[cataclysm]

Chapter 1: Getting Back On The Saddle

August 2017.

That was my last multi-day ride. I rode all the way to Chanshal Pass and back in 2 days. Those were good days because six months later I was going to be in a motorcycle crash that would leave me incapacitated for a few months.

The broken bones didn’t hurt as much as the fear of riding that followed the crash. And in September 2018, with a heavy heart, I sold my 2011 RE Classic 500. It had served me well for almost 70K kms and across the high-altitude deserts of Spiti and Ladakh.

CL500 in Chitkul. Circa 2013

And now the sad days began. Motorcycle-less and aimless, I wandered around the mean streets of my city looking with envy at every rider. I had to get over this and the only way was to buy a motorcycle.

I HAD to get back on the saddle.

So in August 2019, the search began. I rode the Dukes, the Interceptors, the Continental GTs. I loved all of them but none of them felt right.

I love ADVs, and in my budget there was only one ADV—Himalayan. So I went and I rode it. The engine felt pathetic. The brakes were spongy, but the suspension was amazing and the ergos were spot on. But it wasn’t enough to convince me to book it. I vacillated for a few days and then finally decided to go ahead with the booking. The delivery was in five days. On the fourth day I cancelled the booking. Two lakh was too much money to spend on a bike that I didn’t connect with.

Cue October 2019 and while casually browsing OLX for motorcycles, I saw this BS-4 2017 Himalayan with just 2400 kms on it. While 2 lakh something was too much money to spend on a bike I didn’t connect with, one lakh something seemed great for a bike that I still didn’t connect with.

The Himalayan came home in October 2019. I had grand plans. I had to go to Spiti, Ladakh, explore the depths of Himachal, go to J&K etc. etc. I was praying for summer.

In March 2020, spring came with Covid. All riding plans cancelled. And when the country finally opened up, work ensured that there would be no question of getting multiple leaves. So Himalayan served its duty as a commuter and for breakfast rides. While the engine was still pathetic, and brakes still spongy, I could at least show off my peak ADV riding skills by standing on the footpegs on perfectly tarred roads.

I may not be fast, but I can stand on the footpegs. Comfortably!

Fast-forward to July 2022, I switched my job and had a few days free. And what better opportunity than to ride to Zanskar and Ladakh. But not via the usual Manali or Srinagar side. I had done that multiple times. The plan was to take the adventurous route to Padum via Shinku La and then to Leh via Singe La and Sirsir La.

But the question now was, should I take my Interceptor that I had bought a month back

Or should I take my Himalayan?

One has an amazing engine, great brakes, poor ergos, and a poopy suspension. The other has amazing suspension, great ergos, average brakes, and a poopy engine.

[cataclysm]

Chapter 2: The ‘Himalayan’ Journey Begins

July 8 ‘22, Chandigarh-Sissu (334 kms)

It was supposed to be a solo ride, but fortunately, two of my friends from Jalandhar decided to join in. The plan was for us to meet at Mandi and then ride ahead.

The day started at 4 AM and I was off by 5:30. I was excited and nervous. My last multi-day ride was 5 years ago! Do I even have the mental fitness to ride long and hard for days? Only time would tell.

The ride till Mandi was uneventful. The Manali highway has always been a mix of bad and very bad. It was the same this time. The Himalayan felt at home on these broken roads. It was comfortable enough that I didn’t take a single stop till Sundernagar.

Right after Sundernagar

The guys were still 2 hours away from Mandi, so I decided to press on till Kullu and wait for them there. The views were getting better and the road was a mix of slush and tar. Beas, in all its roaring monsoon glory, was keeping me company.

Deep, nasty ‘water crossing’. It was ankle-deep.

Right after Mandi, there was this deep puddle. Traffic had stopped on both sides. People were patiently waiting (me included) for suckers to wade in so that they could gauge the depth. This local fella on a scooter asked me to follow him and that he’ll take me through a village road to the other side. No, thank you. He could well be a Himachli Ed Gein wanting to make pants from my skin.

So 15-minutes later this brave man on a Splendor had enough and shouted some expletives before diving straight in. The madness began after everyone saw him safely on the other side. I took his line and crossed the ‘water crossing’.

On the other side

The road became much better after crossing the Aut tunnel. It was smooth sailing all the way to Kullu. I had stopped just a few kms short of the town and got to know that the guys were still an hour away.

