Is Ladakh open for tourists in winters? This is a common question that arises in thousands of minds. And the answer is yes. A large number of tourists now visit Ladakh in winter months to experience the winter season, for winter photography, to see snow, to see frozen Pangong lake or for winter trekking. Large number of adventure enthusiasts visit Ladakh in January and February, the peak winter months, for Chadar Trek, the trekking on frozen Zanskar river. Though both Srinagar – Leh (Ladakh) and Manali – Leh highways get blocked in winters, Ladakh still remains connected with Delhi by regular flights. Climate and Preparations Temperature in Ladakh may plummet to minus 20 or even less anytime in winters. If bone chilling cold is not a problem, you are most welcome to experience the winters of beautiful Ladakh. All you need to do is some preparations to fight cold. You need to bring woollens, warm shoes (or good sports shoes), goggle, sunscreen lotion, cap and muffler (if available. Generally, most hotels in Ladakh remain closed during winters and only few hotels remain operational round the year. Many hotels have centralized heating system while others provide electrical room heaters to their guests at extra charges. For detailed information about Weather in Ladakh and seasons to visit Ladakh, click this link: https://discoverlehladakh.in/best-time-to-visit-leh-ladakh.htm Do internal roads of Ladakh remain open in winters Yes, mostly all roads of Ladakh remain open in winters. Local sightseeing places, including major monasteries, around Leh remain open and even road to Pangong Lake and Nubra valley remains open in winter. However, heavy snowfall on Chang-la and Khardungla top blocks the highway for some time or a couple of days. The traffic is resumed soon by BRO. Road to Zanskar valley generally remains closed in winters. Tips for winter
Is Ladakh open for tourists in winters? This is a common question that arises in thousands of minds. And the answer is yes. A large number of tourists now visit Ladakh in winter months to experience the winter season, for winter photography, to see snow, to see frozen Pangong lake or for winter trekking. Large
LEH: The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has decided to design a software to charge Ladakh environment fees online for the convenience of tourists and to bring transparency to the system. LAHDC Leh Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) Dr. Sonam Dawa Lonpo convened a meeting to discuss about the utilization of environmental fees charged from tourists visiting Leh on Saturday. The meeting was attended by EC Works Dorjey Mutup, EC Agriculture Tsering Wangdus, EC Animal & Sheep Husbandry Mumtaz Hussain, all the councilors, nominated councilors, Administrator Municipal Committee, AD Tourism, Wildlife Warden, President All Ladakh Tour Operators Association (ALTOA), Hotel Association and Taxi Union. Addressing the meeting, CEC informed that at present under the account head of environment fees a total of Rs 3 crore has been collected which besides Ladakh environment fees includes rent of Ladakh House, Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra, Conference Hall, shooting charges and amount charged from non-residential students. He said that the objective of collecting Ladakh environment fees is to generate income resource for Council to make itself sustainable in some ways and to cut down the dependency on government funds which is meager to meet all the developmental needs and demands. “We cannot wait for government money to provide with facilities to promote tourism and it’s mandatory to take initiatives at our level to address the issues. It can only be achieved if we work in unity ensuring collective and coordinate efforts by all the stakeholders involved,” Dr Dawa said. During the meeting it was decided unanimously to make payment of environment fees online for domestic tourists also to ensure transparency in the system. It was also decided to enhance the environmental fee for both foreign and domestic tourists from next year onwards and CEC urged the concern stakeholders to come up with a fee structure
LEH: The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has decided to design a software to charge Ladakh environment fees online for the convenience of tourists and to bring transparency to the system. LAHDC Leh Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) Dr. Sonam Dawa Lonpo convened a meeting to discuss about the utilization of environmental fees charged from
