Manali to Leh, India - when should I go

[gemmasun]

Hi all

I am planning to take an enfield 500 through the Indian Himalayas from Manali to Leh later this year.
I am a bit confused about the best month to go, I want to avoid snow (for obvious reasons) and preferably would like to not be there during the monsoon. I know the road conditions will vary but ideally I'd like to give the Indians some time to clear the roads after the snow melt.

I'm thinking August.........

I'd really appreciate replies from people who have done this.....I'd love to read about your experiences. I'd love some information about how hard the ride is aswell (road conditions, altitude sickness, medical facilities, accomodation along the way etc.....I'm only little, I'm worried I may not have the physical strength)!!

Thanks in anticipation
Gemma
x

[Eblis]

Hi gemmasun,
i have been to leh couple of time on my motorbike and the best possible time would be august. the roads open in july for more uptodate
information you should visit leh section in indiamike.com.
also lookup this site couple of days before you go.

sameer
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eblis

[gemmasun]

Hi there Eblis

Thanks for the information, I have checked out your pictures on your website from your trip, your photos are fantastic and really show the beauty of the area.

Gemma

[Eblis]

thanks for the appreciation ,the whole reason is just so beautiful, i have been there twice on my motorbike and still can't get enough of the place and motorbike is the only way to really
get the feel of the place.

hope you get to enjoy it as much as i did.

be safe,
sameer

[Red Bull]

Well just thought I would post some more links on the same

http://www.yogeshsarkar.com

http://the-never-ending-road.blogspot.com/

read the travelogues on these 2 sites and a whole lot of the similar trip reports on
the RE site and www.60kph.com and you will get a clear idea.

Have a nice ride,
Red Bull

[enfieldtravels]

Hi Gemma,
Further to the other guys`postıngs hope I`ve got somethıng useful to add... The road should be open any tıme from late June to late Sept. August ıs a good tıme though there ıs a fair chance the mosoon will be lıngerıng on then. I shouldn`t worry about thıs though as wıthın a couple of hours of Manalı you`ll be out of the raıns.
Best advıce ıs to take as long as you can - ıt`s a beautıful road and well worth takıng your tıme over. It can be done ın two faırly long days but four or so would gıve you tıme to enjoy ıt more. The altıtude wıll probably affect you but the nıght stops are always lower than you`ve been durıng the day`s rıdıng so the headaches shouldn`t be too bad! There are plenty of basıc places to stay on the way.
Hope that helps. Enjoy and feel free to maıl.
Richard

[Mingh]

we went up the manali Leh Early July last summer, and came back early august.
The road quality improves dramatic over this one month! River crossings in the way up had dissappeared on the way down.
Unfortunately, the Manali weather goes downthe drain in that same time. However, Once you crossed the first pass, you'd be fine and dry for at leat 90% of your trip.
Don't miss out on Pangong lake if you go. It's the most beautiful spot in LAdakh for us.

We went to the Nubra valley over the highest pass (claimed aroudn 5600m) and that was snowy and stone cold. Other than that it was perfect weather.

Scroll down a bit: There's some topics with info on reliable people to purchase/hire a bike from.

[yogesh Sarkar]

Been to Ladakh twice in as many years and both time it was in the month of September. Although August is a good month to visit ladakh, off late it is also the month when flash floods happen near Leh and August is also the month when there are maximum number of tourists in Ladakh. So based on that my suggestion would be September.

[hiphop lance]

we are also going to this area in august and wondering how much to rent motorbike for 2 up for a least couple of weeks. we do we rent? should we rent from internet or find there? should we rent in major city or up in leh.m thanks lance

[yogesh Sarkar]

Lance you can get motorcycles for rent from Delhi, Manali and Leh.

Renting from Delhi should give you time to get familiarize with the bike before you start riding in hills. Delhi also has a wide variety of renters to choose from, it could be good or bad depending on how you see it.

Renting from Manali would ensure that you wouldn't have to ride in the hot plains, but you would have to come back via Manali route to return the bike, else take a detour in case you return from the Srinagar route, in order to return the bike.

You can also rent a motorcycle in Leh, this would enable you to reach Leh with ease, however you will miss out the fun of riding on the Manali - Leh highway, which according to me is the major attraction of going to Ladakh.

