[RajeevSharma]

Well planned and nicely executed trip. On paper your average speed of about 42 KMPH seem really low but it must have equated to a leisurely and enjoyable road trip as I can judge from your travelogue. I also love to travel but the rush to get from one spot to another takes the pleasure out of it so, I am going to learn from you and add a day of travel to really enjoy the journey.

Thanks for sharing and hoping for many more exciting travelogues from you.

[fastturtle10]

Thanks for sharing you experience and those amazing photos!

[ridewithpride]

Congratulations Debu Da for completing Spiti expedition with flying colours. Thanks for the nice and crisp travelogue. The pictures of valley are really beautiful. Hats off to you two young at heart Faujies. It is evident from the travelogue that snow and water crossings are minimum in this season and it’s safest time to visit the valley. But in my view if one love to see some snow also then month of May - June would be better.

[sharad_kmc]

Great travelogue sir, the wonderful imagery and vivid description do justice to the landscapes. Was heartening to know the 2.2 was up to task. Btw noticed that the endy has a Jamshedpur registration, are you a jampot resident by any chance.

[Dhar's]

Thanks for sharing your wonderful travel experience.
When spirits soar, age is just a number. Glad that you could pull it off at that high altitude.
Lovely pictures too!

[the_skyliner]

Amazing travelogue! Enjoyed reading every bit of it and pictures are beautiful too.

I liked the sequencing as well as the exact right amount of details for each day. Rating it 5 star.

The synopsis in the end is just icing on the cake.

[mi2n]

Wonderful account of an exquisite journey! Lovely travelogue Debu da. The pictures made me relive our Spiti trip back in June. The Chandrataal, Gramphoo, Batal stretch looks exhilarating. We missed it in June due to road closure and had to trace our way back the same way we came in.


Here's a picture from some 4 or 5 kilometers beyond Losar. The most we could go due to inclement weather.







Thanks for sharing!

[adi_petrolhead]

An exciting travelogue after all! Looking at those rocky trails, it does make your spine tingle. Thinking whether my Octavia can do this route with some difficulties or not? What are your thoughts? At most I plan to travel with my wife and some very light luggage. Of course with another car in escort carrying two other friends, hopefully! Lately national highway widening has caused some great road damages in my area in Gujarat. Octavia handles HUGE pot holes, sharp thuds and completely gravel roads with ease! I have an excellent judgement of its turning circle as well as ground clearance. I swear to carry a spade with me in the Octy's boot if I do plan to travel to Spiti Valley, with my wife at the wheel, I will move impassible rocks out of the way.

[soumobakshi]

Originally Posted by debuda

During September 2019
Total distance covered during this 13-day expedition was 4,706 km which required 112 hours of actual driving. [/center]

Debu Da, Spiti has been in my mind for long, but was considering doing it in Winters.
Why did you choose September and not any other month? Did you find 13 days to be enough for your expedition, specifically the Spiti Circuit or was it a compromise of time vs Places of interest ?

I would undertake this trip as a Solo Driver in my vehicle(Other vehicles might join me); do you think a Duster FWD has any significant disadvantage over a 4x4 or AWD keeping the Winters in mind.

I hop you don't mind my probing questions as it would help me to plan better.

[Reinhard]

What a lovely thread & travelogue. Just loved it. Very unlikely that I'll be able to do such a round trip in my own car owing to the distance from Pune & the number of leaves it would take. Its these mesmerizing travelogues that make up for that pain. Thank you very much & kudos to your spirits & energy for the journey. What a kind gesture towards the respectable teacher. Really nice. Wonderful photography too. Pains to see those buildings in good old Shimla doesn't it?

Wish you so many more such journeys & so many more pictures & details for us to enjoy . Cheers!
Rated the thread well deserved 5 stars!

[HappyWheels]

Loved this travelogue, more so, due to the participants.

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

...
Why did you choose September and not any other month? Did you find 13 days to be enough for your expedition, specifically the Spiti Circuit or was it a compromise of time vs Places of interest ?
...
I hope you don't mind my probing questions as it would help me to plan better.

+1 to the question.

[ARAY]

Epic thread , lovely pictures and excellent experiences shared.
Winter Spiti is a league in its own. Glad I own a humble AWD and have tested in the rough trails of Himalaya often. This thread has been bookmarked and the plan shall be executed in near future.

[motorhead5]

Excellent travelogue. We had done Arunachal passes in 2017, the J&K, Leh, Nubra, Pangong, Manali route in 2018 and Uttarakhand now in 2019.

Spiti is next in the wish list and that made your travelogue quite interesting..

Beautiful pics too

[debuda]

Originally Posted by sharad_kmc

Btw noticed that the endy has a Jamshedpur registration, are you a jampot resident by any chance.

I do belong to Jamshedpur. I grew up in Ranchi and Jamshedpur. But presently I live in Kolkata.

Originally Posted by adi_petrolhead

Thinking whether my Octavia can do this route with some difficulties or not? What are your thoughts?

I'm sure you can take your Octavia to Spiti Valley, especially with your driving skills. Travelling with friends and two cars is a very good idea which I have recommended in my travelogue.

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

Debu Da, Spiti has been in my mind for long, but was considering doing it in Winters.
Why did you choose September and not any other month? Did you find 13 days to be enough for your expedition, specifically the Spiti Circuit or was it a compromise of time vs Places of interest ?

I would undertake this trip as a Solo Driver in my vehicle(Other vehicles might join me); do you think a Duster FWD has any significant disadvantage over a 4x4 or AWD keeping the Winters in mind.

(1) My friend and I chose mid to end September because : (a) It suited our schedule, and (b) We wanted a safe period with no snow and least water.

(2) Our itinerary should have had 2 more days. Then we could have visited some additional places such as Kalpa and Key Monastery. Please note that our itinerary was a relatively relaxed one, suiting our age profile. Younger people can definitely visit more places in less number of days. But packing each day with too much driving and sightseeing can take the fun out of a holiday. Most importantly, regardless of age, one should cater for at least 3-4 days of acclimatization.

(3) If you plan to drive over heavy snow or ice, 4x4 or AWD would be advantageous. FWD can handle light to medium snow reasonably well. The main disadvantage of FWD is that in very steep uphill climbs much of the car weight shifts to the rear and front wheels may lose traction and start slipping. This problem would get aggravated in snow. So for a FWD Duster the more severe parts of winter in Spiti Valley would be avoidable.

[Baddychat]

Very crisp travelogue Debu da and excellent pictures. Enjoyed reading every bit of it.