LEH
EXTRAVAGANZA

A Canaan Compass Motorcycle Journey Through Ladakh

Mumbai to Leh • High passes • Pangong • Hanle • The last leg home

LEH Extravaganza

1 September 2025 to 12th September 2025

Briefly

This was my second journey to Ladakh, and this time. I had originally intended to ride all the way to Ladakh on my own motorcycle, but a few unexpected changes in our plans meant I had to leave the bike behind and take a flight from Mumbai to Leh instead and rent a motorcycle from Leh.

Day 1 – Mumbai to Leh

Day 1 — Mumbai to Leh: The Journey Begins

Day 1 — arrival at Leh airport, transfer to the Leh hotel, and the hotel garden.

Finally, the day had arrived.

After weeks of planning, shopping, discussions, meetings, and endless waiting, it was finally time to leave. Early in the morning, I left home and made my way to Mumbai Airport to catch my flight to Leh.

There is always something different about the morning a long-awaited journey begins. The bags are packed, the plans are made, and suddenly everything you have been talking about for weeks is actually happening.

Mumbai Airport & a Quick Tip for Riders

I reached the airport, completed my baggage check-in and security formalities, and was ready to board.

A quick tip for fellow riders: If you're carrying riding accessories such as GoPro mounts, bungee ropes, tools, or similar equipment, it is safer to pack them in your check-in baggage. Airport security may not allow certain riding accessories in your cabin baggage, so plan your packing accordingly.

With everything sorted, I boarded my flight to Leh.

The First Glimpse of Ladakh

Almost two hours into the flight, the landscape outside my window began to change.

The mountains of Ladakh were slowly coming into view.

Unfortunately, it was a cloudy morning, so I couldn't see or record much of the Himalayan ranges. But even through the clouds, those brief glimpses of the mountains were breathtaking.

If you usually prefer road trips like I do, I would still recommend flying into Leh at least once. Watching the Himalayas from thousands of feet above is an experience of its own.

And then, finally, we landed.

Back in Leh

The thought of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) was already somewhere in the back of my mind. But this was my second time in Ladakh, and instead of worrying too much about it, I wanted to enjoy the feeling of being back.

The moment I stepped out of the aircraft, it all felt familiar again.

The mountains surrounding the airport, the cold wind hitting my face, the dry air and strangely enough, even the distinctive smell of the sand and earth.

I was back in Ladakh.

I wanted to live that moment fully, but at the same time, I knew I needed to take things slow.

Travelling with me was Andrew, a friend from work who is also my church mate.

As we stepped out of the airport, I spotted a small coffee stall and decided that my first few minutes in Leh deserved a cup of coffee. I grabbed one and simply stood there for a while, enjoying the mountains and taking a few pictures.

By this point, though, I had already started feeling a slight heaviness in my head, my body's little reminder that Leh sits at a very different altitude from Mumbai.

Why I Arrived Early

Our actual trip was scheduled to begin from 4th September, but I deliberately decided to reach Leh earlier.

There were two reasons.

First, I wanted some time to myself — to explore Leh city and simply experience the place without rushing through an itinerary.

More importantly, I wanted to give my body enough time to acclimatize to Leh's altitude before the actual journey began.

So this day had only one real purpose:

Take it easy. Rest. Acclimatize.

After finishing our coffee and clicking a few pictures, we took a cab from the airport and headed towards our hotel.

The Battle Between the Body and the Mind

By the time I reached the hotel, the heaviness in my head had become much more noticeable. I was feeling tired and unusually lazy, so I freshened up and decided to rest.

But there was a small battle happening inside me.

The body wanted to rest. The mind wanted to step outside and explore.

When you're finally in a place like Ladakh, staying inside a hotel room feels almost impossible. You know the streets, mountains, cafés and landscapes are right outside your door.

But Ladakh isn't a place where you should try to prove something to your body.

So, I listened to it.

I rested for most of the day and allowed myself to slow down.

Later in the evening, once I was feeling a little better, I stepped outside for a while, had dinner, took in a little more of Leh, and eventually returned to the hotel.

Nothing adventurous happened that day.

No mountain passes. No long rides. No packed itinerary.

And that was exactly how it needed to be.

Sometimes, the best way to begin a journey through Ladakh is simply to arrive, slow down, breathe, and let your body catch up with where your heart already is.

With that, Day 1 came to an end.

The real Ladakh journey was just about to begin.

Day 2 : 2nd September 2025.

Day 2 — Leh before the expedition officially began.

A Special Arrival & When Ladakh Changed Our Plans

Day 2 in Ladakh began much earlier than usual.

There was a special reason for it.

The person I deeply respect and honour, Apostle Priji, was arriving in Leh that morning, and I wanted to be at the airport to personally welcome him.

In fact, he was the one who first carried the vision and made the plan for this Ladakh ride to happen. So whenever I look back at this journey, a major part of the credit will always go to him.

An Early Morning at Leh Airport

I woke up early, called the cab driver who had dropped us at the hotel the previous day, and headed towards Leh Airport.

I waited there for his arrival, and it was a wonderful feeling to finally see and greet him in Leh.

Travelling along with him was Pastor Sijo, while Joey was already there with me at the airport.

After meeting and greeting each other, Joey had arranged a cab for them, and they proceeded towards their hotel.

With that, I made my way back to mine.

Breakfast & a Walk Through Leh

Sometime later, Andrew and I decided to step out and explore a little more of Leh on foot.

We found a South Indian restaurant and stopped there for breakfast. After a good meal, we thought of spending some time walking around Leh city and its market.

But Ladakh had different plans for us that day.

The temperature was already below 10°C, and while we were walking through the city, it started raining.

We were also still acclimatizing. The slight effects of the altitude hadn't completely disappeared, and our bodies were clearly telling us that they hadn't fully adjusted yet.

Between the cold, rain and incomplete acclimatization, continuing to explore wasn't worth the risk.

So we headed back to what had now become our little place of shelter, rest and food — the hotel.

And thankfully, we did.

Not long after we returned, the rain became much heavier.

When the Weather Decides Your Itinerary

We had actually planned to rent motorcycles that day and explore a few places around Leh.

Everything inside us wanted to step outside and start riding.

But the weather had other plans.

We were hearing reports of rain across several parts of Ladakh, and the conditions weren't favourable for unnecessary travel.

The rain continued heavily through most of the day.

So instead of forcing our plans, we stayed indoors and rested.

It was slightly frustrating to sit inside knowing that we were surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes in India. But Ladakh teaches you something very quickly:

Your itinerary is always secondary to the mountains and the weather.

Sometimes you simply have to wait.

2°C in Leh — And Our Winter Gear Wasn't Enough

By evening, once it was dark, the rain finally stopped.

That was enough for us.

After spending almost the entire day inside, Andrew and I immediately decided to step out.

And then the cold hit us.

The temperature had dropped to around 2°C, and we were freezing.

We had carried winter gear with us, thinking it would be sufficient, but Leh quickly proved otherwise. What we had brought simply wasn't giving us the warmth we needed.

So there was only one solution.

Shopping.

We headed into Leh Market and bought ourselves proper winter jackets.

The difference was immediate. The new jackets gave us the warmth and comfort we desperately needed, and suddenly walking through that freezing Leh evening became much more enjoyable.

Calling It a Day

With our new winter gear sorted, we headed for dinner.

It hadn't been the adventurous motorcycle day we had imagined. We didn't rent the bikes, we didn't explore the places we had planned, and most of the day was spent watching the rain from our hotel.

