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Ladakh 2009

I have finally made up my mind to revisit Ladakh this year, after last year’s sabbatical. When I do go to Ladakh, it would be my forth visit to that wonderful and enchanting place that I normally refer to as, Heaven on Earth.

Though I haven’t yet come up with a travel plan for the Ladakh 2009 trip, and haven’t even zeroed in on the month that I would be traveling in.

I guess

Maybe this is the way it should be this year, no plans whatsoever. Stopping where day turns into night and then getting up the next morning and riding to whichever place first comes to mind. After all, I have visited almost all the touristy places in Ladakh, which are accessible by road and know them like the back of my hand.

Come to think of it, this should also provide me with ample time to indulge in photography, and with no worries about keeping up with a plan, I’ll be able to focus my energy on seeing and exploring the beauty of Ladakh and trying to capture it through my lens.

Just me and my sweetheart and moonscape of Ladakh…

ladakh

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This entry was posted on Sunday, January 25th, 2009 at 8:36 am and is filed under Leh-Ladakh, my thoughts, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

57 Responses to “Ladakh 2009”

  1. YS, since photography is more conerns for you this time, do spend more time on manali-leh road and do small excursions (of few mins and hrs. only) from road for better views like nitin & co did.

    cos I dont think there is anything on wari-la or marsimek la except just to say `i was there’ kind of adventure uphoria (not even better views).

  2. Bharat will try to do that, in fact will be riding super slow this time around and spending as much time as needed at various places including Manali – Leh, which is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

  3. Arnab Mukherjee on March 10th, 2009 at 10:59 am

    Hi Yogesh,

    Grt blog you have here…very helpful. i need a little help from you…

    A couple of friends and me were planning a Ladakh trip this year (our first). We plan to travel by the Manali road. I have two questions on which it would be great if you could throw some light.

    1. Which is a cheaper return? By air from Leh to Delhi or by the Srinagar road and then to jammu and from there by train to Delhi? Is the Kargil-Srinagar road safe from militants?

    2. Could you guide us with regards to budget accomodation? we would travel as family. Our trip is costing around 20,000/- per head delhi-delhi for two weeks for 5 people. is that high? could you suggest ways to lower it?

    Thanks a lot!

    Arnab

  4. Hello Arnab,

    1. Depends on the mode of transport you will be using i.e. if you will be using a shared jeep or bus for Leh – Srinagar and then taking either a direct bus from Srinagar to Delhi (which as per my knowledge is available) or by taking a bus to Jammu and a train from there, then it would certainly be cheaper. Now if there are 5 of you and you hire a taxi for Leh – Srinagar and then take a bus from there to Delhi, then it would turn out to be almost if not more costly than flight from Leh to Delhi.

    Of course do keep in mind that if you are going to be spending two extra days on the route, then that will also cost extra in terms of accommodation and food. However if you intend to use those days in Ladakh if you take the flight, then this cost difference would cease to exist.

    2. As far as accommodation goes, you can easily get a decent and clean room with attached toilets in majority of the places for around Rs. 250-350 a night on 2 or 3 people sharing basis. As far as trip costing goes, that would depend on the kind of places you spend the night at and what you eat and drink, along with transportation costs. So it is a bit hard to guess at this point. Let me know how you have arrived at this budget and what kind of accommodation you will be looking at and I’ll try and see if it can be done in slightly less amount.

  5. Hi Yogesh,

    Thanks a lot for your response!

    If you send me your email id, i can send you a costing that I had done – excel sheet.

    We may be looking for a car or a mini bus that we can hire from Manali to Leh…and then other vehicles probably in Leh – as per availability. We are actually now ten people.

    Given that I would be traveling in July, Is it necessary for pre-booking or would on the spot booking suffice?

    Regards,
    Arnab

  6. Arnab in that case you can probably hire a Tempo Traveler. Pre booking is a matter of convenience, so it is entirely up to you. You can email me at yogeshsarkar@gmail.com

  7. Hi Yogesh,

    I am very excited to know that you have planned for Ladakh 2009.

    I have also planned, but I was alone and was looking for a company, Can I come along with you?

    I have Machismo 500, and willing to travel in the month of August.

