Leh Manali Traverse

Trans Himalayan Bike Tour - Manali To Leh Or Leh To Manali Traverse.

About The Tour: A 10 days/ 9 nights bike tour where you start to cycle from Manali and ending at Leh crossing over some very high mountain passes, passing through rugged & picturesque terrain. Remember you would be testing yourself on the World's second highest motor able road where the climb is steep, air thin and it requires great stamina, strength and determination. This tour can be made more interesting & challenging by including Tsomori lake. The challenge ends in Leh where you would relax and visit some very old & interesting monasteries.

Manali- Leh road, also called the Army Road, was built mainly for defense reasons to supply the Indian armed forced in the remote areas of Ladakh. The road was opened for foreigners in 1990, and the approach to the Pangong lake in 1994. The road covers a distance of 520 km between Manali and Leh, and is paved all the way, besides a 30 km stretch crossing the Taglang pass. It travels over passes which are snowbound for 7 months a year, 3 of them higher than 5000 mts, the Khardung pass behind Leh with more than 5600 mts, being the highest motor able pass in the World.

On its way, the road touches the high- altitude lake of Tso- Kar, a mineral lake with abundant wildlife, where the Tibetan wild ass, the kiang, can be seen, as well as the famous monasteries of Ladakh, like Tikse and Hemis. It leads through country, sparsely populated by nomads with herbs of yaks and sheep.

The passes are open between beginning of July and end of October. The climate changes considerably from Manali, still under the influence of the monsoon, to the dry, thin air of Ladakh. But the temperature between July and September does not normally get near the freezing point, even on the high passes, and it is mostly sunny and warm. Manali might get some heavy rain during monsoon in July/ August.

Day 01: Delhi – Leh.
Fly to Leh . Today we assemble our bikes and can even go for short runs to get the feel and height of the place.

Day 02: Leh
Today we take it easy , with the short runs in Leh Town and surrounding areas.

Day 03: Today we bike on the ancient road to Hemis monastery. With some sight seeing of the area back to the hotel in the evening.

Day 04: Khardung the highest motor able pass. At an height of 5380 mts, it is a challenge most cyclist cannot resist. One can go by jeeps to the pass and then cycle down hill all the way to Leh. At the pass one can have a view of Central Karakoram peaks, Saser Kangri and many more peaks in the distant .

Day 05: Today we begin our first ride towards Manali . We begin our ride from Upshi and ride along till Rumpsti which is at an height of 4370 mts. A small village where we make our first camp of the trip.

Day 06: Today we will be riding almost 60 kms . The first half is totally uphill where we cross the second highest road pass in the world Taglang la at an height of 5280 mts . From here its all down hill crossing the moraines to camp after Pang ( 4400 mts)

Day 07: Today we will cross Lachalung La ( 5066 mts) and Nakli la ( 4900 mts) Today we have a magnificent run down hill crossing Whiskey Bridge, and the famous Gata Loops which has 22 hairpin bends. The camp site is near Sarchu .

Day 08 : Today we will be crossing Baralacha which stands at a cross road of Spiti, Zanskar, Lahaul and Rupshu , initially it is climb till the pass and then down hill to our next camp at Jispa. The terrain is changing, high desert scenery of Ladakh has changed to alpine climate and greenery spread all round.

Day 09: From Jispa we cycle to Keylong and then to Udaipur . From Keylong we are riding along the Chander Bhaga Chenab river. Its down hill as we are loosing height. camp at Udaipur.

Day 10 : Ride to Trilokinath , visit the old temples back to Udaipur.

Day 11: From Udaipur we ride back Tandi and then to Gramphoo below the Rohtang Pass . The scenery is becoming greener,.

Day 12: Today we cross the Rohtang pass the final climb of the journey to reach Manali.

Day 13: Rest and explore Manali. The bikes are transported to Delhi by road.

Day 14: From Kullu we fly to Delhi . where the tour end