Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Community
398 KMs Trip meter 15851 Kms
The blog work took a lot of time the previous night and no way i am getting up at 4.30. Its only like 7.30 i get going. My be i am a bit late. Wished i had made it to jammu the previous day. But any way i start of the breakfast towards jammu. It was pretty hot out there. I am heading to kashmir! Seemed pretty low key as there was no pre Ladakh activities like transporting the bike schedule etc. Just riding like any other place. The Four lane'ing work leaves many bad patches, but manageable. Make it to jammu by like 9.45 am. I see JK registered number plates and I am in Kashmir. Pull over into a petrol bunk and notice that my phone's signal is out. Its the same like North East India where other state's prepaid sim does not work. Well put in my post paid sim which got in NE. Its the stupid situation again where at some places there will be only BSNL network and my BSNL wont work! I ride across the main road and see the road exiting Jammu towards Srinagar. Just curious of Jammu city i take a right turn towards Railway station. It was all big roads and hardly crowded. See many army establishments and govt offices. Ride in like some 4-5 kms and did not find the railway station and on the way back i got lost. Asked for the Srinagar highway and was guided on a short cut and which went to a small narrow road and isolated one. I kinda climb up and could get a arial view of Jammu city. Looks like i rode towards Bahu fort. Soon the road joins the highway. Four laning work in progress and and when it will be done should be awesome 4 laned twiesties. Nearing next town i see two huge boards pointing to the left as Bypass. i take it. It was a nice two laned road on the mountains but hardly any traffic! Asked a local passing by and i was told get back to the main road and this goes somewhere else! I was again directed to a short cut and this was a narrow road through forest kinda place!! This is getting funny. Any way hit the highway in a few mins. It was a straight road and at the end of it i join the main highway coming from Jammu! Any way i gottu ride a bit inside the jammu city.
Its a traffic galore from now on. Lot of vehicles and boy do they drive fast. The Land scape around changes suddenly and the road starts climbing. Its still quite hot. Hot place and truck traffic means that the road mangled by the heavy trucks. Though there are not potholes, the road is pretty bumpy. It gets bettor only when we gain some altitude. Suddenly i am riding among deodar trees. The temperature is also pleasant. Kinda not able to many stops for pix as there is lot of traffic. Would have fought it out to go ahead of vehicles who are slow but think they are fast, now they go ahead and have to fight it out again. The weather is very clear and can see quite a number of hills around. Hardly any haze. Vivid blue sky and bright white clouds adorning the hill tops. Just when temperature got pleasant its decent again and things heat up again. Then its ride on the valley wall with drop off to the left. Since some bottle necks inbetween the traffic only gets accumulated. Though bike has advantage, mine's not so slim. Lot of of overtaking and competing maneuvers. I get hungry and not any comfy place to park and eat. Find one some 15 kms before Javahar tunnel.
No lettor from traffic i can only hope for bettor temperature as it was very hot. Nearing the tunnel i see a bullet with a hippi couple right behind me. I over take the truck and so do they and i ride at my pace and they lag behind. Then i wondered if i am faster then them, how could they catch up with me. At the next traffic slow down i found out, they just rip good or bad roads and take chances along the blind curves. There is not sign of helmets or riding gear. soon two more bullets with similar people go past me. One thing i have learnt on this trip is let people overtake me with out getting worked up:D I see many signs of Avalanche zone and even see a Avalanche shed! guess the whole area will be under snow in winter. will have to make a trip here in winter :) Soon there is a check post and the hippie bulleters are being asked to show the papers. Then my turn, just get asked from where i am and i am show the way! Dressing good helps i guess ;)
Get to the Javahar tunnel which is just a low key whole in the mountain with no boards or anything. I stop there with the intention of taking pix but soon a soldier comes by. Ask him about pix and was given negative. Requested again and was told that there are some officers around today so its bettor not and should not take pix today. Well i gave it a try. I entered into the tunnel in a hurry to avoid getting stuck behind a truck and soon realized that i am actually stuck ahead of it. The tunnel was narrow and can let the truck go past me. Wanted to stop and take pix. And guess what i had even had the sun glasses on! Some how managed to push the goggles up in the helmet and now i could see. After a couple of hundred meters there is a widening to the left and i pulled over for the truck to go and let a couple more to go as well. Now the whole tunnel was just for me. Took a couple of pix and killed the enjine and lights. Boy was it pitch dark. Back on and ride ahead. The horn making a demonish noise with echos. It was freaking awesome ride in there. At places there was even water dripping down. It got cooler as i am nearing the other end. Just like entering exit out of just a hole in the mountain. Again given a negative about taking the pix.
ride ahead and get the first view of Kashmir valley. Even a board says so. Stop for a couple of clicks. It was kind different on this side of tunnel. The Valley floor was bright green with farm vegetation. Just then the hippie bulleters pull over. They there jackets and woolen caps out for the ride ahead. Some how did not connect with them so did not talk. Then on roads were a bit bad and then improved to smooth roads. After come climbing down. It was plains again! I thought it would be all mountains! catch some speed and looks like i will make it to srinagar in good time. Lot of competing vehicles as well. It was kinda fun too. see a lot of presence of soldiers every now and then. stop at a place next to a field for a few clicks. Then threesome of soldiers came to me for a chat. One of them was happy to know that i am from Bangalore and it was lil conversation in kannada. His friends were some Tamilnadu and i tried to talk in my broken tamil. They seem to be pretty happy to talk a guy from south india. They were very curious about the bike and the details as well. Obliged for a pic with me. Bid farewell and continued to srinagar.
