Motorcycle diaries

In 2011 when architect Bhavin Nagda 32 started planning a biking trip to Leh Ladakh he was sure it wouldnrsquot be a solo expedition He wanted his dad to join ldquoHaving been in the business of transport it wasnrsquot uncommon for my father to discuss highways and trucks at dinner I thought this idea of a road trip would definitely excite him Moreover he could do with a breakrdquoBhavin Nagda with his father Vijay at the Khardung La a mountain pass in Leh also famously known as the gateway to the Nubra and Shyok ValleysBut the muchneeded break wouldnrsquot come for the next 10 years Six months ago Bhavin felt hersquod had enough If not now when The odds however were stacked against them The Coronavirus pandemic his wifersquos second pregnancy and his 62yearold fatherrsquos battle with gout arthritis a condition characterised by sudden attacks of severe pain and swelling in the jointsVijay Nagda 62 at the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment Telescope MACE in Hanle Placed at 4300m above sea level in Ladakh MACE is also the worldrsquos second largest gammaray telescope with a 21mdiameter dishBut where therersquos a wheel therersquos a way The two recently returned to Mumbai after a 20day road trip to Ladakh covering a distance of 7000 km on the Benelli TRK 502X They wound their way through Vadodara Udaipur Jaipur Chandigarh Manali Jispa Rumtse Leh Hunder and finally Pangong Tso Travelling with a senior member meant there could be no compromise on the level of preparedness which included a complete health checkup carrying the necessary medicines for exigencies and weatherappropriate clothing To get a hang of the long journey they began with frequent offroading trips to Lonavala and back This says Bhavin helped him manoeuvre the hulk of a bike ldquoThe first time I drove it from the showroom home I had a bad fall So dad was initially unsure if he wanted to do this with merdquo The short trips did inspire confidence What didnrsquot was the quality of roads that they encountered ldquoI had heard about extreme roads from the truck drivers but itrsquos only when I saw it first hand did I realise the extent of itrdquo shares Vijay While they had chalked out the route hotel bookings were done on the go With revenge travel seeing an uptick in recent months finding hotels became a challenge they say Their budget was Rs 2000 but had to frequently exceed because they had to take what was available While they donrsquot regret it as it added an element of adventure for those who want a safer and smoother journey advance booking would help As a rule Bhavin and his father avoided riding post sundown Travel hours were limited from 9 am to 6 pmFrom sweltering Vadodara to bonechilling Leh the weather and topography got progressively challenging Riding on the sand was particularly tough they remember ldquoWe fell thrice but thankfully we got away with minor bruises The robust biking accessories protected usrdquo says Vijay Breathtaking but also occasionally spinejangling the LehndashManali route is known to be infamously unpredictable Despite carrying winter wear nothing prepared the duo for the cold ldquoThere were times when I couldnrsquot get my hand out of my jacket to give my father his BP medicinerdquo Because mountains can be unpredictable Bhavin suggests factoring in the time element while making plans ldquoThere is one stretch from Manali to Leh which is 465 km long and by our estimate we would be covering it in just a day It took us three days That changed our perception of traveling in the mountainsrdquo says Bhavin adding ldquoOn our best days we did 100 km in the mountain JispaRumtse and at sea level it was 600 km IndoreMumbairdquo The duo made a pitstop at Gurdas Ram Jalebi Wala arguably the most famous jalebi shop in the whole of AmritsarThe fatherson dynamic made the journey fun and exasperating in equal parts ldquoThere were times when his navigating advice felt like incessant WhatsApp notificationsrdquo he jokes Sometimes long stretches of the journey would be spent without a word with both soaking in the beauty of nature Of the two Bhavin admits his fatherrsquos alertness trumped his own ldquoHighway hypnosis happens when a driver has been driving for too long I faced that once but dad was quick enough to wake me uprdquo The quality of roads in Leh never allowed them the opportunity to nod off He would sneak in some ldquometimerdquo in Leh by taking off to slightly adventurous pockets when his father would nod off because he wouldnrsquot have left him take the risk His fatherrsquos unfussy nature only helped make the trip enjoyable ldquoHersquos the sort of person who doesnrsquot make demands But he was so enamoured by Manali that for the first time he asked me if we could stay there a day morerdquo20Number of days Bhavin Nagda and his father Vjay were on the roadWhile on a road trip with a senior thinspKeep medicines handy Travellers should always have several daysrsquo worth of important medications in a carryon thinspIdeally before planning a long ride go for a short ride to get to know the pillionrsquos habits and patience levels to sit on a saddle for long thinspGet as much information as you can about your travel weather conditions and clothing requirement to avoid surprises thinspThe rider must consider taking multiple breaks because travelling can get exhausting thinspPillion must have strong faith in riderrsquos skill and ability to get over a rough patch of road a hairpin bend on mountains or trafficlane changing thinspInvesting in a good communication device like a Bluetooth headset helps with uninterrupted communication between rider and pillion at highwind speedsWant to hear from youWe are looking to visit and write about interesting places of stay and travel near and far If you wish to host us for a fair engaging experience review write to us at smdmailmiddaycom