BRO has connected the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh on 2024-03-25

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) connected the strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh on Monday 2024-03-25. This 298-km road will connect Manali to Leh through Darcha and Nimmu on Kargil – Leh Highway.

The road is now the third axis apart from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh, which connects Ladakh to the hinterland.

The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road derives its strategic importance from the fact that it is not only shorter vis-a-vis the other two axes, but crosses only one pass; Shinkun La (16,558 feet) on which tunnel work is about to commence by the BRO. 

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* Indian Roadie Infrastructure Projects 

* Ladakh Trails 

Tyre burst at subzero temperature and scarce oxygen in the high passes of Ladakh can be unnerving

The worst nightmare one could expect while driving in Ladakh is a blown out tyre at a dizzying height of 16,000 feet with low oxygen level and 0° temperature outside. Moreover, the very thought of having to cross the treacherous Baralacha la within the next few kilometres with one blown out tyre was outright scary. 

Incidentally, the tyre brand was Apollo. 

Incident took place at Lachalung la pass in August 2023. Had a tyre sidewall cut from a stone on the broken road. 

Courtesy: @Bhupendra Sharma 

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* Ladakh Trails 

Idiots drove their Thar on Shyok River on 2023-05-20

These are the people who were captured on camera in a video driving their Mahindra Thar in Shyok River in Nubra Valley, UT of Ladakh on 2023-05-20. They are not truly road travel and automobile lovers but are more keen on public display of wealth and what their machines are capable of doing. 

It's because of them that authorities implement tough conditions on all road travel lovers like you and me. 
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* Build Quality Of Drivers Brain Matters

Ladakh Inner Line Permits (ILP) removed for Indians vide notification dated 2021-08-06

Ladakh Inner Line Permits have been withdrawn for Indians vide official notification dated 2021-08-06. 

No more visits to Permit Office at Leh. 

Blanket ban on possession and usage of drones by public in entire J&K, Ladakh wef 2021-06-30

Don't even contemplate carrying a drone of any size whatsoever if your are planning to drive/ ride to anywhere in the UTs Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh. 

There's a blanket ban on possession of drones in the said region. 
The official order dated 2021-06-30 passed by the DM of Rajouri is attached for your perusal. 
Be responsible and strictly follow the rules! 

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* Indian Roadie News 

* Indian Roadie Police Directives

Thiksey Gustor - Indian Roadie Festival in Ladakh in November 2017

The Thiksey Gustor, was a 2-day festival celebrated in Ladakh from Nov 6th 2017.
This festival was celebrated at various monasteries of Thiksey (on Leh - Manali Highway), Spituk and Karsha Nanzkar.
The word ‘Gustor’ means ‘sacrificing'.
During the festival, there are early morning prayers. After the festival concluded, there was distribution of the sacrificial cake, also known as the Torma during a ceremony called ‘Argham’ or killing.
The leader of the Black Hat dancers did the distribution, marking the end of the festival and commemorating the victory of good over bad.
There was also a re-enactment of  the assassination of the traitor King Lang Darma of Tibet by a Buddhist monk during the mid 9th  century.
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* Thiksey Gustor
* Ladakh
* Indian Roadie Festival
* Only While Traveling By Road In India

Rented cars/ bikes from outside Ladakh region can't be used beyond Leh

Cars or Bikes rented from outside Leh can't be used in Leh or beyond. Even self-drive ones are not allowed beyond Leh. So those have to be parked in Leh for the duration of stay and one has to hire local Leh car/ bike to travel within Leh or beyond (self or driver driven), while the rented car/bike (from outside) remains parked in Leh town. That's double the expenditure.

This rule does not apply to cars/ bike personally owned and driven around with documents to prove ownership when asked for.

And yes, there are no self-drive car/ bike rental service operating in Leh region that allows one to pick and drop vehicles at different points. Self-drive car rental companies in the organized sector, viz.  Zoomcar, Choicecars, Myles, etc have this service only in select cities in India but not in Leh/ Ladakh region.

Buddhist monastery in the picturesque village of Likir in Ladakh, off Srinagar - Leh Highway

The Likir Monastery or Likir Gompa is one of the oldest and well maintained monasteries in Ladakh district in Jammu and Kashmir. The monastery is located in Likir village. It is believed to have been in existence since 11th century. The original name of Likir monastery is Klu-kkhyil gompa. Besides being the oldest, the monastery is also known for the 75 feet statue of Buddha.

About 52 kms west of Leh in Indus Valley, the picturesque village of Likir is believed to be among the oldest villages of India. Every Indian Roadie, Shetravels India, Backpacking India on Road, Global Roadie follower must visit, rather drive/ ride to the monastery which is about 9.5 kms north of the Srinigar to Leh highway.

Likir means the Naga encircled. The monastery got its name as it is believed two serpent spirits – Nanda and Taksako – guard it. The gompa belongs to Gelugpa sect of Buddhism which is also referred as Yellow Hat sect. It was founded by Tsongkhapa in 15th century.

