With the summer hiking season in full swing, my muscles moving again in the ways they generally move at this time of the year… I have the hunger to explore the unexplored…love clicking and creating stories. It’s always fun to share my adventures and misadventures here in this column.
Mountains / Himalayas are so fascinating for me can’t really express in few words; they play some magic on me that even if I come back to this city life I keep thinking about them...The beauty that my eyes witness is just magical, I am sure these shots from the Himalayas are enough to make you want to travel to these places! When you get there, savor those moments, take in the exquisiteness of the place for as long as you can, because these moments are rare, don’t waste thinking about something which may not be worthy enough...you have one life, live for something as beautiful as this!
A trip to the mountains always stirs up this kind of creativity. And for me, hiking/cycling gives me that form of mindfulness. It makes it easy for me to just be present. Traveling across the mountains without a clue, without a reason, and without connectivity gives me the kind of high which probably you don’t even get after using some sort of substances around...we all are trapped in this daily rat race that we forget really what nature has in store for us. That’s a true reason why I always enjoy hiking, especially in the Himalayas, but even if I’m not in the Himalayas, walking across any mountain range gives me similar pleasure. I really wonder – ‘How can we not be inspired by looking at something so utterly massive’😊
In this blog, I will take you through one such mystical journey of my adventure to @Baralacha la Pass & Jispa. If you have a long weekend coming over soon plan this trip. You just need approx. 5 days Delhi- Baralacha La - Delhi.
For Baralacha la you will be undertaking Manali-Leh highway. This road runs a total of 490 kilometers; 230 kilometers is in Himachal Pradesh and the remaining 260 kilometers in the state of J&K. Sarchu acts as the border between two states. The road from Manali to Sarchu is Himachal and Sarchu to Leh is J&K. plus in total, you will be crossing 5 high altitude passes on this journey till Leh. Generally, people cover the entire route in 2 days from Manali till Leh. Though it all depends upon your itinerary/ number of days/ capacity to drive/condition of your lungs😊..as I know there are few, they try to cover this in one day...I totally stand against that thought.
Manali-Leh Highway, the very name ignites a feeling of adventure in everyone’s heart. For motorcyclists, it is a dream, for photography enthusiasts, it is heaven; for travel junkies, it is a habit. The ever-changing landscape consisting of deep verdant valleys, snow-capped mountain peaks, rugged barren desolated wasteland, high mountain passes, tiny hamlets, nomad shepherds; travel on this road and you will see it all. Memories will last a lifetime and you will tell tales of your trip for months to come.
Baralacha La pass (what does ‘pass’ really stands for? - ‘pass’ is where many roads meet)is a 8 Kilometer long mountain pass, which is situated at an altitude of 16040 feet - one of the highest passes in this region almost around 73 kilometers away from Keylong on Manali - Leh Highway. It is a high plateau where three different mountain ranges - Pir Panjal, Zanskar and the Great Himalayas meets. The melting of snow and formation of water stream on the high altitudes of this pass makes it difficult to cross as the day advances. It is always advisable to cross this pass before Noon… and stay overnight at either Jispa or Sarchu to leave for the journey to Leh the next day.
Just a few kilometers away from the Bara-lacha Pass towards Manali is the Bhaga river, a tributary of the Chandrabhaga river, which originates from the Surj Taal Lake. This pass is the point of commencement for several treks which include the famous Suraj Tal trek and Chandra Tal trek. Since this highway is basically developed for the purpose of transportation of goods and vehicles of the Army, you will see many Army camps en route. Tourists generally don’t get permit during winter season(post October) as the region gets heavy snowfall and most of roads get block.
This mountain pass gets some of the highest snowfalls of the entire Leh Manali highway. It is extremely prone to avalanches and there are always chances of you getting stuck on the road for few hours until BRO(Border Roads Organization) comes and cleanup for traffic. Hats off to Indian Army and BRO for maintaining this highway against all odds and nature's adversity.
My Itinerary for the Route -
For this trip we took the Delhi - Manali Deluxe Volvo from the same ‘Majnu ka tilla’ junction ( overnight journey - starts at 6pm from the place, reaches around 8:30am @Manali Bus stop, pre book your bus seats @redbus). Reached Manali around 8:30am. It was a long journey so don’t think you get enough rest in these semi sleeper bus… all we needed that time was to reach hotel and sleep for few hours. We booked hotel Johnson in old Manali Area.
for two days (it’s on the Circuit House road) reached there by 10 am, luckily got early check in ...slept for two hours then quick freshen up to head out to Solang valley for Paragliding (Solang valley is a place and treats to seekers of wanderlust and gives a chance to soar high under the cap of blue sky like a free bird)
than to Hidimba Devi Temple which was on our way to our Hotel (The temple is an ode to goddess Hidimba Devi which the people of Manali worship. She was the wife of Bheema, from Mahabharata. It has a pagoda style roof which many people appreciate. Also, it is highly revered for the historical and archaeological importance that the temple has)
& later in evening walked around the Manu Market..it was a day well spent in this beautiful town.
