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Leh, Hanle, Pangong & Nubra bike trip on a Royal Enfield Himalayan 411

26th August 2024, 18:12 by Kanad Kalasur

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This is when Insta algo caught on and started bombarding me with Ads, one which caught my attention was the Leh riding tour. The prices quoted by some of the Indian vendors were actually too good to be true.

BHPian 2000rpm recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

We wanted to go SOMEWHERE at short notice!!

Options evaluated (we were all over the place and were evaluating options without any filters)

Iceland Ring route – Missed the season for Visa and bookings
Dubai – Too hot currently for anything outdoors
Tarsar Marsar Trek – Permits denied
Great Lakes Trek – Already done by me.
Lahoul – Spiti – Landslide before Manali

Possible options left

North East, Vietnam Cambodia, Leh Ladakh, Masai Mara

This is when Insta algo caught on and started bombarding me with Ads, one which caught my attention was the Leh riding tour. The prices quoted by some of the Indian vendors were actually too good to be true.

Inclusions

8 Days Accommodation (3 Days in Leh, 2 Days in Hanle, 1 Day in Pangong, 2 Days in Nubra)
7 Days Bike Rental with FUEL!! (Himalayan 411)
8 Days Breakfast and Dinner
Backup vehicle for emergencies
Full time mechanic to address breakdowns
2 Tour leads. One who leads and one who sweeps (rides last, covering the slowest rider)

Some quotes were as low as 30k per person!!

My needs – I ride, while my wife can travel in a SUV behind me, she can move to the bike (with safety gear) whenever she wants. This requirement actually filtered out a lot of vendors as they didn’t have a comfortable vehicle to travel for non-riders.

I called up a few vendors and got pulled into this tour. I booked with Vendor 1 who featured on Shark tank!! My first preference was someone else though, but since their itinerary for the day was not meeting my needs, I booked with the Shark tank Vendor.

Two days prior to travel, my preferred vendor called me and said that they had a seat vacant in the traveler and they can meet my needs for the trip. I switched and lost my deposit with the Shark tank vendor.

My reason for the preferred vendor was

Twin accommodation at all places (other vendors had gender-wise dorms in Hanle)
Extra day to explore TurTuk
Comfortable travel for non-rider (traveller)

The itinerary which we were gonna follow is in Image 1, 2 and 3

We reached Leh one day prior to the start of the itinerary. This gave us ample time to acclimatize. Both our heart rates were in the mid to high 90s for the first couple of days. We went to Leh market and explored a lot of places.

Local Intelligence – Vodafone doesn’t seem to work at all in Ladakh. Get a local prepaid sim for the local journey. The shop keeper strongly recommended us JIO but Airtel is better as it works even in remote locations and Nubra. (wherever you get network spots, Airtel is available there)

Day 1 – Acclimatization

Difficulty - Zero, Total Distance - Zero

We were briefed about the journey. Did quick introductions and discussed Day 2 Itinerary. Majority of crowd in our group was from Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. Only two of us were from Mumbai. 8 from MP and 4-6 from Delhi.

We were a convoy of 22 bikes, one bolero camper and one Tempo Traveller!!

We were given safety equipment on day 1 also. I had gotten my own Jacket (purchased for this trip) but finding the right size for my 5’1 wife was a challenge. The smallest size available with organizers was XL, but with warm jackets and thermals factored in, the XL would do.

Tomorrow, we get our bikes! Our Stallions for the war ahead.

Day 2 – Leh Exploration Day

I would call it bike acclimatization day or Practice session

Difficulty – Easy, Total Distance – 60 kms

Attractions – Hall of Fame, Sangam Spot of Zanskar and Indus River, Magnetic Hill, Gurudwara Patthar Sahib, Shanti Stupa.

This was basically a practice day with bikes with local sites. Most people were getting used to the Himalayan, the gear, the riding conditions.

We reached back hotel by 3.30 pm and were asked to report any problems with the bikes which they planned to repair by EOD. Everyone had one problem, the VIBRATIONS on the windscreen! To which, the mechanic mentioned that there was no solution for the same and it is a good indicator that you are crossing 80 kmph (like an alert in new age cars).

Some of the enthu people, took the time in the evening to rush to the Leh Palace and cover the same. Its a must visit if you have the time. Please note - this is a small trek.

We caught up on some nice food at places recommended by our tour guide, Shashank. The Tibetan Kitchen being one place which I would recommend. Schoko Monk for desserts also!

We had the briefing for the next day during dinner and we packed our bags.

Travel Tip – You can make a bag of excess luggage and deposit it in the hotel. This is typically the same hotel you will come back to at the end of the trip. You can collect it here. This way you don’t have to carry your whole luggage across the trip.

Tomorrow, the real trip begins. A 20s me, would have been very casual about a 1000 kms bike ride in the middle of nowhere, but after 15 years of a desk job and outside food, will I still be able to do it? Or was I being crazy when I booked this?

