Himalayan Marathon Boss of All Rides, 22 Days Motorcycle Tour
DESTINATION: Ladakh, India.
2023 ADVENTURE DATES:
Group 1: 07th July – 28th July
Group 2: 12th August – 02nd September
COST (in USD): USD4,485.00pp
Price is twin-share basis. Additional charges applicable for single rooms.
GUIDED: Yes
DIFFICULTY: Challenging – a few long riding days at altitude.
TEAM SIZE: 6 – 15 riders
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel & Camping
MININIMUM AGE: 21 Years
High-altitude activities in mountainous regions calls for flexibility and adaptability to many conditions. In the wilderness, nature has the final say. For us to survive, we need flexibility and adaptability to circumstances as they unfold. While we endeavour to follow the itinerary below, we may need to change it to suit conditions. The end point will always be returning safely to our families. It is imperative to commit to pre-acclimatization training beforehand to cope with the low oxygen environment that we will be visiting. During the trip, our blood oxygen will be monitored and we will advise you how to handle any issues that will inevitably crop up. With this in mind, we will have the best time on a trip that has unparalleled mountain views.
ABOUT THE TOUR
This 22-day tour includes 20 days of riding a Royal Enfield and is easily the most demanding tour presented in the Indian Himalayas. You need a big heart & lungs, a sturdy back and the Will of a Lion for this marathon. We start riding from Manali, traversing to Tirthan valley and into the rocky Kinnaur region. We explore the towering mountains of Kinnaur valley, adventuring into Spiti valley to ride to its numerous remote villages, not missing the world’s highest post office at Hikim and cutting across the Chandra valley into Lahaul and further on to the challenging Zanskar valley. The dusty trails of Zanskar leads us to Suru valley and on to Ladakh, where we scale Khardung La before, We enter Nubra to enjoy a Bactrian camel ride on the dunes of Hundur. We ride on further to the blue Pangong lake and thread our path from the Trans Himalayan regions into the Pir Panjal mountains, testing our riding skills on the Death Valley roads and finally cross Sach Pass leading to Dharamshala, the abode of HH The Dalai Lama. We end this marathon back in Manali.
Come prepared for every possible weather imaginable, from scorching sunshine to freezing blizzards. This trip involves back-to-back days riding at high altitudes so we expect everyone to have some level of fitness to cope better with the low oxygen environment. Our itinerary is tried and tested with acclimatization days along the way, however, we can’t predict how each member will react to altitude.
At The Altitude Gym in Gosford, we can offer a 13-week membership for the price of 12 weeks (i.e., AUD300.00). Here, we pre-acclimatize at around 4,000m asl. The highest attitude gained is 5,600m at Khardung La. For reference, Everest Base Camp is 5,364m and the summit of Mt Kosciuszko is 2,228m.
PLACES COVERED
Manali, Naggar, Roerich Art Gallery, Tirthan Valley, Jalori Pass, Kalpa, Nako, Tabo Monastery, Dhankar, Kaza, Langza, Hikim, Comic, Chichim Bridge, Kunzam Pass, Chandertal Lake, Keylong, Jispa, Shingo La, Shinku La, Purne, Padum, Zangla, Karsha Monastery, Pensi La, Rangdum, Kargil, Lamayuru, Leh, Khardung La, Nubra Valley, Hundur, Deskit, Pangong Lake, Changa La, Khardung La, Tanglang La, Sarchu, Udaipur, Trilokinath Temple, Mrikula Devi Temple, Killar, Sach Pass, Chamba, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Dharamshala, McLeod Ganj, Bhagsunag Temple, Dalai Lama Temple, Palampur
HIGHLIGHTS OF TOUR
– Starts and ends in Manali
– Riding in trans Himalayan regions that opens only in summer
– Visit remote and high villages which have managed to remain hidden from World
– Experiencing Tibetan Buddhism and visiting more than 1,00 years old monastery
– Riding on roads and crossing passes touching heights at times above 5,00 meters
– Experience roads in Pangi valley rated among the dangerous ones in the world
– Climb across several high altitudes passes many times as high as 4,800 meters
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 01: Arrive Manali – hotel overnight
We will meet you on arrival at Kullu airport and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, we assemble at the hotel for a small tour briefing and meet our Royal friend – The Himalayan. Later, we go on a test ride to the Naggar Castle and Roerich Art Gallery. We then ride back to Manali for the night.
