Shamindra Da, thanks for the advice.

Wifey liked this piece of advice very much .

Delhi-Patnitop is not easy. Budget for very early morning start from Delhi (or else try to go beyond Delhi the previous day to, say, Ambala) to stand a chance of reaching Patnitop the same day. Else consider halt at Jammu.


Pensi la may not be open. Even if open, road beyond Parkatchik may not be easily motorable.


Routing would be Leh-Chang la-Pangong-Man-Merak-Chushul-Tsaga-Loma-Hanle.

Leh-Pangong will take 5-6 hours, but from there to Hanle is a full day's drive. No accommmodation on teh way except some random homestays in Merak village. Hanle itself has no acco except a couple of homestays. I suggest you stay at Tso Moriri (village of Karzok) instead of Tso Kar.


Take your permits as follows:
Khardung la-Hunder (add Turtuk if going there too)
Pangong-Merak-Chushul-Loma-Hanle
Tso Moriri



Revised Schedule could be as follows:
Aug 5 - Delhi-Chandigarh-Mandi
Aug 6 - Mandi-Kulu-Manali-Keylong
Aug 7 - Keylong-Jispa-Sarchu-Pang
Aug 8 - Pang-Leh
Aug 9 - Leh
Aug 10 - Leh-Khardung la-Leh
Aug 11 - Leh-Pangong Tso-Leh
Aug 12 - Leh-Lamayuru-Leh
Aug 13 - Leh-Tso Moriri
Aug 14 - Tso Moriri-Sarchu
Aug 15 - Sarchu-Manali
Aug 16 - Manali-Delhi
Aug 17 - Buffer

Pune-Udaipur is what cars can do in a day, via Bombay. For slower vehciles, you can reach Baroda/Ahmedabad, in which case reaching Delhi on Day 2 is not going to be easy, but you can reach Jaipur by evening of second day.

Hello friends following plan is in the making please advice if aggresive or doable. The plan already had some input from bigboss(HVK).

10-6-12 Pune-Jaipur
12-6-12 Jaipur via Jallandher to Pathankot
13-6-12 Pathankot-Srinagar
15-6-12 Srinagar-Gulmarg
16-6-12 Gulmarg-Srinagar-Sonmarg
17-6-12 Sonmarg-Kargil
18-6-12 Kargil Uleytokpo
19-6-12 Uleytokpo-Leh
21-6-12 Leh-Pangong-Leh (still considering overnite Pangong if Tso Moriri is an issue)
22-6-12 Leh-Nubra
23-6-12 Nubra-Leh
24-6-12 Leh-Chamthang-Tso Moriri
25-6-12 Tso Moriri-Tso Kar-NH21-Sarchu (will we miss the Moore plains if I do this?)
26-6-12 Sarchu-Manali
27-6-12 Manali-Gurgaon
28-6-12 Gurgaon-Jaipur.

Will be having a Pajero with 5 adults on board. The vehicle normally does 8-10 kms but with high altitude mileage reduction and 90 lts tank expect to get may be only 400-450 kms. Will I be in trouble on this account on any of the sectors?

Also anybody el;se planning at the same time?

Will highly appreciate all comments. Thanks

Road to Sarchu/Manali is via More Plains. You will not have to climb the Tanglang la though.

Never seen any significant reduction in FE due to high altitude.
No need to carry any spare fuel, but some extra will not harm.

Thank you HVK sir. Yes I did route and reaching Ahemadabad in time was also difficult due to heavy traffic outside mumbai and really heavy rain throughout. hence had to take a halt at Ahemadabad, next reached Jaipur, again due to same issues and on third day Jaipur Delhi was a cake walk.

Thanks HVKji, Was pretty concerned about the FE part. So surely Tso Moriri is on now. And presume Tso Moriri-Tso Kar-Pang-Sarchu will be doable?

You can also consider,

Kishangarh-Ratangarh-Sardarshahar-Hanumangarh-Abhor-Bhatinda-Amritsar-Pathankot

HVK has advised me to take this route and it seems fastest of the lot. It is 4 laned highway and less traffic. If you take this route then instead of Jaipur you can break your journey at Kishangarh, Ratangarh or Sardarshahar.

I am also doing this trip but in mid August.

Please suggest me a route from Pangaong Tso to Hanle To Tso Moriri to Sarchu.
I will be traveling in Sx4 in early September.

Pangong to Hanle : Spangmik -> Man -> Merak -> Khaltse -> Chusul -> Tsaga La -> Loma -> Hanle

Make sure to enquire about the road condition in Tsaga La. Don't bother attempting it if it has snowed. We had to skip this place last year.

Alternate route : Spangmik -> Tangtse -> Shakti -> Karu -> Upshi -> Kumdok -> Chumthang -> Mahe -> Loma -> Hanle

Hanle to Tso Moriri : Hanle -> Loma -> Sumdo -> Namashang la -> Tso Kiagar -> Karzok -> Tso Moriri

Tso Moriri to Sarchu : Tso Moriri -> Karzok -> Nam. La -> Sumdo -> Polakongka La -> Tso Kar -> Mooreh Plains -> Pang -> Lachung la -> Naki la -> Sarchu

Not a good idea to take this route solo in an SX4. With a multi-car convoy where others can help in recovery, it's fine - the no-road rocky & sandy track is otherwise devoid of vehicular traffic (you might want to check road condition on my own Ladakh t'log, as well as on the Humbleh'd II travelogue). IMO this route is strictly for high GC vehicles, preferably with 4wd, if you are travelling solo. The latter route is the proper road route...
Again, between Sumdo >> Morey plains, the road is almost deserted, though road condition should be quite good - and there is the occasional civilian truck taking up supplies to Moriri and beyond via this route.
But then, the alternate route will make you waste a full day, so taking the Tso kar route is the best bet.

SS can you share some pics of the route?
I had heard somewhere that the route is also don't by small vehicles, so was planning to attempt it in my sx4. After the last year's trip was thinking a bit more of ladakh this year.

Thanks in advance.

This link will take you to the Lukung > Tso Moriri sector, though driver's view pics are there of almost all the roads we have taken on that trip - you'll just need to go through the full travelogue.

You will also find some vivid descriptions of what HV Kumar and his IPHE group went through on this sector, if you go through this part of their travelogue.

Hi rnbohra

I am doing this trip from Bombay and starting on the 15th of June. Also, we would be doing Leh via Manali instead of J & K. As of now, we are approx. !4 to 15 of us. I don't know how many may drop-out as we approach the final date. But in the least, there are about 10 of us confirmed doing this trip. We would have 3 vehicles atleast if its the confirmed 10 only going else we would have a convoy of 5 vehicles if all 14-15 make this trip.

Luckily for us, there are 5 amongst us who has done this route twice before, while its the first time for me though.

Wish you a safe trip.

Thanks Gentle Giant for your wishes, and all the best to your group too. It would be awesome convoy of 5 vehicles!!. I posted my schedule hoping to see if anybody else doing the same... nobody yet.

I have a query regarding Temporary registration vehicles going to Ladakh. I have a 220 and am planning to upgrade - possibly to a CBR 250. Will be able to buy it tomorrow. The problem is that RC (Gurgaon -RTO) will take atleast 30 days. I am due to start the ride on 7th of June so possibly - i will be taking a temp registration bike (valid till 13th june - so my temp registration expires during the ride).
The documents i will be having
1. Valid insurance of the temp registration bike.
2. Possibly a slip from the RTO confirming my number.
3. Temp registration RC.
4. Invoice etc.

Would there be a problem ?