I tenth that!


Finally caught up with the thread and recent developments over the weekend.

I hope your feeling better praveen, is the medication helping you?

The pics over the last couple of photos from varanasi were very nice.

This thread has been quite a journey and i hope it doesnt end anytime soon.

take care of yourself man, ride safe. awaiting your next write up!

HAI BRO,HWS UR HEALTH CONDITION,I MEAN ANY BACK PAIN AFTER THIS LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG RIDE.U SIMPLY ROCKZZZZZZZAND TAKE CAREEE

Hey praveen, heard about your trip from Bali sir(Motokraft)....what can i say bro...you remind me of Mr.Ted Simon , author of Jupiter's Travels book...
Way to go man...
Cheers to the spirit of biking....

PS: Ted Simon is biker to have travelled 64000 miles around the globe on Triumph 500 at the age of 42 for a period of 4 years and again did the same route at the age of 70 in a span of 3 years....

@Praveen: Hope you come thru MUMBAI(or somewhere nearby) while returning back.. as I said earlier this month(few pages back) would love to meet you up.

Great going buddy. Cheers to the amazing feat!

That laptop is a gold mine, make sure all the photos are not lost goto a cyber center, upload those images to a hosting service or buy USB sticks in Kilogram scale and transfer to each and everyone.

Speechless.
Excellent ride! ... and loadsa respect to you.

Thanks Jonak

Nabendu: Sorry to trouble you mobile

Kwokfist: The medication was timely and helpful and now i seem to be fine

sarathm: My back is still holding hope it still holds for the next leg.

starider: No man i am not at all in that leage. Check ALONE AROUND THE WORLD ON MOTORCYCLE an indian did world trip on Karizma!

Motorbreath: I plan to ride through Mumbai. Letsee how it goes

Thanks Moeed.

DarthVeda: hehe yeah i have to do something about backup

Thanks Olias

Day 111 - June 27 - Almora to Nandprayag

June27 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trip Sharing with Google Maps

178 KMs Trip Meter 14502 KMs

Wanted to start early but got lazy in the nice room. Took my time having breakfast and tea at the nice sit out. These relaxed moments are also part of the trip right! Plan is to head towards Badrinath and stay where ever it gets to get dark! Started by 10 am and out of Almora in no time. Nothing much to say but it was a pleasant morning ride. The roads were good. Then everything changes suddenly, roads a bit rough, no proper hotels to eat. Towns look a bit poor. Thats when i realize that i have entered Ghadwal district. The standard of living between the two districts is quite different. Lot of rough roads this time. I rmbr Mr Girish said the previous day that the route via Gwaldom is not good so i should via garison instead. But today morning he writes me a map going through gwaldam!! This is realize only after riding some bad roads after Gwaldom. Lot of small offroad sections too. With the correct tire pressure is so much bettor now.

Now i ride on the walls of tall mountain valley. Typical tall valley with a river in between. Kinda feel claustrophobic i confess. Reached Karnaprayag by 5.15 pm. Since there will be sunlight till like 7 pm thought of pushing ahead for the next town Nandprayag. Stop for a maggie as all i had for lunch was alu tikki and a half samosa! Reach Nandprayag by 6.15 and find a reasonable looking hotel with some parking space, so pulled it. May be i could have pushed till chamoli but it might be expensive there in the tourist season compared to the smaller place Nandprayag. Its around 800 meters above msl and i quite hot. Prolly had i left couple of hours earlier could have made it to Joshimath. Any way Staying here for the night!

Just when i thought the day's chores are done and i can relax into the night, the laptop does not boot! Thought it has given way and this kinda affected my further ride plans if i want to get it fixed in Delhi. Or continue the rest of the journey till i reach journey and log on notebook! Not able to call friends to as the damn network is busy. But he mobile internet was working and searched my way to Lenovo forums and found a thread with same problem and one of the solution proposed was Remove the battery, remove the power cord, Press boot button 10 times and once for 20 seconds! Thought what nonsense! but being clueless tried it and voila the laptop now boots. It seems the problem was due to accumulated electrostatic charge which needed a discharge. The above process does that. As strange as it may seem to a lay person like me, it worked!


