6 Different Routes to Visit Ladakh in 2018

Different Routes to Visit Ladakh in 2018

Hello Everyone, Road trip to Ladakh is always been priority in a bucket list of every traveler in India. The most common route people follow to reach Ladakh is from Manali - Leh Via Rohtang Pass. But there are total six routes to reach Ladakh and we are going to reveal this today.

Delhi - Ludhiyana - Udhampur - Batote - Patnitop -  Srinagar - Kargil - Leh



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This is the most common route followed by travelers for obvious reasons "Beautiful and Easy" Roads. Travelers start their journey from Delhi to Ladakh via Patnitop, Srinagar, Kargil and return from Manali Via Keylong. On Day 1, Start your journey from Delhi to Patnitop which is approx 650 kms from Delhi. Day 2, the distance you must cover from Patnitop to kargil which is around 380 kms. On Day 3, 218 Kms distance to leh can be covered easily. The road will be smooth because this is NH1 and the pakistan border is very close through route.

Delhi - Chandigarh - Manali - Jispa - Keylong - Leh



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The most common route taken by the people who look to hire the motorcycles or cars to visit Ladakh. Before taking this route one must understand you have to take the permissions of going through High passes like Rohtang Pass (Click Here for Info). On this route you will cover 10 Breathtaking Highest Passes in which some of are featured in top highest passes in the World.

 

On Day 1, you can start your journey from Delhi or Chandigarh to Manali. If you don't have your own vehicle and looking to hire from manali, there are regular buses from Delhi or Chandigarh to Manali. Manali is around 570 kms from Delhi and 300 kms from Chandigarh. On Day 2, you can cover around 230 kms distance to Sarchu. On Day 3, distance from Sarchu to leh is around 260 kms and can be covered easily because the road condition have improved.

Delhi - Pathankot - Chamba - Sach Pass - Killar -  Keylong - Leh



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This route is one of the best route for the people who seek wanderlust on their travel journey. This route is little tough than two routes mentioned above. You must be physically fit and your vehicle must be in great condition to go through this route. Because you travel through world's most treacherous road plus you will cross highest passes after Keylong. You need to check the status of Sach Pass also because this pass opens little late than other passes because of the snow level.

On Day 1, Start your journey from Delhi to Bairagarh which is around 700 kms. On Day 2, you will cover only 70 kms from Bairagarh to Killar via Sach Pass, hope you understand the level by the distance you have to cover in a day. On Day 3, Start your journey from Killar to Sarchu via Keylong which is around 200 kms. On Day 4, covering from Sarchu to Leh is a easy task, you can cover it easily.

Delhi - Pathankot - Chamba - Bhadarwah - Kishtwar - Killar - Keylong - Leh



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This route also takes 4 days and 1400 kms to reach Leh from Delhi. If someone is not interested going from Sach Passes and looking to cover world's deadliest road between Killar and Kishtwar, this route is for those. Again as said earlier, you need to be physically fit for these routes because you will cover few highest passes in the world. This route is same until Chamba, then, you can divert you route little bit from Chamba to Kishtwar via Badarwah and Kishtwar.

On Day 1, Start your journey from Delhi to Chamba which is around 600 kms. On Day 2, start your journey early and cover around 335 kms from Chamba to Killar via Bhadarwah and Kishtwar. On Day 3, Killar to Sarchu as described earlier and reach Leh on Day 4 from Sarchu to Leh.

Delhi - Shimla - Narkand - ReckongPeo - Kaza - Chandratal - Kunzum Pass - Gramphu - Keylong - Leh



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Start your journey through this route after checking the status of Kunzum Pass, because it opens in late June or July. You will have to come back to Shimla because there is no other alternate or diversion to the different route. This route can be little difficult because you will go through many waterfalls and less road conditions.



 

On Day 1, Start your journey from Delhi to Shimla which is around 350 Kms. On Day 2, start your journey early as you have to reach Kaza via Reckong Peo. On Day 3, start your journey from Kaza to Keylong via Kunzum Pass. You can stay at Chandratal for a night. On Day 4, cover the distance of 375 kms between Keylong to Leh.

Delhi - Ludhiyana - Udhampur - Batote - Kishtwar - Killar - Keylong - Leh

This route takes 4 days and cover 1382 kms from Delhi to Leh. This will be a mixture of 3 routes mentioned above. You start your journey from Delhi to Batote Via Ludhiyana, then cover Patnitop and reach Killar via Kishtwar, comes back to Manali Leh highway and reach Sarchu, then Sarchu to Leh is a task to reach your destination.



