#roadtripchronicles: Riding up to Khardung la Pass with fashion photographer Anand Seth

In the first of our road trip series that chronicle interesting journeys of interesting people, acclaimed fashion photographer Anand Seth shares his experience while driving up to Khardung la Pass in the Ladakh region, one of the highest vehicle accessible pass in the world.

Where: Leh to Khardung la Pass
My drive: Royal Enfield
Distance covered: Approx. 39 kms.
No. of Days: This was a day trip but extremely edgy and definitely the most potent road trip I have ever taken in my life.
When: I went there during the summer of 2012 and the weather was fabulous around the month of July.
The terrain: Very tough. Almost 25 km of the terrain is just cut up mountains with no proper roads. So you have to cross streams and rocks to get to the highest motor able road in the world.
Driving experience: Exhilarating, but extremely tough terrain to ride a bike on. You got to constantly keep your eye on the non existent road.
Highlights: Getting up to the point where at a height of approx. 18379 ft. you literally feel on top of the world.
Gourmet delights: Having maggie noodles at that point up there is like a taste of luxury. And black coffee & black tea which is available along with other basic refreshments.
Places to Stay: Night stay can be either at Leh on one side or Nubra Valley on the other. But be sure to leave Khardung la Pass latest by 4:00 p.m. as the climate gets extreme post that.
Cost: The trip costs only a tankful but you must invest in proper biking gear from head to toes, and your bike should be in great shape as its shockers would be tested to the extreme.
Pro tip: You may feel loss of breath, nausea and blackouts due to the extreme weather conditions, so take adequate precautions. And never, never try any kind of stunts while riding here as the terrain is extremely testing.