Ladakh Ride Day 13 – Diskit to Pangong
I woke up early morning around 05:30 AM, it was a pin drop silence all around. We got hot water around 06:00 AM, quickly freshen up, and got ready to rode Diskit to Pangong Lake. I planned to take Shyok – Agham route, as per locals roads were good but it should take 5-6 hours to reach Pangong.
We cold started the motorcycle, tied all the luggage. The hotel manager was a very kind man, we had tea together. Three guys from Delhi decided to join us till Pangong. One of two rented motorcycles of them were facing some issues. So, we started at 07:45 AM and decided to go to a bike repairing shop, around 2 KM from the hotel.
Although we waited for 15-20 minutes approximately, local people helped us to call the mechanic and the mechanic came. He easily identified the issues and solved them. By then we almost exhausted 45 minutes. Once we were good to go, we left and the morning view of Shyok River from the curvy road was awesome.
We stopped at a few places to capture the moment and reached Khalsar to have breakfast. There are a few food stations and some small buildings. We ordered Potato & Onion Paratha, tea, and omelet. The food was good and we almost spend 45 minutes there.
Then, we start, within a few kilometers we reached a junction from where the Agham route diverts. The direction was well marked at the junction. Roads were great both ways. It was a narrow road towards Agham and the view of Shyok while riding throughout this stretch was mesmerizing. We saw a lot of videos about this famous broken road and this turns out to be different.
As expected a few water crossings, landslide-prone areas, and the broken tarmac were there. After all, this is why Ladakh is so famous, for its difficult terrain. Most of the roads were pitched. A few patches were under construction. In addition, we got some stiff climb and descent, those were definitely worthy. The view this route offers is simply like heaven. We halted a few times for tea & snacks break before Tangtse.
There is a check post in Tangtse. We had to submit permits there and collect a number that needs to be conveyed while returning back via the same route. There are few food stalls too. It was around 40 KM to reach Pangong. We crossed Jab Tak Hai Jaan shooting point, few iron bridges. Spending a lot of time to click photos and waiting for the other guys. We had no rush so we moved slowly, observed every bit of beautifulness.
In some time we reached a point, “The first view of Pangong Lake”, it was happiness coming in everyone’s face. Pangong lake is more 4-5 Kilometer and that passes quickly. It was colored more than blue, surrounded by mountains and some are snow-capped.
Amazing, this is what I can say about Ladakh, truly it deserves every bit of fame it received over time. We moved ahead to search for a place to stay near the Lake. We got one, at a cheap rate, Rs. 900/- per person including dinner and breakfast. Room was made of wood and the heavy carpet was used for the floor to reduce coldness. Basic amenities like two really comfortable blanket, clean bed sheets and toilet. No electricity after 10 PM. It was basic though we liked because of the coziness, lake view from the room and its cleanliness.
We had early dinner around 08:00-08:30 PM, they served tasty veg food. Once done, they gave us, hot water in a jug to drink and in a bucket in case we need. Also, they told us to keep the bucket full otherwise it will be frozen. The temperature was in minus and truly, I never felt cold this much. It was like shivering from inside, hard to bear. Although I stayed there for half an hour just because of the sky.
It was full of stars, I really mean a lot. Even the color of the sky is also different than what we used to see. Above all, this view kept me outside for a really long time. Then, we met with other people staying in that place, they were from Maharashtra. All of them were more than 60 years old.
As always, we went to sleep around 10 PM, set an alarm for the next day to watch the sunrise and put all electronic gadgets on the charge.
I will never forget the sky in Pangong.
You may also like to check our Diskit to Pangong Ride Part 1 & Part 2 video below. This our first series of Moto-Vlog videos. Share your feedback to improve us.
Related Post
Ladakh Ride Day 12 – Atlast 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...
Ladakh Ride Day 14 – Pangong Lake to Leh
I woke up before 06:00 AM and went to the washroom. I saw frozen water everywhere except for the bucket. It was freezing cold outside...
Ladakh Ride Day 15 – Leh to Kargil
It was our last day in Leh, still Leh – Manali route was blocked due to heavy snowfall. We did not have any choice to...
Conclusion
Being a remote place, a lot of preparation needed before 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 definitely go well. You may also check out below generic posts to make your Leh Ladakh trip successful and memorable. I am sure you will love it.
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.
Follow Us
Although, we are in a process to queue up the next post shortly. Till then subscribe to Rider Escaped Newsletter and connect with us on Social platforms to get future updates quicker.
Don’t forget to check out our complete Ladakh Ride Blog series.
Certainly, if you loved this post, share this with your buddies. Also, if I missed out on anything do let me know in the comment section. I will include it in the post.
Thanks! Have a great day ahead.
