Special Edition · India · 2027
Ride the Highest
Road on Earth
12 days across Ladakh. 17 passes. One of them at 5,798m.
Usually We Ride Kenya. Except Once.
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.
The Trip in One Table
| When | September 2027 (exact 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fly out of Leh
Drop-offs at Leh airport to suit your flight, onwards via Delhi. Juley.
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
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.
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.
Ridden with us in Kenya, or never met us? Either way, get in touch. We will jump on a video call, talk through what the days look like & work out together whether this one is for you.
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.
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.
Ten reviews, 5.0 out of 5
From riders who did Kenya with us.
Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 10 reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
How fit do I need to be?
Normal riding fitness is enough. The longest day is 336 km & around eight hours in the saddle, but most days are shorter than that, & day six is a full rest day in Leh. What you notice at 4,000m & above is not the distance so much as the thin air: everything takes a little more out of you, so we keep the pace sensible & stop often. If you ride regularly & are in reasonable shape, you will be fine. The support truck & the SUV stay with the group all day, so taking a break, or sitting out a stretch, is always an option.
What about altitude sickness?
We build the route to climb gradually from Srinagar & we take a full rest day in Leh at 3,500m before the highest sections. The support vehicle carries oxygen, an SpO2 monitor & a blood pressure monitor, & Raj has a medical background. Most people feel a bit short of breath & sleep badly for a night or two, & that passes. If you are not feeling right, 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?
Almost nobody has, so you would be in good company. Get in touch & we will set up a video call. We go through your riding history, what the days actually look like & whatever you are unsure about, & between us we work out whether it is a good fit. No pressure either way, & it costs you nothing.
What is the weather like?
We ride in September on purpose. Down on the Indian plains it is still hot then, but Ladakh sits in the rain shadow of the Himalaya at 3,000 to 5,800m, so it stays dry & cool. Around Leh expect roughly 18 to 22°C in the afternoon & 3 to 8°C at night. Higher up at Pangong & Hanle it drops to around freezing after dark. Rain is rare, about one wet day in the whole month, but the sun at altitude is fierce, so sunburn is the thing to guard against rather than getting soaked.
September also means the rivers & stream crossings still carry meltwater from the summer, which is one of the better parts of the ride. You dress in layers: cold at dawn, peeling them off by mid-morning, back on before the sun drops. 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.
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