HIMALAYAN ODYSSEY 2008

"Himalayan Odyssey - The road may end, but the journey lives on, read all about this years odyssey in the words of Dipesh Dutt Sharma."
 
‘I am definitely doing this again’ – I resolved, as I stood by the side of the road. I was looking at breathtaking view of magnificent mountains with peaks disappearing into the clouds sloping down to a deep valley with a gushing river flowing through. I was riding with the Royal Enfield Himalayan Odyssey 2007 and had just crossed Rohtang pass on our way to Manali. This was the 12th day of the trip.
 
I had returned to India after an 8 year gap of not having ridden a motorcycle. I had heard about the Himalayan Odyssey from friends I’d made trying to get back into riding once I moved to Chennai, India. The riding scene in India has matured and grown a lot since then with almost every major city with a couple of very active motorcycle clubs. I was 22 then and 35 KGS lighter and wanted to see if I still had it in me. I had convinced my wife to let me participate by saying that this would be a once in a lifetime thing.
 
So, after a lot of arguments, discussions, pleading, dinners and many expensive gifts, I got permission from the boss to participate again in the Himalayan Odyssey 2008.
 
Fifty odd participants and media personnel from various automotive magazines get together for an experience they will never forget, for one reason or another. It takes about two weeks to cover about 2500 kilometers, from Delhi to Khardung-la Pass and back through the majestic, beautiful and humbling Himalayas with riders from all over the country (I counted 10 state number plates).
 
The riders are accompanied by a logistics support staff; a luggage truck carrying everyone’s baggage and spare parts and tools; a team of three service vehicles carrying the mechanics, engineer, doctor, medical assistant, and a logistics coordinator. In addition there is also a car carrying the television crew. One news channel covers the ride one way to Khardung-la and another on the way back.
 
The riders meet at Delhi a day prior to the ride for medical check-ups, briefing and final check-ups and adjustments on the bikes to rectify problems that may have occurred during transportation. A flag off by Sidhartha Lal (CEO – Eicher Motors) at India gate with reporters et al next morning and we are on our way.
 
A typical day starts early, usually a wake up a 5:30 AM and breakfast at 6:30 AM. You need to have your bags packed and dropped off at the luggage truck before you eat. An hour or so to gear up, pack your stuff that you need to carry with you on the bike – basically a change of clothes to be comfortable once you reach the destination, since the luggage truck can sometimes arrive much after the riders have reached and if you are among the first few to reach the destination, waiting around in heavy riding gear is not very comfortable. In the morning the ride lead from Royal Enfield briefs the group on the route, road conditions to expect and some riding tips.
 
The riders are off and everyone keeps their own pace, stopping for pictures or just to enjoy a scenic, usually breathtaking view. One of the service vehicle is designated the last to leave and remain at the tail end. There is at least one re-group point midway where everyone waits for the service vehicle. This is where everyone usually has lunch and refreshments. Arrival of the service vehicle indicates that all the riders have arrived, safely.
 
The last service vehicle never overtakes a rider. If your bike breaks down, you park on the side of the road and wait for a service van to reach you and let the mechanics make repairs on the bike. If the bike cannot be repaired, they load it in an accompanying pick-up to make repairs at the destination at night.
 
Once the service vehicle reaches the regroup point, the riders are off again to the destination or the next regroup point – depending on the riding distance of the day there may be more than one regroup point. The longer riding days are 250+ KILOMETERS while short rides can be as short as 75 kilometers with no regroups. Again the ride to the destination is staggered, but everyone reaches the destination before sunset. The destination ranges from city hotels to camps in the middle of nowhere.
 
Once room/camp allocation is done, the dinner time and the next morning departure is announced. Most people choose their roommates in the first couple of days and generally stick to the partnership throughout the trip. Small groups automatically form but you get to know almost everyone by the time the ride ends.
 
The first destination, 240 kilometers from Delhi, is Chandigarh and it is a tough ride. The road is good but the north Indian dry summer heat coupled with the GT Road (NH 1) truck traffic can be very un-nerving and stressful. The protective riding gear which most people wear, no matter how ventilated, adds to the heat. In 2007, it was during this stretch that I almost collapsed due to dehydration. I was wearing a riding jacket that was not breathable. I’d never worn riding gear – there was none available when I was younger. A leather jacket and high ankle sneakers were the most one could think of apart from a helmet. I lost so much water to sweat that I thought the first day of the ride was my last. Nevertheless, I survived and had an excellent time. This year I had a multi weather condition Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket, a hydration pack and bionic knee protectors. From last year's ride, I had my water proof touring boots, Multi weather protective riding pants and spine protector with a kidney belt. I was on a new Machismo 500 painted yellow with an off-white stripe and off-white side boxes. I was also 10 kgs lighter (less fat) than last year. I felt good, confident and safe.
 
