SACHIN superb write up dude as well as pics. You mentioned in ur log that u took different route from pehalgam, so tell me which route it was?

DK suggested this, I dont remember the name of the place from where we took a detour however it was the first bridge just outside the Welcome to Pahalgam gate crossing the Lidder river.

This route was different from the usual NH 1 route to go to Srinagar.

Somehow had missed this thread.

Sir serial aage nahi jayega kya

Thread Locked

Thread has been locked due to no new update for a longgggg timeee

Will try to start writing this log from next week regularly.

Viraj thank god you are not a moderator Hold it man you won't regret!!!

Day 7 - Srinagar to Drass > Conquering the mighty Zoji La

Day 7 - Srinagar to Drass > Conquering the mighty Zoji La
3rd June'11

Distance covered - 150 kms

Nothing can be more exciting and challenging than the mere thought of crossing the Zozilla or Zo jila if you have never experienced it. The tough would enjoy it and would not miss it for anything.
Today's ride would cover 150 kms from Srinagar on a motorable pass where "motorable" and "pass" are subjective to interpretation of adrenaline rush and natural beauty, which makes you forget everything, even riding.
I could easily comment now that the tough part of the ride has began, the first difficult part of the ride has began, Yes it was time for us to see the beauties of ever changing landscape which is mesmerizing and spectacular and at the same time be ready for the next high adventure and the real test.
Morning around 10 AM we packed our stuff and were ready to roll. Quick bike check up, cleaned it a bit and we left Srinagar. Couple of kms of riding and we reached end of Dal lake where we stopped for a brief moment as Aryan had stopped again because his luggage was not tied properly. I still wonder how he managed to ride with all that luggage in front and back. God bless the poor 150cc engine which took all the brunt of the roads with all that extra weight.
Finally with his arrival we moved on, the roads were in very good condition with nice tarmac which allowed us to ride at good speed. The road from Srinagar to Drass allows one to pass through beautiful small villages which is quite a riding experience something very different than the usual highway ride.
After 2 hours journey from Srinagar, which itself is magnificient as the greens, mountains and rivers make you feel in heaven - The journey from Sonmarg towards Drass on a single - lane road is out of the world experience.
We reached Sonamarg at around 12PM and we still had soldiers in every 100m, but we had got used it by now. At sonamarg we could see lot of tourists who had made it their dream destination to enjoy I believe, throwing snow balls at each other and sliding on the snow. Since it was not a part of the plan we move on anyways too many people in one place is something I would like to keep away from.

From Sonamarg, there is a diversion for Amarnath, but the roads less travelled was our road, the road that will take us to Zozilla. At Sonamarg I could feel the chill, the real Himalayan chill. It's cold in shade, but the skin burns in the sun.
Moving on some distance from Sonamarg we could see the patches of lush green meadows which extends towards the snowcaps, waterfalls, rivers bisecting emptiness of greens.The sky was so blue that it could hurt your eyes never had I seen such a blue sky in my life; sunshine so bright that you can go blind and few clouds moving over, were like the characters of fairytales ready to narrate a new story.
We could not resist the temptation which the mother nature was showing us and we decided to stop here for some time to admire her true beauty. Lot of pictures clicked here by Puneet afterall its pictures we refer to for refreshing our memories. Deepan used this time to stick suction cup with permanent bondtite to the saucer to ensure it does not damage my camera in any case. Deepan couple of days back had damaged his camera because of suction cup not fitted properly.


































We moved on and here after began the toughest part of our journey so far as we begin to climb the mountains slowly. The road was in very bad shape as we expected however we were up to the challenge and kept climbing. It became very difficult at certain hairpins where the roads are so pathetic it will test your riding skills to the limit. This was a test not just for the rider but for the bike as well.
Now after few kms of climb we found overtaking loaded trucks very difficult as the road was single and very narrow. It was not enough for us to pass by and we had to wait for the lorry to give us side so that we could move ahead. Making our life more difficult was when we finally saw huge trucks coming from the other side. With no where to go we wait at the edge of the road on the left side. Army official told us to wait here as there were many trucks that were coming from the other side.
We parked our bikes on the edge of the road right behind a truck which was parked. As we wait for the traffic to clear it was taking longer than usual. It was time for break I guess. I found the driver and cleaner of the truck cleaning their vessels after their meal. I got really surprised and had to ask, How long have you been waiting here? to which the guy replied, "We have been here from last night waiting for our turn to come to move on" I said no ways I m going to wait here that long we gotta to find a way to move on.
Somehow we managed to move a little ahead just one turn ahead before we got stuck again as there are too many trucks on coming. One truck parked along side 4 bikes, it was quite a sight as the one side you can see traffic but on the other side is a beautiful sight where you can snow capped mountains and twisting roads below us. We asked a few army officials about the how long will it take for the traffic from our side to start moving and they said at least an hour more before we can move on. There were around 90 army trucks that need to pass before we can finally move.
Standing in hot sun was really getting difficult and there was no shade anywhere to relax. After talking to the truck guy for a good 15-20 minutes I asked him if I can sit in his truck for sometime to which he said Yes. I quickly climbed the truck and sat inside where I found the driver already sleeping. I relaxed in the truck for around 30 minutes when finally I heard my friends shouting Let's go It's our turn now.
With the trucks from the other side finally stopped we could move ahead. It was around 90 minutes we spent here before we could start the journey, unexpected but all part of the experience.

