[Ikran]

Superb drive and nice clicks. Just one question, is there availability of bs6 fuel in the hills?

[sumitdongerkery]

Wonderful writeup! i thoroughly enjoyed going through it. This thread will be my reference when I plan this stretch perhaps within a year

I was told by many that the car slightly loses power on the higher altitudes due to low oxygen level. You dint seem to experience anything like that?

Also I intend to do this stretch along with my parents who are senior citizens. So is it advisable?

Cheers

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by pd1108

Lovely pics, excellent weather. Wish you has given captions under each photo

Hey PD, yes I didnt caption each one of them but did try to put captions at start of each group of pictures to give context of what part of the journey and the leg. Most of the pics are actually taken at random stops on the road and not specific popular spots. Happy to answer if you have a question of any specific picture or leg.

Originally Posted by Ikran

Superb drive and nice clicks. Just one question, is there availability of bs6 fuel in the hills?

Unless I am wrong, there is nothing like separate BS6 fuel. Diesel/Petrol in Leh region is same as what's sold in rest of India. I believe during winters Diesel sold in Leh has a mix that prevents freezing, beyond that its regular diesel. BS6 engines need a separate adblue mix that goes into the car in addition to regular diesel.

Originally Posted by sumitdongerkery

Wonderful writeup! i thoroughly enjoyed going through it. This thread will be my reference when I plan this stretch perhaps within a year

I was told by many that the car slightly loses power on the higher altitudes due to low oxygen level. You dint seem to experience anything like that?

Also I intend to do this stretch along with my parents who are senior citizens. So is it advisable?

Cheers

Thx Sumit. You are absolutely right about power drop. I didnt specifically point it out. One of the reasons of increased mileage is leaner mix that ECU runs due to lack of oxygen. It does result in fairly perceptible drop in power. You can expect that you will be dropping 1 gear vs. how you would drive on plains. In a turbo diesel it sort of becomes more pronounced turbo lag lower down revs

Taking your sr citizen parents along is tough one to answer. Lot depends on health and physical shape. Best to consult a physician. I did see lot of sr citizens in Leh, assuming mostly they are flying in directly to Leh. Driving all the way is surely lot more travel stress and fatigue.

[edunata]

Nice write-up 'supertinu'. Actually, it was a super-human task, at the condition you have driven from Pangong Tso to Leh.

Another thing I would like to give thumbs up about is the stationary you have supplied to the kids. Very well thought deed. Usually, we distribute candy along the way, but distributing stationary is a very nice gesture.

[ashokabs]

Reminds me of my trip to Ladakh in 2012. We we driven around in Xylo and Scorpio and trip was arranged by a Travel Company. Thankfully they were extremely well organized and there was no hitch except at Tso Moriri where the tent booking was not available even though made much in advance. Fortunately, we got a nearby inn with reasonable facilities for that altitude. The landscape is truly amazing and so are the people. We spent a total of 2 weeks including 2 days in Leh to acclimatise. Most or us were between 60 and 72 years old. Thanks to good care and acclimatisation no one was sick and Diamox was recommended to be taken a day before leaving for Leh. I took Diamox for two days and then stopped. Took 1000's of photos between 10 of us.

There is so much to see that several trips won't be enough. One of our group drove from Delhi via Srinagar with wife and young daughter and so I was reminded of it while reading your travelogue.

Lovely photographs too and well documented and easy to read and enjoy.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by edunata

Nice write-up 'supertinu'. Actually, it was a super-human task, at the condition you have driven from Pangong Tso to Leh.

Another thing I would like to give thumbs up about is the stationary you have supplied to the kids. Very well thought deed. Usually, we distribute candy along the way, but distributing stationary is a very nice gesture.

Thanks Edunata. Meeting the school kids and talk to them was very energizing. Kids anywhere in any situation have the same zeal and passion.

Originally Posted by ashokabs

Reminds me of my trip to Ladakh in 2012. We we driven around in Xylo and Scorpio and trip was arranged by a Travel Company. Thankfully they were extremely well organized and there was no hitch except at Tso Moriri where the tent booking was not available even though made much in advance. Fortunately, we got a nearby inn with reasonable facilities for that altitude. The landscape is truly amazing and so are the people. We spent a total of 2 weeks including 2 days in Leh to acclimatise. Most or us were between 60 and 72 years old. Thanks to good care and acclimatisation no one was sick and Diamox was recommended to be taken a day before leaving for Leh. I took Diamox for two days and then stopped. Took 1000's of photos between 10 of us.

There is so much to see that several trips won't be enough. One of our group drove from Delhi via Srinagar with wife and young daughter and so I was reminded of it while reading your travelogue.

Lovely photographs too and well documented and easy to read and enjoy.

Thanks Ashok sir. Road conditions 10yrs ago would have been more challenging surely vs how it is now.

[ashokabs]

Actually roads were not too bad. However, while going to Pangong Tso there was no road at all for most of the ride. It was just a dirt track.

