10th July 2014, 19:10
| #16 | |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Delhi
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| Re: Ladakh Roadtrip in the XUV500 – A Beginner’s perspective Quote:
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10th July 2014, 19:25
| #17 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Ladakh Roadtrip in the XUV500 – A Beginner’s perspective Quote:
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11th July 2014, 00:01
| #18 |
| BHPian Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Sydney
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11th July 2014, 00:32
| #19 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Ladakh Roadtrip in the XUV500 – A Beginner’s perspective Quote:
If you are doing the trip from the Srinigar route for both sides, then the Verna should be fine, you would have to drive very carefully on the passes though. Would recommend to avoid using the car on the Manali route. We saw a Verna fludic on the Manali leg which seemed to have taken a serious beating and its rear bumper unit was completely gone. If you are driving in a non J&K yellow plate vehicle then you would most likely be stopped in Pahalgam and Gulmarg; Srinagar and Sonamarg should be fine. Even I was misguided in to using a local taxi in Pahalgam. But if you are in a private (white plate) vehicle then don't listen to anyone, even if they ask you to use a local taxi. | |
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11th July 2014, 08:04
| #20 | ||
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| Re: Ladakh Roadtrip in the XUV500 – A Beginner’s perspective Quote:
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11th July 2014, 08:50
| #21 | |
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12th July 2014, 16:55
| #22 |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Ladakh Roadtrip in the XUV500 – A Beginner’s perspective 10 June 2014 (Tuesday) Drive: Kargil to Leh Start time: 6.30 am Roads / NHs / SHs taken: NH1D Average Speed: 34 kmph (including breaks); 59 kmph (only driving time) Odo reading: 3,160 kms We left Kargil around 6.30am; wanted to fuel up before exiting the town, but the fuel station on the way out was too crowded. Given that the tank was still about half full, we decided to fuel up at Mulbek (about 35 kms ahead). The drive till Mulbek was rough in patches, although it was quite scenic in the morning sun. Sunlight reflecting off the various Buddhist structures (we learnt they are called ‘mane’ later) and the mountain rocks on the way is very pretty. While we stopped at the fuel station for half an hour and rubbed dust off the car (my manic obsession according to the wife), we didn’t know at that time about the Mulbek Buddha, or would have made sure to drive past there. Drive from Mulbek through Namik La and Fotu La was easy, and stunning. Coming from Zoji La, these passes were a piece of cake, and gorgeous ones at that. Between Namik La and Fotu La we saw a taxi that broke down, and a couple of local boys were stranded for lift. This was our first firsthand experience with the locals of Leh. Both young boys in their late teens, were travelling from Srinagar to Leh, to be home for holidays. They were good company, told us local stories about the various ‘spots’ on the way. They were also ice hockey players who had represented India at an international level, and turned out so ‘adult’ like: by paying for our breakfast (at Khalste) too, without us realising. Now about the roads and the drive: both were great. Many of the Sham Valley ‘points’ are on the way, and we stopped at most of them. The major monasteries are Lamayuru, Alchi and Likir. We skipped Lamayuru, happy to just click the gorgeous looking monastery from the distance; missed Alchi and stopped at Likir. The Buddha statue and the picturesque location make it definitely worth stopping at. Also on the way is Spituk monastery which we visited on our Leh-stay day as it was very close to the town. We also stopped at the Magnetic Hill, Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and the Indus-Zanskar confluence at Nimmu. For the last, we stopped at a higher elevation than the other tourists (on the suggestion of the boys), which turned out to be a good idea. The blue-green water mixing with brown is a dazzling sight! Near the confluence, there was a new road being constructed, our companions told us this would be the new road from Nimmu to Zanskar. We reached Leh around 1.30pm, dropped off the boys and another old gentleman we had picked up too, and went straight to the tourist reception centre. Here we heard the cheerful ‘Juley’ first, and then a very helpful lady gave us maps for the Ladakh region, told us about road conditions, the upcoming Sindhu Darshan festival and confirmed that permits are no longer required at most tourist places in the region. She said we could dial 100 for checking road conditions to various places – didn’t try this but certainly a good idea! She also handed a copy of the self-declaration form that needs to be submitted at various check posts in lieu of the erstwhile permits. It is definitely a good idea to visit the Sham valley and the monasteries around on the way to/from Leh rather than do it as a separate trip. They are not very off from the highway and prove to be refreshing break points (although this road is not taxing by any means). We stayed in a hotel at the foot of Shanti Stupa’s stairway which charged us Rs. 1,500 per night. We walked up to Stupa later in the evening. This place offers great views of the Leh town and is very peaceful. Spent more than an hour here. Post this, we walked across Changspa Road (very close to the Stupa) and figured out that most of the good hotels and restaurants are around this road. Had dinner at one of the cafés before retiring to our room. The day in pictures... Kargil town early in the morning  Near Mulbek  Excellent roads, between Mulbek and Namika La  Namika La  Namika La  Great roads again...  ... along with stunning views  Fotu La  Great road and view  Lamayuru  Buddha at Likir  The confluence  Magnetic Hill  Pathar Sahib  Approaching Leh  |
