Sarchu is a place with no village, only tents. At about 4,300 metres, on the high plateau between the Himachal and Ladakh borders, a scatter of seasonal camps sits beside a stream, serving as an overnight halt for riders and drivers on the long road to Leh. The nearest settlements are far away, and the landscape is a vast bowl of brown hills, with snow peaks on the horizon and a sky that seems enormous. The mountains are bare, and the air is thin and cold.
The ride north from Sarchu begins with the Gata Loops, a series of twenty-one hairpin bends that climb the slope in a tight zigzag, and goes on over the Nakee La and Lachulung La passes. The road is a mix of tarmac and rough gravel, with sections washed out by streams, and the going is slow. The altitude is a challenge, with a risk of headaches and sleeplessness for those who have not acclimatised. A night at Sarchu is a test, and many riders prefer to descend to a lower camp to sleep.
The tent camps offer basic beds, hot meals and tea, and they are the only shelter for many kilometres. They operate only in summer, and the facilities are simple, with shared toilets and sometimes no electricity. The food is dal, rice and noodles. The stars at night are astonishing, with the Milky Way a bright band across the sky, and the cold is intense, so a thick sleeping bag is a good idea.
The road is open from about June to September, and the weather can turn quickly, with snow and wind. If you are feeling unwell with altitude symptoms, descend immediately. The border between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh is here, and the road continues north toward Pang and the More Plains.