Manali - Leh Part 2
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 95.84 mi
- Elevation gain
- 5,545 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 5,420 ft
- Max elevation
- 16,678 ft
- TrailRank
- 61
- Min elevation
- 11,358 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Coordinates
- 3359
- Uploaded
- September 20, 2015
- Recorded
- September 2015
near Dārcha, Himachal Pradesh (India)
Viewed 2328 times, downloaded 35 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Starting a the Darcha bridge, it features the long ascent to Baralacha La. A first tiny tent settlement is Patseo, known because of its little lake where you can also hire a boat. Next comes Zing Zing Bar, which is not very pleasant. It consists substantially of a petrol station and some barracks, no accommodation - to find a second tent settlement you need to push up a couple of kilometers more. The ascent is still long, and after a stretch with switchbacks skirts a little lake. At the top there is no shelter, only a little temple. The pass marks the crossing of the Great Himalaya Range. Descent to the big tent settlement of Bharatpur, one of the most characteristic places of the Manali-Leh highway. Form there, descent to Sarchu, through the scenic wide Tsarap valley.
The valley is the followed for several more kilometers, before being abandoned via the Gata Loops, a long series of switchbacks leading up to the final traverse to Nakeela La. This is separated by the little depression of Whisky Nalah from the first 5000 m pass of the road, which is Lachlung La.
The descent from this pass is the most spectacular stretch of the track, because it follows a gorge very reminiscent, for example, of those in the Moroccan Antiatlas. After the highpoint of the narrow Kanga Jal, the valley opens leading with a very gentle descent to Pang.
After Pang some switchbacks lead up to the wide Morei plains, which are followed up to Debring, last tent settlement before the ascent to Taglang La.
It is said that on the Morei plains the rule is to find tailwind: actually, we did, an we indeed enjoyed this, in conjunction with the asphalt.
Part 1: http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=10846237
Part 3: http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=10832402
Waypoints
Intersection
12,000 ft
Fork above Darcha
Start of an irrelevant road climbing a little up the mountain. The view opens into the valley.
Lake
12,467 ft
Patseo
With a little lake where one can also hire a boat. This is said to be the highest pedal boat of the world.
Waypoint
13,123 ft
Zing Zing Bar
Mainly a military post. Some tents with dhabas are to be found a few kms higher.
Mountain pass
16,067 ft
Baralacha La
Here the Manali - Leh highway crosses the main Himalayan watershed
Lake
14,768 ft
Green lake
There is a little lake also on this side of Baralacha La. Very wild ambience.
Panorama
14,571 ft
Valley of Sarchu
Wonderful views on the river Tsarap and the rock pyramids around it.
Waypoint
14,207 ft
Sarchu checkpoint
Passport check guaranteed here. The village is separated from the checkpoint by a river.
Panorama
14,198 ft
Tsarap Chu canyon
A remarkably scenic stretch, in which the road make s a long detour to reach a bridge well inside this side valley.
Waypoint
14,108 ft
Gata loops
Marked is the base of the loops, that is, the point where the road leaves the valley, short after Whisky Bridge.
Mountain pass
16,181 ft
Nakeela La
Little below 5000 m, anticipates Lachlung La, something like Passo Eira and Passo Foscagno in the Alps.
Wilderness hut
15,629 ft
Whisky Nalah
Group of tents in a depression between two consecutive passes, Nakeela La and Lachlung La
Waypoint
16,025 ft
Singh Memorial
Waypoint chosen as a representative of the valley between Lachlung La and Kangla Jal
Panorama
15,259 ft
Rock arch
A perfect natural work, with the rock spires around Kangla Jal in the background.
Bridge
14,785 ft
Bridge before Pang
In the stretch before the Kangla Jal and the bridge one also sees interesting rock pyramids on the right side of the valley.
Wilderness hut
14,865 ft
Pang
As usual, tents with dhabas and accommodation: last chance before the long and desertic Morei plains.
You can add a comment or review this trail
Comments