10 days in Leh,[Covering Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh highway(shareTaxi)], A comprehensive itinerary.

As we were coming down from Khardung la, it was late in the evening and the road was almost deserted. I was kind of scared and tired as well. The thought of my bike breaking down there and me dying in the middle of nowhere from cold and starvation was invading my mind for no reason. But, as I realized that the surrounding was way too beautiful to not give myself the chance to savour it; I started appreciating the ride. I saw the sky that was lit with a bright shade of saffronish yellow. The snow that capped the mountains turned golden. Birds were flocking from somewhere to nowhere. The charcoal grey road that often disappeared into the curves was playing hide and seek as I cruised along . With these thoughts, I reached Khalasar (a small town 20 kms before Diskit) where there was a beautiful camping site beside a river. It was almost dark by then and I thought it was a good idea to camp for the night there. As it turned out, it was indeed a good idea.The tents were available for 800 bucks only. The guys there served us a variety of dishes and alcohol too(to our surprise).With temperature freezing,far away in the middle of a valley, the hot food and warm tents were a luxury.

(Day 7/8/9)Nubra to Pangong lake and stay:

The next morning , we started our journey to Pangong. But first, we were to visit Diskit( ~20kms from Khalasar on the opposite way) to fill our fuel tanks and further into Hunder(7Kms from Diskit). We had not spent much time in Diskit or Hunder(famous for double hump camels) although that is the regular thing that almost all tourists do(People generally stay in Diskit and not in Khalasar). Nevertheless, I must say that the ride to Diskit from Khalasar is again an awesome one and a must do. We had some food and were back on the road, this time a long one (of almost 160 kms and more) to Pangong. The road to Pangong, is a typical mountain road to the kind of which you will be used by now. The universal tip of course is to start early, be well covered and stay hydrated. This is again one of the best roads for biking(you must be hearing this phrase a lot !). As you approach Pangong, there is a high spot on the road from where you will see the lake from a distance. This alone is enough (at least for me it was) to make you forget the sheer exhaustion of the long ride you just had. The water of the Pangong lake is deep blue and among the grey hills, it looked majestic. We booked a camp near the lake for the night(Camps here are little costly .You can stay in a guest house or a look more for a cheaper tent). It was almost freezing in Pangong; especially during night time. As you might have heard, the night sky there is mesmerizing. Pangong, I feel is a place to lay back and chill before going back to Leh. I stayed there for 2 days doing basically nothing.

(Day 10/11/12)Pangong to Leh and back to Manali

We headed back to Leh after two days of staying in Pangong. We started at around 9-30 AM and reached Leh via Karu before evening. Reaching Leh, I returned the bike and strolled the town streets hoping to shop few things.

We booked a shared Taxi (middle seat @3000 rupees for each seat) for the next evening.As we said good bye to Leh and started on the famous Leh-Manali highway by 5 in the evening, it started snowing heavily and incessantly for more than an hour. Our cab was battling through it and so was the other vehicles on the road. Everything around us appeared absolutely whitewashed. It was again, quite the view.

The shared cabs drop you to Manali in about 18 hours with only one or two breaks. So, considering the condition of the road and traffic as you approach Rhotang La, the journey can be a little painful. If in a group, you book an entire cab and can halt in Sarchu, Jispa, Darcha or Kelong on the way while also travelling during the day so as to enjoy the view around.

We reached Manali the next day (around 1 PM due to traffic) from where we had booked a bus to Delhi the next evening. I was very exhausted from the tiring cab ride ad had to rest a day in Manali.

Take-away :

Every time you travel, one thing you do above everything is that you learn. Leh and Laddakh (or Kargil) is no exception. This place is so rich in culture and history that it is nothing short to amazing. Since 1974, when the Indian government opened the valley for tourists, people have visited this magical place, studied about it, wrote books or have made documentaries. The beauty of the place is of no match. With the mighty Himalayan range, the gorging rivers of Indus, Jhanskar and Suru, the beautiful valleys, monumental monasteries and above all roads and terrain that gives you the adrenaline high, the kind of roads that you dream to ride on , Leh and Laddakh is richly packaged with adventure and serenity. On a separate note, as you visit places like this and get a taste of what the army of our country endures every day, respect for them surely makes room in you.

Lastly, there are many more places to visit in Leh-Laddakh including the famous Tso Moriri and the Jhanskar valley (or the Chadar Trek) or the Nun Tun Trek. As it is obvious that all of them cannot be covered in a single trip, especially when you are working.

An old monk from Leh had once said “Our land is so barren and the passes so high, that only the best of friends and the fiercest of enemy come to visit us”. So, plan your itinerary, get stronger, be the ‘dearest friend’ and head off to this amazing place.

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