KTM ProXp | The Great Ladakh Adventure Tour Season 5

Imagine getting a chance to ride on the most beautiful terrains of Himalayas, away from the office for two weeks and still get to call it ‘work”! And that was the opportunity I got, to ride at the KTM Pro-XP great Ladakh adventure tour season-5. We were joined by 30 riders of different age groups coming from different parts of the country with just one motive in their mind- adventure. The route was going to be a bit of tarmac, gravel, big rocks, some water crossings and other substances desired by adventure junkies like us but we were on our KTM Adventures and were ready to tackle it all.

Day 0: Silence before the storm 

Every participating rider was supposed to join this ride in Manali and it was like a big get together. We met everyone coming from different regions with their own exciting reasons for being on this ride. Also the day I got my hands on the most capable machine, the 2025 KTM 390 adventure, which promised to handle whatever Ladakh was planning to throw at us. 

Later the process of documentation was done and we were briefed about the whole ride, what to expect and do’s and dont’s. 

Day 1: Manali to Jispa

The first day began early in the morning with everyone warming up their KTMs in the cold Manali morning. And I couldn't wait to start this thrill-filled 11 day long journey. The route was all tarmac with many hairpin turns and I was already testing out the leaning abilities of the new 390 adventure on those curves. And finally reached Jispa after gaining altitude of approx. 4,000 feet and riding through lush-green mountains of Lahaul valley.

Manali to Jispa wasn't a long distance to cover but a slow ascend was crucial to reduce the effect of AMS. Yes, AMS, acute mountain sickness. And I was starting to feel the effects of it. Thankfully the doctor on hand, travelling with us, gave me medical assistance and advice, then and there. KTM rides are well prepared, not only is there complete service and back up and support there is an ambulance and doctor who are part of the convoy too and are always on hand even for something small like a little bit of advice. Stay calm down, take deep breaths, drink lots of water and I did this and I was fine.

Day 2: Jispa to Padum

Everyday on this ride started with an early morning briefing given to all riders by our master trainer and ride lead- Nilesh Dhumal AKA Nelly. We were told what to expect on the routes, how to ride and how to react in case of an emergency. 

Lahaul valley was lush green but as our altitude was rising, the amount of vegetation was decreasing and then we came across our first pass of the trip. Shinku La at a good solid 16580ft. That means a good 6000ft of climbing since we left from Jispa! And then we entered the barren Zanskar valley. As soon as the smooth tarmac road ended, we turned off the traction control on our KTM Adventures, and now, there was nothing between us riders and the raw power of the adventure—just the throttle in our hands, and riding that bike without any filter felt like standing on a cliff and screaming on top of our lungs.

We descended down in the valley until we were in the shadow of the majestic Gonbo Ranjon. We took a break here for some quick photos and lunch before heading on down the valley. Here the Border Road Organization (BRO)  is actively working to create better roads but thankfully their work wasn’t yet complete. And so we adrenaline junkies got what we wanted– off-road! And after collecting a good amount of dust on our riding gear, we reached  our destination for the night Padum.

Day 3: Padum to Leh

Now the Zanskar valley is opening up and the journey from Padum to Leh, a trip that used to take two days via Kargil, is now possible in just a single day via Zangla. With a journey of approximately 250km we should have been in Leh for lunch. But that was not the case at all because we were stuck in a landslide for 9 hours. 

Yes, nine whole hours just parked on the side of the road waiting. And it was a fresh land slide so we first waited for BRO to get there and then start working on clearing a path through. But this was just day 3 of a long ride and spirits were high. So we did the only thing we could do, played Mafia and sat together getting to know each other better building bonds and friendships that we hope will last a lot longer than this ride.

Now in situations like this for 9 hours with 30 riders and support crew, things as simple as food and water could become a concern. But this was also taken care of by the organising team because they were prepared for every kind of situation and we were given refreshments every hour.  Finally,  after what seemed like an impossible situation the rubble was finally cleared and we started on our way to Leh reaching the hotel way past nightfall at around 8:30pm.

Day 4: Rest Day at Leh

After riding the extreme terrains of Zanskar, we needed this much deserved rest day at Leh, also that would help us acclimatize better. This would be our only rest day on this trip with some very tough riding days ahead of us so time to make sure that our machines and we were ready for the next six days. Our KTMs got general maintenance done by the KTM expert mechanical team and we got to explore the beautiful city of Leh and some great cafes. 

