Everybody has their own definition of a motorcycle ride of a
lifetime and it is undoubtedly Ladakh for most of them. It was a dream for me
too since the day I got this powerful motorcycle home- a ride from Pune all the
way to the mountains and valleys of Kashmir, filled with adventure, to explore
the most beautiful part of our country (forgive me for being partial but this
was my third visit to this place and I cannot help my heavy bias towards
J&K). Though the charm of Leh has diminished since my first visit to the
place, due to heavy commercialization, its breathtaking beauty is still intact.
And unlike any other ride to any other place in India, this ride requires
planning and you can take my word for it. You just cannot hit the roads with no
preparation because there is no scope for any error here (if you intend to
return alive).
The big bonus, apart from the astounding beauty, was riding
the Kawasaki Versys, a purpose built adventure-touring motorcycle with plenty
of power to charm its way on any kind of terrain in any kind of weather. It has
without a doubt, surpassed even my expectations. The reliability of this bike
is a huge advantage to anyone planning such a ride- absolutely no reason to
even check the bike until you get back home! The only thing I had to do as far
as maintenance was concerned is clean/lube the chain and top the coolant. That
is it. No headaches. Just ride.
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All set to depart from Pune!
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My ride, which took about a couple of months to be
finalized, was plotted out over 25 days, and planned in such a way that emphasis
was not on covering a particular number of kilometers, but on enjoying the
landscape and comfort which every place offered. You have to expect the unexpected at these
places and it is therefore imperative that you be mentally prepared to absorb
all the adventure.
The ride from Pune all the way to Delhi was on some straight
smooth highways and the only trouble was caused by monsoons. However, there is
a different kind of beauty to Rajasthan in the rainy season. I think some
pictures below would add more weight to my belief.
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At the Gujarat- Rajasthan border
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That's how you exit Udaipur! Pretty cool
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With a few locals at a petrol station in Rajsamand, who pointed out that my radiator guard was loose, before any mishap occured
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What a signboard!
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I decided to rest and chill for a couple of days in Delhi
before proceeding ahead. Post Delhi, my initial plan was staying in Jammu for
the evening and heading to Srinagar the next day. However, even though the
distance between Delhi to Jammu is about 610 odd kms, I left Delhi at 6 am and
reached Jammu by 1 pm! Yes, the roads are that good. Since it was the eve of
Eid, I thought it would be wise to skip staying in Jammu and head straight to
Srinagar, which is just 250 kms, but takes about 6-7 hours. That way, I would
get to spend an extra day in Srinagar. This road is absolutely scenic, but
risky with truck drivers driving as if there is no tomorrow, valley on the
other side, and road construction work going on throughout till Ramban! I was
instructed by my friend to cross Anantnag, a highly sensitive area (note this
place is referred to as Islamabad by locals) before 7 pm, because forces are
deployed on this stretch from 4 am to 7 pm only. I reached Srinagar at about 8
pm the same day and throughout my ride from Jammu to Srinagar I kept on
wondering, is this the same area where so much of violence takes place? Because
it was extremely peaceful throughout, I faced no hostility whatsoever and the
people there too seemed friendly!
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That's how dangerously close you are to enemy territory sometimes!
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Entering the beautiful Chenani-Nashri tunnel which cuts travel time to Srinagar from Jammu by 40 kms/2 hours
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Inside the magnificent Chenani-Nashri Tunnel
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Enroute Srinagar from Jammu
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The fascination with signboards continues!
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Enroute Srinagar from Jammu
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Jawahar Tunnel- You MUST NOT stop anywhere after this tunnel until you reach Srinagar if you value your life!
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Inside the narrow Jawahar Tunnel
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The most important thing though, was convincing your family
about you travelling all alone to Srinagar and exploring the valley. Ladakh is
considered safe but as far as the Kashmir valley goes, there is a lot of
overhyped and negative media reporting (I say this because I have been there
and experienced the hospitality of Kashmiris!). As my local friend there said,
“Just as all 5 fingers are not the same, same holds true for Kashmir”.
Militancy is there, but tourists are never harmed. “Koi aapko haath lagayega,
toh hum khud Kashmiri hoke uska gala kaatenge. Aap bekhauf hoke ghum ke aao
jahaan aapka mann kare” were the exact words said by a few locals during my
interaction with them. Having said that, south Kashmir is best avoided. Even
locals do not go there. Moreover, it helps having a few local friends,
especially because they are versed with the local language and know detours, in
case anything happens. Luckily, in my case, nothing of that sort happened. My
local friend there, Eijaz, specially sent his younger brother, Arif, a native
of Baramulla, who then took me around the city and accompanied me on my bike
all the way to some of the most beautiful areas of Uri, Baramulla, Sopore-
areas close to POK and considered very, very risky to
even visit!
