Ladakh Trip: Day 7 (Manali -> Jispa)

Ride Summary: Distance 147 km   Time: 11 hrs

The service van was scheduled to arrive at our hotel at 4:30 am and all the riders were all set for the ride!

This was it. We had come all the way from Pune just for this and we were so excited. Our organizer, Sherab, arrived with the permits required to cross Rohtang Pass. We left Manali around 5:15 am to beat the traffic. Since we were on motorcycles, I would say we weren't that late. But check out the traffic on the way to Rohtang.

Unfortunately, we left the permit in the service van. This meant we had to wait for around an hour at the top to be cleared by the local police. We finished the "maggi" ritual breakfast till then. Beyond that point, all the tourist traffic ends. The roads were wide open for some motorcycle riding and we thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. Stopped for pictures every now and then.


What a wonderful experience riding through snow. I mean, it's just beyond words. And what natural beauty around you. Absolutely loved it! I wondered whether I should look ahead or in the rear view mirror. It was full of nature's paradise.

The best part of Manali->Leh is enjoying riding through puddles of flowing water.

They were the most fun. I couldn't get videos of the tough ones as Shweta was riding pillion since we didn't want either of our shoes to get wet. Rohtang was comparatively easy we were told and we enjoyed every bit of it. Along the way, you see sheeps, mountain goat herds and you just ride through all of this. That's the package :)

On the way, we saw a number of small villages. Check out this volleyball court in the top right side of this pic. Beat that!
Apologies for an iPhone pic that's not very clear but I must admit. Riding a motorcycle and taking good pictures is little tricky. Especially with the gloves and all the gear we were wearing to protect ourselves from the cold.

We filled up our tanks at an Indian Oil pump at Tandi. The next pump was directly going to be in Karu, just before Leh. Hence we got some extra fuel in the service van as well. A good backup, I must say. Pic to banta hai boss!

One of our rider's bike had been having some issues; so we did a quick mechanic stop at Keylong on the way. We reached our tent site at Gemur, 5 km before Jispa around 5:3o pm. What a scenic day it had been. And to end the day with this fantastic camping spot along the river! Heaven on earth! And the ride was just getting started :)