Should I just press on to Sissu? Or should I wait here? My friend, Beas, who had been accompanying me all this away answered this question for me. I decided to sit back and just enjoy the river and the mountains till the guys showed up.

Chilling at Kullu

The guys showed up an hour or so later. After a quick lunch, we were off. It was 1:30 PM. Three Himalayans riding off to Lahaul. Even though time was on our side to ride till Jispa, the guys had already booked a hotel in Sissu.

We passed Manali and moved on to the Atal tunnel. This was my first time crossing it. I was filled with memories of crossing Rohtang pass on my old CI Bullet. The pain, struggle, and exhilaration of reaching the top was a different feeling.

The tunnel went by in a flash and we were in Lahaul. It was surreal and reminded me of the first time I was here. Back in 2010 it had taken me eight hours to reach Koksar from Manali. And now it took me nine hours to reach Sissu from Chandigarh.

View from the hotel balcony

Even after a nine hour ride, I was feeling fresh. So after unpacking, I decided to venture out on foot and just enjoy the landscape.

Sissu waterfall in the distance

[cataclysm]

Chapter 3: Rain, River, Sand, and a Never Ending Trail

July 9 ‘22, Sissu-Shinku La-Padum (199 kms)

Given the limited days I had for riding, I was relying on the benevolence of the weather gods to give me some sunny days. The Indian Met Department’s website had predicted that today would be a miserable, wet day.

All gloom and doom. Same view, different day.

By the time we had loaded up our motorcycles, just as IMD had predicted, it started to drizzle. We put on our rain gear and moved towards Shinku La. I had heard mixed stories about the pass. Some said it was tough but doable, some said it’s not too difficult, some said you won’t make it. Well, it was time to find out. The weather wasn’t in our favour, but oh well, it had to be done!

Most people break their journey to Padum at Purne because the track is tough. But we had limited time, so there was no option but to ride till Padum in one go.

After refuelling in Tandi, we started off towards Darcha. The Tandi petrol pump has changed a lot since my last visit here in 2013. I even managed to pay via GPay! As we moved on towards Keylong, the rain stopped and the sun started to shine. The ride was immensely enjoyable and I was reminded of the time when I was stuck in Keylong for four days.

We stopped at the Darcha police checkpost to enter our details.

At Darcha checkpost

The views on the other side were surreal, so no surprise that we had to just spend some time here to chill. And, since this was the last point where our phones would work until Padum, we also had to call home.

Couldn’t be a better spot to make a phone call

After spending about 20-minutes here, it was time to start the climb towards Shinku La. I was anxious. I am not a fan of water crossings because on every trip to the high-Himalayas, I’ve managed to get stuck in at least one. So I was not looking forward to a water crossing. Far too many people had told me about a water crossing before the pass and to cross it early in the day.

It was 8:30 AM when we started the climb. The road was smooth, but the real question was till when?

Climbing Shinku La

We soon found the answer. Just a few kms before the pass, the tar came to an abrupt end and the real Himalayan territory began.

Close to the top. Still not as bad.

The water crossing that I was dreading came and went. It seemed too simple. I don’t know what so many people were warning us about. Maybe later in the day it gets treacherous. But oh well, I managed to cross it. It’ll be smooth sailing now.

In no time we were at the top of Shinku La. It felt great to ride to a mountain pass I had never been on.

On top of Shinku La. A mad lad riding his bicycle all the way from Padum.

Bad news incoming. A local guy at the pass told us that the ‘road’ is going to get real bad now. There’s a huge water crossing that we should cross as soon as possible. So obviously we didn’t waste any more time hanging at the pass.

Glacial melt on the other side of Shinku La

To be continued...

[cataclysm]

Continued...

Chapter 3: Rain, River, Sand, and a Never Ending Trail

July 9 ‘22, Sissu-Shinku La-Padum (199 kms)

As we started descending, the ‘road’ got really narrow and full of loose rocks. I was so fixated on the track that I didn’t notice these two trucks climbing up. Passing them was a hair-raising experience because the track was so narrow that I had to cling towards the edge to let them go.

A few kms later we came to the dreaded water crossing. So this is it. Water was gushing with a vengeance. I psyched myself up by remembering my experiences of crossing worse water crossings. Fortunately, my friend Harbir decided to spare me the trouble and rode first, paving the path. He crossed over like the champ that he is. We had both bought our Himalayans in October 2019. While he has managed to clock over 50k, I’ve just done 16k.
I took the same line as Harbir (I think) but I ended up wedged between two rocks. The water level was just below my knees. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get out. Harbir and Sid saved me from my watery grave. Soon enough, it was Sid’s turn. He also got stuck in the same spot. With a quick rescue part deux, we moved on ahead.

