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**sajalsheth** · 07-20-2022, 10:56 PM

At around 1.40Pm, I reached the bottom of this serpentine road. There is a bridge there. I decided to have "lunch" here. That means biscuits and some snacks only.
I was knowing that I will get maggie or Rajma Chawal at Photoksar village. But I need to reach Leh as early as possible.

You need to go little down from the main "road" to reach Photoksar village. There is a Gmpa / Monastery and a homestay also. But I bypassed Photoksar.
Again the ascent of Sirsir La Pass started. This was view at 2.50 PM.

Weather was becoming bad and I could see clouds coming down.

I saw group of bikers going towards Photoksar.

**sajalsheth** · 07-20-2022, 10:56 PM

At 3.00 PM, I reached fourth mountain pass of this ride... Sirsir La Pass at 15700 feet.

Happy me to cross this Pass also.

and a selfie with GoPro

**sajalsheth** · 07-20-2022, 10:57 PM

The road ahead looks like this. There was some construction work going on there.

Last picture with my bike posing at Sirsir La Pass.

After this there was decent basically. Saw this big mountain at 4.30 PM near Hanupatta Village.

**sajalsheth** · 07-20-2022, 10:58 PM

After around 7 kms ahead of Hanupatta village, a bridge is under construction. So I had to cross a small river there. This river had very clear water.
Just after that good tar road started via Phonjila and Wanla Village. And at 5 PM , I was on NH 1 . I crossed Kaltse after Covid Vaccine check point. I had to show my triple Vaccination certificate at this check post.
Then I started riding towards Leh.

At 6.45 PM, I stopped this straight road before Basgo.

What a nostalgic feeling here, because I took some pictures here in 2014 also. This is LINK of 2014 pictures at same place.

It as going to be dusk soon. I need to reach Leh as soon as possible.

**sajalsheth** · 07-20-2022, 11:00 PM

But the road and surrounding was compelling me to take some pictures for memory.

I reached Leh at 8 PM.
It was a 310 KMs ride with almost 150 kms in off road.

So It was a ride of 12 hours for me.
My friend Ken Agarwal of UNPLUGGED LIFE, booked this homestay for me. He runs a travel company at Leh.

This is very near to Leh main Market and has all the facilities at Rs.800.
There is zero space for car parking, but 4-5 bike can be parked in this home stay.

A compilation of short videos for the day is here:-

So the tiring day was over and a rest day at Leh.
Then the most important part of this ride... UMLING LA PASS .

Coming up...a rest day in Leh and ride to Hanle.

Click HERE for next update.

**sajalsheth** · 07-26-2022, 12:07 AM

Sharing a screen shot of a video , where details of Padum- Murugam pass - Singe La - Sirsir La - Wanla is explained.

**sajalsheth** · 07-26-2022, 11:17 PM

Date:- 25.5.2022, Day 8 :- Leh
| AND |
Date:- 26.5.2022, Day 9 :- Leh to Hanle

Day 8 :- It was a rest day for me at Leh. I wanted to roam around Leh Market, walk in local streets, eat good food and sleep.
These are list of some good restaurant , who serve good food at Leh.
These four are at Fort Road, Leh :-
1) The Tibetan Kitchen
2) Gesmo Restaurant
3) Dogra Dhaba
4) Lamayuru Restaurant
And
5) Neha Snacks
It is at Main Market , Leh

I had lunch at The Tibetan Kitchen. And dinner at Gesmo Restaurant.

All my permit work was done by My friend Ken Agrawal of www.unpluggedlife.in .
This is Me with Mr Ken Agrawal & MR Chamba Rinchen at their office near Leh Main Market.
This isLINKto their web page.
And their contact number is 8451057819

Ken did online permit and gave me print outs. I took permit of all the places, even if I had no plan to visit them. I kept a digital copy of permit in my mobile.
There is NO specific permit for UMLING LA PASS.
The permit of Hanle is sufficient to visit Umling La Pass.

This is Mr Ken Agrawal of Unpluggedlife.in with me.

During my family trip to Ladakh in September,2021.... all my trip was arranged by Mr Ken. He gave me best deal of hotel stay, food and transportation. So I requested him to book a budget homestay for me at Hanle. But he said , there are many homestays at Hanle. So I will get it easily. No need to book in advance.

**sajalsheth** · 07-26-2022, 11:21 PM

DAY 9 :- Today, I need to reach Hanle as early as possible. I started at 7 AM from Leh. I topped up fuel of my motorcycle and two jerry cans of 5 ltr each. I also took 2 ltr extra petrol in cold drink pet bottle.

Because as per my calculations, Leh to Hanle will be 270 kms. Then Umlingla Pass and back might be 105+105 or 65+65 . So 210 or 130 kms more. Then from Hanle to Keylong will be 400 kms more.
So 270+210 + 400 = 880 kms total.

