Bike expedition to Leh-Ladakh

Our Leh Ladakh expedition on Bike

• For Impatient Junta
  • Thumping Machine Pictures
  • Some more selected Pictures
  • Video

• 15 June 2009 Reached Chandigarh Collected bikes from TCI-XPS cargo service (Sector 26), which were sent from Pune. Not much damage were done to the bikes. We were group of eight guys with five bikes: Two Royal Enfileds 350 CC, Two Unicorns and a CBZ. Changed damaged part of bikes, were damaged in transportation, filled fuel, loaded bikes with our luggages and we were ready to hit the worlds highest bike-able road.
  • 16:30 Started from Chandigarh after a heavy lunch
  • 21:00 Dinner @ Uni
  • 23:45 Reached Kangra, decided to stay at a rain shed.
  • 04:00 Started heavy thunder storm and rain, so moved some Rajastan dharmshala for a night stay
• 16 June 2009
  • 12:00 Started for Dharmashala
  • 15:00 McLeod Ganj
  • 17:00 Dalai Lama Temple
  • 18:00 Dal Lake
  • 18:15 Naddi, Awesome view of mountain tops covered with snow.
  • 21:00 Dinner @ Dharmashala
  • 23:00 Slept @ Rajastan dharmashala
• 17 June 2009
  • 12:00 Started for Palampur. The morning time was wated in changing a clutch plate of Unicorn.
  • 14:00 Lunch @ Palampur
  • 16:00 One of the Enfield fuse was blown, so had to replace it.
  • 18:00 Tea halt just after Mandi. Kulu is 100 KM from there. Bullets were thumping with 80 Kmph with pillion + luggage on both the sides and also at the back of it. Road was good, view was awesome. One side of road was River and other side was covered with mountain.
  • 20:30 Reached Kulu. Had dinner + Old Monk;
• 18 June 2009
  • 7:00 Started for Manali
  • 10:30 Breakfast @ Manali
  • 11:30 Started for Rohtang Pass

    Initially road was ok but after an hour of riding we came to know why internet says its hard to pass Rohtang; One feet muddy roads, Traffic Jams, Road block because of melting of ice, 45 degrees roads ;) and chilling cold. Every time our shoes got wet we had to replace socks and if possible shoes. Encountered little snowfall on the top. Had to tighten clutch cords twice while crossing the pass.

  • 16:00 Had lunch after descending the Rohtang on the other side. Typical dal rice.
  • 18:00 Removed Puncture of one the Unicorns.
  • 18:15 Started from Keylong. It get dark little late there. We decided to cover 45 Km in the evening/night. Road was risky but had no option of staying anywhere on the road; It was damn cold.
  • 21:30 Reached Keylong and found a hotel for shelter ;). Then as usual food + Old Monk :) and good night sleep
• 19 June 2009
  • 12:00 All bikes were made tank full as next petrol pump was 365 KM away :O. Had go back 7 Km for finding the petrol pump from Keylong. My bullets clutch plate was in bad condition, had to throttle a lot for steep rise and also there was only one mechanic @ Keylong, also named Yogesh, and was overcrowded. So decided to stretch the bikes till Leh. We had left with very little cash, as our assumption of finding an ATM at Keylong was wrong. We borrowed some cash from hotel owner instead of paying him the hotel and food bill. Such nicer people will only find in that areas.
  • 2:00 Started for Leh and decided to reach Sarchu by EOD.
  • 5:00 Had to stop at a tent near Zinzunbar as road ahead was blocked due to avelanche. There was all ice outside the tent. Some how manged to get Dal-Rice for dinner in the tent itself. Night was terribly cold, owner said temperature that night was -10 degrees :(. Rahul had breething problem. Many had headache, cold and running nose. Blankets were not that woolen. Had use the sleeping bags that we carried with us. We all were waiting for Sun to rise so that we can start. And this how one of buffer day was used at Zinzunbar.
• 20 June 2009
  • 9:00 left Zinzunbar. Road was covered with Ice @ many places. Helmet visor were used with vapours; If we keep it open, there was chilling cold wind hitting the face. My bike go sleeped over a ice block after crossing Barallachla. Cloths got wet, wanter went inside shoes. Had to cross many water streams flowing across the road.
  • 11:30 Reached Sarchu. Had lunch, dried our cloths, shoes and socks. Rahuls breathing problem was still there, more than that, he was vometing everything that he ate.
  • 17:00 Reached Pang and decided to make a hault there. We had covered only 80 Km in whole day. :(. That night was better that previous.
• 21 June 2008
  • 7:30 Started early from Pang for Leh. Water kept outside the tent for washing our hands on previous night was literally frozen by next morning.
  • 13:30 Passed Tanglangla Pass, around 17650 Feets.
  • 15:30 Reached Leh. Took bath after three days. ;).
  • 18:00 Finally found ATM @ Leh. With filled pockets and clean cloths went to some hotels for better food and bird watching ;).
• 22 June 2008
  • 5:00 Dropped Gaurav and Nisarg @ airport. Now we were left with 5 bikes and 6 guys :|
  • 8:00 Went for search of a mechanic for servicing my bike + changing clutch plate.
  • 11:30 Back to hotel after brand new clutch plate and then my bike was roaring well with little throttle.
  • 13:30 Had dinner @ Dosa center. And started our journey for Kargil which was 260 KM away. Roads had become nicer and weather was not that chill.
  • 20:30 Found a government guest house at a place from where Kargil was just 40 KM. Food was awesome there also cheap.
• 23 June 2009
  • 12:00 Passed Kargil
  • 14:00 Passed Tiger hill near Drass.
  • 15:30 Passed Captain turns near Amarnath.
  • 17:30 Reached Sonmarg. Had so called lunch there.
  • 20:30 Reached Shrinagar. Found a boat house.
  • 22:30 Dinner near Dal Lake.
  • 00:30 Good night sleep after lot of talks about the journey so far.
• 24 June 2009
  • 11:30 Dropped Ankit @ airport. Left were five on five.
  • 14:00 Eat Ushtaba, a Shrinagar special mutton dish.
  • 15:30 Slept at Shalimar Garden for couple of hours.
  • 18:00 Dinner again at Dal lake
  • 22:00 Sweet dreams;
• 25 June 2009
  • 10:30 Started for Jammu. Road’s quality was good as its a national highway but all the road is actually a ghat, only curves.
  • 18:00 Reached Jammu.
• 26 June 2009
  • Seen some fort of Jammu. Went for search of Bike transport services. Sent our bikes to Pune via TCI-XPS for avoiding damages than sending it through the train (Realized that it was a bad decision, as both bullets were severely damaged when we got the bikes in Pune that too after 15 days :(). And we started our roaring train journey to Pune with nothing but the sweet memories of Beautiful valley.

Bullet Travel
Updated on: 2009-06-30