Road Conditions in Ladakh and En Route 2017

by Vargis.Khan

I have been running two different posts updating road status between Srinagar to Leh and Manali to Leh. A lot of people however have been asking about how the road conditions in Ladakh are; towards Nubra valley and Pangong; and whether or not those roads are open. So thought of adding this new post updating Ladakh road condition in this year and status on which internal roads there are open or closed.

Currently Monsoon has hit the entire region quite hard, especially in Ladakh and around Lahaul & Spiti valleys. There was a cloudburst on Manali Leh highway in late June which triggered a massive landslide around near Zingzing Bar. It took BRO 17 hours to clear the road and restore connectivity. This entire time about 1200 tourists were stranded on the road creating a lot of chaos. It has been raining around Khardung La and Nubra valley as well due to which Khardung La road too was closed temporarily. Friend of mine was stuck in Nubra valley for two days before they could finally cross over to reach Leh. Incessant rains are causing a fresh spell of snowfall at high altitude passes. Below is the status of the road as of last weekend.

Manali Leh Highway: While the road is currently open, it is currently in a very bad state. It has been raining at several areas on the highway at regular intervals causing a high chance of further landslides. Before it rained, the road was a mix of smooth, average and bad. Bad sections are mostly around Gata Loops, Kokhsar and Baralacha La (several water crossings here).

Srinagar Leh Highway: As opposed to Manali Leh road, not much of a problem on Srinagar Leh highway. The entire stretch is smooth except for terrible roads around Zoji La stretch. Most of the road around the top of the pass and a few kilometers on both sides is badly broken and full of slush. Also expect heavy traffic and jam around Qazigund.

Nubra Valley & Khardung La: It rained cats and dogs in Nubra valley last week and lot of people were stuck after Khardung La was closed due to landslides and fresh snowfall. Even before the rain, section around Khardung La top (between North and South Pullu) was and remains in a terrible state. People had to wait at North Pullu for several hours before they could cross Khardung La due to avalanche and landslides.

Wari La: Due to the constant rainfall around Nubra Valley towards the end of last week, Wari La is in quite a bad condition with a high chance of landslides and snowfall at the top of the pass.

Agham Shyok Road: Water level in Shyok road has gone up due to all the raining and the road was declared closed. As of now, it is not safe at all to be traveling this way. Before it started to rain, the road was easily doable if you were careful. It was reconstructed this year so not as terrible as it is notorious to be. Nothing still changes the fact that at several stretches you may have to cross the river once it starts to flow on the road. Shooting stones and sharp rocks on the road still continue.

Pangong to Hanle: If you are traveling via Man Merak, there will be no road at all until you get closer to Loma. From Loma to Hanle however is a smooth road all the way till Hanle. If you traveled from Pangong via Erath, the road is smooth until Chushul from where it will be bad again until close to Loma. When I say, I mean a dirt track on which you will be navigating your way following the track marks made by Army trucks.

Hanle to Tso Moriri: From Hanle, until Loma is good road. From Loma, until Sumdo is a mix of good, bad and very bad. From Sumdo to Karzok again is mostly a dirt trail on which you will be following the track marks of other vehicles.

Tso Moriri to Debring via Tso Kar: From Karzok until Sumdo is a dirt trail. From Sumdo until (and a little after) Polokongka La is a badly broken dirt trail with huge stones on the road. Through Pang until Debring via Tso Kar is a mix of good bad and very bad.

To summarize it all, bad weather is triggering landslides at several places on the way and in Ladakh. High altitude passes can close anytime if it starts to snow or if the road is unsafe to travel on due to the rain. As the monsoon progresses in July and August, there is no telling whether or not the situation will improve in near future. If you are traveling towards Ladakh in next few weeks, please prepare yourself for bad weather and terrible roads. Most important however is that you do not tie yourself down to strict timelines. It is necessary that you have at least a couple of days as buffer because you may get stuck somewhere if the road closes.

I hope the information above regarding road conditions in Ladakh was helpful. If you have recently traveled back from Leh and have a more recent update, please do share it in the comments section below or at our Community Forum in order to help others.

