Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Hats off sir, a true inspiration and lots of learning from this tlog. Good luck for the many more rides in the near future....

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Awesome stuff sir! Thumb up.

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Magical Uttarakhand :
The plains had become a bit uncomfortable for me for now. Being so close to Himachal and taking the long boring highway is a sin. So decided to take the slower but a tad more exciting route via Dharmashala-Mcleodganj and Mandi. Dharmashala and Mcleodganj was choked with tourists. So didn’t feel like to spend more time out there, though I loved to stay, bar the tourists. As you get closer and closer to Mandi , it feels uncomfortable realizing the fact that the ride is coming to an end in a weeks time, but optimism takes center stage and tells “ You have one loooong week to go, make the best out of it” .

Reach Sundernagar at around 6.30 or so before it starts to pour that day. Happened to stop at this place called “Madana” which was referred by few friends for some good food. And yeah they didn’t disappoint me. Had access to Wifi after almost 3 weeks. Didn’t know whether to celebrate or just leave it aside.


The owner of the place happened to be quite hospitable, and seeing my state, coordinated with a some friends of his for a place to crash for the night. Fifteen minutes later, everything was set.


Next day, I had to cross the same road from where I had started on Day 1.spoke to few bus drivers about the route and they suggested a better alternative since I was on a motorcycle. Happed to be so helpful that he gave me his number and asked to contact anytime in case I was in need of help, be it the route or other essentials. Nostalgia kicks in, happened to stop at the same place where we took the first break of the ride. But the taste of coffee there had gone from average to bad.











I would be failing in my duties if I don’t mention the beauty of this small place called Subathu, which is primarily a cantonment area. The place is spic and span with army assistance. You are checked for all the relevant credentials. Once you proved to be a guy with genuine papers, you are offered tea and snacks. The roads are lined with pictures of soldiers who fought for the country and laid down their lives.
Once I crossed Solan, it was like Isle of Man, brilliant roads with minimal traffic. After a struggle to wade through the traffic of Dehradun. Happened to pass through a well-lit Indian Military Academy, a dream of countless teenagers across the country. Since I was already drenched, saw no point in staying at Dehradhun, instead head to Rishikesh so that I can save some time in the morning. Reached Rishikesh pretty late, was too tired to look around for accommodation. So the easiest bet, the bus stand. Bad bad decision it turned out to be. Interstate buses start coming to rishikesh as early as 2.30-3 Am and so does their loud horns to disturb your sleep.


Though I managed to find sleep with great difficulty till 4.30 or so, belong that it was impossible. After few temple visits in Rishikesh, head to Haridwar. The sad reality of religious places it turned out to be. Filth, too many people, cows n rickshaws everywhere. Too irritating it was. I could only imagine the plight of people who come here for the Kumbh mela. Immediately call up mom to say that her decision had not worked well in the plan.















































Pandits in Jeans and Linen, India Shining












Ram Jhula



Lakshman Jhula



People loot here in the name of Meditation and Yoga, a thriving buisness



Riding across Ram and Lakshman Jhula






After a hour or so, get back to Rishikesh and Pack my bags and head to Badrinath, the next destination. Rishikesh to Badrinath is a relay of temple towns one after another. You get to see the sadhus taking their march to Badrinath and Kedarnath. It so happened that the last few days before the closure of Hemkund Sahib and Badrinath.


Bhadrinath, all set for Dusshera











Reached Karnaprayag and stop at a hotel for dinner. Post dinner was talking to a policemen to check on the status of roads up ahead to continue the journey. Upon his advice I decided to halt that night and start early morning the next day. It so happened that the Darling of the masses, Superstar Rajinikanth generally stays in the same place when he heads to the Himalayas every year. It was evident from the photos that decorated the walls with the superstar.


Drop off the luggage at the same place and starts towards Badrinath, with a microscopic hope that I could do Mana Pass too. Some distance post the decent of Joshimath and entrance of Nandadevi National Park, the rear section of the zma just falls off. The weld that I had managed to get in Sankhoo, had given way and the cracks had intensified. Close to 3000 kms away from home, I realize that the mounting of the rack was not that good an option. As dark clouds started to form above my head, it made things even more difficult.




