“Ascending Altitudes: Day 4’s Kargil to Leh Expedition with Monastic Marvels and Mechanical Maneuvers”

 1st August 2023

                        The journey from Kargil to Leh. We covered a total distance of 210 km.

Day 4 marked another chapter of our adventure. We had to start may be not as early as we did it by day 3 but considering the required repairing for my bike we forced to start delayed on day 4 by almost 2 to 3 hours from plan that we had. The bike was struggling to climb the high passes. The trouble signed was there from a day earlier, with poor performance, increased fuel consumption, overheating, and difficulties in climbing. These issues had slowed us down considerably. Since spare parts were not readily available in Kargil, we turned to a capable mechanics team for help. They replaced the BS4 carburetor with a BS3 one. While this might be technically unconventional, given the situation and the two passes of approximately 13,000 feet altitude we had to cross between Kargil and Leh, it was a pragmatic solution. Despite my repeated inquiries, they assured me that the part they used was indeed BS4.

We set off from Kargil around 12 pm, embarking on yet another day of riding and exploration of new routes and terrains. While the Ladakh region is inherently known for its monasteries, the journey to Leh via Dras is particularly rich with them. One not-to-miss stop is the Mulbekh Monastery. Not many travelers include it in their itineraries, but its significance lies in the 9-meter-tall Buddha carving on the stone. This carving is one of only three in the world, as the other two were destroyed by Taliban followers in Afghanistan. This statue is Dating back to the 8th century, this statue is situated about 40 km from Kargil. Although we initially missed this place due to a lack of signage, we decided to turn back and visit the statue. It was a remarkable experience, as I'm always captivated by ancient carvings and art that reflect the richness and peace within the social life of people in bygone eras.

Further along this route, we encountered the Lamayuru Monastery, one of the first monasteries we saw. Perched on a mountain cliff, it resembled a fort or watchtower due to its strategic position in the area. This characteristic was consistent with many other monasteries we encountered, all appearing like watchtowers or forts due to their strategic placements.

Crossing two passes meant navigating challenging mountain terrain, both climbing and descending. The first pass was Namikla Pass, at approximately 12,000 ft, while Kargil, our starting point, was at 8,700 ft. From there, we crossed Fotula Pass, reaching an altitude of around 13,500 ft. Given our entry from sea level and the high-altitude nature of these passes, we had to plan our route carefully to acclimate to the conditions. The previous day, we had traversed Zozila Pass, which was around 11,500 ft. This journey saw us cross two passes.

Passing Lamayuru, we took a brief break below the mountain and tasted fresh raw apricots. The experience was nothing short of amazing. In your Ladakh tour, if you haven't savored fresh apricots, you've missed out on a quintessential part of the experience. This was a culinary highlight of our journey, and we continued with the sweet taste of apricots lingering on our tongues.

We later rode through the area where the Sindhu River and Zanskar River meet, known as Sangam Point near Chumkar. One route leads to the Zanskar River, while the other leads to Leh city. While we didn't visit the Gurudwara and famous Magnetic Hill on this day, they were around 32 kilometers away from Leh. 

Covering 210 km was certainly demanding, especially as a significant part of the morning was spent on repair work. It took us approximately 6 hours to cover this distance, all while soaking in the wisdom of nature around us.

Day 4 concluded with a promising ride and the sheer delight of experiencing nature at its finest. A new member joined our group here, someone initially planning to ride from Chandigarh but flying directly from Mumbai to Leh due to medical reasons. Our group's dynamics were constantly evolving, with another rider expected to join from Pune on the 5th day. We had to spent 24 to 48 hours in Leh city to acclimatize before venturing into even higher altitudes.

Our accommodation was at the Ladakh Heaven Hotel on Fort Road. It struck the right balance, being close to the market area yet offering the calmness we needed. Stay tuned for Day 5, which promises to be compact yet information-packed.