Most problems in Ladakh come from rushing the first two days. Leh sits at 3,500 metres, and the passes are higher still, so the plan is simple: arrive, rest, drink water, and let your body catch up.
The two rest days
We spend the first full day in Leh doing very little. A short walk, a monastery visit, an early night. The bikes are handed over on the second day with a test ride around town, so the first time you feel the altitude on a bike is on a flat road, not on a pass.
One rule about water
Three to four litres a day, whether or not you feel thirsty. The dry air takes moisture faster than you notice.
Why Khardung La waits
Crossing the pass on day three means everyone has slept twice at altitude first. It is the single change that has done the most for how our groups feel on the road.