Manali to Leh

by Wendy May

There are two main ways of getting to Leh: fly from Delhi or take the road from Manali. I took the road from Manali - a 3 day, 485 kilometre journey which took us through the most strikingly beautiful, even surreal, scenery and which reached 5328 metres at Tanglang La, the second highest pass in the world.

As the road is only open for a few months each year (June-September), and is damaged by the winter snows, it is not surprising that the road varies from asphalt surface to potholed track and often crosses glacial mountain streams. One of the features of the journey was the road gangs working on the road. Often these were the only signs of civilisation as we crossed the mountains, valleys and plains.

The Highway used to be a trading route for mule trains bringing goods to and from Kashmir and Tibet. While we saw a couple of mule trains, most of the traffic is now brightly coloured Tata trucks. There were also a large number of cyclists; this is a very popular journey for enthusiasts.

We started in Manali (1896m), a former bazaar town. It is a good place to spend a couple of days relaxing and is a good base for local trekking. The new town is a sprawling, cosmopolitan mix of Tibetan, Indian and Nepali. It still provides good shopping opportunities, particularly for the local Kullu hats and shawls, as well as pashminas (which proved useful on the trip).

Old Manali, perched on the mountainside is much more relaxed and provides an insight into old traditions. The old Manali houses are built from layers of stone and wood to withstand earthquakes. The wood and stone are painted different colours to alert to subsidence. They have stone roofs and wooden balconies to dry herbs and tobacco.

Our journey started with a climb up from Manali to the Rohtang Pass - zig-zagging along the sides of lush valleys. Within an hour we had encountered our first casualty - a Tata lorry on its side on the hillside. For the whole journey up to the pass there was a constant, but shifting mist. Sudden weather changes are a feature of this road and Rohtang means ‘piles of dead bodies’!

After two hours we stopped for breakfast at Marhi, a tented camp set up on the banks of the river, with temporary cafes and a more permanent stupa and temple. There was also a paragliding school. As this is the only breakfast stop on this part of the Highway, everyone stops here for a break. The site closes in mid-September when winter sets in.

Moving on from Marhi the landscape started to change - less trees but more flowers including hundreds of daisies, dandelions and clover! At Rohtang Pass (3978m) we were lucky as the mist cleared temporarily and we were greeted with a wonderful view of snow capped mountains and prayer flags waving in the breeze.

The next stage of the journey - down to the Chandra Valley - was so different. Once we were over the mountain, the sky was blue, the sun was blazing down and there were flowers everywhere. The rocks were full of mica and gleamed in the sunlight and we all ended up with glittery pieces of mica over our clothes. After passing through the checkpoint at Koksar we travelled along the valley to Tang. Wow! Towering mountains, hanging valleys, glaciers and snow caves - all those geography lessons brought to life.

I was lucky enough to be sitting on the left hand side of the jeep so had wonderful views - although hanging out of a jeep window with a camera, while the jeep bounces over potholes, creates clouds of dust and slides through mountain streams, is not to be recommended! Photographs do not do justice to the majesty, size, beauty and quality of light in scenery like this.

At Tandi the Chandra and Bhaga rivers meet to form the Indus and the road turns up the Bhaga valley to Keylong - a small village which was our overnight stop. This is a 2 street village which is cut off from the outside world for part of the year. It was relaxing and very friendly, with wonderful views along the valley and with some good trekking or walking opportunities if we had been able to stay longer.

From Keylong the landscape started to change again - less vegetation and more ethereal, stark valleys with mountain lakes and pools. Our next brush with civilisation was the police checkpoint (2 tents) at Darcha where there were several temporary cafes selling very welcome tea, chocolate, crisps and biscuits. (Crisps at altitude always amuse me as the low pressure means that the bags inflate like balloons.)

Having re-fuelled ourselves we continued to the next pass - Baralacha (4883m). The terrain was even bleaker, the roads even more challenging and everyone, including some of the drivers, feeling the effects of altitude. Biscuits and sweets were used to keep everyone alert. (Glucose tablets are also good to help combat the effects of high altitude). Then into some high, very stark but incredibly beautiful terrain with wide valleys and mountains banded with snow. The colours were surreal in the thin mountain air.

I have already mentioned the need for road repairs on the Highway. These roadworks often resulted in long queues while the road gangs finished laying a strip of asphalt or cleared some rocks. However, queues and traffic jams are not only caused by road works. The road is narrow with very few passing places and it is not the custom in India for drivers to give way. This means that, when two vehicles meet, there is a Mexican stand off until one of them backs down. This is usually the driver with the smaller queue behind him. These stand offs can last a long time.

Both the road works and stand offs seem to provide opportunities for socialising: everyone gets out of their vehicle, has a chat and a drink or something to eat. Our guide told us that one of the most interesting things he had noticed in England was that cars would give way to each other, and that the drivers would raise their hand to acknowledge or thank the other driver. This does not happen in India!

Our second night was spent in a tent on Sarchu Serai. Some trips miss out this second night stop and press on overnight, but I wouldn’t recommend this - the next stage of the journey really should be seen in daylight and, at such high altitude, it is good to have a rest.

At Sarchu most of our group were suffering from the altitude. Most had altitude headache - like a tight band around the head, others were nauseous and all of us felt as if we were “walking on marshmallows”. This is not a phrase I have heard before, or since, but seemed quite appropriate at the time. The more fortunate of us watched the sun go down, and the marmots playing, before putting on our layers ready for the cold and breezy night ahead. After a light meal - the appetite tends to disappear at altitude - we filled hot water bottles and laced ourselves into our tents. My silk sleeping bag liner (one of my travel essentials) earned its keep here and I was very snug. At high altitude people tend to have very vivid dreams. The night at Sarchu was no exception and provided some interesting conversation at breakfast!

After tea and porridge (which are surprisingly welcome at altitude), we set off for the final leg of our journey to Leh. The climb up to Lachuglang La (5019m) involved a switchback road (21 loops) up the mountain. One feature of the road is that the Road Company puts signs on all the bends and curves to keep drivers alert, in an attempt to reduce accidents. The signs are in English and very amusing, for example - “Be mild on my curves”, “If you are married divorce speed”, “On my curve check your nerve”, “This is a Highway not a runway”, “Safety on roads is safe tea at home”. It is interesting to think that there must be someone employed to come up with new signs.

Our final stop was at Pang (4500m), another tented camp at the side of the river bed, where we had lunch and some hot tea. Then on through a spectacular canyon with chimney like rock formations like those in Cappadocia. Then on, and on, through the driest part of the journey, across the Moray Plains towards the distant snowcapped mountains.

A final climb to Tanglang La at 5360m, the second highest pass in the world. No matter how ill or “unreal” people were feeling, everyone got out and took photos.

In the distance were the peaks of the Karakoram range. Then downhill into “Little Tibet” and mountains with red and green rocks. All the cyclists were freewheeling down this stretch - exhilarated that they had completed the climb over the mountains. Gya, the first settlement since Keylong, with its small stupas and with sheep and goats along the river bank - brought us back to the civilised world. Then - the final checkpoint at Upshi before the final 50 Km along the Indus valley and into Leh. The end of the journey.

Mixed feelings - relief that we had made it, excitement at reaching Leh and sadness at leaving the peaks behind. Worth it? Definitely.

First published in VISA issue 69 (October 2006)