Uttarakhand Bike Tour Jul 2011

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I was on my way for 11 days bike ride across Uttarakhand in month of jul 2011. This was my first long solo bike trip..Rains had just subsided.. News of earthquake at uttarakhand was fresh..Still the enthu was high and i was egerly heading towards Bandra Tirminus Station.



I had booked the train ticket of Dehradun Express and boarded by RE Bullet Electra 2011 in luggage compartment. It was the 40 hours journey from Mumbai to Dehradun and the train stopped every station on its route.

During 40 hours, around 3 times train engine has vanished with luggage compartment somewhere and came back in 15 minutes.. ..Its for getting other boggies at kota, meerut, haridwar etc. The train journey was slow but fun..



I reached dehradun at around 6 pm and station master asked me to take bike next day morning as the office was closed by then.. Thanks to the bike loading agent at mumbai who has booked it in wrong way.. There is another booking which allows you to take the bike at any time of the day/night. The color of slip decides it. I departed from the dehradun station and booked a room for night. Still i was not sure how i was going to make the trip.. Was just waiting for the next day to come when i would start the journey.



Next day morning i started the day at 9 am. Got my bike from station. Filled the petrol tank. Went to local market and bought a stove and kerosene as i had to cook for myself during 11 days. I was happy to see that it was couldy but sunny day. Started my ride towards Mussoorie from the busy crowded dehradun city. Reached mussoorie by 2 pm.. The hillstation was getting foggier as i was riding higher. Took a break at the market for some time and had a view of the valley and started next journey towards kemty falls. Just before kempty falls took a lunch break and it was my first time to cook and have lunch on a trip.It used to take around 1:30 hours to un-tie and cook and pack it all again.The real journey started after kempty falls.. As i passed it i felt like i am entering the backyards of the world. Sun shining.. Dark fresh green dense mountains. Lonely roads. For hours you are riding as if the roads are made for you. I was gliding at slow pace enjoying the view of hilly curvey roads. For around hour the road conditions were good. My target was to reach barkot. Barkot is the last village on yamunotri route. Soon i was riding alongside the river yamunotri. The villages on this route were like 5-6 houses on the mountain..And before i could realise i was on heavily devastated roads.. There were few-days-back land slides at every 200 meters.I was many times crossing the bridges over yamuna and it was some times scary to try to cross the old bridge. The sun was setting and it was getting darker.. This used to be most challenging times of the ride.. Today was my first evening.. It was already dark and village was not in sight. The last 45 minutes from 7:15 pm to 8 pm i was riding in total dark on very bad roads in the backyards of the world.. And i reached a village settlement. I asked how long is barkot. The villager said still one more hour ride. I asked if i can get a stay in village to which he offered his extra room to me.. Unfortunatly it dint had light.. But i dint had choice.. His house was on 2 floor above and besides the small water stream. Whole night i could listen the sound of water stream.. The vehicles used to pass whole night over NH-123 and flash light over my room.. But it felt great experiencing a night stay in the remotest village in a simple house besides the water stream.



Next day morning i started journey for barkot. And it took around 2 hours to reach barkot. In local market i bought some mangos and apples. Took cash from ATM. After barkot the road was good. The road till brahamkhet was very good and scenic. It was a very new road. And the place was also charming and not like haunting. I was covering around 150 kms per day gliding slowly at around 25-30 kmph speed. I used to take break for a photograph every half hour or so.. Reached Brahmakhet at around 3:30.I wanted to go to Dharsu from where i would head to uttarkashi. But the last patch of half hour was worst again.. There was some construction work going on. Whole road was dig up but no workers were visible.. Reached dharsu at around 6 pm and took left to head towards uttarkashi.. Thats where i saw the first view of river ganga - the bhagarathi river.. The road from dharsu to uttarkashi was even worse. Whole of land slides.. I dint want to reach uttarkashi and then get stuck there if it rained tomorrow. Thankfully even today was sunny day. So just after heading for 3-4 kms i returned and desided to go to New Tehri. It was again the same situation as yesterday.. It was around 7 pm and i was riding in twilight sky to reach a village/town. I happened to reach some market. I easily got a room. Entering the room as i switched on the TV, got the news of bomb blasts in mumbai. I called up at home and friends.All the routes till now were the yatra route so in any village i could easily get rooms to stay cheaply. Today was 3rd day and i wanted to see tehri dam. By 1 pm i was near the dam. It was like entering a park. i was climbing down the hill.. The water in the valley would look dark green beause of green mountain on other side. This route is a different experience for biking. For around hour i hover-n-glide around the huge backwater. And then i reach the mouth of the dam. Even the roads were good, i was riding at 25-30 kmph. I reached Pokhal and was surprised to see branch of my school time hostel of navodaya. I met the Principal met the students and spoke to them. Spoke to teachers. It was nice to be in school after around 17 years.. Old memory recalled. After around hour at around 7 pm i started journey towards srinagar. This is when i noticed that in evenings there is no electricity in uttarakhand villages. So even if i was passing through some villages it actully felt like i am passing through the jungle. And this patch till srinagar was similar.. Bad roads.. Dense trees on both sides.. Some how i reached srinagar city and got into a hotel. Again thanks even today was a sunny-cloudy day.