Today is the flowers day of the trip! Lot of flower i clicked!!

This is the common Boganmila, the flower whose petals are in shape of leaves...


The hotel had lot of flower pots...


I click away...








The old hotel had a great sit out. Enjoyed the mornings there...


Thats Enthusiastic Mr Girish to my left and his cousin to the right...


Enjoyed my stay there....


Bidding farewell to Almora...


Riding through the pine forests. One thing is that in pine forest, nothing grows in between the trees...


Caught sunflowers on the way...








All part of a pleasant morning ride...


Ladies carrying a heavy load...


There were more flowers than leaves...





I said it was a flowers day!!


Busy farmers...





More flowers...


Nice uttaranchal...


can you spot the bike...


Suddenly this fantastic road pops up...


Not so good road but through the forest kinda place...


Some open space...





You see the livers? I held the gun to the tank and that guy rotated by hand to pump the fuel!!


Interesting roads...


Riding by the river...


Some bad roads...


Lotoff monkeys...


I put in some work in this photo. It was like 30 feet away from me. Zoomed to max 10X and switched to macro mode to get the Bokeh effect, Turned on the flash, half clicked and focused and then screamed and clicked as soon as he saw at me


Some mountain road...


Typical of himalayas...








Karnaprayag below...


Valley i will be riding for some time...


I asked him if i can take his pic and he obliged in return of me giving some 'chai pani' Got into conversation and he is on a incredible journey! He is Murugan from Chennai. He travelled to varanasi by train and walked from there towards Badrinath!! He said he walks like 10 t0 15 kms per day. And he is heading to Amarnath after visiting Badrinath. Wanted to talk more but he was in a hurry as it was getting dark and he still had 7 KMs to cover till Nandprayag. The conversation was intersting and also lil funny cos we both were adressing each other as 'Baba' hehe.

Day 112 - June 28 - Nandprayag 2 Badrinath 2 Auli

June28 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Community

161 KMs Trip meter 14673 KMs

Morning ride was just as scary as the previous evening ride. That is with the cliff drop off to the left and have to ride on the left lane. The roads are pretty good and that makes the opposing sumos more deadly who zip around blind corners. I generously use my roots horn. Plan is the get to Badrinath, do darshan and come back to Joshimath and make my way to Auli. Well there is no snow this time of the year but still should be a good place i thought. Roads are pretty good till Joshimath and its 45 kms to Badrinath and the roads get narrow steep and has many offroad sessions. Man i need to get confident on offroad all over again. The mountains gets more and more dramatic. The valley that i have been riding seems like a pretty steap one with mountains on either side towering till the sky. Fantastic wide roads are interlaced with horrid offroad sessions. Couple of places vehicles seemed to have been for not reason by police. But bikes are allowed to pass through. This happens a couple of times where i ride past a long line of vehicles just blocked by police barricade and i am scoot free to ride ahead did not get that! Nearing Badrinath there is a water crossing. Fair enough. Not a very deep one, but i get so tensed that by the end of it my hands are shaking i even get hickups. You gotta be kidding me and i am supposed to head to ladakh next! Its getting cold now and windy as well. The sky looks like it can open up any time. After a couple of turn and there is see the gate. I am there at Badrinath. The place i have always heard. Why am i here not being very religiously inclined? May be for my old man and my well wishers who would be happy that i been there.

