Spiti Valley - Ladakh High Roads of the Himalaya July 12 26, 2017 Ladakh has been described as The Last Shangri la and a Living Museum of Tibetan Culture. And for good reason. Nestled high in the Himalaya and road accessible for only a few months in a given year, this isolated ancient Tibetan Kingdom is home to one of the world s last surviving authentic Buddhist communities. Better termed Motorcycle Expedition, this unique High Altitude Motorcycle Adventure starts out on the plains of India and quickly transforms into the remote region of Spiti often referred to as Little Tibet, a reflection of the region s close proximity to the Tibetan Border, local building styles, and the indigenous Tibetan people who live there. We will then ride the legendary Manali-Leh Road, which crosses three high road passes all above 16,500 feet, and descending into the breathtaking Indus River Valley of Ladakh, scattered green oases amidst moonscape background, cliff-hanging monasteries, and Khardung La, the World s Highest Motorable Pass at 18,380 ft! July 12th - Arrive New Delhi, India Late Night Transfer to Shimla Roadrunners Staff will meet you at New Delhi International Airport, with most flights arriving late evening, and will provide coach transportation for our eight hour transfer to the tour-start base hotel at Shimla, high in the foothills of the Himalaya. July 13th - Morning Arrival at Shimla Dawn just breaking as we catch our first glimpse of the Himalaya rising up over the plains of India. Arrival at Shimla in time for breakfast, where Himalayan Roadrunners staff is waiting with motorcycles and equipment. Rest of the morning free for a nap or a walk into town. Mid-afternoon briefing followed by motorcycle assignment and orientation, and a short shakedown ride to get a feel for the bikes. July 14th - Sarahan Early morning departure on the road to Kufri with lunch in Rampur. Late afternoon arrival at our overnight accommodations in Sarahan at the Hotel Srikhand. July 15th - Rekon Peo & Kalpa Another early start this morning for our long day s ride to the district center at Rekon Peo. We will cross the huge Sutlej Dam project late in the morning with packed lunch. Overnight acccommodations at Kalpa, known for its vineyards and fine views of Mount Kinnaur Kailash at 6050m, and said to have been the favorite place of Lord Dalhousie, Governor General of India in the days of the British Raj. Arrival in Rekon Peo in time for afternoon processing of our required inner-line permits for travel and entry into the restricted Spiti Valley sensitive border area.
July 16th - Nako Another early departure this morning for an entire day on cliff-hanging roads and mountain switchbacks, as we work our way up to the tiny remote village of Nako Lake for overnight. Tented camp. July 19th - Ride to Jispa Long and extremely rough descent into the Lahaul Valley, certainly the most challenging riding of the tour, and we will have a packed lunch while processing our passport and road permits at the police checkpost at Koksar. Smooth, mostly new pavement afternoon riding along the Chandra July 17th - Tabo / Kaza / Kibber River to Keylong, and on ahead to our friendly guesthouse Long ride today with challenging road conditions as we accommodations at Jispa. After a hot shower and cold beer work our way north along the Tibet border to Tabo, and into we will have dinner in the dining room. the marvelous Spiti Valley. Tabo Gompa, built in 996a.d., is an important monastery for Tibetans, and rumored to be the place where the present Dalai Lama will retire. Ride continues through stunningly beautiful landscape to the district centre of Kaza for afternoon tea and a quick look around, before moving on to our overnight camp just below spectacular Kye Gompa. July 18th - Chandra Tal Lake Early morning ride to Kibber, the highest village in the world, followed by a quick tour of Kye Gompa. Rest of the day remote riding to Chandra Tal, also known as Moon Lake. Camp.
