Route: Srinagar - Zozila Pass - Drass.

After our tourist-tourist day at Srinagar..we had to move ahead and I had experience a motorable pass for the very 1st time in my life..

The night before Vishwas befriended some konkan ppl who were heading to Leh too. So, all our saddle bags were kept inside their car and were to carry our luggage..

Just as we moved out of our hotel..and moved some 5-7kms..it started drizzling and then within no time it started moderately..!! Since, i was not wearing rain pants the water seeped in to some restricted areas and it was getting real tough in riding with wet pants..!! So, we stopped in between and got some alternate solution done for the rain pants.. < ... details are already provided by vishwas in his thread ... >

Got suited up and continued the ride..moved some kms ahead and entered 1 small town where me and rudra got some new rain-gear for us and carried it with us. Our next stop was Sonmarg and the scenery enroute was simply superb..wanted to slow down for some pics but then i continued ahead I was still wet from inside and i needed a change desperately..

By the time we reached Sonmarg..those scorpio ppl had already reached and were waiting for us to reach .. Got the saddle bags out..changed the clothes and we were all fresh now..

In the meatime we packed our bags and loaded them onto the scorpio and they moved ahead of us. We had our breakfast there at the restaurant and we too moved from there in some time.

1st view of Sonmarg








On covering some kilometers from there we finally reached the Zozila pass(i didnt notice that we had actually started climbing Zozila - since this was the 1st time i was riding/seeing to a pass )..!! Since, this was the 1st time for me..the ride was somewhat difficult as there was snow/slush/mud all over the road as the pass just opened up a few days back. The truckers had already jammed the route and it was a real tough job to overtake them in such a narrow road as that. At one point of time only me and rudra were riding together..vishwas was left pretty much behind due to some 'x' reason. Me & Rudra stopped many times for a photo here and there .. THIS WAS THE 1ST TIME WE WERE ACTUALLY RIDING IN SNOW CLAD MOUNTAINS..SO THE EXCITEMENT WAS DOUBLED..

All Zozila pics





Getting ready to leave..a fleet of truckers coming our way..


Aaah!! Heaven!!




Finally!! We were at Zozila!!


Ohh! Look we have to go there..






Horses chewing some snow+grass..






Yes!! We are finally there..!!








That used to be a waterfall...but it was frozen now..








Another frozen waterfall..


Wanna play some ball ..










Yo!!


Look at that wonderful landscape..






Smoooooooooooooooooooth!!










After a lot of photo-sessions we finally completed the pass and were back to plains..where we all re-grouped and again had some group photo-session ..



We couldn't wait more as the weather was VERY cold that time and we were already feeling the cold in our hands and feet, we needed one cup of hot-tea very badly. So, we decided to stop at the next town/army camp for some tea. But, as we progressed ahead rainfall started so the cold increased. we decided not to stop and head directly to Drass. On reaching Drass we halted at some chai-tapri and came to a decision that we are not a position to ride ahead up-till Kargil. So, we started looking for hotel to stay for the night. Finally we found a ok-ok room for 2 ppl for 200 bucks per room. we booked 2 rooms and shifted all the luggage to both the rooms and got into the quilts provided..

Finally!! Drass : The second coldest inhabited place in world..

















Next : Day 5: Drass - Leh

The second coldest place and you are in full shirt with sleeves up and Rudra in half tee
Badi garmi hai andar

Lovely pics specially that smooth road

Thread Renamed as per OP's (Original Poster) request.

Great log there Inder! looking forward to more from you...

@Inder.. thats bad yaar.. I was looking for the virginity thread... and couldn't find it.. you should stick by your decisions.. by the names you decide..

Thanks a lot Aryan..

Thanks Vaibhav!

That's what i am doing!! This title i thought..that one was someone else's idea..

Yatra vivran kee shershak ko kya hua ??
Lagata he Inder paaji kaa kaumarya wapis aa gaya....Iska taaatparya yeh he ki..aanle waale warsha punah LEH yatra...Punah komarya bhang karne ke liye

^ You bugger!!

Jyada taatpariya mat nikaal..!

