Sach Pass (also referred to as Saach pass) is a high altitude pass in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It’s located at an altitude of 4,420 meters and connects Chamba valley to Pangi valley. It’s considered to be one of the most difficult passes to cross in the world because of the rough terrain, terrible roads, and extremely unpredictable weather. Thus, it becomes an obvious choice for all those who are looking for some off-road adventure and want to look away from the widely traveled Ladakh & Spiti. It opens generally around the third week of June and remains open until early October.

The weather en route the pass remains moderate during the season (late June to early Oct), although it gets relatively colder between sunset and sunrise, especially at high altitude places. This region also happens to be one of the wettest in the country so be prepared to deal with the frequent rain showers and the slushy roads.

There are various different routes that one may take to reach the pass. You may either, start from Dalhousie/Chamba and go via Bairagarh and exit in Manali or you may choose to enter from Manali and do it the other way round. And if you are someone who wants to really test your limits as an adventurer, then you may ride from Manali towards the northern side of Himachal to Kishtwar via Killar. This route is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the world and is also popularly known as the cliff hanger route. The road from Killar to Kishtwar is a 120 Km high mountain trail located at the extreme eastern side of the Kishtwar District in Jammu. The almost-entirely off-road trail is a part of the National Highway 26 and runs along the Chenab River with no guard rail, the low overhanging cliff and the 2000ft drop on one side. It’s definitely not for the weak-hearted and should not be attempted by inexperienced riders.

Itinerary:

Day 0: Delhi – Chandigarh – Manali | 560 KM | 13-14 hours
Arrive in Delhi on your own, reach the bus boarding point and meet our representative, who will assist you with the travel to Manali in a Volvo bus. It would be an overnight journey and you should reach the mountain town the next morning.

Day 1: Arrive in Manali
Reach Manali in the morning and check in to your hotel and rest for some time (The check-in time is 12 pm and early check-in would be subject to availability). Late in the afternoon, you would be assigned your motorcycle. Take it out for a short guided tour of Manali and get better acquainted with it. In the evening, there would be an orientation session regarding the next few days of riding. Later, have dinner and stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 2: Manali to Udaipur | 154KM
Wake up early to the nice Himalayan weather and get ready for your first day of riding in the mountains. After having breakfast, start riding on the Manali Leh Highway and kick start the expedition. After riding for a couple of hours, you are going to cross the mighty Rohtang pass (3978 Mt) and then continue on your journey to Udaipur via Keylong. You should reach your destination in around five to six hours. After arriving, check-in to your accommodation and stay overnight.

Day 3: Udaipur to Killar | 80KM
Wake up nice and easy as today is going to be a shorter ride than yesterday. After breakfast, start riding on the Keylong-Tandi-Kishtwar road. The road is a narrow slushy trail so the ride would be quite adventurous. On the way, you are going to cross a few scenic quaint villages and see many on the other side of the hill. There are also a few water crossings with the biggest and the most challenging of them being the Madgran Nallah.
Arrive in Killar in the late afternoon and check-in to your accommodation. Get a good night's sleep as tomorrow is probably going to be the most challenging riding day of your life. Overnight Stay.

Day 4: Killar to Kishtwar via Sach Pass | 188KM
Today you are going to be riding on what is considered to be one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Have an early start and hit the road. First, you would be going to the treacherous Sach pass located at an altitude of 4,420Mt. The road to the pass is quite a steep ascent and the trail remains slushy throughout the 41KM off-road stretch, which would be relatively challenging. After reaching, get yourself clicked at the landmark and start making your way back to Killar from where you again start riding on the Keylong-Kishtwar road. After crossing Ishtyari, the road starts to get extremely narrow and the climb is quite steep. You may also start feeling a lack of oxygen as you are constantly riding at a high altitude. For the next couple of hours, you would be riding on an extremely narrow rocky trail with a 2000ft deep gorge on your left, along the Chenab River. After riding for a couple of more hours, you would be able to reach Kishtwar. Check-in to your guesthouse/homestay and eat a well-deserved supper. Stay overnight.

Day 5: Kishtwar to Udhampur | 148KM
Compared to yesterday, today will be a much less challenging day of riding. After breakfast, exit Kishtwar and get on the National Highway 24. You would be riding along the Chenab River for a couple of hours and later go through the 9.2km long Chenani Nashri Tunnel and going to bypass the famous tourist town of Patnitop. The ride today will be mostly downhill so you would be able to cover the distance at a much faster speed. After exiting the tunnel you start riding along the Tawi River until you reach your destination. Arrive in Udhampur in the evening and check in to your accommodation. In the evening, go out for a stroll and explore the local market. Stay overnight.

Day 6: Udhampur to Dharamshala | 210KM
Wake up to the nippy Himalayan breeze and have a heavy breakfast as today is going to be a rather uneventful but long and tiring journey to Dharamshala. You would ride on the scenic Dhar-Udhampur road and would cross villages such as Galak and Manakpur. Arrive in the tourist town of Dharamshala in the evening and check in to your accommodation. Stay overnight.

Day 7: Explore Dharamshala/McLeodGanj | Buffer Day
Today happens to be a rather relaxed day, so catch on some much-needed sleep and wake up nice and easy. Have breakfast in the hotel and later go out and explore one of the most popular tourist towns in the Himalayas. Dharamshala is a small town in the Kangra District which is surrounded by cedar forests on the edge of the Himalayas. You may visit the mall road and also pay a visit to the HPCA cricket stadium. Later, ride uphill for 15 minutes to reach McLeod Ganj, also known as Upper Dharamshala. This tiny suburb of Dharamshala is situated on the Dhauladhar Range of the Himalayas and is home to the 14th Dalai Lama. Explore the local Tibetan eateries for some delicious food and check out the local market for souvenirs. Later, ride back to your hotel and call it a day. Stay overnight.

Day 8: Dharamshala to Manali | 215KM
Have an early breakfast and get ready to ride the maximum distance in a day, on the expedition. You are going to ride on the extremely scenic National Highway 154. Although it is going to be a long and tiring journey, you are not going to be bored as there are breathtaking views on each side of the road.  You would be passing through the popular and scenic towns of Palampur and Joginder Nagar. After riding through the day, arrive at the destination from where it all started. After checking in, go out and celebrate what has been a huge accomplishment. Stay overnight.

Day 9: Departure from Manali
Wake up nice and easy and soak in that mountain air for the last time on this trip. Have a relaxed breakfast and spend time with your fellow riders as this is going to be the last meal that you share with them, at least for now. Later in the day, get transferred to the boarding point for the Volvo back to Delhi.

Trip ends.

FAQs

What are the different routes one can take to reach Sach Pass?
The routing is usually done in the form of a circuit; for which Dalhousie/Chamba becomes the entry point and Manali becomes the exit point or vice versa. You may also choose to start from Manali and ride on the Keylong-Tandi-Kishtwar road, complete the circuit and return to Manali via Dalhousie.

What is the best season to visit Sach Pass?
The season for visiting the Sach Pass is almost exactly similar to that of Ladakh and Spiti i.e. mid-June to early October. 
What type of clothing is required?
Carrying the right kind of clothes is of extreme importance on this trip as you are going to encounter all sorts of difficult weather/terrains ranging from humidity to biting cold and water crossings to snow-covered roads. The idea is to keep you warm and dry. Thermals along with a jacket are absolute necessities. There’s going to be water all along the way so a proper rain suit is to be carried and waterproof high ankle boots are ideal. 

Do you get cell reception throughout the journey?
All the major mobile networks work properly throughout the journey but only if you are in close proximity of a town. Be prepared to be off the grid if you are riding through the remote mountain terrains.