Day9 - Diskit to Pangong Tso

Route: Diskit-Khardungla-Leh-Kharu-Chang La-Tangste-Pangon Tso

Total Distance: 300+kms (Approx)

Time: 13Hrs**







Clock Ticked 7.30am and weather was quite unusual, sun was shining bright outside, for a moment I felt like I'm back home. Plan was to reach Pangong Tso and with all the negative answers running through our minds last night, we were almost fixed by now to take the route via Leh itself and also all calculations seems to be fine that we can reach Pangong by evening if we push hard. Took a long and refreshing bath enjoying the view outside through bath room window. . Went to the same hotel's restaurant, had maggi for breakfast and saddled up. All other bikers we met yesterday were almost ready by that time.



Whom we met yesterday.. (courtesy: Ronak)







View from the Room







9.45am, Bid Adieu to all the bikers and we left the place, Hundar was just 7kms away and Hari was desperate to see the Double hump camels and we also wanted to leave our tyre marks there. So turned towards Hunder and reached there in no time. We reached the Junction and it seems like the entire village is still sleeping and couldn't find any camels around. Hari had ran in to find some but we just waited there and he returned with no luck. With no big disappointment we turned back to start our journey. It was same road but the visuals around seems to be changed a bit under the bright sun. So stopped at the sand dunes for another photo session.



Nubra Sand dunes..










Hari - The Shadow Man









Below 3 are Roank's Clicks...













Started from there and riding through the same good road has not been so exciting as yesterday's, reached Agham-Shyok Junction and all that we could do is to shake our heads across and make our minds to climb up the hill. We just wanted to push as fast as we can on the good shaped roads. Crossed all those villages along the way and I felt like so known to those places as if I visited so many times. Had a break again at North Pullu and its again my turn to start the stunt with woolen gloves. This time I didn't want a fall in any case, so let my brain to think for some time and came up this superb solution. The problem was that only my fingers were going numb and I thought why to wear gloves for whole hand, so had cut the fingers separately from the woolen gloves and asked Hari to put those on the riding gloves. So funny to see Hari putting on those gloves (One can Imagine ugly here) and the people around were laughing like anything. It was looking like I kept my hand in hot soup and it got bandage around, I myself could not stop laughing looking at me. Somehow, got to move and headed to conquer the Highest motorable road once again. This incline is shorter from the other side and was bit easier with favorable weather conditions. Now again a funny incident, the woolen fingers pouches started falling down one by one at each and every hump. I didn't notice it but Ronak and Hari behind me were laughing their hearts out. Was it looking so funny?? by the time I could reach the top, only one was left on my little finger . My superb idea turned out to a stupid one, had nothing to do but just to threw off the left one as well and give an end to the gloves story.





We were at the K-top again around 1pm but didn't stop anywhere considering the remaining distance we have to cover today. Came down quickly and stopped again at South Pullu for Lunch. Had inquired the check post incharge about the Leh-Manali road conditions, he said everything seems to be fine apart from snowing in some of the passes and also gave us lot of options on the alternative routes with rough maps as well. He told that we can continue from pangong towards chusul, Mahe and then Tso Moriri and reach pang on the next day. Told him that we have not taken any passes for Tso Moriri but he said that it should be fine with Pangong's Pass and told me to check at the army post near Lukung. Thanked him for all the inputs, Finished our lunch and again we met one of the German guy who stayed with us at the hotel in Diskit and on his way back to Leh.

The other German guy who stayed with us at Diskit.



How could i miss this famous animal...very far though



Rolled down from there, reached Leh and started hunting for Jerry cans to carry extra fuel. Hari went inside the market for cans but didn't return for a long time. I was wondering what if he is been caught under terrorist activities by the way he was looking Went searching him but could not find any signs. I can see so many shops which were selling Jerry cans at the starting point itself but no idea where this guy has gone. As well known for being lazy, I gave up with few more shops and came back fixed that no one would dare to kidnap this kid. Somehow he came back successfully after sometime with 3 cans in his hand. Went to the Petrol bunk, filled in the tanks upto brim and also the cans but found that one of the can had a small hole and was leaking petrol. Our tanks were already full and there is no way that we can pour that petrol anywhere but luckily some bulletier who came to fill in asked to give that petrol to him and he would pay us. Thank god and the guy.