    Kindly revert back.
    Naveen
    09223521181

  8. Hi there,

    I have plans too to go to Leh-ladakh in August. Actually I have fixed my calendar too…

    I am planning to cover leh-ladakh from August 8to August 16… will be great if I can join you people with my Machismo 350…

    Thx
    Alok

  9. Hi Yogesh,

    I am planning to go to Leh in end of May or begining of June on my Machismo 350 along with a friend on bullet standard 350. Looking for more guys to join us.

    I am kind of guy who loves biking, computers, photography and having blast with my friends.

    let me knw if you are willing to join us.

    Sanyam,
    9811071044

  10. Hello Naveen, in case I am heading to Ladakh in August, I’ll surely let you know.

    Hello Alok, as of yet month isn’t finalized yet, once it is, I’ll let you know.

    Hello Sanyam, I am pretty sure that it won’t be in the month of May/June. If you are looking for company for this ride then check out travel partners section of BCMTouring, plenty of BCMTians are heading to Ladakh this year, http://www.bcmtouring.com/forum/india-travel-partners-f59/

  11. Amol Umbarkar on April 15th, 2009 at 9:32 pm

    Hi Yogesh,
    I am planning to travel along with a friend of mine during August.

    We are planning to take along Avenger 200. I am not sure if the bike is going to reach the top or i might need to drag it there ;)

    anyways, we are looking for more people to join us or we would like to join a group.

    let me know your plans and if we can join with you on the trip….

    Thanks,
    Amol
    9916133092

  12. Amol, don’t worry. The Avenger would easily be able to reach Ladakh, we had one in our group during the 2007 ride and although it struggled at rough section, it managed to go everywhere rest of the motorcycles could go. You can check out his travelogue over here, http://suyashps.blogspot.com/2007/09/joueney-to-heaven.html

    As for my plan, well I am not thinking about it at the moment, if I have to finances in place in September and there is no commitment that I need to adhere to, I’ll be in Ladkah.

  13. Hi Yogesh,

    Thanks for all of the info on Ladakh you’ve posted. I’m planning to go to Leh this summer and would love to rent a motorcycle there and tour around a bit. It looks like you were there in September a couple of years ago, and I would have thought that the roads would have been a muddy mess then. How are the road conditions during the rainy summer? I’m planning to go in July or possibly August.

    Thanks!
    David

  14. Hello David, in July/August, the road conditions will be bad in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and you have to cross all these states to reach Ladakh. Technically, once you go beyond Baralacha La, you will be in rain shadow area and it shouldn’t rain for the most part, till you reach outskirts of Leh.

    So make sure you pack your rain coat and are ready for delays, which can occur due to landslides near Swarghat, Bilaspur, Manali and Rohtang Jot. And also muddy stretches on both sides of Rohtang (there is road widening activity taking place). Apart from that, Manali – Leh highway would be the same as ever, no amount of repair work and bad weather makes much difference to it :) .

  15. Thanks Yogesh! That is great information. I plan to rent a motorbike in Leh, because this is just a short trip (and my first trip to India in many years). There’s a possibility that I could go a few weeks earlier as well. Do you think that it would make any difference? My concern is mainly the risk of getting stuck on roads so muddy that they are nearly impassible. Do you have recommendations on places to go or avoid in that season? I really appreciate the advice.

    David

  16. If you are planning to rent a motorcycle in Leh and planning to cover Delhi – Manali – Leh in taxi/bus then there is no issue at all, provided the passes/roads are open at that time (they can get closed for a day or two due to landslides).

    In Ladakh the weather is quite unpredictable and moody, in 2006 there was heavy rain and floods in August, while last year there was heavy rain in September. So don’t worry about timing, go there when ever the time suits you (avoid May and October). Though summers will be hot, even in Leh.

    As for places to avoid, well nothing as such. Almost all touristy areas have good road links, barring Zanskar, where I wouldn’t go if it was raining for past few days. In any case, there is enough army presence in Ladakh, that in case you get stuck somewhere, they will help you out. Especially since Army tracks moment of all tourists through various check posts and permits. So you can be sure that help is never that far away.

  17. Thanks Yogesh!

  18. Hi,

    i want to join you people in Ladakh 2009 expedition …
    i am very fond of adventures and travelling…
    pls let me know wen u people are going….