Now to find a place to park the bike and dump the stuff in safe keeping so that i can go to darshan. I ask for help from a small lodge and store all my stuff in their office. Its 2pm and i am told that temple opens at 3pm. There goes my hopes of making it back quickly. But have to have food any way. Walk through the narrow lanes towards the temple. There is spot the colorful Badrinath temple. Couple of clicks and have to cross a bridge over the raging Alaknanda river. Stand in the Q and wait for the doors to open. It does at 3pm and slowly find my way in and have darshan and spend a few minutes sitting there. Couldn't control a tear in the eye imagining my mom being there with me all happy about visiting the place. I just wanted to get out of there. Any way now i have to collect my scattered all over. My shoes still there. Walk up the narrow lanes. The bike's still there, and all my stuff. Its already 3.45 pm. Its getting late. See a lot of clouds accumulating and more so towards south. May be its already raining. Get into my rain gear. Again there is a long line of vehicle to make an exit and their i simply squeeze through and cops don't stop me. Ride down a bit and its the same water crossing again. I kinda pump up myself a bit and cross it and its the same thing, my hands are shaking and i get the hiccups again!! This is ridicules!! I am supposed to be heading to ladakh next!! I bettor get back my mojo fast!! Just when i start there are lot of opposing vehicles as if in a convoy ripping from opposite direction. There are less courteous on me and many time i have to get on the gravel due to the aggressive driving from opposing vehicles. Thats when i realize that there are many narrow stretches and so the vehicles are allowed only in one direction. Bikes are allowed as it can be managed. But i guess the bigger vehicles were jealous of me or may be there were angry at me, cos who knows i might have happily rode past them when they were waiting and now i am in their way back and they finally getting to move after frustrating wait! Now i am more alert. I am not the only biker around. The entire stretch from karnaprayag i have been seeing sikh people riding two up on almost any motorcycle and riding happily with no helmets and were in casual dress with bags stuffed between the two people. One of the groups i saw was like 10 bikes all flaunting orange triangular flags. And they ride fast as well, couple of groups went past me as well!! May be i have become a very sober rider now. Gone are the days when i used to crouch at every possible opportunity!! Couldn't really see any mountains and the sky was always full. Kinda lost interest in riding to other parts of Uttaranchal and decided would head straight to Dehradun tomm.

Its like 5.30 and still some way to get to Joshimath and there is a road block. This time no excape as the the road layer machine covers the entire narrow road. I have to literally wait for the road to be made in front of me. A group of bikes some how manage to cross the tar stones with wheel spins an all. No i am waiting for the bulldozer to press them for me! Its 6pm till i get to Joshimath and i was told that road to Auli is fantastic! Man this is not the first time i am give false hopes like this. There are many bad stretches. The road climbs in a hurry. Just going up switch backs after switch backs and the ones starting from joshimath are pretty steep. Front wheel almost feels not weight some times. I confess i am knew nothing of this place and just that skiing is possible in winter and not now. Reach Auli and there's nothing. Its all boring. I see a board to a Clifftop hotel 3 KMs and a rough offroad path going further up! Guess i am going. Its scattered with loose stones and bit slippery as i guess it had rained. Now i knew its not going to be reasonable price up there but with the offroading i have done and it was getting dark, my budget increased with every meter :d When i get there its a huge ski resort. Man i did not want to ride back to the boring place below. There is no parking as well. have to park a lil away from the resort. A watch man takes responsibility of taking care of my bike if i plan to stay there. Fears realized and room is 5.5k! Told its way out of my budget and some here and there and settled for 2.2k. I took it. I know i splurged! i am really sorry, i wont do it again and i promise to make up for it in ladakh! Was a bit hungry and wanted to offset the extravagance a bit so went to the chai stall below at the vehicle parking meant for drivers and had an omelet there! The drivers were really happy to share space with and tried hard to speak in English. Politely replied in hindi easing things out. It was funny to watch the drunk shopkeeper prepare my omelet. Ohh man did not realise that when i ordered and now i cant run away also. hehe LOL. It was a good one btw. Went back to the resort and there was bonfire arranged for the guests. There was even a DJ playing some numbers. After some rounds, the host comes and gives gyan about the place to all. And also mythological stories behind badrinath. The rivers around and where all they meet. Must say it was enlightening. I was thinking char dham was like badrinath, kedarnath, haridwar and rishikesh! But got to know that its actually Badrinath, Rameshwaram, Kashi and shringeri?? Well what do you know i seemed to have visited the 'char dham' if the fourth one is shringeri.