Srinagar - Leh Road: CLOSED Manali - Leh Road: CLOSED Click here to know the Manali-Leh Road Status for 2020 Click here to know the Manali-Leh Road Status for 2019 Click here to know the Manali-Leh Road Status for 2017 The 474-km-long Manali-Leh (Ladakh) highway has been blocked following heavy snowfall along the highway. Manali-Rohtang-Keylong-Leh highway is blocked beyond Kothi, 14km from Manali. Rohtang pass, Baralacha pass and other high passes have received heavy to very heavy snowfall in last few days. A thick layer of frost has covered the highway, making driving very risky. Given the safety of public, the highway has been officially closed. Border Roads Organization (BRO), which is responsible for the maintenance of this road, has informed that the snow from highway will now be cleared after March only. A bridge on Manali-Leh highway at Koksar, 70km from Manali, has also been removed to stop flow of vehicular traffic. Hundreds of residents of Lahaul valley have migrated to Kullu-Manali and other lower areas. Almost all the residents of Koksar, Dimpuk and Ramthang villages on Lahaul, on other side of Rohtang, have migrated to Kullu district. Koksar has nearly 26 families, both Dimpuk and Ramthang villages have 10 families each. These villages are wearing deserted look. Temperature on Rohtang, Baralacha and other high altitude areas along the highway is dipping as low as minus 30 or even below. Srinagar-Leh highway has also blocked on Zojila pass beyond Sonmarg. This highway will open in April. BRO officials have informed that snow clearance operation on Manali-Leh highway will start on March 1 and the highway is expected to thrown open for vehicles in end of May. This year the hills of Himachal and Ladakh have experienced comparatively less snowfall than last season. However, there are three more months to
Srinagar – Leh Road: CLOSED Manali – Leh Road: CLOSED Click here to know the Manali-Leh Road Status for 2020 Click here to know the Manali-Leh Road Status for 2019 Click here to know the Manali-Leh Road Status for 2017 The 474-km-long Manali-Leh (Ladakh) highway has been blocked following heavy snowfall along the highway. Manali-Rohtang-Keylong-Leh
Heavy snowfall set to delay opening of Manali-Leh highway If you are planning to visit Ladakh by daunting Manali-Leh highway, it's better to make necessary changes in your itinerary. According to confirmed reports, heavy snowfall and several avalanches along the Manali-Leh highway will delay opening of the highway for vehicular traffic. The road is expected to open on or after the first week of June 2015. Both Rohtang pass and Baralacha pass are deep under 30 to 50 feet of snow. Border Roads Organization (BRO) is all set to start its snow clearing operation on strategically important Manali-Leh highway, one of the highest and dangerous highways of the world, in the next few days. The operation, which is already delayed due to inclement weather conditions, is expected to start next week. Click Here to Check Manali-Leh Road Status of 2016 Heavy winter snowfall blocks Manali-Leh highway every year in November and BRO starts removing snow from highwayfrom Gulaba, near 23km north of Manal, every year on March 1. But conditions are quite different this year. Some of the parts along Manali-Leh highway have already received highest snow in last 36 years, while more snow is likely in next one and half month. Some parts along highway, particularly near Rohtang and Baralacha pass, have received over 40 feet of snow. Sources said that cutting through the thick sheet of snow is not easy this year and can delay opening of Manali-Leh highway. BRO commander, Colonel KP Rajendera Kumar, who looks after operations of 38 Border Road Task Force (headquartered in Manali), shared with local media: "We have made a strategy. Bad weather conditions, heavy snowfall and avalanche warnings have forced us to delay the snow clearing operation. There is prediction for more snowfall and threat of avalanches. We are expecting to start clearing snow towards Rohtang pass in second or third
Heavy snowfall set to delay opening of Manali-Leh highway If you are planning to visit Ladakh by daunting Manali-Leh highway, it’s better to make necessary changes in your itinerary. According to confirmed reports, heavy snowfall and several avalanches along the Manali-Leh highway will delay opening of the highway for vehicular traffic. The road is expected
Julley ji, Julley (जुले ) is not just a word. It’s a magical word. Not a single word, it's a complete sentence, or a story. And sometimes, it is more than a sentence. Julley is a mesmerizing word that gets your work done anywhere in Ladakh. It brings you respect, helps you find the way, gets you tasty food, brings you closer to local people, makes new Ladakhi friends, gets you helping hands and many more. Julley (or Joolay) is a common word in Ladakh (and tribal areas of Himachal including Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and parts of Kullu) which means Namaste, hello, hi. The meaning of Julley has changed over the time. Now some people use Julley to bid good bye also. The local people, mostly Buddhists, of Ladakh and Himachal, wish each other with words like Julley and Tashi Delek (or Tashi Dile). The Julley word has grown so famous among the military people in Ladakh that they also have started to wish people by saying Julley every time they start a conversation. If somebody says you Julley, just reply: “Julley” with smile on face and a little hunched shoulders to express your respect to the person. Julley has now also become famous among the outsiders. It all started with tourism boom in Ladakh and local people here started wishing travellers with Julley. Now, whenever you visit Ladakh, you will hear Julley a lot of times a day. Julley refers to respect. If you want to start a conversation with Ladakhi man or woman, just say Julley with smile on your face, and see the magic happening itself. The person will himself/herself show his/her interest in you, with faith and respect. You are driving a jeep (or bike) and you have some technical problems. You want help. Just say Julley