Rates would be almost the same no matter where you get the bike from (Rs. 450/per day onward) here is some more info that you might want to check out Renting Motorcycles in India

[glasswave]

Originally Posted by yogesh Sarkar

Lance you can get motorcycles for rent from Delhi, Manali and Leh.

Renting from Delhi should give you time to get familiarize with the bike before you start riding in hills. Delhi also has a wide variety of renters to choose from, it could be good or bad depending on how you see it.

Renting from Manali would ensure that you wouldn't have to ride in the hot plains, but you would have to come back via Manali route to return the bike, else take a detour in case you return from the Srinagar route, in order to return the bike.

You can also rent a motorcycle in Leh, this would enable you to reach Leh with ease, however you will miss out the fun of riding on the Manali - Leh highway, which according to me is the major attraction of going to Ladakh.

I have to respectfully disagree on some points. If you have never ridden in a developing country before do not start in Delhi or in the plains. You need to start somewhere where their is little traffic. In the cities, it is a death race and the right away goes to the bold. On the plains their are mostly 4 lane roads with eight abreast (two trucks, a bus, a family on a scooter, a cow cart and five pedestrians toting baskets) all seemingly heading right for each other, horns ablairing.

I'd take a cab from Delhi to Chandaghar (make a stiff drink) and observe the "rules" of the road. Then head for Manali, rent or buy a bike and start cruising about the area (Pavarti, Solang). Strart early (1st light for empty roads) the road will be worse condition and narrow, but at least it's just two laner. The front side of the himal has many delights.

I'd stay until I started getting the first hints of monsoon & then bolt for the other side. Rhotang wil be snow free ( on the road ) sometime between June 1st & July first and the monsoon should arrive between June 15 & early July. A June 10th Manali arrival should be ideal.

Bike can now be rented in Manali dropped in Leh. Also, it's not so hard to arrange for one to shipped back in a truck. Bikes can be bought in Manali for $400 to 650 USD. I have sold my bike in leh quickly (45 min) or had no buyers. Most bikers take 4 days to Leh, buy some hash & spend six!

Four day:
1. Leave early & ride a trying day across Rhotang (leave at 6 to avoid traffic on the pass). Gas up in Tandi & pass Keylang and Darcha crossing the Barlacha La in late afternoon and beading down in Sarchu. (a brutal day)

2. Sarchu to Pang. Two High passes and can be some difficult water crossings. Sometimes gas can be had in Pang (don't count on it).

3. Pang across the TranLang La and on to Tsokar a quite pleasant day. Many bite the bullet here & head to leh, arriving at dark, some stay till morning and continue on day four.

Six day the lazy bikers route:
1. Leave in the afternoon stopping at Markhi (under Rhotang).

2. Cross Rhotang and stop in Keylang or Darcha.

3. Barlacha La, Sarchu.

4.Pang.

5. To Toskar, you could consider Pang Tso from here (inner line permit required). or on to Upshi or Leh at Dark.

[yogesh Sarkar]

Originally Posted by glasswave

I have to respectfully disagree on some points. If you have never ridden in a developing country before do not start in Delhi or in the plains. You need to start somewhere where their is little traffic. In the cities, it is a death race and the right away goes to the bold. On the plains their are mostly 4 lane roads with eight abreast (two trucks, a bus, a family on a scooter, a cow cart and five pedestrians toting baskets) all seemingly heading right for each other, horns ablairing.

I'd take a cab from Delhi to Chandaghar (make a stiff drink) and observe the "rules" of the road. Then head for Manali, rent or buy a bike and start cruising about the area (Pavarti, Solang). Strart early (1st light for empty roads) the road will be worse condition and narrow, but at least it's just two laner. The front side of the himal has many delights.

Was just presenting my point of view, last thing I would like to do would be to ride a bike with gears on the wrong side (right hand side) for the first time and that too in hills on the narrow hilly roads. But then again it is my view; some might be comfortable doing this in plains while others in hill.

As for the Delhi - Manali highway, 200+kms is on the fantastic NH-1 highway (barring towns like Sonipat and Panipat), NH-21 could be pretty scary for a person riding for the first time in India. But it only last for a little over 100kms before one finds himself riding in the Himalayas.

