Leh - Ladakh - Srinagar on Motorbike 2012

Hi All

I am preparing for this trip to Leh region on Motorbike in summer of 2012 (mostly between June - July 2012. I will be starting from Delhi region and the route would be

Delhi - Chandigarh - Manali - Leh - Kargil - Srinagar - Jammu - Delhi

Please let me know if you are interested or would be around during that time. I will post updates as I make progress about details.

Thanks
Amrit

Hello Amrit,

What are the tentative dates of your travel? Also let me know how many days you are planning for this trip?

Hi Paramjeet

Not yet sure about the dates, mostly late may or early June. I have posted an rough plan here: http://globetrooper.com/delhi-leh-la...ke-summer-2012

Took a look at your plan, I did the ride myself last year on my thunderbird, beginning of July. A couple of remarks:

a) End May, beginning of June will be very early, perhaps too early. There could be lots of snow on the passes and for sure it'll be bone cold. Timing of nulla crossings will be critical, there's one about 30 km from Keylong that will be impossible to cross in the afternoon due to snow melt. If you stall there and are not lucky it could mean an hours long wait for your bike to dry out or the end of your trip.

b) Altitude: Day 1 would take you from Delhi to Chandigarh, then you do Chandigarh-->Manali and Manali-->Keylong on day 3. That's a pretty steep ascent, keep in mind you need to cross Rohtang (about 4200m ) and that can be one bitch of a pass to get over. What I did was Delhi-->Manali on day one (doable if you start very early), one day acclimatization in Manali (trip to Marhi and descent back), then on to Keylong. This was in addition to taking Diamox. For the same reason a stay in Pang might not be wise as that place is HIGH (about 4600 m I believe). Once again, with the Diamox I was fine, contrary to some people I met who could barely move at Pang.

c) The one thing I learned is that the route is unpredictable and the hard points are likely to shift year by year. For me the toughest stretch was the beginning (crossing Rohtang-la, pushing my bike through mud that was more than a foot deep) and the end (getting over Zoji-la in freezing rain with the road blocked by trucks after a landslide). The road from Pang over the Moore plains was being redone and in many places we just had to ride (slipping and sliding) through deep, very fine dust.

d) Take plenty of spares and make sure the bike's perfect. There will be many times that you find yourself thinking 'holy crap, hope I don't break down here'.

Kargil is unavoidable but I found it a dump with really lousy, overpriced hotels. Can't be avoided though, everybody stops there. If I had to do it again I think I'd rather pitch a tent 10 km before riding into Kargil.

Good luck and have fun!

Thank you dillichaat for your tips, they are really useful.

a) Friends have been telling me that. I will keep it in mind.
b) That's a good idea esp to acclimatize.
c) Lets hope for the best
d) haha I am looking forward to OMG moments

What is the temperature around June in the area? and any recommendation on gear like tent,clothing etc

Thanks
Amrit

I'm interested. Please share your plan trip?

I am interested. Please do share your plan. I am based at Noida and I plan to ride a pulsar.

The weather can be very varied because you're covering a large area that has a lot of geographical variation. On the passes, cold in the day, freezing at night. Kashmir Valley will be warm (20-30?) around then, expect rain. Once you're out of the valley, expect very dry conditions (but rain/snow/hail can appear from nowhere, especially higher up).

I did it in a few years ago (around August/September) on a motorbike that nearly fell apart. She was plagued by overheating and transmission problems, among others. I also did it in cut-off jeans, a pair of running shoes and a knock-off North Face waterproof jacket I bought in Nepal, that wasn't waterproof.

I got lucky but I'd certainly recommend some decent waterproof/storm gear. Even in August, as soon as the sun goes down it gets quite cold - certainly wouldn't want to be stuck on a mountain pass at nightfall! Take into account the fact you'll be exposed to the elements all the time. The sun is brutal up in Ladakh, make sure you're covered.

PS Kargil wasn't too bad in my opinion - good place to get supplies and of course fuel. Make sure you sample the local breakfast which is super tasty bread with eggs and a hot chai. It's also the gateway to Zanskar but that's a different adventure to itself and it's a one-way route.

i also have a pulsar 180 and was planning the trip at around the same time. any news? i still have to do some maintenance on the bike and get a few things but im almost ready.