Next day in morning we planned to visit Vashist Temple & hot water spring.
( The Vashist temple in Manali is dedicated to the sage Vashist who was the Kula guru of Lord Rama across the river Beas. The other main highlight of this place is the hot water springs in the region. Many people also believe that these hot water springs have a medicinal value which can provide an ailment to many diseases) by noon after getting free from there we spent some good time on the Manali Mall road - Manu market is a treasure trove for taking pictures. It's a bustling strip of shops, low end souvenir shops and eateries along the lake…I don’t think the shopping was particularly that great …..probably me coming from Delhi was bound to say this..you get all this n more at much cheaper prices with great variety….but all I enjoyed was just watching people around and the total Hustle pustle on the street…At night that Mall road is a car free zone so you can walk around and enjoy the lightings that adorns the shops.
Early next day morning we packed our stuff to leave for Baralacha la Pass – it was approximately 200 km in distance took about 7 hours to reach at the pass, though its not fixed, all it depends upon traffic and road conditions the time of your travel. Landslides are very common on this route so its best if you leave early from Manali to reach the pass by Noon.
Note - There is no place to stay at this pass so better prebook your stay at either Jispa/ Keylong or further ahead at Sarchu like many other people…
Enroute to Rohtang Pass
Manali – Marhi – Rohtang pass ( 52km)
So our first big pass was Rohtang pass which is about 50-55 Km from Manali. It is always better to leave from Manali in early hours as there can be a huge traffic on this road throughout the day.
This is one of the most popular snow destination for all those who are travelling to Manali in summers. I have been to this place couple of times, but I can say excess commercialization and pollution has ruined the beauty of this place completely compared to what it was a few years back. Government has taken measures to control the number of vehicles entering the pass everyday but hope these measures are actually implemented.
The 52 kms ascent to Rohtang is a feast for eyes because of the beautiful vistas all around you. If you start early from Manali, its best to have breakfast at Marhi, 19 kms from Manali, or at Rohtang Pass itself . Now there are lot of dhabas opened up in recent time at Rohtang Top.After playing and trekking on the snow, we hurried up to leave as soon as possible before we could have got stuck in that mad traffic congestion.
Note -
· The biggest concern when it comes to crossing Rohtang is that of a permit without which you will not be allowed to travel towards the pass. This can be obtained from either Manali SDM office or online. Please read through the articles below in order to get more information on what the Rohtang Pass restrictions are and how you can get a permit to cross over.
· Road to Rohtang has a mix of super smooth and super rough patches. The bad section of the road is mostly towards the top and on the descent towards Kokhsar.
Next stop from Rohtang was via Gramphu to Kokhsar (19 km)
Kokhsar is a small village, 19kms downhill from Rohtang. The only significance this village will have in this journey is that you will need to get yourself registered at the check post here before continuing any further. This village also has an accommodation option available in form of a guest house in case you want to spend the night here.
It is also the first village in Lahaul Valley and road bifurcates towards Spiti at Gramphoo, little before Kokhsar. While coming back from Jispa next day we went for a small walk in Gramphu village.
We walked till this small Monastery in the valley. The entire route was covered with some colorful flowers all over. If you get a chance, do take a walk on this route, its totally worth it.
Tandi has the last gas station on this route. After this, there is no other petrol pump for another 380 kms, until Leh. While you can still get fuel at local dhabas on this route at much higher price in emergency but I strongly advised to tank up at Tandi and carry extra fuel (in case your car/ motorcycle’s petrol tank isn’t large enough to carry enough fuel to complete the journey) to not get stuck on this terrain...we didn’t make any stop at Tandi as we were planning to stay at Keylang for some quick snacks.
From Tandi to Keylang (9 Km)
Keylong is the district headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti and is the last town on this route where a mechanic is available. In case you have any Car/Motorcycle/Cycle trouble It is a good idea to get a final check done here.
