An idea, they say, can change your life. And up until now, we believed that inception (of an idea) was one of the most difficult things to do, if not impossible. However, it did happen in our case. During our last visit to Ladakh, an idea incepted in Aarti’s brain that we have to do the circuit on a bike, that our next trip has to be an adventurous Delhi to Ladakh bike trip.
With neither her nor me being a biker, the idea was difficult to implement, if not impossible. However, inception had happened, and like a virus, it had traveled from her head to mine.
Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Leh Ladakh – A Complete Travel Guide
The last time I rode a bike long enough with a pillion was ages ago when we were still in our courtship period. It was on my Splendour from college days, and a ride from Delhi to Rajasthan border was sufficient to give me a stiff back.
Biking, of course, is not a child’s play and I was pretty skeptical, to begin with. Needless to say, so was Aarti. That’s when a certain push was needed from external sources. That’s when our wonderful friends came into the picture.
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Delhi to Ladakh Bike Trip
It was a trip of many firsts. Yes, it was our first long bike trip. It was a first for all of us to travel as a group for so many days. Coordinating without a mobile was also a first!
Group riding was fun although it had its own challenges. How does one cater to individual aspirations in a group and form a common minimum agenda which is acceptable to all? Thankfully, we were a close-knit group of friends who were comfortable in splitting at times to cater to individuals’ needs and comforts. Inshallah, we’ll ride out together again. Soon.
The biggest challenge was obviously the riding itself. If one were to ask me whether I would ever do a biking trip again, my answer would be, “hell yeah!”. But if one were to ask me whether it is better than a road trip in a car, I would say, “hell no!”. And to “Would you prefer a bike or a car on your next trip?”, I would have to say “can’t say”.
Both modes of travel have their unique advantages and disadvantages, especially for a couple like us. On a bike, you actually experience the elements of nature and feel every curve and bend, but you can’t cover long distances in a day.
This made us miss a lot of places on this trip which we wanted to cover in the Changthang region. Offroading on bike trips becomes a serious no-no, and stuff that you take for granted in a car needs to be thought of in great detail on a bike.
All in all, it was a lovely experience to have ridden to Ladakh and back. It gave us the satisfaction of ticking off one item on our proverbial bucket list.
The Plan
On a comfortable October evening, we started discussing the idea with them. The response was immediate. We all are at that point in our lives where the inflection point exists, and with respective families planned not far away in the future, an idea of a group ride to Ladakh found immediate takers. We all shook hands, and made a pact that the next year come what may, we had to do it.
The Group
With KD, Sagar, and Yeshu already being experienced riders to the region, the onus was on newbies like Gunjan, Aarti, and me to prepare ourselves for this journey. But wait, before the story can move ahead, introductions are in order.
KD
The guy with a passion for Goddess, his 2006 model Electra. The guy whose first biking trip was to Ladakh. He speaks of the Manali – Leh highway as if speaking of a dear child. A designer by profession, he has an eye for beauty and a heart of gold. If you are active on the twitterverse, chances are that you would know him already (@nithinkd).
Sagar
A 27-year-old boy with a penchant for double meaning one-liners. And yes, they are pretty classy. Introduced to the world of riding back in 2010 by none other than KD himself, his first trip to the mountains was on Vertigo, a 2008 model Yamaha FZ.
A biking trip enthusiast ever since, his next few trips were to Spiti and Ladakh in the following years, converting him from a newbie to a bad-ass rider. A developer by profession, he works with maps, making it a perfect fit for his meandering soul.
Sagar and KD would also be mentioned collectively as BOYS plenty of times later in the log. Married men tend to lose their BOYS status the moment the deal is done!
Gunjan
You can ask her to dance to any number you can play and she would come up with some exquisite moves. Ever since her first trip to the mountains (to Narkanda), she has been eager for more and more.
Her trip to Spiti valley last year was a teaser, and being a Ladakh virgin, she was eagerly looking forward to visiting the land of high passes soon. A consultant by profession, taking out two weeks for the trip was pretty difficult for her. I tell you; a consultant’s life is not easy.
