[Bluebird_7]

Originally Posted by gearhead_mait

First of all congratulations for completing the trip safely

Thanks a lot gearhead_mait. Your travelogue was really inspiring.

Originally Posted by gearhead_mait

Please don't drive on half clutch or promote such practice.

We all love our cars and would hate to do that but at times there is no other option.

[FrodoOfTheShire]

Wonderful narration Bluebird_7 accompanied by breathtaking pictures! Hats off to you for the way you calmly handled tricky/sticky situations as its difficult to get help at such remote places. Thanks for sharing this amazing experience!

[Bluebird_7]

Originally Posted by FrodoOfTheShire

Wonderful narration Bluebird_7 accompanied by breathtaking pictures!

Thanks a lot !

Originally Posted by FrodoOfTheShire

Hats off to you for the way you calmly handled tricky/sticky situations as its difficult to get help at such remote places

I kept saying to myself keep calm and keep moving, will not get such long leave soon

[ssambyal1980]

Originally Posted by Bluebird_7

Hi,
Before i initiate, a big thanks to below bhpian whose travelogue became the inspiration and guide to plan the trip.

BlackPearl
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ndra-thar.html

ssambyal1980
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ure-sedan.html

gearhead_mait
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...g-bonding.html

Since there is already a lot of information on routes, planning etc. available on team-bhp which i used to plan i will not repeat it. Instead i will focus more on presenting the beautiful landscape and providing a peek into what you can expect when you plan to do Spiti, in short less of talk more of pics

Congratulations buddy for a wonderfully planned and executed trip. The beautiful photographs very well compliment the engrossing narrative. It feels really nice to know that you referred to our Spiti Trip travelogue along with other two extremely informative travelogues by our fellow BHPians whilst planning for the trip. I myself being a travel freak feel very happy to share the travelling experiences with like-minded enthusiasts like you. All thanks to the wonderful forum of Team BHP which has brought us all together from across the length and breadth of the country.

With this being your long cross country trip I can virtually imagine that you all must have enjoyed experiencing the different hues of the country while crossing the varied geographical landscapes i.e The Western Ghats, Thar Desert, Indo-Gangetic Plains and The Mighty Himalayas in a single trip!!!
Driving long distances on good country side highways is always an icing on the cake.

Reading about issuance of traffic ticket for over speeding was bit sad. Such things happen when the roads are too good and we simply forget about speedo needle crossing the limit. Nonetheless the decent nature and gentlemanly behaviour of the traffic cop eased the situation.

It was a good planning on your part that you skipped crossing Shimla but instead drove towards Chail as it is much peaceful and calm as compared to the maddening rush of Shimla during the peak tourist season. The Chitkul-Nako section of the trip revived the old memories of my Kinnaur Valley and Sangla Valley trip which I did in October 2011 in a humble Maruti 800. Here is the link to that trip…

(http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...uti-800-a.html

It was shocking to read about the unfortunate incident in which the windshield got damaged. Nonetheless it was a relief to know that the situation remained well under control and you all were safe and sound. We had also experienced a similar situation during one of our short trip to Kinnaur whilst crossing a landslide prone area. Then also small stones came hurtling down and hit the bonnet but ignoring it I continued to press on the accelerator to clear off the danger area. Upon returning on the same route later in the day found that the very stretch had been completely blocked by a massive landslide as such had to take a long detour to rejoin the highway. Such are the perils of travelling on the treacherous sections of the Himalayan Highways. Not to forget that the Kinnaur region is notorious for landslides throughout the year and the problem aggravates to alarming proportions during the monsoons.

It’s nice that you all covered most of the Spiti Valley visiting far off villages and monasteries during the trip but skipping Chandratal Lake must have been bit dejecting as it was like too near yet too far. Even we skipped Chandratal Lake as we did the Spiti Trip during the fag end of tourist season i.e in late October with the possibility of heavy snowfall around the corner blocking the roads. Nonetheless it's always better luck next time.

