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Ladakh & Spiti — Atlas

After the LLB  ·  MMXXVI  ·  A last-chapter atlas

Ladakh&Spiti

One last trip together — from Delhi, north over the great passes, around Ladakh, home through the cold deserts of Spiti. Three years of law school in the rear-view mirror; whatever comes next, still around the corner.
This may be the last time we are all in the same car at the same hour. Three years of lectures, back stairs mess and lot of alcohol, and now — before whatever ‘afterwards’ turns out to mean — one long road north. FOR THE COLLEAGUES · CLASS OF MMXXVI
Compiled and drawn by Shreyans Jain
A note before we leave

This is the road atlas of one last trip — the kind you can only really make once, with the people you can only really make it with. Three years of law school behind us; the bar exam, the job offers, the postings to wherever cities will swallow us, all somewhere ahead. In between, two and a half weeks of the open road, the high passes, the cold lakes and whoever’s playing aux that hour.

Two thousand seven hundred and eighty kilometres. Ten mountain passes above four thousand metres. A dozen monasteries, four lakes of impossible blue, and somewhere along the way the quiet, unspoken acknowledgment that next time — if there is a next time — it will not look like this. The map below is the whole loop at a glance. The planner under it cuts the journey to taste — tick the places that move you, choose the way home, argue about Hanle.

Dramatis personae

Two cars certain, a third if we are enough — five seats each. Tap a line to write a name in; rearrange as the convoy firms up. Drop a group photo into the polaroid when there is one; it will stick.

somewhere on the road north, MMXXVI
Car I five seats
  1. 1Shreyans Jain
  2. 2[ name ]
  3. 3[ name ]
  4. 4[ name ]
  5. 5[ name ]
Car II five seats
  1. 1[ name ]
  2. 2[ name ]
  3. 3[ name ]
  4. 4[ name ]
  5. 5[ name ]
Car III only if neededadded once the count goes past ten
  1. 1[ name ]
  2. 2[ name ]
  3. 3[ name ]
  4. 4[ name ]
  5. 5[ name ]
2,780kmtotal loop
10–12days afoot
10+high passes
8regions traversed
I The Map

