North by Northeast ‘15 – Chitkul To Sungri’

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Chitkul - Chaura - Daran Ghati - Sungri

Distance this period: 232.30 km Total Distance: 3155.19 km

Chitkul – 0 km

Chaura – 100.90 km

Daran Ghati– 56.0 km

Sungri – 75.40 km

Plan was to stay in Chitkul for a longer duration and relax, but I felt kind of odd there so left next day. Breakfast at Sangla, Tea, piranha, Jalebi & kept Bananas for the ride. Urni climb took some time, lunch at Tapri, a nice dadi chawal. Jyori was the target, asked one guy about staying option there. Turned out to be a nice guy, offered me to stay at his place. Had a nice bath, his family was away so just both of us. His cousins cook food for us. He was on leave from his unit J&K rifles. Opened a bottle, rest I have no idea when I slept.

Total KM – 100.90 km

Total expense – 160/- rs.

Approx time – 8.04 hrs.

Army-mans cousin helped me pack my stuff, it was a nice stay. At Jeori took left turn and climbed all the way up to Gharat. Apples everywhere. From Gharat it was a flat ride. Mashnu was messy so was the left turn from there. Real bad kacha road, slush and jungle, on top of it there was no human soul around. I was scared like hell. It was a 12 kms of scary ride all the way up to the top. Tea shop at the top and a HPPWD rest house. Caretaker was there at the tea shop, drunk. I asked if I can camp there inside the rest house perimeter, he says no. So booked a room, bath followed by tea. He tells me it was built in 1913 by British, re-newd recently. Rice meat for the night, lots of stories, his Arunachal trip for a marriage, his encounter with a bear and langoor hunting. The rest house is lovely, in between jungles.

Total KM – 56.0 km

Total expense – 400/- rs.

Approx time – 6.00 hrs.

HPPWD stay was awesome, had the leftover meat in the morning with parantha. Started the journey downhill, real bad loose stones for 4 kms. Hit bottom at the river bridge, Taklech. market, had chowmin, Just after the bridge took left turn. right goes to Rampur. Uphill starts, some curves are quite steep. At top jungle starts, flat riding to Bahli. Lunch, waited for PWD rest house caretaker, but bad luck! no rooms. worthless 2 hours of wait. Withdrawn some cash from SBI ATM, and started towards Sungri around 6pm. Again scared of bear attack peddled hard. Asked The caretaker at Sungri PWD rest house if I can camp. A suspicious guy, but offered me room, ordered food. At night some other fellow came and slept in the same room. Nice view from the rest house. Britishers surely had a good taste.

Total KM – 75.40 km

Total expense – 455/- rs.

Approx time – 7.30 hrs.

North by Northeast ‘7 - Leh To Khardung La’

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Leh – North Pullu – Hunder – Khardung Village

Distance this period: 186.01 km Total Distance: 1693.41 km

Leh – 0 km
North Pullu – 56.91 km
Hunder – 80.44 km
Khardung Village – 48.66 km

Leh stay was mesmerizing, would love to be there again for a long stay there. Such a charming place.
Kms covered - 0.00
Total expense - 960/-

It was time to conquer the Top, KhardungLa. Started 0530 am, its easy climb to start. Gentle climb and good tarred road upto South Pullu. Check post. Some tea, food stalls there. Then starts bad road, water crossings, and road work never finishes here.

I was in good company of cyclists all the way up, everyone loves challenges I guess.

I pushed last couple of kms, was damn tired and exhausted. Had Maggie at the top. And The Top. What a feeling!

Then I pushed some downhill too, it was too scary to ride on such boulders, potholes and cold. Some terrible water crossings other side. Lession learnt - no riding after 3 o'clock in hills. North Pullu, Stay at some hotel.
Kms covered - 56.91
Total expense - 390/-

Look at the climb, the sunny day, the surroundings, what else you need to finish your challenge!

South Pullu at the first curve and dirt road starts. Your eye balls are dancing, don't they?

