Preparations

For all interested members,

I cannot stress more on the need to prepare oneself physically and mentally for the journey ahead hence this post.

I have served in that area for 2 years including 1 year in the general area of Siachen and 90 days on a post at 20,000 feet. High altitude treats you well if you are prepared for it. And you enjoy it fully when you are fully prepared for it. If you act funny, it will ruthlessly throw you into hospital with a multitude of life-threatening health issues. The saying "Don't be a Gama(buffoon) in the the land of the Lama" is a most apt one.

I have chosen the Srinagar on purpose so that we acclimatise gradually to the lowering oxygen content in the air, the reducing temperatures and poor road conditions.

There are still 8 months to go so bags of time to get oneself in shape for Leh.

Please do basic health checkups: heart, BP, BMI etc. Those who are overweight/obese, lose the flab else lose the trip. For people with known heart, lung and weight issues, it would be prudent avoid the road trip.

Any questions on a fitness program, please PM me with details of age, gender, height, weight, and experience of sports etc. I will try to help...

Hi Icemang,

Its great to see a fellow Pune rider planning for such a ride.
I am also planning and your thread just gives the spine to my thoughts.
I will be following the thread and my office plans closely and decide in a month or two.

I hope to ride with you from Pune to Leh and make this journey a memorable one.

Cheers
Sid

Dear Sid,

Having you as a companion for the Pune - Jammu leg would be a God-send; it will be damn hot and going alone would be hugely boring!

Welcome to the ride.

was about to start such thread few months later. Well, if i get leaves from office next year. I may join you. it will be my fourth attempt for this ride. wanted to do this ride from last three seasons.

You are welcome to join in. Check out the google doc link for more information.

I dont think there is any point in riding all the way from Pune. Better to transport your bike to Delhi or Jammu.

Thanks Hyperion.

I too am coming round to that line of thinking. We would tire ourselves out in the heat of June and be left quite dehydrated at the start of the main journey.

Revised tentative schedule

This is a revised tentative schedule, based on inputs from Vishwas. As usual, it is likely to change as per our plans as they advance beyond this stage. So here goes:

03 Jun Sunday Jammu afternoon: Rendezvous of members, introductions, checks and prep for the next day.

04 June Monday Jammu to Srinagar/Pahalgam: Start from a place agreed to on 3rd. Pahalgam has been reported as a better alternative to Srinagar. We can decide in-situ

05 June Tuesday Srinagar/Pahalgam to Drass/Kargil: If Zojilla proves too time consuming, then Drass else Kargil.

06 Jun Wednesday Kargil to Leh via Lamayuru: Early start as members might want time for photography.

07 Jun Thursday Leh: 1st day of acclimatisation, sight-seeing, application for permits, bike and equipment check etc. Carb reset done here.

08 June Friday Leh: 2nd day of acclimatisation and sight-seeing if required.

09 June Saturday Leh to Pangong Tso: Onward journey

10 Jun Sunday Pangong Tso to Leh Via Chushul and Chumathang: Return journey.

11 June Monday Leh to Siachen: for me only. Members of xBHP who are also serving members of the Armed Forces might be allowed, no guarantees. The others can go to Chumathang, take in the Hemis Gompa etc.

12 June Tuesday Siachen to Leh: ditto as above.

13 June Wednesday Leh: Rest in Leh, prep for the return trip.

14 June Thursday Leh to Pang: self explanatory.

15 June Friday Pang to Keylong: ditto

16 June Saturday Keylong to Manali/Kulu: depending upon what people prefer

17 June Sunday Kulu to Ambala: for me as I will catch a train from there to Pune.

Total days on the road: 14.

Emergencies etc: 2 days in spare on both sides for travel arrangements.

Grand total: 16 days.

Some tips for preparation

Vishwas Mokashi aka trustvishwas was kind enough to point me to these tips that he had written elsewhere. Thanks, Vishwas, for the permission to quote your hard work here and 'cause you saved me quite some time and effort

1. Travel / Transport Arrangements
If you wish to ride from your home town and your travel arrangements are less hassled. However, if you wish to travel the first leg by train / air, you will need to book tickets well in advance. Ladakh season starts from June i.e. peak holiday season.

