This time, Farhan and I had the opportunity to go on an epic bike trip to the world's highest motorable road via the Manali - Leh expressway.Unlike the recent China trip where we had a few days to come out with an itinerary, this round we had no itinerary and that's the whole beauty of this trip. All we knew is we hope to get a bike, ride to Khardung La and cross the Leh - Manali expressway. Before proceeding further in the blog I figured I would share some of the FAQ and links.
Do Singaporeans need a visa for a trip to India?
Yes, apply it here - http://www.blsindia.sg
Do you need an international license for this trip?
I did apply for it but it was not required at the point of rental.
Are the rental rates fix?
Yes, but there is loopholes/luck to get the bikes at a slightly lower rate, so exploring the city would be a better option than booking your bikes online.
Should I worry about AMS?
Yes, as on average during the trip, you would be ascending and descending quickly within 3000 - 5000m above sea level.
What is this inner permit about?
Inner line permit can be attained at Leh's Deputy Commissioner Office. Do note that you can't apply on your own and require a 'tour guide' to apply for you. Usually, there will be tour guides around the office, so seek their help on this. The inner permit allows you to travel to places like Tso Moriri, Pangong Tso, and Nubra Valley. Photocopy a couple of these permits as you will be required to submit the documents every time you visit an area.
Ok now that the doubts have been clear, here are some useful links and images that has help us get by.
http://devilonwheels.com/manali-leh-highway-status-2016/
http://www.travelwithneelima.com/2010/05/ladakh-calling-heres-what-you-need-to.html
http://www.helmetstories.com/index.php
https://suyashchopra.wordpress.com/2014/09/25/top-10-tips-for-planning-motorcycle-trip-to-leh-ladakh/
Ok here we go.
Ideally, the recommended route is from Manali to Leh due to the elevation. Riding from Manali allow riders to acclimatize as they gradually ascent up to 3500m. Due to the time we had, flight schedule and bus schedule from Delhi to Manali we were forced to do the reverse route, flying directly to Leh and ride over to Manali.
As our flight fly across the mighty mountains of the Himalayas, we knew we were in for an epic adventure.
After engulfing the beauty of Leh airport, we make our way to the city. A city that sits quietly in the middle of the vast mountainous area.
The people here are among the sincerest people I've met. We could easily have decent conversations with the people and even the shop vendors are not pushy for sales and often welcome us in to talk or educate us with the rich history of their culture and traditions.We settled in Old Ladakh guest house and after putting our bags, we set out to search for our dedicated companion.
So we asked and walked around the city till we chance upon a small bike rental shop near the fort road. Bike rentals in Ladakh region have a fixed rental rate and usually, there is a charge for one way rental. While the rental rates are flat, we can still bargain for the free tools, gears, or a discounted price on the charge for one way rental. Luckily for us, the shop we were in needed bikes to be in Manali as they have a guided tour bringing riders from Manali to Leh. As they needed us to bring the bikes safely to Manali in 4 days, the charge for one way rental was absorbed. Now we have a task, a mission to accomplish and to be a successful transporter.
Next, we have to settle all the other necessaries. 1st up is to attain the inner line permit. The inner line permit is required for tourist riding to places like Khardung La, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri etc. We went to the tourist center to attain the permit but we were told off as apparently, we needed a 'tour guide' to attain it and then suddenly came a man who said he could be our tour guide and so he did become our tour guide for the next hour. We went into a small internet cafe, did an online application and went back to the tourist center to get our permits. Next, up we went to photocopy these permits as we need to submit the permits on every location that we visited. Then finally, we went back to the city to look for a suitable map to guide us through the trip. Back at the guesthouse, we plan our route.
After catching this peaceful sunset, its time to get some rest because first thing tomorrow morning, we will be riding to the world's highest motorable road.
Journey to the top. 1/4 road, 3/4 gravel.
Three main factors made the journey up a nerve wrecking experience. One being that we were still new to the bike as we only got the bike a day before and still not used to the gear shifting patterns. Two is the fear of AMS as we barely acclimatize and we will be making an ascend up to 5359m from 3500m in hours and lastly both of us had almost zero experience going for long rides. On average, our riding journey experience would only take us 20mins max on buttered smooth roads to reach our destination here in Singapore.
After four hours of going round and round the surreal landscape we arrived at Khardung La pass. Fortunately, we left very early that morning and manage to arrive before the crowd came in. Moments after this photo was captured, our bikes became models for the other tourist that came from their tour. I read somewhere that it was not advisable to stay longer than 20mins there and indeed with every passing minute, I was beginning to feel 'high'. Packed our bags, dragged our bikes out of their stardom and made our way down.
