Journey to
the roof of the world.
September 4 to 15, 2026
A supported motorcycle expedition through the passes, valleys & plateaus of Ladakh.
Mechanic, guide & support vehicle throughout
To the highest motorable road in the world
12 days
Full support
11 nights
5,799m
The highest motorable road in the world
Mechanic, guide & support vehicle throughout
$2,995
Per rider (USD)
The Essentials.
WHERE THE ANCIENT WORLD CONVERGED
One of the last places the modern world has not reached.
Gumbok Rangan, Zanskar Valley · 5,520m
Ladakh sits at the roof of the world. Nestled high on the Tibetan Plateau where India, China and Pakistan meet. Four of the world's great mountain ranges converge here.
Since the 2nd century BCE these passes carried the Silk Road, the first trade routes connecting East and West. For centuries traders and travellers moved between empires through here. Nubra Valley and Leh were the great rest stops of the ancient trading world.
What remains is a place of extraordinary depth. Tibetan Buddhist monasteries built into cliff faces, standing for thousands of years. Mountain communities shaped by a culture and pace of life that the rest of the world abandoned long ago. A landscape that shifts from high desert to glacier within a single day.
The terrain made it difficult to reach. That difficulty is still there, making this vast expanse one of the world's great well-kept secrets.
Most riders never make it this far.
Ladakh is unlike anywhere in the world you have been.
Sitting in the northern edge of India at altitudes where the air is thin, the roads are empty and long, and the landscape shifts from desert to glacier within a single day.
The season lasts four months before snow closes the passes again.
There is no shortage of companies that will take you there. Most are built around volume and repeatability. You get the photographs and come home having done it.
Ancient Passes was built by people who rode this region before they built anything. Not a desk exercise. Not a content trip. The route, the operator relationships, and the ground knowledge all come from direct experience on these roads. That is the only foundation worth building from.
We focus solely on Ladakh, nowhere else.
A considered group, selected not just booked. A team with eighteen years on these roads. A route designed around what Ladakh deserves rather than what is
easiest to run.
What this journey delivers
High passes, remote valleys, Buddhist culture, stark mountain light, and the kind of riding that stays with you long after you return home.
High-altitude passes
Khardung La at 5,359m. Umling La at 5,799m. The air thins, the views open, and each summit earns what it delivers.
Cultural depth
Tibetan Buddhist monasteries centuries old. Prayer wheels at roadside stupas. Mountain communities shaped by a culture and way of life most of the world has never encountered.
Remote Himalayan terrain
Desert plains, river valleys, glacial lakes, and sand dunes in the shadows of the worlds highest peaks. The landscape shifts constantly and never stops being extraordinary.
Support where it matters
A dedicated mechanic & support vehicle. Permits handled. Eighteen years of ground knowledge. The logistics are not an afterthought.
A trip that stays with you
Not a checklist destination. The kind of journey that takes up permanent residence in the way you think about travel.
A considered group
Selected not just booked. Small enough to move well and stay personal.
Adventure intact, logistics handled
The best expeditions feel effortless on the surface because the hard thinking was done beforehand.
In the Indian Himalayas, altitude, terrain, weather, timing, and group pacing all matter and all need managing without removing the reason you came.
This journey is built to balance real adventure with genuine operational seriousness. Trusted local operators with eighteen years on these roads. A dedicated mechanic throughout. Route flow, acclimatisation, and permits are all planned in advance.
The aim is simple:
give you the freedom to be fully in it.
Exceptional riding. Handled properly.
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Khardung La at 5,359m. Umling La at 5,799m, the highest motorable roads on earth.
Between them: Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, and the Tibetan Plateau.
Roads so empty and vast, this ride delivers a sense of scale few places on earth can match.
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A dedicated mechanic on the road every day, a support vehicle carrying all luggage, an English-speaking guide, and Inner Line Permits and all restricted area access for foreign nationals, arranged in full. Saleem Mir and his team at Ladakh Yatra have been operating expeditions in this region for 18 years. That is the operational foundation.
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The journey moves through a region shaped by Tibetan Buddhist culture. Ancient monasteries built into cliff faces. Mountain communities living largely as they have for centuries. Prayer flags at every summit. The riding is world-class. What surrounds it makes the difference.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Everything that makes the riding possible.
The hard logistics of riding in the Indian Himalayas — permits, bikes, ground support, accommodation, altitude planning are all handled before you arrive.
Your job is just to show up and ride.
