Et tu DK!
My Dad wants to come in a buggy

But I did something better, fixed him a nice trip in a few weeks!

Am very keen on doing this:
Leh - Kargil - Rangdum (Suru Valley) - Padum (Zanskar Valley)

Find details here:

It is doable if you start early & don't waste time.

Panamik, you are visiting at the start of summer. I am hopeful you'd see some water in the springs. Didn't the LoneWolfRiders (Praful & co.) do it end of summer?

I am not very sure of it da. I think I prefer to ride more in scenic roads so take the Shimla route, spend an extra day (thereby spending two evenings - one at Shimla & one at Manali), use the 1st day in Leh to go somewhere as I have already got 2 travel agents in Leh ready to get the permits if I send details on email (so save a day), visit two important places - Nubra Valley and PangangTso Lake (doing the K'La & M'La) and then run back to Srinagar for an evening there.

See, we have almost 2 months more for that. These things can be changed one day before the trip. So, keep options open and decide at the end. Since we already have a good plan in hand it doesn't make a big difference even if you don't do last minute changes.

I don't want to do so many vallies in one shot. We are not used to high altitudes and riding on rough terrains everyday for days together. So, I shall rather keep my Leh chapter open for another trip


this is an "ulta" problem buddy

whoa ur darn lucky,my father being a biker himself(had an rd and a jawa) still doesn't allow me to go on long trips.Still since there is time i will try my level best to convince my parents.

sharing some really astonishing pix of Leh from my friends trip. He has done almost 4 times Leh..
Second last pic won the NatGeo moments award 2009 in Global Warming category
Last pic is frozen Pangang Tso

Guys,
I could not match my dates with any of the plans here till date.
We are a group of 3 people planning to start on 6th June and come back to Delhi by 18th June
If any of the prospects want to follow the same dates, they are more than welcome
The brief schedule is
Delhi-Manali-Leh-Kargil-Srinagr-Gulmarg-Delhi

@Rajat, We are on the same dates as you are.

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Posting my text from another thread as this thread is a sticky one:
Currently the only road access to the Nubra Valley is over Khardung La pass, whose status as the highest motorable road in the world is no longer accepted by most authorities. The Indian Government has completed another road pass over Wari La from Sakti, to the east of Khardung La, and the road connecting it to central Nubra along the Shyok River is said to be almost completed as of 2008.

Got this info guys. That's the info I was looking for. So, we can do Nubra Valley to Pangang Tso via Wari La directly in one day.

Another piece of info that confused many people:

Several of these sources contain assertions by local people who claim that the 5,602 m (18,380 feet) height claimed by the Khardung La summit signs has been inflated for the purpose of record breaking. The even higher elevation of 5,682 m (18,640 feet) that has been claimed by Guinness World Records and the National Geographic Society is not supported by any evidence and may be rooted in a copying error from 5,602 m (see - 5602 & 5682 offer a very good chance of copying error!). But it can be clearly seen on the survey map that the Khardung La was originally a mule track which followed a different, rather higher route, which appears on the map just to cross the 5,600m contour. It seems likely that when the road was built, the pass stone was moved from one to the other, although the road was rather lower.

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I'm uploading my plan sheet (as attachment) that has most places for rest, fuel, etc marked. Please use that. Another alternate plan is also included. Nothing is confirmed - no rigid plan. What's on paper is only a guideline.

To all the Leh'D guys - Is it possible to do Pangong Tso - Leh - Kargil in a day if you start as early as 5a.m?

Its very difficult IMO. You will reach Leh by late afternoon or early evening I think. Later Kargil, the roads on some areas are not so good. Totally deserted mountains, you will keep on climbing up & down for hours at some places..
Edit : I read 5am, than it can be doable but quiet hectic probably..

@Hyd, MG: I dont understand why you guys wana stretch your physical limits. Why you guys trying to cover such long distances (read: on mountains)?
Am bored of go-touch-come-back tours, atleast Leh will be a fulltu pleasure Ride, so I prefer to enjoy this beautiful stretch of land which is hard to access normally, I'll suggest the same same to you guys...

Lamayuru is a better place to stay than Kargil and I think reaching there will be easier (in daylight) than Kargil. After Lamayuru, even not as tall as others, you will still have to cross two mountain passes to reach Kargil.

@Spidy, Max 250 KMs a day in the hills dear. Most days it is below 200. Considering all the photography and relish breaks. That too with reserve days. We do 500-700 KMs on district roads normally with all the breaks needed and in day light. Well, don't consider what we do in plains but all my plan is based on feedback from a LOT of people who did those routes. So, unless there is a major goofup with AMS thingy or with the bike, it is pretty fine.

MG, you can do it. Happily. But I would possibly not do it. People say P'Tso to Leh takes 6 hours with breaks. Leh to Kargil another 7 hours. You do ride fffast and are experienced to handle bad roads.

Arnt you doing Manali-Leh in 2 days only? That can be hectic, am not sure of it though! it was just a suggestion

Hey you dint answer my Q, our dates do not match, that means you are riding with a different group! isnt it?

Yes. A few reasons:
1) Sarchu is kind of in middle of the route. Most people did that without a hassle by late noon.
2) If possible we didn't want to do 3 days in deserted land where it is difficult to get a shade to rest.
3) Getting adjusted to altitude would become easier if we stay at Sarchu than at Darcha or at Pang
4) Darcha and Pang are about 80 KMs from Sarchu on each side. The next doctor after Kyelang is in Pang. If hit by AMS, we'd be a little nearer to the doctor this way (though it wouldn't make it easy to ride to Pang from Sarchu it is still better than being in Darcha)
5) Second day we can start climbing up the Ghata loops in the morning and after some tough ride we'd get into Moore plains - that allows us to keep a decent pace.
6) We do have reserve days in case something goes wrong. And, we have marked out all the possible places we can stop at if we have to!


Yes da. Few of the confirmed guys cannot get a leave at month end that too in May. So, I felt it is better I shift the dates and move with them than rush ahead and come with you guys. Now their leaves granted & ticket booked.

Would still love to see if we'd meet somewhere

Help in Itenary for Ladakh

Hello all,

I am planning for a trip to Leh in last week of may. We are group of 6 riders. All riders are experienced but have not done very long rides. We have 2 pulsar 220, 1 yamaha fz16 and are planning to rent 3 bikes from delhi. We will be starting our journey from delhi-leh(via manali)-delhi(via srinagar-amritsar).
Here is the itenary.

Day 1- Reach Delhi. Preparations
Day 2- Leave from Delhi for chandigarh. Night halt at chandigarh.(250 Kms)
Day 3- Leave handigarh and reach kullu. River rafting and reach manali by the end of day.(300 Kms)
Day 4- Leave manali for keylong/Darcha.Tank up at Tandi. Night halt at keylong/Darcha (140-170 kms)
Day 5- Leave keylong/Darcha for Sarchu. Night halt at Sarchu.(90-120 kms)
Day 6- Leave for leh. night halt at Leh.(230 kms)
Day 7- Rest and Paper work.
Day 8- Leh-khardungla-Leh(100)
Day 9- Leh- pongongTso(170)
Day 10- PongongTso- leh(170)
Day 11- Leh to Kargil(185)
Day 12- Kargil to srinagar(190)
Day 13&14- Srinagar sightseeing n gulmarg
Day 15- Srinagar to jammu**
Day 16- Jammu to Amritsar
Day 17- Amritsar to Delhi(450)**

** - Ride may be stressful

Kindly give your comments and inputs on the itenary. I would really appriciate suggestions on topics apart from itenary.