Planned Itinerary - Ladakh Ride

 

VETERANS FOR THE NATION - NORTHERN LADAKH MOTORCYCLE EXPEDITION

(04 TO 21 AUGUST 2021)

DEHRA DUN – CHUSHUL – SIACHEN BASE CAMP – LEH – KARGIL – SRINAGAR – DEHRA DUN

DAY	DATE	FROM	TO	NIGHT HALT	VIA ROUTE	REMARKS
D	04 Aug	Dehradun	Bilaspur	Bilaspur (Hotel Prem Sagar)	Dharampur - Sabathu	8 hrs 300 Kms
D + 1	05 Aug	Bilaspur	Keylong	Keylong (Hotel Neelkanth Nalwa)	Manali – Atal Tunnel	8 hrs 263 Kms
D + 2	06 Aug	Keylong	Sarchu	Sarchu (Mulkilla Adventure Camp)	Sarchu	4 hrs 107 Kms
D + 3	07 Aug	Sarchu	Leh	Leh (Hotel Lungdho Residency)	Tanglang La - Karu	9 hrs 260 Kms
D + 4	08 Aug	Halt at Leh		Leh	-	-
D + 5	09 Aug	Halt at Leh		Leh	-	-
D + 6	10 Aug	Leh	Chushul	Chushul	Karu – Chang La – Tangtse - Chushul	8 hrs 200 Kms
D +7	11 Aug	Chushul	Darbuk	Darbuk	Tangtse - Pangong Tso - Tangtse	7 hrs 170 Kms
D +8	12 Aug	Darbuk	Partapur	Partapur	Shyok – Agham - Khalsar	6 hrs 150 Kms
D +9	13 Aug	Partapur	Base Camp	Partapur	Sasoma – Base Camp - Sasoma	9 hrs 320 Kms
D+10	14 Aug	Partapur	Leh	Leh	Khalsar – Khardung La	6 hrs 150 Kms
D+11	15 Aug	Leh	Kargil	Kargil	Pathar Sahib - Nimu	5 hrs 217 Kms
D+12	16 Aug	Kargil	Gulmarg	Gulmarg	Dras – Sonamarg – Srinagar bypass	7 hrs 246 Kms
D+13	17 Aug	Halt at Gulmarg		Gulmarg		-
D+14	18 Aug	Gulmarg	Udhampur	Udhampur	Srinagar- Qazigund-Ramban	8 hrs 250 Kms
D+15	19 Aug	Udhampur	Jalandhar Cantt	Jalandhar Cantt	Samba -Pathankot	5 hrs 250 Kms
D+16	20 Aug	Jalandhar Cantt	Parwanoo	Parwanoo	Chandigarh	4 hrs 150 Kms
D+17	21 Aug	Parwanoo	Dehra Dun	-	-	4 hrs 150 Kms

 

Total 18 days         3400 Kms

 

Whimsical Veterans' Ladakh Ride

Col Rakesh Singh Sidhu, SM, who is settled in Dehradun and is my course mate from OTS, Madras (now OTA, Chennai) called me one day in March this year just to catch up on the latest happenings in our lives. During the course of our conversation, he asked me whether I was game for undertaking a motorcycle journey to Northern Ladakh including the Karakoram Pass. Some of the areas proposed to be visited were under Army control and he mooted the idea that we would seek approval from the Army /Govt authorities. I readily agreed to his proposal as I have been interested in adventure activities all my life. The proposed trip was particularly appealing as I would be getting a chance to revisit Ladakh on a motorcycle after a gap of 36 years. I had participated in the ‘Northern Command High Altitude Jonga & Motorcycle Rally’ in September 1985 when I was in service and posted in J&K. That rally was conducted when the route from Manali to Leh was not open to Civil traffic and the road was not fully constructed by the Border Roads Organization. It covered a major portion of the route now proposed.

I recollected the travails and pitfalls of that trip which I undertook along with a pillion rider from another unit on an old 350 cc Royal Enfield motorcycle. That trip taught me a lot about long distance riding in off road conditions and the preparations required for such a venture. I was also keen to witness and record the changes in the breathtakingly beautiful landscape of Ladakh region. The idea of visiting Ladakh is on the priority list of all motorcycle owners as it is the ‘Mecca’ for bikers. The inhospitable terrain, extremely harsh climate, high altitude and the barren landscape take a massive toll on any man or machine. It is the ultimate test of true grit and stamina for anyone to withstand these rigours. Though I have been an avid biker for more than four decades, the idea of visiting Ladakh at 65 years of age was an exciting as well as a daunting prospect. Most of my friends and acquaintances were aghast on hearing of this but for my family and a few close friends who knew me well.

In a short while two retired officers from the Indian Navy joined the group which was christened "Whimsical Veterans". Hectic preparations followed as we had initially planned for the ride to begin in June end. Delays in obtaining the required permission and the prevailing Covid 19 situation pushed our start to the second half of August. The intervening period, however, gave us time to undertake some practice rides and get used to riding in monsoon conditions. Two of the participants purchased new Honda 350 motorcyles and started getting used to them as they were handling two wheelers after a very long time.

The trip also involved negotiating some of the highest motorable mountain passes in India viz: Baralach La (16043 ft), Nakee La (15540 ft), Lachung La (16500 ft), Tanglang La (17480 ft), Khardung La (17982 ft) and Chang La (17688 ft). A total of 3200 kms would be covered in 18 days and the ride would end at Dehradun on 21 Aug 2021.

The expedition was flagged off from Dehradun by GOC, Uttarakhand Sub Area on 04 August 2021 at 0900 hrs. The planned itinerary was “Dehradun-Bilaspur-Keylong-Sarchu-Leh-Chushul-Darbuk-Siachen Base Camp-Kargil-Gulmarg-Udhampur-Jalandhar-Dehradun”.

A sense of deja-vu pervaded my consciousness as we hit the Manali- Leh road. The condition of the road was good except for patches where expansion work was going on and the usual water crossings where melting snow erodes the surface. These crossings have not changed a bit in the last 36 years. The landscape was exactly the same and is still uninhabited in most areas. Some development was evident in the small villages and stops along the route. Unbelievable as it may sound, some areas are still out of mobile coverage range in this day and age.

Our trip ended on a very good note as nobody sustained any injury and there were no major damages to our motorcycles. We did have our share of falls, near misses, close shaves and ‘heart-in-the-mouth’ moments but lady luck was smiling on the ‘Whimsical Veterans’ or maybe some of us had powerful guardian angels bestowing their blessings as we all reached home unscathed. I am sure it was a memorable trip for everyone and will stay with us for a long time.

For me, it was the ride of a lifetime !

Details of the ride will be posted separately.