So here I am with my bike in literally two pieces, minimal Help available for self, leave alone to fix the bike in a landslide prone zone. I relax for some time taking small walks near the bike, empty a packet of biscuits and a bottle of water. After an hour or so I Realized that there is nothing good happening if stand here, and had to get to Badrinath, because that was why I was there at the first place. Had a bungee chord which I had tied the back pack and had kept one more for emergency in the bag. Got the rack to the closest position possible as original, tied the bungee as tight as I could and took a chance to climb up the shattered road up. Every two or three kilometer stopped to check on the position of chassis. A sigh of relief when I reached Badrinath. Thank the almighty for the cooperation and requested to extend it till I find some help.


After that head to Mana Village, which is supposedly the last Indian village towards the Chinese Border. As expected was denied entry to Mana Pass. For the un informed Mana Pass is now the highest motarable pass in the world. For more info : Mana Pass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Seeing the state of the bike, few jeep owners decided to lend a helping hand in case the bike breaks down in the middle, As they would be coming the same way to drop the passengers to Rishikesh. They also told that Help was available in Pipalkoti as there was a welding shop. Carefully managed to hold on till there where I could find some help. With a heavy exhale I turn off the bike at Pipalkoti, to check on the where about of the welding shop. The guy had closed down the shop for Dusshera, which meant the next probable hope is only at Chamoli, which was about 16-17 kms ahead. Though the distance wasn’t that big a deal, the terrain definitely was. Ever stone I climbed over felt that the bike can give way anytime. Things were just not going my way at all, the guy at Chamoli too had closed for the Festival. Somebody told that GREF was working on a bridge close by and asked me to check it out if I was lucky to find them.


The top Piece welded was the one done at Sankhoo





















As they say “All is well that ends Well” found the guys and explained my plight. One of them asked me to relax till they weld one main section they were working on and then help me out. Once they were done with their Job, four of them attended my bike, while I remove the fairing and electrical. Fortunately they had arc welding with them. I just requested him one thing
“ Bhaisaab, ghar tak gaya toh khaafi hain” (If I am able to reach home with this, that’s fine with me)
“Arrey Saab Phikar mat karo, isko leke vapas idhar tak aane tak kuch nahi hoga”
(Don’t worry, you can make one more trip here and its will stand till then)
Thank these demi gods in disguise and head to Karnaprayag to pick my luggage and head to Ranikhet/Almora. The chillness in the air, good roads, minimal traffic was more than what I could as for.


Wrong time of the year to visit these places. It was a 4-5 day long weekend, and the whole of Ranikhet was jam packed and this was the first day of it. Though I did not roam around Ranikhet, the place where I rode, were way too over hyped. In fact the cantonment area was waay better than most places. Majkhali was a disappointment, so my last view of snowcapped mountains were destroyed by the cloudy atmosphere that day. Sensing the tourist rush at Nainital, didn’t spend much time but to get to the four lanes to reach the marble marvel in Agra.


Now that I have heard about the on road hospitality of UP, was time to do a reality check, not intentionally though. At Rampur I pull over by an auto/Taxi stand to ask for the correct route to Moradabad, from where I can get a four lane access to Delhi. The guy had the audacity to come out of his auto tempo, Spat the pan on the bike with me sitting on it and then say that he don’t know. Enraged I step out of the bike to teach him some decency. In the meantime one cop comes out of nowhere and starts belting this guy to an extent that he starts bleeding in the first 2-3 blows itself. Next the cop rushes to a bakery adjacent to the taxi stand and pulls out the meshed insect killer giving blows. Didn’t know how to react nor did I know why he was belting that guy. Then he made the guy apologize to me for his behavior. Then realize that, that the cop had mistaken me to be an army guy and teaching him how to behave with a “faugee” .











