A Dream ride to the Himalayas

                         It was a busy Friday afternoon at office, people rushing to complete their tasks and leave as early as possible to mark the beginning of another frolic weekend. I was in hurry more than everyone else; because for me it was the start of a long vacation which I’m gonna spend in some of the exotic locations on the planet. After months of planning and calculations the day has finally arrived to embark the journey of a life time, which I’ve been longing for years; a ride that is all about adventure, fun, risks, endurance and determination. Yes, a bike ride to the mighty Himalayas…

                         The planning and exploring began before three months for this much awaited trip. The trip buddies were none other than my friend Sreerag and his wife Sujini. There were a few other people who showed much enthusiasm initially, but later on started showing lesser interest. But we have already decided that we are gonna do this, even if there is only just the three of us, and that is what finally happened. 

                         Finalizing the route and destinations were done after doing plenty of research – surfing on the internet, contacting people with knowledge and experience in these places, watching plenty of travel videos and much more. I booked a bike for rent from Stonehead Bikes in Delhi, whereas Sreerag chose to use his own bike. Then it was a month long shopping spree, purchasing some items online and some offline. Riding jackets, knee pads, saddle bags, tank bag, shoes, thermals, medicines, chocolate bars, dry fruits and nuts, oxygen cans.., the list was endless.

                         I reached Delhi that Friday midnight and Sreerag was expected to arrive on Saturday early morning. But his flight got cancelled and could reach Delhi only by noon. But it was not the only tough luck of the day. The airlines had left his luggage on Bengaluru, which we got only later in the evening. So, our plan to begin the ride that afternoon was spoiled. Meanwhile, we took delivery of the rented RE Thunderbird 350 from Stonehead Bikes, where we received commendable service from Mr. Prabhu. By evening we got the missed luggage and that night itself we took delivery of the parceled bike too from the Delhi railway station. The next fine morning by 5 we started our 2-week-long ride from New Delhi.

Read the experience at different place we covered in the ride by clicking the links below;

·       Wagah Border

·        Amritsar

·        Srinagar

·        Sonmarg, Zoji La

·        Kargil

·        Drive to Leh

·        Khardung La, Nubra Valley

·        Pangong Tso

·        Drive through mighty passes to Manali

                         Finally, when we left Bhuntar that morning, it was the 12^th and final day of the ride. The final day was nothing but the more than 500kms long ride back to Delhi. The initial phase of the day was the ride through twisty roads almost till Chandigarh. Then it was smooth cruising through the wide and straight highways through Punjab & Haryana. Even with the superb highways, the ride was not completely comfortable. We took drinks break even at intervals of 30 odd kilometers, since the dehydration was so severe because of the high temperature in these states. Overcoming all these, we eventually reached Delhi airport by 8PM. Sujini took flight to Bangaluru that night itself, and me and Sreerag left to the hotel for the day. The next morning Sreerag left Delhi and started his ride to Bangaluru, and my flight to Trivandrum took off from IGI Delhi in the afternoon.

                         While the flight was flying high above the clouds, I was on cloud nine with the proud feeling of satisfaction after conquering some of world’s highest and extreme terrains. No need to mention, the ride that covered more than 3000kms, through 5 states, through some of world’s highest passes, verdant valleys, cold deserts, and picturesque landscapes will obviously be fabulous. But more than that this ride was all about the experience it offered. The proud moments of patriotism at the Wagah border and Kargil war memorial.., revisiting historical moments at the Jalianwala Bagh memorial.., the soothing shikara ride at night at the Dal lake.., all the rollicking fun of the horse ride at Sonmarg.., the triumphant feeling after reaching the top of Khardung La, Chang La, Rohtang La.., the evening Bactrian camel ride at Nubra valley.., getting lost in the beauty of the mesmerizing Pangong lake.., the pleasure of speeding at 3-digit speeds through the highways.., the plethora of selfies and chatter time with your buddies.., the memorable moments are countless. 

                         But those didn’t come off without the challenges - riding through crumbling dirt trails, water crossings, slush, dusty tracks.., all at extremely low temperature that went down upto -10 degrees.., couple of bike break-downs.., and the list goes on. But if you have the determination and will power to complete the ride, no challenges can stop you, at the same time being practical and grounded. You might be an excellent rider in the highways, but that doesn’t mean anything in the Himalayas. Be a humble rider respecting the treacherous but mesmerizingly beautiful terrains, as they rightly say ‘one most important thing you should NOT carry while riding to the Himalayas - EGO’. Yes, a ride to the Himalayas is a test of endurance, patience and determination – physically and mentally. One can share millions of images, videos and stories of it with others, but to understand the complete picture the only way is to actually go there and experience – like a dream which only the person who saw it understands completely. That is why this ride becomes a Dream Ride…