Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh

Tripoto
11th May 2013
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 1/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
that view of pangong lake was scenic as well as pleasing to the eyes
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 2/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Traditional costumes of ladakhi's
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 3/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
this 2 story monument of gautam buddha is the main attraction of the thiksey mon
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 4/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Gurudwara Pathhar sahib in the outskirts of the leh, Situated at the edge of the
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 5/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Kuch yaad unhey b kar lo jo laut k ghar na aaye , kar war memorial built in the
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 6/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Famously knows as Moonland, this view on the Kargil - Leh highway is a treat to
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 7/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Lamayuru : I personally loved the architechture of the building out there
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 8/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
I don't have a caption for this pic ! Simply no words
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 9/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Biking on this straight, long and pleasant highway is an inimitable experience
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 10/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Thanks to our Pulsar 150 cc bikes to make it happen for us :)
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 11/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Monks walking out of the auditorium of a school after a traditional event in Leh
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 12/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
A sigh of relief after covering half of the journey towards pangong lake..
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 13/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Magnetic hill pulls you towards itself even if you try to run away from it , if
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 14/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
A traditional laddakhi kitchen ..
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 15/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
This path on the infamous zozilla pass reminds you the same path of the manali &
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 16/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Women power : Cleaning up the way towards Pangong so that we could commute freel
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 17/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Hemis Monastrey : They are the building blocks of the traditional ladakhi cultur
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 18/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
Time map
Photo of Tso & La : Trip to Ladakh 19/19 by Kuldeep Teekas
These freezing mountains will try every thing to stop you from proceeding toward

A bike trip from Srinagar to Leh via Kargil ! Sounds adventurous ? Indeed it was.Snow was melted, the highways were open , sun was shiny it was all set for the perfect kick start of our journey from Srinagar on our Bikes Pulsar 150 in May 2013.But nature has its own set up for us on the day of journey. We were supposed to leave origin by 6 am but it was raining since last night which made it difficult for us, but without worrying much about the consequences we started in the rain.It was first of its kind experience for all 4 of us. The best part about the trip is that we all were good bikers ( atleast in my opinion :p ) & thats the key point while going on a bike trip anywhere in the world. You should have great bikers around you, they not only pulls you out of the difficult situations but also ensures your safety and adds up more fun to the trip.

One of the foremost and difficult task was to cross the zozilla pass and that too in the rain and to make it more interesting that too when the whole convoy of the army vehicles is passing the same at the same time that too in the oppostie direction. It tooks us couple of hours to finally cross it. We slipped, we pushed , we walked , we took selfies but we never gave up.

After crossing the zozilla pass we entered the most beautiful highways i have ever witnessed in my life. There was snow, there were mountains , there was rain , clouds , lake , rivers everything you know could exist in nature it was there !I was witnessing the once in a life time opportunity.The main attraction while travelling via Srinagar - Kargil NH 1D is Zozilla Pass , Kargil War Memorial , Drass & Nature challenging you at every feet.

We halted at Kargil and next day started off to Leh.The Road to kargil-leh road is just awesome, i fell in love with those road. The were broad, smooth, plain, newly made and they were just amazing. The best part about this path was Fotu la pass, Lamayuru , Moonland , Magnetic Hill , Patthar Sahib Gurudwara & the nature in its untouched way.

Then we entered Leh. The most beautiful place i have ever witnessed.The things i loved about the city were :1. There people, who were so helping, honest & free from any kind of ill habits.

2. They were stylish in their own way.

3. The nature is unffected from the human & you can experience it in the way it is.

4. The Culture, rituals & the festivals of the city.

Then we did the most difficult journey till now. Leh to Pangong lake. This 150km ride to & fro that too in a single day making it 300 km plus made it more difficult. We almost risked our lives in the snow storm while returning back from pangong. But the feeling when we reached pangong was worth the journey. In short i would like to say: Every single person should have to travel this place to experience the most beautiful journey of their lives.

Although i am too small to give any tips before making this trip, but would like to add up some things :

1. As i already mentioned, always go with sensible riders any mistake on the highway will cost you your life.

2. Keep some petrol can tied with your bike while riding, you never know when you need it.

3. Have some hands on the some of the basics of bike repairing and keep some basic tools with you.

4. Check your vehicle properly before leaving for the journey.

5. Know thorougly about the place you are visiting on net so that you do not miss out some of the famous places.

6. Keep a good camera with you because the scenic view you are going to experience will be awesome.

7. Plan it in the April - June season. That is the most appropriate time to travel the place.

Happy Journey & always remember "Its not the ride, its the Rider" !

