Travelogue - River Run with the Hyundai Creta: Leh to Sarchu

Always start tough. We’ve been to the third highest motorable mountain pass the day before, and once you’ve negotiated ChangLa, for a first timer in Ladakh, you’d expect the next two days driving down to Manali on the Leh-manali Highway to be a lot easier. And then the Himalayas give you a reality check, because life here ain’t easy one bit.

Our plan is to drive to Jispa from Leh, which is about 340km away. Jispa is at a lower altitude than rest of the drive and that means a better night’s sleep. Even the easiest of chores at high altitude feels like a tough task you should get paid very well for, so if we can beat the heights in a day, it should be smooth sailing all through to Kolkata. Baralacha La had other plans. 

But first, we had to cross Tanglang La, another high mountain pass in the Himalayas. The summit at 5,328 metres above sea level comes close to ChangLa but the climb up Tanglang La is a lot easier from Leh as the road is freshly paved. Even with plenty of snow fallen the earlier day, is fairly easily accessible. Once you reach the summit, the descent down Tanglang La is slow as this side of the road hasn’t been completed yet. With the winter setting in by mid October, expect further work to be carried out only next April/May when these mountain passes open again.

Also read: Day 3 - Sarchu to Manali

More plains soon after Tanglang La is a relief after much climbing and the vastness of the mountains around is truly magnificent. Rock formations on the mountains to your left along the Sumkhel Lungpa river give the impression of a lost city waiting to be explored. Post the scenic Tanglang La come Lachulung La and Nakee La, two short mountain passes enroute Sarchu.

Not much of a climb after Tanglang La as you’ve already risen up in elevation. After Nakee La come the famed Gata loops that are worth a visit is a 4WD vehicle just to enjoy the shortcuts that cut through the loops. The road is broken and gravelly in most parts so although we weren’t risking it out through these short cuts, the suspension handled all undulations well on the main road.

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Get off Gata loops and you are welcomed by the Tsarap river that meanders between mountains for a short 170km run. The drive all through after Gata loops is along this river till you reach the Himachal border. Here is the crossover to Himachal Pradesh from Jammu and Kashmir and just a few kilometers after the check post at the border are the camp sites in Sarchu.

Also read: Day 3 - Sarchu to Manali

We planned to drive past the camp sites, cross Bharatpur and the Baralacha pass to get to the other side before sunset and call it a night at Jispa, which was just about 100km away and at a comfortable 3,300 metre altitude.

But Baralacha La was closed due to heavy snowfall and no vehicle had passed it for over a day and a half. We had to camp in Sarchu but there was another problem. All the camps were being dismantled as the season had ended. The sun was setting with the temperature already around the Zero degree mark and luckily we found just one basic camp that wasn’t packed yet.

The truck that was going to carry the camping gear from the camp we got tents in was stuck on the other side of the Baralacha, so fortunately, yours truly didn’t have to sleep in the car through the night.

Also read: Day 3 - Sarchu to Manali

Getting sleep in Sarchu is tough. There’s less oxygen in the air and the temperatures are sub zero through the night, so most people find it tough to camp in Sarchu. An indigenous way to beat the cold was a hot water bag given by the camp staff. Just hug it like a pillow and you are sorted for the night.

Eshan who’s been shooting these wonderful pictures, didn’t get any sleep however. I got a good 12 hours of snooze time and that means he will not be fighting me for a drive today through some breathtaking Himachal roads.

Route: Leh-Karu-Upshi-Gya-Tanglang La-Pang-Lachulung La-Nakee La-Gata Loops-Sarchu

Distance: 250km

Only time to visit: May end to late September

Also read: Day 3 - Sarchu to Manali