TrailBlazerVinay
Avid Biker
An Epic Journey of 25 days covering 5175kms on my Bike. It was definitely, 'The Journey of a Lifetime'.
The Struggles, Learnings, few tough Choices and Decisions, the Challenges, the People, Mind blowing Landscapes and Nature at its Best!! Memories to Cherish for a Lifetime..
The Solo Bike Ride from Manali to Bangalore was a Dream come true and a Life Changing experience. All I can say is - "Chase Your Dreams and Conquer your Fears. Cheers!!"
Riders: Vinay B M and Nitesh Chandra
Bikes: Karizma ZMR and Pulsar 200NS
A Big Thanks to all the people who helped us in the trip. We are grateful for all the support and encouragement we received. Would like to share the travelogue here to inspire others and hope the information is useful to others planning for Ladakh.
Bangalore-Delhi: We traveled by Flight and Bikes were shipped through VRL.
Ride Started from Delhi. Took Srinagar route while going and Manali route while returning since the elevation is gradual and that minimizes AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness). I'd recommend the same to others. While returning, I Rode solo from Manali to Bangalore. My friend took a flight from Delhi to Bangalore and shipped the bike through Train.
VRL Bike Shipping Cost from Blore-Delhi: Rs. 7400
Transit time: 10 days, So need to leave our bikes at VRL warehouse, 10-15 days in advance.
Options to Ship the bike: Train, VRL, Ghati and others. Train is the Cheapest option. VRL is safer and convenient, since they provide a palette(cage) for the Bike and our Riding gear, Helmet and luggage can be sent along with the Bike. But it comes down to personal preference.
VRL Office No.s
Bangalore TPT, Shankar - 9379015377, 9379168869
Delhi, Kirtinagar Office, Shanth Kumar- 9980182617
Delhi, Rama Road Office- 9643820763
***Before you go to give the Bikes at the VRL Godown, call them and check if the palettes(cages) are available.
***Carry all documents: DL, Passport, RC and Insurance.
***Carry enough empty bottles and a petrol draining pipe.
Things to Carry: Excel Document
Google Maps showing the exact Route I took:
Solo Ride: https://goo.gl/ShBqkN
Group Ride : https://goo.gl/xKSAKN
=============================
A Rough TripLog
=============================
Day1: Banglaore to Delhi- Flight. Collect Bikes from VRL. Halt at Karolbagh.
Day2: The Ride Begins with my Ride Partner 'Nitesh'. Delhi to Ludhiana, Punjab
Day3: Ludhiana to Patnitop, J&K
Day4: Patnitop to Dal Lake, Srinagar
Day5: Srinagar to Gulmarg to Srinagar
Day6: Srinagar to Kargil
Day7: Kargil to Leh
Day8: Getting Permits at Leh- Rest and Halt
Day9: Leh- Khardung La- Leh
Day10: Leh- Pangong Lake(Halfway)- Leh
Day11: Leh to Pangong Lake-SightSeeing to Leh
Day12: Leh to Shanti Stupa to Leh- Rest
Day13: Leh to Sarchu
Day14: Sarchu to Manali
Day15: Manali Sight Seeing and Halt
Day16: Bike Fog Lamps Repair. Rest and Halt at Manali. 'Nitesh' leaves for Delhi.
Day 17: Solo Ride Begins..
Manali to Mianpur Bandalian, Punjab
Day 18: Rain Ride Begins..
Mianpur Bandalian to Bawal- Rewari, Haryana
Day 19: Rewari, Haryana to Amratpuri, Rajasthan
Day 20: Amratpuri, Rajasthan to Udaipur, Rajasthan
Day 21: Udaipur- SightSeeing, Bike Service - Rest and Halt at Udaipur
Day 22: Udaipur, Rajasthan to Vadodara, Gujrat