Day 02: Manali / Tirthan (110km) – guesthouse overnight
We head to Tirthan valley, riding on NH21, crossing Kullu, and after crossing the tunnel at Aut, we turn to enter Tirthan valley. We ride along Tirthan river to our abode by the river bank. Enjoy the gurgling river or ride deeper into Tirthan valley to explore its scenic views and villages.
Day 03: Tirthan / Kalpa (220km) – hotel overnight
Today we start by climbing and crossing Jalori Pass from where, on a clear day, the long necklace of the Himalayan range can be viewed, including peaks of Kullu region like Deo Tibba, Hanuman Tibba etc. We then descend towards Satluj valley. We cross Rampur and continue on to Satluj valley, entering Kinnaur and then head to Recong Peo, the main town of Kinnaur region. We then climb up to Kalpa which is located in backdrop of Kinner Kailash mountain range.
Day 04: Kalpa / Nako / Tabo (190km) – guesthouse overnight
An interesting ride today along the narrow Satluj valley until Khab, where the Satluj river meets the Spiti river, which is also the point we enter the Spiti valley. We ascend to Nako, the last amongst Kinnauri villages located on the banks of a small lake. We explore the village and later continue on towards Tabo. Tabo monastery was founded in 996AD by the great teacher Richensang-po, and is renowned for its breathtaking murals and stucco images – it is often called ‘The Ajanta of the Himalayas’. This is the largest monastic complex in Spiti: the old section has 9 temples, 23 chortens, a monk’s chamber and a nun’s chamber. There are several caves adorned with frescoes and contemporary structures too. In trans-Himalayan Buddhism, Tabo’s sanctity is next only to Tibet’s Tholing gompa.
Day 05: Tabo / Dhankar / Pin Valley / Kaza (105km) – hotel overnight
Today we ride around Spiti valley, exploring the mesmerizing landscape, varied colours of mountains and remote villages & gompas. We head towards Dhankar and its monastery, resting high over the valley and is a stunning example of local architecture. It is regarded to have once been a fort and was also the residence of the ruler of Spiti – the Nano. We ride further towards Pin valley, the land of Ibex and Snow Leopards. We conclude the day upon reaching Kaza, the main town of Spiti valley. This evening is free to explore Kaza and to make some noise… ‘ride hard, party harder!’.
Day 06: Kaza / Chandertal (117km) – camp overnight
We visit Comic, listed amongst the world’s highest permanently inhabited village, and then onwards to Hikim, that boasts of the world’s highest post office. Next is Langza, located in the backdrop of Chao Chao Kang Nilda Peak. We head next to Chandertal to cross Chichim bridge, the highest bridge in Asia. What a ride it will be from here onwards… catch your breath as you ride deeper into the Himalayas. From Chichim, we ride towards Losar, the last Spiti village, and from here we start the ascend towards Kunzam Pass (4,558m) which lies on the main Great Himalayan Range. We get beautiful views of CB ranges and continue further towards Chandra Taal Lake at 4,250m – the name coming from it’s crescent-moon shape. This lake is of exquisite beauty and lays between a lower ridge and the main Kunzum range, with its outlet flowing into the Chandra river. We check into camp for brief rest then start our hour-long walk towards the lake to enjoy its beauty.
Day 07: Chandertal / Chatru / Jispa (116km) – camp overnight
We leave Chandertal lake for yet another breathtaking day of scenic views and exciting rides. We ride through the trans-Himalayan region crossing Batal and Chatru, entering into Lahaul valley. From Gramphoo, we continue through the Lahaul valley, crossing several villages likes Sissu, Gondla, Tandi, Keylong and Gemur to arrive at Jispa for the night.
