Guidelines
Ladakh with its barren mountains cape is one of the most inaccessible and forbidding regions of the world which has a compelling charm and beauty of its own. This is a vibrant wonderland which offers the fascinating fusion of ancient religions: a rich cultural history and is independent in character despite being a part of jammu and Kashmir. Leh is the District headquarter of Ladakh.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT LEH
| STD Code | 01982 |
| Altitude | 11,500ft / 3500m |
| Best Time To Visit | June to September |
| Temperature | Varies Between 30°C during day and sub zero in night. |
| Clothing | T-shirt during Day. Light woolen for the evening and heavy woolens for higher altitude. |
| ACCESS | |
| By Air | Daily flights from New Delhi, three times Flights in a week from Jammu and Srinagar. |
| By Roads | There are two roads to Leh which are open from May to September only. They are: |
| Srinagar to Leh | 434 Kms via Zoji La Pass,Drass, kargil and Lamayuru. |
| Manali to Leh | 475Kms via Rohtang Pass, Keylong, Baralacha La, Sarchu and Tanglang La. This road is more adventurous and more frequently used though a little tough. It is important to get acclimatized first and take some precautions as well. |
Ladakh by Road
Srinagar to Leh
The 434-km Srinagar-Leh road. Srinagar-Leh road is the main route with anover night halt at Kargil. The road is open between mid May and November. Ordinary and deluxe buses of the J&K state road transport corporation regularly ply on this route. Taxis, cars and jeeps are also available at Srinagar for the journey. Groups can charter deluxe and A-class buses for Leh, Kargil or Padum (Zanskar) from the J and K SRTC at Srinagar.
Manali to Leh
The 473-km Manali-Leh. The Manali-Leh Highway – This is a spectacular journey with an overnight halt at tented camps at Sarchu or Pang. This journey can be undertaken by the deluxe and ordinary bus services operated by the Himachal Pradesh tourism, HP SRTC and the J&K SRTC or by jeep from either Manali or Leh.Kargil – On the main highway between Srinagar and Leh.
Road Distances
Srinagar-Leh 434km
Manali-Leh 473km
Srinagar-Kargil 204km
Delhi-Leh 1047 km
Leh-Kargil 234 km
Kargil-Padum (Zanskar) 240km
Leh-Deskit (Nubra Valley) 118 km
Passes between Manali-Leh
Rohtang Pass
Manali is the starting point of this dramatic journey and Rohtang Pass(13,000 ft/3,978 m), 51 kms away is the first important milestone on the Manali – Leh road as it is the gateway to the Lahaul and Spiti valleys.
Keylong
115 kms from Manali, Keylong is located along the Manali–Leh road, about 7 km north east of intersection of the Chandra Valley, the Bhaga Valley, and the Chenab Valley; on the banks of Bhaga River. Sights near Keylong include the Kardang, Shasur, and Tayul monasteries. This important road, which was once part of the ancient trade route between India and Central Asia.
Bara Lachha Pass
On the long Manali -Leh road and providing a route across the Baralacha range is the famous Baralacha Pass. The Baralacha Pass is a unique pass situated at a spectacular 16,400 ft above sea level. The pass itself is 8-km long, and is literally the pass “where many roads meet”. Here, routes from Zanskar, Ladakh and Lahaul meet, which have for centuries been used by ancient travelers and crossed in all directions. The two great rivers of Lahaul, the Chandra and the Bhaga, also arise from the huge snowfields on opposite sides of the pass
Zanskar Range
A camping ground in Zanskar, little before Sarchu, Phalang-danda (a giant rock) marks the boundary between Lahaul and Zanskar. Sarchu has wide open places and treks to Phirtse la starts from here. Just 54 kms, ahead of’ Sarchu the road crosses Tsarap Chu over a bridge. Then it climbs up to Lachalang la Pass( 16,600 ft/5,059m) Nearly 87 kms from Lachalang la pass is the Tanglang la pass- the highest point on this road. This pass is difficult to negotiate. By crossing this pass one enters the Central Ladakh.
It lies to the north of the main Himalaya. It acts as a backbone of Ladakh south of the Indus River, extending from the ridges beyond Lamayuru in the west across the Zanskar region; there it is divided from the main Himalaya by the Stod and Tsarap valleys, the Zanskar valley. On the east of the Zanskar region the range continues through Lahaul and Spiti. While on the North it continues across the Kinnaur before extending towards west across Uttaranchal. Some of the main passes are the Fatu-La, on the Leh-Srinagar road, while the main trekking passes into the Zanskar valley are Singge La, the Cha Cha La and the Rubrang La are.
Upshi
60 kms ahead of Tanglang La pass is Upshi-A junction on the Indus. The road bifurcates from here towards Rupshu and for Demchok, and little ahead at Kiari for Chang la