Leh-Ladakh and tons in between Part I

There are times in your life when you get into something, not really knowing what you’re getting into. I was just looking for a long overdue vacation. I had no idea I am going to be blown away, turned inside out and have a once in a lifetime experience.

I took a biking vacation to Leh-ladakh with my Elder brother/Friend/Most admired person around, David Sehar on his Royal Enfield, ‘73 model. Close your mouths now, it’s a superb bike, extremely well maintained. More on that later.

Much has been said about Leh-Ladakh and sometimes I suspect, the best things about the place, can never really be articulated.

A biking vacation isn’t really for those of you who like armchair vacations, with a butler at your beck and call. It’s tough. Almost like not being on a vacation. Only this time, you’re the only one kicking your own arse. And loving it.

Absolutlely mindnumbing butt aches. Very very few of us have experienced this in the real physical terms with our soft seat easy going lives. Especially if you’re riding pillion. The first couple of hours are okay, you can manage.

And then, it starts.

The only thing you really want to do is get off the bike, and stand. Yes, stand and not rest your posterior anywhere. At all. I’ve had quite a few meals and chais buffet style, only that they were at a roadside dhaba.

The road till Manali is very good being a national highway. The real fun was really after Manali.

Due to some technical glitches, we could only begin our ascent on Sunday evening. I had hired a Bajaj Avenger and so the butt aches weren’t really on the horizon.

Our first hurdle was Rohtang pass, at 13000 feet. It was just 50 kilometers from Manali but it took us a good three hours to traverse the mountain roads, bad roads, steep inclines, hairpin bends with steep inclines, narrow bridges. The view would just get better with every hairpin bend.

We reached Rohtang top at 8pm and the Sun was out. I tried to flick the headlights of my bike on. No response. Just the sound of flicking switches and swooshing chilly breeze. I had a mix of emotions. Fear, excitement, stupidity, mad rush of adventure among others. David and I decided to carry on because it made no sense going back. His bike’s headlights were working fine and I had done this before. Just as precaution, I even switched on the left turn blinker.

But well, we had no idea what on earth we were getting into.