27 Years Later: Reliving the Thrill of Conquering Khardungla Pass

27 Years Later: Reliving the Thrill of Conquering Khardungla Pass

By Ishwar Deshmukh

It's been 27 years, but May 24, 1997, felt like it was just yesterday.

Every traveller needs inspiration. No matter who you are or how much you've travelled, there will always be moments on the journey when you need to be reminded of where you are headed and why you chose to go there. The memories made on this particular day were the best times of mine.

As a physical education teacher at Bishop Cotton School Sadar, Nagpur, I was enjoying my summer vacation of 1997. I thought of spending my vacation and keeping myself away from the scorching heat of Nagpur in a slightly different way. I firmly decided not to move with the regular mode of transport to a crowded, famous hill station. It is said that if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.

I thought of riding on a bike towards the northern part of India with my friends, with a zeal and motive to have pleasure, adventure, and fun. I coordinated with my friends to ride to the world's highest motorable road – The Khardungla Pass (18,380 ft. above sea level) in Leh (Jammu and Kashmir). I have always believed that the thumb rule of the expedition is that everyone should stick together. This bike expedition was a chance to experience the charm of the region. The excursion was around two weeks, so we had ample time to explore the vast, cold desert at a slow and relaxing pace.

The team members were: Sunil Wahale, one of the fastest basketball players in Vidarbha and a representative of the Indian Korfball team at the world championships in Holland and Belgium in 1984 and 1990; Mickey, the owner of Mickey Motors in Shankar Nagar, Nagpur; and the youngest member, Asif Ali, one of my favourite students, who had just taken his SSC Board Examination. All were from Nagpur.

With careful planning and partial sponsorship for the expedition, we finally departed Orange City on May 14, 1997, riding Yamaha RX-100s. Since ATMs were not accessible everywhere, we carried hard cash and planned to ride until sunset each day. For accommodations, we chose to stay in Gurdwaras and Dharamshalas, known for being some of the safest places in the country, especially for travellers. Staying in various religious places across different states and enjoying the langar in the gurdwaras was a wonderful experience.

Our original plan was to reach Khardungla from Himachal Pradesh via Keylong and return to Srinagar via Kargil. However, upon reaching Madhi near Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, we learned that a landslide had closed the road for a week. This forced us to change our route. We rode to Srinagar via Jammu and decided to reach Khardungla via Dras and Kargil, the only options left. In total, we covered a distance of 5,448 kilometres on our journey.

On May 24 at 11:45 AM, we found ourselves on the World's Highest Motorable Road – Khardungla Pass, standing 18,380 feet above sea level. Feeling on top of the world, my friends and I shared an extraordinary sense of accomplishment and conquest. Achieving this required us to toil and step out of our comfort zones; true change begins at the end of one's comfort zone. The rare feeling of achievement and excitement was evident on the exhausted faces of my comrades. It is difficult to fully describe in words. Our journey tested our patience and endurance, but we ultimately hit the bull's eye.

We had several unforgettable experiences during this expedition:

1. Late one evening, we stayed at the Gurdwara in Awantipora, just before reaching Srinagar. On the way, we stopped to ask a local how far the nearest Gurdwara was. Within seconds, a group approached us with smiles, urging us to stay with them and explaining that it was unsafe to proceed further due to security reasons. As we were about to follow them, a J&K Police patrol jeep appeared, and the locals quickly disappeared. It was a strange and frightening experience. The inspector advised us not to stop on the road, to avoid interacting with locals, and to refrain from riding after sunset. We thanked the Almighty for the timely arrival of the police; had they been a few minutes later, who knows what might have happened.

2. Near Sonamarg, Capt. Ashok Kumar of the 5131 ASC Battalion (MT) of the Indian Army and his men helped us when we were caught in heavy snowfall on our way back to Srinagar.

3. The most terrifying moment occurred on the outskirts of the Dras region. We had stopped to take a few pictures when two Indian Army soldiers ordered us at gunpoint to raise our arms. They explained that the area was highly sensitive, and they had to follow strict security protocols. Despite this scare, we safely returned to our hometown on May 31, carrying both sweet and not-so-sweet memories.

More than two decades later, I still frequently recall moments from this memorable trip. The lasting intimacy with the terrain, the unexpected changes in weather, and the stunning landscape—all experienced under our power—left a deep impression. The road surface, the contours of the landscape, and the curves of the road were not just seen but felt deeply.

Presently, the members of the expedition have continued their journeys in life. Mr Sunil Wahale is now a freelancer, Mr Mickey owns an automobile garage in Nagpur, Mr Asif Ali works as a sales manager at Zesco General Trading in Dubai, UAE, and I am employed at an Indian school in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman.

Leading this expedition was a valuable learning experience that helped me develop strong leadership qualities. These memories are alive in my heart and continually draw me back to my bike in search of new adventures. Great rides stay with us long after our muscles have recovered. Life is meant to be filled with memories. Moments indeed last for seconds, but memories last forever.

The writer, currently employed at Indian School Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman, has served as Head of the Physical Education Department at many reputable schools in India and the Gulf countries.