Manali Leh road trip is 474 km long highway begins from Manali and is normally open from 1st week of June and officially closes on mid-September every year; in practice it remains motorable till the end of October.
These 474 kilometers will test you & shock you due to the sky touching mountains and risky zigzag roads. You will feel life is too beautiful!. The Manali Leh highway, connecting the lower Himalayan regions The average elevation of Leh Manali road is about 4,000 m (13,000 feet) and its highest elevation is 5,330m (17,400 ft) at the Taglang La mountain pass. The highway is flanked by mountain ranges on both sides, featuring stunning rocks and sand natural formations.
The highway passes through some of the world’s highest mountain passes in the world, uncertain weather, high altitude, extreme cold and no civilization for miles.
Note: make sure you carry extra fuel and feel close to heaven.
The another way to reach Leh is Srinagar Leh Road
You will pass through the huge water crossing called as Rani Nallah left on the road. The metalled road switchbacks to the first of the pass. Although by no means is it a high altitude pass—yet at 3978m Rohtang Pass is a scared point, for its very name translates to ‘a pile of dead bodies’. The weather can change abruptly at Rohtang Pass and visibility can get dark when the clouds cover the landscape. There are several badly broken dirt trails on the road but overall condition of the road is not as bad as everyone perceives it to be. Extremely bad sections of the road will mostly be around Rohtang Top and near Tanglang La pass. You don’t need to be scared, the rest of the journey will be a mix of smooth, good, Ok and bad overall you will enjoy the trip.
(‘official’ means that the Indian government won’t airlift you if you get trapped in snow).
Due its climb higher passes in elevation over thousands of feet, and pass through remote areas, it is important when driving on this road please be prepared. Due to (low air pressure) at high altitude, less oxygen is breathed in and many travelers experience altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness, causing acute mountain sickness: headache, nausea, cold and vomiting. Leh is a cold semi-arid desert. It is cold along the highway even in summer (June onwards); the days are warm in bright sunshine but the nights are very cold.
Note: Check weather forecasts before leaving home, and remember that it becomes cooler and often more prone to storms at higher elevations.
Manali Leh highway/Road Route Map.
Manali
Manali is a high-altitude Himalayan resort town in India’s northern Himachal Pradesh state. It has a reputation as a backpacking center and honeymoon destination. Set on the Beas River, it’s a gateway for skiing in the Solang Valley and trekking in Parvati Valley. It’s also a jumping-off point for paragliding, rafting and mountaineering in the Pir Panjal mountains, home to 4,000m-high Rohtang Pass.
Rohtang Pass
Rohtang Pass Located at a height of 3979 metres and at a distance of 51 kms from Manali, Rohtang Pass is on the highway to Keylong/Leh. In winters, This pass is a gateway to Lahaul Spiti, Pangi and Leh valley.
Baralacha La
Bara-lacha la also known as Bara-lacha Pass, or Bārā Lācha La, is a high mountain pass in Zanskar range, connecting Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Leh district in Ladakh, situated along the Leh–Manali Highway.
Suraj Tal
Suraj Tal or Suraj Tal Lake also called Surya taal. also called the Lake of the “Sun God”, and lies just below the Bara-lacha-la pass in the Lahaul and Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh, and is the third highest lake in India, and the 21st-highest in the world.
Gata Loops
Gata Loops is a series of 21 hairpin bends that leads to the top of one of the highest motorable passes in Leh Ladakh region that is Nakee La. Gata Loops is situated at an altitude of 17000 feet above the sea level and thus gifts some wonderful sights of the snow-laid peaks in the back ground and excitement filled journey till the top most portion.
Nakee La
Nakee La is the is the third highest pass on the Manali Leh Highway, the beautiful views and self-inflicted peer pressure is such a motivation to enjoy the fullest.
Lungalacha La
Lachulung La (el. 5,059 m or 16,600 ft), or Lāchālūng La or Lungalacha La, is a high mountain pass along the Leh–Manali Highway. It is located some 54 km (34 mi) from Sarchu and 24 km (15 mi) from Pang on the Leh–Manali Highway.
More Plains
More Plains is vast and breathtaking with various colors when you travel. The mountains look like a painting from the distance. It occupies 40 km of the highway between Leh and Sarchu.
Taglang La
Taglang La or Tanglang La, elevation 5,328 metres, is a high altitude mountain pass in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. As of November 2018, the Leh–Manali Road leading south from Upshi to Tanglang La pass is paved, with the exception of a very short unpaved section just north of the pass.
Leh
Leh lies near the eastern parts of Jammu and Kashmir, on the crossroads of the historic “Silk Route” Leh is now known for its Buddhist sites and nearby trekking areas. Massive 17th-century Leh Palace from Sinkiang to West Asia and to the plains of India. The humbling monasteries of Shey, Hemis, Alchi, Thikse and Lamayuru will nurture your spiritual needs, and the landscape of Leh provides a number of adventure activities including rafting, mountaineering and trekking along the Markha Valley trek
