Ladakh – the Kick-off from Leh

The euphoria that usually follows the completion of a good road trip is ebbing. It’s been many days since we returned from Ladakh. The brain fog that manifested me during the first week of the trip has cleared, together with the diarrhea and bloody snot from broken blood vessels in my nasal or sinus cavity. I am almost fit. ‘Almost’ because I managed to damaged my ankle during squash just days ago. I am so accident-prone.

I can now recall the first week of the ride more clearly. How our carelessness caused us to missed the Delhi/Leh connection, the ensuing anxiety, and the relief we felt after arriving at Leh the next day without forcing any change to the ride schedule.

After collecting our motorcycles at Leh, we set off on the ride proper. Our next stop would be the Aryan Residency in Dah. The hotel was next to a quiet road, by a noisy fast-flowing Indus River. The people here are said to be of Persian or Iranian origin. But I am not certain. An old lady in traditional attire was helping in the hotel. Maybe that’s the Aryan culture they are talking about?

Next day, Vikram took us to Hambuting La, a high mountain pass. It was on the way to Kargil. Just a quick stop for some photos and then onwards to Kargil.

At Kargil, we checked into Hotel Caravan Sarai. Santana the Latin rock band made an album of the same name. I didn’t like it very much and don’t know if it was connected to Indian culture. We spent two nights at Kargil. On the first day, while roaming around on foot in town, we went into a restaurant that serves mutton with rice. After washing our hands, we went local consuming the tasty meat, forgoing the fork & spoon.  I took a big gulp of water from a tin cup, the water from a jug on the table. That was the moment I effed-up. I remembered, quite vividly, Linus looking at me disapprovingly as I drank. So far, we only drank from bottled water. Linus and I had exactly the same food for the last few days. Except this big mouthful of water.

And that night, I retched and puked into the wash basin as I couldn’t make it to the bowl in time. Spent half an hour scooping the spew from the basin into the toilet bowl and cleaning up. Otherwise, the stench would be unbearable in the morning. My troubles began.

The next morning, we rode up to a summit where an army camp was located. It was a fortified border post overlooking the border with Pakistan. We were not allowed any further. We are probably here just for bragging rights, to say that “We been here!” The final stretch to this summit was much narrower and more hazardous. The bends & twists were much closer to each other. The sentry allowed Vikram to make a U-turn just inside the gated compound while the rest of us re-grouped just outside the gate. Coming down, we stopped to look at an abandoned cluster of huts. The huts were built by piling & stacking stone to form walls. It was once a Pakistani village but now deserted and under India’s control. From our vantage, it was a pretty stark landscape where the huts stood, on the mountainside just above the bottom of the valley. Those with stronger legs went to explore. The sun beat down relentlessly on the rugged and desolate site. For sure I wouldn’t survive here.

Slightly further down, we came to an observation post where we peered at a bunker on the Pakistan side through binoculars (for a fee). We were right at the border.

We also visited the Kargil War Memorial. In 1998-1999 India & Pakistan were at war. When winter was at its coldest, the Pakistani Forces surprised the Indians and were able to advance to this point. They fought here and eventually, the Indians managed to regain control. The Memorial lies near the foot of the towering Dras Mountain Range, along the main road to Leh. The nearby Tiger Hill has an outpost high at its peak. William pointed it to us but it was just too far and too high to clearly see. Looking at the mountains from the Memorial, we are probably seeing some of the battlegrounds of the war. The Memorial also include the burial ground for the fallen soldiers. We are not allowed to step in there. The Army runs this Memorial and under strict protocol. Visitors are vetted. Those who have travelled to China or have a Chinese Visa Stamp in their passports are denied entry. Pakistan is probably included in the ban.

Took a dump in their clean and well-maintain toilet.

Pretty rough & tough part of the country we were in.

Kargil itself has numerous army camps, tanks battalion and artillery barrage. What I saw was just like in Metal Gear Solid, a ‘tactical espionage operation’ kind of computer game. The video footage has features very similar to real physical geography of Kargil, cold and desert-like. The dominant khaki colour, the sand, the barracks and camps, the compounds and vehicles, the camouflage, the weaponry and the troops bore uncanny resemblance to the real thing in Kargil. I believe that game was base on the war in Afghanistan. In real time, the roads here are generally better maintained. I guess it is to facilitate movements of troops & machine efficiently. Given its history and proximity to the borders, I am not surprise.

Glaziers in the background

The ride so far has been good. The terrain is rough and challenging and the air, cold & arid. There is no lush forest in these mountains. Instead, we rode past many glaziers. Many of them. Awesome scenery. But to truly enjoy the view, you have to stop at viewpoints because you better be watching the road while riding. The switchbacks/hairpins up and down the mountains are tricky, and treacherous at times. I would say that 30% of the total distance travelled on the whole trip were roads that once have asphalt but now rough and broken, especially the surfaces of the switchbacks. 30% to unpaved roads. Maybe 25% are good tar road. The rest would be earth dug out of the slopes, flattened but unpaved, and steam-rolled to make them passable. Gravelly and sandy. Video links here Murad’s view and here A Bit Slippery

But it is manageable. It wouldn’t be fun & challenging if it is anything else. And not forgetting the terrific flat land and a couple of river crossings.

Road Works. Have to wait a while. That’s how it’s done in the mountains.

Distances travelled each day varies but were all within the tolerable limit. And the weather is a boon and a bane. Riding in the daytime in layers of clothing is comfortable. Hands might get a little cold. And the cold also keeps you awake. But come dusks, temperature dip, at times below 0-degree C. Hotels, or more correctly, accommodations here have generators that run from 7pm to 10pm. But not always. There is no heating in the rooms. The hot water is not constantly heated. Once during a bath, the water turned frigid. I had to fill the pail up and quickly finish with ice-cold water, and towelled gently so that my frozen nipples won’t fall off.

18/9, Day 5- Today, we head for Padum. Gaston has suffered numerous punctures on his rear tyre . Because of some imperfections within the rim. This morning, the rim has to be properly fixed before we roll. Vikram stayed behind to help fix the problem while Gaston took his bike. It is the supporting crew’s responsibility to get the bike running safe. Which meant that we are one ride short. Linus came to the rescue by taking Dawa as pillion/guide. Dawa is a young lad, on break from uni, slight of build, a little smaller then Linus. They led us for the initial part of today’s ride till our usual ‘chai’ break at the La Himalaya Restaurant & Guesthouse, Rangdum. Vikram, with the tyre issue resolved, caught up. From there, Dawa on his own, took the lead using Vikram’s motorcycle, and blasted down the road, a single-lane, 2-way highway with no road markings but in good condition. This is Dawas’ homeground. Linus gleefully followed, cranking up the throttle, with Ryan & me chasing. We stole a head start on the others. Hahaha. Ryan has mounted his 360deg cam tripod high on his handlebar. It was like a ‘tomahawk’ chopping and parting the invisible air, as if to clear a turbulence-free path for us. We raced. Well, sort of. A pretty good ride with many curves and bends on clean road and pretty flat all the way to Padum. Happy!

The ride after Padum to Sarchu and eastwards is here Ladakh, cold & rugged and here, Contents Page

Video links Murad’s view and here A bit slippery

Andreu also make a nice 5-minute video:Riding The Himalayas 2024

Boots & leathers cleaned and oiled, ready to rock.

This was my first Fly And Ride Trip, or FART.

For now, 2-wheel wanderlust is temporarily sated. I am calming down. But many of my mates ride, and it won’t be long before I get lured into another road trip.

See how it goes.

Cheers

jaywalker