An Unforgettable Experience in the Mountains
I touched down at Leh international airport at 06:30 hours (hrs) for my Youth Hostel Association of India (YHAI) cycling expedition. From the airport, we headed for the base camp. It was advised that we rest for the entire day to get used to the weather at ~11000 ft ( ~3352.8 m ). By evening all our group members arrived, a total of 31 eclectic people.
Day 2 was acclimatization where we had to walk a few Kilometers (km) and then climb the Shanti Stupa, some ~800 stairs. Shanti Stupa is one of the oldest monasteries in Leh. Reaching the top, we were greeted by a serene and peaceful view of Leh—the rest of the day we spent exploring the city and its many attractions.
On day 3 we were transferred to the Lamayuru base camp by Bus. It was approximately 3–4 hrs of journey time. At Lamayuru, we got our bikes (bicycles). Evening we went for a trial run, ~3 km downhill then back up. During this trial run, we were supposed to check the gears, brakes, etc.
On day 4 we left for Skur Buchan camp. It was a downhill ride for ~5 km then a flat road along the Indus river. We stopped for lunch around 13:00 near a water stream. After lunch, we rested for a few moments and continued our ride. We reached the camp around 16:00. Welcome drink was served, followed by tea and snacks. Skur Buchan is a small village surrounded by mountains with the Indus river flowing alongside. The night sky was vibrant with stars.
On day 5 we commenced our journey back to Lamayuru camp. It was mostly a smooth ride. We met our next batch on the way who were going for Skur Buchan. Just before the 5 km uphill ride, there was a monastery where we had our lunch and rested for a few minutes. We completed the arduous uphill ride in around 2 hours and reached the Lamayuru camp. We had our usual welcome drink; snacks and dinner and went to bed. Tomorrow was a crucial day as we had to climb Fotu La top, the highest point on the Leh-Srinagar route.
On day 6 we prepared for the ascent of Fotu La to reach our next camp at Heniskot. The route was challenging with a lot of hairpin bends. It was a climb of ~3500 ft ( ~1066.8 m ) over a course of ~6 km. We had been advised to reach Fotu La top before 14:00, as after that the weather gets too harsh with strong headwinds. I along with a few other riders reached the top around 12:30. It was a great sense of achievement. From Fotu La, Heniskot is ~12 km of downhill ride. We started our downhill ride to Heniskot after clicking a few pictures. The downhill was one of the most amazing downhills I have ridden to date. It was a well-earned one which we covered in mere 15 mins, cruising at 60–70 km/h.
The Heniskot camp is located near the banks of river Indus, with big mountains surrounding it. Next day we were supposed to go back to Lamayuru camp and end out trip.
Last day of our expedition, we started from Heniskot and by lunchtime reached our destination. The bus was waiting to transfer us back to the base camp. We arrived by evening, got our certificates, and said goodbye to other group members.
After the expedition, we still had three days to explore the city. A few of the group members had also stayed back to explore Leh. On the first day, we went to Pangong Tso Lake on Royal Enfield Bullets. The ride was exhilarating. On the way to Pangong, we crossed Chang La, the third-highest motorable road. Upon reaching the lake, we were awestruck at the beauty of the lake. It was calm and beautiful. We stayed there at night in a homestay. The hospitality was good. The next morning we traced our path back to the city.
For the last day, I along with five other group members rented mountain bikes (MTBs) to climb the mighty Khardung La, located at ~18,000 ft ( ~5486.4 m ). The ride was going to be tough since we were already tired from the Pangong journey. We started at 06:00 in the morning. It was ~45 km of gradual uphill from Leh. We were not prepared for this. Of the six of us, two managed to reach South Pullu. They had to head back from there as they were feeling dizzy and nauseous due to low oxygen. I, along with two of my friends reached ~14000 ft ( ~4267.2 m), 6 km before South Pullu. We were too feeling dizzy. Unable to continue further; we too decided to head back. The last person could manage to reach ~12000 ft ( ~3657.6 m) only and had to return from there itself.
Though we failed in our attempt to climb Khardung La on human-powered bikes, we were happy that we attempted it. Who knows, one day we might come back and attempt it again.
Each one of us learned something or the other from this unforgettable experience. We are mesmerized by the beauty of the mountains and would want to come back again and again; till then we have a memory of a lifetime to relive.