Leh can be accessed from Manali via National Highway 3 and from Srinagar via National Highway 1.
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Leh highway remains closed for almost 6 months of a year from mid-November till April due to heavy snowfall especially on mountain passes.
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Between Manali and Leh, there are four high mountain passes — Rohtang la, Baralacha la, Lungalacha la and Tanglang la.
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You also pass by some fascinatingly-named nalas or rivulets on your way to Leh. Like for example Pagal nala (mad rivulet) near Sissu and Whisky nala near Lungalacha la. Whisky nala is named after the whisky-like color of its water.
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Talking about names, another interesting place near Darcha on the Manali-Leh highway is Zingzingbar. There is a camp of Border Roads Organisation here but no bar.
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From Manali to Leh, there are many glacial water bodies but none so awesome as the Tso Kamtsi or Suraj Taal. It’s the third highest lake of India located near the Baralacha pass.
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Another famous glacial lake near Leh is the Pangong lake. The lake was first brought on the world map by the movie Three Idiots.
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On the way to Pangong lake comes the mighty Chang La, the high mountain pass at an altitude of 5391 meters. Spending more than half an hour here can cause altitude sickness.
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Located near Leh is the Magnetic Hill. It’s famous for the optical illusion the landscape creates. The objects and vehicles here seem to defy gravity.
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Also, near Leh is the beautiful confluence point (sangam) of Indus and Zanskar rivers. It’s around 3 kms from Nimmu village on the Srinagar highway.
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