July 20th - Jispa - Brandy Nala Moving on past the police checkpost and river confluence at Darcha, and conscious of the shear drop-offs, we will work our way zig-zagging up the glacier and crossing one of the toughest passes of the journey, Baralache La (16,500ft), then descend to Bharatpur for a well deserved Chai and packed lunch, before following some fantastic bits of road along the valley bottoms to our overnight campsite near Brandy Nala. With one of the most welcoming stretches of road on the entire trip, we will follow the small river thrugh picturesque oasis-like hamlets, accented by the phosphorescent green of the trees and the high red mineral content of the surrounding valley walls, and meet the legendary Indus River at Upshi, and ride past the stunning Tikse Monastery with late afternoon arrival into Ladakh s capital of Leh. Accommodations at the comfortable Hotel Lharimo. July 21st - Brandy Nala - Leh With two more high passes today and road construction, we will get an extra early start and immediately ascend the Bata Loop Switchbacks towards Lachhulang La (16,613ft), and descend through Utah-like canyons to our lunch stop at Pang. Keeping an eye out for Tibetan nomads, we will ascend quickly again and emerge into an amazing high-altitude valley known as the Moore Plain, and push towards Taglang La, the second highest motorable pass in the world at 17,582 ft! Descending the pass, we will re-enter civilization having arrived in Ladakh, with confirmation likely by smiling roadside faces shouting Jullay!, Jullay!, hello and welcome in Ladakhi. July 22nd - Leh Town Day free to relax after the passes, and enjoy Leh town.
July 23rd Khardung La Pass First open to foreign motorcyclists (Himalayan Roadrunners) in 1994, Khardung La is the highest motorable pass in the World at 18,380 ft. Descend into the beautiful Nubra Valley for overnight at a Ladakhi pre-set camp with all the amenities. What is Included Domestic airfare: Leh, Ladakh to New Delhi. All hotel and tented camp accommodations. All breakfasts, packed lunches and camp meals. Royal Enfield 500cc motorcycle equipped with saddle bags, all petrol, spare parts, mechanics, and support vehicle with adequate space for seating and luggage. Pre-departure info pack including tour route map and Roadrunners Tour T-shirt. July 24th - Khardung La - Leh Morning visit to Diskit Monastery, oldest in Nubra Valley and home to one hundred monks. Packed lunch along the road back over Khardung La, with arrival back at the Lharimo in Leh in the late afternoon. Group farewell dinner this evening in town. July 25th - Tour Ends - Fly Leh to New Delhi Morning transfer to Leh Airport for flights back to New Delhi. Jullay! What is Not Included International airfare, visa fees, cold drinks, alcoholic beverages, bottled water, laundry services, staff tips at hotels and gratuities at tour end, airport taxes and overweight baggage charges, extra-night food and lodging expenses in Ladakh from flight delays due to bad weather. Sherpa Team & High Altitude Expertise Exclusive to Himalayan Roadrunners tours only, our tented camps in Spiti and on the Manali-Leh Road are our own production. We bring our own Sherpas in from Nepal which gives our groups a self-contained edge in the event of poor weather conditions and the need to change camp locations. Another plus is the ability to maintain standards in camp food provisions, unlike the pre-set local camps that have sprung up over the last few years. Also included on HRR High Altitude Tours is a portable altitude chamber known as Gamow Bag, for emergency use in severe high altutude illness situations. Visa Requirements Indian Tourist visa valid for six months, available from your nearest Indian embassy or consulate general.
Immunizations Immunizations are necessary for travel to India. Please consult your GP/MD or local travel clinic for latest recommendations. Motorcycle Damage Deposit A security deposit of USD $1500 is required prior to motorcycle assignment, and this can be secured via our website as a credit card authorization. No charges will appear on your card unless the motorcycle is damaged while on tour. Repairs of small accidental damage from bikes falling over and light spills are normally covered in the tour cost, but HRR reserves the right to appraise all damages/repair costs and bill accordingly. Etiquette & Protocol Riding a motorcycle into Ladakh is a privilege. Himalayan Roadrunners is grateful to the Tourism Authority of India for permission to operate tours of this kind into the country. Although Ladakh continues to slowly open its doors to the outside world and experiment with new ideas for tourism, participants are reminded of the culturally sensitive nature of this trip and are urged and requested to conduct themselves in a respectful manner and show extra courtesy and riding style while encountering traffic in the Indus River Valley. Rider $4895. Passengers & Non Riders $3295. Single Room Supplement $495. www.ridehigh.com HimRoadrunners@Gmail.com Vermont: 802 738 6500 Run with the Best! A Word of Caution Motorcycling the mountainous areas of the India Himalaya is surely one of the best ways to experience the region s rich cultures, friendly people, and unequaled scenery. At the same time, motorcycling does have its dangers, especially on narrow mountain roads with unpredictable traffic and quick-changing weather conditions. This tour operated by Himalayan Roadrunners Ltd. is better termed Motorcycle Expedition, and should be undertaken by fit, experienced riders with an open mind to changing conditions and different rules of the road.