Echoes of Youth: Pinakin and His Wife’s Review of Ladakh Bike Adventure
“We are young at heart, so it doesn’t matter if our age is not.”
As I look back on our 25th wedding anniversary, I can't help but smile at the thought of how we celebrated it. Most couples would choose a quiet dinner, a cosy getaway, or maybe even a grand party. But not us.
We chose something that reflected who we are—young at heart, adventurous, and always ready to embrace life head-on.
So, there we were – my incredible wife and I, riding through the breathtaking landscapes of Leh Ladakh on a bike, with the wind blowing on our faces and the tough roads stretching out endlessly before us.
The Dream We Almost Forgot
You see when we first got married, we had made a pact. We would one day take a bike trip to the cold desert.
But life, as it often does, had other plans.
There were children to raise, schools to choose, colleges to fund, and careers to manage. We got so caught up in the whirlwind of life that our dreams slowly faded into the background.
Some dreams just take a little longer to come true…
Fast forward to a few months before our 25th anniversary. One day our kids casually mentioned that our milestone was just around the corner.
And that was when it hit me—this was the perfect opportunity to revive our long-forgotten dream. I knew I had to make it happen.
With little knowledge of how things work in the digital age, I did what any determined man would do: I went online and started searching for the perfect bike tour operator.
I dropped my number on various websites and soon enough, my phone started ringing. But nothing matched my taste. I wanted something customised, something that would reflect us. Just when I was about to give up, I got a call from a company with a name I could barely pronounce—Thrillophilia.
I realised that they were offering exactly what I wanted—a customised trip that was ours and ours alone. Without any further hesitation, I booked the Ladakh bike trip. And then came the best part—surprising my wife.
Her eyes lit up in a way I hadn’t seen in years. This was it, the dream we had shelved so long ago was finally going to be our reality.
The Journey of a Lifetime
We arrived in Leh with our hearts pounding with excitement and a slight touch of anxiety about the adventure ahead. Leh, with its crisp mountain air and towering peaks, was everything we had imagined and more.
But nothing prepared us for the thrill of hopping onto a Royal Enfield and hitting the road. The sound of the engine roaring to life felt like a battle cry, and as we set off towards Sham Valley, we felt like a couple of teenagers again.
Our first stop was the Hall of Fame, a place that tugged at our heartstrings as we paid tribute to the martyrs of the Indo-Pak War. My wife, ever the history buff, took her time reading every plaque, her eyes teared up.
We continued on to the Magnetic Hill, where the laws of gravity seemed to take a backseat. We sat there in awe, watching our bike seemingly defy physics, moving uphill on its own. “It’s magic!” my wife exclaimed, and for a moment, it felt like we were in a place where the impossible was possible.
Our journey took us through the world’s highest motorable road, Khardung-La Pass. Riding at 18,000 feet, I felt a sense of triumph. But it wasn’t without its challenges. The roads were tough, the air thin, and the cold biting.
As we navigated the dangerous paths, I couldn’t help but remember our children, friends, and relatives warning us that we were too old for a bike trip. They suggested we take a cruise instead, something more “age-appropriate.”
But then I caught a glimpse of my wife in the rearview mirror, her eyes sparkling with joy, her smile wide and unrestrained. At that moment, every doubt, every warning seemed trivial. She wouldn’t be this happy on a cruise or a relaxed holiday. The sheer joy on her face made it all worth it.
In the Middle of Nowhere…
As we descended into Nubra Valley, our bike’s engine gave up. We looked at each other, half laughing, half worried.
Just as I was about to channel my inner mechanic, a group of fellow bikers from our tour rolled up. With a few tweaks and a lot of teasing about my ‘mechanical skills,’ we were back on track.
And, by the way, Nubra Valley welcomed us with its surreal landscape—a mix of barren mountains and a white sand desert.
We even got to experience a double-humped Bactrian camel ride. Although I must admit the camel ride was a lot bumpier than our long bike ride.
There we were - feeling like we were 25 again.
We giggled like teenagers, stopped for countless selfies, and even flirted a little—because why not? The mountains, the wind, and the thrill of the ride brought out a side of us that we had almost forgotten existed.
One of the funniest highlights of our trip was our stop at Pangong Lake. Not only was the lake itself breathtaking with its ever-changing hues of blue and green, but we also decided to recreate some iconic scenes from the movie “3 Idiots.”
Yes, we sat on the famous “3 Idiots” bumps and laughed at ourselves. It was silly, it was childish, but it was also one of the most fun moments we had. We felt like we were part of something bigger, something that connected us not just to each other but to the countless people who had been there before us.
Moments That Will Stay With Us Forever
Our Ladakh bike trip was a journey filled with breathtaking landscapes, thrilling rides, unexpected hiccups, and moments of pure joy. But more than anything, it was a journey of rediscovering each other, of remembering why we fell in love in the first place.
As we boarded the plane back home, my wife turned to me and said, “Let’s not wait another 25 years for the next adventure.” I smiled, knowing that with her by my side, every day is an adventure.
Read More: Thrillophilia Leh Ladakh Bike Trip Reviews