Day 1: Manali — The Calm Before the Storm
We serviced the bikes, packed panniers, argued about who gets which Enfield, and ate our weight in momos. Sleep came early — tomorrow, Rohtang.
Day 2: Manali → Jispa (via Rohtang Pass)
Rohtang Pass was chaos for the first 20 km — tourists, taxis, snow. Past the checkpoint it became something else entirely. Green valleys, waterfalls, silence. We camped at Jispa at 3,100 m. First night at altitude. Rahul got a headache.
Day 3: Jispa → Sarchu
Crossing Baralacha La (4,890 m) was the hardest thing I have done on a bike. The road disappears into loose rocks and river crossings. One wrong move and you are in the glacier. We all made it. Nobody spoke for 10 minutes after.
Day 4: Sarchu → Leh (via Tanglang La)
Tanglang La (5,328 m) — world's second-highest motorable pass. The air is so thin you feel drunk. We stopped at the top, took photos, and descended into Leh feeling like warriors.
Day 5–7: Leh Base Days
Rest. Acclimatise. Momos. Thiksey Monastery. The Hall of Fame museum which had us in tears. Magnetic Hill (it's an optical illusion, but still cool).
Day 8: Leh → Nubra Valley (Khardung La)
Khardung La — 5,602 m. Officially the highest motorable road in the world. The bikes struggled. We struggled. Worth every metre. Hunder's sand dunes and Bactrian camels felt surreal after all the rock and ice.
Day 9–10: Pangong Lake
No words. Just Pangong. Vivid blue water against stark brown mountains. We camped right on the shore. Woke up to the lake mirror-still and pink from dawn. Even the most stoic among us went quiet.
Total Cost Per Person
Fuel: ₹4,200 | Accommodation: ₹6,500 | Food: ₹3,800 | Permits: ₹800 | Bike service: ₹1,200 | Total: ~₹16,500