BHPian kvamshi04 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:PrologueIn mid-May, one of the biking groups (ATH) Adventure Tourers Hyderabad, in collaboration with Mad Over Ladakh (I am nowhere associated with any of the groups commercially; this is just an experience I’ll be sharing here),for those who have the sense of adventure on 2 wheels out there to explore and meet lovely people. A message pinged stating that the group is planning a biking trip across Ladakh, and the USP of the trip was a ride to the Galwan War memorial, which was scheduled to open on 15th June, as a fauji brat, I was too excited for the Galwan trip and not much about the Ladakh trip. I always wanted to do a Ladakh trip but had been postponing it for years due to one reason or another. This year I signed up for it and did it. If we would have reached the War Memorial, we would have been the first group to reach there apart from one YouTuber. The trip details were first posted in the first week of May, and I didn’t sign up for it, as it was clashing with my Spiti trip (Details), so for me it wasn’t possible, but due to operation Sindoor, the trip was postponed to June 25th, and I had just one day in-between to board the flight to Delhi, from where the trip would start. I signed up for an RE 411 as my mode of transport, but fate had other plans. The biking trip for me didn’t go as planned. ATH organized coffee meetups, an off-roading training day for all the riders going to Ladakh, and a mega event on the occasion of World Motorcycling day in collaboration with Mad Over Ladakh. Unfortunately, I didn’t attend any of these. ATH went a step ahead and even designed a special jersey for the riders, must appreciate the planning of the team at ATH. Day 1: 25th June 2025 After unpacking, shopping, and then packing on the 24th almost till midnight of the 25th, I slept for a few hours, took blessings of the almighty, my parents, in-laws, and wife, and reached the airport by 5:30am. Slowly the other riders started arriving. There was a small round of meet and greet, and I checked in. It was easy for me, as I didn’t carry much electronics (no GoPros, intercoms, or camera setups). Those who had them were kind of stuck, as the alert CISF personnel kept a lot of bags aside and let them go later after confirmation and scrutiny. In the process, some of them had to let go of their cigarette lighters, Allen keys, and other accessories. Boarded the flight and caught up on sleep till Delhi. The flight was full, and imagine 15 of us carrying riding jackets, helmets, handbags, hydration bags, tank bags, etc. onboard. The crew had slight trouble managing our things and fitting them into those overhead cabins. Thanks, Indigo, for accommodating us. Got down at T-1 Terminal, picked up our luggage, and decided what to do next. Whether to hit Manali directly or kill some time exploring Delhi. We had already booked a Traveller to Manali, and we were shocked to see our Traveller, a classic travel scam; what you see in pictures is not what you get. After adjusting the luggage on the luggage rack and then fixing some of it inside and then fitting all of us inside, we stopped at Munirka to pick up two more riders with us, had a quick breakfast at an Udupi restaurant, and started for Qutub Minar. Some riders got down, visited it, took some photos, and moved ahead towards India Gate. The same drill: a few went and a few stayed back. After a mini Delhi Darshan, we started towards Manali and reached Amrik Sukhdev at around 4:30pm, had a paratha and lassi, and spent some time strolling here and there, and within an hour, we were on the road. The next stop was soon after sunset at the Karnal Haveli Dhaba for some tea and a washroom break. As soon as we got down, a few looked for power sockets to log in to work, and a few charged their phones. This wasn’t a quick break by any means, but a much-needed one, with the cramped space and the constant motion. Had a kulhad full of tea, took a stroll, and then we were back to the Traveller. We started travelling towards Chandigarh, and we took a last stop for dinner at Bhure Da Dhaba. This restaurant had a huge area for parking, a play area for kids, one mini truck, a tractor for kids, and a huge washroom with a sofa and TV in the washroom waiting area. I can’t stop laughing. After this stop, I called it a day and woke up the next morning at Manali at Hotel Manali Castle. Can’t forget this long and never-ending and the most uncomfortable traveller ride ever. Although it was fun with people, with each one of them sharing their stories throughout the night. Day 2, 26th June 2025, Manali We reached our hotel at 7:30am, had a quick shower and breakfast, and went