Chasing Heights - A journey through the crown of the world

[panjratan]

Prelude:
There are journeys for which you just get up and leave and then there are journeys which brew in your consciousness. Simmering at the edge of obsession and becoming a part of your being. This journey for me was like that.
The idea for this trip was not original but drew inspiration from many of those who ventured before me. Years ago, when the idea of travelling long distances on a motorcycle was still not as widespread and was frowned upon in most quarters, I came across the fable of men travelling through these far-flung lands that were almost mystical. The adventure seeker in me wanted to embark on this journey immediately but the rationale in me prioritized other things.
Years went by, I travelled to a lot of destinations and on all sorts of means and modes, but the idea of this journey remained just an idea. A couple of years ago I heard about a new route that opened in the land of lamas and that’s when this idea stuck to my brain like a leech. I started planning and plotting on how I’m going to make it happen.
There was a lot that was involved, planning absence from work and family for a period of at least 2 weeks. Finding a routing that will maximize the areas that you could cover and also the finances to make this trip happen.
I did not want to embark on this journey alone so I started talking to friends in hopes to find people who will join me on this trip. It took a while and though many were intrigued by it, no one was ready for it. Until one sweltering June afternoon when I got a call from a friend and the words rang my ears ‘Ladakh chalein’ and I answered yes in an instant.

The Fellowship:
For over 10 years now I have been a part of this exceptional motorcycle club called the India Bull riders (IBR). The fundamental of this group can be summed up as ‘no man left behind’. We stick together through thick and thin and make sure everyone is safe and receives the help that they need. Both during and after the rides. Our camaraderie and discipline is what sets us apart among the hordes of motorcycle clubs that exist in our country.
The group that joined me on this ride consisted of familiar faces: six riders (Aabhas, Kapil, Pradeep, Sudhir, Thiya, and me) and two pillion riders (Snigdha and Sudha). All were experienced motorcyclists, but more importantly, they were trusted friends with whom I had shared countless miles. The excitement was palpable as we geared up for this adventure.
The Planning:
Within minutes of getting the call I shared the plan that I had been working on (for a couple of years now) with the rest of the group. After a few iterations we narrowed down on the final route. The objective was to reach Udaipur for IBR’s annual event ‘Bulletiapa’. But first, we had to conquer the terrain of Ladakh, with its legendary passes and roads that beckoned adventure seekers. The route was set, we were to cover all the key regions of the union territory of Ladakh and make our way to Udaipur, triumphant.
Since we had limited time, we decided it’ll be best to ship the bikes to Srinagar and start the ride from there. The route included all the key regions—Srinagar, Zoji La Pass, Kargil, the Zanskar region, Leh, Pangong, Hanle, and the crowning jewel of Indian roads: Umling La, the highest motorable road in the world. From there, we would descend into Manali and finally make our triumphant entry into Udaipur.
The plan was set, the bikes were shipped, and all we had to do was hurry up and wait for the D-day.