Its one more place which blew my imagination in a negative way. i had imagined it to be pretty but its very crowded and mad traffic. Fortunate that atleast i knew the place where i am supposed to stay, thanks to Yogesh's Review on the hotel at BCMT. Asked my way to Buleward road and it was a narrow segment of Dal lake to my left and hoards of hotels to my right. Road slowly looking out for Hotel Aziz. Wonder will i get room or will it be expensive. Some people from left shout at me for rooms and i just ride ahead and after some distance i find it and pull over. Given the tariff of 1000 bux. Then lil bargaining and their chat with yogesh helped to bring it down to 550. sounded very reasonable near the lake, with parking and that to in season. I take it. Now that the place is secured i realize how much tired i am. Take some rest and go the nearby place to have some food. Nathu's have a wide variety of food. And i pic some junk food for dinner! Walk on the Lake side of the road for some time taking a few pix. Power goes out and all the house boats vanish. Sinch they dont move they are also hooked to the same power grid. I crash early for the day. still unsure of what i will do the next day!
Its a traffic galore from now on. Lot of vehicles and boy do they drive fast. The Land scape around changes suddenly and the road starts climbing. Its still quite hot. Hot place and truck traffic means that the road mangled by the heavy trucks. Though there are not potholes, the road is pretty bumpy. It gets bettor only when we gain some altitude. Suddenly i am riding among deodar trees. The temperature is also pleasant. Kinda not able to many stops for pix as there is lot of traffic. Would have fought it out to go ahead of vehicles who are slow but think they are fast, now they go ahead and have to fight it out again. The weather is very clear and can see quite a number of hills around. Hardly any haze. Vivid blue sky and bright white clouds adorning the hill tops. Just when temperature got pleasant its decent again and things heat up again. Then its ride on the valley wall with drop off to the left. Since some bottle necks inbetween the traffic only gets accumulated. Though bike has advantage, mine's not so slim. Lot of of overtaking and competing maneuvers. I get hungry and not any comfy place to park and eat. Find one some 15 kms before Javahar tunnel.
No lettor from traffic i can only hope for bettor temperature as it was very hot. Nearing the tunnel i see a bullet with a hippi couple right behind me. I over take the truck and so do they and i ride at my pace and they lag behind. Then i wondered if i am faster then them, how could they catch up with me. At the next traffic slow down i found out, they just rip good or bad roads and take chances along the blind curves. There is not sign of helmets or riding gear. soon two more bullets with similar people go past me. One thing i have learnt on this trip is let people overtake me with out getting worked up:D I see many signs of Avalanche zone and even see a Avalanche shed! guess the whole area will be under snow in winter. will have to make a trip here in winter :) Soon there is a check post and the hippie bulleters are being asked to show the papers. Then my turn, just get asked from where i am and i am show the way! Dressing good helps i guess ;)
Get to the Javahar tunnel which is just a low key whole in the mountain with no boards or anything. I stop there with the intention of taking pix but soon a soldier comes by. Ask him about pix and was given negative. Requested again and was told that there are some officers around today so its bettor not and should not take pix today. Well i gave it a try. I entered into the tunnel in a hurry to avoid getting stuck behind a truck and soon realized that i am actually stuck ahead of it. The tunnel was narrow and can let the truck go past me. Wanted to stop and take pix. And guess what i had even had the sun glasses on! Some how managed to push the goggles up in the helmet and now i could see. After a couple of hundred meters there is a widening to the left and i pulled over for the truck to go and let a couple more to go as well. Now the whole tunnel was just for me. Took a couple of pix and killed the enjine and lights. Boy was it pitch dark. Back on and ride ahead. The horn making a demonish noise with echos. It was freaking awesome ride in there. At places there was even water dripping down. It got cooler as i am nearing the other end. Just like entering exit out of just a hole in the mountain. Again given a negative about taking the pix.
ride ahead and get the first view of Kashmir valley. Even a board says so. Stop for a couple of clicks. It was kind different on this side of tunnel. The Valley floor was bright green with farm vegetation. Just then the hippie bulleters pull over. They there jackets and woolen caps out for the ride ahead. Some how did not connect with them so did not talk. Then on roads were a bit bad and then improved to smooth roads. After come climbing down. It was plains again! I thought it would be all mountains! catch some speed and looks like i will make it to srinagar in good time. Lot of competing vehicles as well. It was kinda fun too. see a lot of presence of soldiers every now and then. stop at a place next to a field for a few clicks. Then threesome of soldiers came to me for a chat. One of them was happy to know that i am from Bangalore and it was lil conversation in kannada. His friends were some Tamilnadu and i tried to talk in my broken tamil. They seem to be pretty happy to talk a guy from south india. They were very curious about the bike and the details as well. Obliged for a pic with me. Bid farewell and continued to srinagar.