YeshuB
This Punjab ka puttar is the one responsible for your personal accounts going haywire – if you are married that is. Being in the business of selling female grooming products online, he knows the perfect gifts for your better half and at better prices as well.
Just do not introduce his website to your better half, if you have not done it already. The first time he rode to Ladakh was in shorts, and was always amused when we talked about protective gear and other logistics. In the end, as it turned out, he was the one who was best prepared for the trip. His Jugni, a 2004 model Bullet, was the least troublesome bike.
Aarti and Harsh (me):
Well, you can go through our other logs to get to know more about us.
Getting Ready for Ride
With introductions out of the way, allow me to continue with the story of our Delhi to Ladakh bike trip as it happened. With us not even having a bike, the plan was initially formed to rent one from Delhi – ensure that it is in proper condition and ride out. However, we wanted to give biking a try first.
Thus, we ended up on a short-day ride to Neemrana. KD was gracious enough to lend us his Goddess for a day and even allowed us to borrow his gear. As it turned out, the ride was fantastic. A bullet is any day much more comfortable than a 100cc Splendour. I was sold.
They say that the first flight seals the bond, in my case the first ride did it. With my office being shifted to Noida, a bike would be a perfect solution for my daily commute and a comfortable one at that. Soon enough, we thought to go for another ride, again on Goddess, and this time a longer one.
A weekend trip to Lansdowne was planned and that too turned out to be enjoyable. I never imagined that riding a bike on those twisties could be so pleasurable.
Enfield 500CC
With biking worries sorted out, the next problem was the machine itself. We didn’t have one of our own. With biking looking to become a long-term hobby, and one that might be useful for daily commuting as well, we decided to take the plunge and finalized on buying a 350cc RE Classic.
However, the first test ride of a 500cc had me hooked, and in keeping with our “one-life philosophy”, we decided to shell out another 50k to go 150cc up in engine capacity. The delivery happened 3 days later, thanks to Naveen Chillar, otherwise, we were looking at a 3 months delivery schedule.
A week later, after completing the 500km ride-in schedule somehow, we went for another riding trip to celebrate the new year in Rishikesh. Our group of 4 riders with 2 pillions and some other friends joined in as we watched 2011 turn into 12.
The ride was fun, and moreover, our riding group seemed well in sync, and as we parted ways after returning to Delhi, we knew that nothing could stop us now from riding to Ladakh in June.
Also Read: Which is the Best Bike for Leh Ladakh Trip
Initial Hiccups
However, a few months later, a disaster happened. KD and Sagar backed out of the planned trip due to their work schedules. Gunjan and Yeshu were circumspect of undertaking a biking trip without KD (we all had our hopes on him for fixing the bike on the fly should anything go wrong). So they too backed out.
Now it was just the two of us with a shaky plan to Ladakh. We stuck on and decided to do it alone. A different plan came up which had to include a crash course in bullet servicing as well. Logistics were increasingly difficult to plan, but we were determined.
D-Day
Thankfully, two weeks before our scheduled departure, things turned for the better, and almost simultaneously everyone was back on track. The trip had to be delayed though, and after several iterations to accommodate everyone’s work schedule, 21st July was finalized as our departure date.
We had time on our hands and numerous trips to Karol Bagh and other places later we were all set with carriers, saddlebags, protective gear, rain gear, spares, and of course clothes. The excitement was palpable – this was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we eagerly waited for the D-day.
Also Read: How to Prepare your Bike for Leh Ladakh
The day itself was not without drama. Gunjan fell sick a couple of days before our expected departure, only to get back on her feet on the D-day morning itself.
The alternate plan was for us 4 riders to head out without pillions who would join us straight in Manali (by taking a cab from Delhi). Fortunately, all went well and we had an up and running Gunjan just before our departure.
Delhi to Ladakh Bike Trip Itinerary
Below is the itinerary that we followed for the trip. It turned out to be a little different than what we initially planned but fun nonetheless.
