BHPian aviator1101 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:Ride to Mago Chuna Valley and Tulung La PassThis trip was on my to-do list for long. How I wished that one day tracks are made to all those unexplored hidden treasures in the lap of Arunachal Pradesh and it came as a pleasant surprise when I received a message from a colleague that a ride was being planned to those locations which were yet unexplored on two wheels and would aptly fit into any rider’s dream destinations, highlights being the ride through Mago Chuna Valley and the icing on the cake being the grueling climb to mighty Tulung La. The initial itinerary was as under :- 23 Oct : Kolkata to Gosaingaon 24 Oct : Gosaingaon to Tezpur 25 Oct : Break 26 Oct : Tezpur to Senge 27 Oct : Senge to Mago 28 Oct : Mago – Tulung La – Damteng 29 Oct : Damteng to Tawang 30 Oct : Tawang- Bumla-Sungester- Lumpo- Tawang 31 Oct : Tawang to Dirang 01 Nov : Dirang to Misamari 02 Nov : Misamari to Malda 03 Nov : Malda to Kolkata However, due to weather (fog), early sunset timings in North Eastern part of the country and inclination of avoiding riding after sunset, the final itinerary turned out to be as under :- 23 Oct : Kolkata to Binaguri 24 Oct : Binaguri to Tezpur 25 Oct : rest & bike servicing 26 Oct : Tezpur to Nyukmadung 27 Oct : Nyukmadung to Mago 28 Oct : Mago -Chuna – Lungar – Tulung La – Gonkar La – Omthang – Damteng 29 Oct : Damteng – Holy Waterfalls – Bumla – Tawang 30 Oct : Tawang local sightseeing 31 Oct : Tawang to Nyukmadung 01 Nov : Nyukmadung to Misamari 02 Nov : rest day 03 Nov : Misamari to Kishanganj 04 Nov : Kishanganj to Kolkata Day 1 Route : Kolkata to Binaguri Distance : 704 kmsRide time : 16 hours Wheels rolled at sharp 5 AM Starting Odometer Reading Three riders started the journey together.Roy on his Versys 650,Mrigank on his HD Super LowSelf on trusted Bagheera (REH 450)The three of us We started early to beat the Kolkata traffic. Breakfast was a lavish affair at Krishna Nagar followed by a lunch break at Pardesi Dhaba at Malda. The Thali with non-veg side dish was too much for one person to consume We took the Siliguri bypass, Gajoldoba and finally the jungle stretch through Kathambari before hitting NH 17 again at Oodlabari. Thereafter, we rode through smooth almost-empty roads to Binaguri, our night halt destination. Day 2Route : Binaguri to Tezpur/ Misamari Distance : 458 kmsRide time : 12 hours After a sound and refreshing sleep, we woke up in the lap of Dooars, and after a light breakfast, set course for Tezpur. Candid photography : pic courtesy Mrigank Nothing much to write except Google taking one of our unsuspecting friends (who took an impromptu break) for a ride towards a friendly neighbouring country off the main highway, only to delay the reunion and lunch by almost an hour. This nondescript Dhaba surprised us with the cleanliness and tasty food One rider out of the three of us halted at Misamari and the balance two of us rode ahead to Tezpur and reached our night halt location by around 7:30 PM. Though the distance was not much, the bad roads, multiple speed breakers every 200-300 metres on NH 15 and rowdy traffic took it’s toll on us and we were so drained that we had an early dinner and hit bed ASAP. Day 3 Break at Tezpur and pampering Bagheera. As a ritual, I get a thorough check up and servicing done before each trip to the mountains, and since this trip was expected to be a real test of man and machine, the pre-ride preparations were no exceptions. Bagheera outside the RE service centre at GM Associates, Tezpur The Tezpur RE service centre personnel were pleasantly surprised to see Bagheera back for servicing. A quick oil change, brake check up, chain tightening, cleaning and lubrication was carried out. In the evening, we moved to Misamari for the ride briefing by the organisers, which was a short and sweet affair. Day 4Route : Misamari – Bhalukpong – Sessa – Tenga – Sapper – Nyukmadung.Distance : 221 kmsRide time : 10 hours Bagheera : Lined up to lead the pack The ride started at 7 am in the morning with a ceremonial flag off by dignitaries and at a leisurely pace through the lush green tea gardens of Assam. After crossing Chariduar, the Kameng river starts following the road onto the right as the terrain transforms from plains to semi hills. After Bhalukpong (which is the Assam-Arunachal border) and Tippi, you encounter proper meandering twisties which beckon the riders to push a little harder. The hilly roads and natural beauty were really a challenge to overcome the temptation to stop for admiration, lest one gets left behind. At the breakfast halt point at Sessa We halted for breakfast at Sessa. Thereafter we briefly paused to admire the Nechiphula waterfalls, negotiated the perpetually foggy patch leading to the Nechiphu tunnel and headed for Tenga. Outside the Ball of Fire Museum at Tenga At Tenga, we visited the Ball of Fire Museum where we were briefed about the various battles, heroic deeds and sacrifices of our soldiers during the 1962 Indo China War. Therafter we took a short refreshment halt at the Tenga Haat, a shopping complex run by the local military formation. From Tenga, we headed for Dirang, where we visited the monastery. At the Dirang Monastery By this time, probably fatigue triggered intense hunger pangs and we dashed to Sapper where we treated ourselves to delicious South Indian cuisine at a restaurant run by the jawans of Indian Army. The newly renovated Nyukmadung War Memorial Post lunch, we visited the newly constructed Nyukmadung War Memorial dedicated to the martyrs of the Indo China war. Some fun moments at the museum The museum which is co-located with the memorial is a must visit for anybody interested in understanding the local history, culture and traditions. Thereafter we headed for our stay location which was closeby. Day 5 Route : Nyukmadung – Sela Tunnel – Jaswantgarh – Jung – Thimbu Hydel – MagoDistance : 109 kmsRide time : 6:30 hours Loaded and ready The next day’s ride commenced with priests from the local monastery performing a ritual blessing the riders, praying for a safe ride and the head priest flagging off the day’s ride. These monks prayed and then flagged us off From Nyukmadung, it was all climb as we crossed Senge, Baisakhi and the ambient temperature kept dropping at a rapid rate. We were well acquainted with the route and hence prepared for this change in weather. Surprisingly, my Rynox Dry Ice gloves didn’t do a very good job and by the time we halted for a group photograph at the entrance of the second Sela Tunnel, my fingertips were almost numb. Outside Tunnel 2 at Sela The weather was really chilly with fog and sun playing hide and seek Thankfully thereafter it was all downhill till we halted at Jaswantgarh War Memorial. At the Jaswantgarh Helipad. On the ridgelines behind, one can see Bumla Pass After paying homage to the Brave Martyr and a short breakfast break, we headed for Jung. At Jung, we deviated from the common tourist route and headed towards a place called Thimbu Hydel. It was the beginning of bad roads, interspersed with small water crossings and picturesque landscapes all along the banks of Mago Chu. The water crossings short of Thimbu Hydel After Hydel, we hit tarmac and followed the newly constructed road to Mago, our night halt location. Bagheera completed 20000 kms enroute and what an occasion to do so, just before commencing the most exciting part of the ride. At times nature humbles us with its sheer size and might Finally….at Mago We made it to Mago in good time for lunch, got our bikes checked, refuelled and were all excited for the next day’s ride. One could feel the change in weather as we were at around 11000 feet and the moment the valley was engulfed in shadow, there was a complete transformation which reminded me of Dras (Ladakh). Continued in Part IIContinue reading BHPian aviator1101’s post for more insights and information.