The TOP!!... So called highest motorable road, and I did it without a motor; on a cycle. Proud moment. but lonely. Felt kind of sad, remembered the movie 'Into The Wild'

Add caption

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] This is what the other side look like from the top. So clear[/caption]

It was all downhill ride today, road is tarred, smooth like a skin, loved the spinning. A Junction, straight road goes towards Agham, I was loving spinning by now so took the left turn, Khalsar, then flattish road to a junction; right ride goes to Panamik, I took the left one to Diskit and then to Hunder. Found a nice hotel.
Kms covered - 80.44
Total expense - 880/-

                     called highest motorable road, and I did it without a motor; on a cycle. Proud moment. but lonely. Felt kind of sad, remembered the movie 'Into The Wild'[/caption]The TOP!!... So called highest motorable road, and I did it without a motor; on a cyAghamanother route for Pangong Lake via Shyok village or via WariLa. I took the turn.[/caption]

Couldn’t go further ahead of Hunder. Return back journey started. At Khalsar had lunch. One army van was stationed there, walked up to the young officer sitting at the front seat and saluted him. Bad news – Agham route is blocked. I asked him how he joined forces and all. On the status of road he said local can’t be trusted better check with the chowki stationed before the junction. But a bad day today. What this means - I will have to climb back to the top. Damn!

Then I did, but found myself uneasy on the climb back and camped 10 km short of Khardung Village. Hund I wasn't aware about this fact.[

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Funny, I was so happy to cross this blockage. I packed everything again just to find out another big blockage about 100 meters ahead. So embarrassing! on my stupidity. I wasted some 2 hrs to figure the way out on first blockage.

Khardung Village; from the campsite. I was out of food but just couldn't ride.[/caption]

North by Northeast ‘5 - Sonmarg To Leh’

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Sonmarg – Drass – Mulbekh – Nurla Camp - Leh
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Distance this period: 354.66 km Total Distance: 1507.40 km

Sonmarg – 0 km (Day 16 & 17)
Drass – 65.05 km (Day 18)
Mulbekh – 103.12 km (Day 19)
Camp Nurla – 101.15 km (Day 20)
Leh – 85.34 km (Day 21)

There was no hope of road opening next day too. I headed to army canteen for breakfast, by now everybody knew me as a freak cyclist; they smiled enquired if I was doing alright. For two days I was like a guest there.

Outside I chit chatted with truck drivers, listened their wild stories of bear encounter in the region. They advised me not to camp in open till I reach Kargil.

After two days of rest I was ready to take on slushy, foggy, chilly, showery, yes! The Mighty ZojiLa!

Foggy morning, Amarnath Yatra camp below

Road to ZojiLa pass..

Initial climb was good; then some up, started dirt slippery road. Switchbacks after switchbacks I started pushing the bike, by 11:00am I was at the top. Bad surface continues till Gumri, road is tarted after that till Matiyan, then again bad surface till Drass. Met a hotel owner from my own state, he shared some good stories of the area like how locals celebrate 6-7 months of snow, no connection with the world outside. Drass
Kms covered - 65.05
Total expense - 680/-

Then a clear view.. ZojiLa and Yatra camp below.

Greenery strats after the top..

Nice road.. at the end the village Matiyan. Kids surrounded me smiling, I was the only one eating.

It’s a great road till Kargil, some small climb, a little bit of bad patch then all the way a smooth ride to Mulbekh.

At Mulbekh I stayed at J&K PWD rest house, met the caretakere by accident. Booked a room, while I was trying to adjust in my room a young fellow came, we started chatting randomly. Early morning when I saw that fellow again when I went there to pay the bill. I think he was gay.
Kms covered - 103.12
Total expense - 510/-

Kargil approaching.

A selfie on the road.

Entering the land of Buddha.

Just after Mulbekh, there is one small settlement where I had my breakfast. From here the climb begins - Namika La. Today I was to climb two passes – NamikaLa & FotuLa. It’s a gentle lovely climb to NamikaLa. Met a solo German cyclist at the top. The ups and downs continue to FotuLa. The descent is fun and amazingly steep down on some curves. Then all the way down to Lamayuru, Khaltse, and 6 km ahead of Nurla, I camped near road workers camp.
Kms covered - 101.15
Total expense - 200/-

Early morning met a solo cyclist from Hungry, headed Zanskar.

Saspol, then up to Basgo plains and afterwards beautiful down to Nimmu, on this section I achieved like 70 kmph speed. Loved it. Had lunger at Pather Sahib Gurudwara, no, no night stay accommodation available there they said.

After passing the Leh airport, I was kind of scared due to tiredness, also didn’t see any staying accommodation. Then I met Jai - a cyclist from Banglore and he said he know some place. Lovely.
Gomang Guest House.
Kms covered - 85.34
Total expense - 455/-

A lovely gentle climb to NamikaLa

NamikaLa Top..

A lovely climb.. a view to die for..

Peddled All the way up...

A selfie on the road... approaching another top

FotuLa top..

My favorite.. I sat there viewing this for like ages..

The moonland.. Lamayuru.

The road... around magnetic hills

Getting Leh'd today yaayyyy..