Ladakh (Land of mountain passes)

 My Travel map!!!

( The Trans Himalayan Zone)
So Finally, Here I go in writing a blog on this trip. I still can't believe that I have made it. I had been doing my homework on this trip from the past 4 months before starting the actual journey.
I met few people, had an interaction with them on their experiences in ladakh, researched the places, weather conditions, The first-aid medicines, studying about the artifacts of the mountains and their impacts on the habitants, Do's and Don'ts, Acute mountain sickness.. what not!!!!
To begin, let's start with Delhi to Manali :
As soon as we reached Delhi it was mid night and we didn't any option at the airport except to come out and roam on Delhi roads.. The night life of Delhi is absolutely awesome, but still I had a lot of expectations. You will get to feel the presence of it. yes, You are in country's capital!!!
Some how we managed to pass the time till 5 AM and at last boarded the bus to manali from ISBT, kashmiri gate.
The road from delhi to manali is quite beautiful as you will be crossing through the industrial regions of haryana to the green paddy fields of punjab via chandigarh. Punjab has its flavours of rich greenery plantations through out the state.
After chandigarh we slightly moved towards east and headed towards the himachal region. The road from here slowly steeps up and becomes bumpy indicating you " Welcome to the mountains!!!"
The lovely hill station Manali is perched on the northern edge of the Kullu Valley - just 40 kms away from Kullu, at an altitude of 1,926 metres, and makes a wonderful holiday destination ideal for a family vacation, a honeymoon or on your own. The mighty River Beas hurtling through Manali adds a dramatic tone and you can spend hours watching the river rush by.
Over the last few years Manali has developed into a major hill resort, chock-a-block with modern hotels and tourist lodges. The Mall or main bazaar in Manali is the hub of activity, flooded with shops, restaurants, trekking and mountaineering outfits and wayside food stalls.
The excellent combination of wooded forests, snow covered slopes, lush green valleys and the swirling waters of the mighty Beas make Manali an ideal destination for treks and mountaineering expeditions into the Solang Valley and over the Rohtang Pass into Lahaul-Spiti.
It is also the beginning of the epic two-day trans-Himalayan journey up to the cold desert town of Leh in Ladakh, connected by the Leh-Manali highway. Manali comes alive in winter with immense skiing and ice skating opportunities- it is often called The Land of Snowballs and Skiing!
There are lots of places to see and sightseeing opportunities in Manali and these includes visiting its ancient ruins, villages, temples, and Buddhist monasteries. Some of them are mentioned below for your convenience.
Visit the village settlement of old Manali,At Dunghri village, a two km walk from the tourist office in Manali, is the famous Hadimba Devi Temple. Maharaja Bahadur Singh built the present wooden pagoda-like temple in 1553 after earlier structures were burnt down by forest fires. Standing on a stone platform surrounded by old deodar trees, the three-tiered temple is crowned with pennants, brass bells and a trident. Carvings of animals, plants, and folk deities adorn the temple, while hunting trophies hang over its entrance.
Inside the shrine is the brass icon of the goddess, surprisingly tiny compared to the huge temple structure and the legendary prowess associated with her. The shrine is within a natural cave formation dominated by huge rock. A set of enlarged footprints on the rocks is believed to be of Hadimba, herself.
Note: The opening time of the temple is 6 am and there is no entry fee to visit the temple. Do remember that cameras and video cameras are not allowed inside the temple. Dress in simple and sober attire and if you wish you can make a donation in the donation box.

A Spectacular view in Manali ( way to rohtang pass)

Manu Maharishi Temple is a walk away from the main Mall and lies in the Old Manali. The shrine is designed in a pagoda style and is dedicated to the Hindu sage Manu and is the only temple of Manu in India.
Vashisht, a village three kms and half an hour away from Manali is famed for its hot sulphur springs and panoramic view of its valley. One can take a day trip to the village and can reach on foot; it won’t be much of a hassle. If you wish to reach there by a car, then there are taxis available from the main Mall in Manali where you can hop on to get to the tiny hamlet.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             Jogini Waterfall in Manali

Dharamsala,

The hill station of Dharamshala sits on a narrow ridgeline along the Dhauladhar range. Dharamshala town is roughly divided into two sections – the lower town with its traditional settlement and market areas and the upper town of McLeodganj, famous for its celebrity resident, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The heights of the two sections vary from 1,250 metres to about 1,770 metres with a steep winding 10 km road linking the two sections. Around a 150 kms from Mandi, this hill resort of Dharamshala in the Kangra Valley of northern Himachal Pradesh is the most important town of the district.

