Tso Moriri to Manali – Karzok, Tso Kar, Sarchu, Manali Route

This article is in continuation with a previous one and a part of my Ladakh travelogue. The post below talks about the last few days of our trip as we traveled from Tso Moriri to Manali via Sarchu and then back to Delhi. To read the previous parts of the travelogue detailing our journey from Delhi to Leh via Manali Leh Highway, and sightseeing in Ladakh, please click on the links below.

The journey so Far:

• Delhi to Manali via Bilaspur – Day 1 & 2
• Manali to Jispa via Rohtang Pass – Day 3
• Jispa to Sarchu – Day 4
• Sarchu to Leh – Day 5
• Leh City Sightseeing, Repairing Bikes & Shopping – Day 6
• Leh to Pangong Lake – Day 7
• Pangong Lake to Leh – Day 8
• Leh to Hanle – Day 9
• Hanle to Tso Moriri (Karzok) – Day 10

There was plenty of ground to cover on day 11. The minimum target was Pang, the maximum Sarchu. To this effect, we planned to start at 7 am. However, at that altitude, even July mornings are a bit chilly, forcing us to push back our start by an hour.

Tso Moriri to Manali

To add to the pandemonium that is the morning rush, I had misplaced my precious North Face wind-cheater. The one that was bought after months of trying out different brands and sizes. The one brand that had fit, and the one which had been flown in from a land far away.

It was not the monetary loss that irked me, but the sheer pain I had been through to finalize that one piece. I did not even have the product code with me to order the same jacket again.

The silver lining in this dark cloud was the fact that some Changpa might have found it and hopefully, it would be a good mid-summer wind protection for him. I say “him” as I’m pretty sure that my size would not fit any lady in the wilderness of Changpa unless of course there’s a German trekker around.

Day 11 – Tso Moriri to Sarchu

The ride to Tso Kiagar was irritating and beautiful at the same time. The bumps did not bother us too much, but we were following a bus that was spewing dust all around, and that is not my idea of a pleasurable early morning ride.

The couples took it slow on the non-existent tarmac as the boys zoomed ahead. We hadn’t explicitly planned our next sync-up stop but knew that it would have to be Pang, as that might be the place where we halt for the night. The boys were eager to reach Sarchu, but we’d all decided to take a call once we reach Pang.

Break at Tso Kiagar

Polokongka La

After a quick break at the small yet beautiful Tso Kiagar, we embarked on the next leg of the day’s journey. The ride till More Plains was fairly simple, or so I remembered. Namshang La came and went, and just before Sumdo we saw the boys take a break for tea. We had taken our pitstop earlier and so marched on, leaving them behind.

The tarmac was smooth all the way from Tso Kiagar till about 5 km after Puga. It disappeared abruptly upon the climb of Polo Kongka La. Now, I remembered this particular pass as one that took hardly any effort on our previous trip, but this time around the climb would just not end.

It was about 25 km of a gentle climb, but on a road that was neither 100% tarred, nor a 100% dirt track. It was somewhere in between which can only be described as the frustrating kind. The climb was so horrible that I made the cardinal sin of taking a shortcut.

WanderB managed the steep ascent on the shortcut quite well, even with a pillion and all that luggage, but momentum was necessary. The speed led to a big bang and the luggage carrier or maybe the silencer hit the ground hard. It did not break the momentum, but sadly I cannot say the same thing about the silencer.

It was shaken, but not dead, and would hopefully survive the day. I swore not to lose patience again and continued on the climb. The sun was beating down hard upon us once we reached the top.

Tso Kar

​The boys caught up with us, and after a brief sync-up break at the top of the pass, we all vroomed ahead. Now Jugni rode ahead of us, while we took it slow, pausing periodically for some shots. The climb down the pass was a breeze and soon we were in the vast plains of Tso Kar.

Many don’t find this lake beautiful, but beauty, as they say, lies in the eyes of the beholder. To me, Tso Kar would always be the first lake I saw on Changthang. The lake where we chased Kiangs for the first time. The lake whose grasslands we explored at length.

Tso Kar’s charm is not the lake itself, but the entire basin, which incidentally also includes another lake whose name we so love – Startspuk Tso. While Tso Kar is salty, Startspuk Tso is a freshwater lake, adding to the diversity of the basin. The basin also teems with a wide variety of fauna – Kiangs, Brahmini ducks, Marmots, wild horses, etc.

