Apr 10, 2008
Anatomy of a Head Lamp
This blog post has been shifted to another location at http://sk-technical.blogspot.com/2008/04/anatomy-of-headlamp.html
Apr 7, 2008
Proposed trip plan for June 08 : Part 2 : Bike trip to Manali-Leh-Srinagar
Information & tips on Manali-Leh-Srinagar route compiled from various sources including the following internet sites:
Leh Official site : http://leh.nic.in/
Road condition description : http://www.bikenomads.com/wiki/index.php/Leh#Road_status_2
Other links:
http://www.bikenomads.com/wiki/index.php/Leh
http://www.indiamike.com/india/ladakh-and-zanskar-f31/all-about-ladakh-t4912/6/
http://jayansr.blogspot.com/2007/05/riding-to-leh-this-summer.html
http://www3.utsidan.se/corax-e/routes/zmanleh.htm
http://www.outtheresomewhere.net/?page_id=90
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g297625-s5/Leh:India:Dining.Scene.html
http://www.bcmtouring.com/travel-guides/ladakh-travel-guide/manali-leh-travel-guide.html
Route : Manali - Rothang Pass - Keylong – Jispa - Darcha - Sarchu - Pang - Rumtse - Upshi - Karu – Leh : 475km
Day 18 Manali -> Kylong (115Km / 6Hrs) : Leave morning. Mirhi is a good place to have a breakfast of Aaloo parathas. The landscape changes once you cross Rohtang Pass. The road then drops to Gramphu and then splits, one going to Leh, the other going to Spiti Valley. Khosar has a few dhabas. Opposite Sissu look for a spectacular hanging waterfall. At Gondla see the ruins of a 7-storey 'thakur' fort dating back to 1700's. At Tandi, the road forks with one along Chenab river going towards Udaipur & Trilokinath temple 35km away. Kylong town is the capital of Lahul and Spiti. Visit Khardong Gompa.
Day 19 Kylong to Serchu (109Km) : Leave Keylong in the morning. Darch is a permanent settlement and is the start point for the trek to Padum in Zanskar. Dhabas offer basic food. Deepaktal is a nice place to camp & explore around. From Patseo it is a long winding climb up to Baralacha La and then a short descent down to Bharatpur City. Scenery changes dramatically as one crosses the Great Himalayan Range into the arid regions of Ladakh. Campsite at Serchu, situated on the banks of River Bhaga. It is cold & miserable at Sarchu.
Note : Tent camps at Sarchu are expensive, Bharatpur 30km from Sarchu for cheaper tents. Try 'Kathmandu Cafe'
Day 20 Serchu to Leh (251Km/9hrs) : Leave early morning, through Nakee La & Lachlang La through 20Km of Gator Loops (road coiling up the mountain). From the pass swoop down to Pang for lunch, then passing through Moore plains (biggest and highest Plateau on Earth stretching 40 Kms), Taglang La (2nd highest motorable road & 2nd highest temple in the world), reaching Upshi along a spectacular ravine. From here the dusty but well paved road follows the Indus river, passing villages. Reach Leh by evening.
Day 21 Leh : After breakfast, visit nine-storey Leh Palace and Shanti Stupa. Lunch & rest.
Leh Notes : carry a torch, warm clothes & sleeping bag.
“German Bakeries : best place to get some nice bread that´ll stay fresh at least two days, for the trek or bus.”
“Gezmo-german bakery on Fort rd is a good place to eat and to carry a packed lunch from them is a good idea. On your way to Pangong or Khadungla there are no places to eat, if your lucky you might find the tea stall open at the army camp where they serve some hot Maggie!”
“German Bakery - ironically run by a Sardar! Located in Leh Bazar. Baked products, - croissants, breads are quite good. When you're going on full day or overnight trips to other places, drop in to the bakery in the morning and pack up stuff for lunch. The yak cheese and bread roll are a great combination to munch at one of the numerous check points you encounter.”