  19. hi guyz, we planing to leave from Mumbai on 1st of june.so just wanna know will the roads be open from Manali to leh.

    Regards,

    Altaf

  20. Yogesh,

    i was looking for comprehensive & precise information about ladakh in the web and i stumbled upon yours. my congragulations for developing a “one stop information platform” bout ladakh.
    Now, it’ll be great if you can answer a few q’s which is hovering in my mind ever since i firmed my plans to ride to ladakh.

    1) I plan to start riding from manali on 24th july ’09.Overtly my question will be bout weather.Will it be raining? or overcast? am into photography and loved your pics thoroughly, i hope it’ll be bright and sunny..

    2) My ride will be on the new Yamaha FZ16, do u think it’l lug me?
    3) what kinda clothes shud i carry?

    Appreciate your response and keep up the gud work friend.

    Regards

    Deepak

  21. Altaf roads should open by mid of May.

    Thanks Deepak.

    1. July is monsoon season in North India so you will be completely drenched, even before you reach Leh! In fact in Ladakh you might not face any rains, but in Himachal and other parts of North India, you will get plenty of rains.

    2. Shouldn’t be a problem

    3. Waterproof/windproof jacket (preferably warm), waterproof lower, warm inner (for upper and lower body), tshirt/shirt and a warm sweater. Dressing in layers is the way to go, as you can wear layers depending on how warm it is.

    Ps. don’t forget to carry warm and if possible, water resistant gloves and cap to be worn at places where you take off your helmet.

  22. Thanks for your prompt response Yogesh,

    After reading your response, am seriously reconsidering riding in July. How about early June? (first or 2nd week) will the forcast remain same as July? Because i diligently want to avoid riding in the rain.If June is relatively good to ride then i’ll prepone my trip and ride in June or late may.

    Also, Where can i get more info about the precise dates on highway reopening in mid may?

    appreciate a response from your and thanks a ton for your advice.

    Regards

    Deepak

  23. Weather should be better in June, though it all depends on how fast/slow the monsoon is and early monsoon showers. In any case in Ladakh you can get rain/snowfall at any time (especially at passes), so that is something you would have to deal with and keep in mind.

    You can keep visting the official website of Ladakh, as it shows green status for the road once the roads are officially open.

    Alternatively you can bookmark/subscribe to this thread on BCMTouring, where we will be updating the road status on a regular basis.

    No one would be able to predict the exact dates of the road openning as all of it depends on the weather, which has been a bit roughly in past few weeks.

  24. Thanks

  25. Varun Chaturvedi on April 30th, 2009 at 2:44 pm

    Hi Yogesh,

    I am also planning to visit leh in June. Need travel partners as I am the only one rt now. I have been to ladakh before, so I know most of the preparations. Please write to me on varunn99@gmail.com.

    Looking forward to hear from you.

    Varun Chaturvedi

  26. Varun I would most probably be going there in September.

  27. Would be interested in going to Ladakh on bike…… Pls let me know how could i get in touch with the concerned people.
    Amish Shah- 9922939584

    Pls Reply…..

  28. Deepak I with a few friends am leaving for Ladakh in June 2nd week precisely June 15 th…… We are looking for a couple of more guys join us if u can……..

    Amish Shah- 09922939584

  29. Hi, We are planning to travel to Ladakh from Delhi via Manali. We are from Mumbai and are planning to hire Enfield Bullets from Karol Bagh, Delhi. The tentative schedule is to depart from Delhi on the August 27, 2009 and return back to Delhi by Septmeber 6, 2009.

    We are looking for a couple of more people if they can join us.

    Anay – 9833381240

  30. Wilson Nadar on July 6th, 2009 at 2:44 pm

    Hi Yogesh,

    I was looking for useful information on the web for a road trip to Ladakh & came up with your’s. Found the information very useful. Planning for a trip in oct. Can you help me with the below information:

    • Since it’s my first trip can you suggest me some club / group who arrange trips to Ladakh.
    • I have a thunderbird 350CC, will it be ideal for this trip?
    • If I start from Mumbai & load my bullet on train, what would be the ideal stop & how can I proceed from there?
    • How much would the trip cost approx?

