Six bikers decided
to take their passion for riding and adventure to the next level by travelling
to the north and having a riding expedition that lasted ten days. Anuj
Talaulikar, Chaitanya Dalal, Orville Lourenco and Satish Shetye, all memebers
of the riders club Goan Royal Riders, and their friends Aldrin Fernandes and
Frederick Pereira made up the pack that set off for the Himalayan tour. “We
started our journey from Manali in Himachal Pradesh. The place is serene,
flanked with deodar trees and apple orchards. Since it’s apple season, the
orchards were full of pink and green apples,” states Anuj.
We
met up with other bikers and started our tour on July 3, 2017 from Manali, proceeding
towards the Jispa Valley after crossing the gargantuan Rohtang La.
“On the other side
of the Rohtang we could see the new tunnel being constructed from Manali to
Sissu, which will be a boon especially for the Indian oil tankers. There is a
Indian Oil petrol pump at a place called Thandi, after which, the next available
petrol pump is after 365 kms! So you better get your fuel tanks filled at any
cost,” advises Anuj.
After an overnight
halt in the Jispa Valley, in tents, the group started for the next stopover,
Sarchu. Though just around 80 kms from Jispa, the roads that have to be
traversed are rather treacherous. Sarchu has very scarce oxygen and especially
for people who are accustomed to sea level, any physical activity can make you
breathless.
The next day
started with the group leaving for Leh; this involved crossing Ghata Loops – 21
hairpin bends which is an adventure by itself. They then crossed the Taglang
La, which, at an attitude of 17480 ft, is listed among the world’s highest
motorable roads. “En route, we crossed many other passes like Baralacha La,
Nakeela Pass, Lunglacha Pass. Each pass is unique so the mountains, their
beauty immeasurable,” says Anuj. The group then reached the place they had been
dreaming about, Leh.
In
Leh, the group rose with the sun, at around 4:45 am. They
describe Leh as a beautiful city, now under reconstruction as it was washed
away in a cloud burst in 2010. They visit Nubra, a magical place that appears
like a valley and a desert, with mountains, rivers, cliffs, crisscrossed with
narrow roads. A surprising sight in the valley are
the sand dunes, which are there because this is a cold desert. Visitors can
avail of Bactrian camel rides here.
To get there they
had to cross Khardung La, another high motorable road at a height of 18,380 ft.
Their stay in Leh
also took them to the Leh palace, Shey palace and Rancho School, which we know
of courtesy Bollywood. The also made a stop at Magnet Hill, which Anuj found
anticlimactic.
After ‘langar’ at
Pathar Sahib Gurudwara, a gurudwara maintained by the Indian Army, they visited
the Hall of Fame that pays tribute to heroes of war, and a shanti stupa that is
ideal for meditation.
The following day
commenced their return journey to Jispa. “We started off early as we had to
cover around 375 kms and reach our site at 9pm after crossing three water
crossings. Water crossings at night is especially difficult as the temperatures
are freezing. So it was an achievement in itself. We were greeted with Maggi, chowmen,
thukpa and bread omelet as well as other Ladakhi food,” shares Anuj.
They
started for their last point, Manali, the next morning, climbing the
Rohtang with much difficulty. On finally getting there they met with a change
in climate – light showers and thick smog with zero visibility. But they
finally reached Manali. After a bit of sightseeing, they Goa group left for
home and were warmly welcomed by members of the Goan Royal Riders.
