IN FOCUS 20 BEST RIDES Hanu KARGIL LADAKH RANGE Khalsi Temisgam Sonamarg Bodh Lamayuru Kharbu Likir Wanla Indus River Phyang Panikar ZANSKAR RANGE LEH Srinagar Stok Chilling Pahalgam best Parkatik Ringdom HEMIS ZANSKARNATIONAL RANGE PARK Pensi La Zanskar River 4400 m Inshan Doda River cycle Anant Nag Zangla Padum rides Bardhan Rediscover the same road on different wheels. Slow the world down to see it and absorb most of it. Tex20T, mapS & phoToS: depi ChaudhRy zanskar valley Duration: 3/4 days of riding - one way Strenuous Best Season: June to Oct Easy Level: Total Distance: 231km (the most beautiful section is from Parkachik to Rangdum - 45km) Cycle mechanics and spares: It is important to Getting To/From & Accomodation: Kargil is 204km from know your cycle mechanics. The local cycle shops have Srinagar and 214km from Leh. There are plenty of basic hotels at Kargil and Padum. There isn’t much choice on the way. Sanko has never seen gear cycles and do not have much idea - about repairs. a couple of guest houses. Till Panikhar there are a few govern- Safety Concerns: India is generally a safe place for ment rest houses that can also be used for a small fee. The care- tourists. However, we recommend that you do not cy taker will also cook a basic meal. Panikhar has one small guest cle alone in remote areas or after dark. house. Parkachik has a government rest house. Rangdum has a Road signs/maps: There are virtually no road signs couple of guest houses and some home stays. Akshu and Ating in India. Maps do help. (Map Source - Open Street both have home stays only. Map and Open Cycle Map used under the CC-BY-SA - 2.0 licence). Else, carry a GPS with pre-loaded maps. In some remote areas mobiles may not work. Eating places: Although India has lots of eating plac The Ride: This is the remotest corner of the Himalayas in India. colours. At the end of the valley the Ringdom Gompa can be seen es on the road sides, in rural parts it’s The area is completely cut off for eight months of the year. From on a small hill in the wide open valley. From here the road climbs difficult even to buy bottled water. Bananas are Kargil the road follows the Suru River on its left. There are lots up steeply to the pass and the Darung Drung glacier on the right considered the poor man’s fruit and one can find them of small villages on the way. As you leave Kargil, the area is fair- is a magnificent sight. On the other side of the pass we follow in most villages. ly green with apricot orchards and fields in the valley. As the the wide valley with the Doda river to the right till Padum. There Grade: Is based on an average cyclist who would be - cycling about 100km per week. road keep progressing towards Padun it get more arid and dry. are no permits required, just an entry at the check post. Duration: This could vary from person to person. We The only green is seen in small patches near the villages and the Kargil (2679m) - 0km have assumed an average speed of 15km per hour buff villages are also located near side streams coming down from the Sanko (3000m) - 34km ering time for water breaks and photo opportunities. mountains. The valley is very wide till short of Parkachik. At this Panikhar (3147m) - 62km (check post) Ride / Route: The hardcore dirt mountain trails have point the valley narrows and the road climbs up steeply crossing Parkachik (3600m) - 87km not been considered in our selection. the Suru River. Ringdom (4000m) - 132km Once over the small pass, the valley once again widens. The Pensi La (4300m) - 147km blue Parkachik glacier coming down from Nun Kun can be seen Akshu (3750m) - 178km (check post) across the river. The road flattens out in the valley and the views Ating (3550m) - 200km get better with the mighty mountains around and stunning Padum (3000m) - 231km. 78 AUTO INdia JUNE 2013 JUNE 2013 AUTO INdia 79 Chandra Bhaga / Chenab River Kilar Sarchu Urgus Baralacha La Udaipur Jelma Bhaga River PIR PANJAL Ravi River KEYLONG Darcha GREAT HIMALAYAN RANGE CHAMBA Kugti IN FOCUS 20 BEST RIDES Pass Tandi CENTRAL LAHUL MASSIF Bharmaur Hadsar Chandra River Donali Parang La BARA BHANGAL BARA Khoksar naggar - shirad - kullu Kunzum La upshi - tso moriri Jalori pass Minkiani Machhetar MANI MAHESH Batal Kibber Pass Chhatru MANALI Ki Duration: 2 days of riding - one way Duration: 4 hours of easy riding Mc Leodganj Indrahar Pass DHAULADHAR KAZA Best Season: June to Oct Best Season: April to Nov (Avoid the monsoon) DHARAMSALA Thamsar Pass Jagatsukh Dankhar KANGRA Rajgundha Level: Easy Strenuous Level: Easy Strenuous Naggar GREAT HIMALAYAN NATIONAL PARK Gompa PALAMPUR Bir KULLU SPITI