Contact: Stanzin Takspa of Ladakh Trekking Old Likir Guest House, located right next to Likir Monastery in Ladakh. He can help connect Indian Roadie, Shetravels India, Backpacking India on Road, Global Roadie followers for short stays at the monastery.

Photo source: unknown.

Roadtrip from Kolkata to Leh Ladakh and back in May - June 2015

Indian Roadie Soumitra Bhattacharjee, a Kolkata based lawyer by profession started planning for a solo-drive with family to Leh Ladakh in end April 2015.
In barely a month thereafter, he was on the road for one of the most challenging drives in India. He was absolutely aware that the drive to Ladakh via Zojila Pass in May will be one of immense hardship because of slippery ice on the steep inclines, thick walls of ice on both sides of the treacherous road, slush, landslides and all the vagaries of nature.
He successfully completed a 6569 km / 15 days solo-drive from Kolkata to Leh/ Ladakh and back to Kolkata in his 2*2 Mahindra Scorpio SUV with wife, daughter and mother-in-law.
The epic drive commenced from Kolkata 25th May 2015 (Monday).

After leaving Kolkata at 6.30am, the drive took him through Asansol, Barhi, Sasaram, Varanasi, Allahabad, all on NH2 and 800 kms away. He crossed Allahabad around 8pm. He drove past Kanpur, another 200 kms north of Allahabad at 11.30pm.
The thrill of driving to Ladakh was motivation enough for him to drive upto 2.30am and that is when he decided to have a short nap inside his Mahindra Scorpio for a little over 3 hrs only.
In the forenoon hours of Day 2, he had crossed Etawah, Agra and was cruising along India's famed Yamuna Expressway.



25th May 2015 (Day 1) to 26th May 2015 (Day 2):
Kolkata – Varanasi – Kanpur – Yamuna Expressway – Ambala – Kharar - Rupnagar – Hoshiarpur – Dasuya – Pathankot – Samba – Udhampur – Patnitop.
Distance covered on Day 1 and 2 together 2234 km.
Start of Day 1 from Kolkata at 6.30 am.
Reached Patnitop on Day 2 at 11.30 pm without checking in at any hotel between Day 1 and Day 2.


First view of Kashmir valley.




Sunset at Dal Lake on Day 3 of 15.




27th May 2015 (Day 3):
Patnitop – Srinagar.
Distance 195 km.
Started at 10.30am.
Reached at 6.30 pm.






































28th May 2015 (Day 4):
Srinagar - Sonamarg - Zojila - Drass - Kargil.
Distance 235 km.
Started at 8.30 am .
Reached at 7.00 pm.





























29th May 2015 (Day 5):
Kargil - Mulbek - Namik La - Lamayaru - Khaltse - Nimmu - Magnetic Hill - Leh.
Distance 260 km.
Started at 8.30 am.
Reached at 5.30 pm.







Shanti Stupa is a white-colored domed-shaped structure, located in Chandspa which looks extremely beautiful during night when it is illuminated. This peace pillar was built by a ‘peace sect’ of Japanese Buddhist organization to celebrate the completion of 2500 years of Buddhism and for the promotion of world peace. It was inaugurated by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama in 1985. This pillar is known for its gilt panels depicting the life stories of Lord Buddha. It is just 5 kms away from the main city of Leh and is surrounded the traditionally built houses of the locals and snow-covered mountains. Take the steep slights to reach the Stupa that offers beautiful sunrise and sunset views.






Hall of Fame, located near the Leh Airfiled, is a museum constructed as well as maintained by the Indian Army in the memory of the soldiers who had lost their lives during the Indo-Pak wars. It is also termed as a memorial for the war heros. This building consists of two floors. While on the ground floor, there is information about the brave soldiers as and a souvenir shop but on the first floor, there are artifacts of various wars (mainly Kargil war) such as the weapons used during the war and some important documents, related to the same. There is another section dedicated to the Siachen glacier.





30th May 2015 (Day 6):
Leh rest and acclimatization. Also Leh local sightseeing.

31st May 2015 (Day 7):
1st half - Spituk Gompha, Leh palace.
2nd half - Shey Palace, Santi Stupa, Leh Market.
Distance 80 km.

Leh and around:::
Leh Palace:
Leh Palace was built during the 17th century by the ruler King Sengge Namgyal. Its construction is on the same lines as the construction of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. This palace had to be deserted by the royal family in the middle of the 19th century, because of the taking over of Ladakh by Dogra forces. After this the royal family is living in-exile in the popular Stok Palace. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is restoring some of the ruined portions of this nine-storey palace. While the store rooms were on the lower floors, the royalty resided on the upper floors. The roof of this palace offers an excellent view of the valley.