Its one more place which blew my imagination in a negative way. i had imagined it to be pretty but its very crowded and mad traffic. Fortunate that atleast i knew the place where i am supposed to stay, thanks to Yogesh's Review on the hotel at BCMT. Asked my way to Buleward road and it was a narrow segment of Dal lake to my left and hoards of hotels to my right. Road slowly looking out for Hotel Aziz. Wonder will i get room or will it be expensive. Some people from left shout at me for rooms and i just ride ahead and after some distance i find it and pull over. Given the tariff of 1000 bux. Then lil bargaining and their chat with yogesh helped to bring it down to 550. sounded very reasonable near the lake, with parking and that to in season. I take it. Now that the place is secured i realize how much tired i am. Take some rest and go the nearby place to have some food. Nathu's have a wide variety of food. And i pic some junk food for dinner! Walk on the Lake side of the road for some time taking a few pix. Power goes out and all the house boats vanish. Sinch they dont move they are also hooked to the same power grid. I crash early for the day. still unsure of what i will do the next day!
Birds at the motel at Pathankot
This is my first highway motel in the trip and this was a very reasonble at 500 bux just outside Pathankot towards Jammu..
Yeppie... I am entering Kashmir...
Seeing me take pix these truckies wanted me to take their's as well....
A traffic jam... i followed the scooter you see to my freedom...
The highway opens up...
A huge Hanuman statue by the road... Man that one Muscular Hanuman i have seen in my life!!
Road entering Jammu...
Some of the many statues in the city...
Inside jammu city...
Govt buildings...
Statue of General Zoravar singh...
Statue of Hari Singh, if only he had given Kashmir's asession to india in time we would be riding whole of kashmir by now :D
Bahu fort...
View of Jammu city...
Have to take this road to find the highway...
Still yet to join the highway...
Still kinda cant believe i am heading there!!
The faulty bypass i took... was pretty nice road though...
Lot of Amarnath Yatris travelling on cycles!!
Landscape changes dramatically
The road i came from...
Pretty clear, very less Haze...
Deodars...
Ride among Deodars...
Climbing down again...
Landscape getting bettor...
Some Dam enroute...
Great Roads...
On the ege...
Looks like fresh landslide...
Precarious road...
Traffic jam which i squeezed through...
Views getting bettor...
A small break...
Avalanche shed!!
No snow now though...
Inside the Javahar tunnel...
First view of snow peaked mountains..
The first view of Kashmir valley...
Even the board says so...
The foreign hippie bulleters..
And old Kashmiri farmer couple...
Great lines...
The south indian soldiers i met on the way...
Entering busy Srinigar...
View of Dal lake from the hotel...
some night photography of the house boats...
The road by the Dal lake at night...
House boat close ups...
A fort visible far above...
5 comments:
from your every pic of jammu to srinagar, i can recollect it from my 3 yrs back trip..
the Deodars stretch was more green and dark..that dam still the same..Kahmir valley pic is very nice but i never got that view as it was cloudy and raining heavily..Floods missing..paddy fields and soldiers shot is the same..the same feel of Jawahar tunnel..and the Dal lake is same colourful..Imagine the whole lake being frozen few months back!
Also Kashmir is famous for Apples & Girls..cant say much on the later but try if you can get some fresh green/red apples in the local market..may be you can carry some if u want..it helps later! We bought so much there that we ate the whole trip and brought some back to Blr as well! :D
MAMU, 120 days-- 30% of a whole year spent tripping .....congrats!!!!!!
but Kashmir timing is disappointing..no snow..no rain..very dusty and dull..no colors......if kashmir is like this what about leh...hope it gets better and you see some decent/recent snow and proper blue sky views..
you could join the hippie bikers...they might make your trip more interesting LOL :P
Lets see how is gulmarg
i think your trip avg kms covered per day is the max speed of your bike per hour!! common pkm..you can make it up!! :)
Congrats on completing 120 days!
Arun: Hehe glad to get you nostalgic. Yeah it was smooth sailing till here cos of lack of rains. It will be frozen again :D now where do i find apples!!
Vicky: Thanks you sir.. I know no snow but me not much a fan of snow and rains? will get blessed with lot of rains any time actually.
Arun: The agv is less but off the 120 days 40 days are non riding days :)
SKS: Thanks you sir :)
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