BIC(Budh International Circuit) on the other side of the road



I thank the cops and made sure I was out that place in no time. Reach Yamuna Expressway by sunset. Brilliant stretch of tarmac. Reach Agra and started the search for a place to crash. Shockingly about 20-30 of the hotels and lodges I checked were all full. Finally got one at Hotel Madhushrie but was charging a whooping 7500 a person since one family had cancelled a Suite and only that was available. Failure to get a lower quote than that, grab a cup of tea at a shack and happened to gate crash a conversation between few cabbies and tourist bus drivers, asking them for any other alternatives. One guy came up with this idea to share the driver’s room allotted to him since he was spending time with his friends drinking the night away for “Free”. I gladly accepted the invitation. To my surprise it was a neatly maintained room with a desert cooler and a TV. Dump all the luggage and invite him for a dinner and a beer at a restraint close by, as a token of gratitude.











Touristy poser










































The day started with a far view of the TAJ from the hotel and in about an hours’ time went to have a closer look at the marvel. Tourists had made a beeline by then, wait for some time to get my tickets and enter. Needless to say it is one of the finest architectural wonders we can witness, barring the dark history that went in building it. Started to follow a family who had hired a guide so that I can get additional information about the place for free. Though few details sounded factual, few went over my head as it was too imaginary.


Walking in the hot sun on those stones drained my energy levels. Post noon I came out of the premises to technically draw a line to the journey so far, reaching home was just a matter of time. Few kilometers away from Agra, At Dholpur I decide to call it a day since in knew that the rest of the journey would very much uneventful and can be done quickly.


Welcome to MP(P.S: This was one of the smaller herds, and that is a NH)



For all the warning I had received about MP roads being notorious, it seemed to be a sail apart from the fact that the cattle was your main enemy than anything. At Narsinghpur I stopped for breakfast. Oh yeah forgot to mention this, the stretch from Dholpur to Nagpur had very less options for food. For a person who wishes to have a pretty heavy breakfast one packet of biscuits weren’t sufficient. Though I don’t have any preferences for places for food in terms of luxury happened to stop by a road side hotel. Soon after having there, all the symptoms of food poisoning were opening up. Innumerable vomit sessions dehydrated so much that I couldn’t ride post Pandharkavada though my planned destination for the day was much beyond. Also bad roads made the day even worse.


Nehru ORR



Decided to take the rest of the journey a bit slowly because of illness. By the time I reached closer and closer to Hyderabad, health started to improve. And a huge Sign of relief was when I got the opportunity to sneak into Nehru ORR, which is completely out of bounds for two wheels. How I got in then was a different story altogether. Initially when they denied entry I politely parked the bike to the side of the toll and started to make few calls home on my whereabouts. The guys at the toll, looking at the luggage and costume started enquiring about the trip and what I do for a living. In a mood for a prank, I told them that I was a consultant for NHAI and had gone on BRO work and now returning home. Things started to work my way and got access to by-pass the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. In matter of an hour or may be even less. Inched closer and closer towards the KA border.


Just outside Bangalore



No matter where you had been, getting back home has its own joy. Stopped by the outskirts of the city. Took the gear off and started to walk though the past 33 days which had been so eventful for me. The high mountains, scenic valleys, rains, snowfall, High altitude traffic Jams etc etc. A hug and a kiss by my nephew who had dropped in that day completed my day and the journey.


P.S: Unfortunately, Have lost many Pics of the last leg because of the memory getting corrupt. Post the pics taken from Phone and shared on social media and whatsapp

