Day 51 - April 28 - Bomdila to Tawang


April28 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

180 kms of ride through today. Got up to a chilly morning. Just froze took me like 45 mins to start the lil packing. Was an accommodation at the Tourist lodge with sink missing and a Geyser that did not work. What do you expect for 150 bux a day. Started by 7 am and with nothing much but getting to Tawang thought of taking it real easy. Had breakfast some 10 kms from Bomdila. The roads well pretty bad as in Two lane conversion work was going on. But the entire strech was being done up. Hardly any good stretch of roads. I was wondering who needs two lanes any way. Hardly any traffic to justify that. Guess in the hill areas in the name of development this is the only thing that can be done in transport! Plenty of clicking opportunities on the way.

Then came the Climb the Sela pass. Quite a climb in quick time. Many picturesque locations have been taken up by the Army. Din want risk taking pix there. I see heading into the cloud. Guess will have to get into rain gear soon. But it was just misty i mean just misty and nothing else. I enter the mist and also see the board to Sela pass like 9 Kms. Wow Its going to be a blind ride for quite some time. soon i was riding in visibility of 10 feet. Kept climbing and the mist got only thicker. Vehicles traveled with head lights on and also hazard lights. Rode pretty slow finding my way for the next few feet. Good that the road/path was dry prolly did not rain for a few days i guess. i see a small hut with restaurant written on it emerge out of the mist. A lil ahead the board announcing the Sela pass with the height. Took a few pix and i saw just behind a few feet, the arch is hidden in the mist. By now it was 12.30 noon and went into the restaurant for some steaming hot Maggie and coffee. As i climb down the pass i stopped for something and caught a glimpse of the Sela lake as the mist cleared up a bit but the lake vanished before i could pull out the cam. Few Kms down the pass the mist clears up and rest of the ride was pretty scenic with 70 od kms to go. Then I realized that i can get the permit house before 4.30 prolly i can manage permit for Bumla for the next day itself. I wanted to hurry, but could go only as fast as the road allowed. Also had to take a pix you see. Reached 3.45 asked around for permit and was told i could get it in DC's office and i went straight to DC's office. what luck the office open and also DC is in the office. I enter with my helmet and tank bag excuse myself before dumping them on the chair nearby. Expecting lot of resistance for the permit, i told about my travel so far and my intensions ahead and Mr DC was agreed for the permit and sent out for printing. Was pretty curious about what i felt about Tawang compared to other Hilly areas. But thats the first step. I have to get the permit endorsed from the 190 Mountain Brigade for me get to BumLa. In the office also was Mr Chombey who talked to his acquaintance at Cournal Kuldeep at the brigade and told me to be there by 5.15pm. Checked into Hotel Dongphoo and went straight to mountain brigade.

The people over there was busy with a social program and i was to wait for some time. Mean while got to talk to many soldiers who were pretty impressed by my journey so far. And the usual curious questions. One soldier who served at Manipur for 3 years and involved with skirmishes with militans was talking about my bravery and stuff. Will its nothing compared to what these soldiers go through and put up with. Glad to have given them to some light moments talking about journey. One of the soldier hod talking to Cournel Kuldeep about my permit and i was asked to meet Major Ramsingh. When i was about tell about my riding proves, he realized my concerns about getting the permit and said not to worry and i would get it. We had a conversation over Coffee and i was given the permit endorsed. Thank you guys. I was free to scale Bumla the very next day. Also came to know that the weather has been great for last 4-5 days and the pass has opened just a couple of days back.

Make it back to the room and now the biggest hurdle was whether i can make it. Thought of removing the boxes but just emptied thinking if the bike tips over, it would be east to lift the bike if the panniers were there.


The Tourist lodge at Bomdila...




Just 150 bux a day for double bed room!..


Going towards Tawang...


Ofcourse bad roads...




The valley i will be riding for quite some time...


Arunachal Village houses...




Saw this guy on a curve and suddenly stopped. He kinda felt intimidated and thought he would charge at me. When i was wondering how he would react to the flash, but he was ok with it...


Never ending road construction work...


Prayer wheels enroute...


Lady road construction workers...




Climbing up to Sela pass and Mist builds up...




Mist Thickens...

even more...


I walk a few feet away and the bike is not visible properly!

Yeah i know lot of mist...




Atop Sela pass... My fone says 13628, so thats quite accurate...