That’s Sid. He’s stuck in the same spot I was stuck in.

By now my boots were soaking wet. I could feel the water inside splashing about. It wasn’t a great feeling, but hey, at least no more water crossings.

We had planned on stopping at the base of Gonbo Rangjon as it is a beautiful spot and there are numerous dhabas there. But I couldn’t take the wet, sloppy feeling on my feet and I decided to stop at a lone dhaba a few kms ahead of the water crossing. It was a relief to get all the water out from my boots and take off my rain gear, as the sun was shining in all its glory.

As we were chatting with the dhaba owner about the track ahead, he told us about this humongous water crossing, and that we should plan to cross it before 12.

Just my luck. 11:45 AM and another huge water crossing. While I was enjoying the serenity, I couldn’t help think about what lay ahead. How bad will this water crossing be?

We soon found out. As far as I could see, there was water everywhere. Didn’t seem like a water crossing because it was a river. The BRO guys had cut this in small channels, so you didn’t have to cross one large river, but multiple deep, ferocious streams.

Harbir, being the saviour that he is, went first and I followed his line. We crossed one stream, and then the next, and next, and next. I lost count, but we made it safely to the other side. As I waited to catch my breath, I realised that it was almost 1 PM and we were nowhere near Padum. We scrapped the plan to stop at Gonbo Rangjon. I managed to just take a picture and we pressed on.

Gonbo Rangjon in all its glory

All non-essential stops were now out. We stopped at Kargyak police checkpost to enter our details. I was quite surprised to find out that my Jio postpaid number was working here.

Harbir and Sid with Kargyak in the distance

We pressed on knowing that we still had a lot of distance to cover. Numerous water crossings came by and went. No big deal. But I was getting sick of so many of them. My boots were still soaking wet and it was not a pleasant feeling.

After crossing Purne, the track starts climbing up. That’s where the real sandy bit starts. It was difficult going and at a switchback Harbir’s bike slipped and his foot got pinned. This track was proving to be tougher than anything that I had ever done. I used to rate the Kaza-Keylong road to be tough, but Shinku La to Padum took the cake.

There was no time to even catch our breath now. After Harbir got back on the saddle, we climbed up the remaining sandy bit with great difficulty. At one point we saw a BRO road crew and asked them how long it takes to get to Padum and the road condition.

“At least four hours and the road will get worse”

“But it’s only 70 kms to Padum from here”

“Yes, but the road is bad”

In the middle of nowhere

He was right. We had to navigate deep sand all through the descent as well. It was slow going. The sandy section ended after a few kms and the track became very narrow and steep. We kept on climbing up and down on this gravel filled narrow track. At places it was so steep that I could feel my motorcycle slipping. We had no option but to hug the mountain, even though that was the wrong ‘lane’.

Just a few kms to Padum

I think the tar road started about 20 kms before Padum. And was I glad or what? We finally made it to Padum at around 5 PM. It had taken us 10 hours to cover 199 kms! Tired and malnourished, we crashed at the first hotel that was willing to serve us a meal.

Welcome to Padum

It had been a tough day. But I knew that tomorrow would be tougher. We had to cover almost 300 kms and more than half was going to be as treacherous as today.

[cataclysm]

Chapter 4: Boulders and Gravel

July 10 ‘22, Padum-Singe La-Sirsir La-Leh (294 kms)

It was going to be a long day, with over 150 kms offroad. The plan was to leave at 6:30 AM. But by the time we got ready and got the motorcycles loaded up, it was already 7:30 AM. The road from Padum was butter smooth tarmac with long, flowing curves. Absolutely a dream to ride on. It was a lovely morning and all my anxiety of the tough journey that lay ahead vanished.

Close to Zangla

The butter smooth tarmac ended a little ahead of Zangla. Exactly 42.2 kms from the hotel we stayed in. The road now vanished completely, and what remained was a small gravel track that kept climbing up. A few kms later, we started descending down into a valley. The track now ran right next to the river Zanskar. At a few places, the river was just half an inch below the track. There were signs everywhere that at times the river would consume the track entirely.

River Zanskar runs right next to the track and at some places it’s just half an inch below

We were now crossing boulder territory. The track was completely washed out at many places. It was difficult going, but still not as bad as the Shinku La-Padum stretch. Soon, we started climbing up. I was glad to leave the river below us because I had completed my quota of water crossings yesterday.

