Cycling from Manali to Leh: This is how I got Leh’d!!

9 days

480 km

5300 m

Cycling from Manali to Leh – A Surreally Challenging Expedition !!

“You NEVER ride the Cycle, OLX par bech dein ?” (Shall we sell your cycle on OLX?)

“Whaaat”, I was shaken, did I hear my husband right?

“Since you don’t cycle, shall we SELL OFF YOUR CYCLE”? This time my husband added that extra stress.

“Nooooooo” I gave a dramatic cry.

I had big dreams of riding to exotic places but over a period of two years, the cycle (along with my dreams)  was relegated from the Lift Lobby to Balcony to the storeroom.

Clear blue skies enroute manali to leh on bicycle in India

HOW THE CYCLE GOT ROLLING!

One thing led to another and I was soon cycling with a group of Lady cyclists I could identify with.

It no more felt silly that a group of women in their late 30s were going to bed early on friday nights so they could ride their bikes around in circles early Saturday mornings.

It was my first taste of riding in a group at speed, long distance and I loved it.

Trans Himalayan Cycling

Take awary tip for beginners

  • Find a group of people who share your interest and plan your rides with them. 
  • Riding in company is not only safe but also encouraging as you will always have someone who rides at your pace, someone you can look up to and hopefully someone whom you can guide !!
  • If you happen to be at a place where such groups are difficult to find, don’t give up but try cycling on a stationary cycle in a gym close to you.
  • If you happen to be at a place where there is no gym, look around, you just might be in the mountains!! Enjoy the serenity!

I wanted something more challenging...

Within a month of cycling, I realised that it was getting addictive and I needed a bigger and more challenging goal. How about Leh Ladakh I wondered!

Cycling from Manali to Leh, traversing through some of the highest passes in the world and cutting across beautiful trails sounded exciting and challenging at the same time.

I was all set to cross 5 high altitude passes:

Starting with

Rohtang-La @3980 m,

then Baralacha-La @4830 m,

Nakee-La @4442 m,

Lachung-La @5065 m 

 

and finally Tanglang-La the highest of them @5328 m. (Just for the sake of comparison and wow factor, Everest Base Camp is at the same height). 

What does it take to cycle from Manali to Leh?

There is obviously a lot more to it than a six-bullet-point list !

I am no Spring Chicken and here is my Non-inclusive list of what it takes to do the Manali Leh Expedition !!

1) No matter what you do, nothing can prepare you for this! That definetly does not mean do not prepare for it. What I mean to say is that be prepared for it to be tougher than your rides on plains.

2) 90% is mental strength and 10% is physical! Coming to think of it, I can’t think of anything in life which is not dominated by mental strength! No matter how physically strong you are, you need to be mentally strong for this expedition: You would come across passes where you can see your destination and yet it takes hours to reach. In such situations, the mental strength will pull you through!

3) Incorporating strength and flexibility work outs even for five minutes a day delivers results: The long days and not so friendly terrain demands high physical fitness. To prepare you body, start jogging regularly. You should be able to do 10 km in 75 minutes twice a week for 4 weeks (Well I definitely wasn’t this fit but this is a good benchmark).

4)Try reducing weight by a combination of good diet and exercise.

5) Cycling from Manali to Leh is not about speed but about distance. Try to spend as much time as possible on the saddle : Preferably going for 100km+ rides on weekends

6) Respect and listen to your body : Do not ignore the signs of altitude sickness but respect it. Do not push yourself too much at higher altitudes and respect your body. 

TAKE AWAY TIP : On our way we met 170 Buddhist nuns of the Drukpa order who are also known as the Kung Fu Nuns.

They were cycling all the way from Nepal to Leh! What I observed was that their Rinpoche (spiritual teacher) made them take periodic rests and so the brave nuns could cycle their way with ease even uphill .

