Cycling the Manali - Leh Highway: Day 5 [Jispa to Upper Zing Zing Bar]

Date: 17th July 2025
Route: Jispa → Darcha → Upper Zing Zing Bar
Start elevation: 3,200 meters or 10,500 feet ASL 
End elevation: 4,300 meters or 14,100 feet ASL
Distance: 36 kms
Time taken:  ~9 hrs
Road: Tarred roads all the way till destination; Broken on some places but nothing major
Connectivity: Mostly abenst. Patches of Jio (Prepaid/Postpaid) in between

It was "just" 36 kms to ZZ Bar today; short ride, one would think; short, yes. Easy, no. We were to ascent more than a kilometre in the vertical direction. Readying ourselves with some omelette and Maggi, it was push off time by 0845 hrs. 

As I write these logs, I feel that travels like these take some from you but give but back so much more in return.

That's why, I think, in the days of yore, the olden people went on pilgrimages on foot, on primitive means. It must take much of their time, a lot of efforts and some hardships, but it must give so much back in return- the experiences, the friendships, the kindness, the point-of-views.
Oh to savour this sweet-sweet life!
 

Starting pedalling by 0845 hrs we were soon to approach the famous Darcha Bridge. Travellers can choose to spend the night at Darcha as well as it has facilites available (Dhabas and Homestays) to stay. The road till Darcha is mostly downhill and till Darcha Bridge we made quick progress. Stops were taken to refill our supplies and check the tyre pressures; you want as less resistance as possible. The climb from Darcha is one difference monster altogether. Straining our neck upwards, we could see vehicles moving for as far as the eye could see and to think that we had to cycle there seemed like a daunting task. But it had to be done, anyways. 

Just before the Darcha Checkpost
Pushing uphill with views like such doesn't seem all that bad

Climbing with a steady rhythm, we were soon pulled over at the Darcha police checkpost where all the travellers have to prove their identity which is noted down, lest you go missing and a search party has to be sent on a SAR mission. The broken road straight from the check post goes to the Zanskar Valley and the right turn continues towards Baralacha La; we go right. 

Go straight and your reach Zanskar Valley!

The road to Zing Zing Bar is well paved and and by car one covers the distance in a little over an hour, something that took us the better part of our day. The climb is killing me; progress is very slow. Happy faces from cars stick their thumbs out wishing us well. Strange, but somehow, that kept me going.

The downward gradient where I came from can be seen here
There was hardly and traffic (and shade) in this section of the road
I cursed myself (yet again) for having missed sunglasses

The journey till Deepak Tal was uneventful; the roads were smooth, BRO workers were (like always) smiling and the views seemed to have been out of this world (out of my world, atleast!). Taking deliberate and intentional breaks, I thoroughly enjoyed my time till Deepak Tal and was there just a shade under noon. Like the typical Type-2 fun, it wasn't "fun" living the moment, but going back through my photos and my notes makes me want to go back in person and do it all over again.

Excerpts from my field notes: 

The sun shone as if harbouring a personal vendetta againt us; sweat streaked my brows trickling down to my glasses necessitating frequent stops to wipe them off. The Coca-Cola came in handy to tackle dehydration and by and by I had reached Patsio to the alluring Deepak Tal.

Somehwere just before Deepak Taal

Deepak Tal looked majestic; if there was a lake the angels quenched their thirst from, I'd say it would look a lot like Deepak Tak, if not the same. There were many tourists at Deepak Taal and two small Dhabas which served Maggi, Chai, Chocolates- the standard affair in places like such. As Onkar was still sometime away, I placed my order for a Maggi with the dhaba owner (a jolly local man from Darcha), checked the bike and went for a stroll around the periphery of the lake (Taal is lake in Hindi). Deepak Tal was a gentler reminder of the harsh reality of Baralacha La that we were about to encounter in the day to come.  

If only my camera could do a better job! Surreal!

Onkar was there too in ~30 mins and the original order was multiplied by 2; During the time it was being prepared (like I said it was quite crowded and with the increase in altitude, the boiling point of water decreases which increases the time required to cook, so our Maggi took a long time coming) I couldn't help but collect some wild flowers that I later clipped to to one end of the bungee cord securing my luggage at the back of my cycle. 

