Zooming through Ladakh: Akash’s Bashful Bike Trip With Thrillophilia
I learnt to bike at the age of 13, in class 8. I loved it when I drove bikes as I felt a kind of adrenaline rush and thrill that no other activity provided me. I felt liberated and free.
As time passed, I grew a deep interest in this sport, and I had a new-found aspiration to travel the world with my bike.
I had completed two bike trips, Delhi to Kaza and Bangalore to Gokarna before I commenced on my third bike trip to Ladakh with Thrillophilia. It was the month of August of 2022, and till now it is the best trip I have had!
Unfolding Ladakh
This journey of ours started from Leh. We were a group of 5 friends and we opted for 500 cc Re Himalayan bikes for this journey. It was more suited to traverse the challenging terrain. So, it was a delight riding these beasts through such amazing landscapes of Ladakh.
We kick-started our adventure with a visit to the Sham Valley on the first day. Honestly, it was a treat to the eyes to see 17 bikes gliding through the snaking roads of Ladakh in a single row, vanishing behind the mountains at some turns. The cool air satisfyingly whipped on our faces, balancing the excitement of the heart with some solace.
Coming to the visuals, it left us all speechless.
The wide valleys fringed by sharp peaks- some snow covered in the distance and some rugged and barren- made for a serene surrounding. It is justified to call the terrain of this destination “moonscapes”; they do resemble moon-like landscapes.
Our trip batch had a common understanding- none of us were too keen on completing the itinerary and crossing off all the places of sightseeing. We all wanted to enjoy the ride. So it did not matter if we missed some of the attractions because we got delayed, it was more important for us to spend more time on the road.
Since I had visited Ladakh before, I did not mind either. I had absolutely no interest in exploring the monasteries, I was doing good from afar. Rather, what I found to be more to my interest, were the child monks playing football in front of the Thiksey Monastery. Being a football fan myself, I could not resist the urge to join them!
There is one thing that I noted, their sense of unity and community was too strong. Although they had friendly matches, they themselves ensured that it was fair play and all of them agreed. It was too sweet to see them work out their differences and go back to playing. Living a happy life was more important than returning home with a sulky face.
O’ Captain, My Captain
Our trip marshal was named Singay. He was a happy-go-lucky person who magically solved all our problems in the flick of an eye. He had a dominating yet understanding aura which made the entire group not just stay together, but also help each other when any serious issues arose.
There was one time when one of the bikes of our batch got a punctured tyre in the middle of the road. We were on our way to the hotel in Nubra and there was no sign of life around the place. Singay immediately came to the rescue. Since there was no signal on our phones, calling someone for help was out of the question. But fortunately, Singay was carrying an extra tyre, just in case someone needed it.
His experience is reflected in his preparations. He was ready for anything, always saying “Bring it on” whenever he would come face to face with a troubling situation.
But the issue was not just about the tyre there was something off with the engine. One of our batchmates, Rahul, was an automobile engineer who found out about the glitch and removed it. The engine started working fine and Singay sir told him, “At least one engineering degree paid off well!”
(It was sarcasm guys, don’t get offended. Harmless jokes are universal.)
The climax
Our bike broke down on our way to Chang La. It was bad.
There was smoke all over and even Rahil could not make sense of what to do. The trip was ending and we were just about to reach Leh when this accident had to take place. Some kind of malfunction or GOD KNOWS WHAT!
I was shocked, but I kept my calm. Singay arranged for another bike from Leh as it was more convenient. And I completed the rest of my journey in that.
It was an unfortunate incident, but I appreciated the way Thrillophilia handled this mishap. The rest of the journey had been glorious!
The thrill, the adrenaline rush, it was unparalleled.
Thrillophilia had done a spectacular job, and our experience had been great!
I was happy by the way as my aspiration was manifested.
Read More: Thrillophilia Ladakh Bike Trip Reviews