Leh'd: A journey to the top of the world

I checked in at Chandigarh Airport saying ‘Celebrating Life’ #EnrouteLeh, and after 12 days I felt to have experienced every emotional celebration that I have had in my 22 years of existence. This is probably the most TERRIFIC travel experience I have had. The journey made me feel happy, sad, bad, good, excited, bored, satisfied, made me feel like a winner when I reached the Highest motor-able pass and made me feel tortured at some moments too. But I did celebrate life in this way with my friend and our friendship.

One phone call on an odd day with my school friend and I rescheduled my flights to have a road trip with him to Leh. We commenced our journey from Chandigarh to Leh via Srinagar and back to Chandigarh via Manali road. This is the best route anyone would suggest for a Bike ride from Chandigarh to Leh. We reached Leh after having night halts at Jammu, Srinagar and Drass.

The Journey

I have realised it is not as easy as it would look or sound from Internet itineraries and blogs. The journey is a complete self-experience and would be different for every individual. For me, it didn’t come as easy as I had thought it would be. It takes a toll on your physical and mental health. But it gives beautiful experiences that will probably mesmerise you for the lifetime.

The roads are supremely good majority of the times but when bad they are really bad. With enough experience and self-motivation, the journey can happen at ease, even if there’s some pain. We have experienced riding on all possible terrains plains, forests, ghats, swamp, snow, ice etc. It is a very rare chance that you’ll not fall at all in the course of this journey, I fell 6 times, speaks a Non Rider who was riding the Royal Enfield for the second time in life. While returning we also had our bikes loaded on the truck for 100 odd kilometres because the roads we were suggested turned out to be really bad and we couldn’t collect enough guts to ride in that area. Due to this we experienced a very different and more like Bollywood film movie “Highway” journey.

The Journey can get you frustrated physically because you’ll be riding the bike for more than 8-10 hours. This affects you, both physically and mentally. You’ll feel tortured maybe? I felt that at few phases during the road trip. Every destination feels like an achievement and BRO keeps you motivating all the time.

BRO is your best companion on this route; BRO will display supremely well written quotes which will make you smile. I’m curvaceous, be careful, speed trills but kills, Drive on horse power and not rum power, Darling I like you but not so fast, Be Mr late than late Mr, Be gentle on my Curves. These witty one lines will keep you entertained throughout the journey. Thanks BRO – Border Road Organisation for putting so much efforts in making life convenient in most extreme conditioned areas of India.

Collect all guts, pack your bag with only essentials no one is bothered to see your fancy clothes and set out for this adventurous journey, it’s worth it. Be safe, have company and take all precautions. We have been fortunate to have found extremely generous people and people otherwise are good at heart in these lands. You’ll definitely enjoy the art of the supreme power and how astonishingly beautiful he has made life to be.