Day 3 – Leh to Hanle

Difficulty – Easy, Total Distance – 260 kms

This is not the typical route. The typical route is Leh – Nubra – Pangong – Hanle – Lalingla – Leh. We did this in reverse order as this itinerary would mean that we will be stuck with all the other tourists during the 15th August Extended weekend slot. This was not the most ideal path but our leader decided that this would provide us with a better experience, especially at locations where the tourist capacity was low, like Hanle.

This road was “Makkhan”, as iterated by our tour guide. My wife rode with me on this journey and enjoyed the views and the ride. My body was fresh and could complete the ride without any problems whatsoever. This is one of the top 5 road days I have had in my life!!

We reached Hanle around 5 pm, had tea and were given time to rest.

During the debriefing for the next day at dinner, the Tour guide told us about out trip to Umling La the next day. This route had a 60 kms off-road patch. Me and my wife decided that I ride solo on this day.

Tomorrow was going to be a completely new kinda terrain, and 19000+ ft journey. Very few have done the Umling La so far, I think I should be amongst the first few thousand people to do this!

Day 4 – Hanle to Umling La and back

Difficulty – Moderate, Total Distance – 170 kms

We started the day early with breakfast and start of ride. From broken Hanle local roads to more broken roads to the off-road patch! This was the best patch of riding I had ever done in my life. The Off-road patch (seen in multiple car and bike TVCs) feels like heaven!

This, by-far, is the best driving / riding experience I have had in my entire life.

This patch is followed by muddy ghat section and then a tarmac ghat section to Umling la.

As we gained height, our bikes started to struggle and choke due to lower oxygen levels. And then during the last few kms, it started to SNOW!! We swapped riding gloves with warm gloves to….er….keep our fingers. We reached Umling La amongst the snow and were super happy to reach there.

We reached and parked our bikes and while we were doing some photos our Traveler also arrived. We clicked some great photos there but I honestly didn’t understand the magnitude of our ride while I was there. Only in retrospect I realize. What a ride it was!!!

We were there for max 20 mins as people started to feel the altitude. We started our journey back and man, the drive down was with rains and gravel and downward incline on extreme turns. I was pushing myself but just couldn’t keep up with a lot of riders. They were extremely skilled (or extremely daring).

Special mention to two individuals from the auto industry (one Italian guy who works with Ducati and one Delhi guy who worked with Ducati), they made us look like Mario Bros in the world of PS5.

We reached back through the same route, and the offroad section felt wayyyy more bumpy on our way back. People who know rumbler strips, used extensively in Maharashtra. Imagine riding through an infinite sea of rumbler strips.

We reached back by 5 pm and were waiting for the Traveller (my room keys were with my wife and she was in the traveller). The Traveller was a BS6 Diesel and had gone into limp mode is what we understood. While I was waiting one of the rider couples were planning to roam locally and I was about to join them when then Traveller showed up. They had gone to see the Hanle Observatory, something we missed.

We freshened up and thought of trying star gazing which Hanle is famous for. We clearly didn’t know what it was about and came back after enjoying the open sky with stars from an Amateur perspective.

Tomorrow seems like a test of my abilities on the bike, especially amongst the water crossings. I am not worried, but water is a powerful force of nature.

Day 5 – Hanle to Pangong

Difficulty – Moderate, Total Distance – 180 kms

This was the day of river crossings. The Hanle to Pangong route has some river crossings. I was super excited for this day as I was looking forward to river crossings. We had a pair of gumboots which we strapped to our rear seats and started the journey to Pangong.

The first river crossing we encountered, we underestimated and crossed it without gum boots and I wet my shoes as a result. I had the Decathlon Waterproof, ankle high trekking shoes on. Waterproof shoes, don’t let water in. BUT they also don’t let water out!!! I got glacial water in my shows and my struggle with the right foot wear for water crossings begun there.

We stopped at Rezang la War memorial, and I managed to change my socks there. I also switched to m gum boots there. My overall attire there was, well…..fashion show worthy.

On this track we also encountered multiple gravel and sand patches. I loved the sand patches but hated the gravel patches as the bike is just never under complete control over the gravel.

During this travel I also realized how useless of an accessory is gum boots for riding. I didn’t feel safe in them and they caught water in them too. This made them extremely heavy until you stop and drain them.

We reached Pangong at around 6. The traveller had reached before us here, they were doing the photo ops when we reached. I found my wife and clicked some pics with her there. This was my second visit to Pangong but she was seeing this for the first time and honestly, wasn’t impressed. The excessive number of tourists were making it look like Juhu Beach.

We reached our cottages and that’s when my wife’s migraine played up. She was sitting on the sunny side of the traveller today and her day-night glasses just weren’t good enough to keep the UV out effectively. We checked her for O2 levels and heart rate which were decent given the altitude. We retired for the day hoping for a better day tomorrow.

During the dinner briefing, our leader told us that we will need to leave early tomorrow as the Shyok river gets more aggressive as the day progresses (because of more water from molten glaciers). One guy had been washed away with his bike today as he tried to cross the river around 2 pm. We were trying to cross all these patches by 11 am.

