THE ROUTE
How Johan Wahl ran to the top of the world
INDIAPAKISTANCHINANEPALKHARDUNGLEHTHE LOWDOWN
·
Getting there
British Airways flies from
Heathrow to New Delhi
twice a day, from £484
return. There are daily
direct flights from Delhi to
Leh, but with Delhi only
200m above sea level
and Leh at 3,500m, you’ll
need to spend two or
three days acclimatising.
Alternatively, Leh can
be reached by road. Two
roads lead to Leh: the
Leh-Manali highway and
the Leh-Srinagar highway,
but don’t be fooled by the
term ‘highway’. Either
of them will involve
s e ve r a l o ve r n i g h t s t o p s
and bus changes.·
When to go
July and August are the
most popular months to
visit Ladakh, but this is
also the busiest and most
expensive time. Early
season and late season,
May/June and September/
October, respectively, are
less crowded, with equally
fine weather. The 2019
Ladakh Marathon weekend
is on September 6 and 7,
with the Khardung La
Challenge scheduled for
September 6.·
Where to stay
Leh has hundreds of
guesthouses. In peak
season, nearly every home
in Leh transforms into one.Some cater for luxury-
seeking visitors, but for the
most part, guesthouses are
cheap and basic. There are
also several high-end
hotels and western-style
backpackers’ hostels, but
these lack the character of
the local guesthouses.·
Where to eat
The best local food can be
found in the small alleys
that run perpendicular to
the Leh main bazaar.
Classic Ladakhi food
includes Tukpa, Chu-tagi
and Timo – variations of
steamed wheat flour
soaked in watery soup – but
Chinese dishes such as
chow mein and momos
(dumplings) are also
available. To quench your
thirst, take a seat at any
street-side tea stall, and
choose between sweet tea
or traditional butter tea..·
Where to run
Try hill repeats on
monastery stairs, explore
the small roads connecting
the nearby villages and get
out into the mountains on
the trekking routes for epic
trail running. Download the
mape.me app (offline maps)
to discover the lesser-
known paths and trails.
Remember that in Ladakh,
any run will involve
gruelling climbs; there
are no flat areas.SEPTEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 053HIMALAYAN ULTRA