Any way get back to my humongous room and do my daily blogging duty.

The room at Nandprayag...


The front tire has become a bit brittle... hope it can still take some punishment...


Lot of under construction streches...


Road with cliff drop off to the left. Scary at blind curves, dunno which vehicle will be ripping on to me...


some wide roads as welll...


Valley going up to Badrinath...





Old form of tranportation still alive...


Roads cut out of mountains...





Some switchbacks...





Did not realize the magnitude when i was riding on the other side...


Boy do vehicles rip here....





Vehicles blocked for passage and bikes have freedom...


Some military establisment...


Steep valley...

















Vishnu prayag project...


Strange mountain with flat surfaces...


Raging Alaknanda...








Tall mountains....


Rare glimse of snow mountain...





A peak near Badrinath...


I make it to the north Dham...


Thats a Bus stand btw...


On the other side of Badrinath towards Mana village...


The main square of Badrinath...


Going to the temple....





The Badrinath Temple....


Me there...





Alaknanda...


Temple at the height...


Q for darhan...


Just out side the temple...


Taptakund, later came to know that the water is hot there!!


The water crossing that scared me...








Vehicle canvoy ripping in opposite direction...


Literally waiting or the road to be made...


Gondala wires to Auli...


Joshimath town below....


Some offroad strech to get to Clifftop hotel...


Bonfire in the evening...





The room lobby...


My biggest room in the trip....


Dont hit me please!!





Vertical travel from Badrinath to Auli...

Day 113 - Auli to Srinagar

June29 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trip Sharing with Google Maps

166 KMs Trip meter 14831 KMs

Had left the blinds open so that the morning light can wake me up before the alarm does. But the alarm wins. Its all misty outside and nothing of the mountains can be seen. I take it pretty slow, wanted to spend time in the room as i have paid dearly. Will all the chores and breakfast done by 9am and now i got nothing to do. So i decide to check out any way. Asked direction for the Gurso. I was told its simple at the reception. I walk up to the last of the stations of Joshimath Auli Gondola line. Its almost like a Km. Looked so near. There were a few tea shops and one of the guy told me that i needed a guide else i would be lost or would not see what i want. I bargained for 200 and now i have a guide. In no time we deviate from the main path. With out the guide i would have stayed in the main path and which would go to some village i was told. Soon we walk in the forest. It was really great with tall trees and no bushes in between. Could hear a lot of birds and kinda echoing. The ambiance was just great. I was told by the guide Deepak there there are leopards and tigers in the forests around. And that they would go away when they hear people talking. If only one persons goes he could be in trouble the chances of it is very rare. Any way now that i have paid, listen to what he has to stay. Get to a Padyar Devi temple enroute. Sit some time for rest. It was really peaceful up there, with lil sunlight escaping through the canopy. In another 20 minutes we get out of the forest and here we are at the Gurso meadows. It was nice but not really xp like smooth as i expected. We climb up to a hill to get a good view around. It was great alright but kinda not upto expectation. I kinda expected the meadows like in the movie 'Krish' or xp. Any way did not feel waste. Spend few minutes sitting and trying to grasp the environment.

Its time to go. Its like 12 that i am back to hotel and gear up the bike with the luggage. Now its the terrible offroading for 3 Kms. Make it find till the end and climb down to Joshimath. By now i had some headache. Had coffee and took a tablet and i ride towards Karnaprayag. Unsure of today's destination, thought of riding till 6-7 O clock and stop where ever i am. The ride was normal and after time enter the good road section. Now we are in the left lane towards the wall and not much fear of being pushed off the cliff. Plus there was lot of traffic in my direction and hardly any on the opposite. Every 4/4 driver ripping to the max of their abilities. The roads were great and with so many pray around, its adrenalin time and take the curves with full heart. All the time making sure that i am not riding beyond my comfort zone. It was an adrenalin pumping ride for quite some time overtaking all the vehicles driving at breakneck speeds. No one wants to give way and have to sneak past all the vehicles. The road was wide enough to accommodate that. The mountain twisties was just amazing and enjoyed every bit of the down hill ride.

