Adventure Touring in North Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai

After months of planning and excitement, the most awaited day was here. Fortunately, the previous evening in Chiang Mai gave me this perception that northern Thailand is not as touristy as the islands and beaches of the south. The lesser, the merrier isn't it? And seeing nobody from our sub-continent reaffirmed my belief that we had come to the right place to ride motorcycles ;-)   

Starting from the gorgeous Chiang Mai, the Mae Hong Son Loop is a 700 km journey that takes you through the Mae Hong Son province. While the loop can be tackled in either direction (clockwise is preferred for most because that is a safe bet), we decided to do it anti-clockwise, hitting Pai first, because in extreme steep corners is where the real adventure lie!

Having read extensively about the breathtaking mountain-views that keep getting better, it was now time to experience every bit of it. The morning was humid but beautiful; with each of us determined to turn the extremely windy and uphill ride from Chiang Mai to Pai into one full of adventure. Who wouldn’t love maneuvering a big adventure touring motorcycle for some foot peg-scraping and extreme cornering! (just kidding, we exercised extreme caution while riding!)  

With the luggage deposited, bikes checked and tuned, top cases locked, tanks full and GPS turned on, we left the old city of Chiang Mai via Route 107, also known as the super highway. Taking a left turn after riding for approximately 30 km put us on the iconic Route 1095, full of twisties going all the way to Pai. Route 1095 boasts of 762 daunting turns that come hard and fast, with the mountains and jungles providing for a mesmerizing backdrop.

The three motorcycles!

However, known for not doing things the conventional way, we decided to round off the 762 curves to a 1000 by exploring some extremely scenic places enroute!

1) Mae Sa Elephant Camp

Entering the Mae Sa Elephant Camp

Elephant Show in progress

You gotta see it to believe it!

2) Doi Mon Cham

Doi Mon Cham

Apparently bikes weren't allowed in this people-only zone! Got lucky

3) Ta-Pai World War II memorial bridge

WW2 memorial bridge on the outskirts of Pai

View from the memorial bridge

After almost a 3-hour detour to Mae Sa Elephant camp where we witnessed elephant shows and elephant art and Doi Mon Cham that has some incredible river-views and mountain-ridges, it was almost 2 pm by the time we hit Route 1095 again, with Pai still a good 120 km away.

The beautiful river side cafe inside the camp!

Needless to say, we hit Pai by 4.30 pm. How did we manage to do that? I believe these pictures will do more justice to the sheer magnificence of this highway than my words! 

Too bad the brakes had to be applied at 190 kmph!

Enroute Pai on Route 1095

Who wouldn't fall in love!

Signboard fantasies!!

Well, it was a memorable ride! 

We decided to go to the best place to watch the sun go down over the mountains – the Pai Canyon, a ridge with a valley on either side located about 15 km from the Pai riverside.

Sunset at Pai Canyon

Welcome to Pai! 

The little hippy hamlet of Pai is located in the highlands of Mae Hong Son and boasts of mountain trails, waterfalls and national parks inhabited with abundant wildlife, especially wild elephants. We stayed right by the riverside, with our cottage overlooking the gigantic White Buddha statue on the top of a mountain. The Pai riverside has a particularly laidback and relaxed vibe and it is an easy walk via wooden bridges to different restaurants and bars.

Pai is home to some remarkably creative people who sell their work on the street once the sun goes down, a great way to support local small-scale businesses.

Good vibes

Truly, this is the kind of place where you wish you could build your own house and live forever!

Ride Summary:

Chiang Mai – Mae Sa Elephant Camp – Doi Mon Cham – Ta-Pai Bridge – Pai Canyon – Pai  (210 km approximately)

Some words of caution:

1) Make sure you tank up before starting because gas stations on Route 1095 are very few. You wouldn’t want to be running out of gas on this stretch!

2) Keep a few warm clothes handy because the temperature drops as you keep going higher up the mountains and you can literally feel the wind-chill

3) There is no need to rush the ride. We left at 10.30 am, took at 50 km detour that kept us off the main highway for about 3 hours, but we still made it to Pai well before 5 pm! So, take your time and enjoy the beauty this region has to offer.

