There's a region called the Trans-Himalayan region, also known as Mars. From Himachal Pradesh in northern India to Ladakh, stretching through the vast wilderness, a 480-kilometer-long road, arguably a wonder of the world, would be a perfect example. Today, we'll cross the last mountain pass on this famous highway, Tanglang La.
We left Delhi on June 3, 2025, at 7 a.m. in our car. It took us 15 hours to cover the 580-kilometer route. Although the road is well-built, a landslide after Kullu left us stuck in traffic for nearly three hours. We reached our destination, the Solang Valley, at 10 p.m. We had already had dinner in Manali, so I fell asleep as soon as we checked in.
The next morning, we started our car and headed straight for Pang. Pang is the second-last settlement on the Manali-Leh Highway. Debring is the only other destination, where some people have set up small hotels and restaurants. Five kilometers further up Pang, the More Plains begin. The 40-kilometer stretch of road is nothing short of amazing, as amidst such high mountains, suddenly, a road appears that is completely flat and stretches for 40 kilometers.
We stopped at Debring, had lunch, and headed for our next target: Tanglang La Pass. This pass is the last mountain pass on the Manali side of the road to Leh. Its elevation is 5319 meters, and if the weather is clear, many of the famous peaks on the Siachen Glacier can be identified and spotted. Tanglang La Pass is approximately 24 kilometers from here.
The Tanglang La mountain is so high that road closures are 3-3 kilometers long. On the way, we saw dark clouds hovering over Sarchu, making it seem like it was going to snow. We visited the lake at Debring, which was formed in recent years. This lake provides drinking water for the Changpa tribe's animals. Here, I saw sheep, goats, yaks, and mountain dogs, known as muschiefs in Tibetan.
Above Debring, we saw a group of goat herders, walking their animals through the dust, towards their camp. Although he was at a distance, I shouted "Jule," a Ladakhi word that means "hello." The goat herder, seeing me, also said hello and added, "Hello!" at the end. Oncoming trucks were speeding towards Manali and will return to Ladakh to deliver rations before the snowfall.
It's afternoon, and we're standing atop the Tanglang La mountain pass. We've parked our car on the side of the road, straightened our backs, and folded our hands before the Sarvadharma Temple, seeking blessings for our journey. Buddhist prayer flags are hung here, with mantras written on them. It's believed that when the wind blows, these mantras dissolve into the air, symbolizing peace and well-being for nature and humanity.
After crossing the Tanglang La mountain pass, the mountain landscape begins to change. Where there was no grass on the mountains, a light greenery gradually appears. The mountains also exhibit a variety of colors. The diverse colors are due to the high mineral content in these mountains. Driving on the roads built between 5,000-meter-high mountains and 5,500-meter-high mountains is no less than a challenge.
So today's blog is about Tanglang La, the last mountain pass on the Manali-Leh Highway. We drove there, and while we had a lot of fun on this trans-Himalayan road trip, it's a bit difficult to get out of the car and walk here, as the oxygen level in this corner of the earth is only 60%. I hope you enjoyed today's post.
Disclaimer: This post is originally written in Hindi and I have used Google Translator to translate the Hindi text in English. All the photos have been clicked by me from canon 77d (55-250mm) and edited on laptop lightroom app.
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