Last Day at Leh...

Today we had to leave for Khardungla Pass, world's highest motorable pass. But somehow the circumstances forced us to stay. But I have no regrets. The day at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Leh was so good that I have no qualms about it.

View of Himalayas from inside the campus

We got up a bit late as compared to our daily routine since past 7 days. We had no target to chase!!!  Waking up to a lazy day had become a luxury and we were going to enjoy it. We all got up ready by 11 a.m., prepared some Poha for breakfast in Ravi Bhaiya's kitchen and enjoyed a dubbed Tamil movie. After 7 days, we got time to see the pictures we had taken throughout our journey. While Ravi Bhaiya was in school, we captured his Laptop and transferred and received all the photographs. After so much of hardwork, ;-)),  we started feeling hungry. Also, the guys needed to get their bikes to mechanics for some repair so that we can head back to home... ;-)
So, we went to a fine Kashmiri restaurant in the main market. The food was delicious.. Then Mohit, Aashish and Ankush went for bike repair and me n Viky went for a shopping spree... Most of the things that we got in Leh can be purchased in Delhi also (but I got to know that later!!!!) but the joy of shopping there is something you should not miss. I spent every single penny I had. I may never come back again and it should not be a regret. I got something for everybody back at home.
You can find nice T-shirts all over the market. I was searching for some T-shirts and I found every shopkeeper had similar ones. Boring!!! Then I saw a slim street going into a small market. That was not actually a street, just 3-4 shops inside. But, I discovered a wonderful shop there. The old man was selling for a bit high price but it was just worth. Moreover, he had a filmy connection to it! (Remember? I love filmy connections!). He told a story that how he sold T-shirts to Amir Khan during the shoot of 3 idiots. And how Amir bargained ( Still purchased in 5 times the normal selling price...). Now that may be an actual anecdote or just a story but I loved it. And got 4 T-shirts. I have 1 with me, rest all have been looted by friends and brothers.

Now I got extremely tired ( I am not tired! There is no Oxygen ;-)). The boys also returned from bike servicing. Its time we headed back to the school.

Playground, KV, Leh

At school, we arranged a cricket match with the teachers of KV and what a match it was! At a place where even simple jobs like walking and speaking can exhaust you, we were having a Cricket match!

That's how we ended our last day at Leh, completely enjoying. Sometimes the joy of not doing anything dwarfs the success of touching down to all major tourist attractions. It lets you enjoy the feel of the place. 
We will leave tomorrow. Let’s breathe in the air of Ladakh as much as possible (Although there is little oxygen in it ;-)).

Bharatpur to Upshi... A timeless journey

 

Where is the time and where is Leh???

 A timeless journey indeed... This part of Manali - Leh trip leaves you wandering with your soul (because you won't be able to locate any other soul in this 240 km stretch!!! Where have all the insects gone? Is there any leaf around? No!!!).

We left Bharatpur with a motive to reach Leh that is around 285 km from Bharatpur. And we could have reached! But that's a different story. Lets first know what laid ahead (Top Secret!!!)

  

At Sarchu- Ready to leave for Leh

We left Bharatpur and after around 15 minutes of drive we thanked ourselves for staying in Bharatpur as the route is really bad with 2-3 streams which become dreadful in evening and could be crossed with too much of ease in morning at around 7 in the morning. (We were told that most dreadful streams are yet to come and we passed 3 waters of around 1cm of height and kept on fearing that something huge would come... )But there is no stream after reaching Zanskar valley. At this point we leave the Himalayas and enter the plateaus of Ladakh. The shift is so immediate that you suddenly realise that there is nobody except you and your friends. Hills become barren of life or even vegetation. Here is the first time you experience the frost and loneliness of a cold desert – a vast panorama of nothing but rock and snow.

I have earlier experienced the immeasurable account of the ocean in Goa or unfathomable course of a lake (Surajtal before Baralacha la pass) or simply the majestic sky but to experience something like this with respect to land is something which can only be felt. Its probably one of the most beautiful places I have seen (I don't think anything would appear prettier to me after witnessing such varied beauty on this trip!!!)

Tents at Sarchu

At Sarchu, we got our papers checked, a small Shiv Mandir was there (And it was Shivratri. Blessed we felt!). And there we left for a journey where time loses its meaning. You just have to keep moving in the wilderness of rock, sand and snow). Although we don't  see any living being but if by any chance, you get your vehicle down in this path, try to repair it if it is morning or early afternoon, else leave it there or bring it along somehow (trucks might help) and go with fellow rider till next military camp near Pang. Because this area is habitat for snow leopards (Vikram actually saw one! Will tell later about this) and resting or to get stuck at this place in night (even with your own tent) is a bad idea.

Wilderness of rocks and sand

Last pic taken just before the fall

This seemed quite a boring journey with bad roads, too much of sun and never ending trail. We had to go some 170 km to reach Leh when suddenly Ankush lost control of the bike and we slid through the rugged road well equipped with gravel (Of all the streams, rocks or potholes,gravel is the most dangerous enemy). I was the pillion rider. Main rider can jump off the bike but pillion cannot. And as I was taking pictures, I was not wearing glove in my right hand and wearing flotters which is a sin on these roads. you must own a sturdy pair of shoes.Anyways, I got hurt badly and in extreme heat and low oxygen, started feeling unconscious. With the help of first aid box, my wounds were primarily taken care of. Then we asked for lift in a passing by truck. I travelled around 40-45 km distance in the truck while my friends were trying to repair the bike with the help of other riders. I waited for them at Pang in temporary tent.