- Delhi to Bilaspur – Day 1
- Bilaspur to Manali – Day 2
- Manali to Jispa – Day 3
- Jispa to Sarchu – Day 4
- Sarchu to Leh – Day 5
- Leh – Day 6
- Leh to Pangong Lake – Day 7
- Pangong Tso to Leh – Day 9
- Leh to Hanle – Day 10
- Hanle to Tso Moriri – Day 11
- Tso Moriri to Sarchu – Day 12
- Sarchu to Manali – Day 13
- Manali – Day 14
- Manali to Ambala – Day 15
- Ambala to Delhi – Day 16
Day 1: Delhi – Bilaspur
The day before the trip is typically full of excitement – and for us, it was even more exciting. We were finally going to start our much awaited Delhi to Ladakh bike trip.
Usually, we do Delhi to Manali in a single day in our car, and it takes us hardly about 12 hours. However, a bike ride, we found out, was different. We were thrown out of our cage, and into the sweltering heat of July of Northern India.
We thus kept the plan on the easier side and decided to break the first day’s ride at Mandi or Pandoh. Little did we know that our stamina and bikes would give way much before that.
Each one of us has a different policy to commence the ride. Aarti and I start with a simple loud cry of “Jai Shri Ram”. Gunjan and Yeshu prefer to say “Jai Jai”. The boys (KD and Sagar) always begin their trips with a visit to the small Hanuman Mandir located outside IIT Delhi’s gate. We planned to rendezvous at the temple at 5 am and surprisingly everyone made it on time.
WanderB all set, and raring to go
WanderB poses again to set the mood before the ride
Group riding protocols were put in place for our Delhi to Ladakh Bike trip.
- Always signal the rider if there is trouble ahead
- Always keep your headlights switched on
- Stop if you hear long uninterrupted honking from the rider behind you
- Stop and wait if you don’t see the rider behind you for more than 20 mins
Murthal
The ride out of Delhi was pretty smooth and the first break was taken at Murthal. Who couldn’t resist breaking there, to devour some of the tastiest parathas served on Indian highways, especially with generous dollops of white butter.
Also Read: Ladakh Checklist – Things to Pack for Ladakh Trip
Goddess (KD’s bike) had already begun throwing tantrums. She was experiencing sudden losses of power, which could be a sign of engine failure. However, since at that time things seemed fine, we decided to march ahead keeping our fingers crossed. It turned out to be a false alarm, and the problem thankfully did not occur again.
The steeds rest at Murthal
Chandigarh Bypass
The sweltering heat made us take a lot of stops even before we hit our lunch break somewhere after Ropar. There was a longish break at Karnal to sync up all the riders, another one on a deserted bus stop somewhere between Ambala and Banur. Speaking of the Banur route, although it is a fantastic bypass for Chandigarh, sadly due to it being new, there are hardly any dhabas on it.
Lunch was relaxing in the shade of a giant tree at a dhaba. Hell, they even had charpais where we could rest our backs for a wee-bit.
This lone bus shed was the only respite we got from the mid-afternoon sun on the Banur highway with boiling water to drink
Bilaspur
It was about 4:00 pm when we eventually trudged into the Lake View hotel at Bilaspur. Initially, the plan was to take a short tea break. However, as we got comfortable, energy levels sapped, and it was decided unanimously to end the day there.
In any case, a night stay at Manali was scheduled for the next day, so it hardly made a difference if we stopped at Bilaspur or Mandi or Pandoh. Also, KD and my bike were behaving badly. His braking was severely affected and I was reeling with problems with my rear shock absorber. At each bend, on the hills, the rear tire was touching the rim.
Also Read: When is the Best time to visit Manali
A visit to the local mechanic took an hour, but both the problems were rectified – KD’s permanently and mine temporarily. As it turned out, I had to struggle with this problem all the way to Leh.
Some respite from the heat as we climb Swarghat
After negotiating a bad stretch, we finally sight this at Bilaspur, where has all the water gone?