I have heard several objections to transporting bike through train. However, I have experienced that bikes get transported without a single scratch. You need to pay 100 bucks more to the guy packing it, 100 bucks to the guy who loads it on the train. The risks of bike getting scratched are more or less equal to the chances of you getting a scratch on your bike while riding from your home town to Delhi / Jammu.

In my opinion, bike should be transported through train and you should travel in the same train. This helps in reducing last minute wear / tear of bike and also provides you with enforced rest for travel duration. You will be riding for next 12-15 days so one day complete rest before you start the ride is good for you.

Also do not skimp on ticket cost. Travelling in 3 tier A/c will still be cheaper than you riding your bike to Delhi / Jammu. (If you add up accommodation cost to your fuel cost)

If you are booking your bike through train, it can be booked as luggage or parcel. Parcel can only be booked between 10 am to 5 pm and similarly you can get delivery of your bike in this time only.

If you are travelling through the same train, you should book it as luggage. The charges are same as parcel. However, in this case, you can get the bike immediately after getting down from train. You just need to collect a gate pass and push bike outside train station. This avoids hotel cost in Delhi / Jammu. You would be rested and raring to start your journey immediately.

2.Bike
Please finalise the bike which you wish to take to Leh. If it is not your own bike, get acquainted with it for at least a week. Also get it prepared at least one week in advance so if any work is not properly carried out, you still have time on your hand. Details of bike preparation mentioned later.

3. Off Roading Experience
As I have mentioned earlier, I absolutely do not have any kind of touring experience on any kind of bike. So I requested couple of senior riders to accompany me for an off-road ride just to have an idea about the kind of biking expected during the ride. This 35 km ride gave me an idea of the kind of roads to expect, how to properly tie a saddle bag and tank bag and bike handling changes due to saddle and tank bag.

4. Endurance
After our off-road ride, a senior rider voiced a question about my endurance in riding. Me being 42 and not very physically fit, agreed whole heartedly to this question. Hence, once I rode from Pune to Shirval (60 km), turned around and went to Lonavala (120km) without stopping or getting down from the bike. When I could complete this ride without suffering too much, I decided that I was fit enough to go on this ride.

You should also try such a ride beforehand.

5. Luggage
You will need one saddle bag, one tank bag and one sack. Sack would be required only if you are travelling by train / flight till delhi / Jammu. You need a sack to keep your helmet and other riding gear in it. After wearing riding gear, you can roll it up and tie it with bungee cords.

Again, I sincerely urge everyone to buy / borrow saddle and tank bags well in advance, fill them up, tie them to your bike and take a off-roading trip. This would give you a feel of how bike operates when loaded.

Saddle bags need to be balanced. Fill them up and see whether they are loaded in a balanced way. If they are not, bike will tend to slightly lean on heavier side and you will need to keep on correcting. Even slight corrections for 6-8 hours a day will surely result in sore limbs.

Tank bag are normally not waterproof. Check whether you have a waterproof cover (it comes with the bag) with you and whether it is fitting properly at speeds of 80+ kmph.

Please check where the straps/saddlebags/tank bag are touching painted surface of your bike. Stick some coloured vinyl on the areas where any of the above touches. This will help you in saving bike paint and finish. I am suggesting vinyl because it is very cheap (App. Rs.20-25/sq.ft.) and vinyl can be easily removed without damaging colour of your bike. Coloured vinyl also helps in blending in so that it is not an eyesore.


6. Clothes
The worst enemy I faced in Ladakh ride was cold. The temperature was not very low but wind chill was the killing factor. You would need to carry at least –

• 2 sets of thermal uppers
• 1 set of thermal lower
• 1 warm track pant
• 1 set of woolen gloves
• 8 pairs of woolen socks (at least)
• Scarf / muffler for covering your neck
• Complete rain suit

My usual every day clothing during the ride would be –

1. Lower – Thermals + track pant + cargo pant + rain suit pant
2. Upper – 2 Thermals + woolen shirt + riding jacket with thermal layer + rainsuit top
3. Feet – Woolen socks 2 pairs + plastic bag + shoes
4. Hands – Woolen gloves + leather riding gloves

I had purchased 2 pc. each of army cargo pants and army woolen shirts. They were sufficient. You don’t sweat in Ladakh and will be wearing your riding jacket so they don’t get dirty much and no need to carry more. You can get army cargo pants and woolen shirts at dirt cheap rates from army canteen (you would need some contact there) 2 woolen shirts, 2 cargo pants, 1 thermal, 1 woolen gloves and 1 pair of army shoes – all for a princely sum of 1400/- No need to spend more money.

