Riding a bike to an altitude of 18380 ft above sea level seems ridiculous to many, but that was exactly what was on my mind and what I was determined to do. At 18380 ft, Khardung La is famously and controversially crowned as the highest motorable road in the world and lies in the heart of the Ladakh region in J&K.
Ladakh is an inhospitable high altitude desert situated on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir and is called fondly by many as Little Tibet due to the predominant Tibetan cultural presence in the region.
The final crew for the trip after a lot of additions and deletions comprised of me and Chetan, a long-time friend of mine, on two Royal Enfield Bullets. There was a lot of excitement around the trip. Physically, both of us were fit, but nothing could prepare us for the harsh weather conditions that lay ahead.
In the three weeks that followed, we were to travel through some of the most historical roads: the Grant Trunk road extending from Bangladesh to Pakistan; Nubra Valley, that fell along the ancient Silk Route and the northern most point where a civilian is allowed to go, the Srinagar – Leh (NH 1D) road which is of strategic importance to India, and the Khardung La leading to the Siachen Glacier.
We travelled experiencing the smouldering heat of the plains in Punjab and Haryana, through the moderately hot Manali to the freezing sub-zero temperatures of Chang La and Khardung La. We experienced rain, sand storms, snow fall and heat waves, riding through some of the toughest road conditions, which included crossing streams, swollen rivers, broken bridges and climbing steep mountain roads.
In due course, we were also to meet some of the most beautiful and friendly ‘pahadi’ people. The locals were sweet, warm, friendly and willing to help. A simple query on directions always led to conversations. They were always eager to know where we came from and where we were heading to.
To them Kerala and Karnataka, from where we were hailing, were faraway mystical lands. Their eyes would open wide when we told them that we were coming all the way from Karnataka. “Aap Karnataka se gaadi chalaakke aa rahe ho?” would be the question. We were tempted to lie that we came riding all along looking at the expressions, but refrained from doing so.
Most of them failed to understand why two people would undertake such a journey on bikes. The kids were equally eager to make friends and would come running out of their houses, hearing the roar of the engines, eagerly pointing out their tiny hands anticipating a high five. I ensured that I never missed even a single one of them. The shy ones just backed away and waved their hands at a safe distance.
To save precious time, it was decided that the ride would start from Delhi. The bikes were packed in trains a couple of days in advance. Monsoons had blessed South India by June, but Delhi was still untouched by the rains and it was extremely hot.
We were nearly dehydrated by the time we reached Chandigarh. The temperatures were high even in the night and we had to spend a considerable amount of money on bottled drinking water. Riding in the plains is monotonous and we were eagerly waiting for the mountains to appear.
On Day 2, soon after Ropar, we caught the first glimpse of the majestic Himalayas. The ride was long and started taking time once we reached the mountains. The temperatures refused to come down till we reached Manali. It was late in the night and it was hard to find a room as it was peak season. After a lot of search we found a small dingy room for Rs. 800, a ransom for that kind of room.
It was cold in the morning and knowing what lay ahead, we started off early. 51 kms from Manali is the Rohtang Pass, which in local language means 'pile of corpses', referring to numerous lives lost in the past due to unpredictable weather conditions. It is also a major tourist destination for people travelling to Manali. We were planning to reach Rohtang for breakfast.
The road starts ascending almost immediately after Manali, cutting through tiny villages and numerous streams. The villages are always bustling with activity. Progress was slow due to traffic and shepherds grazing goats and sheep. Herds of livestock cut through the road and the traffic was made to wait till the last sheep proudly crossed the road.
The scenery was picture perfect with lush green valleys surrounded by snow capped peaks and little boys and girls holding lambs in their tiny hands. The road conditions deteriorated as we climbed further. Finally, after a three-and-a half-hour climb, we finally conquered Rohtang La Pass. After a quick breakfast of ready-to-make noodles, we resumed our journey.
Beyond the Rohtang La pass, we were immediately struck by the absolute wilderness. All the chaos of traffic and people disappeared and realization slowly dawned on us that we had reached the point of no return. And quite rightly too, because beyond the Rohtang La pass, you seldom encounter civilization.
The roads were in a horrible condition and it became hard to distinguish between a road and a stream. The melting ice had created tiny rivulets on the road and negotiating through these was quite a daunting task. Once we reached the valley, we were treated with some good roads and by late afternoon we reached Tandi, the last fuel pump till Leh.
As predicted, there was no fuel available in the pump. Luckily we had tanked up in Manali and had 10 litres of surplus fuel in Jerry cans. A little ahead of Tandi is Keylong, which was to be our halt for the night.
We took a room with a good view for Rs .250, a bargain considering the breathtaking view of the mountains. The temperatures dropped drastically in the night, but the room was considerably warm. We had a good night's sleep after a hard day of riding.