One can also take the diversion from Zirakpur crossing towards Shimla and either use the Shimla - Mandi highway or cross Jalori pass and reach Aut and then move on to Manali. There by cut down the amount of riding done in the plains.

Originally Posted by glasswave

Bike can now be rented in Manali dropped in Leh. Also, it's not so hard to arrange for one to shipped back in a truck. Bikes can be bought in Manali for $400 to 650 USD. I have sold my bike in leh quickly (45 min) or had no buyers.

Agreed that you can drop motorcycles in Leh, for that you don’t even have to buy motorcycle since quite a few renters these days allow this thing to be done.

But what if you want to ride to Srinagar?

I don’t think it would easy to sell a bike there, which means you will have to buy the bike at Manali in all probability and then come to either Chandigarh or Delhi and find buyers who will be ready to buy it from you.

Originally Posted by glasswave

Four day:
1. Leave early & ride a trying day across Rhotang (leave at 6 to avoid traffic on the pass). Gas up in Tandi & pass Keylang and Darcha crossing the Barlacha La in late afternoon and beading down in Sarchu. (a brutal day)

2. Sarchu to Pang. Two High passes and can be some difficult water crossings. Sometimes gas can be had in Pang (don't count on it).

3. Pang across the TranLang La and on to Tsokar a quite pleasant day. Many bite the bullet here & head to leh, arriving at dark, some stay till morning and continue on day four.

If you can make it to Sarchu (230kms from Manali) covering Rohtang La and Baralacha La, then you can certainly do 260kms on the second day covering Nakee La, Lachulung La and Tanglang La, especially since the fantastic road after Tanglang La ensures you can ride at 80+kmph for the most part.

In any case the itinerary like this can only be decided based on the amount of time at hand, of course if one had a month or more then one can do this route lazily.

[glasswave]

Originally Posted by yogesh Sarkar

Was just presenting my point of view, last thing I would like to do would be to ride a bike with gears on the wrong side (right hand side) for the first time and that too in hills on the narrow hilly roads. But then again it is my view; some might be comfortable doing this in plains while others in hill.

But what if you want to ride to Srinagar?

I don’t think it would easy to sell a bike there, which means you will have to buy the bike at Manali in all probability and then come to either Chandigarh or Delhi and find buyers who will be ready to buy it from you.

I understand your point. I remeber when I first rented a bike in Manali. It was just arranged with my hotel manager in old Manali. So I have to take off on the bike up a narrow ramp along a side walk and out to the old manali 30 degree main street w/the opposite shifters, driving the opposite side of the street, several years since I've ridden and the bike owner, hotel mgtr and several others loooking skeptically on. Needless to say quite intimidating. I used to always fear that old Manali hill, thinking if a jeep stops in front of me I'll kill it & never get going again.

OTH, I found the hectic roads of the cities and the plains much more intimidating because in my country they drive so differently. I'm glad I was able to "warm up" in the mountains.

Yes, I found selling a bike difficult in Srinighar,few tourists and even though I had a title, the locals didn't like my paper work, but I did get an offer of 17,000r. I should have taken it, because I instead went to Darhamsala in hopes of a tourist market, where it promptly started pouring, I ended up selling it for 12,000r to a local that was scooping up bikes for sale cheap from desparate tourists so he could sell em again next spring for $500.

Live & learn.

Anyways, my main point was that for a westerner (or for me), driving in foriegn traffic can be much more intimidating than a mountain road. Come to think of it, I live in the mountains anyway so maybe I'm just used to it.

[yogesh Sarkar]

Ah the daily traffic in Delhi, some thing I have come to expect and hate. But you do have a good point there, for a newcomer to India it can be a bit too intimidating. Add to the fact that me and my buddies normally leave for trips at 2-4am which almost guarantees us trouble free riding for 5 hours or so (after which we are normally in hills or nearby). But for a foreigner it wouldn't be possible and they will most probably leave when traffic has started coming out in numbers.

[mdmystko]

You seem to know the topic you're talking about so let me ask. Does it sound reasonable to come to Manali without any pre-arrangement and expect to rent an Enfield within a day, at most two, without big rush? I mean high season, August or early September. If so, where to start looking for? Staff at the hotel where I would stop?

Thanks,
Kris