Adventure Touring in North Thailand - A prelude

Two of the best riding routes in Southeast Asia (perhaps even the world) await you! Is that a big statement to make? Yes, but now that I have done it, seems 100% true!

A motorcycle ride across North Thailand’s incredible roads was on top of my list ever since I returned from my ride to the Himalayas in July. What started as a desire to celebrate my 26th birthday doing something I loved doing most - motorcycling through the mountains of North Thailand, ended being one of the most memorable 10 days of my life. As I write this, the famed Mae Hong Son Loop and Golden Triangle stand checked off the wishlist!

Being my first international ride, every aspect of the ride was planned meticulously (in stark contrast with my rides here in India, where most things are unplanned!). Finally, as 2018 began, it was time to embark on the first ride of the new year.

The Crew – 

Since we had booked separate flights from Mumbai to Bangkok and from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, we had to get our passports stamped at Bangkok, collect our luggage and check-in to our second flight. Our connecting flight was within 1.5 hours of landing in Bangkok and understanding our situation, a lady-officer told us to go straight to the express counter, which also had a queue and token system. Luckily, for us, helpful folks ensured there was no token, no queue and no extra fees and 5 minutes is all it took to get our Visas and passport stamped!

  

Note: - In case you fly the same airline all the way to Chiang Mai, you can get your Visa on arrival at Chiang Mai too!

The straightttttttt highway as seen while landing in Bangkok!

As we landed in Chiang Mai, the second biggest city in Thailand, we saw lots of amazing sounding tuk-tuk’s (local auto rickshaw) and motorbikes all around that made us feel we had indeed arrived at the right place! 

Welcome to Chiang Mai! A beautiful sight with those mountains in the background

Getting used to some MotoGP style rickshaw drivers!

We checked into our hotel and headed straight to collect our motorcycles that were booked 3 months in advance ;-)

With Pop, you can immediately tell by the vibe of the place that he is one of the most genuine people around in the business and for good reason is widely regarded as one of the best by everybody in Chiang Mai.

With the man himself, Pop!

Big Bikes for the ride – 2 Suzuki VStrom 650 (2017) and 1 Yamaha FJ09 (2016)

2016 Yamaha FJ09

2017 Suzuki VStrom 650

We collected our motorcycles and headed straight to our hotel, getting a hang of our motorcycles and the different settings and controls. Kept our luggage at Pop’s place who offered to take care of our belongings. We transferred the essential luggage into the top case mounted on each of the three bikes. With this, we were ready to rock the majestic mountains of Northern Thailand!

Though Day 1 was full of travel, it was a relaxed affair with lots to look forward to from next morning, when the actual ride would start.

I have detailed out some specific logistical information that will help anyone who plans to ride this circuit in the future-

Reaching Chiang Mai – 

Air Asia, Lion Air and other airlines operate multiple flights daily to Chiang Mai from Bangkok, so getting here is extremely convenient.

Visa Issuance- 

Effective Sep 1, 2017, the Thai tourist Visa costs THB 2000 (payable only in Thai currency and in cash) and issued on arrival for a period of 15 days.

Documents required-

1) Arrival Card (available at the airport)

2) Valid Passport

3) Valid hotel/apartment address in Thailand that can be verified (hotel booking printouts work just fine)

4) Confirmed return ticket to show that you will be flying out of Thailand within 15 days of entry

5) Atleast THB 10,000 cash per person that serves as proof that you have the necessary funds for stay in Thailand

Motorcycle Rentals in Chiang Mai –

There are tons of motorbike rental shops in Chiang Mai. You can rent out all kinds of bikes, scooters and cars depending on your budget and comfort. As for us, we rented our motorcycles from Pop Big Bikes, situated in the heart of Chiang Mai. This guy has an amazing collection of motorcycles and is considered the best in Chiang Mai. Though more expensive than every other motorcycle rental shop out there, the bikes he owns are in top-notch condition, very well maintained, periodically serviced and look brand new. Riding gear too can be rented, but we carried our own helmet, riding jacket, gloves and touring boots.

