It's almost a right of passage for students in North India, to go on a road trip to Leh-Ladakh. College life feels incomplete if you haven't had that one intense bonding trip with your gang, before going your separate ways. And therefore, it was hardly surprising that my college squad decided that a bike trip to Ladakh would be our last hurrah. Starry-eyed, high on adrenaline and dressed in well-fitted leather jackets, we hopped onto our Royal Enfields and set off on what promised to be a journey of a lifetime.
The 5 of us took turns riding the 3 Royal Enfields and decided the best route for us would be via Kargil and Fotula Pass. It was on the fourth day of our bike trip that we were making the journey from Kargil to Ladakh. As we crossed the Fotula Pass, we could see the landscape change gradually, with the greenery reducing and the stark mountains standing in sharp contrast to the cobalt blue skies. Just short of entering Ladakh, we wanted to pause our journey for a bit - to stretch our legs, and to simply drink in the natural beauty around us. We came across a sign for Lamayuru Monastery and decided that's where we would halt.
Little did we know that that would be the best decision we made on this trip. Folks, not many of you would have heard of Uleytokpo, the gorgeous village 70 kms short of Ladakh and home to the Lamayuru Monastery. And that's an absolute pity, because hiding in plain site, it is the hub of adventure sports in India and definitely deserves a spot on any adrenaline junkie's bucket list.
First of all, the landscape at Uleytokpo is unlike anything you've probably seen. The sandy grey earth stretches for miles around, interrupted by a few bumps, craters, lakes and meadows that have earned it the name 'Moonscape'. We definitely got our fair share of Instagram-worthy pictures here.
Upon exploring Uleytokpo further, we discovered, to our unending surprise, that there's much more to this place than meets the eye. Uleytokpo offers plenty of activities to do, and since we were not bound by any timeline, we realised a tiny stopover wouldn't do justice. So, we decided to stay the night and explore all that this town has to offer.
There were plenty of camping sites and eco-resorts that locals told us about. Uley Eco Resort offered a few tents and we happily parked our Royal Enfields there before setting off to explore further.
First up, we trekked all the way to the Lamayuru Monastery, which rests at the top of a hill and offers unparalleled views of the nearby landscape. The dozens of prayer flags fluttering in the air offer a sense of peace. We found out that this was one of the oldest gompas in the Ladakh region, with around 150 monks who call it home. Upon entering, we were mesmerized by the vibrantly painted walls, the bright red prayer mats, and the serene Buddha statue.
The trek up to the monastery made us pretty hungry so we went off in search of food and found a stall that overlooks the mighty Indus River. It was basic, but the food was delicious and the mountain air left us feeling invigorated.
Next up, we got tempted by the sparkling waters of the Indus River and signed up for river rafting. We were told that there's a 7-km rafting stretch with smaller rapids and an 11-km stretch with bigger rapids. Unanimously all 5 of us voted for the latter and soon enough, we were in life jackets, ready to plunge into the adventure.
After a quick crash course on safety procedures, we were up and away, floating down the river. Soon enough, the water flow got more intense and we had to paddle a lot faster and firmer. As our boat bounced along the rapids, and icy droplets of water hit our faces, we looked at each other and just smiled. There was no time to talk but we all knew that in this moment, we were truly alive. We had created a memory that would last us a lifetime.
Once the rafting excursion ended, we headed to our tents to rest because we were simply drained. But once we heard that the sun was about to set, we came out of our tents and watched the sun paint the sky crimson, before vanishing beyond the Himalayan peaks. The night turned dark and pin-like stars peeked out in the sky. The sounds of the town slowly faded away. The only thing keeping us company was the sound of the gurgling Indus nearby and occasionally, a bird's chirp. It grew cold and we wrapped our blankets over our jackets. But we were simply not ready to part with this beauty.
Many hours later, when our eyes refused to stay open any longer, we moved back into our tents and dozed off for the night. We awoke to a scene almost as beautiful as the one we'd left. Imposing cliffs, lit up by the slanting rays of the sun, and a turquoise river flowing with full gusto. That's where we had our morning tea, while soaking in that surreal vista.
The beauty of Uleytokpo lies in the fact that it is so untouched, so pure. There are no crowds to disturb the music of nature, nor are there people to mar the landscape.
We checked out of the property, fired up our trusty Royal Enfields and set off towards Ladakh, grateful for having made this stopover at Uleytokpo and having had such a wonderful time in this precious town.