Somebody once told "A good long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith and use up a lot of fuel" they were bang on right. This ride was not about proving anything to anybody but looking out for answers within myself, to do things out of my comfort level. A tiny itch to witness the grandeur of the Himalayas, for over a decade, now feels scratched generously. There is truly something magical in the mountains. Don't just see it as a tourist. Spend some time, it will sink in. It was all about experiences, everything unique in its own right, from Stephany, a sweet knowledgeable german lady who missed the "Meenu kolambu"from pondicherry. (I swear most of my friends dont know how to spell that right, or may be even I dont) to riding alongside a world tourer Rtw Shane(Man, you truly are one of the most light hearted travellers I have personally met. Take care of the Donkey. Wish you all the best for the ride) to the 70 year old gentleman who had the never say die attitude towards travelling to witnessing the grandeur of the Taj and many many more. A plate of Dal Rajma after the bitter cold Chandertal and sleeping in an abandoned army bunker in the coldest of the nights, was something to treasure for long. Falling head over heals in love with a place with unparalleled beauty i had only heard about for innumerbale stories, Himachal now seems history to some extent. A bid to go in search of a snow leopard in its own backyard, no we weren't lucky to spot the elusive cat. Just the carcass and fresh pug marks sent the spine to rattle a bit to witnessing my first glacier from hardly few mtrs in front of me and sitting dumbfounded not knowing what to do next.
My outgrown respect for the Armed Forces, BRO, Cross Country Truckers, Foreign travellers(Man, they study study so much about India before they land here that will put us to shame about knowing so little about our own country).
Would like to take this opportunity to thank Kumar HVSir, Narender Kumar Gautamji, Alok Singh , Jayakrishna Manyam Rohit Upadhyay and many many more for their continuous support in planning, execution and logistics. And my heartfelt thanks to Viaterra Gear for the generous support rendered. Also my partners in crime, Arnab Roy, Ananth T.E., Kartik RkGourab Das,Sudhakar Chougale and Aditya Bajaj, however small or long was the duration of the company , you guys etched it in Gold. Special thanks to my Boss for the encouragement and my mother for being instrumental in adding new places in the itenary

Last but not the least , the old black fellow in my garage who took everything in his stride. Would have flown some gaalis in some unknown language for making it climb Badrinath with a broken chasis and all the torture experienced throughout. Thanks for not letting me down when I feared the most.

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Awesome snaps!

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Zanskar:
Once we started from Kargil, it was a like a story book of a beautiful villages passing by with kids smiling and waving at you. One thing in particular I saw in contrast with other mountain villages we had passed by, is the prominence of education, particularly girls. Every village had a School or two, which was impressive in itself. From Kargil to Sankhoo, exceeded our expectation, and as per the writings of the people, who have already been there, further ahead was even better. So that set our expectations high.





















On entering Panikhar, searched around for that board which read the name, for obvious reasons . It feels nice to share the same name of a place so beautiful in the lap of Himalayas.





The terrain becomes tougher as we move forward. At one point we saw about 30-35 people looking down a cliff as a crane was being operated. Upon enquiring, an elderly gentleman explains that a Scorpio had plunged into the river few months back killing all of the passengers. And from the past week or so they were searching for bodies and remains of the Car for confirmed identification of the passengers. Sounded a bit scary. Thankfully there was a J&K guest house just down the road. The caretaker clarified that there might be shortage in food variety, as Srinagar floods had taken away their possibility of souring their essential needs. We unloaded the saddle bags freshened up and came out of the room for a Tea. All the people who were curiously watching the parts of the car being lifted by the crane had assembled. Just for a Second, it scared the wrong way. Reminded us of the Roja Background score where Arvindswamy gets kidnapped. But, to our surprise, they turned out to be very hospitable. The entire village of Tangol had come down to meet us, since not many tourists had visited the place this year because of Srinagar floods. Biscuits, Tea, Sweets and whatever they could offer they did, and we weren’t complaining a bit. Went on to an extent that a beautiful girl and her brother bought hot water from their house since the guest house had water problems. Over a camp fire the old man in charge of the guest house started explaining how hard it has been after the Srinagar floods. To an extent that vegetable for day to day cooking wasn’t available. We were deeply moved by the fact that in spite of all these difficulties they were taking such good care of us. He Also explained how this place used to be bustling with trekkers for Nun and Kun Peak, but sadly nobody turned up this year.