Tomorrow, could be the most dangerous part of our journey. While all of us have shown great riding composure, fear of water can make people do unpredictable things. Have seen this across water falls in Maharashtra. The wrath of water, is either overestimated or underestimated. Both bad scenarios.

Day 6 - Pangong to Nubra

Difficulty – Moderate to High, Total Distance – 170 kms

We woke up and my wife’s migraine wasn’t gone. She took a combiflam and we were hoping it would help. She took a middle seat in the traveller.

Before we left for the day, we hoisted the flag as today was Independence Day!!

The ride on this day was like riding on the banks of a river, where the river would encroach on some parts of the banks. We would ride through these parts of the bank. We encountered multiple water crossings, some easy and some difficult. I felt very comfortable with them. Identifying the line is the key to river crossings, if you do that well, it remains quite easy.

We finished all the tricky water crossings and had lunch at a café which was located on the banks of a glacial stream. I loved this location. We cleaned our shoes and gear from the mud from the river crossings. The Shyok river is a muddy river with Oreo Hot chocolate like water (gravel plus mud plus water).

We entered Nubra and our first stop was the Diskit Monestery where you find a 108 ft Buddha status towering over you. The site is very peaceful, if you manage to ignore the tourists. The last 15 kms patch before Diskit Monastery was the most painful part of my ride throughout the trip. It was a dusty patch of WIP highway. The amount of dust we inhaled in that patch would be enough to give most people an asthma attack!!

After the Diskit Monestary, we went to the Sand dunes where you find the double hump camels and you can ride ADVs on the sand dunes. The most touristy location in Nubra.

From here we went to the Nubra Camps. I was honestly, tired of basic accommodation and was thinking of booking a hotel nearby, just for the sake of some luxury. Most camps across Ladakh have electricity for 4 hrs from 7 pm to 11 pm and have hot water available only for 2 hours in the morning. I had been doing this since we left Ladakh and felt that we could use some amenities. Honestly the dusty patch had left me yearning for a shower, and not getting one after reaching the camp site really put me off!

We decided against getting a hotel, but if someone would like a recommendation, the KARMA INN looked really nice amongst all the options I had seen.

Our camp site was next to a local market which had such a nice, warm vibe to it. There were stalls with wooden oven pizzas, gourmet coffee, shopping stalls. These stalls had a common sitting place in the open with a stream running amongst the tables, a person playing live music and tastefully done lighting. Our experience was significantly enhanced because of the presence of this spot around our stay.

Tomorrow seems like a relaxed day and touristy experience. I was looking forward to the cultural immersion and the FOOD!!

Day 7 – Nubra to Turtuk and back

Difficulty – Easy, Total Distance – 170 kms

This was a pleasant ride and I had a pillion for this ride.

We reached Turtuk and were pleasantly surprised at the town!! The town a rich cultural experience and would strongly recommend everyone to try and visit this place.

We had lunch here at a café which served us Farm to plate salad. They literally plucked all the veggies from the plantations around us to make our salad!!! They also had some great teas. We bought some stuff like apricot kernels from their shop and walked through the town.

Some other attractions there were Winter storage facility (without electricity) and war bunkers.

While we were visiting these, it started to rain. And then it started to pour. With no one around, we had to go through aa treasure hunt through the village to get back to out spot, which was a fun adventure. We were supposed to leave Turtuk at 2:30 pm, We were able to leave Turtuk only by 4.30 pm. All of us felt that we should have had a one day stay in Turtuk. If we go to Leh again, we will ensure we have a stay at Turtuk atleast for a day!

Once back, we went to the local market and ate like animals on the local food. During the night briefing, our tour guide shared his experiences with adventure travel and how he got onto the profession. This was our last briefing and we would leave for Leh the next day. Once we reach Leh, the tour was officially over.

Tomorrow is our last day riding. We have been pretty good so far. Touch wood!!

Day 7 – Nubra to Leh via Khardungla

Difficulty – Moderate, Total Distance – 130 kms

Our Journey to Khardungla was very exciting with chilly winds at Khardungla. The winds were so strong that some of lost our helmets to the wind.

Khardungla was something our generation revered as the highest pass, its no longer the highest pass and I think with revised itineraries, doesn’t seem to share the same respect now. But I wonder how people in the 90s did this circuit with old bullets!! We are pretending to be daredevils, with a back-up van and a dedicated mechanic and guide. We are like the Vicky Kaushals and the Sunny Deols, people who did the Leh circuit in the 90s are the real war heroes. I feel like an imposter!

The weather at Khardungla was much harsher than at Umling La but we managed some amazing footage at this location.

We finished the Khardungla visit and slowly rode our way to Leh. Our slow pace was helped by road construction activities which halted traffic for 15-20 mins after regular intervals.

We rode slowly into the Leh Traffic. Everyone was tired I think, or were we trying to prolong our trip, a little bit more??

We reached our hotel. Collected our luggage and freshened up with hot showers. Something we didn’t get for 7 days!!

We explored the market with our new friends and did some last minute shopping and did the web-checkin to travel back. Deep down, we were wishing that our flights get cancelled or post poned by atleast a day.