CHAPTER #2 - Let's Continue - The next phase of trip to Ladakh

July 8, 2019

Hello all,  Welcome back !!

We got ready, had little breakfast and then we finally secured the bags onto the rear handle of Activa using that braided rope which I brought with me.

Here are some pics !!

We had some bananas for some more energy and headed for Rohtang pass (Rohtang means pile of corpses or dead bodies). 

To get on the way to Rohtang pass, we need to take the right turn at the junction of mall road. There might be more ways but I am telling about the one which we took. The path was Beautiful and surroundings were even more beautiful.

Here are some shots !!

Cherishing the nature and the beauty , we drove for like one hour and reached one beautiful spot where there was a small waterfall and people were having some fun there and then we clicked some pictures and had some snacks !! The  surroundings were lush green. On a ride to Leh via Manali, you will encounter all terrains like lush green, snow covered, sand and barren type mountains and this will have adverse effect on you face skin so make sure to use sun screen of at least 40 SPF. 

Here are some shots from the path to Rohtang

Then, we decided to move on and after some more driving, we finally felt some chilly and freezing vibes and the air was getting too cold that we had to wear jackets. At that moment, we knew that Rohtang is now not that far and then we had our first view of Rohtang pass. It was full of snow and full of clouds.  It was looking exceptionally Beautiful.  People were wearing special suits which are specially designed for sliding down the icy mountains just for fun.  As it was too cold, how could we have missed spicy and hot momos. I don't need to tell how tasty those momos were. 

Here are some shots !!! Enjoy !!

After Having some great moments to cherish, we finally got onto our ride and moved on. Our goal was to reach Jispa before dawn.  We drove and drove and drove continously with little breaks on the way. At one point, there was one check post where we had to show the permit for Rohtang pass. Make sure you have the print out of  permit. They will verify the details and will let you cross the check post and please keep the permit with you. Do not throw away as there will be one more check post before Jispa. At that checkpost,  You will have to enter all the details like your name, your vehicle number and your contact number in a register and show the Rohtang permit. At that point, we had our lunch and had some great mountain tea and then continued to Jispa.

Jispa is basically a temporary settlement having some hotels and guest houses and tents. As staying in hotels was too mainstream, we decided to rent a tent and at that point, we met two really nice guys from Bihar and we four went and asked for night stay tents. The price quoted was 1400 Rs but with little bargain, the owner agreed on 1000 Rs with dinner and breakfast. The best thing is they will ask about your food choice. The tent house had the best location with river flowing just within 20 meters. The weather was awesome.

The tents had two single beds with single light for emergency and toilets were outside the tents. Everything was temporary. 

After having nice dinner of aloo gobhi, rice, daal and chapati, we headed for a small walk and to have a look around. Jispa had a different vibes. No pollution of any kind, it was a heavenly abode. There were so many proper tent cities like Jispa tent city with higher price tags. 

Finally, we came back to our tent and slept as rest was needed. At night, it becomes too cold and that's why we were given thick blankets beforehand. I was too afraid to even go out for loo because owner told us that bear and wolves are common in this area and they might enter the tent area at night.  

In the morning, I woke up and opened the main zipper of our tent and when I lifted the flap of the tent, I was in awe and was astonished at the beauty of nature and the peace in air. It felt so beautiful that I cannot express in words. Here is a small video. 

Then, the cook asked our choice of breakfast and all four of us agreed on aloo paranthas. None of us took bath as water was too chilled and the weather was making it more difficult for us to even think of taking bath. 

we just used face wash , brushed our teeth and headed for breakfast. As always, the Aloo paranthas were too yummy but we controlled ourselves as tummy full of paranthas can lead to problems on the way.

Our next destination was Sarchu, a small and temporary settlement in the plains and the first place to stay in Jammu and Kashmir means the moment we enter Jammu and Kashmir, the first settlement we encounter is Sarchu. We packed our bags, secured them to the back of Activa and paid the rent and headed for Sarchu !!!

Please do not forget to comment. Your comment will give me more energy and happiness so I will be able to write better the next phase.