The regroup was at Ambala at the Royal Enfield showroom where they served us lunch and refreshments and the local staff took care of repairs and we continued to Chandigarh.
 
Chandigarh is my home town and is always refreshing to come back to. It was an evening spent resting for most; some people had to get their bikes repaired. I went home to say Hi to my family and then I took some new friends out to a favorite dhaaba in town that I used to frequent during my college days. The mutton and keema was as delicious as it was 15 years ago. After dinner, I took them on a slow ride around town. I am very proud of the City Beautiful. Full stomachs ensured a deep sound sleep and rest for the next day's ride.
 
About 100 kilometers past Chandigarh you leave the plains and start climbing the hills. The paved roads and dropping temperatures put smiles of relief on everyone's face. Ah, the fun starts now! They have no idea what lies ahead. First glimpses of Kullu valley beckon the photographer in everyone carrying a camera.
 
We ride 310 kilometers on the second day to reach Manali around dusk and check into the hotel. Hot tea and Pakoras await us. My brakes are giving me some trouble so I promptly let the service people know. I've also lost my chain cover and am told not to bother about it. People are out in the evening walking about town with new found friends; some even start their shopping. This is also where I met Kyle and Adam, two young reporters. We ended up at a well known Chinese restaurant for a hearty meal and called it an early night.
 
Rohtang is the first pass we cross after Manali on our way to Keylong on the third day, a 130 kilometers ride. We are still encountering tourist traffic, but the route gets more scenic. As we go past (whatever is left of) Rohtang pass we leave behind traffic and paved roads and more excitement kicks in. The regroup at Koksar is abuzz with conversations around the condition of the roads ahead. Everyone is thrilled. It’s a short ride to Tandi from there and the first real experience of off-roading. At Tandi we split up into two groups - one staying at the camp at Tandi and others and whoever needs work done on their bike or want a hot shower, go to the hotel at Keylong, a few kilometers away. The camp has a bonfire and mutton for dinner. The hotel has hot showers and mechanics.
 
Tandi is also the last petrol station before Leh, 385 kilometers away, so it says on a big board at the pump. Everyone estimates how much more fuel they may need and the logistics personnel fill up a big drum with the required amount and carry it on the luggage truck. So with tanks full and wearing winter clothing/gear we start the 170 kilometer 4th day’s ride to Sarchu. A regroup at Darcha before the pass and the day ride takes us over Barlach La pass at an altitude of 16500 feet above sea level. The first stings of altitude sickness hit most of us. The air is thin, the temperatures low; we can feel the bikes lose considerable power and feel the difficulty in breathing. We are advised not to stop at the top of the pass for long and not to exert at all. It doesn’t stop riders from stopping every now and then for pictures. The second regroup is at Bharatpur after the pass. The road has patches of tarred surface but most of the journey is over gravel, rocks and sand. By this time, riders who enjoy off-roading are having the time of their life.
 
Sarchu is cold and almost everyone has a mild headache. The Sarchu camp witnesses the most visits to the Doctor’s tent. Complaints range from mild headaches to "I think I'm going to die", which the doctor says is very normal. The mood is still upbeat and the women riders rally everyone to the mess tent for a pre-dinner game of dumb charades. The tents are comfortable but many people do not sleep well. It is pretty evident the next morning. But nobody is ready to give up just yet. A good pep talk from Sachin and everyone is back in the saddle roaring to go!
 
Sachin Chavan is the ride lead working at Royal Enfield. He has led every Himalayan Odyssey since its inception. He is an experienced rider, well known in the riding community and most people trust his advice on the trip. He has a riding tip for the group almost everyday.
 
The ride from Sarchu to Rumste, approximately 150 kilometers takes us over Nakeela, Tanglangla and Lachungla pass. The passes keep getting higher. The highlight of this ride is Gata Loops and More Plains. Right after Sarchu is steep climb with 21 loops/hairpin bends. Riders familiar with the area eagerly await this stretch. Once you are over Nakeela and Tanglangla, the regroup is at Pang – the highest army transition camp in the world.
 