Take my word for it. The valley is less visited by folks,
and the most beautiful! See these pictures and decide for yourself.
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The small pillar at the centre of the mountain top that you see is the Indian Flag, such a proud moment to see the tricolour!
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The river Jhelum which flows all the way into enemy territory!
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No private vehicles beyond this point!
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The tiny village of Uroosa, just 5 kms from the border
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GPS location at the last Indian check post at LOC- Kaman Post
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Post visiting the valley, the next day I decided to start my
ride towards Leh, planning to halt for the night at Kargil. I have mentioned
about the road conditions separately below, so lets keep that out of
perspective now. The road from Srinagar to Sonamarg passes through Ganderbal,
another highly sensitive area, but beautiful nonetheless. It is in these areas
that your respect for the armed forces of the country increases tenfold, because
it is the sacrifice of each and every jawan that contributes to us tourists
enjoying all the beauty that Kashmir has to offer. The altitude of these places
makes oxygen levels plummet to dangerously low levels and temperatures are at
the other end of the spectrum in winters! I obviously cannot post photographs
of our soldiers here, but the minute you start interacting with them, you realize
how easy your life is! No visiting family for 2 years, no festivals, no
celebrations nothing! And it hurts more when a soldier tells you, “Sir aapki
life toh kitni comfortable hai, hum toh darr darr ke jeete hain!” I believe we
can never repay what our soldiers do for us. I have shed a tear only twice in
my life during my travels- and both of them have been at the Kargil War
Memorial. This memorial is situated in the town of Drass, the second coldest
inhabited place in the world where temperatures can plunge to as low as -45
degrees in winter. This quaint little village experienced heavy shelling by the
enemy’s army during the 1997 Kargil War, until India recaptured the surrounding
peaks and Kargil. The captions to the
photographs below will probably make things clearer!
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The beautiful city of Srinagar with the Dal Lake on the side!
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People who must be shot outright for staying in our country and still writing "Go India Go"
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Enroute Sonamarg
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Sonamarg
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Sonamarg
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Amarnath Yatra camps as seen from the top!
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Start of Zojila- the gateway to hell
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Freezing cold!
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Zojila Top
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Gumri Checkpost – one of the most uninhabited areas to station a checkpost! 70 feet of snow here during winters!
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Welcome to Kargil
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Enroute Kargil
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Enroute Kargil
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The view from my hotel room in Kargil- the Indus in its full flow!
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Since I had already been to Leh via the Lamayuru route, this time around I wanted to explore Batalik, the last Indian village. Took me 11 hours instead of the 4 hours it would have taken me had I taken the buttersmooth road via Mulbek and Lamayuru. But totally worth it as the following pictures depict!
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| The tower in the background is the last point of India! Again so close! |
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| Time to meet some Red Aryans here at Darchik! |
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| Getting myself some shelter from constant rain! |
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| The lake on the left was apparently created as an aftermath of the floods/cloudburst few years ago |
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| Beautiful village of Dah |
I
believe most of the information about Ladakh and the route options can be found
almost of every second website. Sadly, there are way too many tourists visiting
this region and in turn spoiling the beauty and harming the ecosystem. Ladakh
is home to many endangered species of birds and animals, some of which I had
the privilege of catching a glimpse of. It is the feel of the local culture, people,
traditions which add to the aura of this magical place called Ladakh.
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Sangam- confluence of the rivers Indus and Zanskar
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Riding into Leh in pitch darkness has its own thrill
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Giving her a much deserved bath in Leh!
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I
will not pen down much about Khardungla, Pangong, Tsomoriri and Tsokar because
these places are too-touristy so I will let the pictures do the talking.