Eventually, I adopted the same strategy and depending on the pass/altitude we were climbing, I took periodic stops which ranged from every 15 minutes to every 45 minutes. The heart rate decided my pace and so I felt far more in control of myself and the situation.

THE RISKS INVOLVED!

The Manali Leh route is 480kms long!

While the route is very scenic, in-spite of BRO’s constant endeavours, at many places the rains have damaged the road and one needs to ride on loose gravel!

Even on a proper tarmac road, beware of the tourist vans and travellers, who have no respect for either traffic rules or riders!!

There are turns where the narrow road hangs directly over the valley, and it is here that you need to be doubly cautious on your saddle!!

This is a considerable altitude when coming in from the plains. This is where you will be most susceptible to catching Acute Mountain Sickness.

This can be avoided by going on a course of Diamox : I took half tablet of 250 gms of diamox twice in a day and was not affected adversely by altitude at all! 

NOTE: Please take medication after consulting with your Physician.

WHAT DOES IT COST ?

Personally, it cost me close to Rs 70k. This cost includes accessories like cycling gear, cycle spare parts, Expedition operator charges, transportation charges and few other miscellaneous charges.

I own a Merida Matts 20-MD

and so I saved on renting a cycle.

(The 2013 Merida Matts 20-MD is a hard-tail bike designed for cross-country riding. It has 26-inch wheels, an aluminium frame, 100 mm of travel and basic-level components). An overview on this cycle can be read HERE.

One has three options to go on this expedition :-

Self-supported: Self-Supported tours are increasingly becoming popular as they cost less than guided tours but allows a great of flexibility to explore at one’s own pace.

Pros : Cheapest Alternative of all the options.

Cons: Going self-supported is more for experienced riders who can handle any and all kind of breakdowns (physical, mental and cycle breakdowns) !!

Vehicle supported: As was done by Sharad and you can read his experience of cycling Supported with back up Vehicle HERE.

Pros : Incase, of a breakdown, you have a back up to, well, back you up!! You will also be able to carry a spare cycle and more luggage.

Cons : Since, this involves hiring of a vehicle this would be costlier than the self-supported option, however, it will be far more cheaper than engaging a Tour Operator.

Go with a Tour  / Expedition Organiser : As was done by me!! Depending on the Expedition Organiser, the cost will vary from Rs 30k to Rs 60k.

It cost me 40k to engage Cycleit.

 

Milkyway

The cost included Tour Leader, Support Vehicle, Medical Kit, Oxygen Cylinder, energy food, juices, fruits, dry fruits, bottled water, ORS, glucose, stay & all meals in hotel/guest house/ camp from Manali to Leh. Many of the photos posted on this blog post have been clicked either by Cycleit or the talented Photographer Varun Chaudhary.

I must add that the food prepared by the cook was excellent and not even once did we have a loss of appetite due to either altitude or bad taste of food !!

The Team

How to reach Manali and get out of Leh

Reaching Manali:

By Road: There are quite a few buses that operate between Delhi and Manali.

Private buses can be booked at  htttp://www.redbus.in .

Himachal Pradesh Tourism operates buses that start at 4:30 in the evening from Janpath and reaches Manali the next morning. The tickets can be booked at https://hptdc.nic.in

HPTDC Bus Review : The Ticket Checker (for lack of any other name I can think of calling this manager inside the bus) charged us Rs. 20/- for each baggage and Rs. 300/- for each cycle box (No receipt issued).

By Air: Indian Airlines operate flights everyday between Delhi and Kullu.

Getting out of Leh:

By Air: Leh is well connected to Delhi and a number of operators fly this sector. But the tickets are very expensive and a last minute airline ticket can be very steep. Booking a ticket months in advance is advisable.

Tanned & Happy to be back home

By Road: you can travel to Manali or Srinagar from Leh and then onwards to Delhi. Many buses operate on both sectors.

PIN IT

Clear blue skies enroute manali to leh on bicycle in India

I hope this post inspires you to traverse Trans Himalaya! Don’t forget to leave your thoughts on this blog post in the comments section.

