Get Leh’d in Ladakh

• Fly in from Delhi to Leh and be received by our team member at the airport.
• Transfer to Hotel. Unpack, Unwind.
• We recommend that you relax and take it easy and focus on monitoring your body and the effects of high altitude.
• Communicate with your team and don’t ignore any signs of discomfort.
• The usual symptoms of AMS could be headache, lack of appetite, insomnia and difficulty in breathing.
• Only mild activity is advised as you are in high altitude territory.
• Based on how you are feeling you can visit the Leh city and market place in the evening.

60/100 Kilometers

• Today we get on the bikes for the first time and head out on a short 60 KM exploratory road trip.
• We get accustomed to our bikes, the traffic in the mountains , the dogs & cows and the ever changing road conditions.
• We break for lunch at one of the popular cafes in or near town.
• Based on the level of fatigue and the mood of the group, we can head out for a short evening ride or we could take a car tour of the popular sights and monasteries around Leh town.
• Alternatively you could just relax. We have a great deal of riding ahead of us.

130 Kilometers

Post breakfast we get on our bikes and begin our day’s ride. We are heading towards Sham valley on National highway 1 – connecting Leh to Srinagar. The roads are stunning and the tarmac quality lends to great riding. We pass some of the popular sights along the route and continue riding at an altitude lower than Leh.

We will find some traffic, but it’s a dual carriage way and the only tricky bits are if you happen to cross an army convoy ( quite certainly we will). The sheer presence of army on this route will have you wondering, but you are travelling through one of the most militarised zones in the world. We leave the highway for the final stretch towards our guesthouse, crossing a picture perfect village steeped in history.

210 Kilometers

We make a dash for Leh city on new roads that test you , with off-road patches and jaw dropping heights on single track roads that are not protected by any barriers. Post Leh we start chasing the silk route today, this being the main road connection that took goods (on Yaks, Mules and Camels) from the Indian sub-continent to join with the main silk route at Yarkand in central Asia.

We enter serious high altitude territory, crossing Khardung La at 5348 M (one of the highest motorable passes in the world). We descend more than 2000 M into Nubra valley, probably the most dramatic landscapes on the trip. We ride on fairly good, but narrow mountain roads with sharp drops and chances of snow near the pass. Only a small patch (about 30 KM) is of poor road quality due to the constantly melting and freezing of snow and water.

170 Kilometers

Today’s ride is an optional one but in all probability you will want to take it. We are traveling to a village that changed its nationality a few decades ago.

Though India and Pakistan have laid claim to this land it still belongs to the people and the people identify themselves as Baltis, and are ethnically a complete different people.

Its only been a few years, that Turtuk has been opened to tourism. Its proximity to the Pakistani border made it a highly sensitive region. It’s a journey back in time, seeing the untouched beauty of the landscape and charm of its people. Mostly uninhabited the landscape is dotted with small towns, some monasteries, mosques and many army camps. The village of Turtuk is a green Oasis and its people are superbly hospitable.

190 Kilometers

Dramatically changing landscapes are our companions for the day. On a combination of on/off road, you will ride on river beds, on high passes, through mountain gorges and open flat plains. Our prize for the day is the lake of Pangong . Partly in India and partly in China, this politically strangled lake is a natural wonder of the world.

We camp close to the shore, relax and take in the changing colours as the sun sets. The night skies are surreal as we are camping at 4300M with clear views of the milky way and several constellations. Based on the wind the nights can be cold and chances of AMS (headaches & insomnia) are possible .

190 Kilometers

Today’s route is a relatively new (open only to the army in the past) that’s only recently opened to tourists. It was a closely guarded secret and its easy to see why. Two high altitude lakes in a setting so surreal, endless twisties, wildflower covered slopes, panoramic views, very little traffic and a single track road with a mind of its own.

Half way through the journey and the best bits are yet to come. We divert towards the village of Hanle which has opened to foreign tourists only since 2024 ( due to close proximity to the Chinese border).

The edge of the Tibetan plateau, the floodplains of the Indus river, a haven for migratory birds, home to the Palash cat , the astronomy capital of India- Hanle is famous for so many reasons. For us however, the above doesn’t really matter.

The staging point for our Umling La traverse, Hanle has a completely different significance for moto enthusiasts.

170 Kilometers

At 19,300 FT we leave some bits to the imagination.

***Please note that, due to the politically sensitive nature of this region, we could be refused permission at the last moment. We will alter our itinerary if this is the case but we hope that the gods of motorcycling are smiling on us.

250 Kilometers

The journey back to Leh is fairly straightforward, though a little long. The roads are beautiful tarmac and the valley floor undulates gently following the course of the river towards the town of Upshi. It’s a play of light and shadows as you speed across this multi colored valley, the increase in oxygen levels as you descend, playing some interesting mind games. Your body fights the fatigue of the past days but the mind is elated with the oxygen surplus.

I’d say it’s a little melancholic as you ride the last 60 KM to the end of our journey, the busy(ish) Manali- Leh highway, a gentle transition to reality and crowds. A farewell dinner at a popular restaurant in Leh city.

A taxi will drop you to the airport at the designated time of your flight.