The View from the guest house


The big boy employed to do the job


Parachik Glacier
























































The next morning we expected the same girl to get some coffee or tea, but unfortunately her 6Ft 5” dad did. We start for Padum from Tangol soon. Every kilometer we proceded we were glad that we did take this route. The vistas just keep getting better and better. You have wild horses running with you for company and absolutely no human intervention. And to sum things up, we get to see the stunning Parakchik Glacier by the road side. At most places we didn’t even know that we were riding on the river bed till we came up to a river/Stream crossing, such is the comparison of roads. After a long grueling ride we reach Rangdum too satisfy our stomach. We spent a long time there, hoping Ananth and MG might catch up. The weather starts worsening; the locals advice not to head up as it might be worse there, but we pay no heed. Things were not in our favor, rather should I say, the stage was getting set for a memorable journey. It Starts snowing and too windy that at times it became very difficult to have the bike steady. As we reached closer and closer to Penzila Top, the clouds cleared and sun just peeped out, for a reason. After a few Pics on Penzi la and the beautiful stat Tso and Lang Tso, we proceed towards Padum. After few kilometers, the intercom communication just stopped and so did the bikes. We didn’t realize what was in front of us, is real or a piece of art by an expert artisan. The subject in the Picture is the Drang Durang Glacier. The largest I had seen so far. The first sight of it, made us completely ignorant of our purpose there. Mind and sight was full of it. A feel of uttermost satisfaction kicked in, the sort of sacrifices we made to get on to this trip were duly rewarded. This was truly a highlight of our ride.











The show Stopper of the ride so far


















Stot river in the background




Stat Tso and Lang Tso
















The decent
































Spend some time appreciating mother nature, till we were interrupted by a group of People coming in a SUV who asked if any of our friends were left behind. Since we knew Ananth and Mg were behind us somewhere, we started getting more detail. Come to know that Ananth’s bike had broken down. Knowing the terrain and help that might be available, we descend down as soon as possible to lend a helping hand. On reaching the Rangdum Gompa military check post, few soldiers stopped us and offered us Tea and snacks. Also learnt that the Gompa had a museum too, but unfortunately was closed for the day. When we reach Rangdum, the same place where we had lunch, we were shocked to see Ananth’s bike coming in a mini truck after few minutes, but these two guys were nowhere to be seen. Upon enquiry, the driver told that he had bought the bike. We somehow didn’t find it convincing. So we asked him how it has been since those guys left, so that we could catch up with them to know the real story.

Now two problems arose, one it had become dark and we might miss a trail which would lead us the wrong way. Two, the flow of water crossing might have increased than what it was in the morning. We gunned it down towards Sankhoo where we guessed these guys might halt. In a hurry to reach there, we got into a village after Parakchik and didn’t know the way out. Stopped at an elderly person to ask for the route. While talking to him, we unintentionally turned the headlight. The feel was straight out of the movie. Two girls were washing dishes below a borewell, the moment the light focused on them, they just started to glow as they show in some fairness cream ads, im not exaggerating. They were drop dead gorgeous. Didn’t hear a word the old man told after that, neither did we bother where the hell Ananth and MG were. The intercom message from Karthik goes like this “ Adi paavi mavale, enga oor la iruntha unna raani maathiri paathiruppe, nee enna na inge vandu thattu kalavittirukke” (Translation : you poor girl, had you been in my city(Chennai) I would have taken care of you like a Queen. What the hell are you doing vessels here”)

Somehow reach Sankhoo late at night, Tired and Hungry. Now the task is to search for these guys. To our bad luck(No.1), both their phones were not reachable. Hoping that these guys might have made an entry at the register at check post we reached there. Now N.2: the person in charge of the check-post had finished his duties making entries till 8.30 and left for the day. That left us with minimal chances of finding them. Then we thought of looking at all the available places to stay in Sankhoo. And Guess what caught them at the second place it self. We could see the bike, we could see the building, but couldn’t see the entrance; it was hidden behind the bushes. The moment we enter MG saw us in astonishment, how can it be possible that we two guys were there.

Across the dinner table, Ananth explained how his day went. And it went like this: He had a Sensor and fuel pump problem which made the bike to stall in the middle of nowhere. With much difficulty they find a guy who can transport the bike to Sankhoo or Kargil, but was charging exorbitant price. Instead the driver came up with a proposal to buy the bike in the condition it was and pay 11K in return. That was a pretty good proposal, instead of transporting the bike to Srinagar/Jammu where hero showrooms/service is there. Get it fixed(which was a bomb in itself) and transport it back to Chennai. Considering all these factors they do the required documentation and let go of the vehicle.