Wow there is an arch just behind the board see it after quite some time...


The Sela top small warm restraunt. maggie never tasted so good...


Traditional cloth weaving going on inside...


The traditional room heater...


Getting down from the pass i see the snow...

Many water falls enroute...




Man! was there a fresh land slide these clearing???


Naa these guys were the culprits!!


These guys also wanted their snap and he posed with the high hammer...


Road widening going on... but who the hell needs two lane roads!!


The road ahead...




The beatiful Tawang valley...


Reached Tawang...


Pretty city on the hills...


The verticle travel for the day... The peak is Sela Pass...

Day 52 - April 29 - Bum La & Madhuri Lake


April29 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

For some reason i hardly slept the whole night. After breakfast got boing by 6.30 am. Ask my way around to the Pass. Have taken the rain gear, tripod and a warm layer in case i need it. Weather looks clear as well and hope to catch some views atop BumLa. BumLa just some 40 kms from Tawang and the climb starts soon. Cant take many pictures around here as there is lot of army establishments. I was under the impressions that the road would be a straight one but found quite a few detours guess my way on the right one and some times asking the army folks around.

Now see snow beside the road and the mountains beside me. There was army chief along with his family in a Scorpio on the same trip as well. Reach y junction, which is a post enroute. I was stopped not just for permit entry, also a call confirmation with the brigade. Say a civilian motorcycle as come and wants to go to BumLa. He was told to let me All India rider go ahead. While making the entry asked me if my bike would climb BumLa? Well i dont know but has been done on a bullet by Gourav Jani before in much tougher weather conditions. The road ahead gets tougher and i hope the panniers can take the torcher. It gets much colder and get into extra layers of clothing. Take my time at every clicking opportunity. Quite a few lakes around. As is pass the 7th Sikh regiment some 6 kms after the Y junction, i was stopped and was told that Cournal Shree kumar wanted an audience with me. Go into the fantastic office with great views. Had a conversation about my travel and relations with china, over a coffee. Came to know that there are like 106 lakes in that area big and small and that were are already over 15000 feet! He asked his people to get me a picture of them along with me bike. Thanks again. As i climb up the road over looking the regiment there is a climb down quite a bit i wondered if i have already passed the highest point in BumLa road. Then i come across the 4x4 section. I mean there was a painting on the wall to engage 4 wheel drive. yeah right. I see the scorpion which had gone ahead, come back struggling quite a bit. i wait below to wait my turn.

After the 4/4 passes i get to the starting of the steep section with nothing but 2 to 6 inches of rounded stones and also water flowing on it! This was as far into the curve above i could see. For a second i thought should i turn back, but before i thought too much on that, not willing to give up another route, i just started shouting go go go go go to myself and i listen. The wheels having quite a bumby lateral moment fighting the gravity. I really miss my rear michelins. Have to take care not to exert myself too much else i might endup with cramps and be immobilized for half hour. Cant hope to lift the bike here if it falls. Just keep saying go go go go and was getting really exhausted managing the bike on the climb. Feel pretty strained but coaxed myself saying its just a lil ahead and 'You can make it' and stuff. The last 20 feet i just gunned the throttle no matter what happens. And luckily made up the stretch with rubber side down and the stone stretch ended just beyond the curve. A normal biker with sustained effort can comfortably cross this sections. Just that i had the disadvantage of getting cramps and the bike too heavy for me. Then on things were easy and the climb also gentles up. The Views around just mind blowing as i am riding with snow on either side and all the mountains around white quoted. Pretty happy to have made the tough stretch. I see the Indo-China meeting hut. And as i near it, couple of sikh soldiers stop me and the questions flow. My bike was not allowed further. Then they take me on a tour around the place. One of the soldier took my cam and was pretty good at directing the different poses. Just stood there looking all around the place and it was like being on a different planet. The Chinese move back pretty much in winters as their the land in their side of the border is pretty inhospitable. I see no china flag at the Indo-China meeting hut. was told it will be put up when the Chinese put the India flag in their land. See the couple of empty poles and a fragments of tent. Was told that it was the remains of chines tent from last season and are yet to setup their tent this season. Around September October Chinese tourists visit the place it seems.