Surrounded by pine forests, the grand Dhauladhar ranges tower like sheets of rock over Dharamshala, making this a great place for the adventure lover.

Sightseeing in Dharamshala includes visiting museums, or marvelling at the architectural splendour of Buddhist monasteries here.

The lower town of Dharamshala is crowded with shops, local houses, and government offices. The Museum of Kangra Art is the only significant site to visit on the main road in Dharamshala. Exhibits include a collection of miniature paintings from the Kangra School, some local jewellery, excellent traditional wood carvings, and copies of some paintings by 20th century Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. The artist who lived for quite a while in Himachal Pradesh was renowned for his vivid Himalayan mountainscapes.

A road leading up through the crowded bazaar is a steep 10 kms climb up to the northern edge of McLeodganj. This winding road takes nearly 40 minutes by bus, or about 20 minutes by a shared taxi. The alternative is a short cut along a steep trail that leads to the southern end of McLeodganj past the Dalai Lama’s residence.

The residence of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, is surrounded by high walls and sits on the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley. Besides the Dalai Lama’s living quarters, the complex also includes offices of the government in exile.

It is extremely difficult to get a private audience with His Holiness and requires sending your request at least four months in advance to his secretary. But the Dalai Lama also appears in public audiences for a gathering of about 300 people, which are organised according to demand. On special festive occasions, the Dalai Lama leads the Kalchakra Ceremony that is performed by Buddhist monks for universal peace and harmony.

 View in Dharamsala!!

Dharamsala - Pathankot - Jammu

This is the route where I had to cross the three inter state borders from Himachal to Punjab via pathankot and from Punjab to Jammu. Though,the road is very rocky and bumpy in the himachal regions , but as you reach the punjab border, the condition of the road improves and you will be zooming across the highway the moment you enter into Punjab.

The road to Jammu is a plain highway in stretch with 4 lane traffic, No sooner did we step into the Jammu border, the mobile network got lost as the prepaid sims outside of that state gets blocked. Luckily I was having a postpaid mobile.

Jammu - Srinagar  NH-1A Highway

The Jammu to Srinagar highway is one of the epic journeys which I ever had in my life, As you will be crossing through few of the mesmerizing landscapes of the kashmir valley.

Traveling through the Black Mountains with snow covered on the top of it with the Jhelum river flowing underneath will keep your concentration off the road for most of the time.

I was totally stunned and was looking around the nature serenity, I couldn't ask for a better day in my life. Little did I knew that, I would be seeing better astonishing views ahead of my journey ( in Ladakh ). There are many places in and around srinagar for site seeing.

The most prominent natural attraction of Srinagar is the Dal Lake.
The waters of the Dal Lake are dotted with small willow covered islands that give an ethereal ambience to the lake on misty mornings. A unique feature of the lake is the Mihrbahri people, trading in flowers, fruits, and vegetables grown on floating gardens on these islands in the lake. The larger and more elaborate pleasure garden of the Mughals is the Shalimar Bagh, four kms away. Laid out by Emperor Jahangir for Nur Jahan,

Private Coaches and taxis can be hired from Jammu Tawi to reach Srinagar. Srinagar is linked by the National Highway 1A to the rest of the country. J & K State Road Transport Corporation operates comfortable buses from Jammu. The Jammu – Srinagar road passes through majestic mountain passes, with fields stretching out to the sides and lined with towering trees. The journey takes about 12 hours and is a good tour in itself.

We stayed in the Lal Chowk area of Srinagar. Lal Chowk is often referred to as Ghanta Ghar (House of the Bell). It is a tower with a clock and a bell. With hotel lined streets and a bustling market, it is always full of action.
Once we managed to look beyond the barrage of tourists and vendors, Srinagar beyond a major tourist hub emerged before us.

                                                                                                                                            Dal Lake

From Srinagar - Kargil - Leh:

There are only two roads that connect to Leh from the rest of the India one being Srinagar - Leh and the other Manali - Leh Highway.

The distance from Srinagar to Leh is 434 KM's and is one my beautiful rides I have ever taken in my life. You will be traveling through the stunning views of the mountain terrains.

Generally, travelers or adventure lovers from all over world dream to undertake this road trip of their lifetime by covering both routes connecting Leh – Ladakh to rest of India i.e. a lifetime experience road trip traversing Srinagar – Leh – Manali Highways. Apart from being famous for its enchanting views, this highway holds a strategic importance for India and being close to LOC, you see the heavy army presence on it when you travel through Srinagar – Leh Highway.