“Web wallahs : lots of other internet places in Leh. These two places also had Photoshop,on their computers, and made CD´s from the camera.
Tashi´s Diner : great budget place, one of the few that stay open in the winter. Web wallah upstairs.
Dzomsa : Laundry services, safe pressure boiled water (BYO bottle), apricot juice (Mmmm... chuli chu), dried fruits for the trail and more.”
Day 22-23 Leh <-> Pangong Lake (150km/5-6 hrs one way) : Early morning B/F and leave for Pangong Tso through Changla Pass. This is third highest motorable road in the world. Pangong Lake is the highest salt water Lake in the world, 130Km long, and is shared by India & China. Enjoy the beauty of lake, blue & green in color with dun mountains in the backdrop capped with snow. Permit is only upto Spangmik 7km along south-western shore, do care to visit it for the view. No facilities here. Better to return back the same day or try accommodation at Tangtse. Back to Leh by same route.
Note : No petrol pumps on the way so get your tank filled up to cover 300+km
Day 24 Leh -> Khardung-la -> Khalsar -> Deskit -> Hunder : A trip to Nubra Valley which starts from Khalsar. Nubra means green, and it is also known as the valley of flowers. A permit is required, 20/- per day of stay per person, and it allows visit only up to Hudur & Panamik.
After breakfast drive to Nubra Valley via Khardung La (Highest Motorable road in the world, 18,380 ft) reach Hundur by afternoon, rest of the day free for exploring Deskit & Hundur Villages or one can leave for two hump camel safari in sand dunes at Hundur Village. Night stay at Hundur.
Note : One way traffic across Khardung La
morning traffic : Khardung La -> Nubra
afternoon traffic : Nubra -> Khardung La
Distances in Nubra Valley:
Diskit -> Hudur : 7Km (west side)
Diskit -> Sumur -> 38Km/1.5hrs (east side)
Sumur -> Chamshen : 6Km/30 minutes
Chamsen -> Panamik : 14Km/30 minutes . Hot springs at Panamik are believed to cure rheumatism and other ailments.
“one day, we made an hour long trip on the backs of bactrian camels (god, did they stink!) which took us from hundur to diskit and back after a visit to the impossibly-situated monastery (diskit gompa) perched on the top of a hill. the climb was well worth the effort - the views across the valley to where the shyok and siachen rivers meet were stunning. the journey past the glacier-fed indus on one side and the high Himalayas on the other was a memorable one.”
Day 25 Nubra Valley -> Leh : After breakfast proceed for Deskit Monastery and Drive back to Leh by same Route by crossing Khardungla Pass.
Day 26 Leh -> Alchi : Morning after breakfast leave for Alchi after Lunch Leave for Alchi Village. Visit to Alchi Gompa. And evening full at leisure in exploring the village of Alchi. “Magnetic hill (7km from nimmu towards leh, look out for mandir on left, works only for iron bikes!”
Day 27 Alchi ->Lamayuru->Kargil : After Breakfast leave for Lamayuru (Oldest Monastery on Central Ladakh Region) enroute where you can view a spectacular view Mountain Ranges and Moon landscape & Giant Maitreya Buddha on a way To Kargil at Mulbekh. Reach Kargil by evening.
Day 28 Kargil -> Srinagar (202Km) : Leave early in Morning for Srinagar by crossing Drass (2nd Coldest Inhabitant Place on earth), Zojila Pass, Where you have a Spectacular View of Kargil War Famous Peaks (Tiger, Tololing and Other Peaks), Sonamarg (Know as The Meadow of Gold), reach Srinagar by afternoon.
Notes :
1. Zoji La : Restrictions on traffic movement. Closed between 4pm to 4am, and fully closed once a week for maintenance. One way system for buses, Leh to Srinagar buses must cross the army post on top by 5am, so need to start by 1am from Kargil. If unlucky, you will be riding in the opposite direction to the trucks! Bad road for 20km on either side.