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30 comments

Avijit Saha August 20, 2018 - 6:45 am

hi,Vargis vai

I want go leh ladakh with my three and half year old child in next year. We wish to start from srinagar and end in leh.our eternity explain below.

Day-1 kolkta to srinagar

Day-2 srinagar to kargil

Day-3 kargil to leh

Day-4 leh siteseeing

Day-5 leh to nubra valley

Day-6 nubra valley siteseeing

Day7- nubra valley to pangong tso

Day8- pangong tso to hanle

Day9- hanle to tso moriri

Day10- tso moriri to tso kar to sarchu

Day11- sarchu to leh

Day12 leh to kolkata.

please suggest the best time to attend all the spot and when all the passes are reremain open.
is this eternity o.k or not?
can we go with three and half year old child ?
and also add any thing which you want to add for helping us.

Avijit

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MANJIL May 31, 2018 - 6:00 am

Hii vk…i am planning a trip to ladakh from 9 th july..will reach there on 9 and will take flight from there on 13.my wife will accompany me on this trip..m thinking of taking a bike for rent..which bike will be more suitable and for just 3 days which destinations should be in my list..please guide..

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Sayantan Mandal August 25, 2017 - 10:08 am

Hi Vargis,

I am going to Ladakh via Srinagar next month (sept.). I’d like to know the present road condition in
-Leh-Pangong
-Pangong – Tso Moriri
-Tso Moriri-Pang- via Tso Kar.

I’ll be taking a small hatchback. Which one would be more difficult and how to overcome the challenge?

Please note- I’ve been to Ladakh, but on two wheeler.

best
Sayantan

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Prithwish Sengupta July 26, 2017 - 7:20 pm

hi VK,
pls let me know current road situation at Wari la. is it working properly or is it closed?
we are going to leh in 1st week of august.

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Vargis.Khan August 1, 2017 - 8:21 pm

That road is open Prithwish.

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Chityala Alok November 8, 2017 - 1:25 pm

Hi varghis Khan
I am travelling in the month of Dec — 20 th to 1st
I want to visit all places on bike
So is it possible to drive bike in Leh during dat time
Khardung la Chang la and road to Tso Moriri
And moreover can I travel through agham shyok road
Can I get bike for rent in Leh

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Vargis.Khan November 13, 2017 - 4:57 pm

You may get a bike on rent at that time if you are lucky but I will not advise riding around on a bike in winters. Roads will be slippery, dangerous and weather will be way too cold.

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Prithwish Sengupta July 26, 2017 - 7:17 pm

hello Vargis Jee..
we are travelling on 1st to 5th august to leh..
kindly let us know ,if possible, what is current road condition b/w leh to nubra, nubra to pangong nd pangong to tso-moriri??
is Wari la path still working or is it closed due to natural calamity?

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Vargis.Khan August 1, 2017 - 8:22 pm

Wari La path is open bhai but the Shyok road is closed as of now.

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Suky July 20, 2017 - 5:37 am

Hello Vargis bhai,
I’m going for a bike ride from Leh – Nubra – Leh and Leh – Changla – Pangong – Leh. My wife will be travelling with me as a pillion rider. I will be travelling from 25th to 31st July. Please suggest me on which bike to select for rental. I’m comfortable with Avenger 220 & Bullet 350.. Is avenger sufficient? Is it too hard to drive during rain.

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Vargis.Khan July 20, 2017 - 2:16 pm

Hello Suky Bhai,

With a Pillion, go for a Bullet 350 only. Do not rent an Avenger. It won’t be too hard if you have some decent enough riding experience in hills.

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Suky August 2, 2017 - 4:44 am

Hello bhai.. completed the road trip successfully. Rented 500cc bullet and it came handy in steep roads with a pinion rider. Road conditions were manageable near Khardung la. But it rained heavily near Chang la and made it little difficult to drive in some places. Partner had to get down there many times. Also cloudy skies made Pangong look little dull. Nevertheless it was an adventurous trip. We both loved it.