POP Big Bikes for Rent

Scooters, Bikes, Superbikes, you name it and he has it!

What an incredible number of bikes this guy has!

Cost – 

Having booked the motorcycles for a week, we got these amazing motorcycles at a discounted price of THB 1700 per day for the VStrom and THB 2000 per day for the FJ09. Good things here is that rentals here apply for 24 hours, not just during daylight! 

Insurance- 

Even though the bikes come with third party insurance, you are expected to pay up for damages in the event of a crash or fall. Therefore, it is wise to ride responsibly and with proper riding gear on.

Unlike the scenario with most renters, Pop Big Bikes is absolutely okay even you return the motorbike with an empty tank! No hassles of checking the fuel level at all, which is a huge relief. As there is no dearth of scamsters in India, I have this habit of capturing a video by slowing moving across the bike from front to back. This essentially is a recording of the scratches on the bike, if any, and is a lifesaver in case there are issues while returning the bike! Again, nothing of this sort ever happened. Both, renting and returning the motorcycles, were hassle-free.

Deposit –

You will be asked to leave either your original passport or a THB 10,000 as a deposit if you are renting a superbike. There are no two ways about it. Photocopies DO NOT work. You will get a scanned copy of your passport (that also displays the visa stamp). In case you do get pulled over by cops, this is the copy you are expected to possess and show. Luckily enough, such a situation never arose for us! Additionally, no International Driving Permit (IDP) is required to ride in Thailand so your Indian DL will suffice.

Gasoline – 

Well, nobody understands “Petrol” but they sure know what gasoline means. You will see gas stations everywhere and gas is extremely cheap (91 octane fuel costs about 29 THB per litre)

Stay tuned for the next few posts, where I will take you through each day of our incredibly exhilarating journey!!

Saluting our heroes at the highest battlefield in the world!

Today, July 26 or Kargil Vijay Divas, marks 18 years of India’s successful capture of all the outposts lost to intruders and the resulting victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War, a high altitude war along the mountain peaks near the Line of Control that divides the beautiful state of Kashmir between the two countries. This full-fledged military showdown between the two countries erupted after infiltrators from Pakistan were detected by local shepherds taking control of hills in the Indian Territory. 


The difficult terrain of the region limited the extent of engagement with heavy artillery shelling by the enemy on National Highway NH 1D that cuts through Dras and Kargil. The area that witnessed the infiltration is a 160 km long stretch overlooking this only road linking Srinagar and Leh. Even today, the wall that was built by the Indian Army to assist vehicles and help them avoid being targeted by the enemy still stands! Yes, the Srinagar-Leh highway on which thousands of tourists travel every summer was directly in the vision of the enemy. There is a signboard here which reads something like this:

"You are under enemy observation"

To put things in perspective, Kargil is just 170 odd kms from the Pakistani town of Skardu, which provided logistical and artillery support to Pakistani combatants during the war. And Batalik is right there, at the border, about 60 kms from Kargil towards Skardu. So that’s as close as you can get! 

Last Indian outpost in Batalik!

The town of Dras is primarily known to most people because of the Kargil war. It is indeed unsettling when you walk through the streets here and see the mountains right in front where a fierce war was fought. Considered as the gateway to Ladakh, Dras is situated about 142 kms from Srinagar at an altitude of 11000 feet and directly faces the northern areas across the LOC. 

Welcome to Drass! 

The small town of Drass- in the background

What makes this victory even more impressive is the fact that with well-prepared defensive posts atop these mountain peaks, the enemy enjoyed advantages of having a bird’s eye view and the Indian army’s difficulties were just exacerbated by the high altitude and freezing temperatures of the terrain. A board declaring Drass to be the second coldest inhabited place on earth (Siberia being the first) greets you. 

Approaching the town of Dras

10 kms after Dras is the location of the Kargil War Memorial, and a visit to this ground is extremely painful and disturbing and makes you as angry and emotional as you can get. The huge tricolor swaying high, against the Tololing mountain range is sure to give everyone goosebumps! A humbling visit it has been indeed, both the times that I have been here.

