the road tracklog 
from Srinagar to Leh
from 09/05 to 13/05/2007 

The 07/05 after lunching, I climbed the Shankaracharya Hill to overview the Lake Dal and Srinagar. I took one hour to go up and idem down. I was searched twice before going to see the temple, I should depositing my mobile and my penknife, thus no picture.
I twice contacted Orange in the day for the absence of network on my mobile, in the morning around 08:05 and at the beginning of afternoon about 13:45, Paris time. Of course the problem is by the user who must check the operation of his material. I have the idea, late, going to Airtel, the main line operator here in India. Alas it was 18:15, local time. Despite everything two people dealt with my problem and made the exchange of the Pin card. No network was on the mobile of the person. The problem remains whole. Appointment was taken for the following day at 10:30. Then I was going to greet my Kashmiris friends who offered the tea to me.

The 08/05 I remained in Srinagar thinking of solving the no acquisition of the network by my mobile. Alas it was one day of easily deceived; the person met informed me that for security reasons only the pre-paid pin card functions in Jammu-Kashmir. The remainder of the day I strolled in the city without precise goal. The morning it had rained and the sky was threatening all the day.

The 09/05 I left Srinagar by very populous suburbs towards Kargil. I arrived in Sonamarg about 11:30 where I awaited the departure at 14:00 of the convoy towards the pass of Zoji La, 3,529m. The way is done in only one direction, the afternoon to Kargil. The traffic is especially composed of four-wheel cars of the tour operators and a great number of coaches which make the way from Srinagar to Kargil. The road to the pass crosses a very beautiful raised and cultivated valley. The rise of the pass was done between snow-drifts. Then the road goes down towards drier Ladakh. In Sonamarg I met a couple of French and their guide started from Srinagar, they waited since 09:30 the departure of the convoy towards Kargil. On the way there were two passport controls and a form to be filled at the entry of Kargil, where I arrived around 19:50. I bivouacked in an inclined street along the Suru River.

The road towards Zoji La
en route to Kargil
the 09/05/2007 

The 10/05 I moved towards Leh with the rise of Fotu La, 4,147m high. The road was sometimes asphalted often dirt. There were two cuts for crumbling, bulldozers working to repair the roadway. The landscape became desert. The morning was very sunny with a strong wind. While arriving at the junction to the village of Lamayuru, the road was prohibited for reason of landslides there too. I crossed the stopping and I stopped the truck on a surface which became my bivouac. It was one hour pm that is five hours to drive 106 km. The monastery was closed; I did it open with din. No restaurant, guesthouse or hotels were open. The city is in lethargy, the tourist season was not started. The afternoon was devoted at rest in a dramatic landscape.

Fotu La pass 
en route towards Leh 
the 10/05/07 

The monastery
Lamayuru 
the 10/05/2007 

In the Morning 11/05, I left around 07:00 am. While starting the engine, I noted that the air tanks of the brakes were filled little. Despite everything I started and stopped at the junction on the NH1D to let the tanks fill. Alas a few seconds after my arrival, the indicators, Stop # 2 and  Brakes # 3, were on with prohibition to drive. I let turn the engine a few minutes but nothing evolved. I stopped all and decided to send a message by satellite to Man-Force. Then I called Mr. Sanjoy CHANDRA. He understood the problem and dealt with it.
At the end of the morning, I started the truck to test the system. I noted that the air tanks took care normally but the noise emitted by the desiccation equipment remained. I informed Man-Force of it. Then again around 01:00 pm I started the truck again, all was Ok no noise. I sent an email to Man-Force to announce my decision to leave at 02:00 pm. I arrived at Alchi about 04:45 pm after having drive 67 km. The air system was normal. I informed Man-Force who told me to continue my trip.
The road goes down in lace towards Indus in a sublime lunar landscape. After Kaltse, the most important village between Kargil and Leh, the road is very narrow and requires frequent stops to let pass the vehicles. It skirts right bank of Indus to the junction to Leh. I left it by crossing a bridge to go to Alchi, where I stationed the truck at the entry of the village to look for another campsite. It is organized along the road without possibility of carpark. Alas the night having fallen I have the unpleasant surprise to hear that I was in front of the building of the power generator. I moved to find another campsite.

At the beginning of the morning of the 12/05, I visited the monastery of Alchi. Initially I didn't recognize the village which was the target of important work of urbanization and infrastructure. The monastery did not change if it is not that it is now enclosed by houses. I saw again with pleasure the frescos of Sumtsek and the three great statues of Avalokiteshvara, Maitreya and Manjusri. I left this place of meditation at the edge of Indus to go to re-examine the monastery of Likir perched on a piton where I was welcome by the statue of Maitreya. There too I saw again with rapture the oldest thankas in Ladakh. I decided to bivouac on the spot.

Sumtsek 
Alchi 
the 12/05/2007 

The monastery 
Likir 
the 12/05/2007 

On Sunday 13/05, I left my sublime bivouac at the foot of the monastery of Likir to go to Leh. On the way I visited the monastery of Phyang of which outside was restored, then the monastery of Spituk which overhangs the track of the military aerodrome! About noon, I arrived at Leh located at 3505m high in a sky of a limpid blue color with a temperature of 27°C. I establish my bivouac on the carpark of Tourism Reception Centre at 2,5Km from downtown.
By bicycle I went downtown, I had forgotten that the city is built on mountainside. I pushed the bicycle. In addition to the food purchases I went in one of the open cybercafés. In one hour I succeeded in sending three concise messages have regard to the cuts of connection and power supply. Moreover the qwerty keyboard had the majority erased letters,    , it is also that India. The city is the subject of a constructive bulimia since my last visit in 2002.

Monastery 
Phyang 
the 13/05/2007 

Monastery 
Spituk 
the 13/05/2007 

Royal Palace & Monastery 
Leh 
the 13/05/2007