Ladakh Ride Day 18 – Pathankot to Delhi
We woke up a little late, around 7 AM, and freshened up quickly to be on the road as soon as possible. After a long time, we were about to ride on the proper six-lane highway from Pathankot to Delhi. We paid the hotel bill, lubed the chain, the cold started the motorcycle, and mounted all the bags.
Exiting from Pathankot, at around 8:30 AM, was not a problem, and quickly we were on the highway. It was time to munch kilometers again, the road was butter smooth and very soon we crossed approximately 55 kilometers. We stopped at a McDonald’s to have breakfast. After a long time, we had the burgers. It started to get warm outside as time passed, so we quickly had a meal and started towards Jalandhar.
Around 11:30 AM, we started to feel fatigued because of the heat; a few days in the Kashmir-Leh region made the heat impossible to bear. Anyhow, we have to ride and reach Delhi. We were stopping every 40-50 Kilometers and were looking for a shed to take rest, drink water.
At times, it was so pathetic that we thought of staying back and starting late at night. But anyhow, we had a phobia of riding at night, so we continued our journey forward. Struggle to bear with heat!
Around 2 PM, we saw a KFC before Rajpura, and again we stopped to have something; frankly, we stopped because of the AC. Anyway, we had some meals there, spent some more time. By then, we were looking for pleasant weather rather than staying somewhere because we had to ride to our native in the coming 3-4 days, which was about 1800 KM.
Fast forwarding the stops we had, around 4:30, we made a big mistake to miss the Panipat elevated expressway, maybe it started after a toll booth, and as usual, we crossed it from the left side, and bang, we missed. There must be an entry, we thought. But to our surprise, no, we had to continue for 10 kilometers in congested city traffic.
At 05:45 PM, we stopped at a tea stall, had tea, and captured the beautiful sun about to set for the day. Still, 85 kilometers left for the day. It was getting dark, so we rushed a bit. I started to ride carefully because of intermittent traffic due to road construction. Pathankot to Delhi seemed to be very long after the Srinagar-Leh stretch.
Finally, we entered Delhi around 7 PM. It was time to look for Hotels. I had to purchase a pair of fog lamps and windshields for my motorcycle, so I thought to stay near Karol Bagh. We visited 4-5 hotels in the Karol Bagh area, and all were overpriced, considering the amenities they offer; the asking price was not even justified. Somehow, we managed to get a good hotel, “Hotel Le Sancy”. I will not say it is the best, but it works well for us. Rs. 1200 for a day with AC, a clean washroom, and a comfy bed.
We unloaded the bags and parked the motorcycle in front of the hotel; they assured the safety of the motorcycle as they had a 24-hour receptionist and CCTV. We freshened up, ordered food from the menu. Biriyani was not available in the Hotel itself, so the guy bought it from outside and we paid accordingly. It tastes average. We watched movies for some time. We were about to stay there for two days, so we went to sleep without any worry to wake up early the next day.
Conclusion
Being a remote place, a lot of preparation is needed before the Leh Ladakh Tour, be it mentally or physically. Don’t forget the weather in the Ladakh region is extreme, and most of us are not accustomed to it.
So, be prepared, and everything in your Leh Ladakh tour will go well. You may also check out below generic posts below to make your Leh Ladakh trip successful and memorable. I am sure you will love it.
- How to prepare for Ladakh
- Things to Carry in Ladakh
- Medicines needed in Ladakh
- How to fight AMS or High Altitude Sickness
- Mobile Network Connectivity in Ladakh
- Inner Line Permit Procedure for Ladakh
- Complete Guide for your Ladakh Trip
If you are doing a road trip to Ladakh, you may find my Kolkata – Ladakh – Kolkata on a Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 journey helpful.
Lastly, get Leh’ed soon.
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