Road Trip To The Mighty Himalayas

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The first thing is where to start from. The best place would be from Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh. This hill station situated at 2,200 meters above sea level is a beautiful place. Shimla, which was originally built to accommodate just 10,000 people, is now overcrowded with almost two lakh people. But they are very warm hearted and friendly.

Day two will be a nice ride to Sangla, in the Kinnaur district of Himachal. The drive will take you through the main Indo-Tibet highway, then branching off at Sainj and over the first pass, the Jalori pass. At an altitude of 3,120 metres above sea level, the roads are narrow and steep. Once on top, many shops offer good chai and meals. Commonly found is Maggi noodles and rice with rajma.

Picture credit: Wiki Commons
Sankara Subramanian

On the very narrow and steep road up, there are a few places to stop for refreshments. The road going up is very scenic. Once on top, the climb down is again narrow and steep. Taking you along the Sutlej river and back on the main highway, the drive up to Sangla is on narrow roads again. The view is absolutely stunning.

Once in Sangla, people can chose to stay either in a campsite or a hotel.

Day three will take you back down the steep roads from Sangla through an interesting town called Reckong Peo and into Nako. This little town situated at an altitude of 3,600 meters above sea level, is famous for its lake. Camping is very advisable here.

On the way to Nako, there is a bridge to be crossed at a place called Khab, which is where the mighty Sutlej river merges with the Spiti river. This is as close as a person can get to Tibet, 18 kms, across the Sutlej. The peak of Reo Purgil, which raises to an altitude of 6,800 meters is visible.

Day four, after an early breakfast, the road descent down again. Kaza, the destination for the day lies in the middle of Spiti valley.

The roads are mainly broken tarmac and dusty. On this route, lies the famous Tabo monastery and Dhankar monastery. Tabo, is a good stopover for lunch. Just at the monastery gates, there are a few shops to pick up refreshments and the place even has a German bakery.

Little further down the same road, at a fork towards the right is the very famous Dhankar monastery. It is at an altitude of 3,894 metres above sea level and was actually the capital of the Spiti valley kingdom during the 17th century.

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Wildestseas

Now, entering into Spiti Valley, one can feel the influence of Buddhism very strongly. Very patient monks with their humble attitude and warm hearts welcome you and make one feel you are one among them. Dhankar monastery could be where The Dalai Lama could retire in the years to come.

That night, reaching Kaza, there are loads of hotels available for the night. Kaza is presently the headquarters of Spiti and also boasts the world's highest petrol station at 3,650 meters above sea level.

Day five needs an early start. It is a brutal and long day. The destination is Keylang. After tanking up, the day starts with harsh terrain, only getting worse on the way. There are loads of river crossings, mainly melting snow from the snow peaked mountains.

The first quest will be to climb the stunning Kunzum La. At an altitude of 4,551 meters above sea level, this is also the main highway as well as a very sacred pass. Right on the top, there is a little monastery considered very holy. People are advised to go around the sacred place before heading back down.

The main attraction of this temple is a magnetic stone, which people pray to. People believe after the prayer is made, one should try sticking a coin on the stone. A good hearted man's coin will stick, they say.

Once the prayers are done, the journey continues down again, continuing to Keylang. The refreshment stops have to be planned out properly because there are not many places to stop. The route is a high altitude desert. Toward the end though, the last 50 km is just brilliant tarmac into Keylang.

Just before entering Keylang, the vehicle must be tanked up at a place called Tandi. This is the last fuel stop till you get to Leh. Keylang again is a beautiful small town, buzzing with foreign tourists and friendly locals.

Day six can be a leisurely start. The destination is Sarchu. This day will take you over the highest mountain pass in Himachal Pradesh, Baralacha La. At an altitude of 4,950 meters above sea level, it has excellent tarmac. This is because the Indian Army use this route frequently.

Zingzingbar is a good stop for refreshments just before climbing to the top of this pass. Fresh chai is served, and Maggi too.

Once on the other side of the pass, the road descends, leading you straight into Sarchu. At 4,300 meters above sea level, this is the highest place to spend the night on the trip. There are no hotels so camping is the only option.

After a cold night's stay, an early start and a few kilometres, you enter Jammu. The journey continues along the same road, over a few more water crossings and over two more mountain passes, Lachulung la and Nakeela, and then you enter the infamous More Plains. At an elevation of 4,000 meters above sea level, it stretches for 40 km.

Once through the plains, you climb up Tanglang La, the world's second highest pass. The highest point being 5,328 meters above sea level, the roads are bad going up and down the other way. Past this, the road is stunningly beautiful all the way up to Leh.

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Wolfgang Maehr

Leh itself actually looks like a mirage after all the hard road covered. This place again, is a small and energetic town, and the presence of the Army is very intimidating. This is basically an army town. 80 percent of this town's income is because of the army.

There are many hotels here ranging from normal rooms to high class hotels. The locals are very welcoming people. After the long journey, a day of well-deserved rest is a must. Local sightseeing is a good way to spend the day. A visit to Hemis gompha, and Leh Palace would give you insights into the history and religion of this town located 3,500 meters above sea level.

The next day would be the journey upto the world's highest motorable pass, Khardung La. At an altitude of 5,602 meters above sea level, it is a regular road for the army to travel up and down. The road going up is very narrow and broken. One needs to be very careful, specially if not used to driving on roads like this.

The most important thing to be wary of is AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). Headaches, giddiness, and vomiting sensations are all signs of AMS. The best way to overcome is to acclimatise yourself in Leh for a day or two before heading up to Khardung la. The only cure is descending to lower altitude. If all this does not work, try a tablet of Diamox a day. This could help you acclimatise, but gives you a feeling of pins and needles. The best way is to acclimatise naturally.

Most of these roads require a jeep or an SUV, but not necessarily a 4X4. Smaller cars would struggle while crossing rivers and may get damaged severely. Two wheelers are good as they are small and can tackle anything.

A few places on this route are very isolated, so basic knowledge about automobiles is good. A few spare parts like tyre tubes, extra spark plugs and headlight bulbs are advisable to carry along, and also a full-size spare wheel with wheel spanner. Do remember as you set out out on your Himalayan trip that Mother Nature is the most powerful force on earth and respect is a must.