Next day, the 4th day, i was heading towards badrinath via rudraprayag-karnaprayag. As i started the journey from srinagar, It started raining heavily. Anyways i was all prepared for the rains. The luggage behind was wrapped in plastic always. I was always wearing raincoat.. So no issues.It rained for around 4 hours and i kept on moving ahead towards rudraprayuag. This is a very busy route.. First time i felt that i am not the lonely bike rider.. Hundreds of sikhs on bikes were heading towards hemkund saheb which is near badrinath. Srinagar-Rudraprayag-Karnaprayag-Chamoli is like riding on any normal hilly highway. I crossed chamoli and reached pipalkoti by 6 pm. Its the last stop where busses stop in evening generally. But i again crossed the village and again landed up in the twilight dilema..waiting for next village to come.. This time i was riding on very high roads..Again by around 8 pm i reached one small village where there was room available.



Next day morning, the 5th day i was climbing the road towards joshimath. The road was full of fog. I reached joshimath in around 1 hour .. By 9:30 am.The road after joshimath till govind gath was very good. After reaching Govindgath i asked for valley of flowers. But it would take one entire day to visit it.. I dint want to leave bike and belongings back and walk all the way till valley of flowers .. So i skipped it. I went ahead towards badrinath. This is first time i saw the snow covered mountains far far.. The mountain was almost in the sky. From govind ghat i went ahead and the road was getting bad.. It was noon but still cold. The trees besides had changed. There were sages walking besides the road on their voyage towards badrinath. I reached badrinath at around 11:30 am. Visited the temple . From there went to the last village on this route - the mana village. By 2 pm i was back at joshimath. I skipped visiting Auli as i was not prepared for the snow cold weather. Continued my journey to chamoli. From chamoli i went on towards gopeshwar. Gopeshwar is a big town.. Looks like a hill station. Almost all modern.I crossed gopeshwar and today i took break at around 6 pm itself. And it was wise as there was no village on this route ahead.. And it was all dense-dense kedarnath sanctury ahead. It was a hotel room without even a TV. And first time in this journey i felt uncomfortable.My head was spinninh. Later i realised that today i havent taken a lunch break and i dint had enough of water. I was in a place around 20 kms away from gopeshwar. I drank around a bottel of water and rice khichadi.. Just to keep my mind busy i called up my friends and spoke to them about the journey so far.And after around hour my head stopped spinning.. But belive me, this was worst period of my journey.. Slept at last and next day got up all well.



Next day, 6th day.. i was on my route towards chopta. Chopta is a place from where you can see snow covered mountains. Also there are open grazing lands for cattles.. The road through you pass is actually kedarnath wildlife sanctury. Spotting some houses i stoped early at around 11 and cooked food. Daily i used to cook rice meal at around 3-4 pm. But with yesterdays experience i decided to cook in initial hours. I used to cook rice and keep some rice in heat proof-tharmas for evening. Today the challenge was that i was cooking food right in middle of jungle. Just i could see some huts of road construction worker few meters ahead. There was a stream of fresh clean water on road side. The road was all wet and uprooted. The road ahead was very dense vegetation. There were few beautifull colorful birds who had build nests on road side walls. There were different small flowers.. It felt as if i had entered any farm of ayurvedic medicines..The water streams were often flowing over the road..Every thing was wet here. Even if there is a tree log, it had green mesh over it. On one side of the road there was a wall of green grasses,plants, leaves and flowers. I just parked the bike and desided to take some snaps of small flowers.Just then i realised that there is a blood sucking worm leeches on my feet and my feet has turned red.. Oops.. I just pulled it out and throttled the bike till i find some person ahead.. I dint knew what happens if leeche bites you.. After half hour i met a person who told me that chopta is still ahead and biting of leeche is infact better for health as it sucks all the impurities from the blood.. Aaahhh.. Life came back within me again..It was very cold here. Fog every where.. The road up-climb till chopta is on the south side of the mountain.. So all the fog has accumulated. As i reached the top and crossed towards the north side of the mountain the sky was all clear. Fog vanished in minutes.. And i could see the himalayas.. Snow covered Mountains.. Worth a visit.. Going ahead there were some buffallows grazing on open grassy land. This is where i felt bad for the buffallows of mumbai who are missing this freedom. After this it was non stop journey all the way towards okhimath to rudraprayag.The rudraprayag-karnaprayag was yesterdays route. So raced it away. In evening made a stay at karnaprayag market.



