Day 5: Drass to Kargil to Lamayuru via Mulbekh 22nd June '16

Dras has been given the title of "Second Coldest Inhabitable Place in the World"! It is also called 'The Gateway to Ladakh' and at a height of 10990ft. Its a very small town and gained fame during the Kargil war. It was bitterly cold at night so do remember to bundle up!

The Dras landscape is really beautiful and we got plenty of amazing landscape shots! If you have time on hand, you can even trek upto Tiger Hill, a strategically important hill during the Kargil war.

Just a short distance ahead of Dras is the Kargil / Dras War Memorial also known as Vijaypath, a must stop over place. The memorial is in the memory of the soldiers and officers of the Indian Army who were killed during the 1999 conflict between India and Pakistan. The main attraction of the whole memorial is the Sandstone wall, in the open, which has the names of all the Indian army personnel, who laid their lives during the Kargil war

The roads are okay with a few rough patches. However the scenic beauty of the route makes you forget about complaining. We also left behind any signs of greenery and saw brown stark mountains all over.

The town of Kargil

Many bikers prefer to stay at Kargil instead of Dras. Kargil is a bigger town than Dras and only around 56km from Dras. The choice is yours and we had no complaints staying over at Dras instead of Kargil.

Stopover for tomato soup and a game of carrom!

You can stop for lunch at Mulbekh or any of the other smaller towns on route. Namika La is one of two high passes between Kargil and Leh, the other is the even higher Fotu La Pass. They are very scenic and will definitely leave you awe struck. Be sure to keep some time on hand to revel in the beauty and take lots of snaps.

Nemika la Pass at 12,139 feet

Both the passes are truly beautiful and riding an Enfield Bullet in these passes is an experience in itself. Hats off to BRO for maintaining some of the best motorable roads in India. Crossing the peak of the passes, we felt a sense of peace enveloping us. Infact it seemed to seep into our souls and we could have spent hours soaking in the beauty and solitude of the place. Unfortunately we had places to go and destinations to reach. 

Spellbinding beauty of the mountains

Fotu la pass at 13,478 feet

Advice : Carry a GoPro or similar action camera with you. We did not have one and really regret capturing the moments on camera. We would also recommend that you have atleast 1 pillion rider with you as they can take snaps throughout the journey. We were all solo riders so had to stop whenever we wanted to take snaps. If we had a pillion rider we would have ended up with 5x times the number of snaps we ended up clicking.

The town of Lamayuru with its famous monastery

Initially we had thought of reaching Leh instead of stopping over at Lamayuru. Unfortunately one of our riders caught a bad cold and had fever. We had to ride slower and had to stop often too. We were also feeling very lazy today and rode at a very slow pace. Drass/Kargil to Leh is easily doable in a day. Just make sure you leave early as there are a few points between Lamayuru and Leh which are must stop overs!

It was surprisingly very cold in Lamayuru and very very breezy. We stopped at a hotel just beside the Lamayuru Monastery and settled in for the night. The hotel is run by a former army captain who was very warm, accommodating and friendly.

Day 4: Srinagar to Drass via Zojila Pass 21st June '16

This was the day when we would first experience the barrenness and beauty of the Ladakh landscape. This day would lead us from the greenery and glacier strewn landscape of Srinagar & Sonmarg to the barren desert like landscape of Ladakh. We would also be crossing our first and perhaps most difficult pass, the "Zoji La Pass". 

Nitrojains ready to leave Srinagar

The distance from Srinagar to Drass is appx 142km. However we would advice to leave early as there is a Thajiwas glacier near Sonmarg which is a must visit spot. Its a half hour walk from Sonmarg so do make sure you manage your time accordingly. We were lethargic in the morning and left late so unfortunately we did not have time to stop and trek over to the glacier. Till date we regret that we missed trekking to the glacier!

Srinagar to Drass via Sonmarg & Zoji La Pass - 142km

The journey from Srinagar to Sonmarg is amazingly mesmerizing, ridden with mountain streams on one side, lush green mountains on the other and the occasional glaciers / snow by the roadside. It was so beautiful that we made a mental note to visit again, this time with our wife and kids! Kashmir valley is really paradise on earth and can easily compete if not beat Switzerland in its beauty.

Scenic views all around

Beautifully maintained roads by BRO

 You will find the journey so beautiful that you will be tempted to stop every few minutes to click some snaps or just revel in the beauty. Streams are guzzling by almost the entire way and we stopped at one of them to click snaps and also grab a quick bite of sandwiches! The roads are very well maintained and its a pleasure riding along the Srinagar Leh highway.

Many photo opps. Gurgling streams by the roads

Stopover for quick snacks by the riverside 

 Its pretty spectacular viewing 10 bullet bikes together and many people stopped by just to stare at the bikes or take a photo with us. We had many such moments in the limelight on our journey to Leh/Ladakh! 

"Fans" posing with Nitrojains!

Many waterfalls & glaciers on route

 Sonmarg is a major tourist attraction and literally means Meadow of Gold. Its inaccessible during the winters due to heavy snow. Sonmarg has green grass with a backdrop of snowy mountains and cerulean skies! Do remember to visit the Thajiwas glacier if you get time. You can buy saffron and shilajit which is sold by many touts here!

Sonmarg - Meadow of Gold

Amit 'testing' quality of Shilajit sold by a tout

Just a short distance ahead of Sonmarg lies the formidable Zojila Pass. Zojila Pass is only 3,528 metres (11,575 ft) and is the second highest pass after Fotu La on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway. Though it is comparatively much lesser in height than other passes such as Khardungla, what is lacks in height it more than makes up for it in its terrain and difficulty. 