As we reached the top of Hanuma La, I could see a picturesque village down below. The stark contrast between the green village and the brown, barren mountains was quite something.

Green Lingshed village in the distance

This was a perfect spot to stop and soak in the beauty. I was surprised again to find out that my Jio postpaid number was working on top of Hanuma La. As we moved on, the track improved quite a bit. It was all gravel now, so we could ride a little fast. Progress was swift and we were climbing at a brisk pace, steadily gaining altitude. We soon found ourselves atop Singe La.

Singe La translates to Lions Pass. 16,590 feet

To be continued...

[cataclysm]

Continued...

Chapter 4: Boulders and Gravel

July 10 ‘22, Padum-Singe La-Sirsir La-Leh (294 kms)

With the first ‘real’ mountain pass out of the way, it was time to move ahead. It was all gravel till the next pass, Sirsir La. There’s nothing really I can write about the track. The ride was uneventful, but the views were amazing.

Right after descending Singe La

There was hardly anyone on the road. I don’t recall crossing more than six vehicles. This was remote territory. I had planned to do this solo. I am not sure how I would’ve fared. Breakdown here and you are on your own.

Not a person in sight

After Lingshed, the next place where we saw civilization was Fotoksar. It’s a small village, and like Lingshed, it’s not situated on the road. One sees it as they start the climb towards Sirsir La.

We stopped at a dhaba at the start of the climb towards Sirsir La for a much needed break. It was quite amusing to see the dhaba owner’s daughters stuck to their phones watching K-pop videos. BTS was the last thing I wanted to hear in the middle of the high Himalayas.

We were still around 170 kms away from Leh, with almost 60 kms of off road stretch still remaining.

On top of Sirsir La. Nothing that the Himalayan couldn’t handle.

The climb to Sirsir La was similar to Singe La, just a gravel track, which wasn’t too difficult. As we got closer to Leh, the guys sped up and I slowed down. I wanted to soak in the beauty and the remoteness as much as possible.

Most of the track was like this. All gravel.

I have been to Ladakh and Spiti multiple times. While both areas are definitely remote, the Shinku-La-Padum and Padum-Singe La-Sirsir La-Leh route takes the cake. I have never witnessed remoteness and isolation of this kind, ever. As I mentioned, we hardly crossed six vehicles on the entire stretch.

Not a soul as far as the eye can see

As we descended Sirsir La, the valley started to get really narrow. The track was still a mix of gravel and hard packed mud. The remoteness now gave way to a lot of villages. One after the other. We crossed Hanupatta and then Wanla. Somewhere close to Wanla, the tar road starts and the adventure ends.

We were still 110 kms away from Leh but it was all smooth sailing now. The smooth tarmac ensured that the speeds were high.

We were ready for Leh,
We were ready for civilization,
We were ready for a hot bath.

The entire 110 km stretch was packed with vehicles. So many bikers, cars, trucks, buses. It felt weird because I recall covering this entire stretch multiple times a decade or so back, and it used to be remote back then. It now felt festive, as if there was a party in town. I think all three of us felt the same and without exchanging any words it was decided to leave Leh tomorrow morning.

We were in Leh in about two hours. The town felt familiar but it was packed with just too many people. Bikers zipping up and down, taxis driving at breakneck speeds and narrowly missing people.

Nope. We all wanted out. We refuelled our motorcycles. Tomorrow early morning we will be leaving Leh.

[cataclysm]

Chapter 5: Trucks, Dust, and a Broken Bridge

July 10 ‘22, Leh-Sissu (382 kms)

Another long day ahead. Given the kind of terrain we had covered in the last two days, we were pretty relaxed knowing that Leh-Manali highway is going to be a piece of cake. We loaded up and left Leh by 9 AM. There’s really nothing that I can write about this stretch.

Our breakfast stop was at Rumste, and then we climbed Tanglang La. Most of the pass was smooth tarmac, save for a few patches. Starkly different from what it used to be in the early 2010s. I was most excited about More Plains. The first time I crossed these plains was on my old CI Bullet 350. It had so many sandy tracks back then that I got confused which track would be the best and ended up getting stuck. But now it was all tarmac and More Plains went by in no time.

The journey was uneventful. There were rough patches in between but the traffic made the journey bad. We stopped at Sarchu for lunch and moved ahead. The entire stretch was dusty and filled with trucks. Close to the climb of Baralacha La, a bridge was broken. Traffic had piled on as far as the eye could see. With nothing to do, I just sat there for the next 2.5 hours, soaking in the views.