We started at about 8 in the morning the next day. We had now reached the remote reaches of Himachal Pradesh. The population is sparse and roads are patchy in places. There were plenty of stream crossings on the way which we managed to cross with considerable effort.
Shortly after Patseo, an army camp, the road starts winding its way up. In no time, we reached the icy heights of the Baralacha La. At 4890 MSL, Baralacha La is the gateway to Laddakh. The entire pass was covered in snow. The cold and dry wind would kiss the prayer flags, taking along with them the prayers offered by the devotees. After taking a few pictures, we started descending towards Ladakh.
Beyond Baralacha La, the landscape turned stark, devoid of vegetation indicating entry to the Ladakh region. A little after Sarchu, the border of Himachal with J&K, we came across a broken bridge. There were workers trying to mend the bridge, but it would take a couple of hours to fix.
Having no time to waste, we decided to take a detour, crossing a dry river bed under the bridge. This proved tougher than expected, as the river bed was soggy and caused the tires to sink into them. After a lot of effort, we managed to get back on the road. The road eventually winds its way up to Nakee La and then Lachlung La, two high mountain passes.
Lachlung La is where most travellers first experience the symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness. We were equipped with Diamox, the tablet to reduce the effects of AMS. Luckily, we didn’t experience any symptoms of AMS. After the usual ritual of taking photographs next to the signboards indicating the altitude, we started our final descent towards Pang, where we intended to stay for the night. It was getting dark and we started speeding.
Soon after negotiating a turn, we noticed a huge convoy of trucks stranded next to a swollen river. The river looked menacing with strong currents. People were watching the river with apprehension. Some locals decided to take a chance and managed to cross a bike across the river. This was enough motivation for the others to follow suit. There were four riders from the Czech Republic, who were also stranded. We decided to team up and cross the river. The water was freezing cold and knee deep in most places. This, coupled with the lack of oxygen, took its toll on us. Each bike required at least three people to take it to the other side. Finally, after two and a half hours of struggle, we managed to cross all six bikes. We were exhausted and badly in need of some hot food and a warm cosy bed.
Pang is situated at 4600 MSL and is the world's highest transit camp. There are tents with basic facilities available on rent. After a hot meal of rotis and vegetables, we took to bed. It was hard to sleep due to the altitude induced sickness. After a disturbed night's sleep, we started our journey once again in the morning.
A little beyond Pang is the More Plains, a vast stretch of waste land extending for 45 kms. There were small pastures of green where yaks roamed around freely. The roads were good in most parts and we made good time. There is a tiny bridge marking the end of the More Plains and the beginning of the climb to Taglang La, the second highest motorable road in the world.
Beyond Taglang La, the condition of the roads improved. After a short break in Rumtse, a quaint little village, we started racing towards Leh. It took us three hours to reach Leh from Rumtse.
Leh was exceptionally crowded and we were advised to go to the Changspa region for rooms. We found a nice cosy room for Rs 200. We weren’t sure if the DC office would be operational on a Saturday. Luckily it was open, and after applying for the permits, we did some sightseeing in Leh.
Leh is a small town surrounded by rugged mountains from all sides. The buildings are of the same colour as that of the surrounding mountains, giving it a dusty feeling. Besides the town itself, there is little to see around Leh. There is an ancient palace situated near the DC office and the Shanti Stupa behind the Changspa region.
The permits were ready by evening and we were excited about the ride the next day. The travel excitement syndrome hit me hard in the night and I had a disturbed sleep.
The skies were crystal clear the next day and the weather was perfect for a long ride. Soon after breakfast, we headed towards the Khardung La. This high mountain pass is situated at a distance of just 38 kms from Leh. The gradient is consistent and soon we started experiencing symptoms of AMS. We both popped in a pill of Diamox each and resumed our journey.
Khardung la is a much hyped about pass, frequented by tourists wanting to pose next to the board which says “World's highest motorable road.” Not surprisingly, the road leading to the pass was in a good condition, although steep in places.
Progress was relatively fast and soon enough, we reached K-Top, the pinnacle of the mountain pass. I felt a tinge of disappointment. Although Khardung La was the highest of all mountain passes, it was also the most easiest to conquer. Nevertheless, there was indeed a sense of pride in reaching the pinnacle.
To us, Khardung La was not just the 38 kms stretch from Leh, but the 516 kms stretch from Manali crossing some of the toughest road conditions in the world. Khardung La gives every Indian a sense of pride.
One deep breath of the crisp mountain air on K Top and six months of preparation to reach there flashed into my mind!
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—About our writer:
Prasanth says, "I love reading and listening to some good old music. I'm an avid traveller and an amatuer photographer, passionate about discovering and exploring India in its true self."
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