On a side note, before I continue sharing the remaining part of the journey, I would like to address the issue on the known debate about whether Khardung La really is the Highest Motorable Road in the world. I personally feel that it didn't matter if it really is or is it not as to me what really matters is the journey, the company and achieving what you have set yourself to achieve. We shouldn't be too concern about what everyone feels or how the 'world' sees things. We should learn to set our own points and attempt to go higher. Khardung La may no be the highest motorable road in the world but it is definitely the highest I've been to and till I go higher, it is the highest motorable road.
http://devilonwheels.com/places-on-manali-leh-highway-a-detailed-description/
After Khardung La, we rode down back to Leh city where we rested for a bit and start planning our route to Manali. At this stage, we realized that just maybe the expressway would post a bigger threat than the journey up to Khardung La. The image above courtesy of http://devilonwheels.com has greatly helped us in planning our journey. Knowing the distance and the altitude that we are riding on help to physically and mentally prepare ourselves for what's coming.
Subsequently, we decided we going to take rest at Upshi, Debring,Sarchu and finally Jispa.
Off to Upshi we go!
This is the BTS shot of the above photo. Something amazing happened here. I told Farhan to ride off first and I stayed up behind to capture the image and with every moving vehicle that passes by and saw me alone, each would slow down and asked 'Everything ok?" "You have petrol?" "Bikes okay?" "Do you need help?". These small gestures of kindness capture me emotionally and would easily be one of the most uplifting moments of my life.
We arrived Upshi at about 5pm local time and Upshi is a very small city with very limited accommodations. We rested our bike at one of the accommodation and met a couple of cyclists that informed us that right ahead about a few km away lies Rumste. They suggested that Rumste had better accommodations and since we were on our bikes, we could easily reach there within a hour. Considering the fact that we had a deadline to return the bike in Manali, covering more miles sounds like a good suggestion and so off we go to Rumste.
I believe here lies a great example of what traveling really does. It constantly exposes you to the ever changing situation and challenges your judgment to quickly make a decision. It also shows the beauty in entrusting the locals and other fellow travelers to get to where you want to be.
We arrived Rumste at about 7pm and it was getting dark so we rested at the first accommodation and for about less than $10 a night, it offered quite a view.
As the morning came and the villages set off to work, we packed our bags and be ready to ride to Tso Moriri. A lake at an altitude of 4596m above the sea level. We've been comparing between Tso Moriri and the infamous Pangong Tso and it was very hard to come into a decision but with the locals mostly recommending Tso Moriri, we decided to follow. Tso Moriri is off the Leh - Manali expressway and as described by the locals it is way harder to reached and hence is the least favourite choice compared to Pangong.
Every morning would be a packing and mini legs day trying to fire the bike up. Due to thin air and cold weather, it could get a bit tricky to start the bike. The tip is to turn the fuel off and give a few hard kicks and whisper sweet words to the bike.
Next stop - Debring!
To get to Tso Moriri, ride to Debring and as you reach a Y junction, take a left, go off the road and stop by this amazing dhaba for a quick lunch.
Chef.
Chef specialty? Omelette!
Trust that difficult path often leads to a beautiful destination.
The road to Tso Moriri is indeed rough. No signage, no road, no clear path and trusting our map to lead the direction. It gets even tougher as the hour's pass and with no lake or even a vehicle in sight and we had no drinking water with us. It felt like we were riding on Mars.
And finally after another few hours of riding, we saw a car and desperately stopped it and seek the drivers help for direction.The driver stepped out of the car and we were in great shock. The driver was wearing a Singapore T-shirt!
Remember how I mention the people here are among the most sincerest people I've met? Here's another guy that not only gave us direction but free petrol to ensure we were safe to reach our destination. I mean c'mon uh, free petrol sia.
Thank you very much sir.
So moving on, we finally reach the greens and know that we are almost there.
Simply breathtaking. Never in my life, I thought it's possible to see a lake, sand dunes, and glaciers in a frame.
After drowning in the breathtaking view, it was time to leave and seek a place to rest the night. Farhan remembered a sweet spot to tent while on the journey to the lake so we traced back our route.
The weather here in the Himalayas is pretty unstable and it started to rain but we rode through till we reach this empty grassland and pitched our tent.
After this shot was taken, we camped in and watch X-Men apocalypse halfway before deciding to have an early night. It wasn't an easy night as we were sleeping at high altitude, we starting to feel the pinch of thin air and the cold. Something magical then happened. I had to poop. I tried so so hard to contain but to no avail and so I went out into the complete darkness, stripped and allow millions of stars watched me do what I had to.
We woke up to the sound of footsteps and were greeted by this beautiful family. The land that we were on belongs to them. They were very friendly about it and had paper documents to prove their claim and we were then charged $1.20 for a night to remember.
Off we go back to our favorite chef and back on course to continue our mission back to Manali.
Our next stop is to be Sarchu which is about 122KM from Debring, passing through Moore Plains, Pang, Lachung La, Nakee La and Gata Loops. Moore Plains would probably the only real easy part of the journey and the only time you get to test the real fire power of the bullet. Full throttle ahead on the flat road with beautiful mountains on both sides.
After 35 - 40kms of joyride, it's time to ride back to reality and reality start immediately after the above shot was taken.
Here we go again!
Trucks here got no chill.