Drag to pan · +  − to zoom · 0 to fit · tap any place for details

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36°N 30°N 75°E 79°E K A S H M I R N U B R A C H A N G T H A N G Z A N S K A R L A H A U L S P I T I K I N N A U R P U N J A B  ·  H A R Y A N A ~ Indus river ~ ~ Tso Moriri basin ~ ~ Chandra & Bhaga ~ ~ Sutlej gorge ~ MMXXVI THE HIMALAYAN CIRCUIT — Ladakh · Lahaul · Spiti · Kinnaur — a circular journey of two thousand seven hundred & eighty kilometres — NOTE TO THE TRAVELLER — Distances are road-kilometres, not as the lammergeier flies. Altitudes in metres above mean sea level. Siachen Glacier Bara Shigri — LINE OF CONTROL — — INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY (CHINA) — Saser Kangri 7,672 m Mamostong Kangri 7,516 m Stok Kangri 6,153 m Kinner Kailash 6,050 m Friendship Peak 5,289 m Hatu Peak 3,400 m Nun-Kun massif 7,135 m 604 km · Jammu↔Delhi Thang — Northernmost village open to civilians, near LoC. Permit required. Thang 101 km Turtuk — Balti culture, apricot orchards, last village before Pakistan border. A jewel of Nubra. Turtuk 106 km Hunder — Cold-desert dunes & double-humped Bactrian camels in Nubra Valley. Hunder 26 km Indian Oil junction — Fuel stop & key fork — Siachen one way, Khalsar / Pangong the other. Indian Oil Siachen War Memorial — At the foot of the highest battlefield on earth. Sober & stirring. Siachen War Memorial 108 km Khardung La — One of the highest motorable passes — 5,359 m. Snow squalls common. Khardung-La 5,359 m South Pulu — Last check-post south of Khardung La. South Pulu Khalsar — Crossroads village along the Shyok river. Khalsar 32 km 56 km Agham — Junction to Wari-La & the Pangong arm via Shyok. Agham Wari La — A wild alternate pass back to Leh — 5,360 m. Light traffic. Wari La 5,360 m Durbuk — Last big halt before Pangong. Warm tea, cold winds. Durbuk 32 km Pangong (Merak) — Pangong Tso — the lake of changing blues. Merak Spangmik — Postcard-shore village on Pangong's western arm. Spangmik 51 km Hanle — Indian Astronomical Observatory; one of Earth's darkest skies. Hanle 162 km Chang La — The pass between Leh & Pangong — 5,360 m. Chang-La 5,360 m Jammu — Railhead & springboard to Kashmir. Jammu Srinagar — Dal Lake, shikaras, Mughal gardens & the great Vale. Srinagar 244 km Sonamarg — The 'Meadow of Gold' — gateway to Zoji La. Sonamarg 79 km Zoji La — The dramatic pass into Ladakh — 3,551 m. Often closed in winter. Zoji La 3,551 m Dras — Among the coldest inhabited places on earth. Dras 62 km Kargil — Halfway halt on the Srinagar–Leh road. Suru valley starts here. Kargil 63 km Fotu La — Highest point on the Srinagar–Leh road — 4,108 m. Fotu La 4,108 m 34 km 31 km LEH — The capital of Ladakh. Old town, royal palace, monasteries & the great bazaar. Acclimatise here at least 2 days. LEH Shanti Stupa — White-domed stupa above Leh — sunset views over the Indus valley. Shanti Stupa Leh Palace — 17th-century royal seat overlooking the old town — modelled on the Potala. Leh Palace Hall of Fame — Army museum to soldiers of Ladakh & the Siachen front. Hall of Fame Shey Palace — Old summer palace with a giant copper-gilt Buddha (15 km). Shey Thiksey Monastery — The crown of the Indus — twelve-tier Tibetan-style gompa. 19 km. Thiksey Hemis Monastery — The largest & richest monastery of Ladakh. Festival in June/July. 45 km. Hemis Spituk Monastery — Hilltop gompa above Leh airport. 8 km. Spituk Magnetic Hill — Optical-illusion slope where cars 'roll uphill'. 30 km from Leh. Magnetic Hill Gurudwara Pathar Sahib — Sikh shrine on the Srinagar road; legend of Guru Nanak. 25 km. Pathar Sahib Sangam (Indus-Zanskar) — Confluence of the green Indus & muddy Zanskar at Nimmu. 35 km. Sangam Likir Monastery — Big golden Maitreya statue under open sky. 52 km. Likir Alchi Monastery — 11th-century murals — Indo-Kashmiri art treasure. 66 km. Alchi Lamayuru Monastery — The 'Moonland' of Ladakh — eroded badlands & oldest gompa. 127 km. Lamayuru Tanglang La — Second highest pass on the Leh–Manali road — 5,328 m. Tanglang La 5,328 m 74 km Karu — Highway junction — Pangong arm forks east; Manali road runs south. Karu 43 km 31 km 40 km Debring — Tent-stop on the Moray plains. Tso Kar nearby. Debring 14 km Tso Kar — The 'White Lake' — a high-altitude salt lake at 4,530 m. Famed for kiang (wild ass), black-necked cranes and the salt crust on its shores. Tso Kar Puga Valley — Geothermal valley of sulphur springs, fumaroles & borax fields at ~4,400 m. India's largest geothermal site — steam vents hiss right by the road. Classic halt between Tso Kar & Tso Moriri. Puga Valley hot springs · 4,400 m Tso Moriri — High-altitude blue lake at 4,522 