Day 23: Baroda(Vadodara) to Thane West Mumbai, Maharashtra
Day 24: Mumbai to Pune
Day 25: Pune to Home (Bangalore, Karnataka)
2 ways to Reach Leh from Kargil
Kargil – Mulbekh – Lamayuru- Alchi – Leh = usual route
Kargil– Batalik – Dah – Skurbuchan – Leh = more scenic.(need permit from Kargil DC office)
Regarding Permits:
1) From 2014 onwards, Indian Tourists don't need permit to visit Khardung La, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Turtuk etc.
But we still need to take permits to visit Hanle, Chusul, Tsaga, beyond Loma bend, Chumur, Marsimik La, Batalik sectors.
2) Inner line permits are issued from DC office in Leh (10am to 3pm).
Closed on Sundays.Getting Permit may take 1hour to half a day.
Need to carry few attested copies of Permits with Photo-IDs (Passport, Driving License, Voters ID, PAN card etc.) and submit that in check posts. Good to carry a Self Declaration form mentioning the Details like Name, Age, ID No., Vehicle details etc Places and Dates.
Self Declaration Form
Permit Form
Application Form Format
Filled Form Sample
3) If we are going to Leh from Manali, need to take permits to cross Rohtang pass from SDM office at Manali (10am-5pm closed on Sunday n second Satday). Need to submit DL, Vehicle RC, pollution certificate. Again might take half a day.
*Rohtang pass permit is mainly for our vehicle, to prove its fitness & validity of registration, whereas Leh Inner Line permit is to prove our identity that we are indian citizens visiting the places as tourists.
4) The good thing is Rohtang pass Permit is not needed if we coming to Manali from other side(Leh-Rohtang-Manali).
All the more reason to take the route: Chandigarh-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Chandigarh
Packing Related:
http://tollfreetraveller.com/packing...-my-checklist/
https://2uptrails.wordpress.com/2016...stance-riding/
Route Plan, Maps and Info:
http://devilonwheels.com/how-to-plan...r-leh-highway/
http://devilonwheels.com/india/road-...t5264-190.html
http://tollfreetraveller.com/riding-...-need-to-know/
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ate-guide.html
http://www.bcmtouring.com/travel-gui...-travel-guide/
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ate-guide.html
http://www.bcmtouring.com/cms/how-pr...rcycle-ladakh/
Our CheckList:
1) Flight Tickets
2) Riding Gear: Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, Knee Guard
3) Bike Service and Extra cable fitting
4) Tyre Change, Engine Oil Change
5) VRL Booking
6) Saddle Bag, Tank Bag
7) Puncture Kit and Foot pump
8) Mobile mount and USB charger for Bike
9) BSNL and Airtel Post Paid Sims
10) Rain Cover for Shoes
11) DSLR n Action cam
12) Final Bike, Luggage and Documents check
13) Route map, documents, ID Proof and permit Application forms
14) Bookings for Hotel/Stay if any.
15) Fog Lamps for Bike
16) Toolkit, First Aid Kit and Medicine
17) Rain Coat and RuckSack
18) Water proof Gloves
19) Windproof Gloves
20) Tarpaulin and Rain cover for bags
21) Tripod, GorilloPod and Mounts
22) Memory Cards
Some Pics..
Love taking pics of my Bike. Who doesn't??
This is somewhere on the way to Pangong Lake from Leh.
Snow Caped Hill covered in Fog. Clicked by my friend using Zoom Lens
On the way to Lamayuru Monastery. Beautiful Landscape. You can see this in the videos too.