    Thanks for your help.

    Wilson

  31. Wilson you can head over to the Travel Partner section of BCMTouring, there are quite a few people there who are planning to head to Ladakh soon and are looking for company. Alternatively you can get in touch with local bullet clubs as they too organize Ladakh rides from time to time or have members who too are planning to go to Ladakh like you.

    Thunderbird would be more than enough for a trip to Ladakh.

    If you are starting from Mumbai, you can ship your motorcycle to either Delhi (if you want to go via the Manali route) or Jammu (if you wish to go via Srinagar route). Check out Ladakh Travel Guide for more information regarding both the routes.

    Trip cost varies a lot from person to person, check out my blog post, Budget for a trip to Ladakh to get an idea.

  32. Wilson Nadar on July 6th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

    Thanks Yogesh that was pretty quick.

    How do i find a local bullet club? tried web but didnt come up with anything.

  33. http://www.royalenfield.com/app/bullet-in-board.aspx?MyYg

  34. thats really good yogesh i am also planing to visit ladhak at the same time let me know when you pack your bags

  35. Hi Yogesh,

    Your blog on leh really sounds fantastic. I n my better half decided to go Delhi to Leh on 10th of August. Over there we plan to move around on rented motorbike and on 16th of August we move to Srinagar by taxi and return back Delhi on 20th August. Please help us to getting more couple of same taste for company sake. I think its better to go in a group .It makes new friends n economical and safe also

  36. If any couple with same taste can contact me +91 9810819025

  37. can mail at moneyvikas@yahoo.co.in

  38. Hi Yogesh,

    Ladakh trip has been my dream.But after reading your blog i intend to go there on my bike.I own a Pulsar 200.Let me know if u are planning trip in Sep.2009.Count me in if u are going anytime after 1st week of sept.09.

  39. Will be heading there in the first week of September and it would be a solo ride.

  40. Hi Yogesh,

    Have just come back from Rohtang Jot and the road there was terrible, guess due to the rains and the road widening activity.
    Havent really been biking around for a while now but i do intend to make that one trip to Leh via the manali route and return via the srinagar route. Would that be advisable? Further would you suggest any specific bike ?

  41. Hello Anuj, it is best to start off with a few smaller rides. But at the end of the day it all comes down to what you want and how much you are willing to push yourself for it.

    As for bikes, all Indian motorcycles are good for touring, though 150+cc motorcycles are recommended as they have enough punch to take you where ever you want. If you are going to be touring solo then my advice would be to go for either Honda Unicorn or Hero Honda Karizma.

  42. Hi Yogesh,

    i am deepak from bangalore i have some queries about the bike ride from srinagar to leh.

    1. me along with my frnds are planning for a bike ride from srinagar to leh and kargil from SEP 24 to OCT 2, can you let me know if it is the right time?? will the conditions be ok?? will the guards allow??

    2. can we get bikes in srinagar for hire?? we are planning to start from srinagar only because we r planning to book flight ticket to srinagar from bangalore not to delhi.

  43. Hello Deepak,

    1. Tie isn’t that right because it is towards the end of tourist season and that is when cold starts increasing. However Ladakh is certainly doable and no one will stop you, unless a pass (mainly Khardung La, Chang La and Tanglang La) has received fresh snowfall and is thus risky to cross at that time (should be fixed in a few hours or a day or two).

    2. Haven’t heard about any bike rental agencies in Srinagar, you can try looking for it, once you reach there. Other wise, take a taxi/bus to Leh and you can hire motorcycles there.

  44. Krishan Kant Bhagra on August 26th, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    m plannin on a trip to leh first wek of sep,09.
    all interested please get in touch…..kkbhagra@hotmail.com

  45. hi yogesh,
    recently did a bike ride from delhi-kasauli-delhi. this was my first long distance bike ride and it was a great experience. now i’m planning to head for leh(from delhi). i own a pulsar 150 so, please let me know if its possible do the leh ride with this bike.

    thank you.

  46. Hello kunchok, as long as the bike is in good condition, there shouldn’t be any issue taking it to Ladakh. For information on how to prepare your bike for Ladakh, check out http://www.bcmtouring.com/articles/preparing-your-motorcycle-for-ladakh/index.html

  47. Hi Yogesh,

    Need some info from you..

