If you're driving up to Leh, the fuel situation is going to be constantly at the back of your mind. Leh city had one fuel pump, with the addition of a couple more in 2005, that cater to all the vehicles, local and tourist. It is kept well stocked at all times. The problem about fuel availability comes to the fore when one is travelling to or from Leh. There is only one pump that provides fuel to vehicles along the 473 km stretch between Manali and Leh. This is located at a place called Tandi, which is approximately 12 km before the main town of Keylong if travelling in the Manali - Leh direction. The main problem is that it is located just 116 km from Manali, which leaves a whopping 357 km to be done on one tank full. This might not be a problem at normal altitudes and across normal terrains but here it definitely is. Fuel efficiency of vehicles drops by almost 50%. This is the reason most vehicles are seen carrying jerry cans for extra fuel on board. When traveling from the Kashmir side, it is advisable to check about fuel availability before setting out in either direction.

The fuel pump at Tandi is the only one between Manali and Leh