Batra Transit Camp, enroute Drass- the board in the background also provides a reference to the lowest temperature ever recorded- minus 60 degrees! 

 

Proud of our soldiers! The tricolour looks gorgeous! 

The flame that burns continuously with a soldier guarding it- in memory of the shaheed jawans of Operation Vijay

 

Goosebumps- a tribute to every soldier who lost his life

No need to caption that!

Tiger Hill, the highest and the most famous mountain peak of this region is clearly visible from here.

The historic Tiger Hill in the background

Now you realize why I intentionally chose to keep the pictures of the war memorial out of my previous post! Saved it for the right occasion, and nothing better than today!

Jai Hind! :) 

A journey to the magical and mesmerising Ladakh!

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.

All set to depart from Pune! 

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.

At the Gujarat- Rajasthan border

That's how you exit Udaipur! Pretty cool

With a few locals at a petrol station in Rajsamand, who pointed out that my radiator guard was loose, before any mishap occured

What a signboard! 

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!

That's how dangerously close you are to enemy territory sometimes! 

  

Entering the beautiful Chenani-Nashri tunnel which cuts travel time to Srinagar from Jammu by 40 kms/2 hours

Inside the magnificent Chenani-Nashri Tunnel

Enroute Srinagar from Jammu

The fascination with signboards continues! 

Enroute Srinagar from Jammu

Jawahar Tunnel- You MUST NOT stop anywhere after this tunnel until you reach Srinagar if you value your life! 

Inside the narrow Jawahar Tunnel

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.

  

                               

     

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! 

The river Jhelum which flows all the way into enemy territory!

No private vehicles beyond this point!

The tiny village of Uroosa, just 5 kms from the border

GPS location at the last Indian check post at LOC- Kaman Post

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!

The beautiful city of Srinagar with the Dal Lake on the side! 

People who must be shot outright for staying in our country and still writing "Go India Go"

Enroute Sonamarg

Sonamarg

Sonamarg

Amarnath Yatra camps as seen from the top! 

Start of Zojila- the gateway to hell

Freezing cold! 

Zojila Top

Gumri Checkpost – one of the most uninhabited areas to station a checkpost! 70 feet of snow here during winters!  

Welcome to Kargil

Enroute Kargil

Enroute Kargil

The view from my hotel room in Kargil- the Indus in its full flow!

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! 

The tower in the background is the last point of India! Again so close! 

Time to meet some Red Aryans here at Darchik! 

Getting myself some shelter from constant rain! 

The lake on the left was apparently created as an aftermath of the floods/cloudburst few years ago

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.

Sangam- confluence of the rivers Indus and Zanskar

Riding into Leh in pitch darkness has its own thrill

Giving her a much deserved bath in Leh!

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.

My moment of glory- at Khardungla Top

  

Enroute Khardungla Top

Enroute Khardungla Top

Enroute Khardungla Top

Khardungla Top

Khardungla Top

Khardungla Top

Enroute Chang La 

Enroute Chang La

At the Mighty Chang La Top

At the Mighty Chang La Top

Always Remember God

First view of the world famous Pangong Lake

First view of the world famous Pangong Lake

Welcome to Pangong

As usual, spoilt due to tourism

Majestic view from my tent

Pangong on the map

Sunrise at Pangong as seen from my tent

World famous Pangong Lake

The Himalayan Marmot

The Himalayan Marmot

Tangtse- Only place in the world where one can die simultaneously of Frost bite and heat stroke

A Wild yak brings back loads of scary memories of Bhutan

At Hemis, to attend the local cultural festival

Near Kiari, enroute Hanle

Enroute Hanle

Enroute Hanle

Enroute Hanle

Enroute Hanle

Thats where Hanle is on the map! 

Hanle

 Hanle

 Hanle

 Hanle- the worlds highest observatory

 Hanle

Hanle to Loma

Hanle to Loma

ITBP Checkpost at Loma Bend, enroute Hanle

Mahe Bridge

Kyagar Tso, a magical tiny lake enroute Tsomoriri

Kyagar Tso, a magical tiny lake enroute Tsomoriri

Kyagar Tso, a magical tiny lake enroute Tsomoriri

Tsomoriri- first view

If you can spot my bike, great! Thats how the last 15 kms were to get to Tsomoriri! 

