Gata Loops from above
Special Edition · India · 2027
Ride the Highest
Road on Earth
12 days across Ladakh. 17 passes. One of them at 5,798m.
Stat strip is a 4 item repeater. Open item 1: the operator PDF says 17 passes, Raj’s message says 16. Pin down before publishing.
The hook
We Only Ride Kenya. Except Once.
Safari MotoXpedition runs Kenya. That is what we do & that is what we know.
But every so often something comes along that we cannot leave alone. This is it. Twelve days from the lakes of Kashmir to the far edge of the Tibetan plateau, over 17 high passes, ending on the highest motorable road on the planet at 5,798m. That is higher than Everest Base Camp, on a bike, with a cold beer waiting in Leh.
We are running this once, with eight riders. When it is gone, it is gone.
Why this one is different
- Umling La, 5,798m. The highest road on Earth. You ride up it & you get the photo nobody at home will believe.
- Four passes above 4,700m in a single day. Baralacha La, Nakee La, Lachung La & Tanglang La, plus the Gata Loops.
- Zanskar. The Drang Drung Glacier, Pensi La & a road to Padum that most Ladakh tours skip entirely.
- Shinku La at 4,975m. Only opened a few years back. Rough, remote & barely developed.
- Pangong Tso & Hanle. Nights in tents at 4,225m & a plateau so dark it holds India’s first Dark Sky Reserve.
- The same eight-rider rule. Small group, shared days on the trail, one long celebration at the end.
At a glance
The Trip in One Table
| When | XXX 2027 (dates announced soon, register for first access) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 12 days & 11 nights |
| Starts | Srinagar, India |
| Ends | Leh, India |
| Riding days | 9 |
| Daily distance | 126 to 336 km |
| Highest point | Umling La, 5,798m |
| Bike | Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 |
| Group size | Max 8 riders |
| Price | €XXX per rider, twin share |
| Single room | +€XXX |
| Non-rider seat | SUV seat available, €XXX (min. 3 people) |
Prices exclude international flights. Deposit & payment schedule confirmed on request.
The route
Srinagar to Leh, the Long Way Round
A loop through Kashmir, Zanskar, a corner of Himachal & the whole of Ladakh. Roughly 90% of the region in twelve days.
- Day 1Arrive Srinagar
- Day 2Srinagar to Kargil203 km
- Day 3Kargil to Padum231 km
- Day 4Padum to Jispa160 km
- Day 5Jispa to Leh336 km
- Day 6Leh, rest day
- Day 7Leh to Nubra Valley126 km
- Day 8Nubra to Pangong Tso171 km
- Day 9Pangong Tso to Hanle170 km
- Day 10Hanle to Umling La & back5,798m
- Day 11Hanle to Leh256 km
- Day 12Fly out of Leh
Stylised route map showing the twelve day loop from Srinagar through Kargil, Padum, Jispa, Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Umling La, returning to Leh.
THE ROUTE
ZOJI LA 3,528m
PENSI LA 4,400m
SHINKU LA 4,975m
TANGLANG LA 5,184m
KHARDUNG LA
REZANG LA
Srinagar
START
Kargil
Padum
Jispa
Leh
Nubra
Pangong Tso
Hanle
Umling La
5,798m HIGHEST POINT
OVERNIGHT STOP
HIGH PASS
RETURN LEG
Day by day
Twelve Days, One at a Time
Srinagar
You land in Srinagar & we move you straight onto Bashir bhai’s houseboat on Dal Lake. A heritage piece from the British days, a floating hotel of sorts. Take in the lake, the floating market & the last easy air you will breathe for a while. Briefing, bikes & bed early.
Stay: Houseboat, Dal Lake
Srinagar to Kargil
First real day. We climb Zoji La at 3,528m, the gateway to the land of passes. On the way we stop an hour at the Kargil War Memorial at Drass, one of the coldest inhabited places on Earth & worth the time. Kargil by evening, early night, because tomorrow is a big one.
Stay: Zojilla Residency, Kargil
Kargil to Padum
One of the toughest sections of the whole ride & one of the best. The peaks of Nun & Kun on one side, the Drang Drung Glacier winding away below you, then Pensi La at 4,400m. If we are running well we stop at Rangdum Monastery. Padum is the main town of the Zanskar Valley & very few tours get here.
Stay: Hotel D’Marq, Padum
Padum to Jispa
Shorter on paper, hard in reality. We cross Shinku La at 4,975m, the third axis to Leh, thrown open only a few years back & barely maintained since. Loose, remote & properly wild. Jispa at the end of it, in Himachal, where you sleep long.
Stay: Padma Lodges & Cottages, Jispa
Jispa to Leh
The longest day & the one you came for. Baralacha La at 4,750m, Nakee La at 4,739m, Lachung La at 5,065m & Tanglang La at 5,184m, with the Gata Loops stacked up in between. Long hours in the saddle, thin air, and a view every time you stop. Leh by evening.
Stay: The Abduz, Leh
Leh
Nothing hard today. Your body needs the altitude day & you need the sleep. After lunch we drift out to Shey Palace & Thiksey Monastery, then up to Shanti Stupa for sunset & watch Leh light up below.
Stay: The Abduz, Leh
Leh to Nubra Valley
Up Khardung La, for years billed as the highest motorable road on the planet & still the most famous climb in Ladakh. Down the other side into Nubra, where the mountains open into sand. Hunder dunes, Bactrian camels & a completely different landscape by teatime.
