The Motorcycle Diary

Going to Leh on a two-wheeler is every biker's ultimate dream. Santosh Nair, who was part of one such adventurous trip, shares the fun with the readers of TOD:

At the age of 37+, when guys of my age would settle for a relaxed package destination, I chose to be different & how! I decided to join a motley group of Dehradun-based bikers of varying age (youngest is all of 18 years) and occupations ranging from a freelance engineer to a IT professional to a printing press owner to a student just out of 12th. We formed Windtalkers which had Akash Bhutani, Vivek, Jaideep, Naren and me. And here I share with you a few pages of my diary during this adventurous journey…

June 6, 2010

We started our trip from secretariat and we had Udhampur as our target for the night halt but could reach only Pathankot as Vivek's bike developed a snag. Towards evening we reached Dasyu and saw the incredulous sight of Big McDonald towering down upon us. It didn't take us long to dig into the burgers and shakes while the bikes got special attention from the locals and tourists alike. After the unexpected treat we reached Pathankot and called it a night in one of the umpteen a/c lodges dotting the bus depot.

June 7, 2010

Had a wonderful breakfast on the banks of the Ravi, en rote to Udhampur. Next day we reached Patnitop where cool breeze gave us a warm welcome.

June 8, 2010

While admiring the panoramic view, we reached famous Jawahar tunnel and by noon we were at Srinagar. We had quite an eventful night.

June 9, 2010

In the morning we were ready hit Srinagar-Leh highway. We were on our way to Zozilla pass set amidst huge snow-capped mountains. We had a small stopover at Ghunni, with the Zozilla war memorial in the backdrop, but with rain and snow making a sudden appearance the Windtalkers had to take 'wing'. Firing on all cylinders we made it to Batra transit camp just before Drass where the C.O, Col. Sanjay Aggarwal made our stay immensely relaxing. This incidentally is the coldest transit camp in the world where temperatures touch -60 °C but the warmth offered by our hosts made us feel very much at home.

June 10, 2010

Our stop was Operation Vijay Memorial on the Drass-Kargil road. It was a humble feeling standing in front of the urns of the martyrs and looking at the brave hearts' photographs with 'Dil Maange More' Vikram Batra being the most poignant. The ride to Kargil and winding road up to Fotula top was great. The breathtakingly barren and chameleon like scenery with wispy clouds above gave different shades to the undulating Mars-like terrain below. We reached Fotula top by late afternoon and moved to our next stop, Lamayuru monastery.

The drive down from Lamayuru led us to a cobbled road with a steep descent and vertical, never-ending rocks. Soon we were at Leh on an absolutely desolate stretch of highway amidst beautiful snow-covered peaks. We wished to hang out a bit more but Leh was beckoning us and so was our guest house owner who very thoughtfully had sent his son to accompany us from the middle of town. We reached Chandan guest house and had a superb dinner and soon moved into our sleeping bags.

June 11, 2010:

We woke up to a morning where yaks were tilling the field with the imposing mighty Himalayas in the background. Soon we decided to roam around the main bazaar looking for small mementos and came the news that Leh-Manali road was still blocked and wasn't expected to open in the next week. So we decided to visit Pangong Lake next day.

June 12, 2010:

We departed for Pangong Lake. We had a quick meal at Karu, where the locals told us that no traffic was coming from the Manali side. Determined, we left for Chang la pass which is the third highest pass in the world at 17,586 feet. Without spending too much of time in the snowy, breezy environs, we descended down the surreal road to Pangong passing through the Pagal nullah. Suddenly the road veered one last time and before our eyes was aquamarine Pangong Lake in its entire splendor. We clicked and clicked but never got enough of this magnificent lake. Well, after another Maggi lunch, we reached Leh. We decided to drive down to Khardhungla and stay over in Nubra valley the morrow.

June 13, 2010:

It rained till afternoon, so it was time for some Kashmiri lunch at Budshah restaurant while the veggie gang had a great meal at Lamayuru restaurant. We belched out loud at Leh town from the panoramically placed Shanti stupa. The bird's eye view from there is simply breathtaking. Evening was again at our favourite haunt - the Inner Space Café. We looked forward to the next day as we wondered whether we would we make it to Khardhungla.

June 14, 2010:

Morning again started on a dismal note with rain again but it settled down soon enough for the Windtalkers to attempt the final frontier, Khardhungla. But, as luck would have it, it started snowing in South Pullu, about 14 kms from our target. We stuck around for two hours having tea and 5-star bars waiting for the weather to clear but the Gods did not relent and we had to surrender to our fate for the day. After a really quick bite in Leh, we decided to visit the double humped camel breeding facility in Chechode village (35 kms from leh).

The amiable staff told us that the normal visiting time was over but they would show us the facility nevertheless.

June 15, 2010:

The bright morning sun beckoned us to have our date with Khardhungla. But at South Pullu our hearts sank as road ahead was blocked by landslides. We stood our ground unabashedly like a few love-struck maniacs waiting for their beloved. Well, our love affair with Khardhungla could not end in despair. After three hour's lull, we were told that the road was open. So the Windtalkers were on their final mission. The next 14 kms were the toughest with snow clouding our visors and diesel fumes from the jeeps ahead strangling our lungs. But we made it to the summit in good time and finally Windtalkers conquered the Everest of biking, the highest motorable road in the world at 18,380 feet!

June 16, 2010:

I took the next morning flight out of Leh to come back to chaotic Delhi while the rest of the Doon guys made it back along the same route in next three day's time. I came from a cool 15°C to a whopping 42°C in under 1 ½ hours. Well, that happens only in India. Incredible indeed!