August 21, 2019 Mulbek

We have been bussed back towards Srinagar to Mulbek, where we would have been after three days riding from Srinagar.  Essentially the closest we can get to the Jammu/Kashmir area.  We are about 20km from the Pakistan border.  Very heavy military presence in the area.  

The countryside is absolutely spectacular - think the Fraser canyon on steroids.  Pics after tomorrow and once I get WiFi access again.  My Cell phone is happily working but if I try access anything on the web I get the message “We are sorry WiFi is temporarily unavailable where you are”.

Our bus ride meant that we got to see what our three day ride back to Leh would be like - I would have preferred not to have known - It will require a new term at the level after “brutally hard”.

Tomorrow will be our first real day riding, only about 75km, but some 1,700+M climbing and at typically 3,300M (13,000ft)

Our accommodation this evening - very nice including private bathrooms with flush toilets.

August 22, 2019, Lamayuru, 65km, 1,680M (5,500ft) climbing

Today was our first real riding day, we are starting on the 4th day of the original plan (starting from Srinagar).  Spectacular countryside, but the ride was rather hard, like doing the Vancouver to Whistler GranFondo but at 13,000 ft.  A bit of a tough first day!  We did two of the more significant passes of the trip, Namika La 3,655M (12,198ft) and Fotu La 4,105M (13,479ft), yes La means pass.

I’ve started to understand the truck horns:  The short beep is just to let you know they are there, a longer beep is to warn someone coming the other way around a blind corner, the musical tones are simply happily saying hi.  As in most places a friendly wave

is almost always returned.

At one point today across the valley I could hear monks chanting/reciting - i.e. their “happyness sounds”.

Some pics from the day:

Ron and Dunnery about to start the first full day of riding

Our hotel tonight is bottom right in the pic