  

The frozen Tsokar lake in the background

The frozen Tsokar lake in the background

Finally joining the Leh Manali highway at Debring

You are Driving in Moore Plains

Moore Plains

Enroute Pang

Pang- the worlds highest transit camp

Enroute Sarchu

Lachungla - Enroute Sarchu

Enroute Sarchu

Nakeela- Enroute Sarchu

End of Gata Loops

Enroute Sarchu

Brandy Bridge - Enroute Sarchu

Virgin Nature of Ladakh is the Art of God

Enroute Sarchu

Sarchu finally

My tent right on the highway at Sarchu

Enroute Baralacha top

Enroute Baralacha top

Baralacha top

Baralacha top

Suraj Taal

Zing Zing Bar to Patsio

Patsio

Deepak Taal

Enroute Darcha

Darcha

BRO boards are simply epic

View from the hotel room at Keylong

Finally, felt good to pay normal rates for fuel

Sissu

Khoksar

Rohatang Top

Rohatang Top

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	Start Location		Destination	Distance (kms)	Major Towns enroute / places to visit
1	Pune		Mumbai	180
2	Mumbai		Udaipur	760	Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad
3	Udaipur		New Delhi	680	Rajsamand, Beawar, Ajmer, Jaipur, Neemrana
4,5	New Delhi local
6	New Delhi		Srinagar	860	Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Banihal, Qazigund, Anantnag, Awantipora, Pampore
7	Explore Valley			240	Baramulla, Sopore, Uri, Salamabad, Uroosa, Kaman Post
8	Srinagar		Kargil	210	Ganderbal, Sonamarg, Baltal, Gumri, Drass, Kargil War Memorial
9	Kargil		Leh	250	Batalik, Darchik, Dah, Skurbuchan, Khaltse, Nimmu
10	Acclamatization and permits
	Leh	Khardungla		85	South Pullu
12	Leh	Pangong		175	Shey, Thiksey, Hemis, Zingral, Changla, Durbuk, Tangtse, Phobrang, Spangmik
13	Pangong	Leh		175
14	Leh	Hanle		270	Karu, Upshi, Kiari, Chumathang, Mahe, Nyoma, Loma
15	Hanle	Tsomoriri		180	Hanle Observatory, Sumdo, Changthang, Kyagar Tso, Karzok
16	Tsomoriri	Sarchu		240	Sumdo, Puga, Thukje, Tso Kar, Debring, Moore Plains, Pang, Gata Loops (A 7 km long road consisting of 21 hair pin bends)
17	Sarchu	Keylong		115	Zing Zing Bar, Patsio, Darcha, Jispa, Stingri
18	Keylong	Manali		130	Tandi, Sissu, Koksar, Marhi, Gulaba, Vashisht
19	Manali Local
20	Manali	New Delhi		560	Kullu, Bhuntar, Mandi, Bilaspur, Chandigarh
21	New Delhi Local
22	New Delhi	Gwalior		350	Buddh International Circuit, Yamuna Expressway, Agra, Dholpur, Morena
23	Gwalior	Indore		650	Shivpuri, Pohari, Karahal, Shahabad, Baran, Jhalawar, Susner, Agar, Ujjain
24	Indore Local
25	Indore	Pune		600	Dhule, Malegaon, Manmad, Chandwad, Sangamner, Narayangaon

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 1^st / 2^nd 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:- 
• The Side cases
• Bike Specific Mounts
• The Keys 

• 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 Protection Skid/Sump Plate:- primarily so that the underbelly of the bike doesn’t take a hit, which is common in adverse terrains 

• Engine Guards:- primarily so that even if the bike suffers a fall, no part of the motorcycle touches the ground

• Luggage Rack/Base plate

• 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

• Tyre Compressor and Puncture Solutions:- Extremely easy to use and portable. Very handy for such rides.