10 things to keep in mind while planning a road trip to Ladakh

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10 things to keep in mind while planning a road
trip to Ladakh
Leh Ladakh remains one the dream destinations
for all the nature lovers out there, despite its
harsh environment and jarring weather people
line up to get a chance for trip there. And if
you are a bike enthusiast itll be a crime for
you to not take a bike trip to leh ladakh! These
are some of the pointers you must keep in mind
while planning a road trip to Ladakh 1. The best
time to travel. Its a known fact that you have
but a small window to take a bike trip to Leh,
the roads to Leh are only open for about 6 months
a year for the tourist on both the routes.
Starting from mid- May- June first
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• week to about mid-October- November. So the
  months from June to September should be a safe
  bet. But then July August being monsoons could
  get a little tricky on the passes (i.e. Zojila
  pass in the Srinagar- Leh highway, Rohtang pass
  on the Manali- Leh highway). So basically June
  and September are the best time to visit ladakh
  by bike but hey you can always be a little
  adventurous in the monsoon months.
• The routes.
• There are two major routes to reach Leh. The
  Jammu- Srinagar- Leh highway and the Manali- Leh
  highway . Both routes are extremely scenic and I
  would personally suggest that you take one route
  while going there and the other while coming
  back. Although for whatever my experience
  counts, I think its better to take the Srinagar
  highway while coming back as the ascent to
  higher altitudes is more gradual in the former
  route and acclimatizing yourself to the altitude
  is easier in this way.
• Must pack necessary medicines.
• Travelling to Leh- Ladakh by bike takes a real
  toll on peoples health they get altitude
  sickness or acute mountain sickness (AMS)
  which can be a real bitch hence, taking some
  precautions doesnt make you a wimp. Different
  people have different immunity levels towards
  altitudes. You are the best judge on how much
  your body can take.
• Some people are severely affected and some are
  just mildly affected. A mild case of AMS just
  feels like a slight hangover. You can consult a
  doctor before your trip and get the prescription
  with you to Ladakh. Leh- Ladakh bike trip is a
  major attraction for thrill seekers and bike
  lovers.

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• Wear a Balaclava or use a piece of clean cloth to
  cover your mouth while riding in very high
  altitudes.
• High altitudes means low oxygen levels, one tends
  to breathe from the mouth when riding on high
  altitudes. Since you are breathing hard, you
  could end up inhaling water vapours present in
  the air and water could deposit in your lungs.
  Sounds scary I know. Theres little amount of
  research on this particular fact but then again
  why take chances when the solution is as this
  simple? Ladakh trip cost on bike around can cost
  around ?30,000 to ?50,000.
• Abstain from consuming too much alcohol.
• I am not telling you not to party but here you
  will have to be very responsibly. Alcohol causes
  dehydration and does not really help with
  altitude sickness. Know your limits and try not
  to reach there. Never ever push the limits in
  these parts. Bike trip to Leh Ladakh can be
  physically exhausting this tip is to stop you
  from over exerting yourself.
• Inner Line Permits/Protected Area Permits in Leh.
• Indian citizens require Inner line permits (ILP)
  and foreign nationals require protected area
  permits (PAP) to travel to Nubra Valley, Pangong
  Tso Lake and Tso Moriri Lake Etc. You can find a
  lot of tour operators in Leh city who can
  arrange this for you or you could just head to
  the DC office in Leh and get the permits
  yourself. Will turn out to be a lot cheaper if
  you do it yourself and its not a very
  complicated process. Keep some extra passport
  size photographs with you when you are
  travelling to Leh.

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• Pack your bike tool kit, spare parts.
• You should definitely get a mechanic to check
  your bike before the trip and after reaching
  Leh. If possible you should learn some basic
  skills about fixing your bike. Carry extra clutch
  cables, accelerator cables, fuses, tubes, a
  puncture kit, air pump etc. along with you.
• From Jammu to Srinagar to Leh you will still find
  mechanics on the way but they will need the
  parts which they might not have. So ask your
  local neighbourhood mechanic for some lessons and
  tricks to fix the common problems in your bike.
  Leh Ladakh bike trip packages include almost
  everything you need but it cannot cover
  emergencies.
• Carry only the essentials.
• Packing light is one of the most important things
  to do you cannot afford to be extravagant with
  your outfits on a bike trip. Because of two
  reasons one the weather doesnt allow for much
  fashion so its better to choose comfortable and
  warm clothes and just stick with

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• them even if you have to repeat one outfit or
  two, second youll need the extra space to pack
  things like a sleeping bag, maybe a tent and
  some energy bars for emergencies. You should also
  carry some extra petrol in some stretches
  especially on the Leh Manali highway and say if
  you are travelling to Pangong Tso or Tso Moriri
  lakes. Like I mentioned before, these are vast
  stretches without any humanity so expecting a
  petrol pump might be a little optimistic. Its
  not uncommon to find that you have covered some
  300 to 400 kms without a petrol pump in sight.
  The Jammu to Leh highway is alright. Fill up in
  Srinagar. After Srinagar the frequency of petrol
  pumps will reduce but then you will have one in
  say every 150 to 200 kms. Leh Ladakh tour by
  bike needs more precautions than normal travel.
• Be nice to every truck driver on the way. Build
  on your karma points.
• If things go very wrong, trucks are your best way
  out. These guys have the space to carry your
  bike to the next town when you are in an
  absolute fix. Truck drivers are nice people and
  will help you out although some negotiation
  skills may be handy. Leh Ladakh bike trip all
  the way from is a long journey hence these tips
  can definitely help you.
• Keep some days spare in your itinerary if you
  have that luxury.
• Things may not go exactly as planned on trips
  like these, your itinerary can be upset for a
  host of reasons. Some roads may be closed
  because of weather conditions, you might need a
  little more time acclimatizing, you motorcycle
  develops a snag and takes time to fix. Leh
  Ladakh bike trip from Manali can be extremely
  time consuming as well.

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Every biker, irrespective of the gender, dreams
of going on a Leh Ladakh bike trip once in their
lifetime While they dream of a flawless journey,
the reality does come into contact with a lot of
shortcomings Having understood that bikers are
bound to stumble upon a few barriers on a rugged
landscape like that of Leh and Ladakh, Capture A
Trip put the best efforts to collate every
information in this itinerary that will help them
encounter any such difficulties on the way. Get
more information from https//www.captureatrip.com
/leh-ladakh Call us at 91-8178500967 Our
Address CaptureaTrip India Pvt Ltd - Delhi 1473-G
NN-1/9619, Bramh Gali, West Rohtash Nagar,
Shahdara, New Delhi -110032