Map created by EveryTrail: Geotagging Community
176 KMs Trip meter 18533 KMs
Was not sure of the day when i woke up. All i could think was what now? Was thinking of resting for one more day. It was a mix of emotions, like kinda happy that ladakh was done leisurely like i wanted for sometime, that Himalayan belt is over and also kinda a sad realization that visiting exploring is over and will be heading home now. That was a bit unsettling. Spent some time thinking and in end just though lets just ride. My things were spread all over the room, took quite some time to collect myself. Left late by like 10.30. Keeping Pang in mind for the day.
As i was leaving Leh, was humming the song 'Humjo chalne lage, chalne lage yeh raasthe....' Sounded very apt for the situation. Especially the line 'aavo milo chale, jana kaho ho na pata...' The weather was quite dull cloudy and chilly, lil did think that Leh Manali was in itself a big ride and was soon away of the fact. As i cross Upshi the landscape was again interesting. Vertical layers of plates and soft layer between. The ride is not over yet and still lot of stuff to see. It was hard to believe that these vertical layers where once horizontal under the ground! Soon rode out of the area into the open and the road started climbing. It was the sign of the long ascent to Tanglang La. Had taken a couple of hours and was hungry by now. Stopped at a Dhaba for of course what else but maggie! There was like beds and all i was told that ppl stay their for the night for 100 bux. I was thinking how could one stay there, just that i would end up doing the same at the end of the day :D Its all climb after that and the climb takes a lot of time. Plus me stopping for pix as and when i wanted. Half way the road vanished and it was all offroad thanks to the road widening work. What needs wide roads any way !! Every meters of climb i felt like stopping for pix and all. It was getting pretty cold and more cold. The Tanglangla top which was visible for quite some time is still looking for. The concentration of the offroad increases and afterr some time i realized i have been mumbling something. It was 'Tanglanglanglanglanglanglaaaa' repeatedly!! Hehe could only have laugh after that. Made it to the top and did not spend much time after above there. It was pretty cold and was already like 2.30. Looks like i am getting late even for pang and i leisured very much. It start rolling down and could see couple of bikers riding up. Take their pix in zoom and as they ride past and i wave, a pulsar stopped and it had a KA registration number! Well what do you know it was Pradeep. Had been on a couple of rides together in bangalore and it was quite a coincidence to meet there. Small world. Had to let him go as i he was feeling the effects altitude. I start riding down. Its all open spaces now. Reach the plains in no time. The decent did not take that long. The GPS fone said that did not decend as much as i climed and kinda stabilized a lil over 4000 meters. A threesome of swiss cyclists approaching from opposite direction stopped and asked if there was any dhaba ahead! Poor guys the only one ahead was on top of the pass! and they had left one couple of kms behind hoping for a bettor one ahead! Gave them a couple of chocolate bars, which they liked pretty much at that time!
Continued and saw a deviation to Tso Kar to the left. It was already 4.30 pm and the weather was getting crazy, with chill there was a lot of wind now. With pang still 50 kms and thought of skipping Tso kar. Could have made it had i left a couple of hours earlier. The wind picked up and i gear i was wearing for cold felt inadequate. Wore a couple of self made neck warmers and road ahead. Entered the More plains. Well after all the plains i have see over Eastern ladakh this was not to that scale. Still pretty good. There were plenty of deviation and the sumo that left ahead of me taking the deviation of kicking up a lot of dust. Did not want to test soft sand for that long and i ignored the diversions and went ahead as the path looked ok tough lil bumpy with stones. Ignored a couple of deviations and went straight. Lot of water run offs being built. Some were higher than the road! Guess it will take years for the road to come up. At the end of the plains where all the paths converge, the terrain abruptly drops off and the road serpents down to pang which can see from above.
Its 6 pm and no way i am pushing till Sarchu. Plus there seems to be a Water crossing and i heard that a Innova was stuck their. So for acco their these dhabas with a room of sorts at the back and 100 Rs a night. Kinda very dusty in the one i picked and had no patience to look for another one. It was getting very cold as well and i was just wondering how do i spend these next 12 hours. After a cup of maggie went to meet a couple of guys from the next tent. They were Abhinav and Anup who were on their way up in their rented indica. They had no idea about the height and place and just drove in like for any other place, soon were joing by Gary who was on his way up on his bullet. Soon it was all conversation and what do you know Gary had a bottle of Old monk. This my just save the day :D Was unsure of have it at high altitude but after one peg i was very sure of having it :D It was all fun and chat over that. We even had a case of the missing rum bottle which miraculasly found its way back when started looking for it ;) were soon done with it and even arranged for another one! Now its all fine and its not so cold out there :D Shifted to the tent with other guys as the owners were cribbing about shutting of the lights for the day.
