Bike expedition to Kargil: On top of the world

Life was going at its usual pace, when on a lazy Thursday afternoon I happened to check my Facebook account with an invite to a bike expedition. But not just any road-trip. An expedition with a purpose, the idea was to pay homage to the martyrs of Kargil War on the 14th anniversary of Vijay Diwas (Kargil Victory). En route we had to pass through 10 of the world’s highest, most scenic and difficult mountain passes. The very idea excited me. What followed was a series of disapprovals from my professional and personal fronts but the decision to join this expedition was made that very afternoon. The start I reached Delhi on a humid morning, which marked Day 1 of the trip. I had the task cut out for me. What followed was completing the formalities for renting the bike and reporting to the base at Gurgaon by 1:00 pm. A silver coloured 350 cc Royal Enfield Machismo was going to be my companion for the next 12 days. We left from India Gate and headed to Kurushektra from where a flag off from Gurukulwas was scheduled. It was inspiring, heartening and overwhelming, to say the least. When horror struck What followed was an endless journey in heavy rains passing through the scenic valleys of Himachal Pradesh alongside Beas River and its treacherous flow. On the Day 3 of the trip, we had to cross Rohtang Pass, which, as one of my friends beautifully described, is, “The place that distinguishes tourists from adventurers,” because of the dangerous trenches of non-existent roads and unavailability of any mode of communication. Our luggage was carried in a utility van and we were carrying small bags containing essential items with us on the bikes. It had been raining heavily for the last two days and I had decided to keep my mobile, wallet and sunglasses apart from the regular essentials in my bag tied to the makeshift luggage carrier of my bike. Around 35 kms from Rohtang Top, my nightmare began when I discovered that the bag was missing. The thought of going back was cast aside as there was limited fuel and the next fuel station was another 90 kms ahead. With no mobile connectivity, literally stranded in the middle of nowhere, I waited with a pumping heart enquiring about the bag’s whereabouts from every passing vehicle. A 20 minute wait later (which felt like eternity), a co biker angelically appeared with it. He had found it lying in the middle of the road. What an adventure! Manic goose bumps unlimited! Ride to follow In the days that followed, we passed through Keylong, did camping in Sarchu and finally reached Leh. We maintained Leh as our base camp for two days that had to be extended for three days as we got stuck because of a landslide. We visited Pangong Lake, Khardungla Pass and Leh Palace. Oh boy! Kargil Rafting in the second most dangerous river in India, Zanskar didn’t freeze our enthusiasm. The water was so cold that a 20 minute dip in it could lead to death by Hypothermia. I managed five. It was the Day 9 of the expedition when we rode to our final destination... Kargil War Memorial at Drass (it's the second coldest inhabited place in the world). That feeling at the memorial of martyrs, their stories, the view of peaks that were recaptured from Pakistan and the never ending enthusiasm and hospitality of the army unit with which we interacted and stayed for a night–you need to live it and learn from it. Big salute! Return journey It was now just a matter of time as we had to get back to Delhi passing through Kashmir valley, Jawahar Tunnel (it's the tunnel that connects Kashmir to rest of India) and Zojila Pass (connecting Ladakh and Kashmir). The return journey didn’t let us down with its fair share adventure as we rode through complete darkness via a 75 kms dangerous valley. A major landslide at Udhampur forced us to cover more than 500 kms from Pathankot to Delhi on the last day–even the last leg challenged us and we triumphed. The takeaway of this trip apart from an entirely exhausted body were friends, memories and experiences of a lifetime. Can’t wait for more! Publish Link: http://clubm.in/lifestyle/top-world