Day 1 : Delhi - Manali
Drive from Delhi to Manali by Air Conditioned Coach
Day 2 : Manali - Marrhi Nallah- 40 Kms.
Manali, nestled on the foot of the giant Rohtang Jot (Mound Of Skulls)&
on the bank of the Beas river, is an evergreen area with Pine & Deodar
Trees surrounding the town. We will start early and cross the Beas river
over Manali town bridge in the middle of the market & proceed to Palchan
the Army Check post. The Beas river flows on the left side of the road.
Passing through a small Hamlet town we take the first set of hairpin bends
on the Serpentine road on the road to Rohtang. Be prepared to a total
contrast in weather from the partly sunny Manali. There will be fog and mild
rain. O/Nt Marhhi in Camp.
Day 3 : Marrhi - Rohtang - Koksar - Sissu - Gondla
- 70 Kms
The 17 Kms to Rohtang jot is all ascend. After a welcome cup of tea in one
of the little Parachute cafes on the Pass ride downhill till Koksar bridge.
If the weather is clear there are some scenic views of snow-covered peaks &
Glaciers in the far horizon. As we descend there is change in vegetation,
the tree line seems to be getting away from us making way for small bushes.
We are in the foothills of the Pir Panjal range. After crossing the check
post follow the river flow till Tandi. At certain points we will abandon the
bank, climbing uphill but we will be moving more or less along the river. In
case the sun is out weather can be warm & Humid, but the nights will be
cold being on the riverbank & open area. We will encounter some
unmetalled stretches of road today after Koksar till Gondla, & cross a
few mountain streams flowing over the road. O/Nt Camp.
Day 4 : Tandi - Keylong - Gemur - Jispa - Darcha
- 45 Kms.
At the confluence point of River Chandra & Bhaga cross the bridge &
proceed uphill to Keylong town. Enroute is Gemur as we ascend the serpentine
road into a gorge. Ahead lies the Jispa hamlet town as we come out of the
gorge & descend downhill. The Ibex hotel at Jispa is the last
comfortable hotel till we reach Leh town. It's again a green belt for
sometime where you will see many shepherds and their sheep scattered on the
hillsides. We are almost in the Land of Lamas now. Infact Keylong does
support a small Gompa. After crossing Jispa one is definitely in an isolated
region & in far horizon you can distinctively see the bareness of the
Higher Himalayan ranges. O/nt camping at Darcha.
Day 5 : Darcha - Patseo - Baralacha La - Bharatpur
- 55 Kms.
Darcha can be considered the gateway to the Higher Himalayas as we cross
the bridge & proceed on the hairpin bends uphill. Now it is going to be
all ascend till we come to the cantonment area of military garrison of
Himmatnagar, Appx - 20 Kms ahead. For next 10 Kms we are into the flat area
& then down hairpin bends of Patseo & Zing Zing Bar as we move into
the harsh terrain of the arid mountains. The sun suddenly seems hotter than
before and the atmospheric pressure make the ride today a bit more
challenging. But there are little signs painted in yellow on the rocks -
When the going gets tough the Tough get going! - boosting our Spirits as we
ascend the heights of the Baralacha Pass - 4892 M & Suraj Tal Lake. The
Icy blue water & the origin of the river at the top of the bend that
brings us closer to the Pass is a post for the road construction worker
toiling hard everyday to maintain the roads as best as they can under the
harsh conditions. It is time now for mountain river crossings. Twice we will
be in the middle of water. We will descend down to the gorge area of
Bharatpur, a small make shift Tentage accommodation area & night halt
for the Truck drivers on their way with fresh supplies to the higher
regions. O/Nt Camp.
Day 6 : Bharatpur - Sarchu - 4253 M - Brandy Nallah
- 35 Kms.
The Day starts with an easy ride on a flat road, downhill & then
entering a gorge descending to the bridge connecting to the Sarchu Plateau.
Cross over the bridge & we move ahead ascending a small uphill road
making us move to the plateau area & now ahead lies another vast stretch
flat ground with shepherds and their mountain goats. There are a number of
features of arid landscapes with some beautiful scenery, a delight for
photographers who are looking for high rise mountain ranges, bearing water
marks & erosion of soil clearly indicating that the area was under water
a few million years ago. The area is sparsely green, the wind is chilly &
fast blowing here. We are at the Traffic Check post, which is the entry
point into Ladakh. Another 20 Kms ahead on the base of the Gata loops hair
pin bends we will camp for the night at Brandy Nallah. The road though
metalled is very bumpy with flat stretches of barren land on both sides.
