born2lead

Day 3 - 11 August ‘08
Night in a tent at Sarchu was quite an experience; strong winds striking against the sides of tent were making quite a sound through out the night. But I was able to get a sound sleep and was only awaken by the Good Morning Alarm at 5:30am. When we went to sleep my guess is there were like 15 odd humans and a couple of trucks but early morning when I came out of the tent I saw a little over 20 vehicles (trucks, mini vans, scorpio, qualis) parked around these tents. Surprisingly there were just three bikes including ours and the RX 100 of that guy from UK. Nobody rides or drives on these roads during the night. It was quite chilly outside with those cold winds cutting right through the glaciers.
Considering the terrain it was advisable to tighten and lube the chainset of bikes every alternate day and we were carrying required tools, lube oil for ZMA’s chain and a gulf chain spray for the O ring chain. This exercise just takes 5 minutes and I recommend it very strongly for all the riders.





Chatted a little more with the RX 100 rider over the breakfast and this is what he had to say
“I had no family, wife, girl friend or kids back at London and for some time I was just switching jobs finally I came to India on a ONE WAY TICKET and SIX MONTH TOURIST VISA, its been little over a month and it’s a wonderful experience, above all I think best thing so far is (with no accent just like anyone of us would say) CHAI (while gently raising his cup of tea), I really like the people here and I am heading towards South now. And that’s it haven’t planned anything after this.”
Showing a Sony Playstation he said this is the best companion he has ever had. And with that I got know another perspective of life, on one side with no responsibility no tension no expectations or obligations what so ever, sounds so Cool & Lucky and on the other side at the very same time with absolutely no one around who cares for you or even know you, with almost no ambition and having a gadget as a best friend, sounds so Unlucky.
Paid the tent owner Rs255 (that included evening tea and snacks, night stay, dinner, breakfast for two guys) and started with our journey at 6:45am. Soon the smooth ride in almost plains for a couple of kms took us to the footsteps of Gata Loops. There are 21 loops in total (I really counted them while riding back) that take you from a height of 4201mtrs/13780fts to 4667mtrs/15302fts.

Gata Loops from the Top

This is one Loop



While we were taking few snaps at the beginning of Gata Loops a truck going up crossed us, though I don’t exactly remember when but may be I was too busy enjoying the scenery when we overtook this truck earlier. Important part being due to the load and of course the altitude it was very slow and in no time we were right at its back honking for a side to overtake. The road wasn’t wide enough and the driver had to break and take the left tyre of the road to give us the required space. We overtook it and moved on but guess just after covering few more loops we couldn’t help it to stop and click some more snaps. Yet again the truck passed by and again when we resumed we were honking for side. By the time we reached at the end of Gata Loops it was the fifth time that truck passed us. After clicking few pictures I even said to Ankur that we are enjoying all this but the poor guy driving the truck would be pissed off coz every time he has to break and take all the pain to let us pass by.

View from NakeeLa

Gata Loops take you to another Paas NakeeLa (height - 15547 ft). When we stopped here to click NakeeLa, I saw the same truck coming towards us for the sixth time, with a mix of some guilt and anxiousness I tired to look at the driver, though it was a little difficult to face some one to whom you have been troubling around for your own fun sake I did look at his face. With almost a gruesome look on my face, expecting a frustrated look from the driver I was taken aback when the truck came near us… “I saw a middle age man (Sardar ji) with most of his face covered in heavy and grey whiskers, looking through his tired eyes, waving his hand towards us with a big bright Smile”
That smile really made my day, I can’t forget this experience. Back in a civilized, sophisticated and educated Metropolitan City like Delhi if by any chance you happen to overtake some one twice for sure you will get that look and by the third time surely it would lead to swearing and abusing and only God knows if ever you would be able to reach to a sixth time.
The roads were quite good since morning and as we started to descend it was fun to enjoy the effortless ride. While overtaking the truck for the last time we both waved towards the driver and bend our neck a little lower while taking the hand towards the heart as a respectful gesture. We saw a Mahindra Armada coming down taking an offroad shortcut through the rough terrain to skip an entire loop. At the very place where this offroad shortcut meets the road were a few trucks parked by the road side. When we reached at that spot I asked a truck driver if we can reach to this same road somewhere at the top by that shortcut. Looking surprisingly towards us he said yes but warned us that it was quite steep and though there is traffic coming down nobody tries to climb up not even the 4X4 Army trucks from the TATA Jabalpur Factory. Well being the so called adventurer that we are we decided to take that shortcut. It was all gravel very loosely laid in two parallel lanes and Ankur was right ahead of me revving hard his ZMA to start up the endeavor. We both started to ride up with quite cautiously balancing the bike while revving hard. I even saw once my P200 revving on the likes of 6K+ rpm in the very first gear. While we were almost mid way, in a blink I noticed that I was just behind Ankur’s ZMA and that I might even bump into him, the situation leaving me with no choice but to break and that my friend is a crime at such a place. Because from that very spot I wasn’t able to go any up no matter what I try. I even tried pushing the bike while simultaneously revving it hard but all in vain, it all just resulted in an almost 9’-10’ inches of carve in the gravel below the rear wheel. At this altitude such an effort results in a very heavy breathing and a loud pumping heart and I had no choice but to sit by the side to first re-capsulate myself. It was even difficult to shout out loud to Ankur to inform him that I am stuck. After a while I started to descend back a little till the time I could feel a much harder surface especially below the rear wheel to launch it all over again. Finally I found one and with the learning’s from my last mistake I reached at the top where Ankur was waiting for me. We looked from the top and realized that it was no less then atleast 4 kms that we have saved. No wonder few locals take such shortcuts but only on the way down.

