Leh-Manali Highway

The Leh-Manali Highway is a highway in India connecting Leh and Manali. It crosses some of the highest mountain passes in the world, including Rohtang La (3,978 m, 13,050 ft), Baralacha La (4,892 m, 16,050 ft), Lachulung La (5,059 m, 16,600 ft) and Taglang La (5,325 m, 17,470 ft), and is open only between June and mid-September when snow is cleared from the road by the Border Roads Organisation. It connects the Manali valley to Kullu valley, Lahaul and Spiti and Ladakh.

As the journey along the road normally takes two days (or more depending on road conditions), many tourists and travellers make overnight stops at Jispa and tented camps such as Sarchu. Alternately, overnight stops can be made at Keylong.

Owing to the high altitudes and the oxygen-rarefied air, many travellers experience mountain sickness or in some cases even acute mountain sickness.

An important credit is that the Leh-Manali Highway was designed, built, constructed, (and is maintained) in its entirety by the Indian Army and is capable of supporting the heaviest of their vehicles.

External links

* [http://saos.org/egotrips/trips.php?trip=6 Cycle Adventure from Manali-Leh, documenting the regions and roads en-route]
* [http://www.tibet.freeserve.co.uk/india_leh-manali.html Beefy's Tibet and Nepal Page]
* [http://www.bikemap.de/route/7383/ Manali-Leh Highway on Bikemap (with GPS-track)]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/8339033@N04/sets/72157601815386952/ Photos of a bike tour along the Highway from 1996.]