HIMALAYAN ODYSSEY : MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO THE REMOTEST AREAS OF HIMALAYAS BY BRM EXPEDITIONS

The first day of the tour is when the participants in this adventure get together for a briefing as the riders meet the team as well as get an opportunity to test their bikes. 

Post a briefing, you will be taken for a small orientation ride around Manali. We will be riding to Naggar castle and savoring the local cuisine at Jana waterfalls before we return to our hotel for another tour brief over dinner.

The Odyssey begins from Manali and our first destination  is Jibhi, a small but beautiful village bordering the Great Himalayan National Park. We ride the national highway south of Manali till Aut tunnel and take the diversion to the left to enter Banjar valley. A ride on narrow roads through the countryside beckons as we arrive in Jibhi late in afternoon. Evening for rest or for short hike to the Jibhi waterfall. The accommodation is arranged in a comfortable property amidst the Jungles of Jibhi

An Early morning start. We ride to Jalori pass from where we take a short walk to Serolsar lake. The lake has a fascinating backstory which the priest would eagerly share.  As we descend the Jalori Pass the narrow winding roads bring us to Rampur where we halt for lunch and check out the local market. We Continue our ride post lunch trough the apple orchards of Sarahan where we visit the Bhimakali temple and rest for the evening in a comfortable hotel.

We continue riding further into the heart of Kinnaur Valley as the Himalayan Odyssey moves into its fourth day. The roads get wider and the treeline gets shorter as we reach karchham dam from where we take a right and enter the majestic Sangla Valley. Famous for its serene beauty and producing the best potato in the world, Sangla welcomes us with an ascent up the narrow paved roads, which offer magnificent backdrops for some crazy pictures. We ride upto Chitkul, the last Indian Village before the Chines border and return to Batseri, where we camp for the night.

Day 5 has a short ride planned, from Sangla to Kalpa. Take some time post breakfast for Photography in Sangla before we ride back through the beautiful curves of Himalayas to Rakchham from where we continue our journey onwards and upwards towards Kalpa. A beautiful village nestled on the mountains directly opposite the majestic Kinner Kailash peak, Kalpa has some of the most breathtaking views that you can capture. A short ride to Roghi is enough for some wild adrenalin rush that riding high in Himalayas can provide.

Another day of a short ride as we leave the greenery of Kalpa behind and notice the landscape change gradually. We ride through semi desert conditions to Nako, a small village with a hilltop lake. Nako village has a long history and is a true testament to mankind’ struggle for survival. Nako village lays opposite the tallest Mountain in Himachal Pradesh Deo Purgil and is a place where many photographers from all over the world visit just to capture some shots of the beautiful nightsky. Overnight in Camps with tales from Locals.

What looks like a short ride on Maps is actually a big day, as we enter the Spiti valley we first take a trip to Gue village, which has a 500 year old, perfectly preserved Mummy. Yes Tibetan and Buddhist culture also practiced mummification and it is in Gue that we would witness the Mummy and learn about its story first hand. Next halt for the day is Tabo Monastery, the oldest Monastery in world where you can still visit and observe the Buddhist monks going about their routines. Tabo is a Place of great Spirituality and the vibes around the monastery are divine. We spend some time interacting with the monks, have lunch in Tabo and continue our ride onwards to Kaza, the main town of Spiti Valley. 

Kaza being the biggest town of Spiti Valley is bustling with Cafes and we take good account of that. A dinner out in one of the better cafes where all you can eat would be a nice pit stop on the odyssey.  But that’s for the evening.  During the day we complete the Loop of the Highest with Hikkim, Komic and Langza, the highest post office and village in the world. Overnight in Hotel.

The Himalayan Odyssey Continues riding and next on our list is Ki Monastery and Chicham Bridge, The highest Suspension bridge in Asia. On the way to Chandertal, or moon lake, we encounter rough roads, gravel and some real off road riding as we cross Kunzum pass, our second High Altitude pass on the route. Chandertal lake has religious significance and is believed to be the place where local deities come for their holy bath. The view is mesmerizing and the fact that we camp near lake side offers the group abundant time to spend by the tranquil lake and we end end the day with a hot dinner at campsite.

The ride so far has largely been through tarmac roads with occasional bad roads where the never ending construction work goes on.  Chandertal to Gramphu road would be mostly gravel and dirt and offer challenges to the riders, ones they would be more likely to encounter as we head into the Zanskar and Pangi valley leg of the tour. while from Gramphu to Sissu, Tarmac welcomes riders with open arms.  The distance of 130 kms takes roughly 5 hours and we reach Jispa early in the evening and check into our hotel.

Be prepared for another day of riding on Vastly contrasting roads. From Jispa to Shinku La, you cant ask for better roads, and the scenery that accompanies the road is truly post card worthy, you could easily have been in Alps. But as soon as we cross the Shinkula pass, the good roads disappear and all that’s left is gravel and dirt. The thrilling ride would take us through the mighty Gonbo Ronjon peak where we halt for some pictures before continuing to test our off road riding skills till we reach our destination for the day, Purney, the outpost of Zanskar valley. Evening in Camps at Purney.

