Pang is not a village so much as a seasonal camp, a straggle of tents and tea stalls on a bare high plateau in the Himalaya, and it earns its place on the Manali-Leh road by being where everyone wants to stop. The altitude is somewhere above 4,500 metres, which means the air carries about half the oxygen of sea level, and the first thing a rider notices is a thumping head and shortness of breath on any slope. Hot sweet tea and a plate of noodles taste better here than they have any right to.
The road to Pang from the south is a drama. After Sarchu the highway climbs the Gata Loops, a stack of twenty-one hairpin bends, and then crosses Nakee La and Lachulung La, the latter above 5,000 metres, before dropping to the plateau. Beyond Pang the road runs across the More Plains, a flat desert of pale gravel ringed by brown mountains, and then climbs again to Tanglang La, one of the highest motorable passes in the world at over 5,300 metres. The highway is maintained by the Border Roads Organisation, whose painted signs with cheerful slogans are part of the experience, though sections of surface are broken by meltwater, landslides and heavy trucks.
Altitude sickness is the real danger. Symptoms include headache, nausea, confusion and breathlessness, and they can become serious quickly. Climb slowly, drink water, eat lightly, and descend if you feel bad. Many travellers spend a night or two in Keylong or Leh to acclimatise before they ride this stretch. Temperatures swing from warm sun to freezing wind, and water crossings, where streams run over the road in the afternoon, can be deep and cold. Starting early is the best tactic, because meltwater rises as the day warms.
The road is open only in summer, usually from about June to September or early October, depending on snow. The tents are basic, with thick blankets, shared and cold, and meals are simple, usually dal, rice and noodles. Prepare for stars at night that look close enough to touch, and for cold that gets under every layer.