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Manali To Leh On MotorbikeA Survival Guide To India's Toughest And Highest Road
The famous motorbike route from Manali to Leh crosses some of the world's highest motorable mountain passes. The views are fantastic but the roads are bad. Very bad.
The 485 km from Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in the Indian Himalayas is one of the world's highest and toughest roads. Much of it is higher than 3000 m altitude, so the views are amazing, but the road is not. The classic way to travel from Manali to Leh is on a Royal Enfield motorcycle. Weather And Road ConditionsThe road opens for traffic from May to October, depending on snowfall. Weather is one of the main hazards on this route, since rain turns parts of the road into a mudslide and snowstorms can start without warning. Overtaking trucks on narrow roads next to a 3500 m drop into emptiness, crossing ice-cold glacier streams, and struggling through dust, mud, deep sand and even deeper potholes - this is not a road trip for complete beginners. There are five mountain passes to cross, the lowest being the first, Rohtang-La at 3980 metres, and the highest the last pass before Leh: Tanglang-La at 5328 m. The drive up to Rohtang is busy with traffic since the pass is a favourite daytrip destination for Indian tourists, but after Rohtang the traffic consists mainly of overloaded trucks and army vehicles. Most truck drivers, as well as the Indian Army, are very polite and friendly. High Altitude DrivingParts of the road are at 4000-5000 m altitudes so Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a serious risk. AMS can hit anyone, and there is no way to predict how sick one gets. Most of those prone to AMS will start to feel it at 3500 m in the Himalayas. The only way to prevent AMS is to ascend slowly, and if symptoms are severe, one should descend immediately. The problem, however, is that after the second pass - Baralacha-La at 4950 m - the road will not descend below 4000 metres until after Tanglang-La. Most travelers will thus end up spending at least one night at over 4000 m, and for many it will be a cold, sleepless night. The best strategy is to drive from Manali to Keylong on the first day and acclimatize there as long as necessary. Where To SleepThere are guesthouses and hotels in Keylong, but after Keylong camping is the only option. Along the road there are several tent dhabas (places to eat) that usually have beds or communal tents for hire. Many bikers end up spending their second night in Sarchu, a collection of tent camps ranging from "luxury" tents (at INR1000 for two) to parachute tents shared with random truck drivers (at INR30 per person). What To BringSpare parts should include an inner tube, spark plug, throttle cable, clutch cable and front brake cable, and a spare bulb for the head light. There are no mechanics around so it is best to learn to fix basic problems. The last petrol pump after Manali is in Tandi, 365 km from Leh, so the options are either an extra large tank (25 l is enough) or carrying spare petrol. Bikes consume more petrol at high altitudes. It can rain and it can snow, so bring waterproof clothes as well as waterproof boots for crossing those glacier streams. Days can be sunny (so bring sunscreen) but nights are cold, and a good sleeping bag is important for the nights in tent camps. The tent dhabas serve rice, lentils and omelettes, but it makes sense to bring snacks. It also makes sense to wear a helmet and some protective clothing, since falling is almost guaranteed - even experienced bikers do. However, the less luggage there is on the bike, the easier it will be to get up to the top of Tanglang-La.
The copyright of the article Manali To Leh On Motorbike in India Travel is owned by Satu Susanna Rommi. Permission to republish Manali To Leh On Motorbike in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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