Day 5: High altitude adventure academy

The upcoming days are going to be really technical- lots of watercrossings, sand patches and lots of off-roading and to conquer those terrain, KTM organized a high altitude adventure academy in Leh. There our master trainer Nilesh taught us everything we needed to overcome the upcoming obstacles because the road ahead was going to get even worse. We learned how to climb and descend hills, as well as how to handle different terrains like loose sand, gravel, and rocks. Each person received individual attention, and many riding techniques were corrected. Nilesh also showed us the true potential of our KTM Adventure—highlighting its electronic features like MTC, different riding modes, and how ABS makes riding KTM Adventure safe and secure. And when it comes to off-road ABS and switchable MTC, that’s when the real fun kicks in! He also shared some expert tips on how to adjust the suspension settings for different terrains, which, by the way, is super easy to tweak. After a fun and hard day of new learnings we rode back to Leh for an early night for a much anticipated ride ahead of us.

Day 6: Leh to Pangong

Finally we set off for our remaining adventure tour. The distance was around 225km but it didn't feel much because of the drastic change in scenery. From the barren desert of Leh city to big valleys and after seeing some beautiful oasis we reached Chang-la pass (17,590 feet) and took blessings from Changla Baba and continued with our journey. And after riding for a couple of hours we finally came head to head with the first water crossing of this ride. The water crossing  was really scary both because of the level of the water and the fast flowing current. 

We even saw a few riders already turning their bikes around and heading back. But we had KTM support with us and our master trainer Nilesh, who went first into the crossing to find out the most convenient way to ride to the other side and with everyone's help, working together as a team,  eventually every KTM made it across. The KTM Adventure’s low seat height and lightweight design made it incredibly nimble, turning even the toughest watercrossings into something that felt almost effortless. And at these remote locations it doesn't really matter if we were team orange, we helped other bikers as well who were struggling to go across every watercrossing.

And soon we finally reached the beautiful blue Pangong Lake. Even seeing it for my fifth time, this high altitude water wonder never fails to impress. It’s deep blue contrasting wonderfully against the dark brown of the hills. We enjoyed a beautiful late afternoon lunch but the lake before settling down to a very cold night. 

Day 7: Pangong to Hanle

It was time to leave that pretty blue Pangong lake behind and leave for Hanle for the magical starry experience. And here the scenery changed with every new valley sporting different colours from blue to yellow to purple. Really you have to see them with your own eyes to believe them. 

We visited the Rezang-la war memorial which reminded us that this freedom of travelling anywhere and doing whatever we like was only free because someone else had already paid a price to protect it. And with great sense of pride we continued our journey to Hanle. That night we were treated to one of the most beautiful skies of our lives. 

Day 8: Hanle - Umlingla - Hanle

The day every rider was eagerly waiting for it was finally here, we were leaving for the highest motorable road- Umlingla. The majority of the route did not even have tarmac but our KTMs were completely unbothered, they were taking everything Ladakh has to offer, in their stride. Riding the new 390 adventure on vast grounds of gravel felt like a piece of cake, we enjoyed it more than highways. 

When we started the climb towards Umling La, we didn’t feel much of a power drop in the bikes — there was a lack of oxygen, but it wasn’t affecting the 390 at all. And finally, we reached Umling La, and it felt like we had completed a proper pilgrimage of Ladakh.

After crossing the pass we made our way back down and again headed back to Hanle . We stopped for lunch at a small little restaurant along the way. The food was tasty and felt well earned after the lofty heights we had reached just a few hours earlier. A rather uneventful ride took us back to Hanle and we reached back to the hotel at around 6 for another beautiful evening spent under the stars.

Day 9: Hanle - Tso Moriri

The most beautiful day of the ride was the ride from Hanle to Tso Moriri. As usual, we packed our luggage and handed it over to the support staff, and now our complete focus is on bike riding. Today's road was completely tarmac, and our KTMs were flying along at a brisk and exciting pace.

In no time, we spotted a beautiful blue lake, and it was so mesmerizing that we all ended up spending a couple of hours just gazing at it. Yes, we stopped at a view point and Tso Moriri was just so beautiful and captivating that we just spent a couple of hours marveling at the view. Clicking pictures and making memories again. 

Though the lake was just a couple of kilometers away, our destination was actually on the other side of the lake. So after we got back on the road it took us a good two hours of riding before we reached out camp ground for the night.

Day 10: Tso Moriri - Jispa (the last push)

We had a long route to cover but something else was playing in the back of everyone's minds - this was the last day of our ride. A ride where we learnt so much from each other, made so many memories and this journey was finally coming to an end, this orange family was about to part ways. With that thought in mind, in a rather gloomy atmosphere, we set off for the last leg of the ride—towards Jispa. The temperature was quite low, and suddenly we encountered some sleet/snowfall along the way. It made it extremely cold, but it was also still very beautiful. We were also coming down in altitude and it seemed that oxygen and life was returning to us, and finally, after joining the Leh-Manali highway, we reached Jispa at around four in the afternoon. 

There, we officially ended the ride with a closing ceremony, where we were handed certificates for conquering this amazing tour. And with countless memories in our hearts, the next day, everyone set off on their own paths home.