Ha Ha Ha Ha

Today was the day when we were supposed to get Leh'ed finally..so as per usual timing we all got up at around 6-6.30am and started with the preparations. It was BRIGHT and SUNNY day which was good for us as that would mean a "No Rain" ride for us..

So, finally after roaming around for an hour there , setting up the luggage back , rudra starting the bike after 100 kicks .. we started with our ride and planned to stop the drass war-memorial for pics+homage! But, as I was leading and i didnt notice its board we skipped that.. and moved ahead..!! For some time, I was leading and then i stopped for some pics..and then vishwas and rudra moved ahead.

Good Morning Drass..


My snow/frost covered bike..


























Pano of the mountains.. <click for bigger resolution pic>












Soon I reached kargil and started searching for these guys..but somehow missed taking a turn or i took a wrong turn i went into the market and from there ended up going to NH via some tuta-futa route.. the whole route i was searching for these guys but cudn't locate them. Finally moved out of kargil and headed towards our next stop khaltse..! Enroute we had 2 passes to cross Namik-La and Fotu-La..! Both were absolutely dry passes unlike zozila which was full of slush/mud/snow/whatever.

The roads up-till Namik-La were super smooth but for some kms to the top were bad..(but then that's pretty common with all the passes )!!

On getting down from there i was running short of fuel as i had not fuelled in Kargil as per the usual plan..so had buy fuel in black from the locals so started inquiring about it and finally after some hunting found one shop who was keeping some fuel and bought some 3-4 ltrs and i was again ready to move ahead. On moving ahead found one army camp and was looking for a phone for call up vishwas to ask about their whereabouts. Got hold of one army vala and started calling up. For 'x' reason the phone call didn't connect and i had to move ahead. Then it struck to my mind that may be i should send an sms to them and state that i would be moving ahead and meet at Lamayuru(next town). But, as i turned back i saw them coming..! So, now we were finally re-grouped again and started moving ahead. As none of us had anything since morning we took a small halt at the nearest departmental store and we ordered tea and maggi. After that reliever we moved ahead and crossed Fotu-La hurriedly as the roads were smooth.







Namik-LA..!!












Fotu-LA..!!














An RE guy who was en-route to Leh!!




After Fotu-La our next stop was Lamayuru..which was only few kms away from there..! But, to our surprise the road to Lamayuru was closed due to some reason and we were to take the diversion to the base road thru "Jalebi Pass" (which we came to know of it later thru Biru and co. ).

Next we stopped at the police check-post just after Lamayuru where we had to do the entry for the bikes.



From there Leh was around 90kms and the roads up-till next town saspol was smooth and then from saspol - nimmu the roads were very bad..!! After nimmu the roads were good again. In the meanwhile, when i tried to overtake a truck from the wrong side the truck vala hit me and i was dragged to the side of the road..lucky for me there was sand there which prevented me and the gear from any bruises and all escaped unhurt

In-between we crossed Magnetic hill where we tested the bike's pulling ability and it actually worked for all of us..

From there on the road to Leh was smooth tar..but bcoz of high-altitude my bike wasn't pulling beyond 4k rpm which meant that i would be reaching our pit-stops late than the usual time.

And finally after a few kms we spotted a board saying "Welcome to Leh" and were simply elated on seeing that..It was like a dream that we had finally reached our prime destination ... LEH ... ..so we stopped by for some pics and in the meantime vishwas fixed up a meeting with his friend who had booked a hotel for us at Leh. Within no time we reached the hotel and crashed for the day..















Magnetic Hill!!


Video!!
Link to the video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6I36GxhChc

There it is..!! We have finally made it ..


Dinner at hotel..






Next: Day 6 - 7: Leh - Pangong Tso - Leh

gr8 pics and log inder bhai... waiting for more...

Where is the magnetic hill video? The pano looks amazing..

Thanks..

Video added!!

After a few packs of Whisky you just forgot it Inder, sheeh?
I was the one who told you about JALEBI PASS when we sat at Ibex bar with Raman n gang...

awesome pix inder..!! specially the snake kind of roads.... just brilliant