4.30Pm Moved on from there towards Kharu on the Leh-Manali highway. Again not much to tell about this long straight stretch but had faced a lot of issues with the Jerry can, I couldn't find any proper place to tie it and was just doing some experiments over the rear panel which ended up with lots scratches on the panel. Reached Kharu, I was desperate to get rid of this Jerry can, took my helmet sling bag out, put the Jerry can inside and got it on my back. Was not feeling that comfortable but I could not find any better solution. Took the diversion towards Pangong, crossed one of the Beautiful Villages, Shakti (Airtel mobile signal works only till here) and with in no time we were at the bottom of another Mighty pass the Chang-La. The roads were just above amazing through out the complete stretch till half way of Chang-La.



The other day, guys whom we met at South Pullu had told that the last 5-6kms of Chang-la is in a bad condition. Keeping that in mind we were just getting prepared to take the humps at any other corner but BAD could be the least word we can use to describe those roads, it was worst than any other passes till now, the incline was so steep with no signs of any motorable road conditions. The maximum we could do is 15-20kmph in first/second gear. With a 5 Litre Jerry can on the back, Water crossings with Slippery rocks, potholes with no other go options, odd weather OMG!! that was just a hell of a ride in the last few miles. K&N and PGMFi has helped their part amazingly on the ZMR while Ronak's P220 was struggling a bit on the incline with a warning light lit to clean the air filter. Being the light weightier even Hari found it difficult on the steep. With all the Humpy bumpy ride we reached Chang-La Top which is the Third Highest pass in the world and thus we left our foot stamps.





Weather was worser than K-top, we were finding it difficult to breathe even with out doing anything. Hari has ran into the Free Medical aid camp while i was trying to wind up the photo session ASAP and Ronak has gone in search of a toilet. I was trying few clicks on my Cam, Hari came out running calling me inside, went inside and there was any army guy lighting the kerosene heater. The moment I saw him I got to know that he is from Andhra Pradesh and even Hari pointed his eyes saying "Telugu". Wow..It was huge relief for me, He was so excited to see a Telugu speaking guy miles away from his home and So Was I. Words got exchanged, shared a lot of experiences which lead to a very quick friendship. Within in a short time we felt so comfortable as we knew each other from a long time. The warmth of the kerosene heater had got our life back into our bodies. He prepared tea for us and also gave lot of biscuits and Cadburys to carry even when we were refusing to take. Stayed there more than an hour and must say that we have got a VIP treatment. Chang-la wouldn't have remained as one of the fantastic experiences if we have not come across him. Nagendra Reddy is his name and we all three owe him a lot. He also told us about the road condition is bit bad through the down hill and we can reach pangong by 8 - 8.30pm. Just a 'Thank you' will not justify for his kindness but we just got to move from there to continue our journey.

Nagendra Reddy: Such a sweet person







After giving tons of thanks to him, we moved on from there and again started the drill with the road. Downhill was even more worst than the other side. It was just around 7 kms but took a very long time for us to come down. Reached Tsotlak and it has become dusky, me and Ronak stopped to change the visor and told Hari to carry on. Roads were good enough to ride but got to be extra careful with the gravel. It got darker and very scary with no lights in the sight. We kept moving on a moderate speed with One or Two trucks here and there which brings a big relief of human existence in those lonely mountains.

