[commander.sri]

Wow! that was a fantabulous travelogue!

Thoroughly enjoyed every single bit of it. A special thanks to those wonderful clicks. They were just amazing with fantastic attention to detail. Felt so alive looking at the pictures. Literally felt like re-living everything from my May-23 trip to Leh-Ladakh although my primary ride was on 2-wheels | BS6 RE Himalayan 411.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Thank you Dr for the beautiful travelogue, It sure was a treat to read. Love the photographs and special thanks for taking a camera along, you`ll cherish these images for a life time.

Thank you very much!

ScorpioN is indeed an impressive vehicle, those who take it into the hills would appreciate it even more.

Very true. I am totally impressed with Scorpio N after experiencing it in the hills and on really bad roads. It never lost composure in any conditions, was always able to handle the conditions well, and was always comfortable enough for the passengers no matter what the road conditions.

Originally Posted by commander.sri

Wow! that was a fantabulous travelogue!

Thoroughly enjoyed every single bit of it. A special thanks to those wonderful clicks. They were just amazing with fantastic attention to detail. Felt so alive looking at the pictures.

Thank you very much!

Literally felt like re-living everything from my May-23 trip to Leh-Ladakh although my primary ride was on 2-wheels | BS6 RE Himalayan 411.

Great! Bike trip through Ladakh must have been a great experience. I am not a biker myself, but could imagine the fun the bikers were having exploring that terrain there.

[SS-Traveller]

Beautifully described, Dr.AD, with some really lovely photographs. Though there have been many travelogues covering Ladakh, yours is outstanding in the way you have described and grouped sections. Rated 5 stars.

What a change has Ladakh undergone, since our own visit there (Hawk-On-Fours® (H-4®) Roadtrip: Leh(t)'s go to Ladakh & Srinagar with QuickSilver.), 12 years ago! Pangong to Chushul was a dirt road all the way, and the main market in Leh was a street that was just wide enough to fit 2 small cars side-by-side (with hawkers selling their ware on the sides of the road).

Fingers crossed, we'll return there soon to check out the better (and newer) roads and facilities. Zanskar Valley has been on my bucket list for long, and soon, I don't even expect to need a 4wd to tackle that terrain!

BTW, was your rental ScorpioN a 4wd? Diesel or petrol? If diesel, did you discuss DPF issues with him?

[GForceEnjoyer]

Absolutely splendid photography! Probably as close as one can get to capturing this natural beauty in photos. Made for a wonderful read.

Adding a drive to Ladakh onto my future bucket list. Glad to see you had an enjoyable trip!

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Beautifully described, Dr.AD, with some really lovely photographs. Though there have been many travelogues covering Ladakh, yours is outstanding in the way you have described and grouped sections. Rated 5 stars.

Thank you very much, SS-Traveller!

What a change has Ladakh undergone, since our own visit there (Hawk-On-Fours® (H-4®) Roadtrip: Leh(t)'s go to Ladakh & Srinagar with QuickSilver.), 12 years ago! Pangong to Chushul was a dirt road all the way, and the main market in Leh was a street that was just wide enough to fit 2 small cars side-by-side (with hawkers selling their ware on the sides of the road).

Yes, there is a huge change compared to the pictures I had seen in your old travelogue and many other old travelogues. The road via Chushul is still a complete dirt track, but there are many other new roads which have come up and they are great!

Leh Market has evolved a lot from what I have heard about it earlier. Now, is is a wide, well decorated market path, with buzzing shops and restaurants on both sides. There are so many terrace restaurants, cafes, and eateries there and in the night they lit up beautifully. Overall it is a very nicely developed market area now. We enjoyed having our dinner in one of the terrace restaurants there overlooking the street below.

Fingers crossed, we'll return there soon to check out the better (and newer) roads and facilities. Zanskar Valley has been on my bucket list for long, and soon, I don't even expect to need a 4wd to tackle that terrain!

