Riding in the mountains

When riding in the mountains, Shahwar would prefer to follow your tyre marks rather than the trail of plastic bottles and empty packets that you leave behind… It’s that time of the year again. The snow has been cleared, and the high passes are open. The skies are impossibly blue, the streams flow strong, and the towering mountains start calling you. It’s a call that’s difficult to resist. Yes, I’m talking about Ladakh and Spiti valley. The best way to travel to this amazing place is overland. For the next few months, you’ll find hordes of riders from all over the country (and from abroad) make a beeline for the Himalayas. The roads are broken and the drops are steep, but the chances that you will drop off a cliff to your death are far less than the chance of bumping into a friend at one of the many roadside dhabas en route, as you sit and eat some thukpa and momos. I guess the magnetic hill near Leh has more power than we thought. It invariably makes riders point their front wheel in its direction. While some are able to resist the temptation, albeit with a lot of heartburn, others happily succumb to it. Although I certainly do not agree with the notion that the Leh-Ladakh circuit is the holy grail of motorcycling in India, I absolutely agree with the fact that it’s a fantastic place to ride – no two ways about that. But I wish riders would ride with a little more respect for the environment. While most bikers travel there in groups – large and small – I also see a whole lot of solo riders, and I like that. Riding solo in such a fantastic setting is really therapeutic. When you ride solo in such a setting, it has a peaceful effect on you and makes you more humble. Riding along the mighty mountains made me realise that I’m just a speck of dust – absolutely inconsequential, and so I let go of my ego and vanity. Years back, when one could ride right up to the banks of Chandra Tal, I sat on the banks of the lake with its crystal clear waters while the mountains loomed large. I realised that the lake had a magnetic pull on me. And I’m not the only one who had this feeling, for I met a number of riders who felt the same way – although there were many others who didn’t. I’m not a meditative person by nature, but when you’re alone the mountains have a way of speaking to you – and, mostly, they tell you to respect them. If you don’t, they have ways of getting even with you – and you don’t want that! It’s a good thing that we’re not allowed to ride right up to the Chandra Tal anymore. Bottles, plastic and glass, litter the banks of this beautiful lake. Holding a party in the mountains is all very good, but when will we ever learn to clean up our mess? Thousands of travellers have their pictures taken at Khardungla top, and many of them litter the place ever so casually. And then there are those stickers – every travel company and bike club have their own stickers, and while it’s a great advertisement to have them on the walls of cafes and restaurants, it’s certainly not advisable to cover the signboards along the road with your branding! It’s a big party out there, and if you want to join the bandwagon you’re most welcome. But let others who are less initiated in riding the lonely stretches follow you by your tyre marks and not by the plastic bottles and empty packets of chips and cigarettes that you leave behind…