Pearl D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jul 8: Sachin Shetty from Kaup, a passionate cinematographer, working with the Sandalwood industry, and a fervid rider became the talk of the town after he completed his 11,200-km journey by road on Monday, July 3. An ardous journey that demands courage, indomitable spirit and persistent enthusiasm to seek new adventures, is something that many dream of, but only a handful can achieve. What make this journey particularly wonderful is the opportunity it provides to explore the country as it should be.
Sachin, who rode his two-wheeled beauty, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 411cc, all the way to Khardung La, traversed the length of the country through 16 states, all in just 37 days. His travel blog 'Lights Camera Ladakh' captures the weather, food and culture of the amazingly diverse India during his trip from May 28 to July 3.
He hopes to cover the rest of India on his next bike trail, but for now, he recounts his experience, its richness and the colourful culture, streets and stories in conversation with daijiworld.
Asked if riding does test the core of one's character, Sachin said, "Yes. And with that test, patience is key. You encounter different types of people, terrains, and food. One must adjust to that. One should be prepared for all problems and not discontinue the trail for reasons like fault in the bike."
Idea of the Ride
About a year ago, Sachin's biking group the 'Mangalore Yezdi Jawa Motor Cycle Club' planned on a biking trail from Jammu to Srinagar. While the others had their bikes ported to Jammu, Sachin decided to go the extra mile and take his bike himself. "The team had been planning the trip for a year-and-a-half. Although I rode solo for the most of my journey, I was accompanied by the team, and 'Mangalore Off-Roaders' from Jammu to Kardung La to Chandigarh, a 2,800 km stretch from June 10 to June 22.
My primary purpose was to document Indian food and culture, so, starting the ride from Kaup was optimal. Besides, if I were to travel the same location twice, it would get a bit boring. I tried to collect sponsors for my travelogue but got none. At last, my friends sponsored me, and I got two cameras to capture the trip," added Sachin, who is an avid cinematographer and a YouTuber. His latest vlog will include the release of the said travel exploit he calls 'Lights Camera Ladhak'.
Sachin travelled 11,200 km in all, covering 16 Indian states. On an average, he covered 448 km per day. "At a stretch, I rode a maximum distance of 1,100 km, which was from Kapu to Mumbai. But at Jammu Kashmir you cannot travel more than 100 km continuously," he said.
Riding? Just in his blood
Sachin who took to biking at a very young age said, "I developed a liking for bikes from std 5. My dad was a biker. When I rode with him, I sat on the bike tank and accelerated the bike a little. He passed away after a year. My passion for biking reignited in Bengaluru while I was at my uncle's place. After std 12, while I was pursuing a diploma in 2D and 3D animation, I joined a local team there and rode to places on Sundays. I then joined Pizza Hut on the New BEL Road, the busiest road in the city, because of the biking involved. I was famous as the fastest delivery boy. I was obsessed with bikes. I used to sit and just stare at superbikes for half an hour. My dream of owning a superbike was realised last August after 5-6 years of savings."
The Bike
Sachin rode the Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 cc throughout his 25-day spin. "It is an off-roading bike. I had problems with the bike just two times, one, when my Magnet coil burned at Leh, and the second, at Khardung La top, when my ignition wire was broken and my bike turned off. I got support from Mumbai RE who contacted the Leh workshop. And while my bike had to be manoeuvred down Khardung La, the workshop there replaced the coil," he said.
"The Himalayan, as I learnt from Facebook, has a lot of problems in general. When I touched Mangaluru, the RE outlet here got an email from Mumbai to get the bike reviews from me. They visited me and are now servicing my bike for free. Now RE gives me free servicing in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Mangaluru," said the happy biker.
The Preparation
"I had my riding gears like the helmet, a jacket with shoulder pads, riding pant with knee pad, riding shoes with all guards, three pairs of gloves -winter, rainy and leather. Had a basic medical kit to tend to the wound I had got before I started the trail. I had a 2.5-litre camel back with a drinking tube extended to my mouth, so I could drink while I rode. The bag kept the water cool for 4 to 5 hours. It helped through the hot terrains. I carried camera equipment – a helmet camera Go Pro Hero 5 an action camera, 5D Mark III, Sony A7, DJI Osmo.
"One can carry an oxygen cylinder along. But sometimes that also would not work as you would not have the strength to inhale properly at Khardung La," Sachin added.
Sachin, a part of 138 WhatsApp groups, had coordinated with his friends and learned about important places for his trip.
Sachin booked his accommodation online on OYO mostly, but did a tent stay in Pangong, Turtuk, and Hunder.
The Terrain, Culture, Food
The epic journey passed through picturesque terrains, rich cultures, distinct languages, and extreme climatic conditions.
The 37-day trip began at Kaup for the bikers paradise, high up at the 18,383ft altitude, one of the highest motorable roads in the world, the Khardung La pass. "Khardung La, 45 Kms from Leh, is a 40 to 50 km offroading, full of snowfalls, landslides and water crossings," explained the ecstatic biker in Sachin.