But that's also part of travelling through Ladakh.

Not every day goes according to plan.

Sometimes the mountains ask you to slow down.

After dinner, we returned to our hotel, settled in for the night and called it a day.

Day 2 was over — and tomorrow, our actual planned Ladakh journey was finally set to begin.

Day 3 — The Expedition Officially Begins

Today was when our official itinerary with the travel agent finally began.

After spending the previous two days in Leh, Andrew and I checked out of our hotel and moved to the hotel included in our tour package. This property was located a little away from the main Leh city area, giving us a quieter setting for the beginning of our journey.

I checked in first, and sometime later, Apostle Priji and the rest of the group joined us.

And just like that, everyone was finally coming together.

One More Day to Acclimatize

According to our itinerary, the first day of the package was deliberately kept as a leisure and acclimatization day.

And that was important.

Even though I had arrived in Leh two days earlier, I still didn't feel completely acclimatized. Ladakh isn't just about adjusting to the altitude—the combination of high elevations, cold temperatures, tough terrain and rapidly changing weather can take a toll on your body.

Some members of our group had arrived in Leh only that day, which made resting even more important for them.

So there was no rushing.

We spent most of the day around the hotel, talking, relaxing, exploring the surroundings and even getting into a few games of chess.

After lunch and some evening snacks, it was time for an important part of the day—the meeting with our travel agent.

We were briefed about the journey ahead, what to expect on the roads, and the preparations we needed to make before we finally started riding.

And then came the moment I had been waiting for.

The Motorcycles Arrive!

By evening, our motorcycles finally arrived at the hotel.

Mine was a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450.

And not just any Himalayan 450—it was practically brand new.

The odometer showed only around 800 kilometres.

Getting such a fresh motorcycle for a Ladakh expedition definitely had its advantages. Everything felt new, tight and fresh.

But there was another side to it.

With the motorcycle still relatively new and barely run-in, I knew I couldn't push it too hard or spend the journey constantly riding at higher speeds.

Then again, this was Ladakh.

It wasn't going to be about outright speed anyway.

It was going to be about the roads, the landscapes, the machine beneath me and everything that awaited us over the next several days.

Seeing the motorcycles finally parked outside made the journey suddenly feel real.

Tomorrow, we ride.

Last-Minute Preparations in Leh

Later that evening, we headed into Leh Market to pick up a few things we still needed for the journey.

These were our final preparations before leaving the relative comfort of Leh and heading deeper into Ladakh.

Once everything was sorted, we returned to the hotel and had dinner together.

Ending the Day With Worship

Before calling it a night, we spent some beautiful time together in worship and prayer.

For me, this was an important part of the journey.

With the motorcycles ready and several days of unfamiliar roads, high-altitude passes and unpredictable weather ahead of us, ending the evening in prayer and worship was the perfect way to prepare ourselves for what was coming.

After that, we called it a day.

The bags were ready.

The motorcycles were waiting outside.

The briefings were done.

And after three days of arriving, acclimatizing, waiting and preparing...

Tomorrow, we finally get on our motorcycles and ride into Ladakh.

Day 4 — Finally, I Am on a Motorcycle!

Finally, I am on a motorcycle.

Day 4 — the first proper day on the motorcycles.

Finally.

I was on a motorcycle in Ladakh.

I woke up completely charged up that morning. After days of travelling, acclimatizing, waiting for the weather and preparing for the journey ahead, it was finally time to put on my riding gear and hit the road.

There was an excitement that was difficult to explain. My heart was racing, the motorcycles were ready outside, and I simply wanted to live every moment of that morning to the fullest.

The weather in Leh had improved considerably, and more importantly, I was finally feeling properly acclimatized, energetic and ready to ride.

Not Everyone Could Ride Yet

Although the weather around Leh had improved, conditions outside the main Ladakh region were still causing disruptions, particularly for incoming flights.

Vinay and Nitin, who were supposed to arrive the previous day, finally made it to Leh after their flight had been delayed for hours because of the bad weather.

Since they had only just arrived at this altitude, riding immediately wasn't an option. For them, today had to be a mandatory rest and acclimatization day.

For the rest of us, however, the motorcycles were warming up.

Gearing Up for My First Ride

I had carried my own personal riding gear for this journey, and there was something incredibly satisfying about finally putting it all on.

After breakfast, I returned to my room, geared up and walked towards my Himalayan 450 waiting outside.

Our ride marshal for the journey was Tani — a genuinely good-hearted guy and a skilled rider, someone you could comfortably trust while riding through terrain like Ladakh.

With the motorcycles checked, everyone geared up and the preparations complete, we were ready to flag off.

The Ladakh ride had officially begun.

First Stop — Hall of Fame

Our first stop of the day was the Hall of Fame, the museum and war memorial maintained by the Indian Army.

It was a meaningful way to begin our ride. The museum honours the courage and sacrifice of Indian soldiers who have served in this region and in various conflicts.

Standing there also gives you a different perspective on Ladakh. The beautiful mountains and difficult terrain we come here to experience as travellers are the same conditions in which our soldiers have lived and served.

After spending some time at the Hall of Fame, we got back onto our motorcycles and continued our ride.

Riding Towards Sangam Point

Our next destination was Sangam Point, where the Indus and Zanskar rivers meet.

This was where I really started enjoying the motorcycle.

As we rode farther away from Leh, the landscape began opening up around us — mountains, long stretches of road and that unmistakable feeling of riding through Ladakh.

Eventually, we reached Sangam Point.

Watching the Indus and Zanskar rivers meet between the mountains is one of those sights that photographs can capture, but never completely reproduce.

And for me, there was an added satisfaction.

This time, I hadn't arrived here sitting inside a cab.

I had ridden here.

Lunch With the Mountains Around Us

After spending time at Sangam Point, clicking pictures and enjoying the surroundings, it was time for lunch.

By then, we had already spent a good part of the day on our motorcycles, so taking a break, getting some food and simply sitting together was much needed.

Once lunch was done, we geared up again and began our ride back towards Leh.

But there was still another famous stop waiting for us on the way.

Magnetic Hill — On Our Way Back

While returning from Sangam Point, we stopped at Magnetic Hill.

This famous stretch of road is known for an optical illusion that makes vehicles appear to move against the slope, which has led to the popular belief that the place somehow defies gravity.

Whether you come for the phenomenon or simply for the experience, it is one of those iconic stops that naturally fits into this route.

After spending some time there, we were back on our motorcycles and continued towards Leh.

Getting Comfortable With the Himalayan 450

More than the sightseeing, this entire day had another important purpose for me — getting familiar with my motorcycle.

The Himalayan 450 was still new to me, and I wanted to understand the bike properly before we entered the more challenging terrain of Ladakh.

Throughout the day's ride, I got a good feel for its handling, braking, power delivery and overall behaviour on these roads.

With every passing kilometre, I became more comfortable.

By the time we were riding back towards our hotel, the motorcycle no longer felt unfamiliar.

I was ready for what lay ahead.

Back at the Hotel

By evening, we finally returned to our hotel.

The motorcycles were parked, the helmets came off, and after spending the day inside our riding gear, we ungeared, freshened up and settled down for the evening.

Later, we gathered together for dinner.

And just like the previous night, we ended the day with a beautiful time of worship and prayer.

Then it was time to rest.

The first ride was complete.

I was acclimatized.

I was comfortable with the motorcycle.

And the warm-up was officially over.

