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Hi Guys
A quick update on our Goa to Leh trip. We finally did 29 days on the road, with the exception of not covering Ajanta & Ellora. We left Goa on Aug 15, 2022 as planned and returned back on Sept 12, 2022.

The Journey
At the outset, we were blessed with dry weather from GJ all the way to LA & back. We found the best highways sections in RJ, PB & HR and also experienced some really deplorable highway sections in GJ & MH. The journey from Udhampur to Srinagar was as expected with traffic snarls, army convoys etc. Same was the case from Srinagar to Kargil with Zozila Pass testing all driving skills! The onward journey to Leh was absolutely fantastic. Leh to Hunder too was good with the exception of road work after North Pullu. Hunder to Turtuk/Thang was again good. On the Hunder-Pangong route, there is an in-progress road between Rongdu & Agham, that would soon help speed up travel. The real surreal experience of the Ladakh landscape was the drive between Agham & Shyok. Another road that is ‘work in progress’ is between Tangtse & Lukung. The road from Lukung to Merak is also ‘out of this world’. Another memorable drive was the route from Chushul to Mahe via Mirpal Tso, Kaksang La and Yaye Tso. Mahe to Hanle was also a breeze. The main high point of this trip was the climb to Umling La, where we experienced snowfall in the first week of September. (Something totally out of the blue). Owing to the bad weather, we decided against driving with the Ertiga and chose to tuck in with Mr. Kaisang of Milkyway Homestay in his Mahindra Bolero. The next surreal experience was the drive from Karu to Jispa. Absolute breath taker! Drive from Jispa to Manali was enjoyable. The highway sections in HP (Kullu – Ner Chowk) were also in bad shape owing to the weather with a lot of landslides and debris (Owing to this, we had to halt at Pandoh for the night). On the Chandigarh-Jaipur section, we drove on the newly opened trans-Haryana highway. It was an absolute breeze but absolutely boring too! Major tunnels experienced were the Qazigund tunnel & the Atal tunnel. In the near future, a lot of passes could be redundant owing to the new tunnels being planned!

The Machine
The Ertiga performed well throughout our trip. The new set of GY Assurance TMax tyres too performed well. We did have some incidents too. While entering Srinagar, the suspension on the Ertiga did not feel good and we immediately got it checked at Jamkash Maruti in Srinagar. On checking, it was found that the Suspension stabilizer rod had given way and was replaced. The entire exercise took less than an hour and post replacement, the suspension felt like new. This would have been caused by the massive hits the Ertiga took on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway with potholes at high speeds. To add to this, the suspension took a beating on the road stretch from Udhampur to Ramban. The Ertiga performed well in all terrains, especially the water crossings and slush crossings in JK & Ladakh and across the 11 high passes we covered (Zojila/11649, Fotula/13479, Namikala/12198, Khardungla/17982, Kaksangla/17851, Nurbula/ 17328, Umling la/19024, Taglangla/17482, Lachungla/16616, Nakeela/15547, Baralachala/15912) We did have a ‘heart in the mouth’ moment at Sarchu bridge, where the Ertiga was unable to cross the uphill approach owing to running water and a centre formation caused by ruts. We were struggling till help arrived and with ‘a push and a shove’, the Ertiga crossed this stretch. We did 7172kms over the 29 day period, with a mileage of 15.80km/l. Fuel consumed was 453.91L, and was least priced at Daman at INR 94.29/L and most priced at 106.78 at Dhule, Maharashtra. Since we had fuel cans for our trip, we managed to stock fuel and avoided filling fuel in RJ & MP, where fuel prices are 110+. Fuel was available at all places in Ladakh and one needs to plan well in advance on the basis of route.

The Experience
We waited patiently for the Covid episode to end, before embarking on what we can truly describe: a trip of a lifetime through India, a trip as a couple and with our two kids. We realized that nothing came close to the adventure, excitement, and the humble people we met on this journey and the connections we made! The experiences with everyone on this trip were unforgettable, divine connections with all kind of people including army men, local people, fruit and vegetable vendors, taxi & truck drivers, motorcyclists and fellow drivers, herdsmen & farmers who were ever willing to help, and most importantly the heartfelt hospitality that we received in all places. (As we were driving in a GA vehicle, so many people enquired on where we were from, our place Goa, our wellbeing and wished us well in our travels!) In the same breath, while we made it through all of the fun, adventure, unexpected things, tough driving terrain & conditions and erratic meals, we realized that we can make it through anything together as a family.

A detailed travelogue will follow shortly.

I started my trip to Leh on 16-Sep and came back to Pune on 1-Oct. It was an adventurous drive for us. We had to cancel some of the circuits because of bad weather and road closures. Will try to pen down some of the things in a travelogue. We carried an oxygen cylinder from Leh and that really came to our rescue on multiple occasions. AMS is very real and one need to be prepared. As per newspaper reports at least 11 deaths had happened in June/July this year because of Acute Mountain Sickness.

We went via Gujarat and came back via Madhya Pradesh. In this trip, Gujarat had the worst roads followed by Maharashtra (speaking of National Highways).

Can I do Srinagar - Ladakh - Leh - Manali trip in May? For me the trip starts from and ends at Bangalore. I can start on any date. But I MUST reach Bangalore by 4th/6th June, as the school starts

Yes, and if lucky, the roads might open earlier. This year, the roads opened well ahead in early May.

Hey Prabhu, I did the same trip early in season this year. I had similar constraint of being back to BLR for schools post summer vacay. Link to my tlog below. Srinagar to Leh highway had opened up for public in mid april this year but had some restrictions. Leh Manali usually opens a few weeks later by end APril or early May. This can change though depending on how much it snows this year but you can safely plan a trip via Srinagar early may and by the time you return, Manali route should have stabilized.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ml#post5383316

This is the state of Manali side approach to Atal tunnel today (WhatsApp forward by a friend)

Bane or boon?

Just adding to above

Ladakh has made snow chains compulsory on all vehicles on snow covered roads. ₹1000 fine for not complying. Read this today on Hindustan Times.

Thanks for sharing. Can you share the link for above.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india...267567575.html

There you go. :thumbs up

More than the anti skid chains, only vehicles with 4wd should be allowed. Have seen people take puny vehicles and then skid off the road especially in icy areas.

I was one of them last September. rl: a bus saved me. TL in progress. :)

Dear BHPians,

Hope everyone's having a great day!

I am planning for a Ladakh road trip this year. Maybe I am too excited :Cheering: for beginning my planning too early!

So, after doing some reading (on and off the Team-BHP forum), I have kind of zeroed in on the following route plan (big inspiration from AnandB Sir's travelogue).

The route and plan I have penned down is below. It would be really helpful if I could get some feedback on the plan, and also on the best time to do this route. Whether first half of May would be a good time to do this trip? Or some other time of the year?



Thanks a lot in advance!

Sir, How far is Umling La from Hanle ? Is it possible to visit the pass in August / September ? Is it possible to ride from Pangong Lake to Umling La and come back to Hanle for a night stay, all in a single day ? Thanks in advance.

You have to reach Hanle and make it your base for Umling La. Hanle itself is one of the most beautiful places of Ladakh.

Here is the link for Umling La travel: https://devilonwheels.com/plan-trip-...able-pass/amp/

Here is the Tbhp link for Umling La: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...oad-world.html