Zanskar- Umling La- Pangong Tso- Manali- 2024| Jun 10- 21

Ride at a glance:
Duration: 11 nights 12 days
Travel days:  10
Roads: Tarmac, broken roads, off roads
Accommodation: Hotels/ Home stay/guest house/ Camps
Max Altitude: 19300 feet
Daily Avg distance: 180 km
Daily Avg travel time: 6 Hrs

Ride Highlights:

• Zanskar Valley– We will be riding and exploring Zanskar Valley through some less explored places like Zangla, Shinkula. Drang drung glacier is one the highest in the region. Holy mountain of Gombok Ranjan.
• Suru Valley– The most fertile one in Ladakh. Lush green landscapes, calming Suru river and a beautiful villages Panikhar & Rangdum.
• Highest Motorable road in the world: Umling La (19300 feet)
• High Altitude lakes: Pangong Tso, YayaTso and Mirpal Tso
  There is no need for introduction when it comes to the beauty of Pangong. We all have heard and seen pictures of it. Spend a calm, peaceful evening at this serene lake witnessing the ever-changing sky colours and mountains that make you think.
• Changthang– We will be visiting Hanle village. It’s a very beautiful village with lot of wild life around. It is also known for Hanle Monastery and Hanle Observatory, which is the world’s second highest Astronomical observatory.
• This ride offers a great mix of riding terrain (off roads, tarmacs, sand, broken tarmac all of it in just one ride)
• Spectacular, diverse, colourful landscapes of the Himalayas, wild life at places and plenty of locations for photography.

Motorcycling Experience
Get ready for one of a lifetime riding experience! The terrain of Ladakh is famous amongst all the adventure lovers. Riding along the Ind us, Suru, Stod & Zanskar river with a view of horses running along the river beds, view of thousands of sheep & goats grazing on wetlands! Seems like a dreamland, right? Well, we will be riding in this dreamland and clicking a lot of pictures (both physical and mental) as it is too scenic to miss on any of the things.

Also, not to miss when it comes to riding though dried-up river streams, bone chilling deep water crossings, sand patches and to the highest of the high passes will quench your thirst for adventure for a long time. The off-roads for miles and miles. Sometimes we will have to follow the direction and keep riding even without the trail marks. Sometimes the terrain gets so tough that you may not feel like riding anymore, but the moment you stop enjoying, the fun turns in to fear. We want you to keep your spirits high.

Even wildlife photography & offers Wildlife, Landscapes, tough terrains & very experiential stays along with various culture & food.
In this ride we will be taking some of the non-tourist places & routes to explore Ladakh like in the olden days.
We are taking you to rugged, tough terrain of Ladakh which includes Suru Valley, Zanskar Valley, The High & Highest Motorable roads, Changthang, Indo-Pak border, Indo-China Border, Pangong Tso, Moonland, Sand Dunes (Not Nubra Valley) and unknown plateaus layered with natural flowers.
During this ride we will be riding through challenging off roads of Suru & Zanskar Valley, through dried up river streams and beyond tourist places to experience wildlife. This ride is tiring but the scenery will definitely soothe you.

Wild Life
Mammals -Tibetan Wild Asses, Marmots, Gua, Ibex, Fox, Tibetan antelope etc.
Birds like Bar-headed goose (ngangpa), Black-necked crane (trung-trung), Tibetan Snowcock, Chukar, Brown-headed gull etc.

Places of interest

Suru Valley
The Suru Valley is a valley in Kargil District in the Union Territory of Ladakh in India. It is drained by the Suru River, a powerful tributary of the Indus River. The valley’s most significant town is Sankoo. Suru Valley is famous for its natural environment.
It is the most fertile part of Ladakh. Suru Valley serves as Ladakh’s granary. Lower Suru Valley is extensively cultivated with barley, wheat, millet and bean fields interspersed with willows. This valley encompasses the catchment basin of the Suru River, which emerges from the Panzela glacier.  Lofty pinnacles of Kun and Nun mountains crown the breathtaking landscape of this scenic region. Parachik Glacier is a beautiful location situated at the slopes of Nun – Kun Mountains.

There is stunning beauty waiting to be seen at every corner of Suru Valley. This unknown little gem of Ladakh is truly unexplored. However, it offers so much to every traveler of the region.

Zanskar Valley
Zanskar remains one of the very few places on Earth that, for several months every year, becomes almost entirely isolated from the rest of the world. It can only be reached, or left, via the frozen river Zanskar. Geographically, the Zanskar mountain range separates this region from the rest of Ladakh. It is fed by two rivers: the Doda, which has its origin near the Pensi La (4.400m), and the Kargyak, with its source near the Shingo La (5.100m), which then merges with the Tsarap River and is hereinafter referred to as Lungnak. In the Central Valley of Zanskar, the Doda and the Lungnak combine to give birth to the great Zanskar River.

Zanskar needs no introduction. With an encompassing rugged terrain and the pristine valleys, Zanskar is known for its breathtaking views. From torrid days to gelid nights, temperatures range wildly in this magical land.

Drang Drung Glacier: is likely to be the largest glacier in Ladakh other than the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram Range, with a maximum length of 23 kilometers at an average elevation of 15,680 feet. The glacier lies in the northeastern Himalayan Range known as the Zanskar Range. It is one the highest in the region and one can just sit and get lost in the magnanimity of it. The moon’s reflection in the Suru River is something that you can’t stop staring at. Serene is the word we like to describe this place as.