One correction here. No Army canteen sells any Army clothing of any nature whatsoever because it is not a Canteen Stores Department item. Also,it is completely illegal for any civilian to purchase and wear any item of Army or Armed Forces related clothing. There are two reasons why one finds so much of camouflage cloth trousers and jackets and Army woollen clothing in the open market. 1)The cloth is very cheap and ever since the Govt neglected to control its sale, any cloth merchant can stock it and sell it to anybody, even non-members of the Armed Forces. 2) The majority of such clothing has been discarded by the Army/Armed Forces after having lived its life cycle in service.

I do not condone any unauthorised individual wearing Army clothing and would strongly discourage this practise on this thread and this forum. The problem is that most civilians don’t know that when they are wearing Army clothing of any type, they are committing an offence… Please don't do it. Civilian cargoes/track pants etc are comfortable enough. Please don't insult the uniform which men bleed in day after day is my earnest request and prayer... After that , it is your choice but I personally will not break bread with anybody who wears such clothing. I myself am prohibited from wearing such clothing when not on the duty it requires...


I wore one t shirt for Pune – Srinagar journey, threw it away and then bought another one in Jammu for return journey.

I had purchased army DM shoes for 250 bucks. They are quite good, provide reasonable safety to your toes and ankles, waterproof while riding but the major deficiencies I found were – They get extremely cold and if you walk in streams etc., water gets inside. Better option would be to carry fur lined gum boots of at least mid calf height.

One sandals / slippers required for short walks around hotel, market etc.

I observed that after wearing balaclava, if your speeds fall below 30 kmph and if you are in or near snow line, the helmet fogs up in one breath. So I stopped wearing it.

Kashmir being plastic free zone, you won’t find any plastic bags. You need to wear those bags inside your shoes so your feet don’t get wet. Buy thick plastic bags and see whether your foot still fits inside your shoe.

Following would be most controversial opinion of all but in my opinion, it is absolutely correct - Your riding gloves are useless for riding in Ladakh. Each would have vents to let in air so your hands get extremely cold. Also in case of rains, water gets inside and being leather, they won’t dry out fast. Better to buy fur lined leather gloves for good cold protection. Buy couple of sets of surgical gloves (Rs.35 each set), fix them on top of your fur lined leather gloves for wet weather protection and you are set for the ride. So in effect, you will be wearing woolen gloves + leather gloves topped with surgical gloves.

Clothes don’t dry out in 3-4 days also. One trick my riding partner taught me was to put in damp (not wet) gloves, socks below your bed sheet. Your body heat during night will dry them out completely.

Also keep couple of spare carry bags with you. Comes in handy for putting in wet clothes etc.

7. Maps, Geographical Info etc.
Gather as much information as possible from all the sources. Carry as many maps as you can. Once you are in Ladakh, it is very difficult to get lost as there are no cross roads but you should have at least a basic idea of where you are going and how many km you have to cover.

GPS does not help much in Ladakh. Not many roads exist in that area so chances of you getting lost are slim.

I have been to Ladakh for two tenures, and am therefore somewhat familiar with the area. There are a few things that I would like to point out for your further consideration.

I have seen tourists (civilians and foreigners as well) ahead of Khalsar enroute to Siachen. This was in 2009. Some of them were staying in hotels/guesthouses there. They are probably allowed till Sumur or so, maybe Sosoma. So, they can accompany you upto there. Not sure of who issues permits, though. The place has developed now, there are mobile phone towers and buses as well.
A NCC trekking expedition had been to the Base Camp in 2008, this was covered in the newspapers. One may try for permission for civilians as well, considering that there is quite a lot of time.

Enroute Dras to Leh, you will cross the Nam Ki La, which (as I recall) is 14000 feet plus. The levels of fitness of the participants may necessitate staying at Dras/ Kargil for a day or two, in order to acclimatise. In a way, this is being overcautious, but it caters for any unforeseen delay at Nam Ki La.