Deserted roads to Pang

On the way to Pang

 

On the way to Pang

These pictures were taken by Vikram as I was unable to hold the camera anymore. His DSLR captured beautiful views of a deserted road. This part of the route is undoubtedly a tough one and I was so worried that I was asking every group of riders if they saw three bikes midway. Finally a group told that they have helped them and were about to reach. In around an hour they reached and all my prayers were answered.

By now, we were extremely tired and not in a condition to move ahead. We rested there and then left at around 4 in the evening. We had to travel another 173 km. A stretch of around 25 km form Pang is pure bliss. Best road and awesome beauty. Heaven! This is the pure bliss of a cold desert upto Devering. The route from Pang to Tanglang la and then further to Upshi is breathtaking (due to low oxygen;-)!!!) In fact, the road from Pang to Debring is paradise on earth. Most of the pictures available on internet are taken on this road only. But my hand did not allow me to take any pictures.

After Debring, the breathtaking climb up to the mighty Tanglang-La (17582 ft.) begins. It is around 30km stretch on a steep slope with road full of gravel. The speed came down from 90kmph to 20 kmph. In around 2 hours we reached Tanglala Pass.At the top of the pass a tiny temple and a few prayer flags flutter in the strong winds that are peculiar of this pass.

Mesmerizing Tanglang-La (17582 ft.)

Amidst the spine chilling wind, at the top of the mountain

 This is the highest pass and second motor able in the world on the way. By this time, we started feeling chilled and night was arriving. We could not stay on road, we had to reach a settlement where we could stay at night.

After that we drove all the way down to Ramsey. I being the most coward one suggested to stay there as it was already 8 in the night. But nobody listened and we rushed through the distance. Road was good and we had to reach early. 

From Rumste the whole valley of the Leh region starts and road goes along the river. The road besides the river in the night is curvy but well maintained. Sound of river definitely scares and we were speeding up cautiously. Vikram being alone rode very fast. We were just 5 kms from Upshi. suddenly, we saw him coming back. All kinds of thoughts filled our minds. We stopped and asked what happened. He looked completely scared. "Lets go back. Agey snow leopard hai" was all he could say. Rumste was 26 kms back and Upshi was 5 kms. ahead with atleast one snow leopard to cross. Decided. We all geared up. All 3 bikes just rushed together with horns screaming and headlight shining bright. Within 5 minutes, we were at Upshi. We took the hotel. Fell into our bed and woke up next morning.

Salute... Indian Army!!!

"We all love our country. And we respect our army."
This is what I have always believed. But I was wrong. Just being born in India and believing this does not make us feel the same way. I never knew the difference between believing and feeling till I traveled along the borders. It had to be changed and it surely got changed.

2 years back, it was a random thought. I saw some pictures, read few blogs and just wanted to go to Leh, the capital of the district of Ladakh. Way to Leh from Manali is one of the toughest motorable roads in the world. (Sometimes we forget if there is any road!!!). For me, it was just for fun and for some nice memorable days. But it turned out to be far more than that.

One aspect which I could never even think of became such an important part of our journey that it is inseparable, that it could not be given just a paragraph in journey to Leh... It is a journey in itself. Journey to the oneness of this country. Journey to various divides, problems, conditions, religions, people and journey to understanding the great forces which safeguard us in unimaginably tough conditions. Conditions are tough because of two reasons:
1. High altitude, snowy terrains and unpredictable natural conditions.
2. It shares borders with two neighboring countries- China in East and Pakistan in North.

The mountains that seem amazingly beautiful, the roads that seem so peaceful and the waters that create a sense of vibrancy, all look horrible at some point or the other.

BRO- Building and maintaining tough routes

And if we have have to live in such conditions for 2-3 years, the idea itself daunts.

Army maintaining roads

Whenever we thought that this is tough, this cant be done or we cant find even an insect over here, we used to see military camps.
Military has made very good transit camps enroute to Leh. All through the day we can find military trucks supplying essentials like food, clothing, petrol, medicines and much more to its soldiers. 
 
We know this is the toughest route and when it opens in May-June, its raw. totally thrashed by water streams and rocks. In these conditions, Border Road Organisation works wholeheartedly to build and maintain these extremely tough and rough terrains.

To safeguard our mountains and our borders from any crossborder attack army maintains these roads, puts transit camps, provides all kinds of help to tourists and local people with an extraordinary zeal.


In conditions, where we lost all our patience on a kind of luxury trip, our soldiers fight for us, in conditions that can not be imagined without experience.

In such conditions, we realize the true worth of our army officers and jawans, who guard the border at a very high altitude, including the world's highest battlefield in the Siachen glacier. Temperatures in the Ladakh region dip to minus 30 to 40 degrees in peak winter. Still the army stands strong that too with all discipline, patience, vigour and courage.



While returning, we came through Leh-Srinagar-Jammu-Pathankot-Delhi route. Kashmir is truly a paradise but somewhere inside, it creates a sense of discomfirt. The valley is still living in a world of its own and dislikes to be intruded even by the tourists from the other parts of the country. There, in those conditions, stood our army, making us feel safe and secure.  Each time I saw a soldier or an army truck or a transit camp, I was filled with pride and a feeling of being safe. And the feeling... Gosh! that feeling... can't be explained.. It can only be lived. And one must live if we want to love our country and respect our armed forces.