m. Korzok village & rare brahmaduck sightings. Tso Moriri 112 km Pang — World's highest tented eatery hamlet (4,630 m). Pang 52 km Lachung La — Pass of pale dust & thin air — 5,059 m. Lachung La 5,059 m 22 km Whiskey Nala — A folk-named stream halt before Nakeela climb. Whiskey Nala 71 km Nakeela Top — Yet another high crossing — 4,740 m. Nakeela Top 4,740 m 5 km Gata Loops — 21 hairpin bends spiralling down — a driver's rite of passage. Gata Loops (21 bends) 19 km Sarchu — Border camp between Himachal & Ladakh — popular tented halt. Sarchu 25 km Bara-lacha La — The pass of crossroads — 4,890 m; rivers fan out from here. Bara-lach-La 4,890 m 31 km Darcha — Last fuel before Sarchu coming north. Start of treks to Zanskar. Darcha 43 km Keylong — District HQ of Lahaul — apple orchards, willows & the Bhaga river. Keylong 43 km Tandi — Last fuel pump before Leh going north (or before Kaza going east). Tandi (fuel) Manali — Gateway hill-station. Acclimatise here before climbing onto the great passes. Junction of the Leh highway & the Spiti exit road. Manali Delhi — Where the journey begins and ends. ~604 km to Jammu (onward leg), ~250 km to Chandigarh (return leg). DELHI start · end ~250 km Atal Tunnel — 9-km tunnel under Rohtang — Manali to Lahaul in minutes (year-round). Atal Tunnel Gramphu — Lonely junction — Spiti branch leaves the Manali–Leh highway here. Gramphu Batal / Chandratal — Detour to the moon-shaped Chandratal lake. Wild & basic camps. Batal · Chandratal Kunzum La — Pass into Spiti — 4,551 m. Circumambulate the stupa for safe passage. Kunzum La 4,551 m Losar — First village of Spiti — police check & momo stop. Losar Kaza — Heart of Spiti. Base for Key, Kibber, Langza, Komic, Hikkim & Chicham bridge. KAZA Tabo — The 'Ajanta of the Himalayas' — 996 AD monastery with priceless murals. Tabo Nako — Lakeside Buddhist village on the cliffs above the Spiti river. Nako Pooh / Khab — Confluence of the Spiti & Sutlej. Border-area permits checked. Pooh · Khab Reckong Peo / Kalpa — Kinnaur HQ, with Kinner Kailash views from Kalpa. Reckong Peo Sangla / Chitkul — Lush Baspa valley; Chitkul is India's last village toward Tibet. Sangla · Chitkul Rampur Bushahr — Old kingdom on the Sutlej. Sarahan & Bhimakali temple nearby. Rampur · Sarahan Narkanda — Apple country & the Hatu Peak ridge. First feel of mountains for those coming up. Narkanda Shimla — Queen of Himalayan hill-stations — Ridge, Mall, Christ Church. Shimla Chandigarh — Le Corbusier's planned city — your last big halt before Delhi on the return leg. CHANDIGARH Atal · 45 60 km Batal · 60 15 km 57 km Kaza · 50 km Tabo · 70 Nako · 50 62 km 125 km 65 km 65 km 115 km · Shimla→Chd N S E W NE SE SW NW SCALE  ·  APPROXIMATE 0 50 100 150 200 km Diskit Monastery — Iconic 32-metre Maitreya Buddha statue overlooking the Shyok valley. 14th-century gompa — the oldest & largest in Nubra. Diskit Sumur — Quiet Nubra village & site of Samstanling Monastery. Sand dunes & orchards nearby. Sumur Panamik Hot Springs — Famous sulphur hot springs at the foot of the Karakoram. Long the northernmost limit of civilian travel. Panamik hot springs Tangtse — Permit checkpoint & last village before Pangong. Ancient petroglyphs and an 8th-century church-like stupa. Tangtse Mulbekh — A 7-metre 9th-century rock-cut Maitreya Buddha by the roadside — one of Ladakh's oldest and most striking sights. Mulbekh Basgo — Ruined fort-palace & 16th-century temples with stunning frescoes. Ancient capital of Lower Ladakh. Basgo Ruins Phyang Monastery — 16th-century Drikung Kagyu monastery, 16 km from Leh. Big August festival with sacred cham dances. Phyang Stok Palace — Royal palace & museum of the Namgyal dynasty — still home to the Ladakhi royal family. 15 km from Leh. Stok Palace Matho Monastery — The only Sakya school monastery in Ladakh. Famed Matho Nagrang oracle festival in late February. Matho Stakna Monastery — 'Tiger's Nose' — perched dramatically on a rock-knob above the Indus. 25 km from Leh, on the south bank. Stakna Chemrey Monastery — Beautifully terraced hilltop gompa near Karu — quieter than Hemis with sweeping Indus views. Chemrey Chumathang — Hot sulphur springs & modest tea-stops on the Indus banks. Halfway halt on the way to Tso Moriri via the river route. Chumathang hot springs Mahe Bridge — Indus bridge & key junction — fork south to Hanle, east to Tso Moriri. Mahe Korzok Village — The world's highest permanent village (4,560 m), on Tso Moriri's shore. Korzok Gompa & nomadic Changpa herder camps. Korzok — DRAWN FOR THE COLLEAGUES — After the LLB · MMXXVI before the road forks · before whatever is next SJ HIMALAYAN · CIRCUIT MMXXVI
II The Itinerary

