A tour around north India on Royal Enfields

[KTMphil]

The tent camp owner was one of the most beautiful Indian ladies i've ever seen








She told she's up there (4,700 meters) from June until September & it takes her two days to climatize. She then heads down to Menali where she's from.







Two of her assistants

 

[KTMphil]

75 bht a night gets you this in a tent caravan, just like the old days, she told me she's not on Tripadvisor yet







Hot noodle soup and naan bread

 

[KTMphil]

Back on the road north again and the continuation of the ever changing terrain










You just wanted to stay in second gear and look around















More water crossings








& then we finally get to the Gold tent camp in Sachu

 

[KTMphil]

We didn't really know what to expect with the tent camp, would there be your own toilet for each tent? would the food be clean? is there hot water? etc......





















This was our tent











There were plenty of blankets, nowhere easy to hang your gear though











Ice cold water, with a flushing loo, one for each tent

 

[KTMphil]

The camps are run by Nepalese workers, they are excellent cooks. Dinner consisted of veg. soup, various dahl dishes, rice and french fries, all clean and professionally executed, it was very impressive









Bloody freezing eating, though









The only warm place was the cooking tent, where the smart people would huddle








But they did give us hot water bottles which was a blessing
'







The camps are open from June to September, just 4 months. Each end of the season, it takes 3 trucks to move all the camp equipment between Menali and Sachu (there are many other camps), each truck costs 12,000 rupees (12,000 bht)

 

[KTMphil]

One more from the amazing switchback section

One from Heindrick on the loopy section (Som in front, me behind)

Doesn't look like the trucks like it too much

 

[KTMphil]

If you stop at one of the tent camps in Sachu, make sure you walk over and take a look at the river, there's some really unusual patterns from the loose soil








Freezing cold the next morning, sleep wasn't so bad with mountains of blankets & time for some quick breakfast then off NE towards TsoKar



More unusual eye candy

 

[KTMphil]

More from the journey from Sachu to TsoKar when i get some internet

 

[KTMphil]

One of the passes - 15,547 ft

 

[2wheels]

Wow!



And double 'Wow"!



This is getting better day by day.

 

[KTMphil]

Back from the highest motorable road in the world.....hopefully can upload some content this evening.....internet hell here.

 

[KTMphil]

View attachment 18808

 

[The Bigfella]

Congratulations Phillip & Som. That's a brilliant photo. Well done.

 

[KTMphil]

Favorite sign so far - classic through the wheel shot.

 

[KTMphil]

One more beauty south of Leh, so many good photo's but i think this is one of the best so far

 

[bill]

Phil

Stunning pics !

How were the Enfields running at 5600m ?
Did they have to tweak the jetting ?

 

[Ally]

Fabulous info & photos Phil & Som.

Thanks for taking us along with you

Ally

 

[VietHorse]

Incredible India as advertised! They seem have full equipped tents even with beds and toilets inside.
It's really impressive to see the switchback roads, really incredible.
Thanks Phil and guys for sharing this.

 

[KTMphil]

Bill - no problems with the jetting at all even at 5,000 meters! Amazing for carb'd bikes.

Phil

Stunning pics !

How were the Enfields running at 5600m ?
Did they have to tweak the jetting ?

 

[KTMphil]

Back to the story, a little further NE and 1st time above 5,000 meters at one of the passes


View attachment 18819

 

[KTMphil]

Beautiful glacier sapphire blue water


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The Saajan Hotel at the next camp village


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Then down a little


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Looks like it was festival time in the region, we were seeing a lot of this kind of stuff


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A spot of tea at the next tent camp, 4,400 meters


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[KTMphil]

This was our turn for Tso (meaning lake in "indian") Kar - Tso Kar.


Not marked at all except for tire tracks in the sand but it was the right way






So off we go eastwards expecting a tent camp

 

[KTMphil]

After a while it became tarmac linking with a road to the north












Even a small minority village 1/2 way along the road










The new TsoKar camp

 

[KTMphil]

Lovely surprise they'd just built some stone chalets, no tents tonight!!!!







Acceptable for the middle of nowhere






With a view to die for






Outdoors - beautiful








Som taking some rays to warm up

 

[Kamarul R Muhamed]

Really awesome photos. getting better and better. What camera you using and how do you carry it?

 

[KTMphil]

The amazing Nepalese cook at the TsoKar camp









The next day NNE towards Tso Morari, as close as you can get to the Tibet border in this area of north India







Remains of an old stone village






Then an inhabited village in the remoteness
















Yet another village 10km further NE

 

[KTMphil]

Really awesome photos. getting better and better. What camera you using and how do you carry it?

Nikon D90 with 28-70mm f2.8 in hip holster and a Canon G1X in jacket

 

[KTMphil]

We're now truly in the precious Indian province of Ladakh







The last mountain pass of the day before working our way down to the lake in Tso Morari







From here lots of sand for the last 10km






Getting the goats tied up for the night

 

[KTMphil]

Nearly at Tso Morari










The lake just appearing in the distance

 

[KTMphil]

The military checkpoint just before Tso Morari is pretty serious. Everyone has to be registered who goes through, you are now pretty near the Tibet border






Passed the checkpoint, the amazing Tso Morari lake, not sure if there's any fish in it with the oxygen levels at 4,600 meters

 

[KTMphil]

The Yak Camp, our bed for the night in tents bu the stream


View attachment 18870




Our tent


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View attachment 18873

 

[KTMphil]

A lot of noise coming from the Korzok nomad village monastery, so we go take a look






Yak tent camp in the background






The Wangdus restaurant & GH made from an old parachute, a common theme here

 

[KTMphil]

Into the monastery and it's our lucky day, it's the once a year nomad festival






95% nomadic locals hardly ANY tourists here at all, it felt like you'd gone 500 years back in time a really strange sensation















This lady was mesmerizing - this wasn't dress up for tourists

 

[KTMphil]

The horns were blasting







& the performance was electrifying















A full house as its probably been for hundreds of years

 

[KTMphil]

Mostly nomads

 

[KTMphil]

A walk around the Korzok nomad village overlooking Tso Morari



















A nomadic sleeping room probably good for 50 nomads

 

[KTMphil]

Locals at the Korzok nomad festival

































Korzok nomad village sure is a special place that still hasn't been changed by the tourist world

 

[KTMphil]

Up bright and early, a big day ahead of us and 40km westwards back to the main road so we can head north to Leh








Buddhist prayer sites. Prayers engraved into stones at the monasteries and brought to the prayer sites

 

[KTMphil]

We did ask and they said ok









Another great road sign







& an even better one

 

[KTMphil]

An Indian military cemetery south of Leh













Pockets of greenery where there was water available from above