One way to avoid Nam Ki La would be to go from Kargil via Hamboting La to Batalik, and onwards to Khalsi (or Khalatse) and Leh, the road kargil Leh joins at Khalsi/ Khalatse. However Hamboting La - Batalik would involve driving along the Indus, which has its problems (deep gorge, narrow road). Also, I am not sure whether tourists are allowed on the Kargil Hamboting La Batalik road.

In case you travel to Chushul via Chumathang, you may return to Leh (from Chushul) via Pangong Tso, thereafter crossing the Chang La, which is likely to be 17500 feet plus. This way, in case you wish to, you will avoid a double trip (Chushul to Leh via Chumathang, [which is tiring for a two way in 24 hours, by the way] and again fron Leh to Chang La to Pangong Tso and Back). Chushul to Pangong Tso should take you about two -three hours at the most.

This may sound comical, but I'll say it anyway. Instead of using vaseline/ cold cream etc to prevent skin dryness, try using the 'Asli Sarson Ka Tel' which is sold in a yellow bottle with a red cap. It is quite cheap, but that is not the point, it is quite effective. Has a slight smell to it, not really unpleasant.

One must preferably have a kerosene pump/ wick stove and paraphrenalia, a few litres of kerosene oil, a vessel or two with a cover (Dhakkan, ie) and some packets of Maggi, some rice, haldi, etc, to cater for three to four meals for everyone, as also teabags/ leaves, milk (condensed/ powder), sugar, and match boxes wrapped in plastic packets. A few plastic tarpaulins, some ropes ('line bedding', so to say), sleeping bags and LED torches and spare cells would help. Again, these may sound odd/ ridiculous, but it is far better to be safe than to be sorry. Similarly, puncture kits and a knowledge of how to use them would be useful as well. Also, M Seal.

It is possible that you have already catered fo/ thought of all of this and more. Still. hope the above was of some help. Do let me know if I can be of some assistance.

One clarification :-

Refer "However Hamboting La - Batalik would involve driving along the Indus, which has its problems (deep gorge, narrow road). Also, I am not sure whether tourists are allowed on the Kargil Hamboting La Batalik road."

There are two ways to get to Leh from Dras :-

Dras - Kargil - Namki La (14000 feet plus)- Khalsi/ Khalatse - Nimu - Leh; and

Dras - Kargil - Hamboting La (10000 odd feet, likely)- Batalik - Khalsi/ Khalatse - Nimu - Leh.

The Namki La is at 14000 feet plus, any delay caused here will most likley result in problems without acclimatisation.

The road Kargil - Hamboting La - Batalik - Khalsi/ Khalatse is much lower, but the stretch from Batalik to Khalsi/ Khalatse is along the Indus, and is narrow. This is problematic/ somewhat risky.

A major portion of the stretch from Khalsi/ Khalatse to Nimu is along the Indus a well, but the road is broader.

Hope that makes things clear.

Got that, clear as crystal.

Dear oldprime newprime (innovative id!)

Thanks a lot for the status update. Like I had said, my knowledge is circa 1997 so matters are bound to change and hopefully for the better. It would indeed be in keeping with times to allow civilians to have a glimpse of the snout if not a 14 day SBS capsule

Most Leh(ed) guys have recommended the Nam Ki La route as it is more scenic - the lunar-like terrain near Lamayuru etc. Also, I do presume that in keeping with Op Vijay issues, the area near Bartalik just might be out of bounds to non-service and non-essential civilian personnel. Just a presumption. In any case, I plan to go via Nam Ki La as it is the most frequented route ipso facto chances of finding help are much higher.

Your sarson-ka-tel idea is absolutely correct except that it stains fabric and on a short term basis, the skin too. Also, the pH value is not published so it may not guard against skin burn like the much advertised commercial products.

Again, I plan to stage halts in a way as to be at a place which offers "quantitative" accommodation at nightfall. Too much luggage would weigh down the bikes and cause engine breathing and ergo, rider breathing (!) issues.

I have catered to everything you have so thoughtfully mentioned save M seal! Owe you a drink for that.

From your "tenures", I presume you are a member of the army and most probably an officer. Why not declare that in your profile as long as no op matters are discussed here. Think about it...

Once again, thanks a lot; I have copied your tips into my "Imp tips" file!

About the wearing of Army clothing

One issue I wish to settle. I cannot force anybody to follow my request but can only appeal to your sense and propriety.