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One day 1, Start your journey from Delhi to Batote which is around 670 Kms, this will be easy task to cover this distance because of the great road conditions. On Day 2, Start your journey from Batote to Killar via Kishtwar, which is around 230 kms. On Day 3, Start your journey from Killar to Sarchu via Keylong which is around 200 kms. On Day 4, covering from Sarchu to Leh is again a task which you can cover it easily.

 

These are the minimum days you require to cover these places. You can take you own time to cover your distance and rest is very important during these trips. But Before planning a road trip to Ladakh, you should be physically and mentally fit because of the acclimatization.

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Chadar Trek India

The frozen Zanskar river served and still serves as the traditional and only way of connect between Leh and Zanskar for the locals in the harsh winter months of Ladakh. Its being used by the locals for centuries. The documentary of National Geographic Channel first brought this journey of the locals to the outside world and since then Chadar - The Frozen River Trek has hit the popularity burst. Its rated as one of the best treks existing in the planet by many.

 

The Zanskar river is big and fast-flowing. For most of its length between Chilling and the Zanskar valley the river is confined within a steep canyon. If the idea of walking over frozen river ice with a large pack on your back and very cold rushing water a few inches below your feet is terrifying, then you are not alone. People sometimes die on the Chadar trek, usually local porters who carry goods on the river for their livelihood and can't afford to be conservative. The hike from Chilling to the Zanskar valley takes more than a week, and at night porters usually sleep in caves in the canyon walls.

This trek is considered as one of the most exciting and unique treks – a very special and an extraordinary trek on shiny ice on the bank of Tsarap River. You will be dropped by a vehicle at Chilling Sumdo (crossed road) then your trek leads in a narrow valley filled with breath-taking views of ice-peaks and unexpected hanging icicles that will attract your gaze for some time. You will spend the night at cave camps with the help of a born fire that will keep you warm and relaxed.

                                         

daily trek begins at around 9:00am and by then the sun's up and blue skies bring cheer despite the cold temperatures. The trek goes along the Tsarap River in the region of Nyerag, Lingshed and constitutes to Zanskar!

                              

Needless to say, having a good guide is critical on the Chadar trek. Trekking on the ice was intimidating. A covering of snow made it difficult to assess its thickness. At times we had to walk along a narrow margin of ice, constrained by the canyon wall on one side and deep rushing water on the other. Slipping in or falling through would not just be cold; it could be fatal. The water was deep and fast, and you would likely be swept under the ice in seconds.

For better or worse, the Chadar trek is an endangered activity and within 5 years will cease to exist in it's current form. A road is currently being blasted out of the rock face above the river. When completed, winter access to the Zanskar valley villages in the interior will be relatively straight-forward. The road will certainly be safe and more convenient than the river, but its completion will mark the end of an ancient local practice.

The ‘Chadar’ is a perfect example of this resourcefulness of the Ladakhis and their indomitable spirit, in the face of such daunting odds. The term ‘Chadar’ means blanket in the local language, thereby giving an indication to the nature of this whole experience. Large sections of the river Zanskar, which is one of the mightiest rivers in Ladakh, freeze over in the dead of winter and are covered by a thick blanket of ice. This frozen blanket or ‘Chadar’ is the only way in and out for Zanskaris in winter, when the road and various other caravan routes are closed due to heavy The icy wonderland of the ‘Chadar trek’ snowfall blocking the high passes. It has been their traditional trade route in winter for Centuries. The seven to eight days walk from chilling to Padum is both challenging as well as an incomparably exiting experience. The landscape aquires a pristine grandeur in winter as the trail enters into the gorge of the Zanskar, where temperatures sometimes drop to –30 to - 35 Degree Celsius.

How to Reach

By Air :- 
Flying over miles and miles of heavily snowed mountains will tell you just why it’s impossible to reach Ladakh by road in the winters. Jet Airways, Air India and Go Air provide daily (once every day) flight service between New Delhi and Leh. However if you plan a trip to this area of the country, you must try to book your tickets well in advance. This might even cut down the prices which may be levied on booking at the last time. You would enjoy the flight as you would fly over many untouched areas and even some mountain ranges. The aerial view is just fascinating and gives a great start to your tour.

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

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