Tomorrow, we would leave these familiar roads around Leh behind and begin riding into the real terrain of Ladakh.

Day 5 — Leh to Nubra Valley via Khardung La

Day 5 — Leh to Nubra Valley via Khardung La.

Today, we were finally leaving Leh behind.

After breakfast, we packed our luggage, checked out of the hotel and prepared for our first proper journey deeper into Ladakh.

Our destination for the day was Nubra Valley, and getting there meant riding across one of the most legendary names associated with Ladakh —

Khardung La.

The motorcycles were loaded, everyone geared up, and we began our ride towards the mountains.

Leaving Leh Behind

As we started climbing away from Leh, we stopped along the way to fuel up our motorcycles before continuing towards Khardung La.

The road gave us a mixture of everything — good tarmac in some sections and rough, broken patches in others.

The higher we climbed, the landscape continued to change and the temperature began to drop.

Eventually, we reached one of the most anticipated stops of the journey.

Khardung La — Into the Snow

We had made it to Khardung La.

There was snow around us, the air was cold, and we parked our motorcycles for a well-deserved photo stop.

For years, Khardung La was popularly known as the world's highest motorable pass, although higher motorable passes have since opened in Ladakh.

Titles aside, riding a motorcycle up to Khardung La still feels special.

Standing high in the Himalayas, surrounded by snow-covered mountains with your motorcycle parked beside you, is one of those classic Ladakh moments every rider wants to experience.

We spent some time there, clicked our pictures, took in the surroundings and then geared up again.

Nubra Valley was waiting on the other side.

Downhill Towards Nubra

From Khardung La, we began descending towards Nubra.

One thing that immediately stood out was how much the roads have improved.

Many sections towards Nubra were surprisingly smooth. With the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) continuously developing and maintaining roads across Ladakh, travelling through this region is becoming considerably easier.

That's great news for travellers.

But as a rider, perfectly smooth roads aren't what excite me the most.

Give me a rough patch, some broken terrain and a motorcycle that demands a little more from me — that's where the fun begins.

And this time, I had the perfect motorcycle underneath me to find out just how much fun I could have.

Now, Let's See What the Himalayan 450 Can Really Do

Back home, I own and ride a Royal Enfield Himalayan 411.

So ever since I was handed the Himalayan 450 in Leh, there was one question running through my mind:

How much better is this motorcycle when the road disappears?

Today, I finally had the opportunity to find out.

As the rough patches began appearing, I started pushing the motorcycle a little harder — not simply for speed, but to understand what it was communicating back to me.

I wanted to feel its power delivery.

Its behaviour over broken surfaces.

Its responsiveness.

The suspension.

The feedback coming through the tyres.

And how confidently it allowed me to control the motorcycle when the terrain became unpredictable.

I switched off the ABS where appropriate and let the motorcycle work through the rough sections.

And oh, it was fun.

This was the moment the Himalayan 450 really began to impress me.

The motorcycle felt incredibly composed off-road. The more I rode it through the rough patches, the more confidence it gave me.

There came a point where everything else almost faded into the background.

On one side was the group ride.

On the other was simply me, the terrain and this motorcycle.

And for those moments, I wanted to make the absolute most of it.

I kept exploring what the 450 could do, learning its behaviour and becoming increasingly comfortable with the machine underneath me.

Coming from my Himalayan 411, I could genuinely feel the step forward.

By the end of those sections, I had formed a pretty strong opinion about the Himalayan 450:

This motorcycle is worth every penny.

More importantly, it had given me confidence.

Because somewhere in the back of my mind was another road that was still waiting for us —

Chang La.

And after experiencing what the 450 could do today, I knew I was going to enjoy that route.

Twists, Turns & Ever-Changing Ladakh

We continued towards Nubra through countless twists and turns.

And around almost every corner, Ladakh seemed to change its character.

Massive mountains surrounded us. Valleys opened up in the distance. The colours of the landscape kept changing, and so did the weather.

At one point, it would feel freezing cold.

A little farther ahead, suddenly it would feel warm.

That's one of the fascinating things about riding through Ladakh — the landscape and weather can change dramatically as you move through different elevations and terrain.

There were moments when you simply had to slow down and look around.

And, of course, there were plenty of photo stops along the way.

A Simple Lunch Stop

Eventually, we stopped for lunch.

And let's just say the food wasn't exactly the highlight of the day.

Among everything that was served, the one thing I genuinely enjoyed was the bread omelette.

But when you're riding through Ladakh, sometimes that's all you need.

Something warm to eat, a little time off the motorcycle, and then you're ready to continue.

After lunch, we geared up again and resumed our journey towards Nubra.

Arriving at the Sand Dunes

After a few more photo stops along the way, we finally reached the sand dunes of Nubra Valley by evening.

And this is where Ladakh creates one of its most unusual landscapes.

You can stand in one place and look around to see completely different worlds existing together —

sand dunes below you, barren rocky mountains around you and snow-covered peaks in the distance.

Desert, rock and snow — all within the same landscape.

After spending the entire day riding through mountain roads, arriving somewhere that suddenly looked like a cold desert felt almost surreal.

We parked the motorcycles and spent some time there, walking around, clicking pictures and simply taking in the view.

A Quick Note About Drones

If you're carrying a drone on your Ladakh trip, don't assume that you can fly it everywhere.

Several parts of Ladakh fall under sensitive or restricted zones, and drone regulations can be strictly enforced.

Always check the current local restrictions and permissions before flying. A few aerial shots are simply not worth having your equipment confiscated or getting into unnecessary trouble with the authorities.

Our Tent Stay in Nubra

Once we were done exploring the dunes, it was finally time to head towards our accommodation.

Tonight was going to be different.

Instead of a regular hotel room, we were staying in large tented accommodation.

And these weren't tiny camping tents either.

They were spacious enough to comfortably settle into after spending an entire day riding.

We parked the motorcycles, unloaded what we needed, got out of our riding gear and finally relaxed.

Ending Another Day With Worship

After dinner, we gathered together once again for our time of worship and prayer.

By now, this had become one of the most meaningful parts of our evenings.

No matter how long the ride had been, how tired we were or what we had experienced during the day, we ended it together in worship and prayer.

And with that, we called it a day.

Day 5 Comes to an End

Today wasn't just about travelling from Leh to Nubra Valley.

It was the day I crossed Khardung La.

It was the day I started experiencing the real terrain of Ladakh.

And for me personally, it was the day I finally began discovering what the Himalayan 450 was capable of.

The 450 had earned my confidence.

The terrain had awakened the rider in me.

And now there was another thought running through my head as I called it a night:

If this was just the beginning, I couldn't wait to see what Chang La had in store for me.

Day 6 — Nubra to Pangong: The Unexpected Wari La Adventure

Day 6 — Nubra to Pangong and the unexpected Wari La adventure.

Today, we ride to Pangong Tso.

We woke up in Nubra knowing that this was going to be a long day on the motorcycles. The plan was to make our way towards Pangong, crossing the mountains and eventually approaching the legendary Chang La Pass.

But this is Ladakh.

And in Ladakh, the route you plan in the morning isn't necessarily the route you end up riding.

A Change of Plans

Before we could properly get going, our ride marshal received an important update.

A river crossing along our planned route was overflowing, and travelling through that section wasn't considered advisable.

That meant one thing:

We needed to reroute.

And our alternative was Wari La.

The change increased our riding distance considerably. What would have been roughly a 270 km journey now became approximately 335 km — an additional 65 kilometres through the mountains.