The next morning, we arrange a cab for him to get to leh (Since we were not sure if Srinagar route was open) so that he could catch a flight and head straight back home. At the same time, while making preliminary checks on the zma, I realize that something is wrong, to my horror, it was the Chassis which had cracked because of the rack I had used and also the terrain. So I was stuck at a place which had no proper welding Shop, until one policeman suggested me to check for that bridge construction outside Sankhoo. Fortunately GREF people were working on a bridge and they had an Arc welding machine. Had my own doubts if it would last for the rest of the ride. So Decided to check for and cracks in the welded area once I Descend down the mountains and then decide what needs to be done. Karthik and Myself decide to take Umba La and then connect to Drass while MG took the conventional Sankhoo Kargil-Drass road. The climb to Umba La was one of the easiest, but somehow didn’t convince us that it was one of the toughest ones to cross, as per the people who have done it earlier.

Umba Loops


View from top






Ready for the Ice ball Challenge


Drass at a Distance


Customary Touristy Pic




Jawahar Tunnel : Stuck in there for close to 2 hours


When we started the descent slowly things started to disappear on the road, and here we are with both the wheels and feet in water, stranded, thinking whether to go for it or not. We thought, if people have done it, they would have definitely crossed it, so what’s the big deal in doing it, fortunately without any hurdles we make it to the other side. Probably by this year the construction would be complete, making things easier. Crossing the river didn’t make anything easier for us to get to drass, after few hours of fighting with ourselves we reach Drass for a late dinner. Drass was burning like a charcoal lit stove. And the good news also happened to be that Zoji La was clear of traffic and we could reach Sonamarg the same night if we pushed it a bit harder and we actually did. Surprise was finding MG in the same hotel where we stopped to have dinner. We walk through the pictures of the last few days, how enthusiastic we were and tomorrow we part ways.

As Karthik and MG planned to do Sinthan Pass had to leave them at ananthnag and carry on my journey towards Jammu. I personally happened to be a part of a Kumbh mela of truckers. That was undoubtedly the longest traffic Jam I Had ever been a part of. Things were getting worse and I was getting exhausted. Unable to ride any beyond, stopped to search for a place to crash in Patnitop. All the place I enquired, denied for the same old problem of travelling solo, till I explained my condition to a Policeman who made sure I find a place to crash for the day. I realize that henceforth I would be alone and need to be extra cautious.





Sonamarg


And this is how I rode for close to 300Kms





P.S: Ignore the Activate Windows warning
I opened the curtains of my room to what I had least expected, traffic jams again. Against all Odds I reach Pathankot.


.


.


.


.


.


.(To be Continued……..)

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Pictures continue to be awe-inspiring! Thumb up.

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

[MENTION=20165]phanikar[/MENTION] you nailed your itch and scratch. Indeed superb pictures .. Complete your return journey soon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Pardon me. Will add more pics when i have access to my laptop .

I was using a Spartan odysseus. The ride was in september. The temperatures ranged from near negetive to late 30's rode. The pants are very comfortable. The pants seem to be very hot inside because it has very limited vents , but they do the job brilliantly. My only regret was not having a tall fit.

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Wow, wow, wow. But only few pictures of TSO Moriri

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

What riding pant you guys are wearing? Can you remind me at what time of the year you guys did this and what was the temperature in day/night and weather conditions?

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

We started our ride towards Pangong with a strong hope that we would be able to get permissions for Marisik La, Tsaga and Hanle as the infiltration issue had become worse. Again, road widening working caused considerable delay in our passage to Pangong. Wanted to get out of the touristy circuit as early as possible. The weather was just about perfect to ride. The closer we were getting to Pangong the excitement increased multi folds, got to meet some familiar faces enroute and also made some new ones. Upon discussing with the army officers whom we met, came to know that access to Marismik La, Tsaga La, Hanle and Chumur were out of bounds for security concerns.