Khardungla Top! Finally!!

Sliding on Snow on top of Khardungla

Beside a River. Good that we took a detour to this place. Scenic beauty with the backdrop of mountains (can't see here).! Pics don't do justice to this place!. Hope the Videos will.

Admiring the beauty of Nature.. The Gift of being a Biker.

At Pangong Lake. Dr. Rajkumar Pose

This needs some brightness adjustment. I know!
The Majestic Udaipur City Palace. It was worth the Visit.
Colorful City View through an Arch. Artistic Click!
At Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Belgaum. Last Day of the Ride covering 808kms from Pune to Bangalore. So Happy to be back in Karnataka.
The Struggles, Learnings, few tough Choices and Decisions, the Challenges, the People, Mind blowing Landscapes and Nature at its Best!! Memories to Cherish for a Lifetime..
The Solo Bike Ride from Manali to Bangalore was a Dream come true and a Life Changing experience. All I can say is - "Chase Your Dreams and Conquer your Fears. Cheers!!"
Riders: Vinay B M and Nitesh Chandra
Bikes: Karizma ZMR and Pulsar 200NS
A Big Thanks to all the people who helped us in the trip. We are grateful for all the support and encouragement we received. Would like to share the travelogue here to inspire others and hope the information is useful to others planning for Ladakh.
Bangalore-Delhi: We traveled by Flight and Bikes were shipped through VRL.
Ride Started from Delhi. Took Srinagar route while going and Manali route while returning since the elevation is gradual and that minimizes AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness). I'd recommend the same to others. While returning, I Rode solo from Manali to Bangalore. My friend took a flight from Delhi to Bangalore and shipped the bike through Train.
VRL Bike Shipping Cost from Blore-Delhi: Rs. 7400
Transit time: 10 days, So need to leave our bikes at VRL warehouse, 10-15 days in advance.
Options to Ship the bike: Train, VRL, Ghati and others. Train is the Cheapest option. VRL is safer and convenient, since they provide a palette(cage) for the Bike and our Riding gear, Helmet and luggage can be sent along with the Bike. But it comes down to personal preference.
VRL Office No.s
Bangalore TPT, Shankar - 9379015377, 9379168869
Delhi, Kirtinagar Office, Shanth Kumar- 9980182617
Delhi, Rama Road Office- 9643820763
***Before you go to give the Bikes at the VRL Godown, call them and check if the palettes(cages) are available.
***Carry all documents: DL, Passport, RC and Insurance.
***Carry enough empty bottles and a petrol draining pipe.
Things to Carry: Excel Document
Route Map of the Trip:

Google Maps showing the exact Route I took:
Solo Ride: https://goo.gl/ShBqkN
Group Ride : https://goo.gl/xKSAKN
=============================
A Rough TripLog
=============================
Day1: Banglaore to Delhi- Flight. Collect Bikes from VRL. Halt at Karolbagh.
Day2: The Ride Begins with my Ride Partner 'Nitesh'. Delhi to Ludhiana, Punjab
Day3: Ludhiana to Patnitop, J&K
Day4: Patnitop to Dal Lake, Srinagar
Day5: Srinagar to Gulmarg to Srinagar
Day6: Srinagar to Kargil
Day7: Kargil to Leh
Day8: Getting Permits at Leh- Rest and Halt
Day9: Leh- Khardung La- Leh
Day10: Leh- Pangong Lake(Halfway)- Leh
Day11: Leh to Pangong Lake-SightSeeing to Leh
Day12: Leh to Shanti Stupa to Leh- Rest
Day13: Leh to Sarchu
Day14: Sarchu to Manali
Day15: Manali Sight Seeing and Halt
Day16: Bike Fog Lamps Repair. Rest and Halt at Manali. 'Nitesh' leaves for Delhi.
Day 17: Solo Ride Begins..
Manali to Mianpur Bandalian, Punjab
Day 18: Rain Ride Begins..
Mianpur Bandalian to Bawal- Rewari, Haryana
Day 19: Rewari, Haryana to Amratpuri, Rajasthan
Day 20: Amratpuri, Rajasthan to Udaipur, Rajasthan
Day 21: Udaipur- SightSeeing, Bike Service - Rest and Halt at Udaipur
Day 22: Udaipur, Rajasthan to Vadodara, Gujrat
Day 23: Baroda(Vadodara) to Thane West Mumbai, Maharashtra
Day 24: Mumbai to Pune
Day 25: Pune to Home (Bangalore, Karnataka)
2 ways to Reach Leh from Kargil
Kargil – Mulbekh – Lamayuru- Alchi – Leh = usual route
Kargil– Batalik – Dah – Skurbuchan – Leh = more scenic.(need permit from Kargil DC office)
Regarding Permits:
1) From 2014 onwards, Indian Tourists don't need permit to visit Khardung La, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Turtuk etc.
But we still need to take permits to visit Hanle, Chusul, Tsaga, beyond Loma bend, Chumur, Marsimik La, Batalik sectors.
2) Inner line permits are issued from DC office in Leh (10am to 3pm).
Closed on Sundays.Getting Permit may take 1hour to half a day.
Need to carry few attested copies of Permits with Photo-IDs (Passport, Driving License, Voters ID, PAN card etc.) and submit that in check posts. Good to carry a Self Declaration form mentioning the Details like Name, Age, ID No., Vehicle details etc Places and Dates.
Self Declaration Form
Permit Form
Application Form Format
Filled Form Sample
3) If we are going to Leh from Manali, need to take permits to cross Rohtang pass from SDM office at Manali (10am-5pm closed on Sunday n second Satday). Need to submit DL, Vehicle RC, pollution certificate. Again might take half a day.
*Rohtang pass permit is mainly for our vehicle, to prove its fitness & validity of registration, whereas Leh Inner Line permit is to prove our identity that we are indian citizens visiting the places as tourists.
4) The good thing is Rohtang pass Permit is not needed if we coming to Manali from other side(Leh-Rohtang-Manali).
All the more reason to take the route: Chandigarh-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Chandigarh
Packing Related:
Route Plan, Maps and Info:
http://devilonwheels.com/how-to-plan...r-leh-highway/
http://devilonwheels.com/india/road-...t5264-190.html
http://tollfreetraveller.com/riding-...-need-to-know/
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ate-guide.html
http://www.bcmtouring.com/travel-gui...-travel-guide/
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ate-guide.html
http://www.bcmtouring.com/cms/how-pr...rcycle-ladakh/
Our CheckList:
1) Flight Tickets
2) Riding Gear: Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, Knee Guard
3) Bike Service and Extra cable fitting
4) Tyre Change, Engine Oil Change
5) VRL Booking
6) Saddle Bag, Tank Bag
7) Puncture Kit and Foot pump
8) Mobile mount and USB charger for Bike
9) BSNL and Airtel Post Paid Sims
10) Rain Cover for Shoes
11) DSLR n Action cam
12) Final Bike, Luggage and Documents check
13) Route map, documents, ID Proof and permit Application forms
14) Bookings for Hotel/Stay if any.
15) Fog Lamps for Bike
16) Toolkit, First Aid Kit and Medicine
17) Rain Coat and RuckSack
18) Water proof Gloves
19) Windproof Gloves
20) Tarpaulin and Rain cover for bags
21) Tripod, GorilloPod and Mounts
22) Memory Cards
Some Pics..
Love taking pics of my Bike. Who doesn't??
Mesmerizing Snow Caped Hill top at Sonmarg
Beautiful Leh City surrounded by Hills
Khardungla Top! Finally!!
Sliding on Snow on top of Khardungla
Beside a River. Good that we took a detour to this place. Scenic beauty with the backdrop of mountains (can't see here).! Pics don't do justice to this place!. Hope the Videos will.
Admiring the beauty of Nature.. The Gift of being a Biker.
At Pangong Lake. Dr. Rajkumar Pose
This needs some brightness adjustment. I know!
Shooting a Chipmunk at Udaipur Palace. GoPro at Work! The Tripod did come to use.

At Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Belgaum. Last Day of the Ride covering 808kms from Pune to Bangalore. So Happy to be back in Karnataka.
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