I appreciate your foresight in avoiding heading to Manali from Chandratal with a cracked windshield. As you must have read in our Spiti Travelogue that how treacherous and nerve wrecking the 49 Km stretch from Batal to Gramphoo is but nonetheless the S-Cross has the full ability to tread such stretches considering its powerful diesel engine coupled with an excellent ground clearance of 200mm.

Also taking into account that you travelled to Spiti during peak tourist season of May-June, it would have been extremely unpleasant for you to cross the Rohtang Pass which remains chock a block with loads of tourist vehicles swarming all over the place. During peak season it takes around 4-5 hours to cover the 51 km distance between Rohtang and Manali due to heavy tourist traffic which ultimately robs of all the happiness of enjoying a calm and peaceful holiday. Not to miss the town of Manali is chock a block with tourist rush and its next to impossible to find a place to stay. So it’s always better to avoid the Kullu-Manali circuit during peak tourist season months of May and June.

Problems apart still this particular stretch from Batal to Gramphoo is notorious for its non-existent road as there is just a dirt track with big rocks strewn and embedded on most of it. Not to forget the unpredictable snow melt streams which criss cross the road every now and then making the travellers wonder that whether they are travelling on a road or a river bed. Low ground clearance vehicles (Sedans and Hatchbacks in particular) find it difficult to cross this stretch. Not to forget the front wheel drive mechanism also leads to traction issues. To sum up the Batal-Gramphoo route is at its worst from the time it opens for traffic in June till the monsoon rains end by August end. In my honest opinion the Kaza-Manali route is best travelled between mid-September to mid-October.

Summing up my thoughts after reading your wonderful travelling experience I would like to reiterate that the planning and execution of the trip was excellent. Travelling all the way from Mumbai to the Himalayas and back entailed a thorough cross country drive which is always an icing on the cake for the BHPians like us. It’s nice to know that the ‘Blue Bird’ performed extremely well during the entire trip. Kudos and respect to your better half and brother in law for being a great company and support for the trip. Once again thanks buddy for sharing your experience. Completed reading the entire travelogue in one go. Rated 5 Stars *****.

Wish you and your better half many many more adventurous and happiness filled trips. Keep posting. Drive Safe. GODSPEED

Cheers!!!

Best Regards.

[Bluebird_7]

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

Congratulations buddy for a wonderfully planned and executed trip.

Thanks a lot !

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

All thanks to the wonderful forum of Team BHP which has brought us all together from across the length and breadth of the country.

Exactly, for me other than planning details, the forum provides the much needed confidence to take these trips.

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

Reading about issuance of traffic ticket for over speeding was bit sad. Such things happen when the roads are too good and we simply forget about speedo needle crossing the limit. Nonetheless the decent nature and gentlemanly behaviour of the traffic cop eased the situation.

The issue is there are very few speed limit signage and we never know from where they apply and where they end.[/quote]

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

It was a good planning on your part that you skipped crossing Shimla but instead drove towards Chail as it is much peaceful and calm as compared to the maddening rush of Shimla during the peak tourist season.

Experienced the mad rush while returning

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

It was shocking to read about the unfortunate incident in which the windshield got damaged. Nonetheless it was a relief to know that the situation remained well under control and you all were safe and sound. We had also experienced a similar situation during one of our short trip to Kinnaur whilst crossing a landslide prone area. Then also small stones came hurtling down and hit the bonnet but ignoring it I continued to press on the accelerator to clear off the danger area.

Right, when there are stones shooting around the only thing one can do is press the accelerator and hope for the best. Other than landslides there are certain sections which gets covered with small stones/gravel everyday in the evening due to high wind speeds and BRO keeps on removing it, we were hit in one of that section.

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

It’s nice that you all covered most of the Spiti Valley visiting far off villages and monasteries during the trip but skipping Chandratal Lake must have been bit dejecting as it was like too near yet too far.

Yes, we missed 4 places from our originally planned itinerary Demul, Dhankar Lake, Tashigong and Chandrataal since our day buffer was to get consumed in getting the windshield replaced. Of these places Chandrataal is the one which hurts most, since we drove on all of those bad roads to reach camp site only to find that its too dark to go ahead and trek to the lake Anyway it gives a reason to visit Spiti again.