One ought to face all climates. And the weather kept changing a lot throughout the journey. I experienced a hot 57 degree, a freezing -28-degree Celsius, and a heavy downpour in Bhopal. Riding in the changing weather was difficult. It was around 38-40 degrees till Rajasthan, after which it was a sweltering 52 – 57 degrees Celsius. After Jammu, it was -11 to -28 degree Celsius," he added.
"In Rajasthan, I saw the exquisite folk dance during the Desert Safari, the huge Udaipur palace which took me about one whole day to cover, and the gorgeous golden Jaisalmer which had to be captured before the scorching noon. As a relief from the summer heat, one can notice Sikhs offer Mitha Pani from Bikaner to Amritsar to Jammu. I relished the exotic Kahwa at Jammu Kashmir and Momos in Manali. Srinagar was perfect – a beautiful place with the Dal lake and accommodating people. Amritsar is one of the defining destinations visited, with its clean streets and incredible people. The golden temple is a brilliant sight. They have Langar in the Gurudwaras there, where roti and kheer are served round the clock. I made friends with a local there who was very hospitable and showed me around.
"I saw the famous parade at Wagah border. The border is called 'Atari' in India. About 5000 people on the Indian side and 40-50 people on the other, the way people cheer when the gates open and the ceremonial salute is performed, is all wonderful. One has to stand in line at 2.30 pm for an entry for the 6 to 6.30 pm show. I was waiting from around 1.30 pm. Nothing is allowed in there except a primary camera.
"I reached Hyderabad during Eid and relished their delicacies the Haleem and Hyderabadi Biryani. The police in Hyderabad were excellent. When I unknowingly entered the six-lane Hyderabad-Mumbai highway, they stopped my vehicle, politely enquired where I was going and for what purpose, and upon knowing escorted me 12 km back through the one way to the service road," he recalled.
"At some places, I used to rest at night and capture a time lapse at the sunset point, especially during the tent stays," he said.
When asked about how he struck a balance of capturing and experiencing the places during his travel, Sachin said "This trip was more about capturing. But if I found something interesting, I would stop there spend a couple of hours to experience it."
The Khardung La Experience
"Khardung La was about -28 to -40 degrees. In spite of 3-4 jackets and even thermal wear, my hands were frozen in Khardung La. If you stayed in a position for 3-5 minutes, you cannot feel your hands. In the condition, you cannot hold the clutch or accelerate, and it gets very difficult to ride. But once you reach Kardung La, you do not feel the cold in other places,"
"In Khardung La I did not have water at all. One would not be hungry either, as food does not get digested there. Even so, one has to eat and drink forcefully," he added.
"At the Khardung La top, people develop breathing problems due to the altitude. With little oxygen and piercing -28 degree Celsius, one just cannot breathe properly. The higher you go, the thicker your blood gets. I had Diamox Tablets five days in advance to prevent altitude sickness. It is not a necessity, but I had them to avoid any problems.
"When entering Khardung La, I enjoyed the snowfall for two km. But when climbing higher, the snow gets heavier, and you lose visibility and the ability to ride. That was the time I felt like just retreating, but the tip was the destination, and I was just two km away from it when I had issues with my bike, could not breath, and just came back down. A word of caution, one must always remember not to lift the bike if it falls there, as the strain could be fatal. Just wait for help to raise it. I could not reach the top in my first attempt. So I tried again. Once I was down, I waited for another 2 to3 days in Leh, and when the weather seemed right, I succeeded to the top," said the triumphant biker.
"At the end of the whole journey, we had a bikers' meetup, a get-together, in Bengaluru where about 100 to 120 bikers were waiting, to welcome me. Even in Puttur, on my way from Mysore, and in Bantwal, BC road, Kapu, Suratkal, Mangaluru, people waited for me in large numbers. I arrived at Puttur at 9 AM, and reached Kapu at 7 PM, from all the celebrations. There was heavy garlanding, and I could barely ride back home. People came in large numbers despite the heavy rain. My Mangaluru welcome was grand in Forum Mall. All the 7-8 biking clubs were present, including the lady biking club," he said, after the exhaustive travel itinerary.
When asked about how the trip changed him as a person, "I was not much of a talker. I was always behind the camera. But now, I do not know I got the confidence to speak to people, face to face. I also lost my weight, I was 88, now I am 79 kg," said a happy Sachin.
Sachin who had sustained an injury before the trail did not back down from the adventure " It was my dream. It is every biker's dream to reach Leh-Ladakh. And, everything was planned. All the rooms were booked. So, I could not cancel," he said.
"You have got many places in India. First, explore India, then go out of the country. I am still to explore the North East," said Sachin in his message to adventure biking enthusiasts in India.
"I am planning to do a North East - Nepal trip next, which would be a 16,000 to 18,000 km trail. I am hoping to get a sponsor for that," said Sachin about his next venture.
Sachin's 'Lights Camera Ladhak', the videos of his Ladakh trail would be uploaded on his youtube channel, 'SHUTTERBOX FILMS', with a weekly half-hour update, starting next month.