The journey begins (Day 0):
In the wee hours of Saturday morning the eight of us woke up (not that we slept in the first place) and made our way to the Bangalore airport. After a long flight and excitement peaking, we finally landed in Srinagar.
Srinagar, which is the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir (which included the territory of Ladakh as well till a few years ago), a beautiful but conflict-stricken state. Since the end of the British rule and formation of the two countries this region has seen many conflicts, wars and humanitarian crisis. The scars of these conflicts are still visible throughout this beautiful valley.
The first order of business was to retrieve the motorcycles for the shipping warehouse. We took a cab from the airport and went directly to the warehouse. The situation in valley is mostly calm but you can’t help but notice the overt presence of the armed forces. You can’t travel more than 100 meters without spotting an armored vehicle or an armed sentry.
Our journey from the airport lasted for about an hour and throughout this time we constantly felt the gaze of the armed forces personnel who were standing at every turn of the way. On the way to warehouse our cab driver pointed at a street light pole and said ‘this is where the Pulwama attack’ (one of the deadliest ambush of military personnel in India’s history) took place. It was a somber reminder of what our soldiers and the people of this valley have to endure almost on a day-to-day basis.
We quickly entered the lush outskirts of Srinagar; the road was dotted with saffron fields (another specialty of this rich state) and Kashmiri apple orchards. We were tempted to stop and pick some apples to eat from the orchard but were more concerned about reuniting with our bikes, so we pressed on. At this point we all were hoping that the bikes have survived the arduous journey through the length of the country, and nothing has been damaged in the shipping. Once we laid sight on the bikes everything everyone but me heaved a sigh of relief seeing everything was intact. My bike was not standing on its stand but was lying on its side supported on to a pillar of the warehouse. The stand on my bike had bent so much that it was unstable.
Worried that there could be more damage I started unpacking the bike to check. Fortunately there was no other damage. After unpacking we made our way to a small restaurant a stone’s throw away from the warehouse. We were famished at this point as the only thing we had eaten so far was some breakfast and a beer at 4AM before we boarded the flight. One of the locals approached us and struck a conversation. He was fascinated by our journey and was happy to generally chat with us. After a few minutes he got up and went to the orchard at the back of the hotel and returned with 2 big apples for us to share. This was the first but not the only incident of people’s generosity on this trip.
Once we started from there, I broke away along with Aabhas from the group and went to the service center in Srinagar to get my stand fixed. The service center guys were prompt and did not take long to replace the stand and send me on my way.
We reached the hotel, changed and it was time to explore Srinagar. This beautiful valley is the summer capital of now Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The city is rich in heritage and cuisine. We first made our way to famous Dal Lake where we enjoyed the sunset while sipping Kavah (local tea) and a calming Shikara ride. From there we made our way to Moon Light – Walnut Fudge Shop. This is not just a shop but a relic of Kashmir’s culinary history. Started in the year 1896 (not a mistake) this shop has survived for over a century selling only ONE thing, THE WALNUT FUDGE. The fudge made using locally sourced walnuts and dates syrup was one of the best things I’ve ever had a chance to eat. We then made our way to a restaurant for dinner. On the menu was Kashmiri Wazwan.
After roaming around for a bit, we made our way back to our hotel. We sat around for a bit, drinking and planning our approach for the next day and just marveling the fact that we’ve finally made it and are about to begin riding into the mountains. Sometime later we tucked in for the night, for the next day we were going to cross our first pass, the mighty Zojila.

Passing the pass (Day 1):
Ladakh which until a few years ago was a part of Jammu & Kashmir state is a frontier state. It shares its border with Pakistan on northwest and China towards the east. Though a remote location both J&K and Ladakh have seen a fair share of conflicts over the years. One of the key sites that we wanted to visit was the Kargil war memorial, this memorial stands as a testament to the bravery of hundreds of men who laid their lives and thousands who were never the same after the war.
Before our ride began, we did a cursory check on google to find the timings of Kargil war memorial and that broke our heart. As per the listing the war memorial is closed for visitors on Sunday. We quickly decided to alter our plan and stay back in Daras (the place where Kargil war memorial is located) and visit the memorial on the subsequent day to pay our respects to the fallen.
This meant that we could start from Srinagar with relative ease, and soak up the valley as much as we could. The next day we started the ride at around 930AM. As we made our way towards the Srinagar-Leh highway we came across a small convoy with armed personnel travelling in the same direction as us.
On spotting us the soldier in the back of the gypsy signaled us to follow them, and so we did. The convoy cut through the traffic like a hot knife through butter and we followed them grinning ear to ear. After escorting us out completely out of the city and onto a clear section of the highway from where the convoy turned off on a different route. We gave them a nod and continued our way.
Since we had a relaxed day we decided to use the most of it to do sight seeing along the way. We made a not so quick stop at a friend’s home stay clicking a ton of pictures and admiring the views. At this point we got a call from another group of friends who had started before us that the Kargil war memorial is open for visitors is open and will be open till 530 in the evening. We decided that we must visit the memorial today to save some time the following day.
Sonmarg. The scenery on the road from Srinagar to Daras changes so much that you just can’t take your eyes away from the horizon. The lush green hills roll closer with each passing mile and the Sind River rolling downhill next to road waves at you as you start climbing the mountains. In no time we reached Sonmarg, a destination made famous by old Hindi movies. The lush green of the lower mountains is set against the mighty snowcapped upper ridges. At this point we are a bit rushed so we take a quick break and start our ascent of the Zoji la.
Zoji la in comparison to the other passes is located at a considerably low altitude (only ~3500mtrs/11000ft) but is easily the most important pass on the entire route. Afterall it is the gateway to Ladakh. The name loosely translates to mountain pass of blizzards, for centuries traders and nomads have used this pass to cross over from the higher ranges down into the valley of Srinagar an important location on the ancient silk route.
Everyone we spoke to warned us of the traffic congestion that takes place on the Zoji la route which worried us a bit. The traffic situation was not too bad as were able to squeeze past the convoys of cars and trucks that were making their way to Ladakh.
After an uneventful ascent we reach the Zoji la top, our first time crossing the 10K threshold, where we had some tea and grabbed a bite of piping hot Maggi noodles (this is going to be a stapple on this journey from this point onwards). After looking around and clicking a few pictures we made our way to the Kargil War memorial in Daras.

