A trip on bike from Noida to Leh, the very idea itself gives an adventurous feeling. And how would it feel to do it really ?!!?! Close your eyes, open an inner space, view yourself on a deadly turn 15000 ft above the ground with snow clad mountains and the deepest of valleys only few inches away…….Welcome to Planet Himalayas.
2300 km, 11 days, 2 bikes and loads of fun : this is how I remember it in one line. But believe me, it has much more story to be told !
We made lot of pre-trip planning, stuff to carry, where to stay and we ended up making Plan A, Plan B and Plan C! with minor adjustments in the schedules. It was an entirely new experience planning the whole itenary. We started feeling the fun right from that moment onwards. After two weeks, we found we were able to follow Plan B ! Kudos to ourselves.
It might just be a 10 day tour for some, but for me , it is something else entirely. Its a journey. A seemingly endless ride encompassing many dimensions some of which, we might not even realize are present.
Started in sector 25A, Noida on third of july at around 5 PM, a red 220cc Pulsar and a maroon 150cc Apache were our companions bearing the maximum ‘courage’ and load. They did not fail us!
We had a halt in Ambala for that night, till where we had some exotic driving for around 225 km on some of the best roads of India(NH 1), roaring beyond 100 KMPH.
4th of July, a day of importance for us too this year, we had 360 Km of ride for almost 11 hrs crossing some of the best holiday destinations in India – Chandigarh, touching Mohali, Kullu, Manali and reaching Solang Valley.
Moonlight on one side, its snow white on the other, a tent on the side of the river, with a pleasant cold breeze on top of our arms…A once in a life time opportunity. Some one planning for a superb, romantic Honeymoon place – Solang Valley is for you.
And whats the top priority in the trip apart from making sure we dont end up in the valleys? : to capture the serene beauty as much as we can. And I hope we did a good job.
We already caught every inch of the landscapes we traveled. Our eye is the best camera you can ever find. They are not going to be erased from memory. The photos we got are for you all.
Next day, we sailed to Darcha through Rohtang Pass, Koksar, Sissu, a total distance of around 150 Km. After traveling 360 km the previous day, this might look less, but it was real tough to even make it till that. We had a beautiful night there, full moon (it was lunar eclipse that day), river flowing besides, So pure, so serene, the virgin earth untouched by any of our day-to-day pollutions. To add fun to our trip, there were no bathrooms anywhere, its all open air!! The nature is yours …all yours.
The Roads were bad – so are We ! The Weather is tough – so are We ! On one side, its a valley as deep as your eyesight can go and on the other side its a huge snow clad mountain as high as the sunlight coming from.
Fourth day, I was little more ambitious and wanted to reach leh by end of the day. Which, on our way itself proved to be stupid. There were lots of happenings on this day, skidding, a truck right across the road, some real tough and risky riding. All this for what ? For witnessing some of the BEST places on earth. Deepak Tal, Baralacha La with half frozen Suraj Tal Lake, and finally Pang at a height of around 14000 ft is where we stayed for the night. It was tough for me, and i was sleeping for more than 13 hrs that night.
A night stay @ Pang doesnt mean that we have a town or village. Its just four tents and a hand ful of people. We met a mechanic who helped with puncture repair, he writes in english, much more legibly than me n my trip-mate !
Not so good in health, we started off again from Pang this time not through slopes and trenches, but vast plains called murray plains… i call that a 1000-lane road. Stunning to see how the landscape changes so quickly and so completely. We are in the arms of a nature so magical, serene, magnificient all at the same time. And all the times.
‘Lunched’ at Sarchu which is the starting of Jammu Kashmir, after crossing an all weathered Taglang La – the second highest motarable road, then quickly reached Rumtse over some real good roads, thanks to the big BRO, our only brother on those high altitudes who carry on road projects, this one named project Deepak and project Himank.
We reached Upshi. Its already Ladakh – the Pride of India, the paradise on earth. We found trees after four days ! So much greenery and on the right side, its Indus, so majestic and intense, I can see all the geographical formations that are in the textbooks right there.
We also for the first time, closely saw the land of the Lama, a different culture altogether, people in maroon robes, revolving temples, Gompas and the high Santhi Stupa. All new yet somehow you feel familiar. Its no later that I found they are all the reflections of ourselves !! Everywhere.
Leh is conquered.
…this is the second part of a three part series.
