Day 04: 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 05: 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 06: 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 07: 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 08: 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 09: 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.