Ladakh, a place which every
traveller has on their bucket list, is a destination
with several sights to behold and doing it on
two wheels with a motorcycle like the royal
enfield himalayan makes it even better. Being
a motorcycle enthusiast who enjoys a good ride
and a photographer by profession, i had plans
similar to many others—riding a motorcycle in
leh-ladakh and shooting the beautiful landscapes there.
haven’t we all dreamed of it at one point? Thus, the royal
enfield astral ride was like an opportunity sent from heaven—
almost literally. it ticked all the right boxes. i have to consider
myself the lucky one. i would finally get the chance to tick this
one off my bucket list and i was more than thrilled and ready for
this ride.
when the day finally came, i landed in leh and the first thing
to catch my gaze was the huge mountain range right in front of
me, staring me in the face. a daunting sight it is yet there’s
something special about those mountains and, me being an
adventurer and a mountain lover, i seemed to be in for a treat.
The mountains would be the backdrop and host of varied
terrain as we, the small group of riders and i, were going to
spend the whole week riding and shooting around this beautiful
yet scary mountain range. after a day’s rest—much needed for
acclimatisation at that altitude—we were all set to chase the stars
in this fascinating land of leh in the ladakh region.
Leh to tso Moriri
Our day began early, gearing up with all the necessary safety
gear as well as three layers of warm clothing—the conditions
were very windy and cold and we could already get a fair sense
of how the weather was going to be as we set out to the more
discreet and hilly sections of this land. Our journey would start
from leh and we had to ride up to Tso Moriri, in the
changthang plateau of eastern ladakh. The total distance was
about 220 kilometres.
as we got moving, the mountains and the roads began to
show their true character. The transition from all-paved tarmac
L
Picturesque view
of the town near
Pangong Tso
On the way to
Pangong Tso
from Hanle
Image: Navaneeth Unnikrishnan
58 Bike India October 2022 | www.bikeindia.in
roads to no roads at all was quick and things were really getting
more rough and certainly more adventurous as i had expected.
But with the royal enfield himalayan, i really didn’t have to
worry about the off-road sections because that’s what it is made
for and that was also what we were here to do. as we were
riding over the taxing off-road sections, the himalayan’s real
capabilities became as clear as the blue sky above and, soon, i
realised just how well this motorcycle is built and how perfect it
is for conditions such as these. it is truly built for all roads and
no roads. after clocking some challenging miles, we were closer
to reaching our first destination: Tso Moriri. Both the bike and i
needed refuelling as we were tired but still eager for more action.
The adventure was just beginning. after refuelling the bike, and
myself, we resumed our journey.
Soon, we reached our first destination. and it was a sight to
behold! its beauty was mesmerising and i was delighted to have
been able to witness something like this for the first time. The
sheer calm of the lake made me feel welcome and i felt more
relaxed, even pumped-up for the next day of riding.
Many thanks to the Royal Enfield
Rides team, the incredible Himalayan,
and, of course, to navaneeth
unnikrishnan for helping make this
photographer’s dream come true
My first-ever
water crossing
I’ve always wanted
to get into rock
Image: Nav
so Moriri to hanLe
Feeling all nice and relaxed from a day well spent and a night
even more so, we were all set for our journey from Tso Moriri to
hanle which was going to take us nearer to our goal of getting
closer to the stars and i couldn’t wait to experience it. Being my
first time up here for this and being a photographer by
profession, i have always been enthusiastic about shooting
across genres. plus, it was a particularly short ride that day and,
about 140 kilometres later, we were at our destination. Soon
enough, we began making our arrangements for the night shoot.
Setting up the cameras and tripods were one thing, but we
also had to wait for the right time—the perfect moment—for the
stars to align, figuratively speaking, and for that narrow window
of opportunity, only about 15 minutes, i was told! Finally, when
the clouds dispersed and the stars came into view, we were all
set—lenses pointed at the dark and clear night sky. with not a
moment to lose, we began clicking! we’d been ready to shoot
for a while but the actual time proved to be far shorter than
expected. The stars showed up but only for a brief while and,
soon, moonrise and the clouds hid away what we sought.
Feeling a bit distraught, we all packed up our gear and camera
equipment as it started raining. That rain continued to the next
day. we hoped and prayed for a clear sky and starry nights as we
moved on to our next location: pangong Tso.
hanLe to Pangong tso
pangong Tso is the world’s highest saltwater lake; its water dyed
in blue. riding from hanle to pangong, the roads did not make
it easy at all and we decided to stop at the rezangla war
Memorial for a break as well as to soak up some inspiration from
none other than our brave soldiers. a 30-minute documentary
about how our warriors survive up there for months on end was
all the motivation one could need to get on.
determined to shoot the stars, i knew i had to take on all the
challenges that would come my way. i also had the very capable
and well-built royal enfield himalayan with me against all
odds. as we approached pangong Tso, the mountain roads got
narrower and the sights even better. while riding uphill, all we
The locals are used
to being high on life
The bluest lake I
have ever had the
pleasure of seeing
A real-life
wanderer with
a touching tale
60 Bike India October 2022 | www.bikeindia.in
could see was the deep blue water; a splendidly revitalising and
refreshing sight. Until that moment, I had not seen a lake like
that in my entire life. I simply couldn’t take my eyes off of it but
had to focus on the road ahead, so I decided to stop for a bit as
my group of riders continued to move ahead. I only wanted to
live in that moment and take not only photographs but an
eternal mental picture; to relish it to the fullest. I will never forget
those mesmerising sights.
Looking ahead, the clear sky, this artistry of nature, valleys
and lakes, things started to look more concrete and I was
convinced by looking at the weather that tonight was the night!
It seemed that I would finally get the shot I had desired. As the
sun set, we waited in the cold and windy night for the stars to
shine bright upon us. Our wishes were legitimately heard and
we were granted a clear sky full of stars, shining bright and full.
Controlling my feelings for just star-gazing, I briskly set up my
camera and began my long-awaited shoot. The galaxy unfolded
before us, I couldn’t and didn’t let this chance slip away.
After a fascinating ride up to Pangong Tso and some
breathtaking shots of the galaxy we live in, it was time to head
back. Many thanks to the Royal Enfield Rides team, the
incredible Himalayan, and, of course, to Navaneeth
Unnikrishnan for helping make this photographer’s dream
come true