[Dabs]

Hi All

We have decided on the Manali - Leh trip this July ( 18th - 27th). The itinerary that we have chosen is the one given on the home page (http://www.bcmtouring.com/travel-gui...vel-guide.html) Once we reach Leh we plan to go to Khardung La. I guess we dont need any permits for this itinerary. But I have a few queries regarding this trip. Here they are--

1) We want to hire Bike from Manali ( due to shortage of time we cant hire from Delhi ), can you guys suggest some place in Manali where we can hire bikes.
I inquired about hiring Bullets from Adventures Tours Manali ( Ne idea how are these guys?? ) The agent there told me that we need to give 10K advance and Rs 600/- per day per bike. Is this charge reasonable?

2) Could we camp at Bharatpur?? How viable is that? At what altitude is it ?? Is it at lower altitude than Sarchu??

3) Will we get smthing to eat in Bharatpur?? (The real concern is the luggage,
as in I don't want to carry utensils ,if we camp there)

4) Its our maiden trip to Ladakh n we are planing to ride 250 Km per day , is the ascend rate ok .. I read a few articles on AMS somewhere on this forum.. N I don't wanna go through it ..

5) How much petrol do we need to carry.. ?? As you guys will have better idea of the performance and mileage of the bikes which get hired from Manali..



Waiting for ur reply!!

Thanks

[Yogesh Sarkar]

1) We want to hire Bike from Manali ( due to shortage of time we cant hire from Delhi ), can you guys suggest some place in Manali where we can hire bikes.
I inquired about hiring Bullets from Adventures Tours Manali ( Ne idea how are these guys?? ) The agent there told me that we need to give 10K advance and Rs 600/- per day per bike. Is this charge reasonable?

Rent is about the same in Delhi though security deposit is less in their case.

There are plenty of places from where you can hire motorcycles in Manali, haven’t used any of them, so can’t recommend. Once you reach Manali, just ask the hotel you are staying in and they will point you to at least 2-3 renters nearby.

2) Could we camp at Bharatpur?? How viable is that? At what altitude is it ?? Is it at lower altitude than Sarchu??

3) Will we get smthing to eat in Bharatpur?? (The real concern is the luggage,
as in I don't want to carry utensils ,if we camp there)

There are dhaba tents at Bharatpur which provide accommodation at per bed rate. However it is at an higher altitude than Sarchu and also has harsher climate.

4) Its our maiden trip to Ladakh n we are planing to ride 250 Km per day , is the ascend rate ok .. I read a few articles on AMS somewhere on this forum.. N I don't wanna go through it ..

If you don’t want to hurry and have enough time, then my recommendation would be to do Manali - Leh route in three days with a night stop at Keylong, Jispa or Darcha and at Sarchu or Pang. Start taking diamox from Manali (one in the morning and one at night) and drink plenty of water and some glucose mixed water.

5) How much petrol do we need to carry.. ?? As you guys will have better idea of the performance and mileage of the bikes which get hired from Manali.

Can’t really say, it could be that those bikes will give you 35kmpl or 15kmpl. Best option would be to observe their mileage during Manali - Tandi run and based on that, carry spare petrol. To be on the safer side, carry around 10 liters of petrol per motorcycle. Remember you can get petrol in black at majority of Dhaba tents, though at a premium and mixed with kerosene.

Also check Prasham’s reply in this thread, trip to heaven

Ps. Topic moved to Ladakh and Zanskar section.

[Dabs]

Thanks Yogesh for the prompt reply!!!

We Plan to start on 21st from Manali.. an return back by 26 evening.

I guess 3 stops is the right thing to do but then I have few queries

1) The thing is we wanted to carry tents with us so that we can camp in middle of the plains on that route.. for the night.. N I m not sure where can we do that ( as in we can have our dinner on the way then camp smwhere so that we wont need to carry the utensils) .

2) First Stop at Darcha is fine.. for second stop can we camp at Moore plains
how far is it from Pang ? I guess its at less altitude than Pang.

Thanks

[popsha]

I guess we dont need any permits for this itinerary. But I have a few queries regarding this trip.

Permits are needed to go to Khardung La and beyond.

[Yogesh Sarkar]

1) The thing is we wanted to carry tents with us so that we can camp in middle of the plains on that route.. for the night.. N I m not sure where can we do that ( as in we can have our dinner on the way then camp smwhere so that we wont need to carry the utensils) .

2) First Stop at Darcha is fine.. for second stop can we camp at Moore plains
how far is it from Pang ? I guess its at less altitude than Pang.

While pitching a tent in the middle of nowhere sounds tempting, consider this:

At that altitude, walking around is hard labor (until you have acclimatized) and it takes a lot of time and effort to set up and take down tents, especially for the first few times.

Temperatures at night would drop to below zero and there are high velocity cold winds. This means you need quality equipment and you should know how to set them up properly.

Apart from food, you need plenty of water while camping.

A foreigner couple were attacked by a bear while camping near Pang or More Plains in October last year, guy was seriously injured and they had to wait for hours before the first vehicle came and they could ask for help.

My 2 cents, unless you have done a fair bit of camping especially at high altitude, forget about it, at least on the Manali - Leh highway.

[Dabs]

Thanks Yogesh..!!

I guess your 2 cents are of more worth !! ill put rest to my idea of camping this time.. may be next year i'll plan a camping trip somewhere else.. n then someday .. someday on this route....

Then I guess my itinerary is confirmed.

As for the permit where can I get that??

BTW thanks alot for putting this site!!! Its the best , most comprehensive n instant answers to all quereis .. I dont think u need any thing else to plan a trip.. thanks again..

[Prasham]

As for the permit where can I get that??

Contact DM office once you are in Leh. If you don't want to waste 2 hours (though it also is one great experience) for getting permits, talk to your hotel/gh reception or any tour/travel operator in leh. They would get it for you against nominal charge.

[Dabs]

Thanks Prasham!!!

Can U tell me whats the best time to visit Khardung La, I mean is it in the morning or evening !!! .. As I guess we will be reaching Leh some time in Eve. Can we go then??


Thanks again.

[Prasham]

Its best to start early

1) less traffic enroute
2) incase something goes wrong you can have help

[popsha]

2) First Stop at Darcha is fine.. for second stop can we camp at Moore plains
how far is it from Pang ? I guess its at less altitude than Pang.

More Plains is a 1/2 hr ride from Pang. If you have experience of camping in remote areas you might try this.