The stream looks really nice.....!!!!

Thanx for sharing the pics Archi.... The place looks so fresh....

awesome dude!!!

Beautiful pictures. WOW !!!

Day 2

DAY – II (October 26 ‘08, Sunday)

Delayed by one hour as per the plan and hit the road at 6.30 AM. It was going to be a goodday as I need to cover 350+ kms in hills same day to reach Badrinath, 3 kms before the end of the NH-58. Adv. R. K. Sharma also started with us. We headed towards Rishikesh. But after some 10 kms I noticed that Mr. Sharma’s Eterno is running with low air in rear tyre. So stopped immediately and found a nail, but as there was enough pressure so we rode till Rishikesh. He got his flat tyre fixed and we got cash from ATM and finished up our breakfast. It was about 8.30 AM when we started from Rishikesh. The road was in very bad condition (first 20 kms, and we were unaware of it that good roads are ahead), and it was very disappointing. We were crawling at 15-20 kmph.

The bad patch...


The work was in progress. But the butter smooth road was waiting for us along with river Ganga. So we ripped little fast and stopped at this place for Mr. Sharma and took some photographs.





Awesome roads and superb twisties and frightening cliff roads, those were really delight to ride. The next stop was Devprayag. Reached there at 10.30 AM. River ganga starts from here after the sangam of river Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. You can see the two different colours of water getting in to one.

Sangam...




Mr. Sharma, Om n Mr. Sharma's friend (L to R)




Some pics on the way…


After this we decided to ride fast, as we had to reach joshimath by 4.30 PM. As we had the idea that the last gate for Badrinath is closed at 4.30 PM. But still we decided to meet Mr. Sharma at Chamoli and we will stop there for our lunch. We raved saying him bye. The overall road is in its good condition and the mountain cliffs are little scary than the Himachal. Crossed Srinagar on the way. And I loved the road between Srinagar to Rudraprayag. You will get a variety of mountain roads passing thru villages, scary cliffs, few good hair-pin bends and a few stretch of snake curves to RIP….
We dint took any photo breaks in this day and most of the pics are clicked during ride.





We were exchanging rider in every 60-80 kms and it was really fruitful this time.



And we felt very relaxed by this.
And then we reached Nandaprayag at 2.30 PM. And by that time we were damn hungry. So decided to have our lunch break and we were also getting late. So finished up our lunch in 15 mins and headed for Joshimath.

@ nandaprayag...


Reached Joshimath at 5.30 PM. We were late by one hour. And the real journey started from here and we were unaware of the surprises waiting for us on that day.
The police personnel there at the gate told us that the road is in good condition and we can cover the stretch of 45-50 kms from Joshimath to Badrinath in max 1.5 hours. It was getting dark by then and we were in a confuse state coz we decided in the starting of the trip that we are not going to do any night ride in the hills this time. Asked some local people and they suggested not to go in that road during night as there are some steep roads and we will not get a single vehicle enroute. But still after a lot of confusions in mind we decided to make a night ride again. And we decided to stay at Badrinath. The road was in it’s worst condition with big boulders everywhere and it started some 10 kms after. We were expecting good roads ahead.
It was almost completely dary by 6.30 PM, we crossed a small market area (2-3 shops) and after 5-6 kms we got a flat tyre.
OMG, the most unexpected thing happened in the middle of no where. Tough we had the whole puncture repair kit, but nothing was striking in the mind. It was completely dark and some lights were visible nearly a kilometer away so we pushed the bike there and it was Jaypee group hydro power project. But there was no facilities available rather than lights. That place was 17 kms before Badrinath.
I first attempted to fill air so that I can ride some more kilometers but it was in vain. The tyre was unable to keep some pressure. So finally decided to fix the flat tyre there coz the nearest puncture repair shop was 40 kms before and there was no facilities at Badrinath. Just then a tata sumo came and it was heading towards Badrinath and we decided to leave the bike there and headed for Badrinath with sumowala thinking in mind that we will fix the tyre next day after Darshan. It was also that sumowala’s advice not to ride in that route in two wheels. And finally reached at Badrinath at 9.00 PM.
It was very cold there, and suppose to be sub-zero temperature. Most of the hotels were closed as there were few days left for the closing of the temple. No body lives there for winter six months. With the help of the sumowala we got a room and ended that day’s adventure there…..

Route – Hardwar-Rishikesh- Devprayag-Srinagar-Rudraprayag-Karnaprayag-Nandaprayag-Chamoli-Pipalkoti-Joshimath-Badrinath
Kms Covered – 346 Kms

it's devbhumi uttarakhand...

@archi: can you tell me what is written above the uttranchal in your pic?

thanx bro... and i'll love to re-ride there next year...

I would say re-ride 4-5 years later

Good start archi bhaiya, post Day-2 jaldi..

DAY – I (October 25 ‘08, Saturday)
We had initial plans to leave Delhi by 2 PM. The bike was not serviced, there was an oil lick from the engine, and so need to change the packing, the engine oil to be changed and the racer was loosen. And I had lots of work pending in office coz Diwali holidays. So Om dropped me in office at 10 AM and went straight to CBZ (castrol bike zone), Okhla. But he informed me that he will get the bike at 1 PM.

And finally we started from Delhi at 4.15 PM.

Let’s go…


Got the tank full at Hauz-Khas. There was heavy traffic because of diwali weekend. And it took more than 1 hour to cross outer ring road. Reached Meerut by-pass at 7.00 PM.
Took a half an hour break there for snax and then headed non stop for Hardwar. The road condition is very bad as the construction work is going on. I found no progress in last 6 months; the condition was same as before. I was desperate to cross these 200 kms stretch from Delhi to Hardwar so that I can enter in the hills. Reached Hardwar at 11.00 PM, checked in a hotel and went out for dinner.

In the hotel we met Adv. R. K. Sharma from Gurgaon, in his 50’s who was on his scooter on the way to Chopta for trekking. He was really an inspiring guy and is mad for The Mighty Himalayas. And the best part is, he used to do most of his trips on bikes/scooters. There was 2 hour long interaction with him after dinner. He has a very good knowledge about the Garwal Hills. And he also trekked a lot in those regions. Got some very good info from him. We had same route till Chamoli.
So we decided to ride together starting at 5.30 AM in the next morning.

Route - Delhi-Meerut-Hardwar
Kms Covered - 230 Kms

will start posting soon....

thanx bro...
and will get a saddle bag this time....actually the backpack was sandwitched between the rider and the pillion so dint felt that much pain....
and hopefully i'll love to re-read some 4-5 years later....

Lovelies. Cant wait for more. Your photography has improved alot!!

But no saddlebags - back tumhari hi hai na

PS: I'd love to have you re-read this ride some four-five years later. Prolly you'd just label it as "touring as usual"

Good teaser pictures. Looking forwad to the log and rest of the pics.

thats really great Ken da...
actually 'm very bad in that...

will post the detailed log by tomorrow night...

one more pic...

Thanks. Which means, I still recognize stuff from my earlier touring days.

will post ASAP...

Yes Ken da... It's Neelkanth Parvat...