Ladak ,Leh , Manali Mountain Biking Tour

We will fly from Delhi to Leh, and transfer to our hotel. We will take the rest of the day to acclimatize, unpack our bikes, and enjoy the panoramic view of the Indus Valley. (Alternatively, as an optional extra, you can join us in Kathmandu and fly to Delhi. No ground transport is available from Kathmandu to Delhi).

we can cycle or drive to Leh from our hotel for a day of

sightseeing and shopping. We have the option of returning

to our hotel by bike or bus.

This is our first official day of biking! We will leave our hotel for a great ride downhill to the Indus River, enjoying panoramic views of the Indus Valley on the way. We will cross over the river and then, following its banks, we'll test our cycling abilities at altitude with a short ride to the Shey and Thiksey Monasteries. We will ride on level, tarmac roads through the desert-like terrain which is strewn with remnants of giant stupas (Buddhist monuments). Thiksey Monastery is a small replica of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, ard is commonly referred to as Little Potala. We have the option then to cycle or take the bus back to our hotel

Today we will ride to the Alchi Monastery and then return

to our hotel by bus.

This morning we leave the luxury of the hotel and begin our journey, heading for Hemis Gompa (monastery), the most famous monastery in Leh. We will make the climb up to the monastery and spend some time exploring its hidden treasures, before breaking for lunch at the foot of the gompa, Our day will continue with an epic downhill back to the base of the climb, and we will leave the Indus Valley behind us. At Upshi we start a gradual climb up to Taglang. From here we'll follow a meandering stream through a steep, narrow gorge, surrounded by mountains that change in colour from gray, brown, dull-red, purple and pink to russet green. We will stay the night at Willow Camp, a small, planted grave of trees owned by the Hemis Gompa

Today's short ride continues through the gorge as we slowly ascend towards our base camp below Taglang-la Pass At the picturesque village of Meru, the desert-like terrain starts to open up, allowing crops to grow in the fertile land by the river. We will continue on to Rumste, a high-altitude Buddhist village, where we'll take a break for snacks at Hotel Nepal a local tented camp set-up by nomadic Nepalese from Helambu. From here we can enjoy spectacular views of snow peaks, high altitude valleys, and homes draped with prayer flags, and pander our next days climb. We will then continue our gentle climb for a further 2km to reach our camp for the night..

Today we challenge the second highest passable road in the world! The Taglang-la Pass, at 500m, is the most difficult part of the climb, with many switchbacks in the road up through the rugged mountain range that surrounds the pass. As we crawl in low gear to the approach of the pass from the northern side we'll pass huge slabs of ice, and further along we'll come across wind-blown prayer flags, left by the many pilgrims who have made the same ascent. With some luck we'll have great views of the surrounding snow peaks, and after cheers of congratulations for completing the ascent we will see our route downhill to Skayang Chu Tháng the More Plains. We will camp -- overnight with the nomads and wild asses on the More Plains,

After breakfast and some time spent wandering around the camp we'll head out off-road through the More Plains, riding through the widest part of the valley. At the end of the plains, just before Pang, the road drops into a deep gorge. We will take in the sunset from above and then ride down at dusk to our ready-made riverside camp.

Leaving camp, the tarmac road, broken up from spring thaws, follows the contours of the base of the gorge. As we gain altitude, snaking along this sometimes precariously perched road heading for the double pass of the Lachung- la (5065m), the road surface improves making progress easier. We reach the first summit, marked with cairns and prayer flags, and drop over onto the exhilarating descent to Whisky Nala. We then head up to another summit, gradually gaining altitude on a roller-coaster road, before descending through a small canyon with 21 switchbacks, and where speeds of 50mph can be reached without much effort. After lunch at Brandy Nala we'll push on another 25km to our camp at Sharchu.

After a leisurely morning in camp we'll ride a gentle ascent of 27km up the Baralacha-la Pass to our high camp at 4824m. For the first 12 km the road varies from flat to hilly in a wide, wind-swept valley, and then starts to climb more steadily as we approach the southern slopes of the Himalayas. Our path narrows and snakes as the surrounding mountains start getting closer to the road. Snow peaks are visible all around, and the scenery passing through this area is spectacular. Reaching what seems like the top of a pass, we ascend onto broad marshland with a few abandoned huts, and will follow the road on to our tented camp at Bharapur

Today is a much-needed rest day, with an option to hike up to the higher altitude land surrounding our camp if you wish. If you do decide to do this, the views are spectacular, particularly at sunrise or sunset - don't forget your cameral At these altitudes, the weather can change at any moment so hikers must carry warm and waterproof gear with them. Light hiking shoes are the best footwear option and should be part of your gear if you plan to walk for the day

Leaving camp in the early morning chill, we'll climb the remaining 8 km to the top of Baralacha-la Pass (4924m), decorated with stupas and windswept prayer flags. The pass, where trails from Zanskar, Ladakh, Spiti and Lahaul all meet, is known locally as pass with crossroads on summit. It also gives rise to the three important rivers of the region the Chandra in the southeast, Bhaga in the northwest and Unan in the north. The ride down from here is one of the longest continual road descents in the world - be sure to check your brakes, and be careful not to lose control as we make the 1524m descent on tarmac, enjoying some spectacular scenery on the way. We leave the bareness of the pass behind as we follow the Bhaga River down to the lush slopes of Lahaul. We will reach the police check post at Darcha (3400m) where documents will be checked, and after lunch will continue on to Jispa, where we'll camp for the night.

Leaving the village of Jispa, where the Dalai Lama held the Kalachakra initiation in 1994, we climb gradually to the district headquarters of Keylong (320 m), the largest village on our route. In good weather you can see the Lady of Keylong glacier, and the picturesque Kibber Monastery perched on the hillside across the Bhaga River. This area has a history dating back to the Rigveda, around 1500BC. and is steeped in legends, myths and superstitions for both) Buddhists and Hindus. Departing Keylong and our last stronghold of Buddhist culture, we ride down to the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga Rivers. The road passes gently with no major climbs, through lush hillside and richly cultivated valleys, having light, daily rainfalls, and an abundance of apples and apricots. The road then descends to the river Chandra, where we cross over to the southern side of the valley arriving at our lunch spot at Khoksar (320 Im). After lunch we start climbing up to the Rothang-la Pass, where we'll make our camp 2km outside of Gramphoo, and can enjoy great views north across the valley.

Getting an early start to climb our lowest pass, the Rothang la at a mere 3980m, completes our trans- Himalayan passing but it's not over yet! From our campsite it's approximately 15 hours and 1147m to the summit, where we'll offer our last prayer flag before heading down again on a good tarmac road. The descent from the starkness of the pass into the lush tropical forested slopes of the Kullu Valley is magical-blossoming flowers scent the air, and cascading waterfalls abound as we ride down through pine-tree forests to be greeted by applauding Indian tounsts; their admiration a fitting way to end this classic ride. As we get closer to Manali, and civilization, we have to adjust again to the colour and activity of everyday life, knowing that we have almost completed this ride-of-a-lifetime. Arriving in the alpine setting of Manali, a British hill station, is wonderful hot tubs, great Indian food and colourful people await us.

Manali is known for its fine woven shawls and hats you can easily find a bargain here, and all shops are conveniently located in one place. A short walk up to the main temple of Manali is worthwhile, and from here you can take in a bird's-eye-view of the town and surrounding area. After an early dinner, we board the bus for Delhi at 5pm, and can make the most of our last views of the Kullu Valley as sunset draws in,

We will say our farewells in Delhi. If you have booked a return flight to Kathmandu as an optional extra, we will fly to Kathmandu today