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

I appreciate your foresight in avoiding heading to Manali from Chandratal with a cracked windshield. As you must have read in our Spiti Travelogue that how treacherous and nerve wrecking the 49 Km stretch from Batal to Gramphoo...

Yes while planning we kept the return route open depending on the situation, with a cracked windshield and feedback from traveler driver coming from Manali we decided not to go back via that route.

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

Kudos and respect to your better half and brother in law for being a great company and support for the trip

They are excellent company for the trip and we wish to do many more !

Originally Posted by ssambyal1980

Wish you and your better half many many more adventurous and happiness filled trips. Keep posting. Drive Safe. GODSPEED

Thanks once again for your kind words. You too keep us delighted with your travelogues and enriching the community.

[raj981]

Nicely written and very good pictures. I see a lot of people venturing out on road trips but not exactly enjoying the landscape. What is a road trip without actually enjoying nature at its virgin self. Brilliantly done!

Did the low ground clearance of the S Cross pose a major challenge. What would be your advice for someone who would do the trip with a similar vehicle and what are the stretches where you faced maximum challenge with the belly scraping due to the low GC?


Thanks!

[Bluebird_7]

Originally Posted by raj981

Nicely written and very good pictures.

Thanks a lot raj981 !

Originally Posted by raj981

Did the low ground clearance of the S Cross pose a major challenge

Not really, just that i had to be cautious in picking the right spots to move over bad terrain.

Originally Posted by raj981

What would be your advice for someone who would do the trip with a similar vehicle and what are the stretches where you faced maximum challenge with the belly scraping due to the low GC?

Plan and pack well, keep some buffer time, prepare yourself mentally to accommodate and adjust to any difficulty you might face wrt vehicle or otherwise. The chandrataal route was the toughest to me, had one underbelly hit but it was avoidable so i can say that if you have a car with 180 mm GC you should be fine, but you will have to be cautious, cannot compete with Scorpio or Thar
Wish you all the best for the trip !

[vijayols]

Nice pics and narration.We too had been to the valley in early May this year and followed a very similar route though we returned via Manali as the route had just opened up.

Yet to post the log on the same.The unique topography is indeed unbelievable and completing the trip is like a challenge conquered.Way to go buddy May you explore many more places and regale us with your experiences.

Vijay

[Bluebird_7]

Originally Posted by vijayols

Nice pics and narration.

Thanks a lot !

Originally Posted by vijayols

Yet to post the log on the same

Waiting eagerly to know your experiences !

Originally Posted by vijayols

Way to go buddy May you explore many more places and regale us with your experiences

Thanks again !

[DBeast]

Originally Posted by Bluebird_7

D-11: Losar to Sangla

Got up early and left for Sangla after a light breakfast. The journey was
Since i had no time to claim the insurance got it done in cash for around Rs. 7000.

Broken windshield
Attachment 1791382


The most important aspect i believe is to have a cool head and not get perturbed by the occasional glitches you will face with respect to short on time, issues in vehicle, issues at places of stay or food. Be accommodating and you will love the experience. I loved it so much so that i for sure will go again sooner than i earlier anticipated.

Please let me know if you have any queries, happy to help !

Amazing travelogue with great photos!! kudos to the photographer!
Also glad that guys were safe after a stone hit your car, quite scary and that too in the hills!!


Just wanted an information regarding the windshield replacement, what happened / happens to the RFID & fast-track tags on your old windshield?

[Bluebird_7]

Originally Posted by DBeast

Amazing travelogue with great photos!! kudos to the photographer!

Thanks a lot for your kind words!

Originally Posted by DBeast

Just wanted an information regarding the windshield replacement, what happened / happens to the RFID & fast-track tags on your old windshield?

As far as i know about RFID, it is used for identification during production and shipment, and is not mandatory to have and it cannot be removed from windshield to paste on new windshield since it is tamper-proof. So it is plain gone now, please correct me if i am wrong about this. Since i applied for the fast tag before the trip and due to multiple failed deliveries, it arrived on the night before departure i did not apply it on the windshield and it was saved

[Singh09]

Has anyone been to Kinnaur Valley recently? I am planning a trip to Shimla and Chitkul, so need updates regarding the road conditions. And is it okay to visit Chitkul in the second week of June keeping the monsoon in mind. I am planning to make the trip from 14-17 June.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by Singh09

Has anyone been to Kinnaur Valley recently? I am planning a trip to Shimla and Chitkul, so need updates regarding the road conditions. And is it okay to visit Chitkul in the second week of June keeping the monsoon in mind. I am planning to make the trip from 14-17 June.