Where they stood:
For all those who were born in the 80’s or earlier Kargil war is a core memory. The war that lasted almost 3 months was one of the bloodiest conflicts of modern-day India. Back in the day armies from both the sides retreated to lower (relatively) altitudes leaving the posts on top of the ridges unattended. In the year 1999 the Pakistan army decided to capture these peaks during the winters and point the guns at the critical Srinagar-Leh highway, the main artery of the Ladakh region.
Since they had the high ground, it took Indian army’s entire intellectual and physical might to recapture those peaks. The battels were fought on terrain where a normal person will not dare even walk. Yet these young soldiers marched forward amidst enemy and friendly fire to dislodge enemy posts and regain control on India’s sovereign land.
The war for me personally hit close to home. My father who was serving in the air force at that time was based in Agra, a crucial supply depot for military operations. On my way to and from school I observed countless aircraft taking off with men and machines to join the war effort and trucks filled with tri color draped coffins leave with devastated families. From turning off all the lights and seeking shelter when the air raid sirens went off to seeing my father dawn the uniform and leave for his post these memories, that I had buried deep inside resurfaced once I entered the memorial.
Standing where they stood, I couldn’t help but feel a bit teary eyed remembering those times. We walked around read the epitaphs of those who laid their lives protecting the nation. As we made our way to the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ (a flame that’s always burning). This area is restricted for civilians but the officer on duty upon hearing that my father had served during the war allowed us to enter the sanctum to pay our respects.
We hurried in and paid our respects at the memorial and then went to thank the officer that gave us the permission. We started talking a bit and upon seeing our curiosity about the topography and the war itself he called one of his colleagues who gave us a detailed tour of the battlefield. We spent nearly an hour listening to him and carefully observing the peaks where some of the fiercest battels of the war took place. Content with the time we spent there we made our way out and saddled up to head for our night stay. That night we bunked at the Officer’s mess of the Gorkha regiment that is posted there (courtesy a friend who serves in the army).

A silent prayer: (Day 2)
We had decided to start early the next day, so we all got up got ready and saddled up. Sudhir, who on the previous night had a bit of a fever and went to sleep as soon as we reached the officers mess was still a bit groggy but was fit enough in the morning to ride. While prepping the bike for the ride ahead I tied the prayer flags, that a friend of mine who had visited Ladakh sometime back, on the bike. I had promised him that I will tie those once I reach Ladakh. So, I said a silent prayer while tying the flags and shortly after we started our journey towards Padum, the largest city in the Zanskar region.
The road to Padum is littered with spots that are outright otherworldly. Though we started a bit late we were confident we will make good time. The road however had other plans.
After riding for about an hour we reached Kargil, the second largest city in Ladakh. We stopped at a small restaurant to grab breakfast and started our journey again. As we exited the city the road ahead was blocked due t ongoing roadworks. We took a short detour crossing the suru river, the road was good and went along the suru river for some time before it made us cross the river again and rejoin the road to suru valley.
The road crisscrossed the valley and soon after started climbing up into the mountains again. As we crossed Panikhar we were greeted by the sight of the majestic Nun-Kun mountains and the Parkachik glacier. We stopped for a bit, took some photos, Sudhir saw his chance and grabbed a quick power nap while we were busy taking photos. The roads up until this point have been good but that changed soon after. Once we crossed parkachik the asphalt gave way to unpaved roads. The journey was rough, there was sand, rocks, and gravel that made it difficult to maintain any kind of speed. The road which wrapped around the mountain like a snake had a deep gorge on one side and falling rock on the other side.
We were cautious riding through here. Shortly after we came across a site where the workers were blasting the rock to widen the road and were asked to stop while they cleared the road ahead. After waiting for a bit and getting covered with dust we were moving again. Sudhir who was leading the pack at this time narrowly escaped a shooting rock that came tumbling from the side of the mountain. We hurried as much as possible to get out of there.
The bad section of road seemed to last forever (in reality it was only a few minutes) and soon opened on to beautiful, smooth freshly laid tarmac on the other side. Entrapped in the scenic beauty of what we saw ahead we decided to take a break (again) and engage in some tom foolery. We pretty much had the road to ourselves as there was no one else around. We took some interesting photos and then decided to move along.
By the time we reached the halfway point of our journey we were already delayed. We grabbed a quick bite, gathered info about the route ahead and since we were told that the road ahead is largely good, barring a short section of about 15-20 kms, we decided to press on.