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13th July 2014, 11:20
| #23 |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Ladakh Roadtrip in the XUV500 – A Beginner’s perspective 11 June 2014 (Wednesday) Drive: Leh Local This was planned to be a rest-day. We got up late (only 7am, sigh!), breakfasted in the hotel. The plan was do local sightseeing today. We also felt that we and the car both should get a driving-break for the day. Also, since the local traffic in Leh was the scary sort (primarily because of very small lanes), we rented an Activa for the day! For Rs.700 (without fuel cost; another Rs.200 for fuel), it is definitely not cheap, but allows easier navigation in the narrow and crowded lanes. We first drove up to Spituk, which is about 8kms from the hotel, in Srinagar’s direction. From there, we stopped at the Hall of Fame (the 3-d reproduction of the lands here is interesting), and Zoravor Fort (which was closed for general public). Then we headed to the Tsemo castle / monastery. What the wife calls is my pig-headedness about asking people for directions and the absence of any maps (internet connectivity on phone was gone), we got lost till a local lady asked us where are we going and showed us the road. Turned out that was wrong too, and we were on the way to Khardung La. When I spotted a milestone to the K Top, we turned around and a set of bikers at this point were kind enough to point out to us that the Activa won’t be able to climb till the K-Top (yeh nahi chadegi yaar; aap neeche jao aur mausam ka maaza lo, they said!) A couple of other de-tours, a dog chasing after our bike (and the wife shrieking, shaking, threatening to make us fall altogether), lots of asking people, and we reached Tsemo monastery. That it was closed was a slight anti-climax, although climbing up to the top provided some striking views. Next we drove down to the Leh Palace, which was just a few turns away. Though under repairs now, the palace is beautiful; it is so unlike like the other palaces (in Rajasthan primarily) that we had seen – flat roofs and terraces, with windows opening to the city under the skies. It is definitely worth visiting, although the guard outside tried telling us otherwise. From the Palace, we went to the main market area and had lunch there at a Punjabi restaurant. After this, we checked out the street stalls and also Jama Masjid from outside. We also made Xerox copies of the Self-declaration form we got yesterday, to be submitted on the trip from tomorrow. We returned to the hotel, called it an early night. Tomorrow is the day to Nubra Valley. Leh in pictures... Leh and its mountains through some stupas  Aerial view of Leh  The way up to Shanti Stupa  One of the sides of the Shanti Stupa  A very happy pair of Ladakhi kids  The Shanti Stupa  Another view of Leh and its mountains.. from Spituk Monastery  The Spituk Monastery  An army copter, patrolling I guess  Hall of Fame     Rinchen Chowk and around      Zorawar Fort  The Shanti Stupa from a distance  Another view of the mountains  Leh Palace      Near the entrance of Leh  Jama Masjid  Street shopping in Leh  |
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13th July 2014, 12:51
| #24 |
| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Ladakh Roadtrip in the XUV500 – A Beginner’s perspective 12 June 2014 (Thursday) Drive: Leh to Hunder to Turtuk to Diskit Start time: 7.00 am Average Speed: 25 kmph (including breaks); 34 kmph (only driving time) Odo reading: 3,480 kms Our plan was to leave the hotel at around 6am, so we could avoid traffic on the Khardung La, and reach our destination at a decent time. Turns out there were many bikes (all from MH incidentally) parked in front of our car, and blocked it nicely. Spent about an hour waiting for the bikes to be moved (used the time to clean the car a little), and left finally at 7am. Drove straight to K-Top, took a road which was off the map, but we saw yesterday on our meanderings on the Activa. The first check post was at South Pullu, where we submitted a self-declaration form. It was extremely cold, wife who got down to give the form came back shivering. We enquired the officer at the check post about weather and roads, and took off. The road till about mid-way or somewhere after South Pullu (of the ~33 kms to the top) was tarmac and easy. It really starts getting steep and bumpy in the last 10 kms or so. Nevertheless, the road does not become so much of an issue as the views more than compensate. It was incredibly beautiful; pale blue skies and the almost wedding dress-white mountains; this will be the reason why we will keep coming back here. Reached K-Top in less than 2 hours; there was some traffic there, but nothing to stop us from stopping for taking some high-altitude air in. It started snowing while we were there and it was all just so romantic and other-worldly! We are both from hot lands in India, and from cities on the top of that: skies this blue and snow actually falling like rain has only been stuff in our imagination (or movies) so far. On this very trip we have done passes more difficult (and more beautiful) on later days, but the thrill we felt on K-Top was something special – we both kept smiling and laughing all the while. The artist in me came out and I crafted a ice-knife and the wife tried to wield it on me too! The descent roads were bad for 15 odd kms, and then improved considerably. However, there is no way one can pick up speed, for the curves are many and onward traffic is a worry. We stopped at a semi-frozen lake (Kharzung Phu) on the way to eat something (from what we had packed) – there was a Buddha statue near a water body, and some yak grazing around. Times like these are the reason why road trips are nice. Wife drove, I took a nap till we reached