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.
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