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Philip Game | profile | all galleries >> India (14 galleries) >> Ladakh & Himachal Pradesh (4 galleries) >> Leh to Manali, an epic Indian road trip tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Leh to Manali, an epic Indian road trip

These images were taken with Nikon D300 using RAW format, and are available for licensing.

Leh, the Ladakhi capital, is only accessible by road during the summer months, an epic two-day journey whichever way you come. In the Eighties, travellers set out from Srinagar, the Kashmiri capital, climbing slowly up past Kargil, near the Indo-Pakistan 'Line of Control', to reach Leh from the west. Now the eastern route is preferred, extending 437 km from Manali in the forested hills of Himachal Pradesh, to climb up and over the ranges to Leh. My journey, back down from Leh to Manali, began at midnight, and two hours later the vehicles's electrical systems short-circuited on a lonely, pitch-black stretch of road. All my fault, according to the driver, for having nudged the tangle of wiring under my feet. Aah, the Milky Way in all its glory...

Some of these images were captured on shorter daytime excursions along the same route.






Mountain ranges overlook the town of Leh
Mountain ranges overlook the town of Leh		 Stok Kangri, 6123 m, overlooks Leh
Stok Kangri, 6123 m, overlooks Leh		 The Palace and Fort at Leh
The Palace and Fort at Leh
People in the streets of Leh
People in the streets of Leh		 Storekeeper in the Old Town of Leh
Storekeeper in the Old Town of Leh		 A busy stretch of the Main Bazaar, Leh
A busy stretch of the Main Bazaar, Leh
Ceremonial gateway on the southern edge of Leh
Ceremonial gateway on the southern edge of Leh		 A Ladakhi woman in Leh
A Ladakhi woman in Leh		 A fellow passenger, Leh, Ladakh, India
A fellow passenger, Leh, Ladakh, India
Shey Palace is a landmark, heading east along the Indus Valley
Shey Palace is a landmark, heading east along the Indus Valley		 Prayers inscribed on boulders, Shey Palace
Prayers inscribed on boulders, Shey Palace		 Indus Valley, between Thikse Gompa and Shey Palace
Indus Valley, between Thikse Gompa and Shey Palace
Maitreya Buddha, Shey Palace
Maitreya Buddha, Shey Palace		 Thikse Gompa is a landmark further east along the Indus Valley
Thikse Gompa is a landmark further east along the Indus Valley		 Thikse Gompa (Monastery)
Thikse Gompa (Monastery)
Novice monks at Thikse Gompa
Novice monks at Thikse Gompa		 Monks meet for prayer at Thikse Gompa
Monks meet for prayer at Thikse Gompa		 Frescoes at Thikse Monastery
Frescoes at Thikse Monastery
View from Thikse Monastery
View from Thikse Monastery		 Architectural detail, Thikse Gompa
Architectural detail, Thikse Gompa		 Portrait of the Dalai Lama, Thikse Gompa
Portrait of the Dalai Lama, Thikse Gompa
Religious art, Thikse
Religious art, Thikse		 Effigy of a Rimpoche or saintly one, Thikse
Effigy of a Rimpoche or saintly one, Thikse		 Golden Buddha at Thikse Gompa
Golden Buddha at Thikse Gompa
Ancient scriptures stored at Thikse
Ancient scriptures stored at Thikse		 Flat tyre in the Indus Valley
Flat tyre in the Indus Valley		 Following the Indus
Following the Indus
An Indian military bridge
An Indian military bridge		 A patch of green in the Indus Valley
A patch of green in the Indus Valley		 Early morning, somewhere south of the 5260-metre Taklang La
Early morning, somewhere south of the 5260-metre Taklang La
Early morning on the road
Early morning on the road		 Breakfast at Sarchu in Himachal Pradesh
Breakfast at Sarchu in Himachal Pradesh		 Makeshift roadhouses at Sarchu
Makeshift roadhouses at Sarchu
Mountain peaks above Keylong
Mountain peaks above Keylong		 Most will break their journey at Keylong
Most will break their journey at Keylong		 India: Bus interior, Himachal Pradesh
India: Bus interior, Himachal Pradesh
A wayside halt south of Keylong, climbing steadily up to the Rohtang La
A wayside halt south of Keylong, climbing steadily up to the Rohtang La		 Winding up towards the Rohtang La (3,979 m)
Winding up towards the Rohtang La (3,979 m)		 The dreaded Rohtang La, a high pass notorious for landslips and washaways
The dreaded Rohtang La, a high pass notorious for landslips and washaways
India: drivers of these buses work 12-15 hours a day, six days a week...
India: drivers of these buses work 12-15 hours a day, six days a week...		 Main bazaar of Manali, at journey's end
Main bazaar of Manali, at journey's end		 An elder of Manali, northern India
An elder of Manali, northern India
Manali woman
Manali woman		 Hadimba or Dhungri Temple, Manali
Hadimba or Dhungri Temple, Manali		 Manali's 16th-century Hadimba or Dhungri Temple
Manali's 16th-century Hadimba or Dhungri Temple
Detail of the Hadimba or Dhungri Temple, Manali
Detail of the Hadimba or Dhungri Temple, Manali		 Traditional homes in Old Manali
Traditional homes in Old Manali 		Traditional homes in Old Manali
Traditional homes in Old Manali
Traditional homes in Old Manali
Traditional homes in Old Manali 		Men of Old Manali
Men of Old Manali		 Traditional homes in Old Manali
Traditional homes in Old Manali

comment | share
Tom LeRoy04-Dec-2022 21:03
Fabulous gallery with a great variety of images and in excellent quality! BV
Phil29-Nov-2022 05:50
amazing
Paolo Peggi (aka Bracciodiferro)02-Jul-2016 08:59
Excellent! V
paolo
joseantonio14-Sep-2012 05:11
Very nice trip full of lovely images. Thank you for sharing...V.
anuschka13-Aug-2012 20:22
Very nice, thanks! V.
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