Zangla: A picturesque village in Zanskar, Zangla is an offbeat destination and is set against the spectacular backdrop of Zanskar Rage. A palace which once housed the royal family stands atop a hill nearby is now in ruins. There is a small Buddhist nunnery here and one can go and visit it to get a view of the daily life of the nuns.

Shinkul La/ Shingo La: This is a high pass on the border of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. The pass is situated at 16580 feet and is considered as the origin of Zanskar River.

While extreme climatic conditions make life very difficult, people of the valley are very simple and honest, poor and hardworking, religious and spirited, affectionate and hospitable. They have minimal resources for their daily life but would always welcome guests and are happy to help the travellers, if stuck. You understand what warmth truly means when you meet people here.

Changthang region
Located on the southeastern part of Ladakh, Changtang is famous for its landscape, wildlife and natural beauty.
The Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary is a high altitude wildlife sanctuary located in the Ladakhi adjunct of the Changtang plateau. It is important as one of the few places in India with a population of the kiang or Tibetan wild ass, as well as the rare black-necked crane.

Hanle
Hanle is a one of the interesting places in the Changthang region. It is possibly one of the world’s most enchanting, serene and breath-taking places.
On the way to Hanle, it seems like you’re on a different planet altogether. Its enchanting beauty — so eerily calm — imparts the feeling of being lost in an alien land. There is some wildlife to spot along the way: mostly wild asses, golden ducks, rabbits, jackals. You can also see a few nomads along the roadside, in their makeshift tents and surrounded by their cattle and dogs. It is a lovely site to witness.
It is the site of the 17th century Hanle Monastery (gompa) of the Drukpa Kagyu branch of Tibetan Buddhism. Hanle is also home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory. It is the world’s second highest observatory.

Manali
Manali has always been a favourite tourist spot for both Indians as well as foreign nationals.
It is a beautiful town in Himachal Pradesh nestled in picturesque Beas River Valley. Lush green valley along the ever-flowing Beas is always a wonderful site to watch.
Many motorcycle rides start from here manily because of the location and accessibility to services and bikes.
Manali also has a very young and happening culture and there are many places to eat good food and enjoy some live music as well.

Detailed Itinerary

Day-1 Arrival at Manali
We will meet, greet, assist, and transfer you to Hotel in Manali. Dinner at Hotel.

Day 2 – Manali to Jispa:
We start out ride on this day with full enthusiasm! Post breakfast we will ride towards Jispa.
It is going to be a short, comfortable and absolutely refreshing ride day!
Overnight stay at a beautiful place in Jispa.

Day 3 – Jispa to Padum:

Today, we will ride from one state to another. A gateway to Zanskar valley!
The ride is going to be a great change in landscapes, terrain, people and culture!
Padum is one of the significant town in Zanskar Valley and is the administrative headquarter for the same.
Overnight stay at Padum.

Day 4 – Padum to Rangdum:
Today we pack our bags and post breakfast start our ride towards a beautiful village called Rangdum! The ride goes through one of the most scenic routes. We will be crossing the Pensi La (14436 feet) today.
We will also get to witness Drang Drung Glacier on our way. Drang drung glacier is one the highest in the region and one can just sit and get lost in the magnanimity of it.
Overnight stay at a cozy home stay for a good local experience.

Day 5- Rangdum to Zangla: –

This is a true Zanskar Valley day! We will be riding to Zangla on this day.
We will be crossing a pass named Pensi La today. This day is again going to be a challenging one as we ride on the toughest terrain!
Overnight stay in a cozy guesthouse/homestay.

Day-6 Zangla to Leh:

Today, we will be passing through two passes names Singge La (16590 feet) and Sirsir La (15761 feet). These are probably India’s deepest gorges.
This is going to be a little long and tiring day but the views and terrain is something everyone will enjoy!
Overnight stay at Leh.

Day 7- Leh to Pangong Tso via Yayatso and Mirpal Tso:
Time to get back on the bikes and explore the beauty of Pangong Lake.
Pangong is the gem of Ladakh and one should not miss the breathtaking landscapes the region offers. There is also a twist on this day and that is, we will not be taking the regular Chang La road. Instead, we will be visiting two more lakes on our way! Total serenity on this day!
Overnight stay at Pnagong!

Day 8- Pangong to Hanle:
Get ready to hit the unexplored road towards Hanle. Less explored is where we thrive. This is our forte and we are sure that you will love exploring this new region with us.

The ride will continue along the Pangong Lake. We will be covering complete length of Pangong Tso during this ride. The sudden change in terrain is exciting. The shades of mountains in this region stand out and you cannot get enough of these colourful beauty!

Day 9- Hanle to Umling La & back to Nyoma
Post breakfast we will start our ride. This is a very important day of the ride as we will be riding to the Undoubtable Highest Motorable pass- Umling La which is at 19300 feet making it higher than Khardung La. This day is going the be the most memorable day of your life!
Overnight stay at Nyoma in a cozy little home stay!

Day 10- Nyoma to Sarchu
Today we will start our journwy back to Manali. This is going to be a very scenic ride.
The terrain is adventurous and offers some spectacular views on the way.
Overnight stay at Sarchu.

Day 11- Sarchu to Manali
Today, post breakfast we will start our last riding day. This is going to be a very beautiful day as we will be riding and witnessing different colours and terrains throughout the day. We move from barren lands, naked mountains to a greener area in Himachal Pradesh. The lush green mountains while reaching Manali are simply soothing and it is a very comfortable ride.
Overnight stay at Manali.

Day 12- Ride ends here
The ride ends here. Post breakfast, check out from the Hotel.

Feel free to get in touch with us for more details.
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Interested in exploring Ladakh on a motorcycle, check out our off beat Motorcycle Rides.