Spiti valley is a mountain region and similar to Ladakh, is a rain shadow region meaning there is little or no rain in these regions even during monsoon period. However there are instances of showers and more instances of land slides and even cloud bursts which reek havoc on travelers. Further the monsoon in Spiti valley is primarily from end of July to early September. So if monsoon is your primary concern then fear not, your visit is way outside the monsoon period in Spiti region.

But do keep on eye open for landslides and keep a watch on weather always, inquiring with local people and weather forecast websites.

The road conditions are OK and commensurate with what one can expect in hilly regions. good to decent tarmac, broken roads, rubble, no roads at some sections. you will come across all challenges.

If you plan to complete the entire Spiti circuit ( Shimla - Kaza -Manali or other way) then you need to wait till the Kunzum pass and Rohtang Pass is opened. There is news that Rohtang pass is open now but there is no news if Kunzum pass is open yet. So make sure both these passes are open if you are planning to complete the whole circuit ( that includes a visit to Chandratal lake and riding the horrible stretch between Batal and Grumphoo).

If otherwise you plan only to Kaza or Losar from Shimla side then the road is open 12 months a year and there are no issues.

Chitkul is awesome in June. it is not monsoon period yet there anyway. This year especially there was very heavy snow in Spiti valley. in fact it snowed till recently in the valley. So in mid June this year you get a good chance to see some snow too as a bonus

[Singh09]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

Spiti valley is a mountain region and similar to Ladakh, is a rain shadow region meaning there is little or no rain in these regions even during monsoon period. However there are instances of showers and more instances of land slides and even cloud bursts which reek havoc on travelers. Further the monsoon in Spiti valley is primarily from end of July to early September. So if monsoon is your primary concern then fear not, your visit is way outside the monsoon period in Spiti region.

But do keep on eye open for landslides and keep a watch on weather always, inquiring with local people and weather forecast websites.

The road conditions are OK and commensurate with what one can expect in hilly regions. good to decent tarmac, broken roads, rubble, no roads at some sections. you will come across all challenges.

If you plan to complete the entire Spiti circuit ( Shimla - Kaza -Manali or other way) then you need to wait till the Kunzum pass and Rohtang Pass is opened. There is news that Rohtang pass is open now but there is no news if Kunzum pass is open yet. So make sure both these passes are open if you are planning to complete the whole circuit ( that includes a visit to Chandratal lake and riding the horrible stretch between Batal and Grumphoo).

If otherwise you plan only to Kaza or Losar from Shimla side then the road is open 12 months a year and there are no issues.

Chitkul is awesome in June. it is not monsoon period yet there anyway. This year especially there was very heavy snow in Spiti valley. in fact it snowed till recently in the valley. So in mid June this year you get a good chance to see some snow too as a bonus

Thanks for your response buddy. But the plan has changed as the other people going with me got scared of the roads to Chitkul...lol
So now the plan is to visit Mussoorie - Shimla - Kufri. So I need to wait more to do that trip. Though my wife was ready to go to Chitkul but I guess we need to wait more for that.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by Singh09

Thanks for your response buddy. But the plan has changed as the other people going with me got scared of the roads to Chitkul...lol
So now the plan is to visit Mussoorie - Shimla - Kufri. So I need to wait more to do that trip. Though my wife was ready to go to Chitkul but I guess we need to wait more for that.

I understand your friend's concerns. Mussorie -Shimla -Kufri are nice but nowhere near Chitkul in terms of beauty and awesomeness.
Chitkul is about 230 Kms /8 hours drive from Kufri. It's a day's drive and mid June is the perfect time to visit Chitkul (or September end/early Octber). May be you could plan Chitkul in late September. It's absolutely fantastic there.