On paper, 65 kilometres might not sound like much.

But never calculate distances in Ladakh the way you calculate them on a highway.

Even an additional 10 kilometres in the mountains can sometimes make a significant difference.

Elevation, road conditions, water crossings, weather, broken patches and countless twists and turns mean your average speed can fall dramatically.

So yes, we had just added 65 kilometres to an already long day.

But little did we know that the unexpected detour was about to become one of the highlights of our journey.

Wari La — The Detour We Didn't Know We Needed

Wari La was an absolute treat.

The farther we rode, the more isolated everything became.

There were hardly any people around.

Hardly any traffic.

Just us, our motorcycles and this enormous landscape stretching in every direction.

It had an almost nomadic feel to it.

At times, it genuinely felt like we owned the place.

And the beauty?

Matchless.

This wasn't the crowded Ladakh where you arrive at a famous viewpoint and find dozens of vehicles parked around you.

This felt raw.

Quiet.

Untouched.

Exactly the kind of Ladakh I love experiencing on a motorcycle.

A River Born From the Glacier

Somewhere along the route, we came across a beautiful riverside spot and decided to stop.

We could actually see the glacial meltwater coming down from the mountains and flowing through the landscape as a stream.

There was something incredibly peaceful about that place.

Motorcycles parked beside us.

Mountains all around.

Cold water flowing past.

Almost nobody else there.

It became the perfect place for pictures and videos, but more importantly, it was a place where you simply wanted to remain quiet for a while and take everything in.

What was supposed to be a short halt eventually became almost an hour.

And none of us seemed to mind.

There was even a lone vehicle nearby serving some refreshments.

We got ourselves some hot Kahwa, and drinking it in that cold, isolated landscape was a treat in itself.

Sometimes the most memorable moments of a Ladakh journey aren't the famous destinations.

They're the places you never planned to stop at.

Eventually, though, we had to move.

Pangong was still a long way away.

We geared up, started the motorcycles and continued.

And Then Came Chang La...

After crossing Wari La and continuing towards Pangong, we eventually found ourselves approaching a road I remembered very well from my previous Ladakh journey.

Chang La.

And almost immediately, I had one question.

Wait a minute... what happened to the Chang La roads?

The last time I had ridden here, this road had tested me.

I remembered crawling through sections at barely 10–15 km/h.

Broken roads.

Slush.

Snow.

Rough patches.

The mountain throwing one challenge after another at the motorcycle.

That version of Chang La was still very fresh in my memory.

But this time?

I could hardly believe I was riding the same road.

From 10–15 km/h to Beautiful Tarmac

The transformation was incredible.

Sections where I remembered struggling through broken terrain were now dramatically better.

Instead of fighting the road, I was enjoying it.

The Himalayan 450 flowed beautifully through the curves, and there were sections where I was comfortably carrying 70–80 km/h.

It was almost difficult to connect this road with the one stored in my memory.

And then I reached a particular place that instantly took me back to my previous trip.

I remembered stopping there and clicking pictures with my wife the last time I was in Ladakh.

Same mountains.

Same route.

Same memories.

Completely different road.

For a moment, I genuinely couldn't believe how much things had changed.

The improved roads also saved us a considerable amount of time — something we desperately needed considering the additional distance Wari La had already added to our day.

Chang La Top — 17,700 Feet

Soon, we finally reached Chang La Top, sitting at roughly 17,700 feet above sea level.

It's an incredible place to reach on a motorcycle.

But at that altitude, it isn't somewhere you want to unnecessarily spend a very long time.

The air is thin, temperatures can be harsh and your body is working much harder than it would at lower elevations.

We still ended up spending around 40 minutes there.

Pictures were taken.

Motorcycles were parked.

The mountains were admired.

And then it was time to descend.

Pangong was calling.

Down the Other Side

As we descended from Chang La, not every section was perfect.

There were still rough patches along the way, including areas affected by snowmelt where water crosses the road and can damage the surface.

But that's completely understandable.

This is the Himalayas.

You can't expect every kilometre to remain perfect when these roads constantly face snow, ice, flowing water and extreme weather.

And honestly, I didn't want every kilometre to be perfect either.

A little broken terrain meant another opportunity to enjoy the Himalayan 450 for what it was built to do.

We continued riding downhill towards Pangong.

The Himalayan 450 Continues to Impress

What surprised me again was just how good many of the roads became once we descended farther.

There were long, open stretches where the Himalayan 450 felt completely at home.

At one point, on an open section, I saw the speedometer climb to around 150 km/h.

That gave me another perspective on this motorcycle.

Yesterday, I had been impressed by how confidently the 450 handled rough terrain.

Today, I was discovering the other side of it.

This motorcycle could move.

It felt strong on open roads, comfortable carrying speed and far more capable on faster stretches than I had expected coming from my Himalayan 411.

The 411 has its own character and remains a motorcycle very close to me.

But the 450 was beginning to show just how big a generational leap Royal Enfield had made.

Rough terrain yesterday.

Mountain curves today.

Fast open stretches in between.

The more kilometres I put on it, the more I understood the motorcycle.

And the more I liked it.

The First Sight of Pangong

The day had been long.

Very long.

Wari La had added kilometres.

Chang La had taken us high into the mountains.

We had ridden through isolation, glaciers, curves, broken patches, beautiful tarmac and constantly changing landscapes.

And then, finally...

Pangong appeared.

By the time we reached the lake, evening had already arrived and daylight was beginning to disappear.

But we had made it.

Pangong Tso

There is something about seeing Pangong Tso in person that photographs struggle to reproduce.

The enormous high-altitude lake stretches through an extraordinary mountain landscape, extending from Ladakh into the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China.

We parked our motorcycles and spent some time beside the lake.

After spending almost the entire day riding, there was something special about simply standing there together as the light slowly disappeared behind the mountains.

We had a beautiful time of fellowship beside Pangong.

Nobody was in a hurry.

The motorcycles had brought us here.

The day's unexpected detour had brought us through Wari La.

Chang La had brought back memories from my previous journey.

And now we were standing beside Pangong as darkness slowly settled around us.

Eventually, it became too dark to remain there.

So we got back onto the motorcycles and headed towards our accommodation.

A Long Day Comes to an End

We reached our place of stay, checked in, freshened up and finally sat down for dinner.

After such a long day on the motorcycles, getting out of the riding gear and sitting down for a proper meal felt incredibly satisfying.

And as had now become an important part of every evening of this journey, dinner was followed by our time together in worship and prayer.

Then we called it a night.

Day 6 — The Detour That Made the Journey Better

Today was supposed to be a straightforward ride towards Pangong.

Instead, an overflowing river changed everything.

It added kilometres.

It changed our route.

It made an already long riding day even longer.

But it also gave us Wari La.

And looking back, I'm glad it did.

Sometimes a detour isn't an inconvenience.

Sometimes the detour becomes the story.

We rode through one of the quietest and most beautiful landscapes of the journey, drank Kahwa beside glacial meltwater, crossed Wari La, experienced the completely transformed roads of Chang La and finally reached Pangong as daylight disappeared.

And there's one more experience that makes the approach to Pangong special on a motorcycle.

As you get closer, there are stretches where the road runs alongside the lake, allowing you to ride with Pangong Tso beside you.

You experience it again when riding out of the region.

Mountain on one side.

That endless blue lake on the other.

And your motorcycle carrying you through the middle of it all.