This is also the last place where you will see network signals in your cellphone. I personally suggest to have one separate BSNL connection for such places..out of all the networks its only MTNL / BSNL works perfectly fine in Uttrakhand/Himachal/Sikkim. Airtel also works in some part of these regions. Though still connectivity is an issue so its better to have a BSNL option.
Keylang has a few decent hotel options and in case you have started late from Manali, you can opt to break the first day of your journey here. Kardhang Monastery is located in Keylong, across the Bhaga River do try and visit here if have time. Though we stayed at Jispa but Keylong being a district has better options to stay.
Note - This place has little or no rain in monsoons. The climate remains dry and invigorating. The days are hot and nights are extremely cold. Heavy / Light woolens are recommended.
Some of the places which may attract you include Gondhla for ancient fort, Sissu for Siberian wild geese and duck during spring and autumn, Triloknath temple sacred destination for both Hindus and Buddhist. There are monasteries like Shasur, Guru Ghantal, Tayul and Gemur famous for its arts and Buddhist faith. You can stop here overnight or at Jispa I leave the option at your discretion😊
Keylong – Jispa (22km)
Jispa is a small village on this route where we parked for the overnight stay. It has a hotel and tenting accommodations – it depend upon your comfort and what your pocket allows, select the place for night stay. In case it is still your first day of the journey, I strongly recommend you to halt here for the night as there won’t be any accommodation available after Jispa until you drive down till Sarchu which is around 90 km from Jispa. It is one of the most scenic village to stay and I have personally preferred to stay here as opposed to the busy town of Keylong. We guys stayed @‘Jispa hotel’, its not one of the best but situated at the most beautifully located place in such wilderness.
You may find accommodation in form of Chadar tents as well after Jispa but will not be as good as this hotel to stay. Though I leave that option to you to decide.
Note - There is also a mechanic shop at Jispa, just at the end of the village.
Jispa – Darcha (6km)
Roads here are in good condition. You will need to get yourself registered at the check post here.
Note - We went the same day to Baralacha la & Sarchu the day we started from Manali and came back and stayed at Jispa but if you are going further to Leh than stay at Sarchu or pang instead of Jispa.
Darcha – Sumdo – Patsio – Zingzingbar – Baralacha La – Bharatpur – Sarchu (84 km)
· Roads here are somewhat better than the journey we crossed earlier. You will come across beautiful Deepak taal after Darcha, don’t forget to take a quick break at the Dhaba near the lake and click photographs. There is a small Dhaba near the lake that also has arrangements to stay for the night. In case you are planning to camp on your own, Deepak Taal is a good enough spot to do so.
· Anyways, after spending few minutes at Deepak taal is when the most beautiful and breathtaking part of the journey starts, the ascent towards Baralacha Pass.
· The entire landscape was turning white as there was nothing around but snow. The absolutely clear sky and bright sun added to the beauty. Well this place actually left me speechless for a while and I wish we could have stayed here little longer. But unfortunately time was not permitting us we had to see Sarchu the same day and from there had to head back to Jispa where we were supposed to spend a night.
· We stopped @the pass for about an hour to absorb the magnificent view and clicked a few pictures. The stay here re-energized us for the journey ahead. A visit to this pass will teleport you to a different world altogether.
The scenery and views here are breathtaking, and the barren land without any hotels and shops looks stunning. It is as if everyone turns into a nature photographer while at this place, and the time spent in the lap of nature makes one feel closer to himself. If you are on a bike, the stretch between Jispa and Sarchu via Baralacha Pass is thrilling, exciting and dangerous. Riding through Baralacha is fun and at the same time, demands lot of concentration since it involves lot of off-roading. Be careful not to ride over ice and put on enough warm clothing as it gets cold here due to wind chill.
· There is also an interesting story around this pass. Folklore states that there were two lovers, Chandra being the daughter of the Moon and Bhaga the son of the Sun god. To perform their eternal marriage, they decided to climb the Baralacha la and from there they ran in opposite directions. Chandra being active and smart - easily, found her way and reached Tandi after covering the distance of 115 km. Soon Bhaga was found coming with great struggle through the narrow gorges to Tandi, where consequently both met and the celestial marriage was performed.
· There are high chances to experience Acute Mountain Sickness(AMS) for the first time in this region. Road conditions will keep changing from bad to good to bad again in this area.
· After crossing Baralacha la, we realized we were coming close to civilization. Soon we would see people! And shockingly, the thought of seeing more people gave us joy! This was enroute to Sarchu.
