Wandering Wheelz Adventures

After surviving the harshest chilly night in a camp and the most difficult terrains of Sarchu, then riding till Leh crossing the Gata Loops, the multiple high altitude passes, Moray Plains we were extremely tired from all the brunt. Our homestay at Leh, Chamtse Guest house felt like a luxury. Having 24 hours hot running water is indeed a luxury at places where temperatures are below minus degrees. A roof above our heads, the warm blankets and the home cooked Ladakhi dishes helped us to rejuvenate and recharge our bodies. Leh helped in recovering and preparing ourselves for the next stage of our journey. The Plan:  The plan was to acclimatise in Leh for a day and then leave for Nubra Valley via Khardung La on the next day. We would have stayed at Diskit for 2 days as we wanted to keep 1 day for sight seeing and a ride to Thang and come back to Diskit. The next day we would ride to Pangong spend the night there and leave for Hanle. We had Umling La to conquer so 2 nights at Hanle was...

While we were loading our motorcycles with luggage and setting everything up to start the journey, a sense of nervousness along with excitement was playing in my body. After all our dream ride was about to begin. We had the most amazing cup of ginger honey tea before turning on the ignition and bidding goodbye to our Manali abode. Day 3: 2nd June, Monday- Manali to Sarchu Before I begin, it is important to know that night stay at Sarchu was never an option initially on my itinerary. I had planned a night stay at Jispa instead and the next day for reaching Leh. However, Sarchu was finalised because my teammates wanted to keep the riding distance short for the next day. This called for us to halt a night at Sarchu. Though Manali to Sarchu is just 175kms it took us around 9 hours to reach at the camp site. Me, Rahul, Partha Da, Chunni Lal ji and Sayantan (from extreme left). P.C- Sayantan Pramanick THE ROUTE: Manali- Solang- Keylong- Jispa- Darcha- Baralacha La- Sarchu REFUEL STOPS: Ne...

I woke up and like every day scrolled through my phone's notifications before getting up from my bed. I couldn't move from the bed for the next 30 mins and all the happiness seemed to fade away as soon as I read the news about the India-Pakistan faceoff at the borders. The Indian response to the Pahalgam terror attack was something that was way more important than our Ladakh trip but the thought of postponing the trip sank my heart!  I had been dreaming of the cold desert, the barren mountains and the untamed paths for years and now when I was so close to living it in reality, this happened. From the day Ladakh was planned I was happy to the core and waking up every single day with an enthusiasm I never knew I had before.  An unseen happiness had surrounded my inner self. It felt like having an affair! The excitement in me had no boundaries. But now everything seemed to have gone for a toss. I called up my travel buddies Rahul and Sayantan to discuss a plan B but nothing other...