Couldn’t be a better spot to be stuck at

The goats, the mountains, and the river gave me good company. The BRO guys opened the bridge around 4 PM. We crossed over amongst a mad rush of motorcycles and cars. After covering really rough tracks, the climb up to Baralacha La felt easy, even the water crossings.

However, we had one pressing concern. We had refuelled the motorcycles eight kms before Leh. Between the three of us, we had two litres of spare fuel, even though we all were carrying jerry cans. It was a deliberate decision to not carry spare fuel as the Himalayan has a 15 litre fuel tank. Given that we were getting 32-33 kms per litre, reaching the petrol pump at Keylong would've been easy.

Just after crossing the broken bridge, my bike started showing 'Trip F' aka reserve. I had covered 286 kms and the petrol pump was another 75 or so kms away. The Himalayan's fuel gauge has always been erratic and shouldn't really be trusted after the halfway mark. However, it does get nerve-wracking to see the needle close to 'E'. But at least in this case the 'E' meant enough.

Smooth tarmac welcomed us close to Darcha. Once we crossed the police checkpost, my motorcycle’s fuel needle was at ‘E’. We carried on and reached the Keylong petrol pump in no time. It was a big load off our heads to get the motorcycles refuelled. My Himalayan had consumed 11 litres of fuel for the 362 kms from Leh to Keylong. So the Himalayan can go about 400 kms in one full tank. Impressive!

We managed to reach Sissu by 7 PM.


Chapter 6: Heat and Sore Butts

July 12 ‘22, Sissu-Chandigarh (335 kms)

There’s nothing much to write about the return journey. I didn’t take any photos either. We left Sissu by 8 AM. I took it easy till the Atal tunnel, just soaking in the views. The mountains looked breathtaking. I would’ve preferred to spend the day just sitting by the river and looking at the mountains, but I had to get back to Chandigarh.

After crossing the Atal tunnel, all hell broke loose. There was too much traffic and it kept on getting hotter with every passing kilometre. By now my behind had given up. I could barely manage to ride more than an hour without standing up or stopping. It was the same for the guys as well. So it was a slow ride back. Around Rupnagar, the guys went off towards Jalandhar and I rode back to Chandigarh.

I had done what I wanted to complete.

[Starkiller]

Rarely have I teared up while reading travelogues and tales of great journeys. And while it is your journey, I must say, you have inspired me to start touring and being more on the road. Thank you, fellow biker. I tip my hat to you, pardner. Some day, I too shall be where you were.

[anshu1101]

Beautiful narration and amazing pictures cataclysm!

Congratulations on getting getting back on the saddle and completing what you started out to do.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the travelogue, and this would serve as good guide to someone who wants to take the adventurous route to Leh.

Keep riding!

[A350]

Beautiful pictures. Hopefully I will also cover this route some day.

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by cataclysm

[u]
As we reached the top of Hanuma La, I could see a picturesque village down below. The stark contrast between the green village and the brown, barren mountains was quite something.

This was a perfect spot to stop and soak in the beauty. I was surprised again to find out that my Jio postpaid number was working on top of Hanuma La.

Well written travelogue. The pass that you are referring is Murgun la / Morgon la and not Hanuma la. Hanuma la is in the left side which comes on the trek route.


Read full details here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...avour-4x4.html (Zanskar, Sham and Aryan Valley | Drive to the unknown in my Endeavour 4x4)

[cataclysm]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

Well written travelogue. The pass that you are referring is Murgun la / Morgon la and not Hanuma la. Hanuma la is in the left side which comes on the trek route.

Thank you for the correction. I had gone through your travelogue while researching for this trip.

I went to Zanskar again in September this year from the same route. Now there's a bifurcation on the road, so you don't have to ascend Murgun La. This route is a bit shorter as well. So instead of turning left towards Murgun La, one has to take a right turn.

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by cataclysm

Thank you for the correction. I had gone through your travelogue while researching for this trip.

I went to Zanskar again in September this year from the same route. Now there's a bifurcation on the road, so you don't have to ascend Murgun La. This route is a bit shorter as well. So instead of turning left towards Murgun La, one has to take a right turn.

Attachment 2525004

Thanks for the update. In fact I have reported this in May this year in the same blog which I mentioned above. This is part of the actual NPD road which was remaining since long.