Its a narrow dusty pass which often has passing space for only 1 car! There are also many gushing streams on the pass which you have to cross to go ahead. What makes matter worse is the narrow road and the oncoming traffic! You have to literally weave your way to go ahead. You are also greeted with sheer cliff drops each time you swerve to avoid a pothole, rocks or even ice on the roads! We had our hearts in our mouths the entire time. 

Advice: Use your rear brake only otherwise you will be skidding and may lose control of the bike altogether!

A good strategy is to stay in groups of 3-4 bikes or if you are riding solo, join a convey of bikes which are crossing the pass. Its much easier in a group since the cars stop to give you way and it makes riding a little easier. I got separated from my group in the pass but luckily there was a group of Harley Davidson riders whom I joined. It definitely helped me cross the pass safely.

The mighty Zojila Pass

Zojila Pass beckons a lifetime experience

Thats 10 foot snow at Zojila Pass.

We were pretty lucky that it hadn't rained the previous day nor was it raining that day. We can just imagine how difficult it would have been to cross the pass if it became muddy and slippery! I guess the Gods were with us on the entire journey. 

Nitrojains successfully conquered Zojila Pass!

View from the top of Zojila Pass

 Zojila pass also marks your entry into the Ladakh landscape.You will find the landscape gradually shifting to barren brown and dusty mountains which are a far cry from the lush green Kashmir valley landscape. After crossing Zojila Pass you will come across the Zojila War Memorial which is dedicated to the martyrs of the 1947-48 war with Pakistan. The memorial stands testimony to the remarkable achievement of the Indian Army when they recaptured Zojila on November 1st 1948. 

Paying our respects at the Zojila War Memorial

 There is a checkpost after crossing Zojila towards Drass. You will have to enter your bike and personal details in order to go ahead. Again we found the views breathtaking as there was patches of snow strewn among mixed brown and green landscape.

 Checkpost before Drass

Stopover on route

Checking in to our hotel at night in Drass

Sleeping in the cold climate under a full moon

We reached Drass late in the evening and settled into our hotel. It was bitterly cold and we were glad we had a good place to stay. Drass is a small town with only some 4-5 places to stay. So either book in advance or make sure you reach Drass early. A couple of bikers had no place to stay and we gladly accommodated them along with us.

Day 3: Srinagar & Gulmarg / Gondala 20th June '16

Tired from the previous days trip, we got up a little late and headed for Gulmarg after a heavy breakfast. Since we were to return back to Srinagar for the night, we decided to take only 5 bikes and go pillion for the day ride. Its approximately 50 km one way through highway via Tanmarg Road. Once you leave the highway and start climbing the Gulmarg mountains, you realize how truly beautiful Gulmarg is.

Morning view from our youth hostel

Srinagar to Gulmarg Gondola

Beautiful Gulmarg

Mesmerizing beauty of Gulmarg

Mountains dotted with flowers

Gulmarg boasts Asia's highest and longest cable car project, the Gulmarg Gondola. The two-stage ropeway ferries about 600 people per hour to and from Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Afarwat Peak (13,780 ft). The first stage transfers from the Gulmarg resort at 8,530 ft to Kongdoori Station in the bowl-shaped Kongdori valley. The second stage of the ropeway takes tourists to a height of 12,293 ft on Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Afarwat Peak. 

Gulmarg Gondola

Getting ready to take the car at second stage

When we reached Gulmarg, we were surprised to find out that you have to book tickets online for the second stage, a day in advance. No tickets for the second stage are available on spot! Luckily we were able to find a tout who arranged the second stage tickets for us at an additional cost. 

ADVICE: Book your tickets in advance online itself! Its only worth if you go all the way the second stage. You can book tickets at www.gulmarggondola.com

360 view of base of Gondola ride at Gulmarg! View in any VR headset or scroll in window directly (click on the VR headset icon to change view)

We got lots of snow at the second stage and really enjoyed making and throwing snowballs at each other. There are also skiing and snow carting activities to do. Oxygen levels are low because of the height, so its advisable that you don't over exert yourself.

Goofing around with the snow

Atop Gulmarg Gondola second stage

Photo opportunities are aplenty. Suvinay posing against majestic backgrounds

Eating our packed lunch amidst the most breathtaking surroundings

Sumit striking a model pose

We spent a considerable amount of time enjoying ourselves in the snow, pulling each others legs and absorbing the raw beauty of the mountains, breathing the most pure air you can imagine. We must have easily clicked over 300 snaps over there. A few of us went further up while some of us stayed back for a lunch break and even took a quick nap. I must say it must have been the most peaceful sleep we ever experienced in our entire lives.

Komal catching a quick nap

Nikhil, Puneet, Nitin & Praveen standing tall at the highest point

 It was soon evening and we had to head back. We descended the cable cars with our hearts filled with awe and memories etched forever in our souls. The descent was quick and we promised to come back with our wives, children & families to this amazing place. We drank the local tea called Kahwa, which is essentially boiled water with saffron, tea and local spices.

The local Kahwa tea

 On the way down we spotted a 'buttawala' and stopped to indulge in the most juiciest corns. Another opportunity for a photo session with the flower strewn mountain sides.

Catching a quick corn break on our way back

Posing against the beautiful flowers

 By the time we got back to Srinagar, it was around 8pm and unfortunately Dal lake road was jam packed with traffic due to tourists. It took us well over an hour just to cross the Dal lake road to reach our hotel (it had taken us 10 mins last late night!). We excitedly settled into our respective rooms in anticipation of what lay ahead of us the next day.