the Hotel Niranjana, that is attached
to the Lamayuru Monastery and has
spacious, well-furnished rooms.
Kargil is best by-passed. But do
fill up extra cans of fuel there (last
opportunity). Fuel supply to Padum;
the main hub of the Zanskar Valley is
constant but the same difficulties that
affect riders, affect petrol tankers.
There are three hubs in the
Zanskar Valley (Rangdum, Padum
- the main town, and Zangla) and
nowhere to overnight or refuel in
between. Some riders attempt to
do Kargil to Padum in one go. The
distances don’t seem far on the map
(230km), but it is not only the terrain
that determines the speed; unpre-
dictable glacier melts and landslides
often cause road delays.
Most of the time you will be riding
in second or third gear. After crowd-
ed Kargil, the Suru Valley ( just be-
fore the Zanskar Valley truly begins)
brings fresh air and an easy ride.
Despite appearing on a map as the
same valley, these two valleys could
not be more different. Suru is as
green and fertile as Zanskar is stark
and desolate.
Anything can happen in this very
isolated region. Last time here, as we
approached the police check point,
before entering the Zanskar Valley,
we were told there was a road clo-
sure. A glacier melt and landslide
had turned the dirt road into a quag-
mire. We were sent back to the Suru
Valley, where we found very good
accommodation by the river.
The following morning, again at
the checkpoint, we were delayed
for a while but were finally allowed
to pass. And yes, the road became
harder and harder. Stones and water
crossings made it slow going.
Once in Rangdum, around 4pm
and knowing there is nowhere to
overnight before Padum, we called
it a day. Rangdum has one hotel, a
handful of homestays, a spectacular
monastery and a hamlet of farm-
TRAVERSE 110
houses worth exploring. We chose
the hotel for comfort and with a
modicum of luxuries such as private
bathrooms.
While enjoying a well-deserved
chai by the road, a group of three
striking looking bikers roared to a
stop in front of us for a rest and a
cup of tea. They wore the traditional
dress of the Nihang Sikh, a branch
of Sikhism that adheres to a way of
dressing first prescribed by Guru Gov-
ind Singh who, in the 17th-century
introduced reforms such as adopting
the surname Singh (meaning Lion) to
avoid his followers being immediately
identified with an existing caste.
He also prescribed the wearing
of their ubiquitous turban (to keep
the never-shorn long hair neat) and
a comfortable bright blue tunic and
loose pants to facilitate the quick
mounting and dismounting of horses
so necessary for their battles against
the ever-expanding Moghul Empire.
The leader of the group wore