The beautiful More Plains start a few kilometers after Pang. A short steep climb leads you to a sort of a plateau; 40 kilometers of flat lands at 15000+ feet above sea level. The plains slope up to beautiful and very colorful mountains. This is also the location of the group photo taken on the way back. It is almost a straight road with some patches of deep sand. The trick to riding in sand or water or through any other obstacle(s), as I had learned last year, is to look where you want to go, not at the obstacle. Even though as you look at the obstacle and your mind is trying to avoid it, your hands or controls guide you to the obstacle. You will go where you look and hit what you are looking at.
 
The ride across Tanglang La was the worst road I've ever encountered! Being a second timer (I don't know if I can call myself a veteran yet), Sachin asked me to lead since it is easy to miss the Rumtse campsite. It is fun to ride on gravel and off-road, but it is no fun riding over broken roads with potholes. I reached Rumtse with a lot of pain in the you-know-where.
 
Our camp at Rumtse was set in a scenic location amongst fields but it was a massive logistical operation to ensure that each of the 57 riders got comfortable in the small campsite with unmarked tents. However two of the riders Yuvraj and Reddy from Roadshakers handled the task and saved the day. That’s the spirit that differentiates the Himalayan Odyssey from many other rides. It starts off as a bunch of individual riders and ends up as one group.
 
Rumtse to Leh is a relatively short ride on good roads and we made it a point to ride together so there is no confusion as we enter the city. However the only confusion free point was in the lead where Sachin was riding, behind him it was a mad jostling for position as various people proved that it takes only an inch of tarmac to place an Enfield. However a hot shower later the same people fighting for position were walking hand in through the streets of Leh. And if you thought men didn’t shop think again. Well at least they do in Leh.
 
After the rigors of the road till Leh, Khardung La becomes more or less a ceremonial ride. There is certainly a sense of achievement on having reached the highest motorable road in the world but it comes to you at a stage where you don’t need it anymore. I was certainly feeling a lot less excited. Unfortunately one of the riders had a spate of two punctures just 3 kilometers from the top and everyone decided to wait. He could have come up with the service vehicle or the rest of the riders could have descended (not a great idea to spend too much time at over 18000 feet) but the service team took it upon themselves to ensure that he reached on his own bike. Everyone else waited. And boy, were we glad – mission accomplished.
 
Most thought the worst was behind them and the confidence showed. The confidence remained in fact but it was not that it was never tested again. The first test for the return journey started on Tanglang la with a drizzle and continued to more plains where we were meant to regroup for a group photograph. It’s the only point on the entire route where we can take a group photograph with all the bikes and service vehicles together. For a while we thought the weather wouldn’t allow it but we stood resolute in the rain huddling together in a group for comfort. Finally even the gods relented and we got our photo opportunity. A funny incident happened here; for the group photo all the bikes and all the support vehicles had to get off the road on to the rough stuff. While everybody including the bikes, truck and the 2WD Qualis and Innova’s got back on the road with ease, the only 4WD vehicle with us, the Scorpio Getaway belonging to the CNBC Television crew, got stuck and had to be towed out. A big lesson for us, it's not just what you have, it's what you make of it.
 
Our camp in Debring was located a few kilometers off more plains, accessed only by a sandy track. The best part was that it was hardly visible from the track all you could see was the bikes parked. I wonder how the first few bikes got there. We had a staggered start from more plains so we didn’t all crash into each other and didn’t eat too much dust either. For some of the dirt lovers it was just another special stage and I overheard some of them comparing their timings later at the camp.
 
We had been told that our ride back would be tough. Exactly how tough is what we were about to find out on the long stretch between Debring to Keylong. Yeah the same place where we are split between the Hotel and the Camp. Not surprisingly most opted for the hotel as their first choice. I was sent to the camp, because there was nothing wrong with my bike. Damn! I was looking forward to a hot shower. On the way to the camp, my rear tyre got punctured, thankfully right in front of a puncture shop. There are not many of them around. It took a couple of hours to get that damn thing fixed and reach the camp to a very pleasant surprise; hot water for showers, a roaring bonfire and mutton for dinner. Life was good again!
 