Chasing the Kiangs

This time again, as always, Tso Kar did not disappoint. As we rode, in the distance we could see a huge herd of Kiangs gawking at us, perturbed by our presence. I honked desperately to Gunjan and Yeshu to stop, as they had missed seeing Kiangs up close on this trip.

We had seen our fair share of these asses on the road to Hanle, but then again a herd as massive as this must be honored and paid their due respect. Eventually, Jugni did stop, and all of us got down. Yeshu and I decided to take a walk up close to the herd, a bad call in that sweltering heat.

Gunjan was especially mad since she had not been keeping well since morning but was too sick to even muster enough energy to hurl abuses at me. We managed to get as close as possible to the Kiangs, the walk taking us twenty minutes or so. The encounter with the Kiangs was a runaway hit if you know what I mean.

More Plains

Soon we were back on our saddle, and riding towards More Plains. We half expected the boys to be waiting at the tents at Panginagu, but they were nowhere to be found. We stopped for a butt break, some tea, and some grub.

Gunjan grabbed that opportunity to get some shut-eye for 15 minutes as she was feeling quite unwell, and that cat nap really helped her feel better. The owner of the dhaba informed us that the boys had waited for us and had left about half an hour ago. Damn those Kiangs, we now lagged behind quite a distance from them.

Tso Kar plains, a sight to behold

Remember, while going towards Leh, we had left about 20 liters of fuel at Debring for safe-keeping. The time had now come to head there and reclaim what was ours. However, that would have meant doing a good 24 extra km on that horrible stretch that is More plains as of now, especially for bikes. No sir, we decided to forgo our claim and took the shortest route towards Pang.

Pang

The ride on the More Plains was pretty much uneventful, the initial part being as dusty as ever. It was only by around 2:30 that we eventually ambled into Pang. The place bore an eerie look and was pretty deserted by its standards.

After the initial dust bowl at More, we hit the excellently tarred stretch

The dhabawallahs were happy to see us, but more so they were happy to see vehicles coming from Leh. Apparently, we were the first ones to reach Pang from More on that particular afternoon. It was indeed strange to hear, given that snowfall on Tanglang La was not a possibility at this time of the year.

When we told them that we were actually coming from Tso Moriri and not from Leh, their smiles disappeared. Lack of visitors was obviously affecting their business, but there was a sliver of hope too.

If people were held up at Tanglang La due to a landslide (which was probably the case), then the later the road was cleared. It is better for the Pang dhabawallahs as that would increase the probability of tourists/ truckers/ locals staying at Pang for the night.

We started looking for our boys, who were nowhere to be found. We checked in front of each and every tent, and finally figured out the tent at which they had broken for lunch. But all that the owners could tell us was that they had left about 30 minutes ago, and had left no message for us.

Lachulung La and Nakee La

This was indeed strange. We figured that they must have reached an hour before us and with still some energy left, must have decided to stretch till Sarchu. We could have stopped at Pang for the night (assuming that the boys would, in that case, wait for us at Sarchu and begin late the next day).

But an analysis of our degree of tiredness told us that we could stretch to Sarchu as well. We had some tea and Maggi, stretched our backs, and marched on. The worst stretch of the Manali – Leh highway – tarmac wise, and the best – beauty-wise – lay up ahead.

Our progress on the broken tarmac was very slow and painful. The 22 km between Pang and the dhabas between Lachulung La and Nakee La took us 1.5 hours to cover! And this was when we had taken minimum breaks for photography.

Our energy levels were low already and looking at the cozy dhaba between the passes, we stopped again to rejuvenate. A 30 min break was a long one but then again we had little left to cover for the day, and just one last push was required.

We rest for a bit at Lachulung La

Wildlife on Manali Leh Highway

We left at about 5:00 pm from there. As we climbed over Nakee La, we came across a herd of Bharals on a bend. We have always spotted Bharals on this stretch of the Manali-Leh highway. I stopped abruptly in the middle of the road, and slowly took out the 300 mm and fitted it onto the camera.