· Sarchu has the highest number of camping options on the Leh Manali highway, it’s also surrounded by the high mountains. Even though at a slightly lower altitude than Pang, many face a difficulty in breathing at Sarchu as well. Even for me, sitting at the back seat of my car, I felt a slight uneasiness. In fact, I felt a bit drowsy and this was the only stretch of our journey on the Manali highway where I fell asleep.
· Sarchu acts as the border between Himachal & Jammu & Kashmir..after Sarchu you enter in the J&K region. The difference between the two regions could be easily identified as the landscape changes drastically…the Ladakh is extremely dry and brown as compare to the greener side of Himachal.
Route of this journey on Manali Leh highway is as below.
· Manali – Marhi – Rohtang Pass [52 Kms]
· Rohtang Pass – Gramphu – Kokhsar [19 Kms]
· Kokhsar- Sissu – Tandi [38 Kms]
· Tandi – Keylong [9 Kms]
· Keylong – Jispa [22 Kms]
· Jispa – Darcha [6 Kms]
· Darcha – Sumdo – Patsio – Zingzingbar – Baralacha La – Bharatpur – Sarchu [84 Kms]
Some key tips –
· Stay hydrated. Yes, there are very few toilets on the Leh Manali highway. At many places, you will have to “go in the open”. But don’t skimp on drinking water for the fear of wanting to go to the loo.
· Stay warm. Hands and feet can go numb, which is a bad idea at these altitudes. You can use these hand warmers and body warmers to stay warm. Keep a light sweater, a wind sheeter and a woolen cap to cover the ears.
· You will find shared SUVs travelling from Leh to Manali. These boast of “doing” the Leh Manali highway in a day. This means a continuous drive of 16-18 hours for the driver. This also means crossing the Rohtang Pass (or some mountain pass) in the night. It means a cramped SUV and all of this means high risk and a miserable time. Attempting to do this, especially when you are a tourist to Ladakh is one of the most foolish things to do. Please avoid doing such a stunt your body needs to be acclimatized.
Alternate ways to explore this region -
1. Cycling around from Manali to Leh or till Keylang
Cycling the Leh Manali highway is the most exhilarating way to travel on the Leh Manali highway. Cyclists usually cover this journey from Leh to Manali or Manali to Leh (while cycling, either direction should be okay because you are travelling at a slow pace, giving your body enough time to acclimatize to the altitude) in eight to ten days.
Note - Cycling on the Leh Manali highway requires a high level of fitness and cyclists usually prepare months in advance unless you are a regular long distance cyclist.
2. Manali to Leh By Bus
If you are however planning to travel by Bus, then there are two options available. You can either board the HPTDC luxury bus or the ordinary HRTC Bus. Both of these however cover the journey in two days with a night halt at Keylong. If you are coming from Delhi, then you can board a Bus from Delhi itself. Please read through the following two posts for more information on the bus service.
Also read: Delhi to Leh Bus Service
Also check: www.redbus.in for booking bus seats
3. Manali to Leh by Shared or Private Taxi
Another way is to travel from Manali to Leh apart from the bus service I mentioned above is to either rent a private taxi; or board a shared taxi. Both these options are available in Manali; and depending on your budget you can choose either. While a private taxi will complete the journey as per your convenience, a Shared taxi completes the journey in a non-stop manner. For details like how much it would cost you to travel via taxi, please take a look at the article below. This will only give you approx estimate. It all depends upon season and Travel booking team.
4. Biking from Manali to Leh
Leh-Ladakh beckons bikers from all over the world. Partly it’s the beauty of the mountains and partly the charm of scaling the world’s highest motorable highway that attracts bikers to vroom into the tough terrain. It is easily one of the most difficult routes and challenges your body, your mind and of course your bike to the extreme. Yet the most intrepid bikers set off on this journey of a lifetime every year. This is a road trip that has transformed many bikers and continues to charm anyone who loves adventure and bike trips.
Manali Leh Highway Travel Time
While this journey from Manali to Leh can be done in 18 hours approximately; if you traveled nonstop like shared taxis; otherwise if you are going on your won or by bus travel time to reach Leh from Manali is a minimum of 2 days. On Day 1 you can either reach Keylong, Jispa or Sarchu from Manali and continue to Leh on Day 2. This way, you will ensure that you are not stressing yourself so much and giving sufficient time to enjoy the journey. If you can add another day and make it a 3 day trip, then it will be even better. On Day 1 you can reach Keylong or Jispa, Sarchu on Day 2 and finally Leh on Day 3. For more details and a sample itinerary, please take a look at the article below.
