ABOVE ALL ELSE: Make your trip zero-environmental-impact. Keep collecting ALL your non-biodegradable trash and deposit it into proper waste bins when you RETURN, not along the way or in nature. Every little bit we do has a positive effect – believe it.

Part 1: Delhi to Vashisht (Manali), before Rohtang Pass

At what I will consider, in hindsight, to be an auspicious odometer reading of 42, 706 km, we started from Delhi on a clear June evening. The moon was out early, and as its light spread across the night sky, we ascended the foothills of the mighty Himalayas by taking a bypass towards Ropar from Ambala. It was not a well-known route, but it saved the Kiratpur-Chandigarh bypass from being trod on by our new tires.

The early morning greeted us through the Kullu valley, the river tumbling down in the mischievous way mountainous rivers are wont to. Breathing in the air like Pink Floyd exhorts us to, we took a short breakfast break and steeled ourselves for facing the short but congested route through Manali city.

I used to call it a town but it has gone the way most overcrowded tourist destinations go – to the dogs. Nevertheless, we had to get our permit for Keylong (NOT for Rohtang – those are for people returning the same day or next morning from the relatively near and equally crowded Rohtang pass).

PERMITS: IMPORTANT

The importance of this permit cannot be overstated. If you are in a locally hired vehicle, the driver may take care of this for you. All for a fee, of course. The in-person way to get this made for your own vehicle – we had a Honda Amaze (diesel) and a Hyundai Santro (petrol) – is to apply online at the website of the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Kullu-Manali [if you want to check it out right away: Permits for Rohtang]. The fee is only INR 50, but getting it done through touts or agents costs more – anywhere between INR 200 (if you’re not overly hoodwinked) to INR 500 (extravagant but quick). The pass is only available for the current and next day, so be sure of your traveling times before getting the permit either yourself or through someone.

If getting it done yourself, you will be required to enter your car’s details (Registration Certificate), driver’s details (Driving License), Pollution Under Control certificate etc. so keep these handy. As mentioned in driving advice available all over the Internet, your car should ideally be in top condition. On this note, I’d recommend reading (or at least taking along, for the literal ride) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.

After getting the permit for Keylong – again, NOT just for Rohtang but for BEYOND Rohtang), we were ready for the last-stage preparations for our trip to Leh Ladakh.

ADVICE APPLICABLE THROUGHOUT: Ladakh is a beautiful but severe environment. The decision to visit should be taken in the most positive sense possible, anticipating unexpected events and preparing for them as much as one can. Stay in the moment, and learn to enjoy the vagaries of nature as they come. That being said, join us as we head out of our homes and into the cold desert at the top of the world - the Himalayas! 

Part 2: Rohtang pass – Koksar – Keylong – Jispa [night stay]