2. Leh -> Srinagar : 434km (NH1) : A total of 48 km is unaccounted for in the above distance chart between Leh to Srinagar.
3. Petrol pumps only at Khalsi & Kargil. No Petrol in Zanskar & Nubra valley.
Day 29 Srinagar :
Day 30 Srinagar -> Pathakot (311Km)
Day 31 Pathankot -> Ambala (281Km)
Leh Official site : http://leh.nic.in/
Road condition description : http://www.bikenomads.com/wiki/index.php/Leh#Road_status_2
Other links:
http://www.bikenomads.com/wiki/index.php/Leh
http://www.indiamike.com/india/ladakh-and-zanskar-f31/all-about-ladakh-t4912/6/
http://jayansr.blogspot.com/2007/05/riding-to-leh-this-summer.html
http://www3.utsidan.se/corax-e/routes/zmanleh.htm
http://www.outtheresomewhere.net/?page_id=90
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g297625-s5/Leh:India:Dining.Scene.html
http://www.bcmtouring.com/travel-guides/ladakh-travel-guide/manali-leh-travel-guide.html
| Day | From | To | Height | Distance | Time |
| 17 | Extra day... | ||||
| 18 | Manali | Mirhi (breakfast here...) | |||
| Mirhi | Rohtang pass | 3987m | 51 Km | ||
| Rohtang pass | Gramphu | 14 Km | |||
| Gramphu | Khosar | 5 Km | |||
| Khosar | Sissu | 16 Km | |||
| Sissu | Tandi (last fuel point) | 18 Km | |||
| Tandi | Kylong | 3350m | 11 Km |
| Total : | 115 Km |
| 19 | Kylong | Jispa | 25 Km | ||
| Jispa | Darcha | 7 Km | |||
| Darcha | Deepak Tal (lake) | 11 Km | |||
| Deepak Tal | Patseo | 3 Km | |||
| Patseo | Baralacha La | 4880m | 27 Km | ||
| Baralacha La | Serchu | 4253m | 36 Km |
| Total : | 109 Km |
| 20 | Serchu | Nakee La | 4903m | 43 Km | |
| Nakee La | Lachlang la | 5065m | 11 Km | ||
| Lachlang la | Pang | 4500m | 25 Km | ||
| Pang | Moore Start | 4752m | 7 Km | ||
| Moore plains | Moore plains end | 4660m | 40 Km | ||
| Moore plains | Taglang La | 5360m | 17 Km | ||
| Taglang La | Rumtse | 30 Km | |||
| Rumtse | Miru | 15 Km | |||
| Miru | Upshi | 3432m | 15 Km | ||
| Upshi | Karu | 14 Km | |||
| Karu | Thiksey | 18 Km | |||
| Thiksey | Choglamsar | 10 Km | |||
| Choglamsar | Leh | 3505m | 6 Km |
| Total : | 251 Km |
| 21 | Leh | ...sight seeing... | |||
| 22 | Leh | Chang La | 5288m | ||
| Chang La | Pangong Lake | 4419m | 150 Km | 9hrs | |
| Pangong Lake | Spangmik | ||||
| 23 | Pangong Lake | Leh | 150 Km |
| 24 | Leh | Khardung La | 5602m | 37 Km | |
| Khardung La | Khalsar | 3018m | |||
| Khalsar | Diskit | 3144m | |||
| Diskit | Hunder | 7 Km | |||
| 25 | Hunder | Leh | 3245m | 5-6hr | |
| 26 | Leh | ...extra day... |
| 27 | Leh | Nimu | 35 km | ||
| Nimu | Alchi | 10 Km | |||
| 28 | Alchi | Saspol | 10 Km | ||
| Saspol | Khalsi -> Lamayuru | 44 Km | |||
| Lamayuru | Mulbekh | 53 Km | |||
| Mulbekh | Kargil | 32 km |
| Total : | 184 Km |
| 29 | Kargil | Drass | 62 Km | ||
| Drass | Zoji La ( timings...) | - | |||
| Zojilla Pass | Sonamarg | 56 Km | |||
| Sonamarg | Srinagar | 84 Km |
| Total : | 202 Km |
| 30 | Srinagar | ...sight seeing... | |||
| 31 | Srinagar | Udhampur | 172 Km | NH1a | |
| Udhampur | Pathankot (Punjab) | 139 Km |
Route : Manali - Rothang Pass - Keylong – Jispa - Darcha - Sarchu - Pang - Rumtse - Upshi - Karu – Leh : 475km
