Markha Valley

When To Go & Red Tape

When to Go:
The Manali-Leh Hway opens in mid-June, as summer arrives in Ladakh and the snow lingering on the high passes melts away. Summer is brief: the Highway officially closes in mid-September, though private jeeps and buses continue running until early October. By late October, snow blocks the passes once more, and the mercury freefalls below zero, above which it won't often rise until April. Spiti is equally isolated by the extreme climate, and is only accessible from July to the end of October, after which snowfall makes the Kunzam La impassable. Lahaul, lying as it does between Kunzam La to the east and Baralacha La to the north, is open as long as Rohtang La is passable, as late as mid-November. Kinnaur, Kullu and Shimla can be reached by road year-round (landslides permitting). By late September, Ladakh is almost empty of tourists and chilly at night, by late October Manali's cafes are used as haybarns and it reverts to being a village. The monsoon is also a consideration when planning your trip: it sweeps up from southern India during June, and douses the southern reaches of the Himalaya, ie Shimla, Manali and the Kullu Valley, until mid-September. North of the Rohtang La, Lahaul and Spiti get some scanty monsoon rain; north of the Baralacha La, Ladakh's high altitude desert sees almost none.

Red Tape:
While India is famous for its love of red tape, triplicate forms and ledgers, getting the paperwork to go there is straightfoward. Contact the India High Commission for a visa: tourist visas are valid for 6 months, and cost £30. Visas are valid from the date of issue, not from the date you arrive in India. Also, tourist visas are unextendable, so unless you intend to nip across to Nepal or Sri Lanka, get it as late as possible if you're staying a while. Once in India, the only other red tape you're encounter is when applying for Inner Line Permits. It may be these are scrapped in the next few years, but at present you'll need one to travel near India's sensitive borders with China, Tibet and Pakistan - ie in eastern Spiti, and northern Ladakh. Permits are only valid for 7 days.

Spiti Valley

Manali-Leh