Highlights: Phugtal, Lamayuru

Alteritive:
25Leave Phugtal, Hike
26hike
27Reach Darcha
28Fly from Manali/Kulla

Turning Back
24Rest at Phugtal
25Leave Phugtal, Hike
26Reach Reru
2705:00-06:00**To Kargil
18:00-20:00**At Kargil
28To Drass (Dras)
To Zoji La
To Sonamarg
To Srinagar
29Rest in Srinagar
3015:25Fly to Amritsar (ATQ), Punjab
16:25Land in ATQ

The road from Kargil to Padum, one goes over the Penzila pass at 4400m.

Or we could continue from Phugtal on foot all the way to Darcha (3200m) on the Manali-Leh road. That would take two days longer hiking, but one fewer day busing. We would see this. From Padum to Darcha is about 100 or 135km. The highest altitude is Shingola (5094m), the highest village is Kargayak (4200m). Some blogs that follow more or less this trip: more detailed, shorter. A packaged trip going the wrong way. Some pictures.

Things to bring

Atitude Sickness

2000mlowest possible
2400mcommonly occurs
3000mThe highest you should sleep without acclimatization (Bishop's pass)
3100-3650mLeh

The general rule of thumb is to not ascend more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) per day to sleep. That is, one can climb from 3,000 (10,000 feet = 70 kPa) to 4,500 metres (15,000 feet = 58 kPa) in one day, but one should then descend back to 3,300 metres (11,000 feet = 67.5 kPa) to sleep.

Normal symptoms:

Signs that require descent of 305-610m for a day:

Signs that require decent of 610-1220m and then evacuation:

Some recommand taking Acetazolamide (Diamox) before going to lessen symtoms.

story of a flood

Missing: Dharamsala highlight

Shimla to Manali via Kinnaur and Spiti

Highlights: Ki Dankhar Gompa
In Himachal Pradesh. Go through Kinnaur and then Spiti: wiki, pictures. Spiti is a high altitude, cold desert offerings rocks and old isolated mountain ledge Buddhist temples. Hard to get to and might require permits. Buses the whole time.

Manali to Leh

Highlights: Baralacha La
Some pictures, wiki It's possible to do this in 18hrs (2am-8pm), but two or more days is much more reasonable. It costs about $200 for a one-day private jeep, $22 per person for a seat in a one-day jeep, and a few bucks for a seat in a two-day bus. Sadly, the buses spend almost as much time on the road as the jeeps: they just drive more slowly. It is also possible to spend three days going by motor cycle or ten days by bike. Once at Leh, it's best not to do much for two days. While on this trip one can, with some work, get to Tso Moriri lake.

Srinagar to Leh

highlight
Two days by bus. Unlike the first two options, this one is starts in a Muslim and then moves to a Buddhist area.