The Setback:
Rangdum, the halfway point is where we made the crucial decision to press on to Padum (so that we can keep up with the schedule) and ride a little bit post sunset. The route starting from Rangdum to Padum was in astoundingly good condition, the road was newly paved, and had nice flowing curves giving us enough confidence to lean into them and keep up some pace.
In between we crossed the second pass of our trip, the Pensi La, situated at an altitude of about 16K feet and a short distance after that we came across the site of the majestic Drang Drung Glacier, one of the only few glaciers that can be accessed by road. Since it was getting cold, we decided to stop and layer up a bit to protect ourselves from the elements. We took a few photos and started again.

At this point we are about 40 KMs away from our destination. It was around 630 PM in the evening, the Sun had set but the twilight glow still illuminated our path. Until suddenly it didn’t.
The road was straight as an arrow, and we had just crossed a barricade which made us slow down quite a bit. Up ahead there was small crest going up, as soon as we made the climb it went pitch black.
There were two others riding in from of me and I could see only one of them swerving to the left in an evasive maneuver and in the glow of my headlight I barely made out the figure of massive Yak jumping in the middle of the Road. At this point the survival instinct and years of experience kicked in. I quickly assumed that my best option is to keep the bike straight as the Yak is moving and I would not want to be in front of him. I slammed my breaks and hopped for the best.
My beloved Night Fury ensured kept me safe and brought me to complete standstill just a couple of meters before the Yak’s position. I heaved a sigh of relief as I thought that the others in front of me must have avoided this beast successfully and the ones behind me had sufficient warning (as they were quite a distance behind me) seeing me emergency break and come to a halt.
My relief vanished instantaneously as the Yak moved out of the way. In front of me I see my friend, Sudhir, who was leading the pack lying on the ground and screaming in pain. I quickly dismounted from my bike and went to pick him up. At this point I hear him scream “my leg is broken”. I quickly assessed the situation and saw that the bike was lying on top of his right leg and determined that it must be the right leg as that is the one that is getting pressed by the bike.
I promptly lifted the fallen bike and to my horror Sudhir lets out the loudest, heart wrenching scream that I’ve ever heard in my life. It was not his right leg that was broken, it was the left one (the one that was on top of the bike). In that moment none of it was making any sense, he has fallen on the right and yet it was the left leg that was broken.
Very soon it all made sense, it was the yak who had hit him and that’s what had caused his leg to break. The injury was quite serious, and he needed help immediately.

The help arrives:
The route from Parkachik to Padum is largely deserted and we barely spotted any vehicles during the entire day of our riding. Fortunately, the accident happened near a small village (with a total of 4 houses) and a truck rest stop. Quickly there were a few people who noticed that something had happened and came to our rescue.
Among them there was a driver of minitruck who was returning from Padum and going in the opposite direction. He quickly made calls to the ambulance and the doctor in the medical center in Padum. Padum was still 40 KMs from where we were and the road ahead had a patch of 15-20 KMs which was absolutely broken. The ambulance would have taken a long time to reach there. We decided that we have to pick him up and take him in the back of that mini truck to the hospital to get him the help that he needs.
We quickly formulated a plan. We got hold of a plank than we will slide under his leg to keep the broken bone from moving around and thereafter pull a blanket under him to make a makeshift stretcher. After setting it up carefully all the people who had gathered there helped pick him up along with the blanked and load him up in the back of that truck.
We started moving slowly towards the hospital. In the meantime, the ambulance driver also started from Padum and told us that he’ll meet us half way and do a transfer. The road ahead was really broken with boulders sticking out and a couple of water crossings that we had to navigate. The truck driver did his best to maneuver it as gently as possible, but I can only imagine how painful it would have been for Sudhir to sit through this ordeal. Midway we met with the ambulance and carefully transferred him into the ambulance. They did not have any pain killers to give him and slowly we made our way to the small community medical center that was there in Padum.
The doctor had also reached the hospital by then and the entire medical staff immediately went to work on him. They quickly administered a mild painkiller to him which they had in the center and quickly realized that it will not be sufficient, and they’d need something stronger. The doctor and his assistant immediately started making calls to the nearby medical centers and pharmacies to get hold of the drug but to no avail. They started searching the other ambulance that they had fortunately found a couple of vials of the drug and administered it to him.

