Bikerni in Mountains!

View from my stay on the first day in Leh

I had been Leh’d for three times already and knew Ladakh like the back of my hand. So I approached the fourth trip that came after a gap of nearly seven years with a bit of trepidation sparked by reports of tourism boom spoiling the pristine cold desert. Moments after landing in the “Land of Passes”, I realised the misgivings about the callous tourism were not unfounded.

I was staying at a place just short of Nimu. So next day after 15 minutes of mild Yoga I headed to Indus-Zanskar confluence. That was the first spot that made me fall in love with Ladakh when I came here back in 2008. Now trash marks the spots along these two mighty rivers – one of them gave India its name. The bevy of ‘selfie-tourists’ have reached this place too. Also present was an edifice selling eatables and promises of adrenaline rush through river rafting. The next pit stop was Magnetic hill, where revving of All Terrain Vehicles reverberated through the mountains.

Indus-Zanskar confluence

That was when I decided, if I wanted to rekindle the romance with Ladakh, I needed a different approach. I decided to undertake a solo bike ride. I reached Leh and hired a 350 cc Royal Enfield motor bike. I tested my hands at the 500 cc motor bike, which I assumed would be handy during the ascent on the steep mountainous terrain. But settled for 350 cc as it was lighter and one that I was used to riding.

On way to Chumathang

Next day all geared up I chose Chumathang, a small village 138 km south east of Leh, as my destination of the day. It was chosen on the recommendation of my bike renting guy in Leh, who surprised at the solo woman rider advised me to try out my skills on the easier route first. The beginning of the ride was smooth barring the bike stopping at one or two occasions as the machine and the biker were getting to know each other. Lovers of Royal Enfield would agree that one just needs to ease into a relation with the motor-bike. But the route did live up to my expectations.

Just 15 kilometers outside the city, I spotted the Shey Palace. I had visited to 17th century palace on my earlier visits, so I just let my eyes feast on the view and pressed on further. A few kilometres ahead another hilltop monastery Thiksey greeted me with lines of Chortans or Buddhist religious buildings. Here two spunky young Lamas in their red robes and on their own Royal Enfield crossed me. A smile was exchanged between us. After clicking photographs, I also carried on.

Besides the skills, the day one was also the test of my endurance. I was equipped with a crude map and a general direction sense that I have to ride along the Indus River. The name of the river has always filled me with a sense of pride, after all civilisations have thrived on its banks millennia ago. I made a lunch halt at Karu, I had stayed at this place nearly a decade ago during my first trip to Ladakh.

Chumathang – Quest for the hot water springs

I had already sprained my right wrist while trying out the 500 cc bike a day earlier. So on the day of ride I sprayed some muscle relaxants and used hot bandage to ebb away the pain. Till Upushi, the road was a delight. At many a places the splendid road stretched for miles and vanished into mountains, with not a single soul in sight. It was this solitude that my heart was craving for and the nature granted me my wish.

My companion - the mighty Indus

Then the road vanished!

Post Upushi, the road was non-existent, even though the views were still breath-taking. The roads are being laid there, the region’s defences being bulwarked against the threat posed by the neighbour in the east. Then began the real tribulation of my riding skills!

The tracks were paved by layers of sand at places, where one neglect can send you skidding off the ridge and at places there were unsettling stones where balancing needed all my will power. In one of such patches my bike skid and I was helped by an army personnel. Instead of getting rattled by the fall I just dusted myself and started my bike again. I had set a cut off time of 3 pm for myself as I wanted to return to Leh the same day. For long stretches, I was riding only on second gear and using all my arm strength to stop the bike from falling.

On my way back to Leh

The Sun sets....

I was 20 kms short of my destination when I decided to start my return journey as the sun has already started its sojourn down the other side of the sky. I could not make it to my designated goal as I had started late in the day. But in the land of lama it does not pay to be a gamma! I needed to touch Karu before sunset as I was a solo rider and had spot only one tourist vehicle and a group of bikers on the road. So if I met an accident, it would have been hours before anyone would have come to know about it.

