Royal Enfield Himalayan riders gets stuck in snow: Indian Air Force rescues riders [Video]

Riding up to the Himalayas to places like Ladakh and Spiti on our bikes is something that almost every Indian who loves to ride has on their bucket list. However, riders need to ensure that they are ready for almost anything as the weather can change instantly and leave you trapped with nowhere to go as a Royal Enfield Himalayan owner Anurag Dixit found out during his recent ride in Spiti.

Mr Dixit was part of a group of Himalayan riders who were in the Lahaul and Spiti region in Himachal Pradesh when the heavens opened up on them and it started snowing for 3 straight days. Thankfully Mr Dixit and his group found refuge along with others on the route and managed to survive the three days which dumped around 6-7 feet of snow on the ground.

When the sun finally returned, Dixit and the other riders were motivated to try and get out of the place, but after failing they were finally rescued by the Indian Air Force two days later. However, their Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycles have been left behind and will have to wait for the snow to be cleared before they can be retrieved.

Mr Dixit wrote on a Facebook post showing the Indian Air Force coming to the aid of the stranded travellers. Here’s what he had to say,

Stranded and isolated for 6 days in the middle of nowhere, amidst 6-7 feet of snow, we found a new family! We were with people from all over India, from an ex-Army man to a truck driver; from middle-aged people to children as young as 5-year-olds; together we helped each other survive in the most extreme of situations. Lucky to be alive and even luckier to have been able to share a single meal every day with each other. Every night the temperature would dip to almost -16 degrees; finally after 3 days of storms, rains and snowfall we saw the sun shine upon us. On the sixth day, finally, help arrived in the form of #IndianAirForce who rescued us from the dangerous terrain of Lahaul and Spiti.
Thank you, everyone, for all your prayers, blessings and positivity; a big thank you to our Co-survivors for being there for each other and thank you #IndianAirForce for all your daring efforts. #Salute
We really apologise to all our close ones, family members, office colleagues and friends; we know how worried you were and we wish nothing like this ever happens with anyone else.
#WeSurvived

Mr Dixit’s post shows us the dangers of travelling in such tricky terrain, which is common in the Himalayas. Weather and terrain can change in an instant in these areas especially if it raining or snowing, so please ensure that if you plan on making these trips that you get acclimatized to the weather before venturing out on your rides and that you have spare days in your itinerary to help in case you or your ride are unwell.

Also, keep at least a week’s worth of essentials with you just in case anything crazy happens and you find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere. While many bikers prefer to go it alone, try to ride together in a group with fellow bikers whenever possible so that in case of an unfortunate incident, you have some sort of help.

And while it may seem adventurous, please for your own safety avoid travelling or even venturing out in bad weather as it can be extremely dangerous and sometimes even out of reach of our armed forces personnel, like the ones from Air Force who came to Mr Dixit’s aid in Himachal Pradesh.