Shanti Stupa At night


















Wild Horses









Himalayan Marmot







































We reach Merak by evening and start our search for an economical stay by the lake. While we were halfway through the conversation, one Xylo cab passes by, we signal him to stop. He thought we were asking him for a lift and passed us signaling a No, and said, the vehicle is booked and we need to search for another cab. We catch hold of him and explain that we were in search of accommodation. So he obliged to take us to the homestay where he had dropped his guests, if any space available, we could manage. Sounded like a good deal. And then when we got our bikes, seeing the registration plates he asked “Elli Bangalore ah ?(Are you from Bangalore) “ Taken aback by his question we correspond. It so happens that he too happens to have educated from Namdroling and has a decent command over Kannada. Also went on too say that he, along with few friends of his, used to ride down to Bidadi on alternate weekends for the crave of “Thatte Idly”. He took the initiative to convince the homestay guy to provide us some space to crash, 250 bucks including dinner and breakfast with 2-3 cups of tea, sounded like a steal. Over the campfire with other guests in the homestay, we happen to speak to guys who have been backpacking across continents. Humbless personified, these guys were. Sorry to say this, you tend to hate our own people who get foreigners and new comers to Pangong to loot them whole. The most prominent guys are the ones who get people on organized motorcycle tours. They just don’t let their clients to speak to others, so that they might actually get an idea how much are they taken a ride for. And accidently if you happen to speak to one of those guys, even if it’s the other guy starting the conversation, this organizer guy gives a look at as if you asked for his Kidneys. This is what an outburst in tourism might result in. Across the campfire, with few backpackers, we happen to continue a longer conversation with one couple in particular Stephanie and her boyfriend.
































The homestay had a pretty neatly maintained kitchen which doubled up as a dining hall. On the TV, Mahabharat was being aired, Stephanie was explaining the story to her boyfriend in a way that the most of my teachers would have taught me in school. Out of curiosity we ask her how does she know all these? She clarifies saying that she had worked with United Nations(U.N) for Women and Child welfare in Pondicherry for about an year and continues to say that she was missing the “Meenu Kolambu(fish curry in Tamil)” she used to get every day from her collegues. The moment she uttered menu kolambu , in an accent that would put a tamilian to shame, my eyes popped out. The conversations continue till late at night where we exchanged our individual travel stories. Also get to know that there is some protest happening in Leh city from 6AM to 6PM, and entry/ exit to the city was not possible. Reason for the protest: Last year, an Adventure tour company had taken about 1000 people for Chadhar trek and destroyed the ecosystem beyond repair. The DC had give permission for a similar trek this year too which made the locals furious, as tourism is one of the prime occupation around.


After effects of Bandh at Leh.



After waiting for the barricades to be released, we rush to the Choglamsar fuel bunk to tank up as we had to start early for Tso Moriri, the next day. It was an emotional farewell too for Arnab, who happened to start the return journey home after Tso Moriri after riding together for 16 days. We start the ride through Upshi and Chumathang, quite the kind of route I like. We pass through few army bases, at Kiari and Chumathang. The change in color of soil is co vibrant. Once you cross Sumdo, it’s like this huge playground to do whatever you want, numerous trails you can take to get to get to Korzok. Few army trucks pass by giving that “Jaa beta, jitna marzi utna khel le “


Ride a D390, Like a BOSS



Just before you reach the ITBP check post before Korzok, on the left goes a brilliant black top stretch, on the other side of Tso Moriri where you can find the first check post maintained by the Bihari regiment( that’s what we were told) . Unfortunately this road was not yet opened for Public and also the Chinese border tension was close by at Demchok and Chumur which is on the same stretch. We get back to the ITBP check post, to enter our credentials, after seeing the D390, the guard asks about the bike make, cost and other details, finally asks” kaahe itna paisa barbaad kiya, khet mein jaayega ye gaadi ?” in a typical UP/Bihari accent which made Arnab furious. The guard also asks if anybody else is coming on this stretch. Since we hadn’t seen anybody, we confirm negative.


