A Triumphant ride into the Himalayas

Almost a month ago Ouseph and I rode two Triumph Motorcycles deep into the Himalayas in the search of snow.The idea was to ride into the Spiti Valley and see if we could get to Kaza. The valley had already seen its first snowfall and Kaza was covered in a blanket of white a few weeks before we left so we needed to be peppered for the cold, the fact that there may be no where to stay in Kaza and that there may be no fuel for the bikes to make the trip back. We made it to Kaza and came back with heck of a story which you can check out out the January 2015 Edition of Evo India on stands now or just check here for the digital version. Google Play: http://bit.ly/1wQOqJk and iOS App Store: https://appsto.re/in/k2zxR.i

Chasing the Bullet

We were introduced to Chris Zahner through a moto friend we came across on Instagram. He was travelling to India and after a few emails one thing led to another and Chris ended up joining us on our ride to Pangi. Now he is getting ready to make another trip to India to make a film on the Royal Enfield and the stories behind this motorcycle.

In his words Chasing the Bullet is going to be roughly 60 minutes long and will be a "people's history" of the the Royal Enfield. I have amassed a long list of contacts and various characters who will drive the narrative of this film. There will be anecdotes, historical contexts, personal stories and more. These stories of the Royal Enfield will be juxtaposed to modern day in which these themes, motifs and circumstances continue to exist. Overall, the film will show why the Royal Enfield was so relevant when it arrived in the mid-20th century from England, it's widespread use and survival in India against the backdrop of a developing world and most importantly, why it is still so relevant today. Additionally, this film will explore the future of the Royal Enfield in the context of a changing motorcycle scene and why its roots and characteristics are still incredibly relevant.

Check out his page on Kickstarter and needs all the help he can get to get his project off the ground.

Chorla Ghat

An easy ride out of Goa over Chorla ghat to eat some mind blasting paranthas in Belgaum.

Favourite parking spot #432

This time of the year all the green has turned to gold and it's super to just stop and stare.

Roadside repairs

No ride is complete without some roadside repairs. Kartik broke his accelerator wire and we spent the better part of an hour getting a new one in.

Jonathan Gibson at the grill

Jonathan Gibson has ridden all the way from Sydney on his 69 Bullet 350 to man the Helmet Stories BBQ while we make merry.

Rider Mania here we come

The food is ready the grill is on it's way the bikes have been parked it's now time to head out to Rider Mania. Keep those beers cold people.

It's almost ready

Rider Mania the pork is almost done the Helmet Stories crew will be there soon.

A bridge

A bridge over some water somewhere on our Coastal Ride down from Mumbai to Goa.

The ferry

A different kind of water crossing than what we are used to.

Sunrise in Ambolgarh

A brilliant sunrise on the beach in Ambolgarh.

Moto selfie

Entertaining ours selfs on the ferry.

The road to Jaigarh ferry

Fuelling up

Fuelling up before we head out for the days ride to Ambolgarh.

The old and the new

Aruls 79 army surplus bullet and my new continental GT taking a breather in a Coastal village.

Sach Pass

Finally the top of Sach Pass. Actually it's around the corner but there is a temple there and miraculously thronging with people even though we saw no traffic on the way up or down.

Ploughing through a water crossing

Chris ploughing through a rather large and deep patch of water just before the top of Sach Pass.

The last few kilometres to Sach Pass

The climb from the Dhabha to the top of the pass is a culmination of all the kinds of terrain possible.

Regroup at the Sach Turnoff

On the way from Sural to Killar is a small road on the right that goes down and over a bridge over the Chandra Baga and then starts the climb to Sach. We waited there for the whole crew to catch up so no one would miss the road.

Another brilliant sunset at Sural

You can always count on Sural to provide a phenomenal sun set to end the day.

Camp at Sural

We got to Sural late afternoon set up camp whipped up a late lunch and got in an afternoon siesta but the day was not over.

Waiting before Killar

Waiting for the crew to catch up before Killar so we could figure how much meat we need for the BBQ in Sural at night.

The view

This is the view from our secret camp site on the Pangi Valley ride.

Life is good in Pangi Valley

You are riding and suddenly come around a spot that calls out to you and you just have to stop and stare. Pangi Valley is like a drug can't get enough.

Waiting

Right after Udaipur the road is been widened at an alarming rate.

On the way to Udaipur

Tarmac was hard to come by this year made the ride all the more fun.

A time to ride

After packing up camp we got ready to start our days ride to our "secret camp in the forest " but ended up spending some time just sitting and enjoying the view of the valley.

Morning in Urgos

In Manali we were told to be prepared for bad weather and as we rode passed Tandi the sky got overcast and a few locals mentioned snow and rain over the next few days. We pitched camp at Urgos and it was a cold night but awoke to blue sky's and the most brilliant riding weather ever.

Roadworks before Tandi

The good people of the BRO are hard at work on the road before Tandi to get the widening done before winter shuts down the whole area till next summer.

Rohtang Pass

By now it's obvious that this is one of my favourite places to stop when I am at Rohtang.

Climb up to Rohtang

Just us climbing up to Rohtang and onward to Urgos for the night.

Helmet Stories Pangi Valley by Autocar India

‘The ride to Pangi will make your hair stand on end and encourage you to push your own limits.
 - Ouseph Chacko (Autocar India) 

Come join the annual ride to Pangi Valley with the Helmet Stories crew in September 2014. Mail info@helmetstories.com for more details.

Independence Day

Remembering all the people who made it possible for us to roam our incredible country on this Independence Day... Jai Hind

The road down to Leh

The twenty four odd kilometers down from South Pullu to Leh are a dream to ride. Newly tarred twisties with minimal traffic dropping and great views. Its hard to decide weather to stop and stare or ride down to Leh and bring your ride to an end. 

The river of death

Riding by the raging river Shyok (translates literally to the river of death) is just another reason to ride to Nubra valley.

Nubra will leave you speechless

For all you people who ride to Khardungla and never cross it. Here is a peek of what's waiting on the other side.

The dunes of Nubra Valley

How do you spend an evening in Nubra Valley? Well I just sat there and gawked at the view.