Visa for India - Ladakh
 

Hi,

Hoping to travel, by bicycle, from Mumbai up to the Umling pass this summer, can anyone with experience help me confirm whether a Regular or eVisa is usable for crossing into the Ladakh region please?
From what I've been reading either is fine but some real experience would be nice to hear, just throwing this out there.
6-8 week trip
British Passport

Thank you,
Chris

Hi Chris,
I am a regular traveller in India, some times by bicycle but cannot give the positive answer you are after as I have not been to Ladakh yet but I will say that in the summer months when the high passes are open it is the monsoon on the plains which could make for an uncomfortable ride up from Mumbai, unless you plan to take the train or fly to Delhi.
Hopefully someone with actual experience will be along with the information you are after.
If you write a blog or other type of write up feel free to put it in the ride tales section, it is a trip I would like to make and would be interested to hear of your experience.

Thanks for the response Mark, yes, setting off at the beginning of May actually to try and dodge weather, hoping that will be enough time to get into the higher region where it's less affected. Trying not to assume any weather these days to be honest though.

I'm supporting a project, the details are in this crowdfunding link I hope it's ok to share on here.

https://gogetfunding.com/umling-la-e...n-a-hand-bike/

The eVisa is for arrival an international airport. At the airport, you'll be processed and biometric data like fingerprints taken. Your visa will be stamped/ written into your passport.

Which airports are ok for eVisa arrival are listed on the Indian immigration service website, that you'll find by using a search engine. Ladakh is in India. Why shouldn't your visa work there?

Umling La may require an extra permit/ fees. Google is your friend in this regard too.

Am currently in India having arrived in Delhi on an eVisa 3 weeks ago. Maybe see you in Ladakh in summer? I'll be on a Yezdi Adventure motorcycle.

My social media thing is @brightysjollys

Have you checked the summer/ monsoon weather patterns between Mumbai and where things start going up hill towards Chandigarh and beyond. Temperatures? Rain?

PS. Summer in India starts in April. Monsoon starts in June.

https://knowindia.india.gov.in/profile/climate.php

I'd strongly suggest that, as Mark hints at, to start at Delhi, take a taxi/ bus to Chandigarh or Shimla and commence pedalling there.

Thanks for the response Chris, good to know.

Yes that would make more sense however the project is for a World Record highest altitude and requires starting at 0m for it to be official. There's an appeal to starting on the coast, Sea - Summit. The rough chosen route, currently, is shown on the link above.

Thanks again,
Chris

Gujarat and Rajasthan in May on a pushbike?! Most people would suggest you're utterly insane. But it's a free world. Each to their own.

By the fact you're even contemplating this venture at that time of year, you've never been to India. There's only one road rule: Might is right, so you're essentially at the bottom of the food chain on a bicycle. And most people drive like utter utter xxxxs. At least on a motorcycle you can travel at the same speed as the rest of the traffic.

Wishing you the best of luck! You really will need it!

I would certainly agree with Chris that cycling in India is challenging even more so than motorcycling but with careful route planning avoiding main roads should be perfectly doable and if you are riding a hand cranked bike you will meet others riding the same, many disabled people in India use them although not going up mountains. I crossed India last year from Chennai to Cochin on small roads and it was not bad at all compared to main roads, I did it on a Brompton.
I would also try getting your journey out on social media in India, they love anyone doing something different and I am sure you will get a good reception although expect to answer the same questions many times a day.

It will be a very uncomfortable route. Traffic is usually the most dangerous thing cycle touring so that's my main concern but we are aware temperatures will be dangerously high. Thanks again for the response both of you, I'll throw anymore questions out here when they come up.

Chris

I hope that you have a successful trip, is it possible to follow you through the Gofundme page or another medium such as Youtube, preferably not Facebook? I would be interested to see your progress.

Chris: Thanks for taking the time to respond to the comments that people made. A majority of questioners don't, hence bothering to reply to questions often seems pointless.

Mark: You quite recently sent me a PM. I replied by email and also by PM. Neither elicited a response. Were either of them received?

I have just sent you a pm with a reply and my new email, I must have messed up when responding before.