Ladakh Ride Day 12 – Atlast We Conquered The Mighty Khardung La
As usual, I woke up early morning due to excitement to conquer the World’s Highest Motorable Road, Khardung La pass. It was a long dream for us. We packed the required items needed for the next three days, which helped us a lot to cut weight. We kept the rest of the luggage in the hotel as we planned to return to Leh. It was very cold outside, so we dressed as much as possible to resist the cold.
The temperature was so cold outside that the water on top of the motorcycle seat was frozen. We bid adieu two families we met last Sunday, and with their blessings, we started.
Passing the Leh DC Office, we entered the Khardung La road, and within 10 minutes, the landscape started changing. We witnessed snow aside from the road. Beauty was becoming a wonder. The road towards Khardungla was great in most sections.
Once we reached the South Pullu check-post, we had to submit a photocopy of the permit and vehicle registration number. The snow was everywhere, everyone was clicking pictures, friends and family. A few of them sought permission to click some pictures with our motorcycle, even some people even clicked with us. This is something everyone loves to get praised.
After spending more than 30 minutes, we started to climb towards the mighty Khardung La Pass. We were off to broken tarmac, just 12 KM before the top, the road was filled with mud from melting snow. The road becomes narrower and in some places, we had to stop to give a pass to opposite vehicles, and one foot away from the edge. Being a short guy, I was scared of slipping in the snow. It was a game to struggle and be calm & patient. Each kilometer we crossed felt a lot more. Our focus was only on the road, so we missed some heavenly beauty.
Almost 45 minutes later, dodging all the hurdles, we reached the top. Yes, we conquered “The World’s Highest Motorable Road”, mighty Khardung La. There are a lot of debates and proof that it is not the highest. We don’t care, this is the place every adventure seeker knows, for being the highest motorable road for decades. Even Umling La, the current highest motorable pass, is not that famous; even getting permission to ride/drive is also a big challenge.
For us, it was one of the most satisfying moments to see the glamorous board and snow-capped top.
We spent a good time there, tried to capture our photo with the famous words, but due to the rush, we did not get what we wished. It was time to move ahead, suddenly.
I noticed an error action camera while I started recording. Quickly troubleshooted and was shocked, all the footages of bad roads and reaching Khardungla Top was not there, and the card was inaccessible. We had no choice but to format the card. This time we started recording and started to descend, almost a similar kind of off-road we got again, and this time we captured most of them. A few kilometers later, we got pitched a black road alongside snow, so soothing scenery it was. Finally, we reached North Pullu, and the cold was bearable here. We ordered our food, noodles, coffee, tea, and Kawa.
While having food, we met three guys from Delhi (Dhruv, Angad, Sahil). They were also going towards Diskit. We decided to ride together till there. The remaining roads were too good, and we were maintaining good speeds. Stopped at a few places to have tea, click pictures, or just enjoy nature.
Finally, around 05:00 PM, we reached Diskit and headed straight towards the Diskit monastery; we did not want to miss that place. It was a mesmerizing experience to meet school kids there and also surrounded by a complete 360-degree view. Once done.
We rushed to find a hotel as it was getting dark, and got a room for Rs. 1000/- in Hotel Olthang. Only BSNL had a network, so we had to rely on wifi. We did inform our families on WhatsApp.
Completed our dinner at around 08:30 PM. The food was very good. We put everything on charge as electricity was available till 11:00 PM. Set an alarm for the next day and went to sleep.
A day spent very well……..
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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