“For my 30th birthday, my beloved ones made my dream come true and offered me a 15 days motorcycle tour in the Himalayas. At first I had trouble believing it, but then one day my plane landed in Delhi, where Ravi, a Vintage Rides staff member, was waiting for me. So it was true after all! After a long overnight bus ride towards the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, I met Pascal, my tour leader. He’s been living in the village of Naggar with his wife and kids for the past 7 years and knows the entire region like the back of his hand.
I got on “Pepette”, my 500cc Bullet Machismo (yes, I like giving my bike a name, I talk to her everyday and it works!) that took me to an unbelievable world of contrasts.
An abundance of greenery, rocks, sand, mud, rivers running down the mountains, cutting the roads on their way, wrecked bridges and dust. A lot of dust. We met smiling, down-to-earth people, on roads that entirely depend on the good will of rains and landslides. The Trans-Himalayan is an exceptional trail; it’s a world of its own. One discovers serenity in chaos and calmness amid the horns. I’ve experienced altitude sickness that squeezes you brain in the skull and deprives you from oxygen, I even had fever during the night. But the human body is an exceptional machine. It reacts and creates additional RBCs to oxygenate the blood. After a 48 hour ordeal, I was having a pic-nic at a height of 5000m, as if it was my daily routine.
From the most crowded neighborhood of Delhi to the highest lake of the Ladakhi desert, I couldn’t believe my eyes! And I’ve learned to come across any kind of obstacle with a Royal Enfield. With a couple of falls, of course, but always with class ;-) I know that a riders experience isn’t counted in years but in kilometers, and let me tell you that these 1500 km on the Trans-Himalayan have really challenged me. I took up the challenge and today I am considered by my peers as a true Rider. I think this track is not for everyone, you have to really want it! It is also a unique opportunity to take stock of your life and come back transformed and grown. Thank you to my family, friends and Vintage Rides for allowing me to live this beautiful adventure! I may come back again soon for another tour in that area, and I might not come alone…
LONG LIVE VINTAGE RIDES & SEE YOU SOON!” (Copyright photos : Max Landsheere) Discover this tour: Motorcycle tour in the Himalayas, the Trans-Himalayan
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