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| At Chang la, the third highest motorable pass in the world |
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| Shanti Stupa. This place is awesome. You can have a look at the whole city from here. |
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| While sharing a banter with friends |
This pic was taken while coming down from Khardung la, the world's highest motorable pass.
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| At Nubra valley, guest house. This was very cheap, homely as the landlady herself was taking our care. |
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| While crossing Baralacha la. This place remains covered with snow throughout the year. |
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| A beautiful lake at Baralacha la. |
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| After reaching Kargil. |
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| Pangong Tso lake. It is around 110 kms from Leh city. |
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| With some Vietnamese tourists at Chang la. |
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| While going back from Khardung la to Leh city as I had promised to meet some old friends. |
1. Courage
2. Will power to keep on moving ahead.
Ladakh is a range of mountains. Leh is the largest district in Jammu and Kashmir and has a city called Leh.
A lovely city with nice people, markets and nice hotels to live in. The beauty of Ladakh region has tempted me for over a decade.
I went there for the first time in July, 2004 as part of the NCC (National Cadet Corps) and was flown from Chandigarh to Leh. It took only 50 minutes by air. I stayed there for 12 days and returned via Manali route. It took us four good days to come back by buses passing from one of the finest terrains in the world.
Day 1. We stayed at Pang (at 15000 feet altitude)
Day 2. Patsio (13,000 feet)
Day 3. Manali (7,000 feet), Palchan
Day 4. Reached Chandigarh
Friends I made there, are unforgettable.
There are two roads that connect to Leh. One is from Jammu side and another is from Manali. Both the roads have their own beauty and sight-seeing opportunity. Manali route, I would say, is little shorter but worst roads, harsh weather and you will cross tough terrains with innumerable potholes deep enough to shake your spine. This route is around 750 kms. If you are planning to from here, then I suggest you start for Manali at the earliest and enjoy its beauty, stroll in the evening at its market, visit Hadimba temple and have feeling of area. Because this will be the last greenery you may see till you return either from Kashmir or via same route.
Sooner you start, the better. If you plan to reach Leh within three days, then you must reach Patsio the very next day from Manali. It is more than 240 kms I guess. But to relax and enjoy each moment, I suggest, you plan a four-day journey. Start early morning from Manali and stay in Keylong. It has a beauty of its own. Less oxygen, little greenery, cold enough to wear woollens. Hotels are quiet cheaper as compared to Manali. I recommend you eat healthy, drink more fluids because to digest, you need oxygen, which is somewhat less there.
Next day, you should, as I said earlier, start early, and halt at a couple of places for photography and your eatables. You may come across some roadside shops in tents selling juice, eggs, food charging some extra price. Of course, you can't miss it. I recommend, you enjoy inside their cozy tents, have a nap, talk to them. They are not locals. They also come from distant places in order to make some money which is seasonal.
In 2010, I had opened an English academy "The Royals Academy" in Chandigarh. I received a call from an NCC friend who had been thinking of going to Leh on motorbikes. I was filled with thrill at once. Sprang up in thoughts, got my bike ready and chalked out the plan, including items to be carried and stay during our 12-day journey on bikes. Since I had to bear all the expenses of my academy, I had some fund crunch. I managed my finances somehow because the feeling of going there was stronger than anything at that particular time.But there I was against all odds. I set off for my journey with old pals.
Reached Manali on Day 1. Went to Keylong on day 2. Stayed at a hotel. Then on Day 3, we reached Sarchu. It was too cold there as the temperature would dip to minus 4. We could see frozen dew on our bikes. Then the next day, we had to cover at least 240 kms to reach Leh and somehow we made it. The roads at that time were very treacherous, terrible, non-existent, had deep potholes and full of gravel.
We put up at a guest house arranged by an army officer at Karu. Karu is 35 kms away from Leh.
From there, we went to Leh city market the next day, got our bikes checked from mechanics and had a city tour. The next day, we went to Pangong Tso lake. Returned the same day. It was tiring as on bikes, we had travelled more than 220 kms and that on horrible roads.
