“Great things are done, when men and mountains meet”.

The line from William Blake’s poem hits the right notes if I have to recollect my last trip to the mountains. A transverse through the sheer geographic diversity of the land of the Lama, we bikers describe as Paradise. A pilgrimage to the holy grail with a bunch of riders voyaging from different parts of the country in a bid to surrender themselves in tranquility to the mighty mountains. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Royal Enfield Himalayan Odyssey 2013.

DAY 1- REALISATION OF AN OLD DREAM

All thanks to Royal Enfield, for having chosen me amongst a lucky few to be a part of the event that was all set to celebrate a spirited decade of biking brotherhood in the rugged rocky cradle of Ladakh.

Starting off the morning brimmed with eagerness after an eventful overnight flight from Mumbai to Delhi, the longing to see the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas was squeezing every drop of patience out of me. Post lift-off from Delhi, rarely do I remember taking my eyes off the window and after an hour of battling my impatience- the heavens finally pulled up its curtains. The show that followed, left me absolutely dumbstruck! The sight for which I have been dreaming since years, was right in front of my eyes. The chaste white layer of snow blanketing the rocky peaks was a sight to behold. The chill of the Himalayan snow had already pierced through my staring eyes into the body rendering me frozen like a child outside a candy store.

If it was not for a packed to capacity aircraft, I would have run circles like a canine in excitement. The stare continued and the gradual transformation of landscape from snowy peaks to barren mountains hinted touchdown on the ethereal portal to paradise. My heartbeat was at such a level, that I could literally hear it. The spiritual journey in the land of eternal mystique was about to start. The landing was rough as quoted by other passengers, but the overwhelming enthusiasm inside unknowingly discounted everything looking forward to my first breath in Leh.

Being the last passenger to get down the aircraft, the descent from the air-stairs happened in extreme slow motion. My wide open mouth (in amazement) and lungs working like a vacuum cleaner, trying to suck in as much air as possible. I so wished to get on my knees and kiss the ground- but decided against to avoid the embarrassing look on the faces of others. My eyes were circling constantly like a radar- every move on the revered terrain had to be captured, and the “Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Terminal” was a good start. The vehicular population outside the airport reminded me of yesteryear’s Maruti Service Station TVC, and no wonder they set up facilities at such an altitude. One out of every two was a Maruti and no surprises it was an Omni we crammed into that ferried us to our nest for the night- Hotel Namgyal Palace.

Acclimatization, altitude sickness and other advisories issued by friends and people who had been to Leh were all forgotten. Being on the return leg of the 2013 Himalayan Odyssey meant that I wouldn’t get to see Khardung-la or Nubra Valley which are prominent points, if one happens to visit Leh. Pangong Tso was another such landmark, but it wasn’t part of the Odyssey itinerary. Only a few hours after landing and seeing nearly half a day pass by, I decided to make the remaining hours worthwhile. Khardung-la would have been a dicey affair in case anything happens to go wrong (read AMS). In two hours I flew from Delhi- a city less than a thousand feet above sea level to Leh at 11,500 feet- and planning to scale a further 7000 feet in 2 hours time might have turned into a disaster. But being an occasional trekker and having pulled myself out of difficult situations on more than one occasion, I took the bait. Moments later, I was riding through one of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet, though the same couldn’t be said about the roads. Obstacles such as river crossings, broken patches and landslides added to the thrill- but that didn’t deter me from giving thumbs up to bikers and cyclists making their way down.

2 hours later, I was finally up there…..with Khardung-la welcoming me as it has done to a million people since it first opened in 1988. Though surprisingly nothing as apprehended happened and in fact- it was rather a breezy ride up to the highest motorable road in the world. AMS did make its present felt, but it was way too minor to be bothered about. To confess, I felt no sense of achievement or pride making up there. It was not even half as tiring or taxing as a moderate trek I’ve done at a few forts in Maharashtra. But it was a landmark moment being on top of the world.

There might be plenty of scientific arguments debating Khardung-la’s actual altitude- but I believe one shouldn’t ride up there as a challenge or a mission (it wasn’t in my case), but for the absolute divine view of the landscape that one would cherish for a lifetime. I spent a considerable amount of time at the top, soaking in the scenery and despite the bone-chilling temperatures (I wasn’t wearing any thermals)- I fulfilled another dream of rolling in a patch of snow.

The sun started inching closer to the horizon, and it was time to make my way back to base- which happened at a pretty relaxed pace admiring the stunning landscapes. And a few hours later- I was in the comforts of Hotel Namgyal Palace brimming with contentment that I made those few hours worthwhile. An early dinner comprising a large portion of Thukpa marked the end of the day- an eventful one at that.

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