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My moment of glory- at Khardungla Top
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Enroute Khardungla Top
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| Enroute Khardungla Top |
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| Enroute Khardungla Top |
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| Khardungla Top |
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| Khardungla Top |
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| Khardungla Top |
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| Enroute Chang La |
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| Enroute Chang La |
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| At the Mighty Chang La Top |
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| At the Mighty Chang La Top |
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| Always Remember God |
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| First view of the world famous Pangong Lake |
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| First view of the world famous Pangong Lake |
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| Welcome to Pangong |
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| As usual, spoilt due to tourism |
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| Majestic view from my tent |
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| Pangong on the map |
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| Sunrise at Pangong as seen from my tent |
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| World famous Pangong Lake |
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| The Himalayan Marmot |
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| The Himalayan Marmot |
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| Tangtse- Only place in the world where one can die simultaneously of Frost bite and heat stroke |
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| A Wild yak brings back loads of scary memories of Bhutan |
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| At Hemis, to attend the local cultural festival |
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| Near Kiari, enroute Hanle |
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| Enroute Hanle |
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| Enroute Hanle |
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| Enroute Hanle |
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| Enroute Hanle |
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| Thats where Hanle is on the map! |
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| Hanle |
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| Hanle |
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| Hanle |
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| Hanle- the worlds highest observatory |
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| Hanle |
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| Hanle to Loma |
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| Hanle to Loma |
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| ITBP Checkpost at Loma Bend, enroute Hanle |
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| Mahe Bridge |
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| Kyagar Tso, a magical tiny lake enroute Tsomoriri |
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| Kyagar Tso, a magical tiny lake enroute Tsomoriri |
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| Kyagar Tso, a magical tiny lake enroute Tsomoriri |
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| Tsomoriri- first view |
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| If you can spot my bike, great! Thats how the last 15 kms were to get to Tsomoriri! |
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| The frozen Tsokar lake in the background |
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| The frozen Tsokar lake in the background |
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| Finally joining the Leh Manali highway at Debring |
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| You are Driving in Moore Plains |
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| Moore Plains |
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| Enroute Pang |
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| Pang- the worlds highest transit camp |
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| Enroute Sarchu |
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| Lachungla - Enroute Sarchu |
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| Enroute Sarchu |
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| Nakeela- Enroute Sarchu |
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| End of Gata Loops |
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| Enroute Sarchu |
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| Brandy Bridge - Enroute Sarchu |
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| Virgin Nature of Ladakh is the Art of God |
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| Enroute Sarchu |
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| Sarchu finally |
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| My tent right on the highway at Sarchu |
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| Enroute Baralacha top |
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| Enroute Baralacha top |
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| Baralacha top |
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| Baralacha top |
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| Suraj Taal |
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| Zing Zing Bar to Patsio |
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| Patsio |
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| Deepak Taal |
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| Enroute Darcha |
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| Darcha |
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| BRO boards are simply epic |
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| View from the hotel room at Keylong |
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| Finally, felt good to pay normal rates for fuel |
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| Sissu |
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| Khoksar |
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| Rohatang Top |
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| Rohatang Top |
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| Enroute Manali |
The
only place where you feel the insignificance of civilization is enroute Hanle,
which fortunately does not figure on the list of places to see for most of the
people travelling to Ladakh. I had just seen a handful of vehicles through the
day, most of them military and local vehicles which makes this place extremely
peaceful and blissful as well! It is in Hanle that the world’s highest observatory
is situated. Again, I believe it is best to let pictures do the talking.
This has indeed been a ride of a lifetime! I would rather look back at this and say, "I can't believe I did that!" rather than say "I wish I did that!" A true roller-coaster of a journey.
Route Overview
Day
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Start Location
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Destination
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Distance (kms)
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Major Towns enroute / places
to visit
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1
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Pune
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Mumbai
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180
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2
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Mumbai
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Udaipur
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760
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Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad
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3
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Udaipur
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New Delhi
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680
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Rajsamand, Beawar, Ajmer, Jaipur, Neemrana
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4,5
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New Delhi local
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6
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New Delhi
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Srinagar
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860
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Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Pathankot,
Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Banihal, Qazigund, Anantnag, Awantipora, Pampore