Day 18 Manali -> Kylong (115Km / 6Hrs) : Leave morning. Mirhi is a good place to have a breakfast of Aaloo parathas. The landscape changes once you cross Rohtang Pass. The road then drops to Gramphu and then splits, one going to Leh, the other going to Spiti Valley. Khosar has a few dhabas. Opposite Sissu look for a spectacular hanging waterfall. At Gondla see the ruins of a 7-storey 'thakur' fort dating back to 1700's. At Tandi, the road forks with one along Chenab river going towards Udaipur & Trilokinath temple 35km away. Kylong town is the capital of Lahul and Spiti. Visit Khardong Gompa.
Day 19 Kylong to Serchu (109Km) : Leave Keylong in the morning. Darch is a permanent settlement and is the start point for the trek to Padum in Zanskar. Dhabas offer basic food. Deepaktal is a nice place to camp & explore around. From Patseo it is a long winding climb up to Baralacha La and then a short descent down to Bharatpur City. Scenery changes dramatically as one crosses the Great Himalayan Range into the arid regions of Ladakh. Campsite at Serchu, situated on the banks of River Bhaga. It is cold & miserable at Sarchu.
Note : Tent camps at Sarchu are expensive, Bharatpur 30km from Sarchu for cheaper tents. Try 'Kathmandu Cafe'
Day 20 Serchu to Leh (251Km/9hrs) : Leave early morning, through Nakee La & Lachlang La through 20Km of Gator Loops (road coiling up the mountain). From the pass swoop down to Pang for lunch, then passing through Moore plains (biggest and highest Plateau on Earth stretching 40 Kms), Taglang La (2nd highest motorable road & 2nd highest temple in the world), reaching Upshi along a spectacular ravine. From here the dusty but well paved road follows the Indus river, passing villages. Reach Leh by evening.
Day 21 Leh : After breakfast, visit nine-storey Leh Palace and Shanti Stupa. Lunch & rest.
Leh Notes : carry a torch, warm clothes & sleeping bag.
“German Bakeries : best place to get some nice bread that´ll stay fresh at least two days, for the trek or bus.”
“Gezmo-german bakery on Fort rd is a good place to eat and to carry a packed lunch from them is a good idea. On your way to Pangong or Khadungla there are no places to eat, if your lucky you might find the tea stall open at the army camp where they serve some hot Maggie!”
“German Bakery - ironically run by a Sardar! Located in Leh Bazar. Baked products, - croissants, breads are quite good. When you're going on full day or overnight trips to other places, drop in to the bakery in the morning and pack up stuff for lunch. The yak cheese and bread roll are a great combination to munch at one of the numerous check points you encounter.”
“Web wallahs : lots of other internet places in Leh. These two places also had Photoshop,on their computers, and made CD´s from the camera.
Tashi´s Diner : great budget place, one of the few that stay open in the winter. Web wallah upstairs.
Dzomsa : Laundry services, safe pressure boiled water (BYO bottle), apricot juice (Mmmm... chuli chu), dried fruits for the trail and more.”