Okay, here is a very important thing to take note off. The trucks here got no chill. You can horn all you want but if you are on their path, take my advice and give them the way. Horn as often as you can on every turn to alert other drivers of your presence and to approach every corner as slowly as possible and be prepare to be zoomed pass by these monsters.
After passing through Pang, Lachung La and Nakee La, it's time to tackle 21 hairpin bends - the infamous Gata Loops. The idea of riding through bends is sure to be fun and thrilling but not when it's at an elevation of 4800m and the story of 'the ghost of gata loops' planted in your head as you glide through each bend. A story was told that many years ago, an engine of a truck died and the driver had to leave a cleaner behind to source for help. About the same time, snow starts to fall blocking the roads and by the time help could reach the cleaner, he had died out of thirst and cold. Legend says that it not advisable to stop at the Gata Loops as the soul is still roaming and could bring bad luck and severe AMS. As travelers of this road, we should learn to respect and proceed without questioning on the relevance of these stories.
Through the treacherous hairpin bends, we were set to Sarchu. Just as we were looking forward to getting some rest, it started to drizzle and the cloud was getting darker. With all our gears and bags exposed, getting wet is not an option. On the side of the roads are marking of how far away are we from our destination and I could remember clearly that we were 20km away. We could either stop, wrap our stuff with the plastics we brought or to speed our way through.
Of course, we risked our luck and speed our way through and arrive just in time before the heavy rain falls. Alhamdulillah.
Stay in Sarchu.
Initially we had plans to take a quick rest in Sarchu and proceed further to the next stop as we were running out of time and we only had one night left before delivering the bike to Manali. Due to the heavy rain, we had to make a run for our money the next day and so we slept very early and clocked about 10 hours of sleep.
Screenshot from one of the GoPro footage. Look! where's my ankle?
As soon as the sun rises, we tuned our minds to cover some serious miles and to reach Manali by 7pm. Just before leaving Sarchu, we were told that the road to Manali was closed due to a lorry getting stuck onto the one and only bridge that connects Sarchu to the remaining part of the expressway.
We were in deep trouble and after asking around, we were shown an alternative road. Through a river and a steep incline after.
Under the bopian act, we took our chances. The river was fast pacing and at least an ankle deep.
This was a huge risk that we took. One, we had no idea how the bike would fair under such circumstances and second if we fall then its game over.
This was the exact moment where we realized just how powerful these Royal Enfields are.
It started to drizzle again and going up this slope was a challenge
Overcoming the obstacle was a relief as it also meant that we are back on track and ready to complete our mission. We were fairly drenched and decided to stop at the nearest dhaba we found to change especially our socks. It could get super uncomfortable riding for hours with a soaking sock.
We changed, felt better, got back on the bike and few kms later ..
We succumbed to the fate that today would be the day we ride with our feets soaked and so we continued our journey. Despite today being an exceptionally tougher day for us, we were pumped and filled with energy and desire to accomplish our mission and to keep our promise to the bike owners to return them by 7pm in Manali.
Mountains of Ladakh
Meet Royal Boon and Royal Hadi
At this moment we realize we are pretty close to our destination and a mixed feeling of joy and sadness hit us hard. It has been an epic journey and to know that its almost ending is a sad reality altogether.
A mighty waterfall greeted us on our way to our triumph. We arrived in Manali later that day at about 6pm.
We returned our bikes and it was time for a well-deserved Indian food spread. Manali is a beautiful city filled with restaurants but we decided to settle for the one in the back alley and I had one the best naan I've ever tasted! topped with Afgan Chicken and Pepsi, life was pretty much complete at that moment.
Reflecting back on the trip, I guess my greatest pride from it was the fact Farhan and I manage to complete the route within the stipulated time given and we did it without any tour guide and purely rely on our maps and help from the locals. The opportunity to live off the grid with no GPS, no internet connection, and mobile coverage has been an uplifting moment. I learned to appreciate the finer things in life, a life not bound by technology but by physical communication and interaction.
We owed it to these guys for trusting us with their bikes and for making our journey a smooth ride.
We rested the night and the next morning with finally wi-fi connection, we got to know the release of 'Pokemon Go' and have a go at it. Exploring the city of Manali with a new perspective. A mission to catch them all.
Later that evening we met Sophie. Sophie first met Farhan at South Africa during his backpacking trip and has been in close contact in Couchsurfing and Facebook. Sophie is a little more tak betul as she went through the exact same route that we took but only with a bicycle. After having dinner with her, we decided to rent another pair of bikes to explore a nearby waterfall.
A therapeutic dip to end our day in Manali. We took a bus back to Delhi the next morning. Just as things were about to go normal, something miraculous happened. In the middle of the night, the bus stopped and a few Dominos Pizza guys boarded the bus and were selling hot pizzas. Best bus ride ever!
We stayed in Delhi for a day and did a quick visit to the majestic Jama Mosque before leaving for home.
End of #tellingtrailsinthehimalayas. If I could leave a note, it would be to remind everyone that truly whoever strives, succeeds.