Thankfully, the herd was patient and waited to pose. A few shots later, they decided enough was enough and wandered away. We continued, only to stop at another bend where a strange-looking bird crossed the road in front of us and ran up the mountain.

It was as big as a turkey, could not fly, and had red and yellow streaks on its face. We wondered what the species could be, but were clueless. The trip felt more complete now with several animal sightings.

The entire herd

This was the bird I was talking about, can someone please identify it? Monal pheasant maybe?

​Gata Loops

Our plan to not stop till Sarchu failed miserably given our low energy levels, and we stopped again for a butt break after Gata loops. By this time, a bunch of vehicles was climbing down the loops, which meant that the Leh – Manali road must have been cleared.

The first vehicle to overtake us was a Tata Safari whose driver seemed to be possessed. He was driving at a breakneck speed at that altitude, that road quality, and on bends as well. I half expected to see the Safari turn turtle further up. Thankfully, nothing like that happened.

Sarchu

We must’ve reached Sarchu by about 7:00 pm, much to the pleasant surprise of the boys. They had expected us to stay back at Pang and call it a day there. With hugs and high-fives, the group was synced up once again. We had ridden for a good 12 hrs on roads that were probably worse than the Sarchu – Leh leg, and almost the same distance.

The time taken was less than before, and it was less exhausting as well compared to the stretch to Leh on the way up. The only difference between the two being a good night’s sleep. We all freshened up, had dinner, exchanged stories of the day’s ride, and then crashed for the night. The plan for the next day was only to reach Sissu, so the day could begin late.

Also Read: When is the Best time to Travel on Manali Leh Highway

Day 12: Sarchu to Manali

The night before had been comfortable, partly due to the fact that we had split up into two tents, getting more space per head, and partly due to the fumes of kerosene in our tent – acting as a strong sleeping pill. We woke up fresh and active, except Gunjan who had a strong headache due to the fumes.

After a quick breakfast at the dhaba, we were off by 8 o’clock. The boys had gotten ready and had left half an hour earlier. Today was definitely going to be two mini-groups riding up at different paces right from the word go. The early morning sun was most welcome and soothing.

Baralacha La & Suraj Tal

Having shot too many pictures on the way up to Sarchu, we decided to make haste. We resisted our urge to stop for tea at Bharatpur city and were at the top of Baralacha La in 1.5 hours. There were two water crossings before the pass and both of them were pretty tame at that time of the day.

We spent a few minutes at the top and parked our bikes right next to the prayer flags. So short was the break that most did not even bother to take their helmets off. I, on the other hand, have a habit of making myself as comfortable as possible, even on the shortest of breaks.

Tsarap Chu at Sarchu Plains

Prayer flags adorn the Baralacha La top

The pristine lake that is Suraj Tal

Deepak Tal

​After Suraj Tal, we mentally bid adieu to the arid lands of Ladakh and entered the Lahaul valley. The roads onward were absolutely priceless. I don’t think even the roads of Delhi can match up to the smoothness of the roads on the descent of Baralacha La! The ride till Deepak Tal was smooth, devoid of any water crossings, and we were there by 10:30.

We decided to finally break a bit longer and have some tea at the sole dhaba at Deepak Tal. Having made good progress till then, we discussed the option of stretching all the way till Manali that day. No one was conceptually averse to the idea, but the decision itself was left for later. We marched on and were back on the saddle by 11 am.

The greenish waters of Deepak Tal, next to it lies a dhaba as well

The overall altitude of the ride had gone down, but the sun was as harsh as ever. Our level of discomfort naturally increased. The camera was packed inside the tank bag, and breaks were kept at a minimum.

By Tandi, all of us were pretty much roasted in the baking sun. We moved on toward Sissu after refueling a bit. The refueling was essentially not required, but we still got it done. Reaching Sissu at 2 pm, we started searching for the boys, as this was supposed to be the night halt for the day.

They were nowhere to found. Neither were there any dhabas at Sissu where they might have stopped over. We assumed that they must have decided to make the final assault till Manali and hopefully were waiting for us at Koksar.

Koksar

I was cruising at a good speed on that stretch and did not judge a bend for what it was worth, and hit a ditch in the middle of the curve. Thankfully I did not lose my balance, but the bike hit the ditch hard, and there was a loud clang. With Koksar not that far ahead, we thought of breaking there and checking the bike.

