All beautiful things in life doesnot come the easy way, and that is something that Darkside will remember for a long time in future. While the Himalayas undressed themselves from the night gown to display their virgin beauty another beauty in the backyard demanded attention. Ivy had a nice nail hugged on to her rear tyre! Yogesh and Shamik left Keylong only to backtrack 8 kms to Tandi to tankup. As the probable disaster gets treatment by a wayside puncture wallah, Yogesh tries to captures the nearby visual extravaganza on his camera. After a short bearkfast they head towards Darcha, the roads become from great to average and then to really "bad". After crossing Darcha, the riders crosses Patseo which is a small neither village nor any habitation but just a board! All this while they keep bumping in to the riders from RDD, great going guys :) ! And between Darcha and Patseo, Yogesh's bike gets brushed by a mindless Sumo driver, the b@ stard almost killed Yogesh and the later was lucky to escape with a slightly bent heat shield and the former was lucky for not getting beaten up for his act. When this happened, Shamik was some 5-6 kms ahead ripping away towards Baralacha La, and when Yogesh catches up with him, all his anger had only a monodirectional ventlet, ha ha ha!

After grouping up, the two men embark on what is definitely one of the most difficult passes en route to Leh if the not the most difficult. One would insult the word "road" if you call that path so, and flowing streams of ice chilly water added extra spice to it. Darkside now beaming with confidence from last night's venture was enjoying every bit of it dancing up and down on Ivy's saddle, ofcourse the dance was not voluntarily performed, :D! After a long and much challenging ride they reach Baralacha La top, and that was heaven! Darkside's excitement didnot came out in words due to upward distance from the sea level but his mind sure was talking... Click, click,click was the only sound beside fluttering wind. As they left the top, the riders encountered the most treacherous stream of the entire trip. The water was flowing rather strongly to have fun crossing it, it was deep and boulders were big. One wrong move, a tyre skid and they were looking for a fall somewhere too deep to breathe again! Darkside this time didnot get it all right, he stopped at the middle of the stream, but Ivy stood up and got counted, they passed it safely and but the usual grin on his face was delayed.

The "road" onwards wasnot much better than what they were encountering before. As the riders kept on riding with their steeds taking in the punishment like sex slaves from the medieval period, okie Ivy you happy now ? Shamik still thinks riding downhill on a no road path like this one is the most difficult terrain he has or may be ever will ride on, hmm....rethink man! As the sun looked forward to leave office for the day, the riders reached the plains of Sarchu. Darkside was really getting dark in mind now, all this hardcore offroading through the day, lack of oxygen in the air and cig smoke in his lungs, result, Ivy doing 80kmph+ on the staright,bumpy blacktop of Sarchu plains. Yogesh's bike bottomed out happily on the bumpy roads, poor shocks were over loaded with the bike's weight, luggage and ............:D

They get a place to rest their butts for the night@ 30bucks per person in a tent cum shop cum bla bla! Darkie still thinks all that happened next day was a resultant of that poor little tent providing him shelter for the chilly night. Just maggie for dinner, cold kambals for covering up, sleeping wearing a jeans, Yogesh's annoyingly loud snoring, Gatta loops, Leh, zzzzzzzzzzz...