Conditions were getting worse as we moved on, no tarmac, it was pure off roading where the roads where in no condition for a smooth ride. This 28 km climb to Zoji La pass was very difficult considering the road which changed from tarmac to no tarmac and slowly from no tarmac to muddy road and lot of potholes filled. Now riding speed was decreased and we were riding at around 20-25kmph without any gear changes maneuvering in the troublesome road. It takes a lot of courage, guts and preserverance to pass the Zozilla and here came one instance where all 4 bikes stopped right in front of a huge water crossing.
Carefully one after the other from the corner of the pool of water surrounding the bike we passed the first water crossing of the trip. Everybody passed the test it was not that easy but one cant be careless here. Weather was getting worse every minute and we managed to cross Zozilla without any issues at around 3PM. It started snowing and this was the first time in my life I saw snowfall.
As we crossed Zozilla, the highway ride became fun to ride again and suddenly between the huge tall snow mountains and green meadows, nomads of Kashmir created patches of life on the emptiness of nature where even a touch of humanity seems to spoil the beauty. But these gypsies simplicity perfectly blended with the mother nature.
If I have to discuss about the ride from Zozilla to Drass, this ride is pure romancing with nature in reality, you are in its lap and she sings ballads through melting snow; her tender kisses are fresh in the breeze and her touch is mystic when you feel the warmth of the sun. I can only hope to be back someday to ride here again.
As soon as you ride down from Zozilla, you will come across a place where you are between mountains and one single lane plane tarmac road strecthing as far as your eyes can see. What a wonderful sight!!!
We saw Kargil war memorial on the way before reaching Drass. We payed our tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in Kargil war and saluted them in respect.

























































Finally we reached Drass where India and Pakistan fought each other on these mountain ranges and made it world famous. We made it to Drass at around 5PM and checked into a lodge to spend the night. There are not many stay options in Drass I think in total there are only 3 hotels here. We made it and clicked lot of pictures under the famous board that said, "J & K tourism Welcomes you to the 2nd coldest inhabited place in the world."
Delicious hot Meat curry and rice to make us feel better in the cold conditions and we had a nice time in Drass, saw the famous "Tiger Hill Point" where we remembered this land of high passes where the famous 1999 Kargil war was fought.
Made a few calls back home and to DK and Satyen updating them of our status. Drass is still backward but the natural beauty and history of silk route makes you feel that you are in the middle of melting pot of civilizations. It always will be seen as a place for lovers of nature and simple life, Drass is a way to find something lost within and sustaining that through a voyage of adrenaline and spirituality.

Posting a few videos from the above day :-

We had reached the mid point of Zozila pass when we had encountered a convoy of Aarmy trucks due to which we were stuck on that slope for 90 mins. Below is a small video of the army trucks passing us from Zozila towards Sonmarg. This was recorded by Puneet (N4Speed) using his Galaxy S mobile.

Army trucks convoy at Zozila. - YouTube


Below is a video of a small water crossing on the top at Zozila. Recorded by Sachin Nair using his point and shoot cam.

Water crossing atop Zozila.AVI - YouTube


A video recorded by Puneet on the way from Zozila to Drass.

On the way to Drass from Zozila. - YouTube


P.S :- I suck at video editing hence posting the videos as it is from the cams.


Regards,
Deepan

Nice log!
Did you also travel to Lahaul and kullu valley?

Yes, Since Kunzum La pass was not open we saw Manali - Kullu and then went to see Lahaul and returned. Missed Spiti though which is another reason to go back to the mountains

A big thank you for this picture guys. This pic has answered all my question. Now I can also take my fazer to the valley without any doubt. Just a question: any changes in the bike to ride at that altitude??

No major changes to any of the bikes. We just adjusted the AFR screw in Leh for climbing K-Top. But felt the bike could have done without that also. The above fazer faced a lot of issues while climbing K-top and it did not climb Chang-La. The reason found out later on was the carb had accumulated a lot of dust in it due to which there was heavy power loss.
Be relaxed you can take your Fazer to Leh no issues. This bike had hell lot of luggage and a heavy Duro off roading tire but still did the whole trip.

Regards,
Deepan

Thanks for the info, Deepan .
I am following the new thread Leh 2012 Planner and want to go there in mid-2012 anyhow. Started preparing for it. Looking forward to meet u guys in Kas Lake G2G and get some valuable tips and suggestions.

The problem started when Fazer could not successfully climb Khardung La without any luggage. Thats when Aryan removed the air filter to ensure that he climbs the pass. He did manage to climb the pass after removing air filter but carb started accumulating dust in process. Next day in Chang la the bike was again un successful in the climb due to dust accumulation.

Deepan can add on more if required as he was with him that time

Even without any luggage!!!!! Heartbreaking for me. Hmm, will get some resolution for this issue. Anyways, thanks Sachin.

Superb narration and pics, congrats to u all! I just read the whole blog, while reading I actually got carried away, I felt like I was there with u guys, too good buddy. Day 8??? Bring it on...

ZMR had no issues as it has FI engine, Karizma R survived and did not face any major issues. But trust me dude, Fazer had lot of issues. You can also check with Vishwas who also faced issues in Ladakh while riding FZ.

Technically I dont know why only Fazer had so many issues. May be because of HID or very heavy tire at the rear