While coming back I was so captivated by the beauty in front of me and in the rear view mirror that I crossed all the bridges that came my way. And my reverie broke when my bike started climbing steep gradient on a road so narrow that a minor mistake could have proved dangerously injurious to my well-being. I tried to look for the river and there was none! There was no place to make a U-turn and no one to ask for direction. The motor-bike was climbing only in first gear. After 30 minutes I found someone who confirmed my fear that I was indeed on a wrong route.

I braced myself mentally for the ride downhill after making a U-turn from a small patch of level ground. To steel myself the atheist me tried to think of some hymns but none came to my mind, I could only utter profanity in the face of the imminent danger. I heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of the bridge that I had crossed in a trance and saw the glistening blue river.

I made it back to Karu without any other untoward incident, but just a warm heart filled with the memories of beautiful landscape and azure sky; and the clean mountain fresh air kissing your skin. I impressed myself by my endurance level, but for pain in my shoulder plates caused due to my camera bag and one bruise I had made it back unscathed. The saintly Old Monk joined me in the celebrating 

my maiden solo bike ride in the mountains.

Ride across Khardung La

The next day I had another challenge to face - Khardung La, which is touted as the highest motorable road at 18,380 feet. Even as the veracity of the claim is debatable, the pass – about 40 kms from Leh city – is one of the most scenic routes for motorbike ride. Wiser from the last ride, I started at 7 am in the morning to hit Khardung La before 10 am.

Bikerni in Khardung La

The pass is gateway to Shyok and Nubra valleys. Critical for maintaining supply chain for Siachen glacier, the pass is maintained by the Indian Army and the government has re-started inner-line permit for the region.  The permit is first checked at South Pullu check post. Thereafter the road to Khardung la becomes one paved with dirt, gravels and stones. While I have crossed the pass on four wheels on three earlier occasions, riding a bike becomes an exercise in patience and perseverance. I managed to reach the pass in two and half hours. By that time my hands were close to freezing even as it has not snowed at Khardung La. Having small hands I could not find gloves of my size and I could not have afforded to have something moving between my hands and controls of the bike.

After having two cups of tea to warm my soul from a restaurant managed by the Army, I started my further ride. Till North Pullu my ride was replica of one from South Pullu to K-top. The only mercy was lack of snow otherwise sleet would have made the ride horrendous. My destination was Skuru, a town of under 250 people and located over 160 kms from Leh.

I chose a comfortable pace and let myself go with the flow in the mountains. The roads, though narrow, were well paved. There was a sort of unspoken camaraderie with the bikers going towards K-top, without seeing each other’s face people would just give an acknowledging nod or a thumbs up to another formidable spirit. It was only when I took off my helmet could I see people’s jaw dropping.

Shyok meandering its way through the mountains

For my journey till Skuru I had Shyok river for company. Ladakh cannot be enjoyed in a hurry, its natural wonders of river, mountains and sand dunes need their own time to open up to you. The flutter of prayer flags fill the air and is soothing to nerves. I rode nearly 100 kms non-stop, with quick halts for clicking few photographs and sipping water. One can dehydrate here quickly, so water is important.  

I made good time and reached my destination by 3 pm. I ate lunch and buried my aching muscles in the comfy quilts of my homestay. I woke up around 5.30 pm to do some yoga (Yoga for bikers should be a special genre). Silence in the place is loud in this place and quench the thirst for solitude for city dwellers. I took early dinner and after a stroll crashed into my bed to call it a day. Woke up at 6 am next day and started by 6.45 am.

Diskit Monastery early in the morning

Near Diskit the sun started its dance to create beautiful patterns with mountains, river and sand. I stopped over to soak in the sun and continued my journey. In many ways solo bike ride is like life, you chose your pace and continue on the path chosen relentlessly despite the obstacles to arrive at your destination.

Leh City while coming back from Khardung La

The route descending from Khardung La

I did arrive at Leh city and fell in love with this cold desert all over again…..