Not included
- — Flights to and from Leh
- — Travel and medical insurance (mandatory)
- — Your own certified riding helmet
- — Personal riding gear
- — Lunches and personal purchases
- — Monastery entrance fees
- — Bike deposit — $95 refundable on return
Helmet note: only standard Indian helmets are available locally. You must arrive with your own certified helmet. Confirmed in your pre-departure briefing.
Who this is for
This ride is for you if
You are a confident, experienced motorcyclist comfortable with long days and mixed terrain
You have ridden off-road or in challenging conditions before
You are drawn to remote places, cultural depth, and genuine challenge
You want the logistics handled without the adventure removed
You understand that passes close, weather shapes the road, and that is part of the adventure
You want an experience that will stay with you, not a holiday.
This is probably not for you if
You are a beginner or have limited off-road experience
You want a polished, predictable holiday
You need guaranteed comfort at every stage
You are not open to the realities of expedition travel
Simon has spent two decades leading people through serious environments. As a mountain and heli ski guide he has worked with clients across Greenland, Kamchatka, and Kyrgyzstan, where his job was to make extraordinary days feel considered and calm while every variable was accounted for. Alongside the guiding, two decades as a documentary cinematographer on long-form productions have taken him from high alpine terrain to remote deserts and across open ocean, often far from any infrastructure.
Originally from New Zealand, he brings formal training in outdoor leadership and risk management, and a quiet authority that comes from twenty years of leading people through places that demand it.
On the August expedition he leads the group day to day alongside Saleem and the local team.
Hamish is a filmmaker and cinematographer. Six years, more than 40 countries, shooting in almost all of them, consistently drawn toward places the rest of the world has not found yet.
He rode the Ladakh circuit and made a solo push from Pangong Lake to Umling La in a single day. That journey is what Ancient Passes was built from.
He leads brand, creative direction, and the documentation of every expedition.
Saleem has been operating motorcycle expeditions in Ladakh for 18 years. He is based in Leh, knows every pass on this route in every condition, and runs the ground operation on every Ancient Passes departure. He is not a supplier.
He is the reason this expedition is operationally sound.
THE TEAM
Built by people who have actually been there.
Simon Temple
CO-FOUNDER & EXPEDITION LEADER
Hamish Gardner
CO-FOUNDER
Marcus Jilla
CO-FOUNDER
Saleem Mir
CO-FOUNDER & LOCAL OPERATIONS
Marcus is an entrepreneur, adventurer, and writer with a long fascination with Central and Southern Asia.
He has covered over 10,000 kilometres across India, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan by motorcycle, mountain bike, autorickshaw, and on foot.
He has trekked to Everest Base Camp and ridden across the Central Asian steppe. He suggested Ladakh.
Ancient Passes is what that suggestion became.
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SEATS REMAINING
SEPTEMBER 4–15, 2026
Applications are reviewed before any seat is confirmed, because the right group makes everything better on the road.
Expedition investment: from $2,995 per rider
Deposit to secure your seat: $995
Balance due: July 5th, 2026
Two seats remaining.
Applying does not lock you in. It starts the conversation.
Common questions
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You should be a confident, experienced motorcyclist with prior experience on mixed or challenging terrain. Long days, variable road surfaces, and remote conditions at altitude require a rider who is capable and comfortable.
This is not a beginners' trip.
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Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, 2023 or 2024 model, fully serviced to European standard before departure.
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Altitude is a real part of the experience, and it’s something we take seriously in the overall design of the journey. Route flow, acclimatisation, and pacing are planned with that in mind, so the expedition builds into the altitude rather than rushing straight into it.
In practice, riders are moving through the landscape rather than spending extended periods exerting themselves at maximum elevation, and overnight stops are structured to support a more manageable rhythm. As with any high-altitude environment, individual responses vary, but the journey is designed with that reality in mind.
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Submit your application. Hamish reviews it personally. If it looks like a fit, a short call follows to answer questions and confirm the seat. Deposit locks the place within 48 hours of acceptance.
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Yes. You must bring your own certified riding helmet. Only standard Indian helmets are available locally. This is non-negotiable and confirmed in your pre-departure pack.
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Passes close. Weather shapes the road. Every departure includes two contingency days built specifically for this. Routes are adapted in real time by Saleem's team, who have eighteen years of experience on these roads. We never guarantee specific passes.
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Travel and medical insurance is mandatory for all riders. Your policy must cover motorcycle riding and include emergency medical evacuation. This is confirmed before your seat is locked.
There are a few known providers to choose from for a trip like this.
Note- You will need a motorbike licence from your home country to be insured properly -
No. Applying starts the conversation. It does not lock you in to anything. A deposit is what secures your seat and that only happens after acceptance.