Bike Trip to Heaven: Leh on Royal Enfield

Adventure ride on motorcycle is not a mere outcome of any adolescent passionate biker, but it needs equal confidence and dedication to accomplish the journey facing all natural and manmade obstacles.

We are glad to share a story of a motorcyclist from Udaipur who accomplished his journey from Udaipur to Leh (Laddakh) on motorcycle.

23-year-old Hemant Bhanawat, a stock broker from Udaipur narrates his unforgettable and most adventurous journey to India’s toughest terrains.

“Julley”

That’s such a happy word and it invokes such happy feelings. A word that holds the essence of being in Ladakh.

Word that I used a lot during our Ladakhi sojourn. A word that is used as a greeting, since we are beginning our journey together, a greeting is in order.

“Julley”

Now, get ready to tighten your seatbelts and proceed on the journey from Udaipur to Leh,

“From Gama to Lama….”

Riding across 30 cities in 7 Indian states and passing through some of the dodgiest roads, pinching summer, chilling winter and heavy rain. I have faced all climatic conditions in my 4280 km journey which started on June 8^th and ended on the 22^nd of June 2012

“Going to Leh is a dream of every biker. I was extremely fascinated when I read a biker’s journey to Leh in a travelogue, right that very moment I decided to attempt it & I made it successful”

I, alongwith a group of 3 more bikers who joined me from Amritsar till returning Delhi.  My family was initially a bit reluctant, however they finally agreed to let me to conquer my dream journey. As I was always passionate about riding long distances on my Royal Enfield CL350.

The journey started on June 08, 2012 from Udaipur. My first stopover was Hanumangarh via kishangarh mega highway, I was thrilled since the start of our journey, today I am feeling proud as it was a lifetime experience for me because I had never done such thing before.

Our Itinerary was

Udaipur- Hanumangarh- Amritsar – Pathankot- Udhampur – Srinagar – Sonmarg – Zozila Pass- Drass – Kargil – Fotu la (13479 ft)- Leh – Changla (Third highest Pass of the World)- Pangong Tso – Karu – Taglang La (17582 ft Second highest Pass of the World) – Pang – Lachulangla (16613 ft)- Baralachala La (16042 ft) -Keylong – Rohtang Las (13044 ft)- Manali – Mandi- Chandigarh – Ambala – Panipat – Rohtak – Delhi – Udaipur

The route was trouble-less till Sonmarg, but soon we faced difficulty when we entered Zozila Pass. For the next 10-12 km there was no proper road and traffic was high due to several Army vehicles passing on it.

After finishing the Zozila Pass, we had to face another toughest pass called Drass.

Drass is the second coldest inhabited place on earth after Siberia. In winters, temperature plunges to as low as minus 60 degree Celsius.

On 7^th day of the journey, i.e., June 14 we reached Leh “the crown of INDIA”

It was most memorable moment when I felt achieving my dream, reaching Leh was giving us a win-win feeling. The temperature was 4-5 degrees but warmth inside our hearts suppressed the cold climate.

Next day, we rode to Pangong Tso lake (famous for 3 idiots climax) passing Chang La Pass road fully covered with snow.

On 18^th June, we moved ahead towards Manali crossing Tanglang La, Rohtang La with heavy rains and one and a half feet mud all over the road full of traffic.

Now I am planning for more such tour in near future, this time, with some other places to conquer. Anyone interested is most welcomed to join me for such type of trips.

And soon I and one of my friends are going to launch a Biking Platform for everyone and especially for “Udaipurites” offering Bike Trips to Leh, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Rajasthan every year.

You can view my trip pictures by clicking the Link 1, Link 2, Link 3.

Article By: Hemant Bhanawat