Manali

Manali lies south of the mountains, nestled at the head of a lush valley. In contrast to Ladakh, it is a bustling place full of backpackers who flock there for its trekking and laid-back lifestyle.

The Manali - Leh road literally crosses the Himalaya. Accumulated altitude gain exceeds a breath-taking 10,000 metres. Taglang La is the highest point at 5328 metres.

The road was built by the Indian army to supply their bases in this politically sensitive border region and has been open to foreigners for only the past ten years. The road was designed for trucks, so the gradients are not steep. About 90 percent of the road is paved and gangs of tar-smeared labourers are gradually completing the rest.