No Army canteen sells any Army clothing of any nature whatsoever because it is not a Canteen Stores Department item. Also,it is completely illegal for any civilian to purchase and wear any item of Army or Armed Forces related clothing. There are two reasons why one finds so much of camouflage cloth trousers and jackets and Army woollen clothing in the open market. 1)The cloth is very cheap and ever since the Govt neglected to control its sale, any cloth merchant can stock it and sell it to anybody, even non-members of the Armed Forces. 2) The majority of such clothing has been discarded by the Army/Armed Forces after having lived its life cycle in service.

Thanks.

I've retired recently (prematurely), rest is as you have guessed. Takes one to know one, I think. No profile, so no mention of these things. And in any case, I've always been a low profile type, the lower the better.


Had a good laugh about visitors undergoing the 14 day training cycle. It would definitely make things interesting.


The Nam Ki La route is quite OK. I have a feeling that acclimatisation for a day or two at Kargil would be beneficial, just in case someone's motorcycle develops a fault near about Nam Ki La. The odds are against any such fault, and the point may not be worth considering in case you have a back up 4 wheeler and/ or pillion space. Going by the Nam Ki La route, one gets to see a famous monastery as well, I forget its name (likely Lamayuru), as well as a huge carving of the Buddha (different from the monastery) which is about 2000 years old, bang on the road side. It is halfway between a carving and a statue, more than 7-8 metres tall.


As for Hamboting La-Batalik-Khalsi/ Khalatse, I saw motorcycle borne tourists at the pass in 2006, they drove down to Batalik and onwards to Khalatse - Leh. Besides, the so called Pure Aryan villages are on the route (actually, the pure aryan part is in doubt, as per me, however the populace is visibly different from the rest of the Ladakhis). They are the Dha-Hanu people, see the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brokpa and the link below it. Also, on this route, one crosses what I think is the continental divide (the Indian Continental/Tectonic plate and the Asian Continental/Tectonic Plate), not confirmed though, and also one can see 'across' quite clearly, from the Hamboting La. This would be interesting to those who have not seen 'across'.


So, one may say that both routes have their attractions.


As regards the Pangong Tso, it is a very nice experience to drive along its banks from Chushul to Lukung. The road is unpaved, but OK, except for one stretch of about 80-90 metres in 2008, would have been repaired by now.


The possible routes are :-


One : the one mentioned by you ie leh - Chumathang (Hot Springs - must see/soak)- Chushul and back to leh, and thereafter leh - Chang La - Tangtse - Lukung - pangong Tso and back to leh;


Two : Leh - Chumathang - Chushul - banks of Pangong Tso (- Merak Village - ) - Lukung - Tangtse - Chang La and Leh, ie a round-about.


Or


Three : Reverse of Two - Lukung first.


By the way, Pang is 15400 feet, buses from Leh going to Pathankot etc do not stop there for the night, they make it to Manali in a day. There is no civilian establishment at Pang.


I was surprised to see that there is a daily govt bus from ISBT New Delhi to Leh, departure every day, time to reach leh via Manali is 48 hours or so. Obviously, this is in the period the road is open. Life is full of surprises.


I had been to a spot near Khalsar in 2009 (about 30 minutes away from it, not enroute Siachen), it was (is ?) the most peaceful place I have ever been to. The place was just charming and enchanted, one did not feel like leaving it. I spent about 30 minutes just strolling around there, and when we left, the guys I was with also praised the atmosphere of the place. Words can not do justice to it. Maybe we will talk more about it some time. And no, I am not into meditation or something like that. Still, there was/ is something about the place.


And yes, before I forget, June is the middle of the tourist season, accommodation is problematic, to put it mildly. Both availability and expenditure wise. It may be prudent to book now itself, or well in advance.


Nice to talk about Ladakh. Hope it may be of some use.


Regards, good luck.

Thanks for the reply.

I have some great memories of the place having been all over. We can exchange notes over a drink some day...

From my sources and personal experience, Jul-Aug is the tourism peak hence the choice of June for my trip.

Yes, I know about the ISBT bus, quite a cannonball run it was even back then. One terrific story about that, sorry I cannot put it here as it has to do with uniformed personnel.

Again, thanks for the addition to my "Tips from all over" file!

Regards,

Maneesh