Umling La permission, India
 

I went to India last October and managed to get permission to visit Hanle but not stay overnight. This year I want to go back and stay overnight at Hanle and also go to Umling La.

Has anybody else got permission for Umling La or overnight at Hanle ? The issue maybe it's near the Chinese border - but I got permission to visit Pangong Tso so maybe the border isn't the issue ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umling_La

The permission I got was via a local travel agent in Leh. Is it worth trying to get the commissioners office to give me permission direct ? The hotel owner recommended this travel agent and they both were very familiar with the process.

Is it my UK passport which holds me back ?

I think you did pretty well to get there at all, every source online I have found states that foreign visitors cannot get a Restricted Areas Permit for Hanle, let along Umling La and Demchok.

Do you know that this was actually changed, or could it be that you got lucky somehow?

Have you approached the same travel agent to get you a permit again?

I've not asked yet, the chap who runs it was recommended by the hotel manager as the hotel also run trips to the restricted zone. You must be part of a group and on my permission sheet I was paired up with an American who I'd never met, so the agent was stretching the rules to help.

It's just a long way to go to find out I can't get to Umling La. The agent didn't say it was impossible but he has to accept what the district commissioners office gives him. Appears to be difficult to know what's possible in that area without applying. Pinging Two and Nubra Valley was no problem, which is odd as the late is half in China and a contested area recently.

Interesting. The requirement to be a group of two or more is one of those odd Indian pieces of bureaucracy that I suspect came from the British. It's quite normal to be stuck with a random person - you don't need to travel together.

Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri, Nubra Valley are areas which have been open for many years to foreign tourists so it's somewhat routine to go there (permit still required). I would imagine that to get to Demchok is very much dependent on the political situation - it seems that some years the area is closed to tourists, even Indians.

Clearly, even if you get a firm answer from someone, it is anybordy's guess if it will work on the day you turn up...

Failed to get a permission in June 2022.
Only locals were allowed there.

I've heard back from the travel agent I used last time and I won't be able to stay overnight in Hanle but can stay in Nyoma which isn't too far away.

Still waiting for news on Umling La but if I can't stay on Hanle, I doubt I'll be going to Umling La as it's probably a more sensitive area and very close to the border with China.

I've entered a 5k fun run in Leh in September ! At least it won't be too cold. I'll try the 10k next year if I'm there.

https://ladakhmarathon.com

Right, have heard from a few people that if you get the permission to visit Hanle the local guess houses don't have any interest at all in checking your papers, they just want people to stay so you can stay overnight without a problem. All depends how you feel about regulations....

Getting to Umling La is a matter of chance - if you get stopped you might get turned away, but apparently the checkpoints at that level are much less strict and often won't even stop you, like most of the army checkpoints in Kashmir for instance. Certainly on my last trip the only checkpoints which were really strict were in/out of Ladakh on the route to Kargil and on the Khardung La Road out of Leh to the Nubra valley.

So, if you're happy bending the regulations and won't be drawing attention to your self by doing something daft like flying a drone, then it might well be possible.

And there is a new fuel station in Tangtse which is near Pangong Tso, proper pumps and sell diesel and petrol.

Just for anyone reading this later - permission to stay in Hanle is not officially given to foreigners, permission to visit Umling La neither.

When I arrived from Pangong Tso I expected to stay a bit away but the officer at the checkpost actively encouraged me to stay overnight in Hanle and nobody else was bothered either.

I did not see a single soldier - despite the numerous camps near Hanle - when I went to Umling La and back the next day.

So, whatever the official rules are, as of 2023 they are not strongly enforced.

As for fuel, between Tangtse and Himachal Pradesh I rode almost 1000km without encountering an actual petrol pump.