Ayesha Sharma
Leh woke up to the sight of 55 Enfields roaring out of the gate! We are kicking-off for a 150 km ride to Paang, stopping by Mori plains on the way, with Upshi on the Leh-Manali highway as another pit stop.
Our first stop came a lot sooner than I expected. What was supposed to be a quick refill turned into quite an event with 50 odd Enfields rumbling hungrily for fuel at the sole fuel pump on the way out.
Starting out is one of the few times in the day you can experience the unique thrill of riding in a pack. It is only respect for the road and for the fellow riders that induces these mavericks riding the mountains to stay in double file till every one on the team is clear of traffic.
But that lasted only as long as the outskirts, after that each rider settled into his or her own rhythm with their bikes and the open road.
Link riding on the bike, is totally my kind of ride! Open skies...vast landscape and a river! My bike is riding really sweet, my legs are reaching the ground the tires have better traction and it's eating up the road!
We are 25 km out of Leh and on our way to Upshi. As we gained altitude the roads got progressively worse, from slush making the tyres skid to ice and snow coating the surface. We crossed Tanglang La Pass in Ladakh, which at more than 175,00 ft is the second highest pass in the world.
A very tough road but nice to ride. The weather was getting worse so we headed on quickly to More plains and some sun. Some treacherous climbs through Tanglang La, snow, glaciers, water on the roads, stones and finally scenic More!
Just as visually stunning was the line-up of bikes, parked all in a row – 55 Enfields in the middle of nowhere!
I'm pretty grubby. It’s been a tough ride but we are here now and it's only 45 kms from our base camp at Paang!
With lots of sand the climb up from the plains wasn't as simple as getting down. Some bikes went off looking for a simpler route to the road but the sand there was just a teaser to what lay ahead…
When attempting a long stretch with sand it's important to keep the RPM on your bike high enough for it to pull easily and not stall. While the gear depends on the speed you are able to achieve, it's best to leave the clutch and brake alone.
The front and the back might wiggle and feel like the bike is going somewhere else. Allow the handlebar a little freedom of movement that's just the bike stabilising itself. Choose a line to follow and look at where you want to get to. Keep your body and grip on the handle firm but not tight and you will be fine.
But in the midst of it all, don't forget to have fun and always ride safe.
The road gets better from there but the oxygen is inversely proportional! I wouldn't waste my breath on it though because the view will make you forget to breath anyway!
It's a sharp descent and stopping for shots meant I was the last one in but then it wasn't like I was really worried about parking space!
Open roads...the worlds second highest pass... ice, snow, sand, low oxygen, breathtaking views and 150 kms later its nice to put your feet up.
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