Julley ji, Julley (जुले ) is not just a word. It’s a magical word. Not a single word, it’s a complete sentence, or a story. And sometimes, it is more than a sentence. Julley is a mesmerizing word that gets your work done anywhere in Ladakh. It brings you respect, helps you find the way,
After visiting 59 countries on his 1923 Springfield Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce, Rick Brown, a 70-year-old American, has a target to prove his mettle in the highest and dangerous roads of India -- the daunting Manali - Leh highway. The road trip to Ladakh has always been fascinating the adventure enthusiasts from across the world, but nobody has ever attempted this in a vintage car. After being surrounded by hundreds of curious people in Manali for a whole day, Rick’s dream journey to drive on Manali-Leh-Srinagar highway, along with driving his vintage car to Khardungla pass and Changla pass, started on Wednesday. Most of the people not belonging to mountains would be terrified only with imagination to drive on Manali-Leh highway with some of the highest motorable passes of the world like Marsimik-la and Khardung-la. But, this elderly American is going to do this with his 1923 make vintage car. He has successfully cleared first and hard leg of the tour on Wednesday. When many modern high efficient jeeps had given up before bad condition of Manali-Rohtang road, Rick drove his car like he was enjoying a ride on super highway. He would stay in Keylong (Lahaul) and start his second leg to Sarchu on Thursday and cross 16,050 feet high Baralacha pass. “I love the company of my second wife (Silver Ghost) and I will keep exploring the world till I die,” Rick said, while giving a ride on his car which he believes is the most driven Rolls-Royce of the world. “I purchased it in 1996 and have driven it over 3.5 lakh kilometers.” Tom Stevenson, a 59-year-old Canadian, has joined Rick in his adventurous journey. They are fishing friends and have travelled many countries together. Despite being the oldest model, the duo -- Rick and Tom -- came first place in
After visiting 59 countries on his 1923 Springfield Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce, Rick Brown, a 70-year-old American, has a target to prove his mettle in the highest and dangerous roads of India — the daunting Manali – Leh highway. The road trip to Ladakh has always been fascinating the adventure enthusiasts from across the world, but
Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a condition that can occur when ascending to high altitudes too quickly without proper acclimatisation. It is caused by the reduced oxygen levels and lower air pressure at higher elevations as in Ladakh. Altitude sickness can range from mild to severe and can affect anyone, regardless of their age or physical fitness level. Tourists generally remain above 10,000ft when in Leh Ladakh. They even travel through some portions which are higher than 17,000ft. Tourists may have to spend night near Pangong lake and Tsomoriri lake which are 14,000ft and 15,000 ft high respectively. So, they are required to acclimatise properly in Leh before moving to higher regions to avoid health related complications. In Ladakh, many tourists have lost lives in the past due to altitude sickness and many of them took it very lightly and did not acclimatise properly at Leh. Symptoms of altitude sickness can vary but commonly include: Headache: A persistent, throbbing headache is often the first symptom of altitude sickness. Fatigue: Feeling unusually tired or weak, even with minimal physical exertion. Dizziness and lightheadedness: Feeling unsteady, dizzy, or having a sensation of spinning. Nausea and vomiting: Experiencing an upset stomach, loss of appetite, and sometimes vomiting. Shortness of breath: Difficulty breathing or feeling breathless, especially during exertion. Difficulty sleeping: Insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns are common at high altitudes. If altitude sickness is left untreated or ignored, it can progress to more severe forms, such as high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). HAPE involves fluid accumulation in the lungs, leading to breathlessness, coughing, chest congestion, and a bluish tint to the lips and fingertips. HACE, on the other hand, involves swelling of the brain, resulting in confusion, loss of coordination, seizures, and
Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a condition that can occur when ascending to high altitudes too quickly without proper acclimatisation. It is caused by the reduced oxygen levels and lower air pressure at higher elevations as in Ladakh. Altitude sickness can range from mild to severe and can affect anyone,