Then i was invited into the meeting hut and was soldiers quite impressed with my travel hosted me well with water, snacks and coffee. I was even asked to sign the guest book. It was around 12 noon and could see mist build up i thought bettor to get back before the weather gets colder. Bid farewell to the Punjab soldiers and rode back pretty happy with making it to the awesome place. Just when i was getting to the 4X4 stretch saw three guys walking up. They were the same people Arjun and friends who were applying their permits at Tezpur. Their 2 wheel drive sumo just refused to climb the stretch it seems so there were walking up to the pass. Take a slow ride back and reach the Y junction and was told about the Madhuri lake detour which is like 13 kms and half hour drive. Bettor condition than Bumla road. Had heard about it the previous day at the brigade also. I was really battered with the BumLa effort and was thinking whether i should put myself and my bike on that. But just took the detour and the road tough bettor but still is a bumpy ride. So many times i was thinking of turning around but curiosity got the bettor of met. The road has this lot of small stones give my bike plenty of lateral movement. I should have thought that its half hour on the 4/4s and took me like 45 mins to get to the lake. It was all downhill with quite a few bad sections from the y junction.

The lake was famous cos of part of the shooting of Koyla movie was done there. I see a cafe from the top and thought would be nice to have a lunch there. When i get to the lake it was nice with dead tree trunks stuck in the middle like in Tekkady in Kerala. The Lake was in between towering mountains. Pretty but really not worth the effort i put in and was very missable. To add to that the restaurant is closed as it was booked by a couple of army familes coming to picknik there so all the people attending to them. Man i am hungry. Make do with the chocolates i carried and as i start back i see the name of the lake as Sangster lake. Man i should have thought that the lake is known as Madhuri lake after the Movie shooting there! Ride back with more effort as its climb up now. As i get to the Y junction the soldier manning the post asked me if i had lunch. I was pretty hungry so went along with him inside his barrack made of steel. Kinda like a hanger. Welcomed by three more soldiers who were pretty happy to receive me. Gave me plate of steaming hot rise, dhaal and Sabzi. It tasted really great. They told me about their life there. They are posted there from couple of years and stay there through out the year even in winter. Some times when they wake up in the morning they have to dig their way out through the snow. One person got into conversation on fone requesting some one from below to get some hot water equipment as they had not taken bath in 20 days. Boy do these people lead tough life. Coming from different parts of the country and manning this isolated posts all through with remote hopes of getting leaves. Bid farewell to them with thanks and started towards Tawang. By now i had started breathing hard, prolly i spent quite some time above 14500 feet and exerted myself quite a bit with less food.

Get to Tawang by 5 and retired for the day with a smile in the face

Bike at the pseudo parking lot...


Wow if only we can ride all the way...


Bike peering at the hills...


One of the many lakes i see on the way....


Bunkers i guess...


Strange Rock falls...

Now i ride along with snow...

Tricky paths...



Yeah snow baby!!


Riding near the top of snow peaks...


Now where did the road go?... had to back track and do a water crossing..




One crazy ride on the edge...




Amazing view from the 7th sikh brigade at Klemta.


The 7th Sikh brigade soldiers honoring me with a pic.. and boy is my dressing disproportionate...


riding with the snow...


small climb down after Klemta...


So many lakes entroute...


one more lake...


Water crossing... Just waded a foot once but the gaiter saved my shoe...


Road gets narrow...


The 4X4 section...

Holy moly one tough climb ahead...


yeppie i made it and its easy after that...


frozen lakes nearing Bumla top...


some creamy roads...



Hurray there i made it to the top of Bumla.


Memorizing views around BumLa top...


Pic of the Border meeting Hut from the edge of border...




The soldiers believe the more stones people put in the pile the friend ship increases between the countries...


I support it on the rock of peace...


Those are the flag posts in the Chinese territory.. they are yet to setup their tent this winter... You can see the remains of their previous tent...


Thumbs up for that...


My bike at the border meeting Hut...


Thats no Tsunami, but snow...


Altitude at BumLa, my phone says 14,645 feet where as Bumla is supposed to be 15000 +!


I am signing the latest Indo-China treaty!!... Nah just the guest book.. But hey i gotta sign the guest book!


The sikh regiment soldiers stationed at the Bumla top...


Got a Hero's welcome there. But these guys are the real heros..


Returning from the amazing moments...


Getting down the toughest section on the entire strech...






The two wheel drive sumo just would not climb the 4x4 section! Guys in that trekked to La top...


The memorial to the brave soldier...






Just did not want to leave the place but have to get back as the weather was deteriorating..


I hold the snow...