46 thoughts on “Cycling from Manali to Leh: This is how I got Leh’d!!”

  1. Exceptional post and very inspiring and helpful tips, Richa. You’re so lucky to have found a great group of like-minded people. You definitely went on some astonishing trails!

    Reply
  2. Wow, I have been postponing my cycling for a long time now. After your post maybe I will start it but cycling from manali to Leh is unimaginable. Kudos!!

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    • I am really happy to read that this post has encouraged you to go back to cycling 🙂 Manali to Leh was like a dream expedition!

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  3. Impressive! Cycling was never my interest but I do admire women who give their heart and soul for this activity. It was not easy right? And it needs a lot of strength and courage to do it. Keep it up!

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  4. I could identify all of these places but i went in a car and still got tired. And wow you cycled throughout – gal you got some guts i tell you! Kudos and hope you get more such adventures 🙂

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  5. Lovely photos & very inspiring post ! It is such an incredible & wonderful experience for you ! Cycling several hours a day is probably not an easy feat for a regular individual. I guess it is important that you are physically and mentally-prepared for this journey !

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  6. What a complete inspiration. This cycle ride looks both challenging and absolutely stunning! I can’t believe you managed it after just a month of regular cycling, I think it would take a me a much longer time.

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    • Thanks for such lovely words. I was running for sometime, but cycling definetly was a new thing and i am glad that I didn’t over think before getting into it 🙂

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  7. Wow thats a perseverance of strength! Well done you for making it through. Bet the scenery helped to keep your mind focused. I often think its mind over matter in these situations.

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  8. I love your takeaway tips because they apply to so much more than cycling. This was a great challenge you set for yourself. I think we all need to challenge ourselves in some ways.

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  9. Goodness Richa this is amaaazing! What an epic achievement! I often see cyclists up early on Saturday mornings zooming up the mountain trails here in Canada, I often wonder if they are training for something as amazing as your trip!!

    I think you are right about the challenge being mostly mental (rather than physical.) There is a hill on my cycle to work, that i thought was too steep for me to be able to pedal up. I walked up it for three months, before I just tried *really hard* to pedal the whole way. Now, once I knew I could do it, I’ve pedaled up that hill every time. Sometimes I need to stop at the top to catch my breath, but now I know I can do it, I really can.

    P.s. I also LOVE that you met Kung Fu Nuns!!

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  10. This looks like an incredibly beautiful journey! It seems that you were both physically and mentally challenged A LOT while completing it. I really admire how your husband’s question about selling your bike turned into you finding your group and deciding to do such a difficult journey. I can’t imagine cycling anywhere as high as Everest Base Camp!

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    • ha ha yes indeed my husband can be remotely credited for my initial plan 😉 thanks for stopping by Sav – I did have a wonderful time 🙂

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  11. This is great to read this post as I am just about to embark on my first cycling trip. Reading this gives me confidence especially on the hills. Your point about 90% mental vs. 10% physical is right on!! Very inspiring.

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  12. It is awesome. I just wonder how long you prepared for this, and how much you spent for this trip. I may ask my team to celebrate and make the same trip like this. Thanks.

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  13. Phew!!! What a ride dude! Seriously. I am from Maharashtra so biking and cycling is not all that new for me. However, this was an all new experience and so much mire adventurous. All the participants as well as the organisers were professional and had an ideas as to what exactly is in store for them! This was trully amazing. loved biking in the mountains. Doing this every year from now hopefully!!!
    @ best choices in india

    Reply
    • We had packed our bikes ourselves Pratik. When we had traveled from Delhi to Manali we had the cycles packed in boxes. Since we had a support vehicle accompanying us our empty boxes traveled in that vehicle. Once in Leh before boarding the plane we dismantled the cycle and packed it in the same box. You can see this video for handy instructions – https://youtu.be/jzTDcYkbGZY All the best!

      Reply
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    Reply

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