Towards the end of my Ladakh trip i had become very proficient in hitchhiking around the place. I no longer hesitated to stick out my hand to flag down any passing vehicle. I knew that people would stop if they could spare the space to take you on board. So i no longer worried about finding transportation to anywhere in Ladakh.
That little theory of mine was put to the test when i went to the Nubra valley. And i barely made it through.
In between Leh and Pangong Lake lies the mighty Chang La pass. At over 5400m high, Chang La is officially the 3'rd highest mountain pass in Ladakh (after Khardung La and Tanglang La).
After successfully cycling across the Leh - Manali highway i did not think that crossing Chang La on my bicycle would pose much of a problem. But i was wrong.
After 5 beautiful sunny days around Pangong Lake, the weather turned for the worse and dropped a ton of snow on the mountains around Chang La. I had to find a way back to Leh. Cycling was impossible now, but i had not planned on cycling back anyway. So i waited at Tangste, hoping to get ride on a jeep or truck going towards Leh.
One of the things i'am unhappy about myself as a photographer is my reluctance to take more portraits while traveling. There are some good reasons for it. But still, at the end of a trip when i look back at my photos, the ones that bring me the most joy are the ones with people in them.
If i had taken a portrait of someone, then more often than not, it means that i had interacted with that person before taking... (more)
This is a folk tale about how the Tsokar lake in Ladakh lost most of its water. It also explains the origin of the tiny Tso Kiagar lake on the way to TsoMoriri. The story was told to me by a local from the Thukje village.
It was a late October day. Cold cloudy and overcast. A dramatic change from the pleasent sunny weather just a day before. I was cycling back from the Pangong lake to the Tangste village. It is normally a pleasent ride, mostly flat and downhill (from 4400m to 3950m over the course of 25 odd kms). In the mountains, downhill rides such as these are to be savoured but today i was'nt enjoying the ride all that much.... (more)
Things did not start smoothly for my Manali Leh ride.
After traveling around Himachal by bus it was finally time for me to start cycling. I went to Palampur to collect my bike (I had left it at the home of a railway employee who had generously offered to store my bike at his place when i was away). My plan was to start riding from Palampur to Manali, spend a few days in Manali and then kick onwards... (more)
Ladakh was the reason why i decided to take my bicycle with me to the Himalayas. The lure of cycling in the mountains with its crisp blue skies and snow capped peaks was too enticing to ignore. I had traveled Ladakh by motorcycle back in 2008, but this time i decided that a bicycle would be a better option. Going by cycle meant going slowly.. a 200km trip from, say, Leh to Pangong lake which can be done in a... (more)
My general policy with people is to trust until that trust is broken. But as i was sitting in the van, i started wondering what his game could be. "nobody's that nice", i thought. Especially since he was tout for a hotel and has nothing to gain by giving me this free ride. With my suspicions gradually growing, i suddenly jumped out of the van, grabbed my backpack and went back to the pre-paid taxi counter. ... (more)
The early part of my flight back from Leh, was spent staring out of the window, mesmerized by the snow clad mountain peaks and the valleys beneath them. The best part of it all was that i could take in the mountain landscape as a whole, everything.. all at once. As my sight wandered down from the lofty peaks, I could the beginning of a glacier and at its end the birth of a stream gentle at first and then turning into a... (more)
If you love the mountains and love the freedom & the pure wind-in-your-face exhilaration of biking then Ladakh provides the perfect opportunity for you to combine the two and go motor biking in Ladakh. There is no better way to experience this wonderful place, free from the constraints of packaged trips and the safety of civilization biking in Ladakh puts you in touch with the raw unforgiving side of nature.... (more)
Based on my experience while cycling the Manali - Leh route (in Oct 2010) i've compiled a list of Food and Accommodation stops on the route.
I hope this information would be useful to other cyclists who are planning to do this trip. I have also tried to include the approximate dates till which these establishments would remain open, but these days might change depending on the weather conditions. So be a little careful and stock up on extra food when you do this trip in October.
This is probably the most funnest, the easiest (after ChangLa), friendliest and the most visually breathtaking ride experience available in Ladakh. And definitely my top favorite among all the cycling routes in Ladakh.
The reason why i loved this circuit is because of the 30 odd km flat stretch of dirt road along the shores of the Pangong lake. You get to ride right up along the edge of the... (more)
Based on my experience while cycling the Manali - Leh route (in Oct 2010) i've compiled a list of Food and Accommodation stops on the route.
I hope this information would be useful to other cyclists who are planning to do this trip. I have also tried to include the approximate dates till which these establishments would remain open, but these days might... (more)
My general policy with people is to trust until that trust is broken. But as i was sitting in the van, i started wondering what his game could be. "nobody's that nice", i thought. Especially since he was tout for a hotel and has nothing to gain by giving me this free ride. With my suspicions gradually growing, i suddenly jumped out of the van, grabbed my... (more)
If you love the mountains and love the freedom & the pure wind-in-your-face exhilaration of biking then Ladakh provides the perfect opportunity for you to combine the two and go motor biking in Ladakh. There is no better way to experience this wonderful place, free from the constraints of packaged trips and the safety of civilization biking in Ladakh puts... (more)
Ladakh is a cycling paradise. There is no question about it. The quiet roads, the friendly locals, the serene landscape and high altitude all combine together to provide you a safe, fun, at times challenging and at all times visually stimulating experience that few other locations in India and indeed in the world could hope to match.
A journey along the Manali - Leh highway is bound to be one of the most exciting, adventurous and visually stunning journeys anywhere in the world. The route traverses through some of the highest mountain passes in the world, crossing the Pir Panjal, Great Himalaya and the Zanskar ranges.
The road, traversing through these mountain ranges, takes the traveler to... (more)
Ladakh was the reason why i decided to take my bicycle with me to the Himalayas. The lure of cycling in the mountains with its crisp blue skies and snow capped peaks was too enticing to ignore. I had traveled Ladakh by motorcycle back in 2008, but this time i decided that a bicycle would be a better option. Going by cycle meant going slowly.. a 200km trip from,... (more)
Ladakh was the reason why i decided to take my bicycle with me to the Himalayas. The lure of cycling in the mountains with its crisp blue skies and snow capped peaks was too enticing to ignore. I had traveled Ladakh by motorcycle back in 2008, but this time i decided that a bicycle would be a better option. Going by cycle meant going slowly.. a 200km trip from,... (more)
Tsomoriri is, in my opinion the most beautiful of all the 3 big lakes in Ladakh. So a trip there well worth the effort, especially if you make it a circular route and come back via the TsoKar lake and Taglang La.
This is probably the most funnest, the easiest (after ChangLa), friendliest and the most visually breathtaking ride experience available in Ladakh. And definitely my top favorite among all the cycling routes in Ladakh.
 The reason why i loved this circuit is because of the 30 odd km flat stretch of dirt road along the shores of the Pangong... (more)
I visited the TsoKar lake back in October 2010 while cycling the Manali - Leh highway.
The Tso Kar lake is located close to the main highway and one can always do a short detour to the lake before continuing on their way to Leh (or to Manali). It is well worth the effort.