There is a beautiful Gurudwara known as "Pather Sahib" constructed in the memory of Guru Nanak, about 25 miles away from Leh, on the Leh-Kargil road, 12000 ft above the sea level. In the late 70s, during the construction of Leh-Nima road, a large stone was found in the middle. The bulldozer driver tried to push and throw away the stone but it did not move and in the process the blades broke and the work stopped. The driver had a dream that night not to move the stone. He narrated his dream to the army officer who did not give any importance to it. When all efforts to remove it failed it was decided to blow it with a dynamite the next day. That night the army officer also had a dream not to remove the stone but he again disregarded it. The next day being Sunday he noticed that early in the morning several Tibetans came and started showing reverence to the stone. On enquiring further he was told that this was a "Wax Statue" of their revered Lama, Nanak and it contained the imnprints of his shoulders, head and backside.he was told that during the period 1515-1518 AD when Guru Nanak was returning back to Punjab through Srinagar, after travelling to Sikkim, Nepal and Tibet, he rested at this place. A woman came to him for help. It was her son that was to be sacrificed to a demon who lived on the hill. Guru Nanak consoled her and asked her not to send her son to the demon. The demon was infuriated and threw a large rock at the Guru which hit the back of the meditating Guru and stopped there. The Guru's body is believed to be imprinted on the rock. The demon felt ashamed and prostrated at the feet of Guru Nanak.

Gurudwara Pathhar sahib in the outskirts of the leh, Situated at the edge of the

Photo of Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, National Highway 1D, Phey, Jammu and Kashmir by Kuldeep Teekas

Hemis Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery (gompa) of the Drukpa Lineage, located in Hemis, Ladakh, India. Situated 45 km from Leh, the monastery was re-established in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal. The annual Hemis festival honoring Padmasambhava is held here in early June.

Hemis Monastrey : They are the building blocks of the traditional ladakhi cultur

Photo of Hemis Gompa, Hemis Gompa, Tikse by Kuldeep Teekas

Dras War Memorial, also known as the Vijaypath, is a war memorial built by the Indian Army, located in Dras, in the foothills of the Tololing Hill. The memorial is located about 5 km from the city centre across the Tiger Hill. It is located on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway 1D. The main attraction of the whole memorial is the Sandstone wall, in the open, which has the names of all the Indian army personnel, who laid their lives during the Kargil war besides there is also a souvenir shop. Visitors to the memorial can also see from there, some of the peaks that the Indian army captured back from Pakistan. A giant national flag, weighing 15 kg was hoisted at the Kargil war memorial to commemorate the 13th anniversary of India’s victory in the war

Kuch yaad unhey b kar lo jo laut k ghar na aaye , kar war memorial built in the

Photo of Kargil War Memorial, Drass, National Highway 1D, Jammu and Kashmir by Kuldeep Teekas

Lamayuru : I personally loved the architechture of the building out there

Photo of Lamayuru, Lamayuru 194106 by Kuldeep Teekas

Traditional costumes of ladakhi's

Photo of Leh, Leh by Kuldeep Teekas

A traditional laddakhi kitchen ..

Photo of Leh, Leh by Kuldeep Teekas

The “magnet Hill” is located on the Leh-Kargil-Srinagar national highway, about 30 km from Leh, at a height of 11,000 feet above sea level. On its south side flows the Indus, which originates in Tibet and goes to Pakistan. The magnetic hill has become a popular stop for domestic tourists on car journeys. The alignment of the road with the slope of the background can give the illusion that cars are able to drift upwards.

Biking on this straight, long and pleasant highway is an inimitable experience

Photo of Magnetic Hill, Magnetic Hill, 194101 by Kuldeep Teekas

Magnetic hill pulls you towards itself even if you try to run away from it , if

Photo of Magnetic Hill, Magnetic Hill, 194101 by Kuldeep Teekas

Women power : Cleaning up the way towards Pangong so that we could commute freel

Photo of Pangong Lake Rd, Pangong Lake Rd, Merak 194201 by Kuldeep Teekas

A sigh of relief after covering half of the journey towards pangong lake..

Photo of Pangong Lake Rd, Pangong Lake Rd, Upshi 194201 by Kuldeep Teekas

Pangong Lake, is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4,350 m (14,270 ft). It is 134 km (83 mi) long and extends from India to Tibet. Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies in Tibet. The lake is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers 604 km2. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water.

that view of pangong lake was scenic as well as pleasing to the eyes

Photo of Pangong Lake, Pangong Lake by Kuldeep Teekas

It is located on top of a hill approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) east of Leh in Ladakh, India. It is noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet and is the largest gompa in central Ladakh, notably containing a separate set of buildings for female renunciates that has been the source of significant recent building and reorganisation.

this 2 story monument of gautam buddha is the main attraction of the thiksey mon

Photo of Thikse Gompa, National Highway 3, Thiksey, Jammu and Kashmir 194201 by Kuldeep Teekas

Zoji La is 9 km (5.6 mi) from Sonamarg and provides a vital link between Ladakh and Kashmir. It runs at an elevation of approximately 3,528 metres (11,575 ft), and is the second highest pass after Fotu La on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway.

Thanks to our Pulsar 150 cc bikes to make it happen for us :)

Photo of Zoji La, Zoji La, Forest Block 192230 by Kuldeep Teekas

This path on the infamous zozilla pass reminds you the same path of the manali &

Photo of Zoji La, Zoji La, Forest Block 192230 by Kuldeep Teekas