MANALI LEH LADAKH - my first taste of Himalayas!
I am writing this even before I have started planning for this trip. I am as this MEME here says, smitten by the wonderful tales I have been hearing ( and seeing) about this nowhere land that is right out of a travel enthusiast's fairy tale. Leh Ladakh - the mysterious and alluring gem snuggling below the Himalaya's; not too high for roads to reach but not too easy and conspicuous for the novice to navigate - especially on a bike! Nevertheless it has become the goto place for the fresh crops of adrenaline craving Indian adv junkies. Not to mention the significant number of foreigners who also make this pilgrimage every year. I could make a PhD thesis on the topic "How to plan a trip to Leh Ladakh and still not piss off your pissant manager", for such is the amount of Leh Ladakh travelogues that are sprouting up everyday and all this has lead to quite an industry growing around this tourism. The rugged terrain is perhaps what keeps it from getting abused as a tourist center, and undoubtedly this trip is not for everyone!
So I have been drooling on this for almost 3 years now, and after countless brainstorming sessions with different people and groups and a 100 Leh Ladakh trip whatsap groups, looks like I will be doing it this August of 2016. It will be most probably just 3 people and I just cant wait for the holidays to be here already!
So I have been drooling on this for almost 3 years now, and after countless brainstorming sessions with different people and groups and a 100 Leh Ladakh trip whatsap groups, looks like I will be doing it this August of 2016. It will be most probably just 3 people and I just cant wait for the holidays to be here already!
Phew! Time is flying and these days I have often been staying up late into the night planning stops and routes with Moopan and Bhai. Meanwhile Kashmir valley has fallen into turbulence once again after a Hisbul commander (Burhan Wani) was shot dead by the army. So we have to take the trip from Manali side and probably skip Kargil, Sreenagar and Kashmir Valley. :(
Even then it is quite a stretch. After 3 days of shuffling around, this is how the plan looks now:
Day 1 - Aug 11 2016 - Bus to Manali
Arrive at Delhi station at 08:00 PM and board bus for Manali overnight.
Overnight journey to Manali
Day 2 - Aug 12 - Manali
Arrive in Manali - checkin hotel, get bikes, stroll around Manali.
12th night manali stay, 13th morning checkout.
Day 3 - Aug 13th - Jispa
Travel from Manali to Jispa
Rohtang pass. Reach jispa by evening, Stay.
for Aug 13th night. Try for tent?
Day 4 - Aug 14th - Sarchu
Ride towards Sarchu
Baralachala Pass innaanu.
On the route 2 lakes-
Deepak & Suraj Tal
Day 5 - Aug 15 - Leh.
Today we (must) reach Leh
This is gonna be the toughest day.
Today we do the 22 Gata loops, - 22 proper hairpin loops in 45 kms
10 hrs ride approximately.
A late start would mean disaster for the whole tip.
Aug 15th Reach Leh - stay for the night and.
Day 6 - Aug 16 - Nubra - Tent.
Today we go KhardungLa!! - early morning leave for Nubra. Via KhardungLa - ETA 10am.
Leave KhardungLa by 11.30 am latest.
Nubra by 6pm. Stay at Nubra in tent. I would rather drop Nubra & do Khardungla and Magnetic hill at ease.
Nubra seems too big and far to fit into this plan.
Even then it is quite a stretch. After 3 days of shuffling around, this is how the plan looks now:
Day 1 - Aug 11 2016 - Bus to Manali
Arrive at Delhi station at 08:00 PM and board bus for Manali overnight.
Overnight journey to Manali
Day 2 - Aug 12 - Manali
Arrive in Manali - checkin hotel, get bikes, stroll around Manali.
12th night manali stay, 13th morning checkout.
Day 3 - Aug 13th - Jispa
Travel from Manali to Jispa
Rohtang pass. Reach jispa by evening, Stay.
for Aug 13th night. Try for tent?
Day 4 - Aug 14th - Sarchu
Ride towards Sarchu
Baralachala Pass innaanu.
On the route 2 lakes-
Deepak & Suraj Tal
Day 5 - Aug 15 - Leh.
Today we (must) reach Leh
This is gonna be the toughest day.
Today we do the 22 Gata loops, - 22 proper hairpin loops in 45 kms
10 hrs ride approximately.
A late start would mean disaster for the whole tip.
Aug 15th Reach Leh - stay for the night and.
Day 6 - Aug 16 - Nubra - Tent.
Today we go KhardungLa!! - early morning leave for Nubra. Via KhardungLa - ETA 10am.
Leave KhardungLa by 11.30 am latest.
Nubra by 6pm. Stay at Nubra in tent. I would rather drop Nubra & do Khardungla and Magnetic hill at ease.
Nubra seems too big and far to fit into this plan.
Day 7 - Aug 17 -Pangong - Tent.
Nubra to Pangong aprox. 170 km. Start by 8 am for Pangong.
ETA @ Pangong - 5pm. This route leaves highway at many places - might take longer than expected. Exceptionally rugged routes.
Day 8 - Aug 18 - Gya
Start by 11 am for Gya -160 kms.
ETA at Gya - 6pm
Day 9 - Aug 19 - ZZ Bar.
Gya to Zingzing Bar is 231km! Scratch what I said about day 5!!
Full day ride, still left with 150+ kms on last day.
Day 10 - Aug 20 - Bus to Delhi
Leave from ZZB reach Manali by 3 pm.
Luckily our bikes are all set from Manali. Its going to be bullets again! No worries, just pray that the Agra nightmare wont repeat again. I am happy we are getting the Classic and not Machismo!
Nubra to Pangong aprox. 170 km. Start by 8 am for Pangong.
ETA @ Pangong - 5pm. This route leaves highway at many places - might take longer than expected. Exceptionally rugged routes.
Day 8 - Aug 18 - Gya
Start by 11 am for Gya -160 kms.
ETA at Gya - 6pm
Day 9 - Aug 19 - ZZ Bar.
Gya to Zingzing Bar is 231km! Scratch what I said about day 5!!
Full day ride, still left with 150+ kms on last day.
Day 10 - Aug 20 - Bus to Delhi
Leave from ZZB reach Manali by 3 pm.
Luckily our bikes are all set from Manali. Its going to be bullets again! No worries, just pray that the Agra nightmare wont repeat again. I am happy we are getting the Classic and not Machismo!
IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOU ARE PLANNING TO FAIL!
esp in Manali - Leh route!
Its 18th August 2016. Am I not supposed to be on a bullet, roaring across Gya, with the echoes shattering off the majestic faces of rock on the trail's side?
Yes, but sometimes the universe has other plans for you. Sometimes it wants you to have a moment of clarity atop a high mountain pass - take a break before you break yourselves! And then it will send you on this journey to meet these people whom you would have never met otherwise - some free like birds in the sky, some peaceful that they don't care anymore of the earthly pleasures or perils that are part of their existence on this earth.
So long story short - lets put down what happened on each of the days we planned before.
Yes, but sometimes the universe has other plans for you. Sometimes it wants you to have a moment of clarity atop a high mountain pass - take a break before you break yourselves! And then it will send you on this journey to meet these people whom you would have never met otherwise - some free like birds in the sky, some peaceful that they don't care anymore of the earthly pleasures or perils that are part of their existence on this earth.
So long story short - lets put down what happened on each of the days we planned before.