Also Read: When is the Best time to visit Rohtang Pass

The boys were nowhere to be found even at Koksar, and all we could do was to assume that they had gone on to Manali. We had the choice of staying put at Koksar and taking on the mighty Rohtang monster the next day. But all of us were surprisingly feeling energetic enough to take on the monster, and so with that decision out of the way, we proceeded for lunch.

Fixing the Bike

Lunch at the dhabas was very refreshing, they do make some really nice mutton momos and the meat chawal was heavenly, but my mind was somewhere else. The loud clang had resulted in a broken right luggage carrier which was now precariously attached to the bike by just one bolt!

There was no way in heaven it would survive the onslaught of Rohtang. A desperate search for a welding guy at Koksar did not yield anything. Several solutions were discussed, some of them being:

1. Unload all the luggage from our bike. Get all the luggage on some passing vehicle to be picked up later at Manali.
2. There was a trust issue in the above idea. So an alternate was to ask the girls to chaperone the luggage till Manali.
3. The girls did not want to break up. So another option seemed to be to go back all the way till Keylong – get it welded and stay the night there. But with the boys missing – sync up could become a nightmare.
4. The fourth option was to tie the carrier up with as much rope as we can find and pray for the best. Should anything go wrong, plan no. 2 could be invoked at any stage.

Rohtang Pass

We found rope with which Yeshu and I tied the carrier to the bike as tightly as we possibly could, and then left the rest to God. We took the lead this time and were going extra slow to ensure that the stress on the carrier was as less as possible. Aarti was at all times on the alert checking the ropes frequently just in case they were giving away.

But soon we realized that the rope solution might actually work, at least till the slush fiesta ahead. On our ascent to the pass, the sun was hot and bright, but we could see thick white clouds at the top and probably even on the Manali side. Near the top, we were forced to break for a good 30 min while a dozer cleared the path ahead. It was 4:30 pm when we finally embarked on the last stretch towards Rohtang top.

Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Rohtang Pass

500 m before the pass, visibility dropped down to an absolute zero due to thick fog and a slight drizzle. Our camera which had finally come out at the dozer break went quickly back inside our waterproof tank bag. Rohtang top wore an absolutely deserted look with all the dhabas having closed down already.

The downpour had increased, and finally, it looked and felt like Rohtang, if you know what I mean. The climb up had been fairly straightforward, but what lay ahead was the real deal.

Manali

Beyond Rani nallah was the place where it started getting real nasty. The slush made the bike swing and fishtail like crazy. My Quechua shoes hung on, battling the thick slush, trying to get a foothold, while the ropes that bound the carrier to the bike fought against all odds to not break.

The road ahead was jammed up, thanks to an Innova from Delhi whose wheels were spinning in the slush. Although the queue was long, since we were on bikes, we managed to get to the very front. This had its own daredevilry involved wherein at a point or two, Yeshu and I had to maneuver our bikes on the very edges of the road.

Meanwhile, the poor Innova spun and spun with a clueless driver at its helm trying hopelessly to get out of the rut. It was finally taken out by a local driver who offered his services after getting impatient. No wonder the Manali administration has decided to ban non-HP vehicles to cross over Rohtang. Maybe they should conduct a slush test before allowing HP and non-HP vehicles alike.

Needless to say, both the girls had dismounted and were walking their way downhill on the narrow track that was left of the road due to the jam. Finally, after struggling for a good 1.5 hours, we made it to the Marhi dhabas by 6 pm or so. We’d conquered Rohtang! Sighs of relief and high fives were followed by pakodas and chai as we celebrated the defeat of our common enemy.

Devilish clouds hang over Rohtang ahead

And the madness that was Rohtang, Kudos to Gunjan to have taken this shot

​Manali

In our excitement of making it till Marhi, we did not realize that it was still very foggy and pouring and the journey till Manali might actually be more treacherous than usual. It took us a good 2 hours to do the distance between Marhi and Manali; all thanks to the thick fog which finally cleared up near SASE (after Palchan).

