ABOVE & BEYOND

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN ODYSSEY THROUGH THE MAJESTIC HIMALAYAS

- SUMESH SOMAN

At 19,024 ft above sea level, breathing is hard, your head spins, and the lack of oxygen makes being at the world's highest motorable pass feel almost punishing.

Yet the sheer joy of knowing you've made it — surrounded by riders who've shared the journey with you — makes you want to linger in that bliss a little longer, despite your brain screaming for air.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let’s rewind about 11 years, when a 19-year-old me rode to Leh on a 200cc bike, only to crash 5 km before Pangong Tso. I limped back to Leh, got the bike fixed, and rode all the way to Delhi — with no proper riding gear, gloves, jacket, or even a decent helmet. Funny enough, 11 years later, the gear still wasn't quite right (more on that later).

So when my boss mentioned an invite for the Himalayan Odyssey, I didn’t hesitate: “Please let me go!” Thankfully, he agreed — 14 days of riding bliss awaited.

Day 1 - Chandigarh to Narkanda

The first week of July brought red alerts across Himachal and Delhi. We set off in pouring rain — I was soaked through boots, gloves, jacket, even the bike. I didn’t mind much, but the thick fog was a pain, slowing us down and hiding all the views. Even in Narkanda, where our stay at Tethys Himalaya promised spectacular valley views, all we saw was grey fog, lingering into the next morning. The evening was warm though, with introductions, friendly banter about how we all got into riding, a bonfire, and a couple of cold beers. We turned in early — next day’s ride loomed large.

Day 2 - Narkanda to Kalpa