The ride to Pangong was long — but it was fun, unexpected and absolutely memorable.

Day 7 — The Detour

Day 7 — Pangong toward Hanle, with the detours that defined the day.

Pangong to Hanle via Kaksang La

Good morning from Pangong.

Today was Sunday.

And long before this Ladakh ride actually began, when I had first started working on the itinerary, there was one thing I specifically wanted:

Sunday Service at Pangong Tso.

And today, it actually happened.

Sunday Morning at Pangong

We woke up, freshened up and gathered together at the cafeteria of our stay.

Beautifully, we had the entire place to ourselves.

There was no rush to get onto the motorcycles. No pressure to immediately start covering kilometres.

For that morning, everything else could wait.

We spent a wonderful time together in worship and prayer, followed by receiving the Word from the pastors who were part of our ride.

Of all the places where I've attended a Sunday service, being surrounded by the mountains of Pangong made this one particularly special.

It was exactly how I had imagined this Sunday when I first planned the journey.

After the service, we had breakfast, checked out of our stay and began saddling up.

It was time to ride to Hanle.

But once again, we weren't going to take the usual route.

I Had Another Detour in Mind

The more conventional plan towards Hanle would have taken us through the Rezang La side, which itself is an incredible route.

But there was another place I had wanted to experience for a long time.

Kaksang La.

And along with it, Mirpal Tso.

Remote.

Unexplored compared with the more popular Ladakh circuits.

Almost nomadic.

And most importantly for me —

lonely.

Exactly the kind of road I wanted to ride.

I spoke to our ride marshal about taking the Kaksang La route.

He agreed.

And just like that, another detour became part of our Ladakh story.

Leaving Pangong Behind

We began riding through Maan and Merak, with Pangong still accompanying us through parts of the route.

At one beautiful spot overlooking the lake, we stopped our motorcycles for photographs and videos.

It was difficult to simply ride past views like these.

We spent some time there before eventually starting the motorcycles again.

Then came the turn.

We left the more familiar route behind and headed towards Kaksang La.

And almost immediately, the ride began to feel different.

Into the Middle of Nowhere

There were good roads.

There were bad roads.

And occasionally, there were moments when we simply left the regular track and cut through rougher mountain sections because we wanted to enjoy the motorcycles.

This was exactly the kind of riding I had been looking forward to.

Eventually, we reached a viewpoint that was an absolute treat to the eyes.

From there, you could look across the mountains and see the road twisting repeatedly through the landscape below.

Turn after turn after turn.

The entire road almost appeared together in one frame.

It was a sight to behold.

Naturally, the motorcycles stopped.

The cameras came out.

Pictures were clicked.

Videos were recorded.

And for a while, we simply stood there enjoying the view.

Then we continued towards Kaksang La.

And that's when the mountains changed the game.

Rain... Then Snow

The weather slowly began to turn.

The skies darkened.

And then it started raining.

Some of us got slightly wet before putting on our rain gear, while others managed to gear up in time.

We continued climbing.

But as we gained altitude towards Kaksang La, the temperature started dropping rapidly.

Then we began seeing snow beside the road.

A little farther ahead, there was more.

And slowly...

the snow started appearing on the road itself.

That's when the excitement increased.

But so did the seriousness of the ride.

There was almost nobody else around.

No traffic.

No crowds.

No shops.

Just our group travelling through an increasingly cold and isolated mountain pass.

The wind was blowing from all directions.

The road was becoming slippery.

And the snow was no longer just something beautiful sitting beside us.

We were riding on it.

This Wasn't About Electronics Anymore

This was where riding became much more technical.

On a snow-covered mountain road, there is only so much the motorcycle can do for you.

Your inputs matter.

Throttle control matters.

Balance matters.

Braking matters.

And panic is probably the last thing you want.

There were moments when the motorcycle slipped beneath me.

Thankfully, I managed to recover each time and didn't go down.

And then...

it actually started snowing.

Not snow sitting beside the road.

Snow falling on us.

Have You Ever Been Scared and Excited at the Same Time?

Because that perfectly describes what I was feeling.

I was excited because I was actually living this moment.

Riding a motorcycle through snowfall, high in the mountains of Ladakh, on an isolated route towards Kaksang La.

But there was another thought running simultaneously through my head:

What if the road gets completely covered in snow?

Going uphill was still manageable.

You have momentum.

You have acceleration.

You can keep the motorcycle moving.

But every mountain climb eventually has another side.

The descent.

And descending a snow-covered mountain road is an entirely different story.

Now gravity is working with you.

Your braking inputs become much more important.

Grip becomes unpredictable.

And excessive braking on snow while descending is something you absolutely don't want to experiment with.

So while part of me was enjoying every second...

Another part was already thinking about how we were going to get down safely.

Kaksang La

Eventually, through the cold, wind and snowfall, we reached Kaksang La.

We had made it.

Part of us wanted to stay.

After everything it had taken to get there, naturally we wanted pictures, videos and time to enjoy the achievement.

But the weather was making the decision for us.

The snowfall was becoming heavier, and this wasn't a place where getting stranded was something we wanted to risk.

We were in an extremely isolated section.

Yes, we had a backup vehicle travelling with us.

But out there, even our backup was still just us.

There wasn't much outside help to depend upon.

So we spent roughly ten minutes at Kaksang La.

That was enough.

Time to descend.

First Gear. Second Gear. Take It Easy.

The ride downhill demanded patience.

First gear.

Second gear.

Slow movements.

Smooth inputs.

No unnecessary heroics.

The only objective was to keep descending until we reached better terrain.

And then the mountain decided snow wasn't enough.

It started raining again.

So now we had both conditions to deal with.

Snow at elevation.

Rain as we descended.

But slowly, kilometre after kilometre, things began improving.

The snow disappeared.

Then the rain eased.

The road became easier.

And eventually, we knew the most difficult section was behind us.

I could finally relax a little.

At one point during the descent, I even saw a falcon flash past at incredible speed.

It happened so quickly, but against that enormous Himalayan landscape, it was an unforgettable sight.

Mirpal Tso — Colours in the Wilderness

As we descended farther, another place I had wanted to see finally appeared.

Mirpal Tso.

We saw the lake from a distance, but even from there, the colours surrounding it were beautiful.

The sky above was grey.

Behind the lake stood a mountain — white with snow towards the top and turning grey farther down.

The lake itself appeared green.

And surrounding it were stretches of green grass.

Grey sky.

White snow.

Dark mountains.

Green water.

Green landscape.

All layered together.

After everything we had just experienced at Kaksang La, Mirpal Tso felt incredibly peaceful.

Joining the Leh–Hanle Route

Eventually, we reached Mahe and connected with the main route towards Hanle.

Somewhere around Nyoma, we stopped for lunch.

By this point, we had already covered serious distance and terrain, but Hanle was still ahead.

After eating and taking a short break, we got back onto our motorcycles.

And then came another beautiful section of the journey.

Riding Towards Hanle

The road towards Hanle is something else.

Compared with the terrain we had crossed earlier in the day, this section offered good roads and vast, open landscapes.

This is the kind of route where you can settle into the motorcycle and simply enjoy Ladakh unfolding around you.

The region is also known for its unique high-altitude wildlife, so keeping your eyes open along the way can sometimes reward you with sightings of Himalayan animals and birds.

But even without wildlife, the landscapes alone make the journey worthwhile.

By evening, we finally reached Hanle.

Today's ride had been roughly 360 kilometres.