|
7
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Explore Valley
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240
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Baramulla, Sopore, Uri, Salamabad, Uroosa, Kaman Post
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8
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Srinagar
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Kargil
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210
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Ganderbal, Sonamarg, Baltal, Gumri, Drass, Kargil War Memorial
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9
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Kargil
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Leh
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250
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Batalik, Darchik, Dah, Skurbuchan, Khaltse, Nimmu
|
10
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Acclamatization and permits
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|
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Leh
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Khardungla
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85
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South Pullu
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12
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Leh
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Pangong
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175
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Shey, Thiksey, Hemis, Zingral, Changla, Durbuk, Tangtse, Phobrang,
Spangmik
|
13
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Pangong
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Leh
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175
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14
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Leh
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Hanle
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270
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Karu, Upshi, Kiari, Chumathang, Mahe, Nyoma, Loma
|
15
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Hanle
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Tsomoriri
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180
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Hanle Observatory, Sumdo, Changthang, Kyagar Tso, Karzok
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16
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Tsomoriri
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Sarchu
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240
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Sumdo, Puga, Thukje, Tso Kar, Debring, Moore Plains, Pang, Gata Loops
(A 7 km long road consisting of 21 hair pin bends)
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17
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Sarchu
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Keylong
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115
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Zing Zing Bar, Patsio, Darcha, Jispa, Stingri
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18
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Keylong
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Manali
|
130
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Tandi, Sissu, Koksar, Marhi, Gulaba, Vashisht
|
19
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Manali Local
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20
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Manali
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New Delhi
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560
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Kullu, Bhuntar, Mandi, Bilaspur, Chandigarh
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21
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New Delhi Local
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22
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New Delhi
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Gwalior
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350
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Buddh International Circuit, Yamuna Expressway, Agra, Dholpur, Morena
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23
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Gwalior
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Indore
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650
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Shivpuri, Pohari, Karahal, Shahabad, Baran, Jhalawar, Susner, Agar,
Ujjain
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24
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Indore Local
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25
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Indore
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Pune
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600
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Dhule, Malegaon, Manmad, Chandwad, Sangamner, Narayangaon
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Road conditions along
the route:-
- Pune
to New Delhi:- smooth and hassle free
- New
Delhi to Jammu:- smooth till Lakhanpur which is the border town in J&K,
okayish till Jammu, smooth from Jammu to Udhampur, beyond Udhampur to Srinagar
is in pretty bad state, barring the Chenani Nashri Tunnel
- Srinagar
to Uri and beyond:- smooth and hassle free, but alertness is needed owing to
random craters on the road
- Srinagar
to Sonamarg and on to Baltal:- smooth
- Beyond Baltal all the way till Drass,
especially Zojila Pass till Gumri, the road worsens to a different level
altogether. It is irritating and non-existent to say the least with wet roads,
small/large streams due to melting ice till Gumri. From Gumri to Drass, even
though the roads are in very bad shape full of gravel and hard rocks, they are
still dry which makes life slightly easy
- Kargil
to Batalik to Khaltse:- road condition in itself is not too bad and manageable
if dry, but due to heavy rains throughout the day, there was a lot of water and
slush on the road which added to my misery!
- Khaltse
to Leh:- smooth and a huge relief
- Leh
to Khardungla:- last 8 kms is HELL, nothing like I have ever seen before. Add
to it black ice, slush, water crossings, rocks and gravel on the road. But
extremely thrilling and astonishingly beautiful to say the least
- Leh
to Pangong:- Ascent and Descent of Chang La Pass is torturous but again, just
as Khardungla, very very scenic. If you are not accustomed to standing and
riding, then again a lot of sections are torturous but I was lucky to have dry
roads at my disposal for most of the ride (barring 7-8 water crossings, 4 of
which were extremely scary), so it was 1st / 2nd gear and
just zoom till the road again becomes manageable! Beyond Durbuk, the roads are
smooth barring the water crossings I mentioned and some small patches where
there is a lot of sand on the road (desert-terrain)
- Leh
to Hanle:- Terrible for about 50 kms till Chumathang and about 20 kms from Mahe
to Loma, rest all extremely smooth. Loma to Hanle is a delight and a visual
treat!
- Hanle
to Tsomoriri:- You have to track back on the same route as the previous day
till Mahe, from Mahe to Kyagar Tso end is mix of okay and bad road conditions.
Last 15 kms is sheer torture and will give you a feeling atleast once that you
shouldn’t have come here! Again, the best remedy is stand and zoom without
braking!
- Tsomoriri to Tsokar:- Pathetic. No soul on the road. Desert terrain on both sides and on
the road
- Tsokar
to Pang:- smooth and hassle-free. One of the most beautiful stretches of the
ride
- Pang
to Sarchu:- To be honest, after doing the worst kind of roads, this was a
cakewalk! Probably, the weather was on my side and hence roads as well were
totally dry (barring a few manageable water crossings)
- Sarchu
to Keylong:- Just before Patsio, there is a water crossing created by the
melting snow of Baralacha range. Do cross this early in the morning because in
the late noon it will be impossible to cross. I crossed this at about 9 am and
still it was scary and about 100m long. The second water crossing was near
Darcha, extremely scary because of the depth of the water and the sheer force,
where my bike got stuck in freezing cold water with my legs not reaching the
ground. Luckily got help and we were able to finally push the boulder that was
submerged inside water where my bike got stuck. Rest of the road all the way till
Keylong was hassle-free
- Keylong
to Manali:- One scary moment similar to the one at Darcha, but this time I was
better prepared. Got out safe! Ascent to Rohatang is bad, beyond Rohatang Top
all the way upto Manali is smooth and hassle-free
- Manali-
Pune:- smooth and hassle free (I only mentioned the road condition, not the
troubles monsoon gave me!)