Best time to travel on Manali Leh highway
The road is declared open sometime by late May or early June and remains open by early October. Best time to travel on Manali Leh highway in my opinion would be in September. The road is in a terrible state with a lot of water crossings caused by melting snow in the month of June. Monsoon arrives by Mid to Late July and remains until August, causing a high chance of landslides in hilly areas. By September however, BRO would have restored the road completely and road conditions are also considerably better. Monsoon would have gone by late August but the valleys are at full blossom.
If you want to travel on a near perfect road, through lush green valleys starting to show signs of arriving autumn, while experiencing the thrill of the challenging terrain, then September is the perfect time to do so.
Manali Leh Highway Permit
There is really no pass or permit required to travel from Manali to Leh. The only permit needed is to cross over Rohtang Pass that I already mentioned above. However, if you reached Leh by Srinagar and returning via Manali, then even this permit is not needed. Carrying a valid identify proof like Aadhar card, Driver’s license, Voter’s ID, Passport etc is a must though as you will have to register yourself at several check posts in between and maybe you can be asked to produce an identity proof so always better to carry that with you.
Manali to Leh Highway Hotels
Accommodation on Manali Leh highway is not really that big a problem. Almost every big or small town en route has some sort of accommodation choice available. If you want to stay at a hotel however, the last one available is in Jispa. After Jispa, it is mostly camping sites or Chadar tents that you will come across.
Manali Leh Highway Weather
Weather on Manali Leh highway during day is pleasant enough during summer. It can be moderately warm however winds will be high and cold. During night, this temperature can go down to around 2-5 degrees Celsius. In winters however; when you cannot even travel here by road; temperature can go down several degrees below zero. June, July and August see a moderate weather, September will see the start of cold settling in and it can snow anytime after October first week.
Recommended Clothing for the route
It really depends on how you are traveling; if it is by motorcycle, car or by Bus; but to be on a safer side, pack your clothes in layers. Do not carry all heavy woolens. Carry plenty of cottons, a few light woolens and a heavy windproof jacket; along with woolen socks and gloves. The idea is that if you start feeling cold, you can put clothes on top of one another; in layers, and if feeling warm, you can remove layers as per your comfort.
I think this pretty much covers most of the aspects related to traveling on Manali Leh highway. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask questions below↓
Commonly asked questions -
1. Do I still have to take a permit from Manali, if going by HRTC bus to Rohtang Pass?
Ans - Rohtang permit is not needed if your are going by HRTC Bus.
2. How reliable is Manali to Leh single day bus (4:00am to 6:30pm) and does that reach Leh on the same day?
Ans - Yes it will definitely reach Leh on same day and pretty safe but as I have recommended above try and take two days to reach Leh than finishing it in only one day.
3. Is there any return bus from Leh to Manali in a single day?
Ans - There is no single day bus for return journey. For Leh to Manali, the bus will halt at Keylong overnight.
4. How long does it take to reach Leh via Srinagar? What are the ways to reach Srinagar from Delhi and bus timings from Srinagar to Leh.
Ans - You can board a bus or train to reach Srinagar from Delhi.
5. Are there enough bike repair/ tyre puncture shop available on Leh- Manali route?
Ans - The last puncture repair shop on Leh – Manali route is at Jispa and after that you can find one at Upshi only.
6. Do I have carry oxygen cylinder as a part of precaution for the journey?
Ans - I don’t think its required. For precaution sake you can pick one from Manali. Don’t carry it from Delhi or from whichever place you are coming from.
7. Symptoms of AMS
Ans - If you suddenly start feeling like you are suffering from high fever, your head starts to hurt followed by bodyache, you feel sleepy and get nausea feeling please understand these are few symptoms of AMS.
8. Can I carry my laptop on my ride?
Ans -You can carry it but will have to be careful. Please take a look at this article where I have detailed about carrying laptops to high altitude places.
9. Which is a better place to stay - Sarchu or Pang before reaching Leh?
Ans - Yes Pang is a good enough place to stay. Actually there are only two options, either stay at Sarchu or at Pang and I would advise Pang. In Jispa, there is a camp site right next to the river also you can stay there too for the night. again as I mentioned above I leave the choice to you.
Though there are many more questions people have before going for this journey, I would love to hear from you all, will be happy to help in whichever way I can:-)
Life is meaningless without spiritual experience and my travels are my way of reaching out to the higher spiritual spheres. I am dreamer and I live with the memories of my travel. My travel journey is still going strong and the passion to visit new places is increasing. I just hope that journey never ends.
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