[efgritesh]

Originally Posted by ashokabs

Actually roads were not too bad. However, while going to Pangong Tso there was no road at all for most of the ride. It was just a dirt track.

wow now you have inspired me for next trip, my itinerary is almost ready for Apr-23

I own a Breeza ZDI AMT and am always doubtful on how the vehicle will perform specially in the hills. From my experience if its not stop and go traffic, I think its still manageable to some extent. Looking at pics I never see anything like traffic jam on hairpin bends, but just asking.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by efgritesh

wow now you have inspired me for next trip, my itinerary is almost ready for Apr-23

I own a Breeza ZDI AMT and am always doubtful on how the vehicle will perform specially in the hills. From my experience if its not stop and go traffic, I think its still manageable to some extent. Looking at pics I never see anything like traffic jam on hairpin bends, but just asking.

Ritesh, beyond Srinagar and similarly beyond Manali on the other end chance of bumper to bumper jams are less, but can happen if you are stuck in a landslide etc. Similarly on way to Sringar and Manali from plains, traffic get bad esp in construction regions during peak season. So anticipate some uphill traffic jams. You may have to alter your style with use of parking brake and take car out of gear I assume to save clutch.

If you plan a road trip, then most likely path is via Srinagar as it opens up earlier than Manali side.

[mchandra13]

That was an awesome writeup @supertinu. Thanks for sharing the details and snaps. Thoroughly enjoyed going thru the write-up as well as the photos.
I havent seen too many trips where people have tried Jammu-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh route. Based on your inputs, it looks like a good alternative to the heavily crowded Manali - Leh route. Why is Manali - Leh, the most preferred route?
My family visited Srinagar(by flight) this Feb and were telling me that the hotels were all full even in the winter and even Gulmarg with snow was completely crowded. Looks like tourism is catching up fast in the valley.
Driving to Leh is one of my bucket list items which I hope to fulfill sooner than later. This kind of snaps and details keep that desire burning.

[R-Six]

Brilliant read, Supertinu! I just felt like I was reliving my Leh journey as I read through yours. It looks like you were just a couple of days ahead of me on the same loop.

Drive Safe,
R-Six

[vnabhi]

What a lovely TL, and what an exhilerating write-up! I happened to read it just after i read R-Six's TL this evening, and now my knowledge of Ladakh and Kashmir is razor-sharp!

I appreciate your attention to detail and your frank views on how to avoid AMS. I know it can wreck one's trip, if proper care is not taken.

I'm glad to know that HVK's forum helped you immensely. I'll keep that in mind for my future trips to enchanting destinations.

I feel you could have managed to drive alone to BLR from Delhi, as you have braved tougher terrain alone. However, I guess you did it for company. It can get boring driving alone for 2 full days.

[ashokabs]

I saw a question about where to get acclimatised. The group that organized our trip said based on their experience about 2 days in Leh walking around should be alright. However, this assumes you will take Diamox tablets. Alternatively, spending 4 or 5 days sightseeing in the Kashmir valley on your way to Leh. That will be adequate.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by mchandra13

That was an awesome writeup @supertinu. Thanks for sharing the details and snaps. Thoroughly enjoyed going thru the write-up as well as the photos.
I havent seen too many trips where people have tried Jammu-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh route. Based on your inputs, it looks like a good alternative to the heavily crowded Manali - Leh route. Why is Manali - Leh, the most preferred route?
My family visited Srinagar(by flight) this Feb and were telling me that the hotels were all full even in the winter and even Gulmarg with snow was completely crowded. Looks like tourism is catching up fast in the valley.
Driving to Leh is one of my bucket list items which I hope to fulfill sooner than later. This kind of snaps and details keep that desire burning.

Hey CHandra, in my view the Srinagar - Leh drive is probably more scenic but definitely easier in comparison. Leh-Manali is lot more remote and challenging in terms of high passes which makes it more attractive for adventure seekers. But going via Srinagar and coming back from Manali is the best route to take. Preps you well. A direct Manali-Leh drive in the beginning would be tough.

Tourism is back with vengeance this year since for 3 years it had been very quiet. I know people from BLR doing long weekends in Srinagar thanks to direct flights

Originally Posted by R-Six

Brilliant read, Supertinu! I just felt like I was reliving my Leh journey as I read through yours. It looks like you were just a couple of days ahead of me on the same loop.

Drive Safe,
R-Six

Same here R-Six, just finished reading your Tlog and its almost the exact same. Ofcourse you made it lot more aggressive in terms of travel. For next time I would suggest that you start your days early. We did not face any traffic issues anywhere since we were starting most of our days by 6am. It allowed us to bypass all cab rush.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

What a lovely TL, and what an exhilerating write-up! I happened to read it just after i read R-Six's TL this evening, and now my knowledge of Ladakh and Kashmir is razor-sharp!

I feel you could have managed to drive alone to BLR from Delhi, as you have braved tougher terrain alone. However, I guess you did it for company. It can get boring driving alone for 2 full days.

Thanks Vnabhi. You are right that I could have done the return journey on my own, but got the driver more to address my family's concerns. And yes the company didnt hurt surely.

[R-Six]

Originally Posted by supertinu

aggressive in terms of travel. For next time I would suggest that you start your days early

Yea, I know. Some of my days were a bit aggressive even to my liking. In some of the days, I would have loved to start early too. But then, after a tiring day, I wanted to make sure that I get some good sleep before the next leg. And may be, the domino effect kept continuing.

Either you start early or end late. In this case, I did the later and ended up in traffic mess a few days. That is part and parcel of these long drives. Cheers!

Drive Safe,
R-Six