La la, la la la

The mighty Chang La!
One of our biggest motivations for coming to Ladakh was to cycle some high roads, so from Leh we set off for 12 days of ‘La bagging’. First up the Khardung La, which despite all evidence to the contrary the Indian authorities still comically try to claim is the ‘Highest Motorable Road In the World’. As the pass is just outside Leh, it’s a convenient myth and one that helps maintain a roaring trade in souvenir shellsuits and fleeces. There are many higher roads in Tibet however, a few in the Andes, and three we know of in Ladakh. After crossing the Khardung La we attempted to overcome the considerable obstacle of the Indian Bureaucratic Machine and climb up to these.

Accessing the Chang La was simple enough: get an Inner Line Permit in Leh then follow every tourist jeep in Ladakh on the way to Pangong Tso.

The higher Kaksang La proved more tricky. We tried to cross from the north but were turned back by a company of friendly Sikh soldiers. This forced us into a long detour, but from the south we were more successful. Though the pass may be in a restricted area (we never conclusively found out) there were no checkpoints en route so it was possible to get to the 5,438m high point without anyone asking what we were up to.

Disappointingly getting permission for the much higher Marsimik La proved beyond us. Writing emails from the UK to the District Commissioner in Leh resulted in a brief meeting in his cavernous office and a polite but firm ‘it’s not within my power to grant foreigners permission to that region’. Haz did always have that Chinese-bike-spy look about her.

Please click here for our full Ladakh High Passes photo set on Flickr.

The Mighty Chang La.
Foreboding weather in the Harong valley
Foreboding weather in the Harong valley.
Parma checkpost: turn back here
Parma checkpoint: turn back here.

 

Where the Indus is really young
Where the Indus is really young.

 

Nearing Chumathang
Nearing Chumathang.

 

Great clouds over the Indus
Great clouds over the Indus.

 

Climbing to Yaya Tso and the Hor La
Climbing to Yaya (Toure) Tso and the Hor La.

 

The Kaksang La (5,438m)
The Kaksang La (5,438m).

 

The Pologongka La (4,972m)
The Pologongka La (4,972m).

 

Nearing Tso Kar
Nearing Tso Kar.

Still got the bloody Kill Bill music going round my head. “La la, la la la, la la la la la la la …”

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