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Vargis.Khan August 2, 2017 - 2:18 pm

Hello Suky Bhai, Thank you so much for the update, much appreciated. How about sharing some pics of your travel?

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Suky August 3, 2017 - 4:59 am
Vargis.Khan August 3, 2017 - 3:04 pm

Great. Thanks Suky Bhai

Suky July 20, 2017 - 5:16 am

Hello Vargis bhai,

I’m planning for a bike trip from Leh-khardung la – Hunder – Leh – Chang la – Pangong – Leh. I will have my wife as pillion rider. I will be travelling from 25th to 31st July. Any suggestions? Is it too hard to drive while it rains there?

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kapil handa July 8, 2017 - 7:46 pm

salam khan sahab.. need your suggestions here. i will be travelling for leh in aug between 7 to 17. we are 2 people and will be having one bike only for manali-leh. we are alone and are not going to join any group but travlelling alone. can you suggest me is it safe to have a trip like this.? i m bit confused. i m on intermediate level in mountain bike riding. please suggest. awaiting for your reply..

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Vargis.Khan July 8, 2017 - 11:26 pm

Walaikum As-salam Kapil Bhai. To be quite honest, this adventure is part of the Ladakh trip so there is no taking this out. Adventure, Ifs Buts, will exist in one form or another which in August happens to be monsoon. If you are on intermediate level in mountain bike riding, my advice would be that you proceed as planned. Just ensure that your motorcycle is very well serviced, nothing is dicey and you make proper arrangements for flat tire situation. Carry your clothes in a way that they dry fast and travel with a good rain gear.

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PS Goankar July 7, 2017 - 9:52 am

Vargis bhai, This info is very handy. Are you updating daily or whenever there is an update?

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Vargis.Khan July 7, 2017 - 6:01 pm

PS Bhai I am updating as I receive updates from my contacts in Leh.

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Vidhan July 7, 2017 - 7:06 am

While travelling from manali to leh, crossing rohtang pass – do I need all the below 3 permits or just beyond Rohtang pass:
Rohtang pass permit
Beyond Rohtang pass
Manali entry

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Vargis.Khan July 7, 2017 - 6:00 pm

Manali entry fee you will pay once you cross the barrier before Manali, it is an on the spot thing, more like buy a ticket and enter the city kind. Then you need just another one permit to cross Rohtang that you will get from SDM office Manali.

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Vidhan July 7, 2017 - 9:02 pm

Thank you so much mate! You are doing well.
I think we could get both Manali entry tax and beyond Rohtang pass permit online at http://admis.hp.nic.in/ngtkullu/.
Again, thank you 🙂

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Vargis.Khan July 8, 2017 - 1:43 am

Yes that is an option too. You can pay for it online but I always find paying cash at the barrier convenient.

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DILIP RAJGURAV July 7, 2017 - 4:52 am

Dear Vargisbhai, Namaste, How are you. We all are fine. DILIP RAJGURAV PUNE MS.

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Vargis.Khan July 7, 2017 - 5:52 pm

I am doing very well Dilip Bhai. I am glad that you and family are doing good, God Bless you. Did your son start telling you the tales of his trip yet?

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G.Raghuraman July 7, 2017 - 4:46 am

Am there in Leh on 14th. Ready to travel from 16th july, solo traveller. looking for co-travellers to the popular monasteries/places. name: raghuraman; male, age 55 years, email: [email protected]

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Kaustubh Kale July 7, 2017 - 4:10 am

😐 Scary. Bro as you already know I am to travel on 24th. But solo trip, entirely using public transport. Let us see how it goes. I never knew it was raining in Ladakh too! Lets hope this trip goes smoothly.

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Vargis.Khan July 7, 2017 - 5:28 pm

Yes Kaustubh Bhai, as we were discussing a few days ago, Ladakh is in rain shadow area but it is still raining crazy there. There is no telling these day really.

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Kaustubh Kale July 7, 2017 - 5:32 pm

Yes yes I remember properly. Just that didn’t expect it will happen this year. I can only pray it is better towards end of July as I travel.

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