There’s a saying amongst the motorcycling community ‘dress for the slide, not for the ride’ and as a club, our own and other’s safety is of utmost importance to us which is why we are always appropriately geared up. Sudhir was also wearing a high-quality helmet, riding jacket, pants, and gloves with impact absorbing armor as well as riding boots. All this gear did its job and absorbed all the impact that was generated from the fall after the Yak had swung its head at him puncturing and breaking his shin bone. Though the doctors had to cut out his riding gear the fall only left a minor injury to his finger but other than that he was unharmed.

The medical center was quite a small establishment and lacked facilities that were needed. Sudhir needed a surgery to fix his leg. The doctor in Padum administered first aid and tells us that we should take him to Kargil (second biggest city in Ladakh) for further treatment.

The Hospital Dilemma (Day 3)

The next day we transferred him back into the ambulance and made our way to Kargil. The journey for him was excruciating with every bump causing shooting pain in his broken bones. While Aabhas and I decided to stay back and find a way to get his bike shipped back to Bangalore the rest of the group went along with the Ambulance to Kargil. They arrived at the Kargil hospital in the evening and we reached there shortly after.

While the Kargil hospital was quite large and did have the equipment and doctors that can deal with this situation, it was quite over run given that it is the only big hospital for a very large area. The situation was compounded due to the lack of the support staff at the hospital to take care of serious patients. Though the doctor gave us confidence that they will be able to conduct the surgery in Kargil, provided his vitals were stable, we were worried and not comfortable of getting the surgery done there.

The best-case scenario we could think of was finding a way to send him back to Bangalore where he can receive treatment and his family can take care of him. But due to the nature of the injury it was not possible to transport him in regular flights and the medical evacuation by means of an aircraft was too expensive. So we reluctantly decide to let the surgery happen there, his father also decided that he will come over and take over the situation from our hands.

The next morning the doctor came over and checked the vitals, the news was not good, the vitals were still unstable. The doctors said that it’ll be better if we take him to Srinagar as they have much better intensive care facilities there. The decision was to be made rather quickly, we told his father not travel from Srinagar to Kargil and meet us directly at the hospital in Srinagar. Kapil and Pradeep volunteered to accompany him in the ambulance and transfer him to the hospital in Srinagar. The journey back through the Zoji La was nerve wrecking.

Ultimately, after suffering for over 60 hours he finally received the treatment he needed and his pain subsided a bit. His road to recovery is long and he flew back to Bangalore a couple of days after his surgery.

The People:
During this entire ordeal the silver lining was the people of Ladakh. Every individual that we came in contact with helped us with open hearts. The truck driver that drove for ~20Kms off his route and helped us arrange for the ambulance did not take any money for his service. The people who gathered there did not stand twiddling their thumbs but went in search of resources, offering their own belongings in the process to help him. The medical staff in Padum who worked tirelessly through the middle of the night to stabilize him. The man who offered to keep a watch on Sudhir while we took some rest.
All of them, did it with the purest of intentions, without any thought of gaining anything out of it. It made me think how these people who have so little can be so giving and prioritize a stranger over their own interests.
These people will always have a special place in my thoughts.

To Be Continued:
Once Sudhir was in safe hands, the question lingered— how do we complete what we started?
The journey was far from over. What awaited us were landscapes that would mesmerize us and test our endurance, weather that would push our limits, and roads that would challenge our resolve.

[sajeesh]

@panjratan I have moved this topic to Travelogues section. Have only read half way through

Have also removed "Part 1" from the topic subject. You can continue the remaining part on this topic as a new reply. Link of each reply can then be added to the first post (edit and add the link at the bottom... I can help you here if needed).

Cheers and waiting to hear more...

[Lonewolf]

@panjratan Keep them coming !!