A CAB TO HEAVEN: Leh-Manali highway travel blog

Those who travel to the mountain tops are half in love with themselves, and half in love with the oblivion. And travelling through Leh-Manali highway is something beyond every joy of the life. You can’t accept anything better from Leh-Manali highway because everything you believe about it will fall way beyond the reality.  One phrase will echo your mind-“This is Incredible India.”

Oh!! Believe me, this 480 km long road through valleys and passes will force you to trap yourself in the long stretching oblivion. This is Heaven. Yes, you heard right Leh-Manali highway is the heaven. Every moment of the time will keep shouting- “ Hey you, just feel the breeze of joy .”

           What nooooo, that’s my buddy shouting-“Bhai, chal aab chalete hai jannat ki oor.”

Our cab is all set for the journey. Tanks are almost at the maximum level to roar the roads of Leh-Manali highways. And the journey begins………

  

 Leh to Tagalang La: Leh-Manali highway

This was tarmac road running endlessly in a zigzag way throughout the brown verse of mother nature. We started at 3 AM and I don’t remember much after that maybe because I was crashing, but I distinctly remember white snow capped peaks all around me when I next opened my eyes. It was 10 minutes past 6 AM and we were climbing up Taglang La. Soon we reached the pass and it was a beautiful morning. Through the looking glass, it looked oh-so-pretty and I could not resist myself from getting out. It was then that it struck with full force – the cold winds. Unbelievably cold it was in the wee hours of dawn. Layers and layers of snow capped peaks were lined up in all directions and a yellow board with nothing written on it made for a pretty sight.  The cold drove me back inside the vehicle but it left me with completely cold feet and fingers. 

Way resumes to Pang: Leh-Manali highway

After crossing one high pass of the Zanskar range, the sudden change of scenery from all white to all brown dusty plains is quite interesting. It was close to two hours we were cruising through More Plains until we reached the weird cone shaped soil formations along the banks of a half frozen stream. We reached Pang at 8.30 AM and stopped over for a quick cuppa and some breakfast. There was no snow around and the sun was shining brightly giving me the much needed warmth. There was stream flowing nearby and I have to tell you it is not pleasant next to a river where there’s a campsite around, if you know what I mean. We stocked up our food supplies with whatever available at the tents – ala Lays and Haldirams packets. Me and my buddy were sitting in the back seats of our cab and by now we were completely used be being thrown away or tossed away from our seats constantly. 

Pang to Lachung La: Leh-Manali highway

As we headed from Pang towards Lachung La, we had to cross through roads flooded with the melt water as the day temperature was rising. The weather started to get all foggy as we gained altitude towards the high pass. It was here I spotted the first overturned truck buried in ice, ofcourse all it parts were taken back leaving only the skeleton. There was no super blue sky or stark mountains in contrast, it was all white from now. It was a matter of minutes before mist took over and there was snow everywhere, on all sides, in all dimensions. It even started snowing and it is here that I witnessed my fist snowfall. Yay! We reached Lachung La at 10 AM. 

Race with Bhaga river: Leh-Manali highway

After getting down Lachung La, Bhaga river was running by our side and soon we were back in snow climbing Nakee La. We even got down the gata loops and I never realized until I came back that something like that existed. Gata loops are a series of 23 hairpin bends on top of which lies Nakee La (if coming from Manali). We reached Bharatpur by 1 in the afternoon. 

Silly truck driver: Leh-Manali highway

An over-confident truck driver thought of taking the side road while crossing the incoming vehicle from opposite side and got stuck in a major pothole causing a massive traffic jam on both sides. Needless to say, there was snow everywhere. Word was that army would take a day to come for rescue and we might be looking at spending a cold night atop Baralacha La. For two hours we waited until the team work of all the drivers got the stuck vehicle moving. Even our vehicle got stuck on the uneven road and it took quite an effort to get it moving. Atlast by 3.15 PM we crossed Baralacha La and reached Tandi by 4.30 PM. It was just now that greenery was spotted after days in the cold desert.

Final destination: Leh-Manali highway

It was 7.00 PM now and the light was fading fast. We were climbing towards Rohtang, is what our driver said. We spotted frozen streams enroute and in a matter of minutes, it was all dark except the yellow glow of the headlights. It was now that we spotted some wildlife, foxes I am guessing, with green glowing eyes as the headlights flashed on the animals’ eyes. It was a moon less night, the stars were shining and the Himalayas were glowing in a faint blue florescence. Now this was heights of minimalism after being bombarded with splendid colorful scenery for so many days. No lights, no sound, no colors, just dark shades of blues close to monochromes and a few sparks of stars here and there. It is at times like this one would realize the vastness of mountains. On the distant mountain where the road passed, I could see the trail of a yellow headlamp and somewhere in the sky the trail of a satellite orbiting. It was getting colder and it looked like we were nowhere close to civilization. Finally we spotted signs of civilization at 9 PM. We reached Manali only to be thronged by gazillion hawkers trying to get us into their hotels. Not a welcome change I tell you. We took a dingy room for the night and I had just no inclination at all to wake up early the next day morning for local sightseeing.

 All I could see was crowd, crowd and more crowd.