Reached Darbuk around 8.30pm and we still had a long way to go. Kept moving on and good roads had helped us to ride without much trouble. Crossed Tangste around 9pm and the entire place was deserted by that time, thought of stopping there and staying but some sheer madness has made up our mind to stay at Lukung. Roads after Tangste were bit uneven with lot of water crossings and we all 3 had tough time in judging those the in darkness. Dont know which and all Nalas we have crossed but were really desperate to find some place to stay.I was leading and somewhere just before Lukung there was a sudden heap of sand on the road which got me out of balance but somehow managed to get out of it without a fall. Ronak behind me has misjudged it got off the balance and fell down and so as Hari. Ronak's leg was stuck under his bike, helped them to get out and luckily no damages to anything. We have come a long way after Tangste but couldn't find any sight of Lukung as per the distance we covered, we were a little worried as we might have came in the wrong way but still kept rolling that it might come in the next 1-2kms. Went another 5+kms like but still couldn't find any signs of light around, it was pitch dark and we can see only till where our bike's light can pass. Weather was getting chill and we were so scared that we are lost in the middle of nowhere. Moved another 2kms and found a shed kind of thing, we were so hungry and couldn't ride anymore, went inside the shed but there was no one around. Thought of sleeping inside the shed but for our dismay the cement floor was freshly laid and we couldn't step in. Came back with disappointed faces, Ronak told lets go back to Tangste itself but I had some kind of confidence that we are so close to the place and told lets ride for another 5kms if not we will go back.:fingerscrossed: Just a minute after we started from there, the board shows as 'First view of World Famous Pangong Tso'. Now any words here cannot explain the kind of feeling we had at that point of time. Went a bit further and found a Campsite which is about to sleep, went inside and asked the guy for a room and he told that Huts are available at Rs.3500 and tents for Rs.1900. Asked him for something cheaper but as dormitory was already full he told he will give us the tent which costs Rs.1900 for Rs.600 itself by looking at our condition. Again Thank god, we have come across so many nice people today. Took Two tents as the bed could not fit three. Dumped all our luggage and he called us to finish the dinner soon as he wants to switch off the generator. While having dinner inquired the hotel guy about the lake as we couldn't see anything around. He gently replied that we are sitting right in-front of the lake but nothing is visible now. That promised us a surprising view of the lake in the morning. Dinner was very delicious with Pulkas, Jeera rice, Dal etc and he told that there is no discount for food and it strictly costs Rs.350 per person we didn't say anything as he was taking very nice care of us. In the chit chat he told that he works here for 6 months and goes to Goa for another 6 months where he works as a chef. Nice Idea to skip the summer heat. Finished the dinner, handled the Jerry can to the guy who was taking care and told him the we will take it in the morning as we do not want to sleep breathing the petrol fumes. Went back to the tents, Me and Hari slept in one tent and Ronak in another one. We were so happy to find some shelter after going through all scary moments. The warmth of the rugs and tiredness of riding 300+kms in the terrain took us to a deep sleep within minutes.

Day-10 A Fresh welcome by the Pangong...

Day-10: Pangong Tso to Upshi

thanks Dude..

Ha ha...lol...

Day10 - Pangong Tso to Upshi

Route: Pangon Tso - Tangste - Chang La- Shakti - Karu - Upshi
Total Distance: 165+kms (Approx)
Time: 6Hrs**



Tiredness filled to the core of our bones after riding so long last night, none of us were able to wake up for the beautiful dawn over the lake and it was definitely not a pleasant sleep being staying overnight at the highest ever altitude so far in the trip. Woke up around 7am after Sun-rays passing through those small gaps in the tent. Here we go, Last night's scary darkness around has now changed to mesmerizing views with mountains and the Pangong Lake right in front of our eyes. Wow!! we were so close!!. Sad that we missed the Sunrise . that Bed seems to be so cosy for Hari and he wanted to hug it tightly for some more time (lazy a**). Me and Ronak walked up to the nearest army camp to check the alternative route via Chushul but the entire camp seems to be on leave with no one around. Finally decided to knock the door and for our dismay the only army guy who was there had been newly posted and does not know much about the routes. Little disappointed we, came back to the tent, Ronak almost gave up on this but I went to the camp owner to inquire. He informed that the route is possible but you need to have pass for Tso Moriri, I told we do not have a specific one but no one has collected any passes till now apart from South Pullu , he gave a gentle smile and told to do it at our own risk and not to blame anyone if we are caught at any of the army post and our families will not even be able to trace us.

Alternative plan thoughts has got diluted with that scary advise and last night's tiring ride has worth us in recovering the reserve day lost in Amritsar-Srinagar part. We decided to enjoy the view around first and then take the same old route back lately and relaxed. There is no chance of even a thought passing through our mind to take bath in that freezing cold, so another day added to the list. Got freshened up and moved on for some life time memory clicks. Today, only pics can talk everything we experienced out there.

























And it changes the color in no time..







PICS from Ronak:







Poser



Last but not the least. Pano of the lake.



Now enough... hope mods wont block my thread for using lot of bandwidth. :vlol: You just cant get enough of Pangong's beauty, you keep clicking, it keeps changing the colours every other minute, one may finally end up with low battery but will never be satisfied with the amount of pics. Finally after trying all the set of combinations that I and Ronak knew about our cameras, and blocking the view of other's pics, we have decided to wind up and move towards our tents slowly. Ronak had gone to have breakfast and I don't remember the exact reason why me and Hari skipped the breakfast for.

To withstand the name 'Lazy Bums' None of us were ready to compromise in carrying the jerry cans again, so had emptied whatever petrol we had, filled all three bikes upto the brim and got the saddles on to rock and roll. Going back through the same route is not going to be boring this time because we have seen nothing after Chang-la while coming last night. Settled all the bills after a small fight between Ronak and Camp owner's wife for asking about the water bottle price being doubled. It's understood that MRP will never workout for them in those remote areas so we did not want her to curse us for that. Clocked ticked 11.30am and we kick started our journey back to the mighty Chang-La

The tents where we stayed

.

