| Day |
Itinerary Detail
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| Day 1 |
We’ve collected you from the airport and transferred you to our Delhi hotel to meet the Group and enjoy a welcome dinner. We night stop at Delhi hotel. |
| Day 2 |
Today we prepare our luggage for an afternoon departure by Express train through Chandigarh to the railhead at Kalka with a short jeep ride to the start of the Tour at a comfortable hotel overlooking Shimla, dinner and bed. The next day you are ready to take command of you motorcycle. |
| Day 3 |
We deliver a brief and then ride off gently through Shimla the Hill Station Capital of Himachel Pradesh and on to hidden valleys; we kick-off with a rollercoaster ride of twisting climbing roads. Our first day takes us into green hills and then to night-stop, at an old temple site with views across the Satluj Valley, in the Alpine-like hills north of Shimla.
Your confidence grows as you learn the ‘rules of the road’, the group is finding its pace and we’re heading north east up the highway. Way above us apple orchards high on hidden plateaux. Apples galore slides silently by ropeway to the roadside, piled high in waiting Tatas; ten million boxes of ‘ruby reds’ to be distributed across all India through Delhi’s huge markets. Way below us a silver streak, the Satluj river, deep in its giant-power cut gorge.
Our night-stop in old colonial style cottages is in the sleepy village of Sarahan, home to the centuries old Bhimakali Temple with its six concentric silver coated doors; creating a unique blend of Hindu-Buddhist architecture. Sarahan is also a summer home to the Apple Maharajas whose fine wooden houses can be seen dotted on hillsides.
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| Day 4 |
Riding up the steep Sangla valley you’ll discover discovering fine examples of the unique Kinnauri religious style in their ancient stone and wood, earthquake-proof temples. Steep sided valleys with thick forests are home to leopards and bears, cloaked in deep snow in winter. Pioneering apple orchard developments are sprinkled across the Baspa Sangla valley as are quaint unique and largely unspoilt villages, whose friendly locals tell of a hard life, often cut-off for months in winter.
We night stop in tents in an aweinspiring location near the 'rumbling' Baspa River. |
| Day 5 |
A fresh start and a ride to the north. We are heading for the hill side village of Kalpa, sitting above a beautiful Deodar forest, amidst gardens and apple orchards. You’ll smile at the views across the valley to Kinnaur’s most holy ‘Kinner Kailash’ 6,050m, not to be confused with Tibet’s Mt Kailash. |
Day 6
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We are heading for a village to the north. We arrive there - just before the demanding landslide at Malling. We stay in luxury, camping above a beautiful lake. At 3,600m the air is clean and cool, inviting a stroll through narrow paths and lanes in what I think must be one of India’s prettiest mountain villages.
We’re in ‘border country’ we ride below ridges that once were occupied by Chinese forces in the Sino-Indian war 1962, parts of the territory China called Aksai Chin - a high altitude salt desert. It was absorbed by the British in a 1904 treaty with Tibet, once the extended kingdom of the largely Hindu Dogras.
Local tales tell of strange things hidden in the mountains.
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Day 7
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It's too beautiful to rush away so we rest here a day, taking the opportunity to expore the village and for the more adventurous a climb to a nearby Buddhist Gumpa above the camp. Alternatively you can relax in the pretty flower gardens around the campsite. we spend our second night night above the peaceful lake. |
Day 8
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At the top of the valley the Spiti Valley flows into the Satluj river and we must turn left, the Tibet border not 10 kms distant and head into the Spiti Valley. We the road heading for Kaza – but crossing the Spiti river before Kaza we head into the Pin Valley to enjoy a simple night stop at a Gompa Guest house to share expereinces and commune with Lamas.
Time permitting we'll ride up the ancient and now crumbling monastery at Dhankar with views way across the Spiti Valley towards the Pin Valley. Our night-stop, is one of the most spectacular sections of this route and frequent stops are a must to grasp the enormity of the mountains.
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| Day 9 |
In a land whose Buddhists built temples over 1200 years ago, we’ll explore some of these magnificent crumbling monasteries, perched quite literally on pinnacles of rock.
Today we take the opportunity to visit teh truely amazing view of site of the Ki Monastery, perched quite litterally on a pinnacle of rock. Riding on to the village of Kibber for lunch or light refereshment. Kibber is still one the most unspoilt villages in the Spiti Valley. We’ll night stop in Kaza.
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Day 10
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We're ready to ride towards the source of the Spiti River, taking a side tributary that crosses the mountains at Kunzum La. 4,500m, the distant Kunzum La. The other side of the pass sees us in remote, dramatic and seemingly harsh scenery. But we're heading to a little known secret and our night stop beside a beautiful blue mountain lake.
We night stop in tents beside the lake, around which horsemen and shepherds tend their animals.
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Day 11
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From the lake we have to cross many road-rivers, the road is a challenge and in places may seem impassable. we'll make it and climbing up the valley side until we meet the main highway to Leh.
Our destination is keylong where we night stop in a friendly village guest house.
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| Day 12 |
The ride today has you climbing in altitude, crossing two passes to over 4,000m. We ride through glacial-melt rivers, some small some not so small. Arid desert landscapes so dry you’ll stop for water, zig-zagging roads, saline lakes and at the wide open pastures of Sarchu our first camping night-stop at altitude. At 4,250m you may be at an all time high, literally, as the thin air induces deeper breathes and sometimes an uncomfortable sleep. The Tour Leader keeps a keen eye on all Riders during these high altitude stages, checking for signs of AMS.
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| Day 13 |
Today’s not a long ride by design, we are climbing continually to over 4,500m and the symptoms of AMS may well be showing themselves. We ride slowly and take frequent rest stops, a technique that helps acclimatise Riders on a route that must not be rushed. The engineering masterpiece, the Gata Loops will tire you. 22 testing hairpin bends climbing for over 7kms, carrying you right over the top of the mountain. We stop for lunch at Pang and climb again to the More plains, where we reach our night-stop beside the tranquil Tso Kar lake where Ladakhi nomads graze large flocks.
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Day 14
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The biggest challenge so far on the tour lies ahead. 50kms onwards the second highest motorable pass on earth, Tanglang La 5,360m (over 16,000ft), can be warm and sunny or cold and snowy. The approach road climb seems never ending, all the time your motor gets weaker. On the far side the road is broken. Landslides weaken the higher sections as we drop down through swinging through loops down towards civilisation. One more tricky river crossing through enormous gorges in red and green rock buttress-like formations and we’re on for lunch at Upshi on the mighty Indus river. With Leh in our sights the road takes us through ancient Buddhist capitals, past Potala-like monasteries and triumphantly into Leh.
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Day 15
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The Shimla Spiti Leh Tour is on its penultimate day. So we take the time to ride to the top of the highest motorable pass in the world, Khardung La, at 18,380ft. Before heading back down with the magnificent view of Leh and the entire Leh valley. You can take time to explore the quiet lanes and busy markets of Leh below the majestic Leh Palace. There are local rides to the peace Stupa in the north to watch the sunset and to the south Shok and the gumpas at Shey and Thikse. Staying close to the centre of Leh in a peaceful guest house whose gardens and orchards disguise the dusty desert around us. Leh really is an oasis in heaven.
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Day 16
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It's your last day and the Group Leaders will see you off to the airport for your flight back to Delhi. There you will be collected at the airport and brought back to your Delhi hotel for your last night of the Tour. You can collect your luggage and prepare for your transfer to Indira Gandhi Airport and your onward flight home. |