    We 8 ppl have planned leh trip in late sep 2009. we will start from manali to leh on 22nd sep in taxi.
    One of my friend has returned from leh yesterday. he had gone cycling from manali to leh and I heard it has started snowing in upper hills and would not be possible to go to Pan-gong Lake. And also heard Leh market will be shutting down from 25th sep.

    Do you have any info on how the weather would be in late sep? will the roads be open if it is snowing? can we make it to Khardungla?

    Please let me know the latest info you have and based on your experience, tell me if this trip would be good to go in late sep

  48. hi yogesh,
    im rahul from mumbai. i am intersted in joinin u to leh. kindly let knw how 2 get in touch wth u
    my contact no is 09987799883

  49. Hi Rahul,

    I am not quite sure when or if I will be going to Ladakh in 2010. However, quite a few BCMTians are already planning to go there next year and if you want, you can join them here. http://www.bcmtouring.com/forum/india-travel-partners-f59/ride-leh-2010-a-t16999/

  50. PLACE MUCH BEAUTIFUL IT HOW ONEV PARADISE

  51. Hi Yogesh

    I agree with the comments above. You seem to be a one stop solution for queries on Ladakh tourism, and its nice on your part to be helping us amateurs. :-) Please answer one for me too…

    We are planning to visit Ladakh in the fiest week of April. Just wanted to understand the weather consitions, and what kind of clothing we need to carry. We are flying in from Delhi to Leh.

    Thanks in advance
    Shilpa

  52. Shilpa you will need warm clothes for evening and at high altitude passes. Basically as long as the sun is out in Leh, weather should be nice and pleasant (not too cold). So the best bet is to dress in layers so that you can add/remove them based on the weather at that time, with the top layer being something windproof (especially while traveling).

  53. Hey.. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

    Also, apparently, for the ones who havent been to high altitude areas previously, they experience some kind of altitude sickness. Any idea how long this may last, and how severe it is. Is there some speific medication we will need to carry?

    I am so excited. Tell me whats a must visit please?

  54. Altitude sickness is commonly refereed to as AMS. Since you are flying in, it is best to take rest on the first day of arrival and even on the second day, do light sightseeing, if you are feeling alright.

    Diamox helps, check with your doctor whether you can take it or not (especially if you are taking other medicines). Start taking Diamox in the morning and at night, a day before you are to fly to Leh. Also you can take a test dosage a few days prior to ensure you aren’t allergic to it.

    Apart from that, just take it easy, drink lots of water and don’t over exert yourself. Since Leh and Ladakh is at high altitude, you will not have same stamina as you do in plains, so don’t expect or try to walk at the same speed.

    Check out the following article on AMS, http://www.bcmtouring.com/forum/articles-f20/high-altitude-acclimatization-illnesses-t95/

    As for must visit places, well Nubra Valley and Pangong Tso should be accessible at that time and should make for an exciting trip due to snow at Khardung La and Chang La. Apart from these, Thiksey monastery is a good place to visit along with Shanti Stupa in Leh. Alchi too is a nice place, though not really sure how it would look right now as it is famous for its greenery.

  55. hi yogesh,
    i am planing to visit Leh during first or second week of june this year 2011 by motor bike from Manali .
    1. What will be the total budget from Manali to Leh n Return Journey.
    2. What should be the stop point during manali to leh ?
    3 and about required clothing during d journey …n other precaution?

  56. hi yogesh,this is manish from mumbai bhandup,n i have gone through ur blog n really like. i too want to vist leh ladakh but i want to do it through bike n my concern is only that how much time will it take from here or if i carry my bike through train n then from there on bike,so is it appropriate or wrong n how much cost will it cost to a per person for how many days and return journey? if suppose one month is it enough to roomed around there for on month ?
    pls let guide me for the same,and nearest way to reach there how much time will it take to reach there ?
    let me know on my mail id or cell no 9773556725

    manishnikam198286@yahoo.com
    manishnikam007@gmail.com

  57. and also i forgot to ask u that what is the actual time n month to go there also will bajaj pulsar 150cc will be able to reach on the top over there?

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