After Zojila Pass

Kargil  has a huge variety of colour changing mountains From Green, Brown and of course the black mountains with snow covered on the peaks, It has some spectacular mind blowing landscapes through out the region. LOC passes through this area and the area is very very sensitive.
Every Individual vehicle has to register themselves near the checkout point in this region and you should be open to answer any sort of inquiry done by the army generals in these regions, Kargil is the entry point in Ladakh region , its situated at a even distance of Srinagar - Leh highway. Most of the people choose this place as the resting point on their trip to Leh.
To reach Kargil one has to cross through the mighty Zozila pass, which I reckon it as the Godzilla Pass :) and Drass ( Which is the second coldest region in the world) while going from Srinagar.
The temperatures in Kargil and Drass might drop to -3 or -4 during nights in peak summer and to -35 to - 40 in peak winter seasons.
Places to See :
1. Tiger Hill
2. Kargil War memorial
3. Indus River

A View in Kargil

Things to remember:
1. Its always better to chose Kargil over Drass , when it comes to night accommodation during this trip as the options available in Kargil are more in compared to Drass.
2. Always carry Warm thermals, Glouses, 2 MonkeyCaps ( for safer side) and a heavy woolen or Leather jacket to survive in those weather conditions during nights.

Leh, Sitting at 3,500 metres above sea level, the air is rarefied and outsiders need time to get acclimatized. After arriving, give at least 48 hours before undertaking any vigorous climbing or treks. The most common symptom of high altitude sickness is headache and nausea, which usually goes within a day or two.

People here are very hospitable, Most of the people here are Shia Muslims and the rest are Tibetan Buddhists. You get to see the Army officials every where and be open to answer all the questions if in case of any inquiry done them.

Leh - To - Pangong Tso

The Pangong Tso, What more I have to save about this place..The spectacular view of the mountains in the background with the deep blue saline lake flowing through will make you to feel close to the nature.
The beauty of this lake is it changes its colour to deep blue as the temperature increases and it portraits VIBGYOR colors early in the morning as seen from the long distance.
This lake is situated at one of the highest points in the world at 14000 ft, and the climate here is absolutely chilled, it goes in to negative temperature during nights even in summer ( For the rest of the India).

The Lake remains Frozen for the rest of the season ( from November to April ) and usually remains closed for the tourists, only the Indian Army does their duty near this region throughout the year.
Only 33%  of the Lake lies in the Indian Origin,Most of the Lake lies in the Peoples Republic of China in Tibet region,
This place is often chosen as the Shooting spot for most Bollywood and Tollywood flicks. Though many movies had been shot over here right from mid 90's ( Dil se, Heroes etc..), But, this lake has got the recognition after the block buster movie 3idiots climax scene which was shot over here.
How to reach Pangong Lake:
Pangong Lake is situated almost to the India - Tibet Border region with Spangmik being the last village in the India.
Most of the private vehicles are available from leh to pangong lake, But Since I was on a expedition drive, I was driving on Bullet.
You can reach to Pangong lake from Leh ( Via Karu , Tangste Villages),its 150 kms from Leh  and you have to cross the 3rd highest mountain pass in the World, THE CHANG LA. It is at the height of 17,688 ft (5360 M).
The time taken to drive 150 Kms will be more than  6 hours as you will be driving on the mountain passes and you need to be very much careful on the edges.

 From here sky was the limit, coz i was driving on a mountain top

Things to Remember ( Do's and Dont's):

1. Since the atmospheric conditions are very abrupt, never ever be overconfident of making it possible to drive on mountain roads, always have a steady plan in your mind and keep a buffer day for every place you visit in these locations.

2. Never ever push your body conditions, If your body doesn't acclimatize to the higher altitudes, always steady down to lower altitudes and take some rest or take a break. My advice is to stay in LEH for couple of days, so that your body acclimatizes to the conditions over there.

3. While you are driving on higher altitudes or traveling on higher altitudes, the amount of oxygen level decreases and you will be hit with Acute Mountain sickness (AMS), Vomiting sensations, headaches and dizziness, It's better to carry anti oxidant drug tablet which will be useful during such trips.

4.Never ever drive in these regions during night times unless it is a four wheeler ( The people who drive four wheeler are highly skilled on these mountain terrains during nights as well). If it is a four wheeler and you are self driving , drive it on your own risk at nights.

5. The people here are very hospitable, Always try to avoid having loose talks with the local people over here ( Especially  related to the International issues ).