The months of the year during which it is possible to visit Ladakh, especially by road, is changing with every year. The first time we visited Ladakh in 1995, we had to wait with our motorbikes in Manali (Himachal Pradesh) till as late as the 15th of July for the passes to be finally declared open to vehicular traffic. These passes remain snowbound for a major portion of the year. Around 1995, they were opened barely between mid July and beginning October. The situation has been drastically changing over the last few years. Last year, 2005, the passes were declared open as early as May. The passes were still open when we last came through end of October. However, we did almost get stuck there due to the first substantial snowfall of the year. This is possibly a good indicator of the changing scene of world climatic conditions. July to August is a good time to go but occasional downpours can make roads slightly treacherous.

The passes stay snowbound most of the year and access at such times is only by air

The frequent hillslides during this period can also make reaching Leh a bit of a "how good is my luck" game. For people wanting to take the more boring, but obviously time saving, approach by air, these problems don't really pose a threat. It can, although it is rare due to Leh's primarily dry climate, lead to cancellations of the two daily flights out of the region. The airlines do obviously then take care of your accommodation until they can get you out as soon as possible. The area has actually begun to have a lot more rain and a slight greenish tinge can even be seen shading the mountains around the Leh Valley!

For people flying in to Leh, although a little on the cooler side, October and November are ideal months. The scenery of Ladakh transforms before your eyes. The skies clear up totally and turn a brilliant blue. The trees turn from being completely inconspicuous to bright yellow shimmering towers. The rivers too amazingly change from muddy green or brown to almost turquoise blue! The still lakes dotting the hillside are too beautiful to describe and can only be seen to be believed.

Others would tell you that the "season" to visit Ladakh is from 01st September to 01st October.