Day 7 : Brandy Nallah - Gata loops - Naki la -
Lachungla - Pang - 57 Kms.
After an easy day yesterday we now move to scale the Gata loops, 23 hairpin
bends bringing us top of the mountain feature. We ride up hill, over an easy
slope only to cross the Naki La pass, descend down into the gorge to an
isolated military garrison area & then ascend again to the height of the
Lachulung la - 5065 M. After Naki La we are almost on an unmetalled stretch
of gravelly road all the way inside the gorge of Pang. O/Nt Camp.
Day 8 : Pang - More Plains - Tanglangla (Base Camp
) - 47 Kms .
Eight Kms uphill from the Bowl-like feature of Pang we come to the plateau
area of the More plains. Changpas, the Nomadic people who tend their yaks
here and a few wild asses are the only sign of life on this isolated and
long road. This belt not only barren but is known for fast blowing winds,
sandstorms & extreme temperatures in the early morning and evenings.
Fresh stream water can be considered a scarcity in this area though you
might find some isolated mountain streams flowing down from the Tanglangla.
The ride is easy going being a flat plateau area, but the road, which
stretches on ahead, is not as smooth as it looks. There are tiny bumps all
along! O/Nt Camp at the base of Tanglang La.
Day 9 : Tanglangla - Rumtse - Gya - 50 Kms.
We proceed early to scale the World's second highest pass, Tanglang la -
5,360 M. The ride for the next 17 Kms is a challenge for even the fittest of
riders, weather being cold early in the morning, with gravelly stretches of
the road consuming extra energy, riding over the altitude of 17,000 Ft will
be an acid test for the mind & Body. Reaching the top is a very
satisfying experience & then it's all down hill with smooth gradients
till the base of the Pass. After crossing a small mountain river it is time
to find civilisation again! The Chortens along the road in the villages
announce our arrival in the heart of Buddhist culture. The greenery changes
the landscape, and the red coloured mountains surrounding us and reflected
in the river only add to the beauty as we hit Rumtse and Gya for O/Nt Camp.
Day 10 : Gya - Upshi - Karu - Leh - 61 Kms
For next 20 Kms we ride on some metalled & unmetalled stretches of
roads & cross over the Upshi bridge across the river Indus. The river
originates in China & crosses over into India somewhere in the higher
regions of these great Himalayan ranges. The road condition improves
considerably as we follow more traffic from the cantonment area & local
villages going to Leh. Ahead lies the Thiksey Monastery & the Chortens
Garden before we finally enter Leh Town. The ride is easy & we can
expect to reach Leh by evening. O/Nt Hotel Leh
Day 11 : Day At leisure
A much required day for relaxing & maintenance of the Bicycles. A
comfortable bed, hot water and a relaxed day is the only way to be after the
tough conditions we have ridden over in the last few days!
Day 12 : Leh - Khardungla - 5602 - 40 Kms
The weather on the pass is not always very reliable and an early start is
called for. The journey from Leh till the North Pullu Check post, Appx 20
Kms, is fair enough to warm up, with some easy uphill ride. After North
Pullu one has to gear up more. The roads are under maintenance &
construction thus the ride is bumpy & as we proceed ahead it becomes a
gravel track & the ride becomes more and more challenging. But reaching
the top is worth every bit of the effort and sweat! Its the highest
motorable pass in the world, and not many dare to bicycle their way up to
18,380 Ft. The Truck awaits on top of Khardung la for the cycles to be
loaded and brought back to Leh town. We will ride back comfortably in 4
Wheel drive vehicles taking time for photography. O/Nt in Leh.
Day 13 : Day At Leisure
This day we normally keep as the back up day, in case, due to any
unforeseen reason we have not made it up to Khardung La the day before. If
we have been there we can visit the surrounding areas of Leh for a sight
seeing trip. River Rafting in the Indus river can be arranged. Or just relax
for another day in this quaint little town. O/Nt Hotel in Leh.
Day 14 : Fly Delhi
Early morning transfer to Leh Airport Fly to Delhi. Arrive & check in
the Hotel. Spend the day at leisure and take the International flight back
home, or extend your stay to other destinations.