Next day, 7th day.. I was heading towards kausani. If it was not a cloudy weather i would have seen the snow mountains for many times by now. But till now i had seen it only for 2 times. Kausani was going to be providing best view again. Riding towards gwaldham, it seemed that i was climbing down. The hilly terrian has passed behind and i was mostly on plaier land. Gwaldham is a milletary area. On this route there were many farms on both sides of the road. As i reached Baijnath i could see lots of trees of nashpati or pear.I reached kausani at around 6 pm. And the sky was not cloudy and i could see the himalays right next to me.. I stayed in a hotel Garden Restaurent which is only hotel providing view of the himalaya. I could sleep looking at the himalayas. Next day i got up at 4 am. And at my first sight i could see cloud shining red in color due to sun light.. I was surprised to see morning at 4 am. But sunlight was falling on the clouds and I cant see himalayas.. So slept back till 8 am..



Today it was 8th day and i was heading towards nainital via Someshwar-Ranikhet. The terrian was plain. Roads were good. Since Karnaprayag i had actully come into kumaon region. The north hilly part is called as Garhwal region. Passed through Ranikhet. Its very nice milletary area. As i neared nainital .. I started climbing upwards and the fog increased.After days i was seeing so much crouded place. I roamed across the Nainital city over the bike.. Even on the inner roads.. . Made stay at YHAI hostel. The temperature was very low and it was coldest night of the trip.



Next day, 9th morning i was heading towards Jim Corbet.The nainital-kaladungi-ramnagar was 62 kms.Road till kaladungi is climb down. After that its a plain terrian. Reaching ramnagar i booked a jeepsy and got the permit for a jungle safari for jim corbet. Out of 75 kms of safari 35kms were to reach the main gates of jungle and come back. So inside jungle its 40 kms of safari. Anyways, i was in Jim Corbet in rainy season. Only Jhirna trial is open throught year. I could spot some jackles and elephants. I dint expect anything more. Then i started my journey towards haridwar. I left at around 5:30 pm from ramnagar. The route is Ramnagar-Kashipur-Jaspur-Afzalgarh-Nagina-Najibabad-Haridwar. It was normal highway. Road was good. So i could afford to ride at night.I was avg at around 60 kmph. I was passing through uttarpradesh.After nagina at around 9pm it started raining. And as i neared haridwar it rained heavier. I was around 50 kms from haridwar and there was traffic jam.Due the heavy rains the river has flown over the road and river sand had covered up the roads.. The busses and 4 wheelers were getting stuck in the sand.. I have experienced such problem first time ever. Only way to get over it is not to stop. If you stop the wheels will get stuck in the mud. As i was on bike i was only one who could get out of it. And next the heavy rain was waiting for me.. As i was entering haridwar it was like rain pouring over me. It was around 2 am and i was riding for around 7 hours now since ramnagar. And finally i reached haridwar .. Crossed the huge bridge over the ganga and reached the square .. It never looked like 2:30 am. It was shraawan and lakhs of kevads with saffron wears every where.



Next day, 10th day.. deserving rest.. Got up late.. And took a ride to rishikesh from haridwar. Saw the lakshman jhula. Just romed around in the market near laxman jhula. Returned to haridwar and in evening and attended the ganga aarti at har ki pauri. It was a wonderful experience.. High in emotions, i was talking to myself.. dont know when was the last time i met mother ganga.. Felt like all on the bank of ganga part of one single huge family and attending aarti. After aarti i just took a ride of bike in the haridwar.. Lakhs of kavads(people who came to haridwar with procession) were returning to their respective villages.



Next day, 11th day i had a ride of different places in haridwar and in evening returned to Haridwar station. This time it was a fast train to mumbai.



Every day was a different day in this trip. From the feeling of fear to the feeling of acheivement.. Travelling 1800 kms over 11 days.. Taking shelter in a remote village house.. Or visiting school after 17 years.. Or witnessing deadly spinning of head or wonderfull view of himalaya.. will all these experiences i was certainly a diffent person when i returned back.

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