - had started imagining it as the final stage of super mario which if one managed to pass, would get access to the princess (in this case the mystique valley of Ladakh) – I know it sounds weird but that is what had come to my mind! However, the pre-conceived notions I had in my mind were busted as we made our way through it; definitely, it is scary to move on narrow gravel roads at a height of 11000 feet but not so much so I had imagined – one just needs to be a bit careful, that’s it.

We kept moving ahead, taking small halts in between. We managed to reach Kargil around noon; the environment there somehow felt completely different then what I had experienced thus far. I could feel the ‘not so friendly’ gaze of the people moving around in the area we had halted at; it could well be my imagination  - quite possible that they were gazing at us simply because we were new faces in the area - but this was exactly how I had felt at the time.

After a short break, we started the last stretch of our journey to Leh. What unfolded before our eyes was nothing short of magic – the mountains let go of the green layer they were adorning thus far and bared the rocky barren self to us – it was a totally different landscape. It was like a painting made on a canvas – rocky mountains exhibiting different shades of red, brown and yellow; the white ice proudly sitting on the mountain tops while the clouds trying to protect the desert mountain from the scorching sun by casting its shadow on the mountains. I was awestruck by the beauty of the place.

We kept moving towards our destination, lost in the beauty of the place. Before we could realize, the cool evening breeze started gently caressing our body and playing with our hairs.

 We took a final halt at the Pathar Sahib Gurudwara, before making our way to Leh. Once at Leh, it took us some time before we could reach the guest house that was booked for us. All of us were tired from the long journey and decided to call it a day, retreating to our respective rooms.