Same here! I did not visit Zanskar Valley this time, but that will be certainly the plan the next time I go there, and that too in my own car. I don't think you need 4x4 there. You just need a rugged vehicle with high ground clearance and good grip and power. Driver skill is more important there than 4x4, at least in the dry seasons! Of course, if one visits in snow then that is a different story. A 4x4 will definitely be great in snow. I heard you even need snow chains there in winter months.

BTW, was your rental ScorpioN a 4wd? Diesel or petrol? If diesel, did you discuss DPF issues with him?

It was diesel and RWD. It was not 4x4, and it was not even required. You just need a capable vehicle with high ground clearance to clear over those stones, shallow waters, and the rough roads. We saw plenty of Innovas doing the same track too.

Regarding DPF, yes there was indeed a regen warning one day in the middle of the drive. Thankfully, as told to me by our driver, Scorpio N offers a forced regen method for the driver to initiate (which Thar does not offer, for example), and our driver did that regen at one place, while the vehicle was parked for some time. That seemed to have worked, and the warning went away and we had the rest of the journey without issues. But yes, DPF issues and regen warnings are definitely a reality.

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

Absolutely splendid photography! Probably as close as one can get to capturing this natural beauty in photos. Made for a wonderful read.

Thank you very much, GForceEnjoyer!

[ruzbehxyz]

Thanks Dr.AD for sharing this. The photographs and description is very good. Out of the places you visited, Hanle is my personal best. Hope the beauty of this place remains serene forever.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

Thanks Dr.AD for sharing this. The photographs and description is very good. Out of the places you visited, Hanle is my personal best. Hope the beauty of this place remains serene forever.

Thank you very much, ruzbehxyz!

Yes, I have seen your posts on Hanle. In fact, yours was the post (earlier this year) where I heard the news that Hanle is India's first dark sky preserve. Thanks for your posts and travelogues about Ladakh (as well as in other parts of India). Those helped me a lot to understand the terrain.

Hanle is indeed a lovely place and we had a nice experience there. Unfortunately the Observatory was closed for visitors. Next time we will go with better preparation and research about this Observatory.

I am glad you liked my report. Thanks again!

[Shreyans_Jain]

There must be a hundred Leh-Ladakh travelogues here, but every once in a while you get one that truly stands out. This one is the kind that makes you want to drop everything, get into your car and just go! Great work. :thumbs

[chaitanyakrish]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

This was our first Ladakh trip

I was waiting for your weekly travelogue and this time, it was larger than ever.
I think you had done full justice to the ladakh landscape with your photography.
It's added to my bucket list now.

[FAIAAA]

What a lovely travelogue Dr. AD, so well written with your signature photos, great angles and gorgeous views. Ladakh has been on my to-do list for years. I even bought a Fortuner 9 years back to do Ladakh, Lahaul-Spiti-Kaza etc. Fortuner came and went but the trips didn't happen. Hope to do some day. Travelogues like this keep the fire burning within. So, Thank you.

[asingh1977]

What a fantastic thread. Many thanks for putting this together. The photography does ample justice to the landscape visited. Which camera equipment you used. Specially for the flowers. The image separation is superb.
By the way: you framing is top notch. Well thought out photos.

[Kashi053]

Dr. AD, as usual lovely pics and narration. Enjoyed my morning read.

Was the Scorpio N 4*4?

[Iva1311]

Thanks for the wonderful travelogue.

Those are very beautiful images. I loved how you captured all the colors of Ladakh.
This post helped me traveled back to my memory lane of Ladakh ride in 2021. It was a surreal experience.
For anyone reading this and know how to ride a two-wheeler, a Ladakh ride is a must. What will you lose - A few Days. What will you get - An experience of a lifetime.

[redcruiser]

Great Travelogue. Also very good Snaps.
BMW missed lot of fun it is not going to forgive you.

[swoosh]

As always, your photos are truly amazing and your writing is crisp and engaging. Having read all your travelogues, I must say that your photography looks natural and lively. There's an understated elegance and simplicity in your photography that makes it easy to connect with each picture.