On the way back, don't know the reason but all bikes were feeling a bit of power loss, K&N was shouting its heart out but couldn't go above 40's . Crossed all those risky sand heaps on road but most of the water crossings has given up to that spine chilling weather. No black Ice though . Slowly and steadily we started climbing Chang-La. It was again a hell of pothole ride. Chang-La was named the third highest pass but stood as the toughest ever in our ride so far. Finally reached the top and this time we were more confident, more happy because of the one and only person. Yes!! met Nagendra Reddy again, he was busy in handing over his responsibilities to a new in-charge there and he too was very happy that it is his last day there and will be going home for one month. We had all the time in this world to wait for him and went to lunch together. Spent almost 2 hours there chit chatting. (This time he even paid the bill without our knowledge...Man!!!). All we could do is wish him all the best as he going to be posted at Siachen after his holidays and rolled down slowly.



By the time we could cover Pangong and come back, BRO has gifted us around 2kms of newly laid tarmac on the downhill there was a huge traffic jam but we tackled it somehow and stood first to leave our tire marks on the smoking hot tar. On the way back we the one and only attraction is the beautiful view of Shakti Village from top. Trust me, anybody riding down could never concentrate on the road, it was mind blowing from the view point. Let the pics talk again.















Perfect Pose for a Butt Break







Ronak's





Moved on from there and it was a very fast ride till Karu. I was feeling a bit less pressure in my rear tyre, the last I checked was somewhere after Amritsar. Went to the local mechanic but no one cared my words, they were so damn busy in fixing some car and truck tyres. Didn't look like I cant get them to work for me, so moved on from there. Checked the pressure from some other shop, mine was more than required but it was Ronak and Hari who had to fill . Inquired about some stay options but we got an informative answer that Karu does not offer any such kind and we were told to go till Upshi or back to Leh to find one. Upshi as an alternative sounded good for us and will be better if we could stay at Upshi rather than going back to Leh. So, no second thoughts there and moved on quickly to Upshi. We were there in less than 30minutes and got a nice triple bedroom in a home stay for Rs.600. First time in our trip, we had lot of time in sunlight so ended up in cleaning our bikes, lubing the chains and topping up the engine oil. Ronak's bike was showing low engine oil level and he was in a dilemma whether to trust the meter or not. Even the transparent indicator was showing nothing inside.

This evening was pretty relaxing, Met so many bikers coming from Manali and all the suggestions about route conditions were positive. Happy three we were, had a heavy dinner right under the roof of our room and crashed on the bed. when I was half slept, Ronak had finally decided to get the engine oil changed and tank up, so he went to Leh for that and I never knew when he came back. It was a pleasant start and Fine ending for Day-10.

Day-11: Spectacular Tanglang La

Whoa.... Jay! Its truly A Journey Out of Eternal Dreams. Its Sad i was not Part of it . But there will always be next time.

Thanks a lot bro...

Thanks Sunil...

"Waiting for the rest of the Journey"

Nice Inspirational Log Jay..
this gonna help me a lot in fulfilling my dream in 2012

PS : Amazing pics

Hi Jay, nice Log this is helping me in planning my tour next year. I need advice from you regarding riding gear, I have started collecting my riding gear for the tour today i have purchased dsg revive gloves nice and comfortable and in few months will be purchasing jacket, knee pads and boot covers. But due to budget constraints i will not be able to invest in dedicated riding pants and riding boots. I can see from the photos that only one person is wearing riding boots but rest of the two are not wearing not wearing riding boots and i guess none of you are wearing riding pants can you let me know how did you manage water crossings and how did you substitute for riding boots and riding pants.

Coming soon...as u know, hardly finding time...

Thanks a lot Chetan...all the best for your preparations...

Thanks Rahul...

Ronak's riding boots weren't that helpful either in rains or the water crossings...we all struggled at couple of crossings en route Leh-Manali. you can substitute riding boots with rubber boots easily available in the market which will cover up to your knees and completely water proof (only for water crossings, they aren't comfortable for riding) and then manage the rest with any water resistant shoes.

I feel riding pants are optional for comfort.

Thanks Jay for your valuable input i wanted to know that what type of boots and pants did you use for Leh tour?

Me and Hari used Army boots...pants are normal jeans, but double layered after Srinagar...long johns are best choice for inner layer and any jeans would do on the top.

thanks mate