OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
From Manali, in India's Himachal Pradesh, to Leh, high in the Himalayas.
{ AT A GLANCE }
REGION: South Asia
COUNTRY: India
POINT A TO POINT B: 475 km (295 miles)
DOMINANT LANGUAGES: Zanskari, Ladakhi (both derived from Tibetan) [also
useful: Hindi]
DOMINANT RELIGION: Mahayana Buddhism
MODE OF TRANSPORT: Bus
TIME OF YEAR: Mid-June to early October
TRIP SLOGAN: "Joy in the Journey"
LADAKH MOON (Photo: Robert Meij)
TAKING TO THE UNBEATEN TRACK
Manali, a sizable little city in the Indian state of Himachal
Pradesh, is POINT A--situated at a relatively high 1,950 meters (6,398
feet). Leh, ancient capital of Ladakh, lies at the incredible
elevation of 3,650 meters (11,975 feet)--this is POINT B. Leh can be reached by air from Delhi, but that would be the beaten track. We'd rather you took a bus or a jeep. Jeeps (including a driver) can
be arranged in Manali; the bus route begins there as well. Either way, you're in for an incredible journey. Overland is the way to go. 'Course, motorcycle and even bicycle work, too.
{ DANGERS }
+ Your vehicle risks falling off of the road into rivers
+ Bridges are known to collapse from time to time
+ Altitude sickness could be an issue
INTO THE MOUNTAINS
From Manali you'll wind your way up to the mighty Rohtang Pass, a
climb of around 2,000 meters (about 7,000 feet). You have officially
crossed into Himalayan territory. You'll reach a fork in the road.
To the right: The Spiti Valley route, worth a day or two if you have a
jeep. If you're on the bus, however, you're headed left, through the
sizable town of Keylong, all the way to Sarchu, where you'll stop for
the night (though sometimes the stop is further up the road, in Pang,
and sometimes further back, in Keylong).
{ JOURNEY CHECKLIST }
+ a killer camera
+ Trekking in Ladakh, by C. Loram
+ a thin bedroll or blanket
+ snacks (like biscuits)
+ a pocket-sized travel journal
+ sturdy boots
+ the "7 Must-Haves for Hygiene"
TANGLANG PASS
SARCHU TO TANGLANG PASS
A night at Sarchu, perched at an amazing 4,290 meters (14,000 feet),
will certainly complete your altitude acclimatization. Again, if
you're in a jeep and have time to kill, Sarchu is a great starting
point for the long and difficult treks of the Zanskar region. From
Sarchu you'll drive up and over the Lunglacha Pass (5,059
meters/16,600 feet), followed by what some claim to be the
second-highest drivable pass in the world: the soaring Tanglang Pass,
a whopping 5,359 meters (17,359 feet) high. (The highest drivable pass, the
Khardung-La, lies just north of Leh...)
{ ESTIMATED COST }
+ By bus...US$4
+ By shared jeep...US$20
+ Food: US$50 total
+ 1 night in Manali: US$5-20
+ 1 night in Sarchu: US$4-15
+ 5 nights in Leh: $12/night=$60
+ Misc.: US$10
+ TOTAL: About US$175 for travel, food, and accommodation, including 6 days in Leh. (Compare that to the almost US$300 just for a plane ticket.)
THE PASS TO LEH
From Tanglang, remarkably, you won't descend too far. About 40
kilometers from Leh, you'll see the turnoff to Hemis Monastery, a
350-year old Tibetan Buddhist monastery (Red Hat sect, for those
interested); worth a look. Continuing on, you'll reach Thikse
Monastery about 20 clicks from Leh. Thikse, a 600-year-old edifice
boasting some 12 separate levels seemingly growing out of the
mountain, is breathtaking and, without doubt, worth some time. From
here it is only a 19 kilometer drive to Leh.
{ GETTING TO POINT A } From Delhi, you can take a bus for less than 10 bucks (and that's for one of the more expensive tickets...)
{ WHAT NEXT } After doing what people do in Leh (this is, after all, a
more beaten track), we suggest continuing your overland trip, this
time from Leh to Srinigar, capital of Kashmir.