Things of joy do find ways to sprout even in the harshest of places
Reminds me of the quote: 
“To see a world in a grain of sand and a heaven in a wildflower.” – William Blake.

We sat some time near the stream feeding the lake; I had just read "Siddhartha" by Hermen Hesse before the trip had started. I couldn't help but wonder about being "like water". I must have spent some contemplative minutes there before we were told that our food was ready. Throughout this journey, fellow travellers were always curious about out purpose and as a result, conversations from both sides flowed freely; we talked to the people around for some time as we finished our meal, paid for it, thanked the Dhaba bhaiya for his inputs and left Deepak Tal. 

It was 1330 hrs. We still had 15 kms of leg wrenching uphill climb till upper zing zing bar ahead of us. Just a little further ahead from Deepak Tal takes you to Patsio, which has some dhabas where one can have their meals and rest. We were full and did not stop there. The afternoon sun seem to get fierce by the minute and the vegetation cover got scantier by the metre. It was a tough one.

It was rejoicing to look back and savour the distances I would have covered
I'd take frequent such breaks and also take a moment to sip my electrolytes/soft drink

I have no many photos from this ride as it took all my mental fortitude to keep pushing myself to keep pedaling; I had reached Zing Zing Bar by, I think, 1400 hrs. It was a busy and dusty settlement; mostly temporary housings BRO camps, workers, Dhabas and a base as well. It also has a BRO hospital and a fuel pump to refuel their earth and people movers. I didn't stop here to eat as I kept snacking Parle G biscuits that I tucked nicely in my frame bag. I kept my hydrations levels (not just plain waters!) to the point to avoid cramping in these godforsaken terrain. There is mostly no network in these routes which meant I couldn't contact Onkar to take stock of where he was. 

There is network available near the BRO Base (Temple and Fuel Pump) and I made good use by making calls back home and also ringing Onkar. Though I couldn't reach him, but could have a good chat back home. I perched myself atop a boulder and spent some time savouring (no prizes for guessing) Parle G biscuits; these simple biscuits were the backbone for my fueling-on-the-move. Looking up, I could see the final set of switchbacks that I had to tackle before I reached our destination for the day.

Leaving Lower Zing Zing Bar in the distance
One can see Onkar (nearing the BRO Base switchback) in the distance as a tiny speck!

I must have taken a gazillion breakes and had made peace with my slow pace. There were instances when people in their SUVs slowed down saying,"Cycle upar baandh denge, aap andar aa jao" or sticking their hands out with sugary drinks "Rakh lo kaam aayega". I could not do much but smile and thanks the higher heavens for the goodness that lingered; have since made it a point to check with those, I feel, can make use with a little help. If I could feel the surge of josh and hope inside me when I didn't even need good help (but was offered one by strangers), I wonder what it could do to those who actually do.

Just a little more to go!
It was a heady feeling to turn back and look at the roads we had come through

By 1600 hrs, I had reached upper ZZ Bar and placed an order for an omlette as I waited for Onkar. ZZ Bar was dry, windy and cold. It is also located at quite some altitude and I was told by one of the dhaba owners, I quote: "Agar yahan raat ko saans lene mein dikkat nahi hua, to aage kahin nahi hoga". We had to wait till the nightfall to check if that was true. Though, at dinner time one of the old family members of the family that was staying the night there had diffulty breathing and had to be administered oxygen from our O2 can, to no avail.

I met a chap from Denmark (based in Germany) with his bicycle (equipped to the T!) chilling outside one of the dhaba. We got talking and I was told that he travels to India every summer and it was his 12th time doing the Manali Leh route! I was all ears listening to his stories and his exploits during the long hikes and treks in the regions; he drew parallels between all it was then and how everything was more than a decade back. It made me pensive to notice how our cultures are better prized by the "foreigners".

Anyway, in 30 mins or so, Onkar had arrived too and it was time we figured out our accomodation. We stayed at the front of the "Snow View Cafe" (first to the right). It was an okay-ish arrangement of mattresses. Nothing much but more than enough in places like those; sleeping bags came in handy to keep hygiene. 

The place for the night!

We had a piping hot dinner of scrumptious Rajma-Chawal at the dhaba (across the road) and called it a day. What a day it had been!