Day 22-23 Leh <-> Pangong Lake (150km/5-6 hrs one way) : Early morning B/F and leave for Pangong Tso through Changla Pass. This is third highest motorable road in the world. Pangong Lake is the highest salt water Lake in the world, 130Km long, and is shared by India & China. Enjoy the beauty of lake, blue & green in color with dun mountains in the backdrop capped with snow. Permit is only upto Spangmik 7km along south-western shore, do care to visit it for the view. No facilities here. Better to return back the same day or try accommodation at Tangtse. Back to Leh by same route.
Note : No petrol pumps on the way so get your tank filled up to cover 300+km
Day 24 Leh -> Khardung-la -> Khalsar -> Deskit -> Hunder : A trip to Nubra Valley which starts from Khalsar. Nubra means green, and it is also known as the valley of flowers. A permit is required, 20/- per day of stay per person, and it allows visit only up to Hudur & Panamik.
After breakfast drive to Nubra Valley via Khardung La (Highest Motorable road in the world, 18,380 ft) reach Hundur by afternoon, rest of the day free for exploring Deskit & Hundur Villages or one can leave for two hump camel safari in sand dunes at Hundur Village. Night stay at Hundur.
Note : One way traffic across Khardung La
morning traffic : Khardung La -> Nubra
afternoon traffic : Nubra -> Khardung La
Distances in Nubra Valley:
Diskit -> Hudur : 7Km (west side)
Diskit -> Sumur -> 38Km/1.5hrs (east side)
Sumur -> Chamshen : 6Km/30 minutes
Chamsen -> Panamik : 14Km/30 minutes . Hot springs at Panamik are believed to cure rheumatism and other ailments.
“one day, we made an hour long trip on the backs of bactrian camels (god, did they stink!) which took us from hundur to diskit and back after a visit to the impossibly-situated monastery (diskit gompa) perched on the top of a hill. the climb was well worth the effort - the views across the valley to where the shyok and siachen rivers meet were stunning. the journey past the glacier-fed indus on one side and the high Himalayas on the other was a memorable one.”
Day 25 Nubra Valley -> Leh : After breakfast proceed for Deskit Monastery and Drive back to Leh by same Route by crossing Khardungla Pass.
Day 26 Leh -> Alchi : Morning after breakfast leave for Alchi after Lunch Leave for Alchi Village. Visit to Alchi Gompa. And evening full at leisure in exploring the village of Alchi. “Magnetic hill (7km from nimmu towards leh, look out for mandir on left, works only for iron bikes!”
Day 27 Alchi ->Lamayuru->Kargil : After Breakfast leave for Lamayuru (Oldest Monastery on Central Ladakh Region) enroute where you can view a spectacular view Mountain Ranges and Moon landscape & Giant Maitreya Buddha on a way To Kargil at Mulbekh. Reach Kargil by evening.
Day 28 Kargil -> Srinagar (202Km) : Leave early in Morning for Srinagar by crossing Drass (2nd Coldest Inhabitant Place on earth), Zojila Pass, Where you have a Spectacular View of Kargil War Famous Peaks (Tiger, Tololing and Other Peaks), Sonamarg (Know as The Meadow of Gold), reach Srinagar by afternoon.
Notes :
1. Zoji La : Restrictions on traffic movement. Closed between 4pm to 4am, and fully closed once a week for maintenance. One way system for buses, Leh to Srinagar buses must cross the army post on top by 5am, so need to start by 1am from Kargil. If unlucky, you will be riding in the opposite direction to the trucks! Bad road for 20km on either side.
2. Leh -> Srinagar : 434km (NH1) : A total of 48 km is unaccounted for in the above distance chart between Leh to Srinagar.