Enroute tso Moriri



At Tso Kiagar


















At Korzok






Err.... what homestay please







Once we get to the town of Korzok and freshen up after finding a good enough place, we saw a convoy of vehicles from Delhi university coming inside the small village. In about 10-15mins all the rooms in Korzok were booked. And Choice of food became even more limited. Personally felt Tso moriri was a better place than Pangong to spend time in solitude. Not tourist sticken like Pangong.





Now i know what they mean when they say "Fully Loaded"



We happened to bump into this old gentleman whom we had met in Keylong, again in Sumdo. He was a well versed traveller who had kept himself updated on most travel blogs, so much that he could tell which guy on which forum had gone where all. Got to know that he had been travelling with his two Sons( most likely) across the Himalayas. He had our RESPECT. We didn’t even know if we would be alive at that age. The voice on the intercom started to be become faint. From here, for the rest of the journey, I was alone. Happiness on one side, deserted on the other.




Come back to Mahe check post, request the guy to let me do the Loma-Hanle stretch for which he straight away denied. Disappointed start towards to frame a different plan. Like they say, “Good Friends don’t let you do crazy things, Alone” happened to meet the trio of Ananth, MG and Karthik just outside of Chumathang army base. A sheer coincidence. It was uttermost disappointment that they were able to do all the place which we were denied, just because they were just 2 days ahead than our schedule.


Some distance before Mahe



On a bridge which was supposed to fall anytime






Poser value : Infinite






Ride with them back to Leh, only to say one last good bye to the heavenly place, and start from another. Stay at Kargil was arranged by Karthik, with the help of his friends and senior at Sainik school. Totally impressed with the stay I must say.











Confluence of Indus and Zanskar









The Pied Piper






When we diverted towards FanjiLa






Lamayaru















Pursuit of Happiness



Next on the radar was Hamboting La, apart from the one direction board we saw near kargil, there was no signs of it anywhere else. Few equerries made here and there but nobody was sure of the route. So we thought, we will take one of the routes which the locals “Guessed” and see where it leads. I am so glad we did that.
Hunderman is supposedly the last place where militants were shot dead during the Kargil war in 1999. The entire town looks decimated as a result. If one looks on top of those gigantic cliffs, we can see small army bunkers perched on top. We take out our cams and in about 10 mins of so we hear few shots fired. Completely isolated place, only the four of us gun shots, felt like Die Hard shooting taking place. Instincts told us to have the closest possible cover and we then we did. Then curiosity told us to take few steps out of the cover and see what it was actually. The moment we stepped out of cover we hear gun shots being fired again. We panic and made sure we get to the other side of the mountain in order to go out of sight, and the moment we did that the gun became silent. Those few moments made us realize that it could be the last trip of ours. What made it even scarier was the fact that most of the boards that we up read “Do not Step out of the road, there are lots of mines”. What startled us that, why the hell didn’t they put these in a way that it’s visible for people climbing up, so that we can be careful enough. After that we had a laugh when we realized that MG was alive since he was climbing some small rock areas to get a good Pic unknowing of the dangers. Upon reaching the first village we stop at a shop to hydrate ourselves. We explain our state to the gentleman at the shop and the first question he asked “did u hear the sound from left or right” we were like “who the hell cares when its gun shots”. He continues to explain that if the firing was from the left side, it would be the Army during their mock drill, if it’s from the right could be militants. Somehow the firing sound only when we were visible didn’t suit the mock drill theory. Nevertheless, we were alive and adrenaline pumped up, we continue to march towards our search for Hamboting la, which happened to be on the way to Batalik.




















Karthik and myself opted to continue the ride to Rhehru and Padum from Kargil, while Ananth and MG opted to take it slow and complete Penzi La. Though Zanskar was not in the initial plan, we did to cope with the time we saved due to Chinese intervention. And this made us realize……. Leh ..... is mehhh… in front of Zanskar .






To be continued……………………..

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Thank You All the Pics are posted from the same host. Request you to kindly recheck as im able to see all the Pics.

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Superb.But I could not see some of the photos.

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Thank you Guys

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Absolutely brilliant!

Re: 15 year old Itch, Scratched

Splendid pictures...