As i was leaving Leh, was humming the song 'Humjo chalne lage, chalne lage yeh raasthe....' Sounded very apt for the situation. Especially the line 'aavo milo chale, jana kaho ho na pata...' The weather was quite dull cloudy and chilly, lil did think that Leh Manali was in itself a big ride and was soon away of the fact. As i cross Upshi the landscape was again interesting. Vertical layers of plates and soft layer between. The ride is not over yet and still lot of stuff to see. It was hard to believe that these vertical layers where once horizontal under the ground! Soon rode out of the area into the open and the road started climbing. It was the sign of the long ascent to Tanglang La. Had taken a couple of hours and was hungry by now. Stopped at a Dhaba for of course what else but maggie! There was like beds and all i was told that ppl stay their for the night for 100 bux. I was thinking how could one stay there, just that i would end up doing the same at the end of the day :D Its all climb after that and the climb takes a lot of time. Plus me stopping for pix as and when i wanted. Half way the road vanished and it was all offroad thanks to the road widening work. What needs wide roads any way !! Every meters of climb i felt like stopping for pix and all. It was getting pretty cold and more cold. The Tanglangla top which was visible for quite some time is still looking for. The concentration of the offroad increases and afterr some time i realized i have been mumbling something. It was 'Tanglanglanglanglanglanglaaaa' repeatedly!! Hehe could only have laugh after that. Made it to the top and did not spend much time after above there. It was pretty cold and was already like 2.30. Looks like i am getting late even for pang and i leisured very much. It start rolling down and could see couple of bikers riding up. Take their pix in zoom and as they ride past and i wave, a pulsar stopped and it had a KA registration number! Well what do you know it was Pradeep. Had been on a couple of rides together in bangalore and it was quite a coincidence to meet there. Small world. Had to let him go as i he was feeling the effects altitude. I start riding down. Its all open spaces now. Reach the plains in no time. The decent did not take that long. The GPS fone said that did not decend as much as i climed and kinda stabilized a lil over 4000 meters. A threesome of swiss cyclists approaching from opposite direction stopped and asked if there was any dhaba ahead! Poor guys the only one ahead was on top of the pass! and they had left one couple of kms behind hoping for a bettor one ahead! Gave them a couple of chocolate bars, which they liked pretty much at that time!
Continued and saw a deviation to Tso Kar to the left. It was already 4.30 pm and the weather was getting crazy, with chill there was a lot of wind now. With pang still 50 kms and thought of skipping Tso kar. Could have made it had i left a couple of hours earlier. The wind picked up and i gear i was wearing for cold felt inadequate. Wore a couple of self made neck warmers and road ahead. Entered the More plains. Well after all the plains i have see over Eastern ladakh this was not to that scale. Still pretty good. There were plenty of deviation and the sumo that left ahead of me taking the deviation of kicking up a lot of dust. Did not want to test soft sand for that long and i ignored the diversions and went ahead as the path looked ok tough lil bumpy with stones. Ignored a couple of deviations and went straight. Lot of water run offs being built. Some were higher than the road! Guess it will take years for the road to come up. At the end of the plains where all the paths converge, the terrain abruptly drops off and the road serpents down to pang which can see from above.
Its 6 pm and no way i am pushing till Sarchu. Plus there seems to be a Water crossing and i heard that a Innova was stuck their. So for acco their these dhabas with a room of sorts at the back and 100 Rs a night. Kinda very dusty in the one i picked and had no patience to look for another one. It was getting very cold as well and i was just wondering how do i spend these next 12 hours. After a cup of maggie went to meet a couple of guys from the next tent. They were Abhinav and Anup who were on their way up in their rented indica. They had no idea about the height and place and just drove in like for any other place, soon were joing by Gary who was on his way up on his bullet. Soon it was all conversation and what do you know Gary had a bottle of Old monk. This my just save the day :D Was unsure of have it at high altitude but after one peg i was very sure of having it :D It was all fun and chat over that. We even had a case of the missing rum bottle which miraculasly found its way back when started looking for it ;) were soon done with it and even arranged for another one! Now its all fine and its not so cold out there :D Shifted to the tent with other guys as the owners were cribbing about shutting of the lights for the day.
That was a scary scene, i have to pack them all now!!
Leaving Leh!!
Caught the Leh Manali highway....
Quite a bilboard for himank...
Here i come....
Interesting clicks on the way.... the purple flowers do add for contrast...
Was fascinated by these vertical plates, these were horizontal before india crashed into asia!
The Tanglangla pass ahead...
Huge vertical plates with soft layer between them eroded... could climb up all the way in the middle i guess....
Climbing up to Tanglang La...
Looks like the path i will ride soon...
A steep short cut to Tanglang La....
No more road...
Its bad road from now on....
Getting higher and higher, the valley from which i cam up now looks like a craves...
Gotto let the truck go by!!
Still a long way to the Pass...
Some Marmots sniffing around...
Getting high and getting close....
Have to deal with these....
Road out of no where!!
Pretty looking cut out of ice....
Final switch backs to the Pass...
Almost there....
There!
The Tanglang La baba temple!
Pretty close....
Me and the Bike at Tanglang La
Heights of other near by passes, will verify these ;)
The other side of the pass and weather here looks no bettor....
See a couple of bikers ride up...
What do you know its Pradeep!!
And there is goes....
Half an hour wait here for the road to get cleared...
The start of the plains....
The deviation to Tso Kar....
Posing around in More plains...
Do we really need that ? :D
Some white heads at the end of the plains...
A local horseman...
The More plain road err... path...
The water runoffs are higher than the road!!
Lot of sand monsters to deal with....
No way i am taking the sandy diversion...
Some good path enroute...
Trucks taking the sandy diversion...
Though bumby i like the solid ground!
Can ignore the diversion signs as the main path is pretty good atleast for bikes...
The More plains ends to a sudden drop off nearing pang...
Ends at this canyon...
Climbing down to pang...
Pang below...
Vertical travel for the day...
2 comments:
again i could recognise every picture of this post! Cant forget that blasting wind and snowfall at Tanglang-la top.
Those pics are breathtaking...will definitely go to Tanglang-la top and will make sure it will be on a bike...I am from bangalore too...Thanks for sharing your experience man...
Post a Comment