Build your itinerary

Tick the places that move you. Totals — kilometres, hours on the road, days needed — update as you choose.

⚠ Interactive planning needs JavaScript. WhatsApp's in-app browser blocks it — please open this file in Chrome / Safari for the full planner.
0 Total km incl. detours
0 Driving hrs moving time only
0 Days needed incl. rest / sightseeing

CORE ROUTE — ONWARD VIA KASHMIR

LEH & SURROUNDINGS

LADAKH DETOURS — HIGH LAKES & VALLEYS

RETURN ROUTE — CHOOSE YOUR WAY HOME

III The Coordination Sheet
After the yes

Shared once you've committed

This atlas is for dreaming. The coordination sheet is for going. It is not linked here on purpose — it ships to the group only after you've signalled you're in, or seriously considering it. What lives inside it is below.

Sealed until commitment
Dispatch protocol
Ladakh Group Coordination.xlsx
  • 01Press Commit below and leave your name & number.
  • 02You'll be added to the trip WhatsApp; the live Sheet link drops there.
  • 03Your name replaces a placeholder column. You start voting and packing.
Tab 1 · Voting

Where do we go?

Every place on the map, in four groups. Each person types Y / N / M in their column and the verdict tallies live.

  • On the way to Leh 10 places
  • Around Leh 9 places
  • High-altitude detours 10 places
  • Return via Spiti & Kinnaur 15 places
Tab 2 · Packing

Personal packing

Each member's own kit. Type x in your column as items are packed; a progress bar at the foot tracks readiness.

  • Documents & money 7 items
  • Clothing — in layers 12 items
  • Health & medication 11 items
  • Gear & electronics 9 items
Tab 3 · Convoy

Shared car kit

Gear someone has to carry — TPMS, jerry cans, stove, oxygen, all of it. Write your name in to claim an item.

  • Vehicle & recovery 10 items
  • Fuel & fluids 9 items
  • Camp kitchen 9 items
  • Safety & shelter 9 items
IV Colophon
A note on the making

This atlas was drawn over the last weeks of law school, in the quiet hours after exams ended and before everything else began. It is dedicated to the friends in the Sumo, to the bad jokes that kept us awake through night drives, and to whatever version of us is left, years from now, when this page is opened again.

For the last drive togetherBefore the road forks
For the silences at 17,000 ftWhere words run thin
For the songs we'll over-singSame playlist, fifth pass

Somewhere between Khardung and Kunzum we'll forget we were ever in courtrooms. We'll talk about the people we used to be — the ones loitering on campus past closing, at the chai stalls just outside the gate, dragging out evenings that were never long enough. We'll promise to do this again, and most of us won't — which is exactly why we have to do it now.

for the colleagues, before life takes us elsewhereShreyans Jain
Class of MMXXVI · somewhere between Delhi and Leh · admin