Keylong to Leh - Part 4 of my 2 wheeler Odyssey

Written By Admin Monday, September 5, 2022 Add Comment Edit

On our way to Keylong we made a scheduled stop at Thandi to fill up our spare canisters with petrol as there are few petrol stations in Ladakh.

There is a sign next to this gas station on the Leh-Manali highway that the nearest gas station is 365 km away. Then, after refueling, we proceeded to Keelong (11,000 feet) for the night.

We had a lovely stay at Keelong and were enchanted by the room's amazing views .

The hotel is booked for us by the central hospitality team of HV Kumar Hotel .

The next morning we got some rest and went to Sarka. It was an amazing trip where we saw the most beautiful places. Only in some places the road was paved, which made it unpaved, otherwise it was a good asphalt snake in the mountains. They passed beauty on the way

Suraj Tal is a crystal clear lake.

We stopped to drink tea on the road near the beach, we met a young Englishman on a bicycle

Cycling alone in Lech! A truly wonderful spirit!

Soon we crossed the Baralachala Pass at 16,000 feet and reached Sarchu (14,000 feet) where we slept in a tent called "Quiet Place" at 4:00 PM. We were the only customers in the 10-bed tent and had the entire tent to ourselves! As night fell, the temperature dropped drastically and we had to cover ourselves with thick blankets to keep warm and get a good night's sleep; This we did.

WikiLink Sarchu (also known as Sir Bhum Chun) is an important Himalayan stop on the Leh-Manali highway on the border of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir) states in India. It lies between Baralacha La in the south and Lachung La in the north at an altitude of 4,290 meters (14,070 ft). The Manali-Leh highway often takes two days due to high altitude and changing road conditions, so trekkers and tourists use this place for an overnight stay. Nearby, on the banks of the Tsarapchu River, is an Indian military camp. The highway and the field are closed in winter when the high passages on the road are covered with snow. This place can be used as a starting point for a strenuous trek to the Zankar region of Ladakh. '

Next morning we left for Lech with good weather and clear skies.

We had a very pleasant ride through the Loops of Ghats and the plains which are excellent for horse riding. It's a race track where you can test how fast your car can go! We experienced typical Ladakhi weather while we were on the plains. The sun shines to the right, and snowflakes to the left! As we approached Debring, the tourist taxi drivers who returned told us that it was snowing at Tanlang La Pass and it was not recommended to go beyond Debring. So, we spent the night at Debring (15634 m) in a tent called Julie (Peace Ladakhi). Again, we were the only customers and treated like royalty.

The cost of a bed for one night was Rs. 100/- and they covered our bikes with blankets to prevent them from blowing away at no extra cost! The next morning we were convinced of their wisdom when the blanket covering our bikes was covered in frost. It snowed continuously all night.

We were given hot water to bathe ourselves in, and the hostess cooked us a delicious vegetarian meal, and we slept happily.

Fortunately, the next morning the sky cleared and we started our journey to Leh.

Approaching Tanlang La Pass (17480 ft) we saw a snowy road and stopped along with other vehicles while the icy section of the road was being cleared by two BRO (Border Road Organization) officials at the pass. . Incredibly industrious and selfless, she soon cleared a narrow, muddy road, let two cars pass us , and we continued on.

Kudos to the BRO officers who selflessly work to clear the traffic jam!

We reached Leh at 3:00 pm and checked in at Jorchung Hotel which in turn was booked by HV Kumar Hotel central reception. We spent four nights here.
I will tell you what we did there in the next post!

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2014/12/my-2-wheeler-odyssey.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2014/12/vapi-to-kapurthala-in-my-2wheeler_16.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/01/kapurthala-to-keylong-part-3-of-my.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/01/keylong-to-leh-part-4-of-my-2-wheeler.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/02/room-5-our-time-in-leh-ladah.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/03/part-6-leh-to-tanakpur.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/04/part-7-entering-nepal.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/06/part-8-bardia-to-lumbini.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/07/part-9-lumbini-to-pokhara.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/07/part-10-pokhara-to-gangtok.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/10/part-11-gangtok-to-paro.html

http://magictravels.blogspot.in/2015/11/part-12-paro-to-ranchi.html