Yet surprisingly, we still had energy left.

And that was fortunate.

Because Day 7 wasn't finished with us yet.

Not even close.

Just Hanle Things

There are two experiences that make Hanle particularly famous among travellers.

One is its extraordinary dark night sky.

Hanle's high altitude, dry climate, minimal light pollution and clear atmospheric conditions make it one of India's most remarkable places for astronomy and stargazing.

Under the right conditions, you can witness an incredible sky filled with stars and even see the Milky Way with the naked eye.

The second reason many motorcycle travellers come here is that Hanle acts as an important base for the journey towards Umling La — the world's highest motorable road, at approximately 19,024 feet above sea level.

And Umling La was still ahead of us.

But tonight, we wanted the sky.

One Problem — The Moon

Once darkness settled over Hanle, we walked up a small hill with our cameras, hoping to capture the night sky.

But there was one problem.

It was a full moon night.

And I had underestimated just how bright moonlight could be in Hanle.

The landscape was illuminated.

The mountains were visible.

The clouds were glowing.

The entire sky was washed with moonlight.

It almost felt as though Hanle didn't need streetlights that night.

Beautiful?

Absolutely.

Good for seeing the Milky Way?

Not really.

We could still see stars, but it seemed increasingly likely that the night sky we had travelled all this way hoping to witness wasn't going to happen.

Eventually, we returned.

We had dinner, followed by our time of prayer and worship, and then headed towards our rooms.

It seemed like Day 7 was finally over.

Then a message came from Apostle Priji.

There was going to be a lunar eclipse that night.

And the moon would turn red.

Wait...

What?

Everyone Back Outside!

Suddenly, nobody wanted to sleep anymore.

We came straight back out of our rooms.

Cameras came out again.

Tripods were pointed towards the sky.

And we waited.

The same moon that had been preventing us from properly seeing Hanle's dark sky was now about to give us an entirely different experience.

Slowly, the eclipse progressed.

The brilliant moonlight began disappearing.

The sky became darker.

And darker.

Until eventually...

Hanle revealed itself.

The Sky We Had Come For

As the moonlight faded during the eclipse, more and more stars began appearing.

Dim stars.

Bright stars.

Large points of light.

Tiny ones scattered across the darkness.

We saw shooting stars.

And finally...

the Milky Way.

We brought extra mattresses out from our stay and laid them beneath the open sky.

And there we were.

After riding approximately 360 kilometres through Pangong, Kaksang La, snowfall, rain, Mirpal Tso, Mahe and Nyoma...

we were lying beneath the stars in Hanle.

No motorcycle engines.

No helmets.

No roads to think about.

Just us looking upwards.

For me, it became something more than another travel experience.

I couldn't help but look at that enormous sky and admire the beauty of what God had created.

And there was something deeply personal about finally seeing it.

Hanle — Second Time Lucky

I had been to Hanle before.

On my previous visit, the weather had been cloudy and windy.

I couldn't see the sky I had come hoping to experience.

So this was my second chance.

And initially, with the full moon shining above us, it looked like I might miss it again.

Instead, something completely unexpected happened.

We witnessed a lunar eclipse in Hanle.

And during that window of darkness, we finally experienced the night sky we had hoped for.

We clicked some beautiful low-light photographs beneath the stars and spent as much time outside as we could.

Eventually, it was time to sleep.

Day 7 — A Treat From Morning Until Midnight

What a day.

It began with Sunday Service beside Pangong.

Then came Maan and Merak.

An unplanned detour towards Kaksang La.

Beautiful empty roads.

Rain.

Snow.

A snow-covered mountain pass.

A careful descent.

Mirpal Tso.

The long ride towards Hanle.

And just when we thought the adventure was finished...

Hanle gave us a lunar eclipse, shooting stars and the Milky Way.

Day 7 gave us something in daylight and something completely different after dark.

The mountains tested us during the day.

The heavens gave us a spectacle at night.

And lying there beneath that enormous Himalayan sky, there was only one thought in my mind:

Some journeys give you exactly what you planned for. Others give you something you could never have planned at all.

Day 8 — Not So Umling La

Day 8 — the Umling La attempt and the Nerbu La route.

Hanle to Umling La — Almost 19,024 Feet

After the incredible night we had under the skies of Hanle, we woke up well-rested and ready for what was supposed to be one of the biggest milestones of our journey.

Umling La.

At approximately 19,024 feet above sea level, reaching Umling La is something special for any motorcyclist.

Everyone in the group was excited.

For me, however, this journey carried a different emotion.

I had been here before.

On my previous Ladakh journey, I had ridden my own Himalayan 411 all the way to Umling La. Bringing my own motorcycle to this altitude remains one of my favourite riding achievements.

This time, I was returning on the Himalayan 450.

And after everything this motorcycle had shown me over the previous few days, I couldn't wait to experience this route again.

Two Roads Towards Umling La

There are different approaches in this region, including routes involving Nerbu La and Foti La.

From my previous experience, the Foti La side had been the more challenging option. I wasn't sure how much the road conditions had changed since my last visit, particularly considering how dramatically routes like Chang La had improved.

For today's ride, we chose the Nerbu La side.

And I was more than happy with that.

Because this route still had something I had been waiting for:

Off-road terrain.

An Off-Road Playground

There was a long stretch of rough terrain ahead of us.

And the moment we reached it, I was having an absolute blast.

This was exactly the kind of terrain where I wanted to experience the Himalayan 450.

Loose surfaces.

Broken tracks.

Open stretches.

Enough room to understand what the motorcycle could really do away from perfect tarmac.

Last time, I had ridden my Himalayan 411 hard through these sections, and doing it on my own motorcycle had made that journey particularly special.

But this time, with the Himalayan 450 underneath me?

The fun felt doubled.

The motorcycle had already impressed me on the journey towards Nubra and again around Chang La, but here I felt even more connected to it.

The suspension.

The power.

The balance.

The confidence it gave me through rough terrain.

Everything seemed to come together.

For those kilometres, the route felt like a giant playground.

And somewhere along that stretch, I realised something:

I had genuinely fallen in love with the Himalayan 450.

Himalayan Horses

The route also gave us another beautiful sight.

Himalayan horses.

We saw several of them across the landscape.

They generally kept their distance from us, but seeing these horses roaming through such a remote Himalayan environment was special.

Motorcycles, mountains, open terrain and horses in the distance — it was one of those scenes that perfectly belonged to Ladakh.

Eventually, we reached Nerbu La Top.

We stopped there for around ten minutes, took in the surroundings and then continued.

Umling La was getting closer.

The Umling La Gateway

Eventually, we reached the gateway marking the approach towards Umling La.

For me, crossing this point brought back memories immediately.

The last time I rode this route, I experienced almost every kind of weather within a relatively short distance.

Sunshine when I started.

Rain farther ahead.

And as I approached the top —

snowfall.

All within roughly 40 kilometres.

That's how unpredictable these mountains can be.

We stopped shortly after the gateway for breakfast, a common halt for travellers heading towards Umling La.

After eating, we geared up again.

Now it was time for the final climb.

Or at least...

that was the plan.

There's Heavy Snow at the Top

Our ride marshal received an update.

It was snowing heavily towards Umling La Top.

We knew conditions weren't ideal, but we decided to continue as far as it was safely possible.

Part of us still believed:

We'll somehow make it.

So we started climbing.

And once again, I watched the landscape transform in front of me.

Initially, there was snow beside the road.