Jama Masjid:
Located in the heart of Leh town is the Jama Masjid, which is one of the major historical mosques in Ladakh. This mosque is considered to be the biggest mosques in the Ladkah region and consists of a memorial which is known as Shahi Hamdan. This memorial is made in dedication to Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, a Muslim Sufi Saint. It was built in 1666-67 A.D. as a result of an agreement between Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor and the then ruler of Ladakh, Deldan Namgyal. Since the time of its construction, the mosque has been dismantled and re-constructed using new techniques.

Stok Palace:
Stok Palace, built by King Tsespal Tondup Namgyal in 1825, in the present times is the residential palace of the royal descendants of King Sengge Namgyal. The architecture of this palace is a perfect mix of the traditional and the contemporary architectural styles. This palatial property consists of a number of beautiful gardens as well as a library that has around 108 volumes of the Kangyur (a collection of teachings of Lord Buddha). The palace is located around 15 kms away from the main city of Leh. This palace hosts an annual dance-mask festival in which there is a huge participation by the locals. There is also a collection of royal clothing, crowns and other important things which you can see while on the excursion of the palace.

















01st June 2015 (Day 8):
Leh - Khardung la - Diskit - Hunder.
Distance 145 km.
Started at 9.40 am.
Reached at 5.30 pm.




02nd June 2015 (Day 9):
Hunder - Agam - Sheyok - Pangong.
Distance 175 km.
Started at 9.00 am.
Reached at 5.45 pm.

03rd June 2015 (Day 10): Spangmik - Man - Merak - Chusul - Tsaga - Nyoma - Mahe - Sumdo - Tso Moriri - Korzok and back to Leh.

04th June 2015 (Day 11): Leh sightseeing.

05th June 2015 (Day 12): Leh - Kargil - Srinagar - Pahelgaon.

06th June 2015 (Day 13) to 8th June 2015 (Day 15): Pahelgaon - Udhampur - Samba - Pathankot - Ludhiana - Ambala - Yamuna Expressway - Varanasi - Kolkata.


Route from Pangong Tso Lake to Hanle:

There exist a direct route between Hanle / Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso as well. In most cases, one drives the direct route of Pangong Tso to Hanle because drivers/ riders can exit Ladakh from Tso Moriri towards Manali Leh Highway after visiting Hanle and Tso Moriri without coming back towards Leh.

Secondly, both Hanle and Tso Moriri is higher than Pangong Tso so as per acclimatization schedule one should stay near Pangong Tso before spending night at Hanle and Tso Moriri. However, all depends subject to the approval of permits for this route via Chusul. Foreigners are not at all allowed to go beyond Man – Merak Villages as permits are not issued to them for this route.

Spangmik (Pangong Tso) – Man (9 KMs) – Merak (12 KMs)– Kakstet (4 KMs) – Chusul (24 KMs) – Tsaga La (33 KMs) – Tsaga Village (20 KMs) – Loma (23 KMs) – Hanle(51 KMs) = 176 KMs

Route from Hanle to Tso Moriri:
After visiting Hanle, one can opt to go towards Tso Moriri from where one can either go to Ladakh or exit towards Manali via Manali Leh Highway.
There exist two routes to reach Tso Moriri from Hanle, one via Mahe bridge and other via Chumur.
The route to follow to reach Tso Moriri from Hanle via Mahe bridge: Hanle – Loma (51 KMs) – Nyoma (22 KMs) – Mahe (25 KMs) – Sumdo (10 KMs) – Tso Moriri / Korzok (53 KMs) = 161 KMs


Most difficult stages of the drive:
Nubra to Pangong.
Pangong to Tso Moriri.


Tariffs and names of hotels where Soumitra and family stayed:

Patnitop: Hotel Greentop, Padora Enclave, Patnitop, Udhampur, J&K - 182142. Ph: 01992287529. (Tariff @ Patnitop Rs.800).

Srinagar: Hotel Mount Inn, Old Gagribal Road, Durgjan, Srinagar, J&K - 190001. Ph: 09906728273. (Tariff @ Srinagar Rs.1500).

Kargil: J&K Tourism Facilitation Centre, Kargil. (Tariff @ Kargil Rs.800)

Leh: Solpon Guest House, Changspa Rd, Leh. Ph: 09906994466. (Tariff @ Leh Rs.1000).

Nubra: Ldumra Oasis Guest House, Hundar 194101, Nubra. (Tariff @ Nubra Rs.800).

Pangong: Can’r recall (Tariff @ Pangong Rs.1200).

Leh: Zee Guest House, Upper Changspa, Leh, Ladakh - 194101. (Contact person: Dorjay Angchok) Ph: 09469261374, 09596862205, 09906989175. (Tariff @ Leh Rs.1200)

Pahalgaon: Can’t recall. (Tariff @ Leh Rs.1500)


Food joints worth mentioning where Soumitra and family had their food.
Mughal Darbar, Srinagar.
Hotel Kargil Continental, Kargil.
Hotel Niranjana, Lamayuru.
Himalayan Cafe, Main Market, Leh.
Dolma Restaurant, Diskit.
Hoshiarpuri Bhaaiyaan Da Dhaba, Hoshiarpur.