The Trans-Himalayan

We tackle the mighty Sach Pass (4,420 m), which is not your ordinary Great Himalayan pass: it may not be the highest, but it certainly is the most difficult! Unlike the route from Manali, which was well-tarmacked and busy with traffic, this road is stony and reminiscent of the roads of yesteryear. The ride down to our destination for the night is just as impressive as the road up.

Waking up in the Pangi valley is a treat! This rocky stretch along the Chenab river will lead us to Lahaul, a gateway to Ladakh, where Buddhism and Hinduism intermingle perfectly. We will progress slowly at the beginning because eternity has passed since the tarmac was laid! We end this leg with a much easier road, which is tarmacked.

We enter Ladakh: a geological and mystical feast of a place, where the landscapes become more and more desert-like. The road goes up to the dizzying heights of the Lachulung La pass (5,060 m), our first pass above 5,000 m altitude, and then pushes down into Pang’s superb gorges. Finally, we can pick up some speed on the high More plains and we arrive at Tso Kar salt lake, at 4,600 m altitude.

We leave the incredible Kar basin and head back up to Tanglang La (5,315 m), the second highest motorable pass in the world. We lose altitude on a road that is nothing more than a double track made up of twists and turns: something that would make any racetrack driver drool! We pass back under the 4,000 m mark and arrive in the vast Indus river valley, one of the seven most sacred rivers in India.

Today we climb north up to Khardung La, highest motorable road in the world: 5,370 m! We’ll discover a magical panorama going from the Zanskar chain on the southern side to the great Karakoram chain on the northern side. We go back down for lunch, rest, shopping, walk and spend a second night in a comfortable hotel in Leh.

We ride back up the Indus valley towards the Tibetan border. We stop at the iconic Thiksey Monastery. After Upshi, we continue along the river through stunning gorges. We reach the beautiful turquoise Tso Moriri lake through a small road and gravel tracks at a 4600m altitude. Camp along the lake.

We ride many tracks early in the morning, before getting near Tso Kar, where we slept some days before. From there, we take the same road in the opposite direction, but the landscapes are so awe-inspiring under a different light, you will ask your tour leader if you have already been there! Then, we push on through the More plains, Pang gorges, over more passes above 5,000 m altitude.

After stopping at the only petrol station between Leh and Manali, it’s time for a new road heading through Lahaul to the legendary Rohtang Pass (3,980 m). We leave the Ladakh desert and ride through some lush landscapes, forests and humidity after the pass, as we ride down on several bends to the Kullu valley, a great road for your last stint in the saddle.

Today, you can spend the day in Manali (a buffer day just in case). You can stroll around the town, do some shopping, etc. In the late afternoon, you will take an air-conditioned overnight bus to Delhi.

You arrive in Delhi in the morning. You are transferred to the hotel and can spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

You are transferred to Delhi international airport for your flight where our services end.