Then more snow.

Then the mountains around us became increasingly white.

The farther we climbed, the more obvious it became that today's Umling La was going to be very different from the one I remembered.

Eventually...

We stopped.

There was a traffic jam ahead.

A Vehicle Was Stuck in the Snow

We soon learned what had happened.

A vehicle ahead had become stuck in the snow, blocking movement through the section.

And this wasn't going to be cleared quickly.

The snow had accumulated heavily enough that even getting the motorcycles through wasn't realistically possible.

So there we were.

Umling La somewhere above us.

Our motorcycles parked.

And nothing we could do except wait.

We had reached approximately 18,500 feet.

We were incredibly close.

But the mountain had drawn the line.

So We Worshipped Jesus at 18,500 Feet

And then we decided to do something completely different.

Our backup vehicle was carrying our guitar.

Someone brought it out.

We parked the motorcycles safely aside.

And there, at approximately 18,500 feet above sea level, surrounded by snow and mountains...

we began to worship Jesus.

There was something beautiful about that moment.

We had travelled all this way expecting the achievement of reaching Umling La Top.

Instead, we found ourselves stranded below it.

But rather than allowing the disappointment to define the moment, we made something meaningful out of where we already were.

Some other travellers nearby even joined us for a while.

Eventually, a few of them had to move back towards lower altitude as they began feeling the effects of the elevation.

Thankfully, our group was doing well.

And so we continued.

Motorcycles parked beside us.

Snow surrounding us.

A guitar in our hands.

Worship at 18,500 feet.

That wasn't part of the itinerary.

But perhaps that's exactly why I'll remember it.

Knowing When to Turn Around

Almost an hour passed.

There was still no meaningful movement ahead.

The stuck vehicle remained.

The snow remained thick.

And there was no certainty about how long conditions would take to improve.

Eventually, we had to make the call.

We were turning back.

Of course, there was disappointment.

We had come to reach Umling La.

We were close.

Very close.

But mountains don't care about itineraries, targets or milestones.

And sometimes one of the most important decisions you make as a rider isn't deciding to keep going.

It's knowing when not to.

Umling La wasn't going anywhere.

Today simply wasn't our day.

For me personally, there was also some comfort in knowing that I had already stood at the top once before — and had done it with my own Himalayan 411.

This time, the story was going to be different.

Higher Than Everest Base Camp

On our way back, we stopped at another landmark I remembered from my previous journey.

A BRO board on the route proudly tells travellers that they are now higher than Everest Base Camp.

Simply standing beside that board feels like an achievement.

But something had changed since my previous visit.

The board was covered in motorcycle-group stickers.

There were so many that parts of the writing were becoming difficult to read.

And that instantly took me back to my first visit.

When I had come here previously, Umling La was nowhere near as widely known among travellers as it is today.

I remember this board being almost completely fresh.

No sea of motorcycle stickers.

Far fewer travellers.

A route that still felt unknown to many.

Seeing the same board today made me realise how much Ladakh tourism — and Umling La in particular — had changed.

And it made that earlier journey on my own Himalayan 411 feel even more special to me.

Back Towards Hanle

We eventually returned to the same place where we had stopped for breakfast earlier that morning.

This time, it became our lunch stop.

After eating and resting for a while, we began our return journey towards Hanle.

The Umling La milestone hadn't happened the way we expected.

But somehow, the day still felt complete.

We had enjoyed some brilliant off-road riding.

We had crossed Nerbu La.

We had ridden through changing terrain.

We had reached approximately 18,500 feet.

And we had worshipped surrounded by snow in one of the most remote landscapes of the journey.

Not every achievement needs a summit board.

Hanle Observatory — Almost Again

Back in Hanle, there was one more place we wanted to visit — the Indian Astronomical Observatory.

Hanle is famous for astronomy, and the observatory is one of the highest-altitude astronomical observatory sites in the world.

Unfortunately, by the time we reached there, it had already closed.

So we couldn't go inside.

After last night's extraordinary sky and today's almost-Umling-La experience, it seemed Hanle was determined to leave us with a few reasons to return someday.

The Journey Was Almost Over

That evening, a completely different emotion began settling in.

Tomorrow, we ride back to Leh.

The same place from where this motorcycle journey had begun.

And suddenly, it hit me.

This ride was almost over.

This journey had been planned months in advance.

There had been discussions.

Meetings.

Route planning.

Shopping.

Motorcycle preparations.

Waiting.

So much anticipation.

And then, one day, it finally began.

Now we had actually lived it.

Khardung La.

Nubra.

Wari La.

Chang La.

Pangong.

Kaksang La.

Snowfall.

Hanle.

The night sky.

And now, almost Umling La.

Places that had existed for months as names on an itinerary had become memories.

There was definitely a mixed emotion inside me.

Part of me was satisfied.

Part of me didn't want the ride to end.

Thankfully, I had deliberately kept some additional days for myself in Leh after the group itinerary ended.

I love being in Ladakh.

So just as I had arrived before the official journey began, I wasn't planning to rush home immediately after it finished either.

But tomorrow would still be significant.

Tomorrow was the final leg of our motorcycle journey.

One Last Night in Hanle

After dinner, we gathered together once again for our time of worship and prayer.

There was something fitting about ending the day this way.

We had started the morning chasing one of the highest roads in the world.

We didn't reach the top.

Instead, somewhere below it, at around 18,500 feet, we stopped and worshipped.

And perhaps that became the real memory of Day 8.

Sometimes the destination isn't what makes a journey memorable.

Sometimes it's what happens when the road refuses to take you where you planned to go.

Umling La had already given me one unforgettable story on my previous journey.

This time, it gave me another — without even letting me reach the top.

And with that, we called it a night.

Tomorrow...

we ride back to Leh.

Day 9 — The Last Leg

Hanle to Leh & The Journey Home

Day 9 begins — the last leg from Hanle toward Leh.

Today was the day I knew was coming.

The last leg of our ride.

After breakfast, we packed our bags one final time and loaded them into the backup vehicle.

For the past several days, this had become our routine.

Wake up.

Get ready.

Pack the bags.

Put on the riding gear.

Walk towards the motorcycles.

Start the engines.

And ride.

But today, everything felt slightly different.

Because I knew that when I reached Leh this evening, I would park this Himalayan 450...

and probably never ride this particular motorcycle again.

One Last Morning in Hanle

Before leaving, I took in Hanle one more time.

There are two places in Ladakh that I particularly love.

Leh and Hanle.

Leh has its own energy. No matter how many times I walk through its streets, somehow I always want a little more time there.

But Hanle is different.

The silence.

The emptiness.

The landscapes.

The roads.

The night sky.

There is something about this place that is difficult for me to put into words.

I know one thing for certain:

Whenever I return to Ladakh, Hanle will be a mandatory stop for me.

But for now, it was time to leave.

We started our motorcycles and began the approximately 250-kilometre journey towards Leh.

Today, I Just Wanted to Ride

My riding style was different today.

Over the previous days, I had pushed the Himalayan 450.

I had taken it through rough terrain.

I had enjoyed the off-road patches.

I had tested its acceleration.

I had experienced it through mountain curves, rain, snow and long open stretches.

I had even deliberately left the regular road at times simply because I wanted to experience the motorcycle on rougher terrain.

Not today.

No chasing speed.

No looking for another off-road playground.

No trying to find out what else the motorcycle could do.

Today was a goodbye ride.

I simply wanted to maintain a comfortable pace and enjoy every remaining kilometre with this machine.