The Shortcut we took



It was around 8:30am when we crossed the next Paa LachulungLa (height – 16616ft). After riding for like another 8-10kms we reached at Kangla Jal, this was the first major water stream of the trip that we had to cross. The source of water in these streams is the glaciers on the top and on a bright sunny day due to the melting snow, by late afternoon the water level increases so much that it’s quite a challenge to cross them. It was quite comfortable for us though. After crossing Kangla Jal there was a small bridge by the side of some magnificent looking weathered mountains. Here while we stopped to click some photographs another group of Bull 500 riders (approx 12-15) going towards Sarchu crossed us. Enjoying these weathered heaps of sand and gravel across the mountains through the valley we reached to a point where another mind blowing view was awaiting us. There were two water streams merging into one, now few of you might not be amazed but I was looking at two water streams of different colors where in one was crystal clear with a tint of blue the other one was muddy in color. We took a break at this spot enjoyed the cold clear water stream for some time before resuming the journey. Next we had to cross the border into J&K where every vehicle was required to make an entry at the boarder army post. I am not sure if it was as per rules but the army guy was charging Rs10 from each truck driver. Another 10 or so kms and we reached Pang. Just like Sarchu there were a handful of tents along the side of an Army Unit.











The Bull 500 Riders in the vicinity

Yeti's Cave





We had a short tea break and after we climbed a few more swirls and we reached to heaven – Moray Plains. We have read about it heard so many stories around Moray Plains, and though I have been there I would still say you got to be there to feel the experience. At such an altitude the least I could have expected was a vast expanse outstretched in front surrounded by hills. Well standing at the very end from where these Moray Plains start it was almost like an oval shaped play ground (Gods own Football Field) stretched for approx little over 25kms. Best part being with lesser oxygen, the much clearer (so so bulu) sky the visibility was crystal clear, I don’t remember when was the last time I have had such a clear visibility to an air distance of 25-30kms. Though there was tarmac road by the left side of this oval shaped area, we could see traffic coming just straight cutting through the Plains. We clicked a few photos and started to ride on the Moray Plains, we were making our on roads through the diversions and were doing it quite fast too, at one point of time I was riding at 85+kmph (on gravels) but then soon realized with a bump into a sand pit that its better to slow down.







A Mitsubishi Pajero zoomed away with just a thick dust trail following it, looking at which Ankur said “Next Time Scorpio pe Pakka”. As we were riding almost at the mid of the Plains we saw lights flashing in the front for a little while I was confused because the pair of lights seemed too close to be a car/SUV and too far to be a bike. In a little while our speed went down, then we saw the most spectacular thing ever “Two Quads horsing around doing 100+kmph galloping on these mind blowing stretches”. While one just went pass us the other stopped right infront of us. We didn’t speak a word standing there admiring the awesome machine, then the rider said “So Enjoying”. And a firm “Yes” was the answer. Meanwhile the other Quad that went ahead came back and we had a small chat session on where these guys were heading too and how amazing these machines are. They have completed the lake circuit on these Quads and they were heading to Shimla.















So we started after adios with the amazing Quads. Towards the last section of Moray Plains we came back on tarmac roads but couldn’t really speed up as some constructions were going on. Two guys on a deserted Santro stopped us in distress; they were heading towards Sri Nagar and were running very low on petrol. We gave them the four liters we had in fuel cans and moved further.









After Plains it was the turn to ride up the Second Highest Motorable Paas TaglangLa (height – 17582fts). While the roads were good, for the first time here the bikes started to show some real toll. While my P200 was still pulling up (somehow) it was Ankur’s ZMA that just gave up towards the top. We had to detune it after which it was quite better. When we reached at the T Top it started to drizzle, as usual like other tops it was quite chilly so we left T Top in a little rush. Just a couple of kms and it started to hailstorm. The milestone still said Rumtse 8kms. By the time we reached Rumtse, we were a little drenched. Found a tent and had couple of rounds of tea and magi. After waiting for like 45 mins at Rumtse when it stopped raining we started to ride again. From Rumtse it’s a slight descend till LEH, while river Gaya flows along the road through out the valley the till Upsi, it was very easy to maintain 60-70kmph and from Upsi it was Plain sailing till LEH. Saw another fuel station at Karu (30kms before LEH). We reached LEH at 6pm.




At Rumtse Drenched




Checked into a hotel at LEH, got fresh and went out for an evening stroll in the market. Like we always hear there are more foreign nationals then Indians there. Had a Chinese dinner and went to bed at 10pm.

Click here for Day 4...