Day 2: Bilaspur to Manali
A panorama from the lake view hotel – HPTDC
Aarti and I were carrying 5 bags as our luggage. Four of them were really small, fitted on either side of our “Ladakh carrier”. The 5th bag was of a standard size and was strapped to the part of the Ladakh carrier that extends horizontally behind the pillion seat.
Of course, all the bags were kept in garbage bags, wrapped with a tarp, and then secured by bungees. Now, packing on Day 1 was relatively easier as half of it was done the night before and the bike was locked up in the garage.
Also Read: Clothes for Leh Ladakh Trip – What to Pack
Day 2 made us realize the ills of carrying luggage on a carrier – it was quite a chore to secure the stuff safely each morning. Doing so on days when the previous night was spent in the comforts of a hotel was even tougher.
Today’s ride was short with only about 5 hours left till Manali, and so we all took it easy and eventually left at about 8 am. And oh yes, we ride slow.
A Pleasant Ride
The sun was beating down upon us making our progress slow again. The riding jacket, although necessary, was getting pretty uncomfortable as the day progressed.
After Mandi, my bike’s rear tire again started hitting the mud-guard as the adjustment done the day before had given up. It was in any case a jugaad, one that I realized I had to do on a daily basis now. I thought it was due only due to the bulky luggage we were carrying. But that was only a part of the problem, the real problem was discovered later.
Also Read: How to Handle Acute Mountain Sickness in Ladakh
Breakfast stop – note the spelling of the hotel. The guy was confused about whether to keep it Karishma or Krishna so decided to go with the middle path
A notice while one enters Manali, mentioning explicitly that all vehicles going towards Rohtang will require a permit.
Manali
Anyway, we reached Manali without any further fuss by about 2 pm and straight away headed towards Il Forno to have our favorite lunch. Being with a larger group gave us the liberty of ordering everything that was nice on the menu and sample each one of those awesome dishes. Too bad, the hungry monsters devoured all of it before I could click anything.
Recommendations – the pizzas (especially the ham one), chicken supreme, and Fiametta for dessert.
This was probably the only time that Aarti and I did not stay at our beloved Johnson’s Lodge in Manali. With rising prices (3600 + taxes), it is getting increasingly difficult to afford that place. We settled where ‘the boys’ always go – Dharma Guest House, located above Vashishta temple.
Now this place has the best view that Manali can offer its visitors. With the Pir Panjal looming ahead and the Beas gushing below, the views from Dharma’s balconies are to die for.
However, the biggest disadvantage of the guest house is that one has to climb a good 200 steps from the road before one reaches it. We were not too tired that day, but we all agreed that staying there while returning might be difficult.
Getting the Bikes Fixed
With luggage checked in, the next step was to get the bikes fixed and pick up permits for Rohtang the next day. I forgot to mention that we had asked two different sets of people to arrange permits for us. One was a random travel agent who we found on the net and the other person that KD happened to know.
Thank God we had a backup as it turned out that the travel agent was unreachable. Eventually, no one checked our permits, but the unreachable agent did give us some frayed nerves. KD’s contact came through and by late evening we were all settled and ready for the real adventure to begin.
Rohtang, early reports coming in said, was not as big a monster this year as it was in 2011, but with thick clouds looming, we knew things could turn for the worse overnight. And so we planned an early departure.
The view from Dharma Guesthouse, Vashista towards Manali town
The view towards Pir Panjal (or Solang valley)
The next day turned out to be quite depressing, with our camera becoming the first casualty of the trip. Please click on the link below to continue reading the next part of this travelogue.
- Journey Ahead: Manali to Jispa via Rohtang Pass
Day 3 was supposed to be a make-or-break day for us. A monster by the name of Rani Nallah lay ahead as the first and the biggest hurdle of the trip ahead. Thus, it was natural for the entire group to be really scared when clouds descended on Manali early that morning and it started to drizzle. The implication was clear, it must be raining cats and dogs up there, adding to the enormity of the slush monster we all so feared.
Delhi to Ladakh Bike Trip – Conclusion
I hope the travelogue, pictures, and information above on Delhi to Ladakh bike trip were of help. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section below or at our Community Forum, and I will be glad to answer.