It wasn't my motorcycle.

But somehow, over these days, I had connected with it far more than I expected.

The Shortest 250 Kilometres

Hanle to Leh is roughly 250 kilometres.

Normally, 250 kilometres through the mountains sounds like a considerable distance.

But today, those kilometres didn't feel long enough.

Every kilometre meant Leh was getting closer.

And every kilometre closer to Leh meant one kilometre less with the motorcycle.

Thankfully, the road itself was beautiful.

The surface was excellent through most of the journey, which meant there was nothing to fight today.

I could simply settle into the Himalayan and enjoy the ride.

And the landscapes gave us plenty to look at.

Red Mountains. Green Mountains.

One of the fascinating things about this route is the changing colour of the mountains.

We passed striking reddish rock formations.

Then came something even more interesting.

Green mountains.

And I don't mean mountains made green by grass or vegetation.

The rock itself appeared green.

Against the browns, greys and reds that dominate so much of Ladakh's landscape, these naturally coloured mountains were beautiful to ride past.

Even on the final day, Ladakh still had something new to show us.

Chumathang — Where the Earth Boils

Eventually, we reached Chumathang, where we stopped near the natural hot springs.

Chumathang — the stop near the natural hot-water springs.

Some of the water was incredibly hot.

Steam rose visibly into the mountain air as the hot water emerged from the ground.

After spending the previous few days around snow-covered mountain passes, seeing boiling-hot water naturally coming out of the earth was quite a contrast.

We grabbed some snacks and spent roughly half an hour there.

No rush.

No urgency.

Just another little halt on our final day.

Then came the familiar routine again.

Helmets on.

Gloves on.

Engines started.

And back towards Leh.

One Last Lunch Stop

We continued riding until we stopped for lunch closer to Leh.

By now, everything was beginning to feel like a "last."

One last long-distance riding day.

One last lunch halt.

One last time parking all the motorcycles together somewhere along the road.

One last time putting the helmet back on knowing there were still kilometres ahead.

After lunch, we continued.

Rancho's School

A stop around Rancho's School — motorcycles parked outside and a much-needed food break.

On the way, we also stopped at the place popularly known as Rancho's School, associated with the movie 3 Idiots.

After spending some time there, we got back onto the motorcycles.

By now, Leh was close.

Very close.

The roads became increasingly familiar.

The landscapes began telling me that we were returning to where all of this had started.

And while there was still daylight left...

we reached Leh.

Back Where It All Began

We pulled into our hotel.

Back at our original place of stay in Leh — ride marshal Tani presents the ride-completion certificate.

Only a few days earlier, we had stood here excitedly preparing these motorcycles for everything that lay ahead.

Back then, the route existed as an itinerary.

Now those names carried memories.

Khardung La.

Nubra Valley.

Wari La.

Chang La.

Pangong.

Kaksang La.

Mirpal Tso.

Hanle.

Nerbu La.

Almost Umling La.

We had experienced sunshine.

Rain.

Snowfall.

Broken roads.

Beautiful tarmac.

Long riding days.

Unexpected detours.

And moments that no itinerary could ever have predicted.

Now I parked the Himalayan 450.

Switched off the engine.

And knew...

that was it.

Goodbye, Himalayan 450

When this motorcycle had first arrived at the hotel, it was simply the motorcycle assigned to me for the expedition.

A nearly new Himalayan 450 with around 800 kilometres on its odometer.

I already owned a Himalayan 411 back home, so naturally I had been curious about the 450.

And throughout this journey, I kept comparing the two.

Then something changed.

At some point, I stopped merely evaluating it.

I started connecting with it.

I had pushed it through rough terrain towards Nubra.

I had enjoyed it through the improved curves of Chang La.

I had ridden it through the remote terrain of Kaksang La.

I had experienced it through rain and snow.

And on the Nerbu La route, I had probably had some of my best off-road fun of the entire journey.

The Himalayan 450 had become much more than a rented motorcycle.

For those few days...

it was my motorcycle.

And now I had to give it back.

I took off my jacket.

Removed the rest of my riding gear.

Looked at the motorcycle one last time.

And walked towards my room.

The ride was over.

But My Ladakh Story Wasn't Over Yet

Thankfully, I wasn't leaving the next morning.

I had deliberately kept extra time for myself in Leh.

I extended my stay at the hotel for another three nights.

And I was glad I did.

After spending day after day waking up with a route to cover, a mountain pass to cross or hundreds of kilometres ahead, suddenly there was nowhere I needed to be.

No riding briefing.

No motorcycle to prepare.

No luggage to load.

No destination that had to be reached before sunset.

Just Leh.

Two Days of Simply Being in Leh

The slower days in Leh after the ride — food, cafés and time to simply enjoy the city.

The next two days were completely different from the expedition.

I walked around Leh city.

I explored.

I shopped.

I tried different foods.

I spent time in the markets.

And sometimes, I simply walked.

There was no pressure to turn every hour into another sightseeing activity.

After several intense days on motorcycles, I enjoyed being able to slow everything down.

Maybe that's another reason I love Leh.

You don't always need an itinerary here.

Sometimes it's enough to simply be there.

But eventually...

Even those extra days ran out.

The Morning I Didn't Want to Come

Then came the final morning.

Bags packed again.

But this time, there was no motorcycle waiting outside.

We took a cab towards Leh Airport.

As we drove through the city, there was definitely a heaviness in my heart.

This journey had begun with weeks and months of anticipation.

Planning.

Shopping.

Meetings.

Conversations.

Route changes.

Waiting for the day to finally arrive.

Then suddenly I was standing at Mumbai Airport.

Then Leh.

Then the motorcycles arrived.

And before I knew it...

I was sitting in a cab heading back to the airport.

That's the strange thing about journeys.

You spend months waiting for them.

And once they begin, they somehow pass in an instant.

Goodbye, Leh

Departure from Leh — the airport apron and one final view of the mountains from the air.

Eventually, we reached the airport.

It was time.

Time to leave the mountains behind.

Time to leave those cold mornings.

Those endless roads.

The snow-covered passes.

Pangong.

Hanle.

The motorcycles.

The night skies.

And Leh itself.

I was leaving with a heavy heart.

But I wasn't saying goodbye forever.

Because if there is one thing I know about my relationship with Ladakh, it is this:

I will return.

There are still roads I haven't ridden.

Places I haven't explored.

Landscapes I haven't seen.

And stories I haven't lived yet.

The next time I come here, I don't want to simply repeat this journey.

I want to find new roads.

New places.

New challenges.

And another side of Ladakh.

The Journey Ends, The Story Doesn't

Looking back, this journey gave me far more than a list of destinations.

It gave me roads that challenged me.

A motorcycle I unexpectedly fell in love with.

Snowfall at Kaksang La.

A detour through Wari La.

Sunday Service at Pangong.

A lunar eclipse and the Milky Way above Hanle.

Worshipping Jesus at approximately 18,500 feet when snow stopped us from reaching Umling La.

And countless smaller moments between all of them.

Some were planned.

Many weren't.

And perhaps those unplanned moments became the ones I remember most.

As I left Leh this time, I wasn't thinking about whether I would ever return.

The question was simply...

When?

Because some places you visit once and cross off your list.

Some places you visit and want to see again.

And then there are places that somehow become part of your story.

For me, Ladakh is one of those places.

So this isn't goodbye.

Until next time, Ladakh.

And when I return...

there will be another road waiting.