When the Road Beckons: A journey of adventure & awakening across the high terrains of Ladakh

It started with a dream. And then this dream turned into a obsession, one that pursued me even in my sleep. All I knew was that I had to go to Ladakh on my Thunderbird. With two friends, whom I met online, I began my motorcycle journey on the 9th of June, 2012.
Over a period of 30 days or so, this journey took me places I had never imagined before. Lofty peaks, beautiful scenery, unparallel weather were just one part of it, the spiritual journey that it became was something I had not contemplated. We reached Pathankot on the first day, and then  on the following day we were in Srinagar. We took a day’s rest before embarking on the journey again after a day's rest  at Srinagar. The next day we reached Kargil from Kargil we deviated a little and went to Padum in Suru and Zanskar Valley. We returned to Kargil but continued our journey and halted at Lamayouru for the night. The journey to and from Padum took us five days. After a beautiful night’s stay in Lamayuru, we were back on the road again and after driving along the Indus river and after crossing the magnetic field we reached Leh. It took us almost eleven days to reach Leh on our bikes.

The journey was far more complicated than what the words can express. It was in fact a transformative one that completely changed my perspective on life. The dream began with driving towards the highest motorable roads in the world, but soon the journey turned inwards.  Riding to Leh is like being in a war. I fought the war but there were no gun trotting enemies rather there  were those who were more dangerous than them. These were the monsters that prevailed within me. The moment I had set foot in the Himalayas, the first thing I wanted to do was run back into the safety of the cities in the plains. But slowly and gradually, as I ascended the mountains , crossing one peak after another, I learnt to defeat these monsters within. There was fear and uncertainty and every accident I had, every moment when I came close to death, I felt being given a new lease of life and with every increase in altitude I gained a new-found confidence in me. This confidence not only taught me how to ride in the mountains, but also gave me valuable lessons of life. This journey across Ladakh is akin any journey we take to fulfil our dreams, whether it is an artistic one, or an entrepreneurial one. What’s common in all of these is the presence of ‘uncertainty’ and how monstrous it can actually be. This uncertainty in rewards and results has destroyed the dreams of millions. But this journey across Ladakh taught me this very valuable lesson of  how to conquer uncertainty.

Even in our real lives we are bound by our own fears, or there are things that keep us entangled, not letting us take a leap of faith. The security of the ‘now’ looks far more enticing than the lofty promises of tomorrow. But are those lofty promises worth all the effort, worth all the rigour of the journey? If the answer is yes then nothing can stop you from achieving what you want.

I met with a few accidents on the journey to Padum. They were soul-breaking and I had almost given up, as I wished to be transported back to Pathankot.  But then, I decided to be brave, I looked into the eyes of death and decided ride into its jaws if I had to. It was  when I decided to shed my inhibitions, when I decided to leave my insecurities behind, when I decided to look into the eyes of fear, I became a Ladakh rider.

Our little group developed some friction in Leh As we rode together and conquered Khardung La, the highest motorable road in the world  and from there on we rode till Nubra Valley and returned to Leh the next day. However, by thenthe  differences among us had grown immensely and I parted ways with others who returned to Delhi while I lingered on in Leh as I wasn’t willing to compromise. For reasons unknown, this journey meant many things me and I befriended new people from different nationalities andspent days with the hippies and learnt a lot about life, love and art from them. A chance encounter with a monk helped me understand many intricacies of life and existence that helped me understand myself. ‘Individuality’ was the gift that Ladakh gave me. The enamouring beauty of the pristine Pangong Lake awakened many desires and longing in me that had remained suppressed for a very long time. I met many beautiful people during this journey who inspired me in more than one ways.

Finally it was time to return home, I had embraced my individuality but I knew I had to prove it to myself. I, thus, embarked on a solo ride from Leh to Manali in which I had to cross one of the most treacherous terrains that I could think of. It took me two days to reach Manali. And after a day’s rest, I rode all the way back to Delhi.

But the journey was not over. The journey in fact continues even to this day . The mountains are not here, but struggle is no less.  The journey of uncertainty continues. I did the motorbike journey when I was in the middle of my MBA program. When I returned, I decided to quit placement and I wanted to restart my business venture but I went to the Himalayas instead and finished writing the book that I had started after I returned from Ladakh.

Finally I could embrace what I really wanted to be, i.e.,  a writer. My book was rejected by many literary agents and publishers. But I did not give up and I re-wrote the book thrice and edited and proof read the book.  I also worked upon the technicalities of the language. It has been three years since the Ladakh journey ended. My book: ‘When the Road Beckons’ has been published on Kindle now. The paperback version will be coming soon. Now, I can confidently and assuredly say that I am a writer. And I owe this to Ladakh- my friend, my teacher and my guardian angel.
                

About Author:

Ravi Manoram

The writer is an engineering graduate of DCE and an MBA from FMS, Delhi. ‘When the road beckons’ is his first literary work, which is available on Amazon. He can be reached at mail@ravimanoram.com