For 300km on the road to Leh (from Manali) there are no permanent settlements and the road is only open for about 5 months of the year because of winter snows. To accommodate the busy tourist traffic over the summer there are a number of parachute tent ‘cafes’ that are set up along the way providing food and tent accommodation for the huge number of motorcyclists, vehicle traffic and the small number of cyclists that need food and a bed. There are 4 high passes on the route, up to 5300m, and the road varies from brand new tarmac to knee deep fords and rough roads.
From Keylong we climbed over a couple of days, to the snowy Baralacha La (4800m). We couldn’t believe how many groups of touring motorcyclists in large groups that there were on the road. The road was mostly good barring some fords that were deep because of snow melt. The descent from the Baralacha summit was rough and it was great to get some lunch at the dhaba 5 km down the other side where we were reacquainted with the goats and sheep that must have walked through the night to avoid the traffic. They had walked through our campsite the night before. Some of the kids were tiny and they had a way to go to their grazing fields at Sarchu. Just past the lunch stop there was a partially dismantled bridge forcing the motorised traffic thru a deep ford.
We were invited to join a large supported cycling group for dinner that night at Sarchu. They were senior students at a school in Dehra Dun and instead of their normal mountain trek they decided on this bike journey. Some had never ridden a bike before the trip, which was impressive. We enjoyed great food with them and the boss of the supporting group had heli-skied out of Manali with some Wanaka guides. Small world.
We woke to rain the next morning which was a surprise so had a late start for the ride down the valley before the 21 zig zag Gata Loops and the rest of the climb to the Nakeela La and the high camp of 4700m down the other side. Next morning it was a climb back up to the 5000m Lachung La before a stunning gorge descent to the Parachute tents of Pang.
Many motorcyclists stop in Pang at 4500m for the night and wonder why they feel so sick the next morning, it is because they are sleeping 1200m higher than the previous night and they are suffering altitude sickness. I am surprised there are not more problems because of altitude on this route…
Ps.We found out a number of days later that 3 tourists died on the Baralacha La in some snowy weather that came through just before we reached Leh. A motor cyclist crashed on the snowy road and people died when they got stuck in their vehicle because of the new snow so I imagine it was a combination of hypothermia and altitude. Not a route to be taken lightly..