One more tricky section but manageable..


Road towards Madhuri Lake...


The Lake itself...


Its pretty for sure but not worth the ride...


I can only take the pic of the cafe as it was closed and boy was i hungry!!


Its Shungatser lake and i guess the name Madhuri lake came when the shooting of the Movie Koyla was done here!




The road with a layer of pebbels making my bike sway side by side...


Verticle travel from Tawang to BumLa

A grand salute to you pkm.

I've been following this thread since long and am speechless,can't describe my feelings in words. i can only wonder how you manage to do so at length for every day in your triplog.

Be safe, and go further.

Any mods on your zma for riding at higher altitudes?

@praveen-To be very frank I was waiting for this to happen i.e your entry to Arunachal. I was dying to see Bomdila and above and your pictures specially around Bumla are fantastic and the way I expected the place to be.What next?Where are you heading?

Again some more fully loaded logs praveen bhai,
i was living ur words,
they really make me feel,
'just put on riding gear, pack my bag and go to the Destination Unknown'

I was feeling sleepy at 10pm but only your log kept me awake tilll past 11pm... great stuff. Cheers

@praveen sir
well i am amateur when u relate me to the term biking but still my opinion
well i would like to confess that i just see the pics and enjoy and do not read the matter but hey..... it feels just wonderful n beautiful to see those.... on my screen and you are living the moment sir..... as all say can just dream of all this....... you quit your job!! and also did not marry and all ..... u are just a solid source of inspiration man,,,,, true inspiration..... fulfilling your dreams n seeing life,,,,, you show us how everything can be sacrificed for achieving your aim.....
not only your a true biker by heart..... but you know what biking is all about..... your are riding these tough roads nicely which is truly amazing... and without a backache which shows ur physical strength ..... moral strength..... man at the moment.... no words can describe u...... i will just say LIVE THE MOMENT..... live it sir...... see life....and enjoy it
my wishes are always with u

a small question to you if you dont mind
why did u choose the zma did you consider other options also...... and how is the bike performing..... man how can it take such a high toll of such rough roads and all .... dont the suspension brake i ve seen u replacing a sprocket once........ if not then we should vote zma as a super tourer man..... atleast over here......

also
how do u manage to ride with such luggage ???? ur perseverance is outta question i guess!!!

Praveen: A small suggestion; please change the spellings of Tavang to Tawang (which is the correct one, at least Google says so). The correct spellings would mean more hits on your blog, plus more and more people can see what you are doing.

raghavishere: Thanks man. Actually the logging is taking all my free time but i guess its worth it. No monds for ZMA i may just rich'en screw out the air screw if the bike gasps a lot.

MG: Glad you liked the pix of the place. Planning to head to Sikkim next. Will be in Guwahati for a couple of days. Then sikkim and then Nepal.

Anjit: yeah the last couple have been heavy with pictures. Just taking things as they come

HydBiker: Sorry to keep you awake :P

Jonny Bravo: Dunno about the Roadies, but this sure is fun. Not thinking much ahead and am just wondering about the next place i am going to be I understand the bondages of family, being 30 and single gives some freedom u see

outwardly maniac: Thanks for all those words. Well i feel zma suits well for the touring and din have any other options. The bike is doing fine so far. And its not about the bike, you can take any bike for any ride just that you have to be comfortable with it. The luggage was a bit daunting at the beggining and was worried how i would manage. Even now moving around the bike with the engine off is a real pain. if it falls no way i can lift it on my own. But when on the move the weight is not a problem.

sunilg: Thanks for the correction. i have changed the same. In my ignorance i never noticed the spelling Even if not for hits its always better with the right spellings. Thanks

that should be "Sikh" bro.

:

@PRAVEEN:How many kms so far you have travelled in this trip?how much left before you conclude this trip?

@Darth: Thanks for the correction. Apologize for that.

@Nabendu: Been around like 9.5k KMs so far. Not sure of how many more

@Praveen: As a kid i had gone to these places (Tawang, shungatser lake). Still maintain that it is the most beautiful part of India. When you are done with this part, try to go to Along if time permits. AWesome place

Also, do Siliguri to Darjeeling.. just for the drive

Great going Praveen.
Pic and logs both are equally good.so where are you right now?today is 56th day of your tour i think.

Incredible stuff! This should be on the Front page of every bike magazine on the planet.

4464 metres. That is mighty high. Phew! I am sweating.