Stay: Hunder, Nubra Valley
Nubra to Pangong Tso
Another of the tough ones. We follow the Shyok River & thread the gorges towards Durbuk, on a road that changes with the water. Late afternoon you get your first sight of Pangong Tso at 4,225m, and it is worth every hour. Tents on the shore, cold night, unreal stars.
Stay: Tented camp, Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso to Hanle
We ride the length of the lake, then over Rezang La, close enough to China to feel it. Cross the Indus & climb onto the high plateau of Hanle. Almost no traffic, almost no light. This is India’s first Dark Sky Reserve & on a clear night it is the best sky you will ever stand under.
Stay: Hanle
Hanle to Umling La & back
The high point of the ride, literally. We go up via Nurbu La & Chisumle to Umling La at 5,798m, the highest motorable road on Earth. Summit photos, a long look at Tibet, then down the other way over Photi La & its 83 hairpins. You will be tired. You will not care.
Stay: Hanle
Hanle to Leh
Last day of riding & an easier one. Almost all of it along the Indus, through the Chumathang valley & its hot springs. Leh by late afternoon, then the celebration dinner, certificates & the stories that will get better every year.
Stay: The Abduz, Leh
Fly out of Leh
Drop-offs at Leh airport to suit your flight, onwards via Delhi. Juley.
6 to 8 shots from the operator’s previous runs
image rights still to request
What you get
What’s Included
Included
- 11 nights accommodation, twin share
- Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 for the full ride
- Breakfast & dinner every day
- Fuel for the whole route
- All permits
- Road captains riding with the group
- Backup truck with mechanic & driver
- Support SUV
- Oxygen cylinder, SpO2 & blood pressure monitors, first aid kit
- Bottled water on the road
- Airport transfers in Srinagar & Leh
- Certificate & celebration dinner in Leh
Not included
- International flights & the Srinagar / Leh domestic legs
- Lunches
- Indian visa
- Travel & medical insurance (mandatory)
- Alcohol & personal spending
- Single room supplement
three quarter studio or trail shot
The bike
Himalayan 450, Not the Kibo
In Kenya you ride our Kibo 250s. Not here. Ladakh needs more bike, so this one runs on the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450: 40hp, long travel suspension & the machine half of India uses to cross these passes. Built for exactly this.
You do not carry your own luggage. The support truck takes it, along with the spares & the mechanic.
Honest check
Is This One For You?
Yes, if you
- Have real off-road experience & are comfortable on loose surfaces for hours
- Are fit enough for long days at altitude
- Want the ride, not a holiday with a bike attached
Be honest with yourself about
Altitude. You will sleep above 4,000m for several nights & ride to 5,798m. We build in an acclimatisation day & carry oxygen, but this is real.
Long days. Day 5 is 336 km & around eight hours.
Rough surfaces. Shinku La & the Shyok stretch are not tarmac & the road changes with the weather.
If you rode Kenya with us, you can do this. If you have not ridden with us yet, talk to us first & we will tell you straight.
How this one works
Built With People Who Know These Roads
We are not pretending to be Ladakh experts. We run Kenya. So for this one we have partnered with an operator who has been running these passes for years, who knows which road is open on which day & who has the trucks, the mechanics & the permits already in place.
Raj & Hidde ride with you, same as always. Same group size, same pace, same evenings.
Open item 5: this whole block is a true or false toggle in ACF. Approve or cut before launch.
Price & booking
Eight Spots
€XXX
per rider, twin share, on a Himalayan 450
Balance schedule confirmed on booking. We are targeting XXX, when the water crossings are at their most manageable.
Open items 2 and 3: dates (operator suggests early May or August, August 2027 avoids the Kenya clash) and selling price off the partner tariff of USD 2,199 plus 5% GST twin share.
Trusted by adventurers
Nine reviews, 5.0 out of 5
From riders who did Kenya with us.
Reused Google reviews block from the homepage. No new copy needed.
Reused Google reviews block from the homepage. No new copy needed.
Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 9 reviews
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough for eight hours on a bike at altitude, several days running. You do not need to be an athlete, but this is harder than Kenya.
What about altitude sickness?
We build the route to climb gradually & we take a full rest day in Leh. The support vehicle carries oxygen, an SpO2 monitor & a blood pressure monitor. Raj has a medical background. If you are struggling, you ride in the truck for a day. Nobody makes it a thing.
Do I need an international licence?
Yes, an International Driving Permit alongside your national licence. We will send the details.
Which flights do I book?
Into Srinagar & out of Leh, both usually via Delhi. We will confirm arrival & departure windows once dates are set.
Is a visa needed?
Yes, an Indian e-visa. Straightforward online & we will send instructions.
What if I have never ridden off-road at altitude?
Then talk to us. This is not the trip to start on. Kenya is.
What is the weather like?
Cold mornings, warm afternoons, freezing nights at Pangong & Hanle. We send a full kit list once you are booked.
Can a non-rider come along?
Yes, there is a seat in the support SUV. Same route, same nights, no bike.
Ready?
Juley
That is hello in Ladakhi & you will be saying it a lot.
Eight spots, one edition, 5,798m. Tell us you are in & we will send you the dates before anyone else hears about them.
Raj & Hidde