One needs to calculate the kms to be covered without any fuel pumps on the way. Though you can get petrol in black at Hanle and at some Dhabas on the way back to Himachal.

But My bike can carry 11 in tank, 5 +5 in two jerry cans and 2 ltr in bottle.
So I had 23 ltr with me.
Now my bike gives mileage of 40- 45.
So my range will be 40 x 23 = 920 kms. Sufficient to cross 880 kms without petrol pumps.

So I had petrol till Tandi petrol pump.

I topped up petrol at petrol pump at Karu, which is around 40 kms from Leh.
I had breakfast at a new eatery, just next to Karu IOC fuel station.
This picture is at that fuel pump at 8.15 AM.

I had to show my digital permit at Upshi and then at Mahe Bridge. Now a days you don't need to carry print out of permit. Digital copy is sufficient at all the check posts.
Road from Chumathang hot spring till Mahe Monastery is very bad and under construction.
This picture was taken between Mahe and Nyoma at 12.30 PM.

You get very good road from Mahe Monastery onward till Hanle. And you get to see multi color mountains and vast landscape. I saw some Kiyangs and many birds on the way till Hanle. I had my lunch at Nyoma. I had to show permit at Loma , And Lastly at Hanle. I faced a big sand storm from Rhongo and Hanle. It was difficult to ride in that sand storm for at least 10 kms.

I reached Hanle at 3:30 PM. I started searching for homestay. I tried Padma, Sonam and Gua homestay. But all were full. So I went towards Observatory.
There are two homestays there.
I found one room at Namdruk Homestay for Rs.1,000 for a bed with dinner and breakfast

**sajalsheth** · 07-26-2022, 11:23 PM

I also met Mr Sarwandeep Singh at this home stay. Mr Singh is famous bird photographer and conducts birding tours and author of bird books.

This Namdruk homestay is owned by a Lama family. This is the kitchen.

This is the sitting area with windows in two sides.

**sajalsheth** · 07-26-2022, 11:23 PM

They have 6 beds in two rooms at present. Two more rooms are under construction. This was my room.

This is the family who owns this Namdruk Homestay. The number is 9419309751.
and website is http://namdrukhomestay.in/

It has good parking space.

**sajalsheth** · 07-26-2022, 11:24 PM

There was a window near to my bed. This was the view from my bed. I could see start at night from my bed through window.

And the view from my bed during day was this.....

Hanle is very scenic place with vast open landscape and multi layer mountains around. You can also visit
Indian Astronomical Observatory and an ancient Monastery.

**sajalsheth** · 07-26-2022, 11:24 PM

The night sky at Hanle is very clear and beautiful . You can see many start from naked eyes.

**sajalsheth** · 07-26-2022, 11:25 PM

After dinner, I tried to capture sky with starts using my mobile at 9 PM.

**sajalsheth** · 07-26-2022, 11:26 PM

The pictures of stars using mobile cannot give same result as we see using naked eyes at Hanle.

At dinner, Mr Sarwandeep Singh ji and her wife told me that they will go to Umling La Pass tomorrow morning at 6AM.
They will use their innova crysta car to visit UmlingLa Pass.
I told them that I have come to Hanle, only to visit Umling La Pass.
So we decided to go together. They will be in car and I will be on my motorcycle. Homestay owner was requested to join us. He will take breakfast for us in car.

I went to sleep, but Umling La Pass was in my dreams.

Coming up.... NEXT ..... Ride to UMLING LA PASS....Guinness certified highest pass of the World.

Click HERE for next update.

**sajalsheth** · 07-30-2022, 10:40 PM

Date:- 27.5.2022, Day 10 :- Hanle to UMLING LA PASS to Tso Kar = PART 1

Today was the U- DAY. The day for which I had planned this trip.
I had studied the route map and saved it in off line mode. Because there will be not network or any one to guide for route to Umling La Pass.

This is the link, where clicked it , the route will be there in your google map app.
Hanle - Photi La - Umling La - Ukdungle -Hanle - Photi La - Umling La - Ukdungle - Google My Maps
LINK
This will be saved in your Google Map App in your phone.

There are three routes to reach Umling La Pass.
1) Hanle - Ukdungle - Nurbula - Chisumle - Umling La = around 90 kms
2) Hanle - Nurbula - Chisumle - Umling La = 65 kms
3) Hanle - Pothila Pass- Chisumle - Umling La = around 105 kms

Locals know one more route also.

I took 65 km route of Hanle - Nurbula - Chisumle - Umling La.
But this route is not shown in google Maps.
I am a level 9 Google Maps local Guide.
I have requested to add this route/ road in Google Maps :-

I was ready at 6 AM today as per plan. Mr Sarwandeep Singh ji (bird watcher & photographer was ready in his Toyota Crysta with his wife and driver and our Homestay owner was also with us along with breakfast and drinking water.
I just took a backpack and kept water bottle inside. You need to drink lots of water in high altitude areas.

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Umling la pass

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