3. Petrol pumps only at Khalsi & Kargil. No Petrol in Zanskar & Nubra valley.
Day 29 Srinagar :
Day 30 Srinagar -> Pathakot (311Km)
Day 31 Pathankot -> Ambala (281Km)
Poposed trip plan for June'08 : Part 1 : Sarpass
First leg of the bike trip. Ride to Kasol and trek to Sarpass before beginning the journey to Leh.
| Day | From | To | Height | Distance | Time |
| 0 | CCU | Lucknow | Train | |||
| 1 | Lucknow | Muradabad | 350 Km | NH24 | ||
| 2 | Muradabad | Chandigarh | 350 Km | |||
| 3 | Chandigarh | Kulu | 1220m | 200 Km | NH21 | |
| 4 | Extra day... | Join YHAI Surpass trek | ||||
| 5 | Kulu | Kasol | 42 Km | |||
| 6 | Kasol | Guna Pani | 2438m | 5 Km | 5 Hrs | |
| 7 | Guna Pani | Fuaal Pani | 2896m | 6 Km | 6 Hrs | |
| 8 | Fuaal Pani | Zrimi Thach | 3353m | 7 Km | 7 Hrs | |
| 9 | Zrimi Thach | Tila Lotni | 3810m | 6 Km | 6 Hrs | |
| 10 | Tila Lotni | Sarpas-> Biskeri Thach | 4206m 3353m | 9 Km | 7 Hrs | |
| 11 | Biskeri Thach | Bhadak Thatch | 2438m | 10 Km | 6 Hrs | |
| 12 | Bhadak Thatch | Kasol | Road head-> Manikaran :1737m->Kasol | |||
| 13 | Kasol | kulu | 1220m | 42 Km | YHAI camp break. | |
| 14 | Extra day... | Bijli Mahadev Temple | ||||
| 15 | Extra day... | |||||
| 16 | Kulu | Manali | 2050m | 32 km | Sight seeing |
Kasol : An open glade by the banks of the river Paravti. Clean white sand separates the lush green grass from the waters. A good spot for trout. Himachal Tourism has a Tourist Hut here.
Manali :
Hadimba Temple : Hadimba or Dhungiri temple in Manali is one of the most important temples in the region. This four-story wooden temple is located in the middle of a forest called the Dhungiri Van Vihar. Winding paths through forests and glades of whispering Deodars form the setting for the majestic wooden temple of Hidimba Devi in Manali. The motorable road is shaded by Chestnuts, Chinars and tall deciduous Deodars. This forested backdrop enthrall one’s spirit and refresh one’s mind all along the uphill path.
Vashist Springs (1,982m) : At about half an hour’s brisk walking distance from town, there are sulfur springs-gush, hot and medicinal - emerging out of the mountains at Vashisht. Here, in a bath complex with a restaurant and a beautiful view, couples can soak in the privacy of their own sunken bath, warming all kinds of ailments out of their systems.
Jagatsukh (6-kms) : It is one of the biggest villages in Kullu district. About 6-km from Manali, Jagatsukh is famous for its Shiva temple that is built in "shikhara" style and nearby is the old and interesting Devi Sharvati temple.
Arjun Gufa (5-kms) : On the left bank of the Beas, 5-km from Manali near the village of Prini, is the 'Arjun Gufa' or the cave of Arjuna. In here Arjuna practiced austerities to get Pashupata Ashtra or weapon from Lord Indra.
Beas Kund : Further ahead is the Beas Kund. The tiny roundish igloo like stone hut shelters the Beas Kund, the very source of the holy river Beas. Water flows at the source of the river like a spring, so clear and icy cold that it almost numbs the fingers. All around is the rocky terrain with very little vegetation. A few mules graze around while all and sundry try to brave the wind on a clear sunny day.
Rohtang Pass : There is a beautiful Dasohar Lake left of the Pass. The Pass, which provides the only access to the Lahaul Valley, is open from June to November each year. Snowfall is, however, unpredictable and blizzards can close the Pass even during this period. Here one sees the majesty of the mountains at its height and splendor A few km away from the pass is the Sonapani glacier and, slightly to the left are the twin peaks of Gaypan-jagged pyramid of rock, snow streaked and snow crowned.
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