'Up till now, you have been riding on roads that have seen tar at some point in time', Sachin briefed us the next morning. 'Today, you will be riding 80 KILOMETERS on a road which has never seen tarmac'. This was the ride from Keylong to Kaza and was every bit as Sachin had described/warned; 80 KILOMETERS of gravel and rock with a long stretch on a river bed. We happened to witness a landslide clearing operation. A big boulder in the middle of the road was blasted with dynamite. This also created a large difficult water crossing. The crowd gathered from the traffic jam to let us go first, or rather watch us go first. 50+ motorcycles attempting the water crossing became a show that everyone around enjoyed. There were locals, Indians and foreigners with cameras and video cameras and everyone cheered us on.
 
This was definitely the most exciting ride for most riders and also the ride that took the longest time to cover. Riders who reached the regroup point early had to wait for over 4 hours for other riders to show up. We left the regroup point after sunset and reached Kaza riding in the night. Riding in the hills in the night, especially in these areas, where there are no marked roads and no barriers on the side of the road to prevent you tumbling hundreds of feet down over the edge can be overwhelming and scary. Fortunately, we all made it safe, riding as a team, helping each other out.
 
‘Up till now you have been riding on roads which even a truck can tackle”, Sachin announced in the morning in Kaza “today you shall cross Malling – this pass is classified as ‘jeep only’ and sure enough instead of our usual luggage truck there were two pick ups to carry our luggage'. Damn! But we were either lucky or hardened by now and Malling was not as tough as I had anticipated. Beyond that the roads improved and the ride through Pooh, Speelo, Rekong Peo to Kalpa was fast and breath taking. The highlight was TREES – GREEN GREEN TREES. It felt wonderful, and it felt a lot closer to home. That’s when it stuck us that we were going home and the Himalayan Odyssey was coming to an end. Some of the boys even the tough ones even got emotional. And when bikers get emotional they party and the drink and that’s exactly what we did. That day and the next (in Jabli) and the next (in Delhi)
 
Many people have asked me why did I take part in the Odyssey, and why twice? I should have done the second time on my own with a smaller group of friends. It is more adventurous and fun. I disagree. I had the time of my life on both the trips. Both were two different experiences; both very soul satisfying. The scenery changes so often that no matter how many times you do it; each time will be a different experience. Maybe it's because the people on ride are different and very diverse. Conversations in the evening are fun, ranging from typical guy talk about babes, bikes to careers and ambitions.
 
The Odyssey is not a competition. There are no losers, everyone is a winner. There are no points for reaching a destination first; no negative points for falling. The thrill is in participation. Maybe I am getting old, but I see absolutely no reason why I should not opt for comfort and leave the logistics to someone else. It leaves my mind free to enjoy the ride.
 
Everyone has their own terrain preferences, but most people tend to enjoy riding off the beaten path (or tarmac in this case). There are steep inclines, hairpin bends, long never ending curves, water crossing and remnants of recently cleared landslides. But by the 9th or 10th day for most riders the definition of a good road being rough, gravel and sand changes to mirror finish smooth.
 
Everyone has their own reasons to doing the ride too. In talking to people in the last ride and this year, I've heard almost every reason I could think of and more. Some do it for the off-roading experience, some for the thrill and bragging rights to have been to the highest motorable road in the world, some people come in groups to enjoy time with their friends, nature lovers and a few from a totally tourist perspective. I've heard one person say that he does not know exactly why he was on the ride, but he'd heard it was a great experience. The diversity of the riders is amazing too; ages range from 19 to 45, a few women riders, doctors, engineers, professionals, businessmen, IT professionals and this time even a farmer! It just goes to show that enthusiastic riders, even in India, are not limited to a gender, age, race, profession and region. The first time I did it as a test for myself and the second time because Royal Enfield just makes is easier by way of organizing everything. I wouldn't do a ride like the Himalayan Odyssey any other way.
 
Standing on the side of the road during the last Odyssey, resolving to come back again, I was thinking that I may never feel this way again. It was fantastic feeling of freedom, satisfaction and euphoria. You will never feel the same way again, no matter how many times you participate in the Odyssey because every time will feel different, same but different. Different because the people are different, a year has passed and your life has gone through some changes. You reflect on different aspects of life. Last year I did not know anyone on the Odyssey and this year I was with a few good friends. Both were a lot of fun.
 
Another Odyssey next year? I don't know. I am not saying I will, but I also not promising that I will not!
 
Dipesh Dutt Sharma (DD)