Note: -
You will not face any fuel availability issues till you reach Leh, if you are
reaching Leh using the Srinagar Leh highway. However, since a lot of places in
my itinerary had absolutely no fuel stations (Karu has one fuel station and the
next one is at Tandi, which is 365 kms away) and I was unsure about fuel
availability, I procured some jerry cans in Leh to carry fuel. But instead of
making my life comfortable, they just added to my worries and discomfort.
Finally, after dealing with some inconveniences and spillage, threw away both
the cans when I realized fuel was sold at different towns on the way. But at
130-140 bucks a litre! At Chumathang, Nyoma and Pang! Still better than
harboring unnecessary headaches! And yeah, you can trust Ladakhi people
blind-folded. They will NEVER fool you. So never worry about
adulteration/dilution etc in fuel bought in black!
Riding Gear and
Luggage solutions:-
- Hepco
and Becker Junior 40L sidecases:- Absolutely marvelous. Loads of space and each
case can easily carry about 8-10 kgs of luggage. Loading and unloading luggage
becomes a 10 second job if you have these mounted. Withstands any kind of
vibrations on any terrain. And I say this because no road anywhere is as bad as
the ones you will encounter on this ride. It has sustained all of that and also
speeds of about 160+ kmph, so it is safe to assume you can take the bike
anywhere with these! If you frequently ride long distances, this is highly
recommended:-
- Outdoor Travel Gear 70L Dry Bag:- 100% waterproof and extremely
tough to withstand all the knocks on adventurous trails.
- Ortlieb 59L dry bag (backup)
- TCX
Adventure Water Proof Riding Boots
- AGV Sport Waterproof Riding Jacket
- Spartan Aspida Odysseus All Weather Touring Pants
- Nolan N64 Helmet
- Gloves:-
Triumph, Rynox Apex Evo
- Videos and pictures have been shot using the Go Pro
Hero 4 Silver and the iPhone 7 Plus
- Hepco Becker Loop Straps:- Move over bungees. These
straps keep the luggage intact, without loosening up, a problem I frequently
face bungees. By far, I haven’t seen anything else that fastens luggage so
impeccably
- Mototech Bungee Tiedowns
- Quipco Warm Undergloves:- Extremely comfortable when
worn inside regular riding gloves and offer adequate protection against
cold/windy weather of Ladakh
- Anti-Fogging solutions for the helmet
- Rain Shoes Cover
- Rain Coat Pro:- Hydrophobic coating so that water just
rolls off plastics!
- Raincoat:- your usual raincoat that you use in
monsoons!
What went into the motorcycle before this ride?
- Engine
Oil:- Motul 7100 10w40
- Coolant:-
Motul Motocool Expert
- Brake
Fluid:- Motul Dot 3 and 4
- Chain
Maintenance:- Motul Chain Clean and Chain Lube, Blue Chem Synthetic Chain Lube
- 30k
kms major service
OEM parts
changed before the ride:-
- Throttle Cables
- Clutch Cable
- Brake Pads- both front and rear
- Spark Plugs
- Air Filter
- Oil Filter
- Tyres:- Heidenau K73 Dual Sport
Additional accessories to protect the bike (more so to
assist me) during the ride:-
- Engine Guards:- primarily so that even if the bike suffers
a fall, no part of the motorcycle touches the ground
- Tyre Protector:- This ARAI approved formula is a
permanent puncture protection and immediately seals punctures up to 3mm in
diameter. Add to it protection against high speed blowouts. I returned safe
with ZERO punctures and no loss at all in tyre pressure after riding through some
of the harshest roads
- Bolt Waterproof USB Charger:- Smart Mobile Charger for Motorbikes which not only charges your gadgets while you are riding, but also uses the Bolt Riders app to track your rides, speed and distance
- Grand Pit Stop Roller for Chain Maintenance:- Since
my motorcycle is not equipped with a center stand, this roller was extremely
useful when I had to clean and lubricate my motorcycle chain. Extremely lightweight
and portable