Day 08: Jispa / Shinku La / Padum (190km) – hotel overnight
We enter the Zanskar valley today, crossing Shinku La 5,091m and then descending to the valley floor surrounded by towering mountains. We ride along the Zanskar river, crossing several tiny villages to reach Purne and then further on to reach our hotel in Padum by evening. Today’s ride involves riding in a narrow valley with towering mountains on both sides with enchanting views.
Day 09: In Padum
Today we relax and explore the Zanskar valley today, visiting a few villages and old monasteries like Karsha and Zangla Fort.
Day 10: Padum / Kargil (220km) – hotel overnight
Today we ride across the Zanskar valley to enter the Suru valley, crossing the beautiful Pensi La Pass (4,800m) and Drang Drung glaciers. We continue riding along the Suru river down to Rangdum to visit the monastery. We then ride onwards to Kargil, enjoying lovely views of the 7,100m Nun Kun peaks which has best views from Parkachik. We reach Kargil to retire for the night.
Day 11: Kargil / Leh (220km) – hotel overnight
We head to Leh, crossing the Giant Buddha enroute at Mulbek, visit Lamayuru, the oldest Monastery of Ladakh and watch the spectacular moon-like landscape that unfolds as we depart from the monastery. We continue onwards to Leh, viewing the confluence of Indus & Zanskar river, Magnetic Hill, and Pathar Sahib Gurudwara enroute. We check into our hotel and retire for the night.
Day 12: Leh / Nubra via Khardung La (130km) – camp overnight
Today, we ride to the Nubra valley via the famed Khardung La (5,600 m), once the highest motorable pass in the world, where we can take plenty of stunning photos enroute. This is the natural home of the double-humped Bactrian camel and the famous old Silk Route. We have the option to enjoy a camel ride at the sand dunes here. On arrival at Hunder, we check-in at our campsite. In the evening, we explore the village before returning to our camp for the night.
Day 13: Nubra / Shyok / Pangong Lake (140km) – camp overnight
Another mesmerizing ride today along the Shyok River to the beautiful Pangong Lake (4,250 m). This lake is the highest salt water lake in the world and shared by India and China.
Day 14: Pangong / Thiksey Monastery / Shey Palace / Leh (160km) – hotel overnight
After breakfast we ride over Chang La Pass (5,160m) and head to Leh. Enroute, we visit Thiksey Monastery and Shey Palace to reach Leh where we’ll check-in at our hotel.
Day 15: Leh / Tanglang La / Sarchu (253km) – camp overnight
We bid farewell to Ladakh and ride to Upshi where we leave Indus valley and start riding up to Tanglang La Pass (5,328m). From here, we ride to the Moore plains, an expansive 50km of flat-land, and crossing it to start our roller-coaster over Lachung La (5,065m) and Nakee La (4,800m) to reach plains of Sarchu, where we spend our night in tents under stary sky.
Day 16: Sarchu / Baralacha La Pass / Keylong (107km) – hotel overnight
We climb to Baralacha La Pass (4,800m), located on the main Great Himalayan Mountain range and take a trek following CB range to Chandertal Lake. We ride down to Lahaul valley touching the first village Darcha and crossing Jispa to end the day’s ride at Keylong, where we’re free to explore the small town.
Day 17: Keylong / Udaipur / Killar (135km) – guesthouse overnight
Today we ride into the Pattan valley and cross some villages to reach Trilokinath Temple, which is revered alike by Hindus & Buddhist of the region. We continue to Udaipur to visit the beautiful wooden pagoda temple of Mrikula Devi. After this, we start our exciting ride to Pangi valley, the road is along Chandra Bhaga river and perched & cut across high on a cliff. This road is also famously known as The Death Road among travellers. Pangi is a remote valley tucked inside the Himalayas and still remain untouched – the infrastructure here is basic. We reach Killar, the main village of Pangi valley, to retire for the night.