Few Kms before Karnaprayag i had to stop to put on rain gear, but it was a false alarm and i had to get out of them in another half hour. Stopped at a place overlooking Alaknanda river and had my parathas which i had brought from the hotel. With music in my ears it was a great but break. Get back on to the road and some more gala time. Get to karnaprayag and take the road towards Rudraprayag. What do we have here? mountain twistes as wide as 3 trucks can pass together! With a Slurrrp take the curves and overtaking all the vehicles was great fun. There were some bad stretches or under construction stretches. But over all its a great road and leaning was great fun. Some would give a chase only to give up in some time. One thing these people do not understand is that, if some one overtakes them, it means that the overtaker's normal speed is more than yours so there is not meaning to chase. They may even win but cannot maintain the lead and they soon want to ride at their comfort zone. I always make sure that i ride in my comfort zone and endup being faster than those 4/4s ofcourse less width of motorcycle is definitely an advantage on the hills. Plus no drivers respond to the horn and give way. Since the road was wide enough had to pic moments out manuver them. When i am stuck behind a lumber bux the sumo had just overtaken comes so close to me from behind as if to over take me. Wonder what he would achieve, when a motorcycle that has overtaken him is not able to overtake the bus, what does he want to achieve by going ahead of me! I guess since most of the vehicles here are driven by professional drivers, guess their ego gets hurt, compared to commuters driving their own vehicles! But in the end it was very enjoyable ride though. The road was pretty much awesome till Srinagar. Made it by 7pm to srikot. Thought of checking into a hotel. But also thought of checking out srinagar which is 5 Kms ahead. But the hotels no parking or were expensive. So ride my way back to the Srikot and find a room with good parking for the bike at 350 rs. Reasonable i thought and checked in.

Its to Dehradun tomm via chamba. Looking forward to it.


Cloudy morning at the resort....


The car parking and my bike is somewhere there...


The highside of the resort...


Not much of mountains visible, no chance of viewing Nandadevi...


Trying to bring out the 'josh' face...


Trekking upto the lost tower...


Ski assists i guess...


The Joshimath Auli gondola...


They have Zorbing here which i did not try...





Walking through the Gurso forest...


Padyar devi temple there....





Me with the guide Deepak...


It was fantastic walking in the forest...


Starting of the meadow...


The Gurso Meadows...


Walk up a bit more...


These become ski slopes in winter...


Grass every where but still the cow is skinny!


Some macros...





Green green...





The height till we trekked...


Want some?


Temporary huts.. people settle here for the summer as its easier to feed cattle...














Just 1 cm wide...


Slopes littered with flowers...


Have to go back down...


Snow tents...


The Gurso forest...


New ski slopes being made...


The pool they are going to use to make artificial snow...


Ski slope...


The clifftop resort...





My bike there...


Still not much of mountains visible...


Going down the offroad track...


Military training ground...


Thats Hathi parbat, in shape of elephant...


The road i will be riding on...


Plenty of groups of Sikhs like this who travel from UP and other neighbouring states, on a pilgrimage bike ride...


Aalu paratha and Alaknanda great combination It was a nice break there...





No guess for what we do here











Sunset near Srinagar...


Stone query...

Hey Praveen.. Great going. Its not eveyday and everyone that gets such an oppurtunity to roam around and explore this well.
The Sikhs you saw all around the route till joshimath must be on pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib. You can drive upto Gobindghat which is between Joshimath and badrinath and start your trek from there. I had been there a couple of yrs back. One needs to trek from Gobindghat to Ghangaria (base camp) and then further to Hemkund sahib. This trek route is open only between Apr-august. From Ghangharia one can also trek to Valley of Flowers.

I think You have already ridden through the very best and worst roads in the Country.. Great going bro.. Ride long ride safe

Amazing to see it still going on! I liked the history behind the monkey photo.

dude ,, you are the ultimate biker ,, keep on going !!!!!!