A Motorcycle Ride through Himachal, Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir

For the uninitiated, I have had an unseen enemy for the past 12 years. They act through numerous stooges and never come into direct contact with me. The reason for the enmity is a police complaint I filed in late 2012, and their stated aim is to drive me out of India somehow. However, during my recent long motorcycle ride to Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, the enemy's actions were little more than a sideshow. There were plenty of unrelated memories and experiences I would cherish for a long time.

First of all, there was the motorcycle ride itself. I rode in my natural style at a speed I preferred, which was not very fast and allowed me to enjoy the natural beauty of the regions I rode through. I wished I had a camera attached to my head so that I could record long videos of all that I saw, including the glances I cast at the surroundings while taking my eyes momentarily off the road ahead. I am told that a small digital video camera can indeed be worn on the forehead in that manner, using an elastic band attached to it. However, the only thing is that I wear biking goggles, which I sometimes push up my forehead when I do not feel like looking ahead through them. That might interfere with a camera worn on the forehead, and I need to figure out how to work my way around it. I am told the camera can also be worn on the chest, but that will not account for the occasional sideways glances I mentioned earlier. So, I must find a way to put the camera on the head. Not pushing the goggles up while I am wearing the camera might be one way to do it, perhaps.

In any case, as I mentioned, I did not speed up to catch my fellow riders this time, nor even the mechanic supposed to follow us in a car which overtook me and raced ahead almost every day because he was frustrated by my slow riding speed. So, I often rode alone for several kilometres on mountain roads with no other vehicle in sight, listening to the steady thrum of my motorcycle's engine and enjoying the views. Now and then, I would stop to click a photograph. I enjoyed doing that a lot! The only place I missed clicking a picture was at Baralacha La pass, where the path had been cleared of snow, but there still was several-feet-high snow on both sides. The mechanic was virtually biting at my heels, honking behind me in his car. So, I did not stop. Perhaps I should have. The pictures I took were clicked after we had cleared the highest part of the pass and everyone had stopped to take a break. Needless to add, they were not as impressive. So, maybe next time I will get a good one!

Riding across the highest mountain passes encountered on the way, Baralacha La, Takalang La, and Zoji La was almost an other-worldly experience. It was challenging and exciting at the same time. At all three places, I rode through clouds (which seemed like thick fog) and faced a rain of icicles (frozen raindrops). It was biting cold, and I had to wear a double layer of chef's gloves (made of thin polythene) under my protective riding gloves to keep my hands from freezing. There was no road across Baralacha La and Takalang La, while a paved surface comprising interlocking footpath-style tiles had been laid across most of Zoji La. At Baralacha La, I had to ride across a couple of streams of flowing water somewhere between ankle- and knee-deep. I rode across smoothly, but one of my fellow riders keeled over when his bike's front tyre hit a big rock during the water crossing. Not tall, he could not use his feet to steady himself and his motorcycle. Fortunately, he did not get hurt. The rest of the offroad path across Baralacha La included small, almost round rocks, across which one had to ride in low gear at a slow and steady speed while gripping the handle firmly to avoid falling over. At Takalang La, there were huge potholes, all filled with water, that one had to ride through. I wore water-proof trousers and shoe covers and rode straight through the water crossings and water-filled potholes without a second thought or getting wet. It was kind of fun.

Then, there was the ride across the Morey (or More) Plains, where I rode across the undulating road, which goes up and down every few metres. There are vast plains on both sides, where sheep and ponies can be seen grazing here and there, and tall mountains beyond that. It's a sight to behold! I was in a bit of a hurry there because I was told we had to reach and ride across Takalang La before sunset or else black ice might form there, making movement almost impossible. So, I did not stop to take any pictures there either.

The short ride on our day off at Leh to the Leh Palace and Gurdwara Pathar Sahib was exhilarating. As usual, I was riding alone and had all the time in the world. So, I thoroughly enjoyed the landscape and stopped several times to take pictures, which came out very well.

The only place where riding was not much fun was when a road was being constructed across a long stretch between Pang and Morey Plains, and the riding surface comprised a mixture of loose gravel and fine-grained soil. I rode slowly there because I felt the bike would skid out of control if I were to brake hard. Also, whenever another vehicle drove past, there would be a cloud of dust, and it was impossible to see anything for a few seconds. The other group members rode/drove much faster, but I rode at my own pace without a care in the world.

That was a theme that stretched across the entire 10-day ride. I did not care what anyone would say or think about me and rode the way I wanted. Google Maps helped me find each day's destination, and I enjoyed mainly riding solo through each day, meeting the others usually for breakfast and lunch and at the place of stay in the evening. I rode tension-free and through some of the most beautiful places on Earth. I loved it!