DIVIDE Total Distance: 162km (the most beautiful section is from Total Distance: 36km (Aani to Shoja), Shoja to Banjar - 16km Pulga TABO Jari Manikaran Mudh Chumathang to Korzok - 72km) Getting To/From & Accomodation: Aani is 105km from KULLU BHUNTAR Beas River Getting To/From & Accomodation: Upshi is 47km from Leh. Shimla. There are a couple of basic hotels at Aani. Khanag has a Upshi has some very basic hotels and Korzok has two basic forest rest house. However, the better accomodation is at Shoja Banjar Jalori Nubr Shoja Pass hotels, home stays and a few tented camps. In between there - Banjara Camps and if you get to Banjar you could take the de- Khanag Kafnu Shy a R KALPA ok R iv MANDI Thangi Chandra Bhaga / Chenab River Anni are plenty of homeiv er stays and tea shops that are used as over- viation to Thirthan valley - Himalayan Trout House er Parnamik Kilar Sutlej River Wangtu night halts.Hundar Sainj Sangla LADAKH R Khalsar The Ride: Jalori Pass is one of the remote passes that connect SHIMLA ANGE Chitkul Sarchu the Sutluj Valley and the Beas Valley. The road crosses the Sutluj RUPNAGAR Khardung La River at Luhri and goes along the Sutluj River on its true right. Indus R Urgus ZANSK iver LEH Short of Aani the road leaves the Sutluj and follows a side stream Wari La Baralacha La AR R Tangtse Udaipur CHANDIGARH ANGE to Aani. From here onwards the road gets very interesting climb- Chang La Jelma Bhaga River PANGONG R Lunkung PIR PANJAL HEMIS ZANSNATIONALK PARK Darcha GREAT HIMALAYAN RANGE Shakti Ravi River KEYLONG ing up through the apple orchards and some small villages. As iver LADAKH R Spangmik Zanskar R AR R Karu ANGE Kugti we climb higher the vegetation changes from pine to fir to oak. ANGEHemis CHAMBA ANGE Pass Tandi CENTRAL LAHUL MASSIF Upshi Chandra River Pangong Tso Bharmaur Hadsar Parang La There are some lovely grazing pastures in this area. The road ZANSK ZANSK Donali Indus R BHANGAL BARA Khoksar from Aani climbs up gradually for the next 25km to Khanag AR R Kunzum La AR R ANGE iv Machhetar MANI MAHESH Batal er Minkiani Kibber gaining almost 2000 metres. For the next 5km the road is fairly ANGE Chushul Chhatru Pass Ki Indrahar MANALI steep gaining around 700 metres to the pass (3140m). It is a Mc Leodganj Pass DHAULADHAR ZANSK KAZA DHARAMSALA Thamsar beautiful road through some of finest forests in the region. The AR R Chumathang Pass Tso Kar ANGE KANGRA Jagatsukh Dankhar northern view from the pass is fabulous with the Dhauladar Mahe Rajgundha Naggar GREAT HIMALAYAN NATIONAL PARK Gompa range and the Great Himalaya range visible. The forest cover of PALAMPUR Bir Pulga KULLU SPITI DIVIDE TABO Dumgti the DeodarsLADAKH RANGE is beautiful. The road gets better as we descend Jari Manikaran Mudh KULLU towards Banjar. Beas River Khardung La Korzok BHUNTAR Indus River Tso ZANSKAR RANGE LEH Moriri Sabu Shey PANGONG RANGE HEMIS NATIONAL PARK Thiksey The Ride: The road follows the Indus River leaving the Manali ZANSKAR RANGE LADAKH RANGE Karu road on the right. There is a check post just after leaving Upshi. Kafnu baspa valleyHemis Upshi KALPA Pangong Tso The valley narrows down and the mountains get a little more MANDI Thangi ZANSKAR RANGE Duration: 5 hours of easy riding ZANSKAR RANGE rugged. There are a few small villages located on the banks of the Sutlej River Wangtu Rumtse Indus River Best Season: April to Nov river. The green fields and the willow trees are very soothing to Duration: 5 hours of easy riding Sainj Sangla Level: Easy Strenuous Tanglang La the eye. The road surface is fairly good and level. Chumathang is Best Season: April to Nov (Avoid the monsoon) ZANSKAR RANGE Total Distance: 58km (Karcham to Chitkul and back to Batseri SHIMLA Chitkul a small settlement near the hot springs. The village is located on Level: Easy Strenuous Sangtha Tso Kar Village) RUPNAGAR the banks of the river with a few shops on the road. There is a Total Distance: 46km Pang Getting To/From & Accomodation: Karcham is 177km from small border road establishment near the village. The village has Getting To/From & Accomodation: Naggar is 20km short of Lachulung La Shimla. There are no hotels at Karcham and only a few home a few home stays. The road is fairly gradual till Mahe. At Mahe Manali in the Kullu Valley. We recommend staying at the John- Nakee La stays at the village. The Baspa valley has many options, however Sarchu there is a check post. Just after the bridge, the road leaves the son Orchard at Raison village. CHANDIGARH Tso the best place is Banjara Camp at Village Batseri (between Moriri Indus River and starts climbing up the small valley to Sumdo.