Day 9: Diskit to Pangong Lake via Shyok river 26th June '17

Our homestay at Diskit. Ready to leave for another adventurous day!

Today we would be visiting the Pangong Lake, made famous by the movie "3 Idiots". We would also be testing our riding skills to the max, as we had decided to choose the Shyok river route to Pangong. This is the toughest yet most exciting route on the entire Leh journey and many don't even dare to take this route. Not the NitroJains though!

There are 3 routes from Diskit to Pangong lake

1. Diskit - Khalsar - Khardungla Pass - Leh - Thiksey - Hemis - Sakti - Durbuk - Tangtse - Pangong Lake (260km)
   This is the longest route and the only viable route if all the other routes are closed or you want to take a less adventurous route.
2. Diskit - Khalsar - Shyok river - take diversion to Sakti - Durbuk - Tangtse - Pangong Lake (215 km)
   This is a slight variation with some part on the initial phase of the Shyok river.
3. Diskit - Khalsar - Shyok river route - Durbuk - Tangtse - Pangong Lake (153 km)
   This is the most adventurous and daring route of all. In the past couple of years, this route has become viable and work is going on the route to make it better. 

The daring Shyok river route to Pangong Lake

ADVICE: Please note that you will have to find out the current day condition before deciding on the Shyok river route. Ask riders who have returned back the previous day for their experience. You can ask the locals as well. There are frequent flooding and land slides on this route. Even though we safely crossed the route on 26th June, there was a major flood and landslides the immediate next day i.e. 27th June! We met a biker group who had to turn back mid way as there were huge boulders, flooding and mud slides on the same roads we took. So please check local conditions before you decide.

7 stacked stones on roadside at Diskit. Truly breathtaking beautiful scenery all around!

But before we took that route, we had yet to revel in the awesome and breathtaking beauty of Diskit itself. We were all surprised as to how beautiful Diskit really is. None of us were expecting it to be so beautiful as its popularity is overshadowed by Khardung la pass and Pangong Lake. Diskit is a very serene place. The peace and solitude of the place really soaks into your soul, to stay there perhaps forever. There is also a pristine straight road, surrounded by sand on both sides. If you have the time, there are a few camps set up, where you can rent ATV's  and experience ATV rides on the sand dunes! We did not have the time, so unfortunately did not get to ride them.

Riding at Diskit!

We are Super Heroes! Don't mess with us!

Perhaps our best snap of the entire trip, clicked at Diskit

Respect for our bikes which were our bloodline on entire trip

Just a little ahead of the town of Khalsar, there is a junction which will take your either to Leh or to the Shyok river route to Pangong. You can ask the locals over here or riders coming the other way, for the conditions of the Shyok river. 

Leh or Shyok river route to Pangong?

One of the most amazing parts of our journey was spotting so many cyclists on the entire route, whether it was the flatland of Moore plains or mountain passes like Khardung la Pass! Its truly humbling seeing their stamina and spirit, cycling in places where we had difficulty on bikes! Internally we all wished that we had the stamina, strength and spirit to cycle at Leh, someone in the future!

A cyclist heading to Leh at the junction

Cooking hot maggi at the junction

Since we were feeling a little hungry and also had the jitters for what lay ahead on the Shyok river route, we stopped for a breather and almost had hot maggi. Unfortunately some riders / SUV's coming the opposite way told us to cross the route fast since the water levels were rising and it would become more difficult as the day progressed. So we dumped the uncooked maggi and rushed to cross the route. You should have seen the semi panicked yet excited look on our faces when we heard about the rising water levels from riders!

Now the shyok river route will really test your riding skills and concentration. Even though the route is probably the most scenic of our entire journey, we were all laser focussed on controlling our bikes and avoid a fall. The shyok river route will have you navigating through sand, rocks, loose pebbles, streams and rivers and also mud! Around 10-15% of the route is good roads whereas the rest is a relic of a road which was once maintained or constructed, long long ago.

The scenic Shyok river route

ADVICE: Don't ride too fast, leave early so that you will face less tumultuous streams and take local advice before attempting the route. When you have a river / stream crossing, get off your bikes and test the depth first. Then help each other cross the waterway and only proceed when all have crossed safely. Even if you do fall, don't panic! There will always be someone ready to help and you will be on your way soon. Its difficult to get hurt as most falls occur when riding at under 5-10km/hr!

Helping each other cross a small river

I can honestly say that whenever we think of our Leh trip, the Shyok river route always come to our memory and how much of a challenge yet memorable it was! Thats what biking in Leh is all about and we have really fond memories of the route. We had to cross main streams on the route and by helping each other, we easily managed it without anyone falling and getting hurt.

VR view of the Shyok river (use google carboard or any other VR headset)

Panorama view of the shyok river route!

There is a small restaurant at the end of the route and it was a welcome break for all of us. Its run by a single lady and we got freshly prepared food and hot tea there. It also gave us a change to regroup and share our personal experience of the ride so far.

Peace restaurant at the end of shyok river route!

There is an intersection at Durbuk, one from the Shyok river and the other from the Sakti-Nang route. You will find many roadside tea stalls, tyre shops and knick knacks over here. Take a breather, have some tea and freshen up for the ride to Pangong lake.

Junction at Durbuk

A young rider in the making

Playing around!

Pangong lake is not very far from Durbuk but the ride is not that easy in some places. You have to be really careful on some patches as the roads are piled with sand, which is difficult to ride on, if not handled well. If you have a pillion, they might have to get off from the bike in places where the sand is piled deep. Overall the ride is really good and the anticipation of viewing Pangong Lake really builds up. 

First sighting of Pangong Lake

Feeding giant hamsters at a farm on route

Pangong lake gets it mystical blue hue only when the sky is clear. Your luck will dictate on how blue or not the lake will be. We reached late in the evening and really could not experience the blue lake that night. However that did not stop us from capturing a few moments out on the lake and take snaps. 

Nitrojains at Pangong Lake

Pangong Lake

We had made reservations at a homestay in Merak, but as we got late and it became really dark, we could not make it to Merak. We ended up staying just a little ahead of the main lake stretch at a place called Spangmik. We were lucky enough to get accommodation (after a lot of bargaining and pleading) at wooden lodges just beside the lake. It was however, really bitterly cold and we had to cover up with every piece of warm clothing we had to feel warm enough to sleep. We had planned for a bonfire as well but due to the tiredness of the day, we all fell asleep before the bonfire was even lit.

ADVICE: The sky is really clear in Pangong lake due to no polution and you can actually see many shooting stars, milky way cluster of stars and stars beyond you can image. Take out your tripd and DSLR and capture a timelapse video of the sky at night. You won't regret it. You can also stay at numerous camps on the lake but it is advisable to pre-book or reach early as they get filled up really fast.

It is also difficult to ride further up towards Merak at night, as its all mountainside with NO lights on the roads, bad roads and lots of streams to cross. We would not advice riding at night and suggest to stay wherever you get accommodation instead of risking it to go further, in search of better accommodation.

Crossing a major waterfall/stream near Pangong lake, at night