Day 8—Manali to Leh cycling expedition

6 min readOct 9, 2019

24 August 2018 — Debring to Lato
On the eight’s day of cycling, we started cycling from Debring. At Debring, we stayed at the parachute tents Dhaba, and these Dhabas are the only options you get for an overnight stay.

It is a steep ascend from Debring to the highest point on Manali to Leh highway — the Tanglang La pass. Tanglang La pass has an altitude of 17,480 ft. After cycling from Debring for few kilometers, Tanglang La was visible to us from the long distance. Tanglang La top looks very different from other peaks and passes; it has a crest-like shape. We named it in the Marathi language as Turrerao Parvat (तुर्रेराव पर्वत), means mountain that has a crest just like a peacock. After scaling the mighty Tanglang La, we descended to Rumste, Gya, and finally to Lato. The road condition was excellent while descending.

A word of caution — Due to the high altitude of this pass, it is advisable not to spend more time on this pass. We observed that many tourists felt very uneasy due to dropping body oxygen levels. In such cases, it is recommended to start your descending journey soon enough. It happened to us too. Raj’s pulse rate shot up to 120, and his body oxygen level was dropping. To respond to that, we quickly started our descend towards Leh. After the quick descend, his pulse rate became normal again.

At the beginning of our journey, we decided to cycle from Manali to Leh and then cycle to Khardungla. But, after we lost a day due to health problems, we had no choice but to stop at Lato. The next morning, we took a bus to Leh to catch our scheduled return journey plane.

Tip — If you are on any such once in a lifetime cycling trip, do not book your return tickets in advance. Book your return journey tickets only after you have completed and fully satisfied with your journey. We all regret that we missed cycling to Khardungla due to a tight travel schedule, and we never know if we ever could manage to cycle to Leh again.

Quick facts
• Day 8 — Manali to Leh cycling
• Route followed— Debring > Tanglang La > Rumste > Gya > Lato
• Distance covered — 52 km
• Altitude gained — Total altitude gained is 2280 ft. Debring is located at 15,200 feet, and Tanglang La is at 17,480 ft.
• Challenges faced — Low body oxygen level — we were required to stop after every 15 minutes while reaching the top. One of the tourists ascended to Tanglang La too fast in his car. His body oxygen level dropped to 40%, which was dangerously low. Luckily, he was immediately put on oxygen using an oxygen cylinder, which they carried in their car. After that first aid, he was rushed to the lower altitude.

A cycling journey of 8 days, covering 414 km, traversing 5 high mountain passes including the max altitude of 17,500 ft — our unassisted cycling expedition that started from Manali came to an end at Lato. This was the end of our spectacular cycling expedition. This journey tasted the strength of body, mind, and spirit. At many places, we felt like quitting, but with each other’s support, we could pull this off.

This journey taught us that a small dedicated team of people can conquer mountains and create miracles. This cycling trip is something which we will remember all our lives, and it also sowed the seeds of future adventures in our minds. This journey would not have been possible without the support of our families, special thanks to wives who took care of kids and allowed us to be away from homes for ten days.

I wish to thank the loving people of Himachal Pradesh and Ladhak who welcomed us in their homes and lands and helped us whenever required. A huge thanks to the Indian Army for maintaining this highway although the climate is so harsh. I also wish to thank all the netizens who have published their cycling experiences which guided and encouraged us in this journey.

To read our cycling journey from day 1 to day 7, visit the following article.