We give our bikes a short break. Our Morning has an interesting hike planned. We hike to Phutkal Gompa, the only Gompa in all of Northern Himalayas that can be accessed only by foot. Perched in middle of a mountain, devoid of any greenery, this Gompa has a huge significance for Buddhists. The hike to and back from Gompa to our campsite would take approximately 4-5 hrs. After Lunch we ride to Padum, the main town of Zanskar Valley, Some more off road riding till we reach our comfortable hotel in Padum, where you can relax and put your sore feet up.

This is a day where you relax and recuperate your body. Its important to keep the spirits high and the juices flowing to continue enjoying this Himalayan Holiday. For those who want, we go for a short  20-30 km ride around Padum, to visit the local gompas and the market. 

With renewed vigor we begin the next stage of our Himalayan Odyssey, leaving Padum we exit the Zanskar region as we head out on good tarmac roads to Kargil. A Distance of 230 kms is covered on this day as we halt at Random Monastery, ride past Nun Kun peaks and click some amazing pictures with Drang Drung glacier, the largest in Asia forming the backdrop. Overnight at a comfortable hotel in Kargil.

Another good day to ride the Tarmac. the distance to be covered is a mere 200 kms and the destination is beautiful Srinagar. We aim to reach Srinagar and check in our wonderful Houseboat on Dal lake by afternoon so we can relax by the Mughal garden in the evening. staying at a houseboat is a welcome change from Campsites and hotels and we give you ample time to enjoy this. 

Rest day in Srinagar. Explore the city and the wonderful offerings it has. from local cuisine to some of the finest handicrafts, Srinagar has a lot to offer and you have this day to explore Srinagar on your own accord. Ofcourse we shall give you some pointers and if you want to stay at the house boat and just relax, that’s an option too.

Our Himalayan Odyssey has been through Kullu, Kinnaur, Spiti,  Zanskar and Srinagar Valleys already and its time we move into the last and most eagerly anticipated stretch of the tour especially for those who love off road riding. On a trip as long as this not everyday can have a highlight and sometimes we have to just ride to a place from where its easier to go our nest destination. This is the day we ride 210 kms from Srinagar to Kishtwar, our starting point for the mighty Cliffhanger section. Overnight in a hotel at Kishtwar.

Thee Highlight of Himalayan Odyssey ride as we ride the famous Cliffhanger road from Kishtwar to Killar. The stakes don’t get higher than this and this is infact the most dangerous road in the road. we need to be extra cautious on this road cut through Rocky Mountains. Crossing the Cliffhanger gives you a sense of accomplishment and pride that no other road can possibly do. Though a highlight, its not the only such stretch that we intend to cross and we reflect on the ride as we gather for dinner at our campsite, in a place untouched by tourists.

Continuing our Motorbike adventure in Himalayas, we begin our ride to Sach pass, one of the most difficult high altitude passes in the world. The ride to Sach Pass from Sural is about 60 kms long with about 20km being on Tarmac. We witness another Cliffhanger section before we start our ascent to the pass. The off road riding up the hill, tests you and the bike in equal measure. The scenery is breathtaking and you cross through patches underneath waterfalls as you reach closer to the top. Once at the top, halt for mandatory and celebratory pictures. on descending from the Sach pass into the Chamba valley you would observe a marked difference in landscape with all the greenery that surrounds you. The distance covered this day is 180 kms and we rest for the night at a good hotel in Chamba.

We are welcomed back to Himachal with all the greenery since we crossed Sach Pass and a just reward for all the efforts we put in on bad roads is some great sceneries and good roads that lead us from Chamba to Dharamsala, a town seeped in spirituality and home to HH the Dalai Lama. We  take a halt at Khajjiar, a meadow on top the hill. The distance of approx 100 kms takes about 4 hours from Chamba to Dharamsala . We stay  the night at a hotel in Dharamsala.

Three weeks into the Odyssey, we have had some good rides and some adventurous ones, all in the lap of Himalayas. The bodies are bound to be tired and there’s no better place to relax than Dharamsala. Either choose to put your feet up and relax at the hotel or you can jump on the bike again and we can go for a short ride to Bhagsu waterfall, the itinerary for the day is at your discretion.

Last destination for our Himalayan Odyssey. We ride down the Himalayas and into the plains of Punjab to one of the most iconic and popular cities of India, Amritsar. After days of riding and creating memories, we would love to indulge in some culinary delights and what better place than Amritsar. Known for its warm culture, food and places of historical significance, Amritsar is a delight waiting to be explored. we reach the city by late afternoon and check in to our Hotel. The evening is for you to explore the city and the delights it has to offer. 

Last day of this incredible journey and we take you around Amritsar, We visit Jallianwala Bagh, The golden Temple, which is the holiest shrine for Sikhs and also take you to Wagah Border to witness the beating Retreat. Gather around for a team dinner and a final briefing as we bring this odyssey to an end.