Also Read: Places to visit in Manali & Things to Do

Our long journey from Tso Moriri to Manali came to an end, finally! The boys were over-joyous to see us as they had abandoned all hopes of us making it till Manali that day and had already ordered in dinner and were about to crash. We exchanged our stories of horrors faced in that slush. They had an equally bad experience with KD losing his precious Nokia N8 and along with it all his shots from the trip.

We crashed that night, completely tired, and did not even make plans for the next day. Supposedly we had to check out of the hotel at noon and head towards Delhi. Ya right!

Day 13 – Rest Day at Manali

No one woke up before 9 am the following morning, none wanting to give up the comforts of a cozy bed. Over chai at our adjoining balconies, everyone mutually agreed to spend an extra day at Manali before heading out for Delhi. After all, it was still a Thursday today, and even if we left the next day, we would be in Delhi latest by Saturday afternoon.

Agenda one for Manali day was a good brunch, and so we found ourselves at World Peace Cafe in Vasishtha, a few hundred meters from our hotel, which by the way was called ‘Hotel Hollywood’. We enjoyed the lovely view of the Beas from the cafe as we dug into our sumptuous brunch. A thick cloud cover remained, denying us the view of the lovely snow-covered peaks.

It was pretty cloudy and gloomy on that day in Manali – view from the hotel balcony

A Day in Manali

The next objective was to get the bikes fixed for the final haul to Delhi. I had to also get the luggage carrier repaired. I had in mind a cheap welding job so that it could hold up for the next 600 km, as it was pretty obvious that the carrier would have to be thrown away upon reaching Delhi. The bikes were adhered to at different service stations along the road to Rohtang. They even got a well-deserved shower at one of the Chevrolet service stations for 70 bucks per bike.

While the boys were getting the bikes fixed and cleaned, the girls had gone up to Mall Road to get some shopping done. We all finally got together at Il Forno for a late lunch. Thereafter, we headed back to the hotel to rest and pack.

Also Read: When is the Best time to visit Manali

While the others rested, Aarti and I spent the evening at the Lazy Dog Cafe in Old Manali. The Cafe is located right next to the nallah there and is a good place to hang out and chill. We spent quite a nice evening there, just sitting and chatting.

The rest of the group joined us at the cafe later in the evening. We all then headed for dinner at another restaurant in Old Manali (Moondance Cafe) where, apart from dinner, we ordered some other stuff; well, let’s just keep it at that. And let’s just say that the quality was exquisite when used at a party later in Delhi.

We then called it a night. Having had a rather restful day, our plan was to shoot for Delhi the next day.

Day 14: Manali – Ambala

All that remained of the trip was a long ride back to Delhi. The ride in the hills was bearable, but just thinking of riding through the hot and humid plains in the sweltering August heat made us cringe.

We began the day early, at about 6 am. It was raining cats and dogs, so apart from being a dull ride, it promised to be a wet ride as well. We all had our rain gear on, but none of us was 100% rainproof despite multiple layers of protection. Rain and landslides, with their related hold-ups, accompanied us all the way till Bilaspur, after which we got some respite. Lunch was a simple affair at the lake-view hotel run by HPTDC.

Post lunch, the humidity started taking its toll on all of us. A minor accident was up next. Thanks to the road construction work near the HP – Punjab border, Jugni lost control, and Gunjan fell off the bike. Much to my horror, I could see her falling in my rearview mirror. Fortunately, she sustained only minor injuries, and after giving her first aid, we moved on towards Ambala.

A massive jam before the cut towards Banur saw us progressing slowly ahead and it was only by sunset that we managed to reach the Haveli at Ambala.

We decided to take a longish break for an early dinner before pushing off for the final haul till Delhi. As we rested, our low energy level started to make its presence felt and it was mutually decided to crash for the night at that motel itself and make the final short ride to Delhi the next day.

Day 15: Ambala – Delhi

There was no rush to start early, so everyone slept in a bit late and we pushed off by 9 am from the motel after having a decent breakfast. The ride to Delhi was smooth without any untoward incidents. The trip came to an end with high fives near Munirka, and we all went to our separate homes.

Tso Moriri to Manali – Conclusion

I hope the travelogue, pictures, and information on traveling from Tso Moriri to Manali were of help. If you have any questions or need any other details, please feel free to ask in the comments section below or at our Community Forum, and I will be glad to answer.