Khalsar. Instead of stopping for proper food, we drove on to Diskit. The drive was very different from Khardung La – here it was sand dunes, with water running alongside and snow-capped peaks in the background. Surreal. Soon, the climate changed suddenly into what seemed like a sand storm of sorts; the visuals were so scary and so powerful. For about the next hour or so, visibility was as bad as it would be in a heavy rain, but it was ok to drive because the roads were all smooth and empty. We stopped at Diskit, where it had started to drizzle. We drove up to the monastery first, where some monk opened up doors so we could see the monastery’s deity. Then went up to the huge Buddha. It is a beautiful statue, set in a beautiful location; fills the heart with awe to those who made it, and those who made us too, may be. From Diskit, we drove to Hunder. We were still undecided on whether to go further to Turtuk, or stay back in Hunder. Drove around here, but talking to some locals we found that we could drive to Turtuk and back before night fall. Skipped food again, and took off to Turtuk. The roads are great; but the visuals make you feel like you are in the land of hobbits, elves and Aragorn; like you are in the world of the Lord of the Rings. The mountains are so huge, they seem like walls (beyond which must be the neighbouring country). It was like a giant display hung in front of us, with wallpapers changing every few minutes. HD display, mind you. We had to enter our details in a couple of army check posts, but reaching Turtuk was not a problem at all. We didn’t spend time in Turtuk itself, choosing to come back closer to Leh, but the drive was so worth the extra kms. We had some army men for company on the way back; we reached Hunder around 7.30. After the cold in Sonamarg, wife was sceptical about staying in a tent again, so we drove ahead to Diskit and checked into a hotel facing the Diskit monastery. Had proper food for the first time in the day, requested (many times) the hotel guy to make sure hot water is available at 5 am tomorrow and called it a day. 13 June 2014 (Friday) Drive: Diskit to Panamik to Leh Start time: 6.45 am Average Speed: 25 kmph (including breaks); 34 kmph (only driving time) Odo reading: 3,670 kms The cold meant that we had to wait till there was hot water in the taps, around 6 am, and left Diskit around 6.45 am, to Panamik. For Panamik, the road first leads toward Khalsar, and then turns left away from Leh, towards Sumur. The drive takes one back to Lord of the Rings world again, as if looking at it from the other side of the river. The roads are good, the traffic was light, and the route passes through many villages. Seeing many children dressed up for school, waving at us and waiting for the school bus (I guess) reminded us that every day is not a weekend, like it felt over the last few days. The wife had in mind something like the hot springs of Pamukkale in Turkey; it was nothing like that. But it was novel enough; there were cement tanks built to collect hot water flowing from the mountain, where one could dip hands in or wash face. The tanks were connected to bathrooms, where people can take bath in – the water is supposed to have medicinal properties, and therefore advertisements for herbal bathrooms are seen on the way to Panamik. For those not wanting to dip into still water, there is flowing hot water, although the stream is not very strong, although the water is really hot higher up on the rocks. It looked like there were enough hotels around Panamik, there were two other groups along with us waiting for the staff to arrive to open up the paid bathrooms. From Panamik, we drove to Khalsar and stopped for breakfast. Reached K-Top in almost the same time as yesterday; did not stop for long and came back to Leh around 2.30pm. The only difference was that much of the snow seemed to have disappeared from Khardung La, and the roads suddenly seemed wider. The traffic was slightly more than yesterday, given the time of the day. Had lunch at a German Bakery in the main market area. Headed back to the hotel, and called it a day. While our earlier plan was to rest tomorrow; we decided to push on to Pangong, instead of taking a day off. The excursion to Nubra Valley, in pictures... The road to Khardung La from Leh  View of the K Top from a distance  Numerous icicles around the K Top  The K Top  The worst patches at Khardung La are like this  Kharzung Phu.. Just after the descent from K Top  Buddha at Kharzung Phu  The frozen lake / pond at Kharzung Phu  The road from Khalsar to Distik.. a sand storm approaching  The sand storm got worse  Diskit Monastery  The Diskit Buddha  The Diskit Monastery from the Diskit Budhha's foot  The sand dunes at Hunder  The road after Hunder towards Turtuk  Shiny and multi color rocks enroute Turtuk  Stunning landscapes like these adorn the entire drive...  ... with excellent roads throughout  The beautiful moon in Diskit  Bright sunrise near Diskit  The clear view (without the sand storm) of the road between Khalsar and Diskit  Near Sumur  The other side of the mountains (earlier seen from Diskit)  Very true  The hot springs of Panamik  Multiple places like these provide for excellent pictures on the way back to Khardung La  Near Khardung (village)  Full snow cover around K Top  Army men taking a break at the K Top  A biker approaching K Top from the other side with snow peaks in the backdrop  |
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17th July 2014, 23:57
| #25 |
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18th July 2014, 07:34
| #26 | ||
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18th July 2014, 09:45
| #27 |
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18th July 2014, 11:07
| #28 |
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18th July 2014, 13:17
| #29 |
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19th July 2014, 18:57
| #30 | |
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