21 July 2010

In the initial plan, this was supposed to be our rest day. But we were so far behind schedule, that it had turned into a riding day as well. The only chance of rest was if we could make it quickly back to Leh. MarsimekLa had to be skipped. I so dearly wanted to go there for the utmost challenge of man and machine. They say that you have to push the bike for the last 5 kms. The previous day, we were asking one local for directions to the pass. He looked at our bikes and just simply said, "ye nahi jayegi". That is one challenge I have to have to complete. We thanked our angel gratefully and left for Leh. Now was the time for ascent to ChangLa from the other side. That meant PPFT(paddle pushing full throttle). As we were nearing the pagal nullah, there was a steep ascent with running water just one turn below. Us Bulleteers were left behind. Saurabh got stuck first. Rohit overtook him and was steadily climbing. We would stop later and help Saurabh out. I was close behind Rohit when suddenly his Bullet stopped. I still had enough momentum and could not stop in time and crashed into his carrier(Fall #13). No injuries again. First, I helped Rohit out. Then we pushed Saurabh up and then finally my turn to be pushed. The non-Bullets had passed this cleanly and did not stop. By now, I had stopped getting angry. This time the nullah was somewhat cushioned by BRO. But even then, we required lot of pushing to get through. The non-Bullets were waiting this time. Pushing the bikes at this altitude leaves one exhausted. We were all gasping and panting. When we reached ChangLa, the souvenir shop was open and free tea was also offered. The tea had a taste like none other. Doley bought the maximum number of souvenirs. He plans to bribe his office folks for future leaves when he gets his Classic 500. One of the visiting tourists asked if he could take picture with the bike so that he could later tell at home that he had come on bike to Leh. I hate such posers. I did not stop for him. However, Rohit bhai being the gentle person allowed him. These guys take unworthy credit by putting none of the effort. The descent to Leh was tremendous fun. It was less steeper than the other side and allowed for much pleasurable riding. We zoomed all the way. We saw another Bullet with two guys. They had masted a huge Ukraine flag on the bike. It looked fabulous. It earned Thumbs Up from all of us. We stopped at Karu for lunch at Punjabi Dhaba. He had freshly prepared chicken. We ate to the fill. Now the group divided. Dutta, Rohit, Saurabh and I wanted to visit Shye Palace. The rest wanted to just reach the hotel and crash. Rohit was the most eager tourist. But when we reached the Palace and the climb started, he beckoned for us to give up and return. Most of the palace area was locked off. So, it was not long after we also reached the hotel. A disturbing news awaited us. Ajit was still there. He had booked bus tickets to Manali and was sending his Bullet by tempo. The crisis at Srinagar had become even more dangerous. There was also the news of risk in Kargil and Dras. The second news was thought to be exaggerated. These areas have such high military presence that no one would dare even think of rioting. But the Srinagar news was definitely troubling. It had to be a collective decision. None of us was prepared to go back the rough road to Manali. Vihans' contact was warning us not to come to Srinagar. If we got stuck by any chance, the curfew situation meant we would not find a place to stay and eat. Saurabh reached out to some of his own contacts, as did Rohit. They found out that with the Amarnath Yatra in progress, traffic was open. The risk was definitely there. The city was closed off. Now, we had to decide whether to take the risk or not. At that time, we decided to go for it. Till date, we do not know if it was a logical decision or not. Anything could happen. We were happy on exploring this new route and the mighty ZojiLa. Even the name has a sinister sound to it. That decided, there was no further talk about it. We got the bikes filled with petrol and then tied most of the luggage in the night itself. Saurabh, Rohit and I also visited Shanti Stupa. This was our last night in Leh. I went to the city theka to look for Obi rum. Sadly, they were out. I did find Chinar though. Only some of us had a peg or two that night. Dinner was at Dogra dhaba. The food was brilliant. It was going to be a long journey home.