Day 18: Killar/ Sach Pass/ Chamba (160km) – hotel overnight
We leave early for Killar. From here, we ride to valley floor from where we start ascending through thick woods towards Sach Pass, a steep and treacherous ascend. We cross the tree-line and ride in barren rocky surroundings up to Sach Pass at 4,414m. We pay our respect at the temple near the pass and descend to its meadows which are filled with numerous Himalayan flowers in July – August. We continue down the mountains, passing lush green villages like Bairagarh, Tissa and a few others to reach Chamba that’s located on the banks of Ravi river. After checking in to our hotel, we visit Laxmi Narayan temple and the local market.
Day 19: Chamba / Dharamshala (190km) – hotel overnight
We start with a climb to Jot and then ride down to Kangra valley and following the highway to Dharamshala.
Dharamshala is a famous hill station in Kangra valley – it is both the home to the Tibetan refugee community and His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. In the evening, we explore McLeod Ganj, visiting Bhagsunag temple, St Johns Church in the Wilderness and Dalai Lama temple. We spend the evening walking around the colourful McLeod Ganj market.
Day 20: Dharamshala / Manali (240km) – hotel overnight
Today is our last long ride. We cross the Kangra valley, riding by tea gardens and lovely villages. We visit the 11th century Vaidyanath Temple at Baijnath and continue up a mountain road to Kandi Galu, a small mountain pass entering the Kullu valley. We ride alongside the Beas river until arriving at out hotel in Manali.
Day 21: In Manali – hotel overnight
Free-day in Manali. Engage in some café hoping at old Manali or visit Hadimba Devi temple and Manali market. If you still have energy, ride to Sollang Valley and Atal Rohtang Tunnel, the longest tunnel in the world above 3,000m.
Day 22: Depart Manali
Transfer to Kullu airport to connect your flight back to Delhi.
INCLUSIONS
– Airport – Hotel – Airport transfers.
– Accommodation on twin sharing basis in ‘A category’ hotels / guests houses / camps.
– Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner during the tour (during ride in remote areas, lunch may be at a local stall, restaurant or a packed box.
– Royal Enfield Himalayan or Standard 500.
– Fuel for the ride.
– English speaking guide.
– First Aid kit and emergency supplemental oxygen.
– Mechanics with all necessary spares where needed including spark plugs, brake wire, accelerator wire, brake shoes, engine oil etc for the bike (damages due to riding to be paid by rider).
– One standard helmet per rider / pillion (used helmet, not new)
– Support vehicles to carry luggage and spare fuel.
– Bottled mineral water throughout.
– Tea / Chai & snacks enroute.
– Permits & environment fees for restricted areas.
– All entrance fees to places of visit.
EXCLUSIONS
– International or domestic flights.
– Personal Travel Insurance.
– Personal and unexpected expenses e.g. lunches (AUD$2 – AUD$10), drinks, laundry, repairs etc. We recommend bringing about INR16,000 (AUD$300.00) for this.
– Tips.
– Alcoholic drinks.
– Anything not mentioned.
– Indian Visa fees.
– Additional accommodation for early arrival, late departure or early return due to any reason other than the scheduled itinerary.
– Personal riding / travel gear.
BOOKING
– Booking deposit: 25% of trip cost to confirm your seat.
– Balance of payment: 8 weeks before trip starts.
– Cancellations:
• >8 weeks before trip starts: Full refund, less USD200.00
• 8 to 2 weeks before trip starts: Full refund, less USD500.00
• <2 weeks before trip starts: No refunds will be given
• If we cancel the trip due to unforeseen circumstances, we will refund all payments made to us.
Travel Insurance
We recommend cancellation insurance to protect your investment. We require participants to have travel insurance that covers medical expenses, evacuation and repatriation. Please ensure that your chosen policy provides cover for riding at elevations up to 5,600m and travel within India. Evidence of insurance will be required. Emergency evacuation cost is not included in your trip costs.
Please take up travel insurance as soon as your booking is made.
Thank you for training and travelling with The Altitude Gym / Adventure Central Travel.
Contact us for more information