back to sleep till afternoon. Some of the other group members went to explore Manali, and some went to Mall Road. I took it easy and wanted to rest and buy some last-minute things. By afternoon, our rides for the next ten days started arriving. A few of us at the hotel started selecting our rides, and this went on till night. In the evening we met the team from Mad Over Ladakh, and we were joined by a team of riders from Kerala; a few of them happened to be travel influencers, two brothers from Andhra Pradesh, and one gentleman who would be covering the entire circuit with us in his Hilux. A small round of introductions, a quick briefing about dos and don’ts, convoy placements, some merchandise distribution, dinner, etc. After dinner, most of us packed our bags for an early start; we called it a day, and the team MOL fixed the bikes for the next day. Day 3, 27th June 2025, Manali to Sarchu We woke up a little early and got geared up by 7:00am, only to see a slight drizzle turn into a rain shower. At around 9:00am, the sun started shining again, and at 9:30, we left from the hotel. After a quick fuel stop a few meters away from the hotel and after a long regrouping stop, we stopped at Atal Tunnel South Portal and took some photos, and this is where things started going south for me: the zip of my riding jacket broke, ahhhh!!!! I kept my cool, and then we again stopped after crossing the bridge for a few photos, and then we stopped at Caf Sissu for an early lunch. It felt like sitting in some high-end caf in a metro city, with the menu, the setup, the washrooms, and the mesmerizing views. Atal Tunnel Welcome to the mountains !! Caf Sissu This was a very long break, with riders catching up, mechanics resolving breakdowns, and photo sessions. After this we geared up and had a few halts for photos and soaked in the views; next was a fuel stop at Keylong, and all the bikes were refueled. The washroom at the petrol pump was under repair; they directed us towards a caf right behind the filling station. Few of us went there; this was a caf with two containers and few tables along the river, very scenic. I didn’t see the kitchen setup, but the washroom was very clean, very similar to an airport/MNC level, but they charge 30/person/visit. This was the best washroom on a highway ever. I ran some mental math and realized their revenue from the washroom is decent. Next stop was a small tea break near Gemur, some tea, and after a lot of photos, we started towards Bara-lacha Pass (el. 16,040 ft or 4,889 m). Somewhere in the mountains The washroom At Gemur After crossing a few bridges on the way, soaking in the nature, slight drizzle, broken tarmac, and a few water crossings, we first crossed Deepak Tal. Remember, my jacket’s zip had given up. At Deepak Taal, I felt cold, so I took out the Decathlon Jacket and wore it over the riding jacket and wore winter liner gloves and then gloves; it was chilling here. I took some photos, waved at the Harley 440X group going towards Manali after completing the Uminla ride, and started our climb towards Bara-lacha Pass, crossing Suraj Taal en route, but didn’t stop. And stopped at Bara-lacha Pass, took some photos, and hydrated myself, and I guess AMS started hitting me, so I quickly started from there. Deepak Taal Thats me at Bara-lacha Pass Other adventure enthusiasts did some off-roading there on the trails, and some started ahead. After some time, we reached our stay in Sarchu. I felt something was wrong with my eyes; I felt everything around me was blurred, and this is where the s**t hit the roof. Tried washing my eyes, didn’t work, had some tea and Maggie at around sunset, and tried getting some rest; it didn’t help. Later I went to dinner and then attended the group debriefing, shared my experience for the day, and informed the team lead about my blurred vision. After the debriefing, most of us called it a day, and some started showing acute symptoms of AMS; some were given medication, and they were good the next morning. I slept in hope of being able to see clearly when I wake up the next day. It didn’t happen. While the adventurous few woke up at night and did stargazing. Sarchu is like a tent village that only crops up during the season, and lights are off by 11:00pm; hence, artificial light is very limited, and it makes a good place for stargazing. The next day, I came across some of the pictures of the starlit night. A starlit night, pictures uploaded with permission from the owner. Continue reading on BHPian kvamshi04’s Leh & Manali trip for BHPian comments, insights and more information.
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A 2 wheel adventure : My Delhi-Manali-Leh-Galwan-Leh-Srinagar trip
