Trip to Leh

kb100 · 28th February 2006, 18:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I agree. Uncomfortable is quiet an understatement. Actually its a two seater. With the rest of the passengers having the status of farm cattle in a dump truck.

HA HA HA

That is a good (funny) bone you have there TSK... what a refreshing way to phrase it... har har har

bhogalrajnish · 28th February 2006, 20:14

I have done Ladakh on a bike like 5 times and once in a Gypsy .
The fun of riding a bike in the area is much better than a car or even a SUV. Buy a Royal enfield get a Ladakh Stand fitted and there you go .
But still if u want to go in for a 4 wheeler I would recomend at least a Gypsy . A car can get you there but a vehicle with a good ground clearence will be good .
Rajnis

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenx

Actually the Safari is a good choice. The frequent taxi brands there are Sumos and Qualis - and Bolero campers!
Roadside mechanics ? There are usaully no sides or mechanics - just roads

BUT - if u can, take a bike. Nothing beats a bike in the mountains. Esp when there's a landslide and the only road left is a narrow half-track. Good knobbies, a tent, and you're all set.

The Srinagar - Leh road should have better roads than the Manali-Leh or Shimla-Kaza-Leh (thats something) routes.

man23ish · 1st March 2006, 10:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by humyum

Hey..if cars is what u are lookin for such a trip..go for small cars like maruti 800,alto,zen,wagon r...preferably the 800 nd the alto..as they have simple suspension systems along with an mpfi engine...so adequate power..nd even the road side mechanic will repair anythin in the car except the MPFI related problems like gumming of injectors..but that usually wont happen..get a good quality fuel filter..nd u wont see any problems commin in ur trip...get some air filters nd hoses as standby...

Small car's are not recommended at all, because of low ground clearance.. Suspension is fine, but the bottom will be scraped big-time on that roads.. The best thing to have is a 4WD, if not atleast a powerful and light vehicle with good ground clearance is what you need..

Only the GYPSY, Mahindra Jeeps and TATA vehicles fit the bill here..

naveendhyani · 1st March 2006, 10:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by man23ish

Small car's are not recommended at all, because of low ground clearance.. Suspension is fine, but the bottom will be scraped big-time on that roads.. The best thing to have is a 4WD, if not atleast a powerful and light vehicle with good ground clearance is what you need..

Only the GYPSY, Mahindra Jeeps and TATA vehicles fit the bill here..

thanks for the enthusiasm in replying to my query friends!

but whichever car i buy i will be fitting a bottom guard. its a steel ladder with a protective sheet (perforated / with small holes) which goes from the front to the rear of the vehicle, thereby protecting the underside from any untoward incident. Error â€“ Fehler - Official Porsche Website - Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG - Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

i was once stranded on the way back from my hometown in uttranchal because a stone on the road hit the car gear lever connection from the underside and the car cud not be engaged in any gear. luckily i had my uncle's car behind so it was ok that they went ahead and fetched a mechanic. that was the day when i made up my mind to fit my car with the underside protection.

also what other gear would you recommend for such a trip? personal as well as for the vehicle.

nsbhat · 1st March 2006, 14:11

Hey guys!

What about the Scorpio 4x4 version.....

khaadu75 · 1st March 2006, 23:09

Hey, I wonder why ppl insist on big strong cars for the Leh trip ? Also someone mentioned that the car used for the Leh trip wont be worthy of driving after the bashing of the Leh trip .. .. I think this is a strange statement according to me though I myself havn't done that stretch .

I agree about the Gypsy as that has a 4WD .. but I know ppl who have taken their Maruti 800 to Leh and back about 6 times in the past 3 yrs and that too with out any modifications .. TOTALLY STOCK !! The 800 is an excellent car in the hills and trust me when I say excellent ...

Also someone mentioned about clutch and suspension finishing in one Leh trip ... I still disagree unless one is doing that trip as a particpant of the Raid de Himalaya .. lol !!! Why shud a clutch wear out in that one trip, the onle way that wud happen is if the driver has the habit of riding the clutch or a typical city driver where the clutch is the first thing pressed while braking, etc. The clutch has a longer life in the hills than in the cities ...

So anyone who is planning a direct Manali - Leh trip .. u can even do it in a Qualis also ... the only thing that will not do well is the super luxury cars !! Infact any of the small cars wud be gud enuff to get u there very comfortably .... !!

Cheers

paharino1 · 2nd March 2006, 12:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by khaadu75

Hey, I wonder why ppl insist on big strong cars for the Leh trip ? Also someone mentioned that the car used for the Leh trip wont be worthy of driving after the bashing of the Leh trip .. .. I think this is a strange statement according to me though I myself havn't done that stretch .

I agree about the Gypsy as that has a 4WD .. but I know ppl who have taken their Maruti 800 to Leh and back about 6 times in the past 3 yrs and that too with out any modifications .. TOTALLY STOCK !! The 800 is an excellent car in the hills and trust me when I say excellent ...

Also someone mentioned about clutch and suspension finishing in one Leh trip ... I still disagree unless one is doing that trip as a particpant of the Raid de Himalaya .. lol !!! Why shud a clutch wear out in that one trip, the onle way that wud happen is if the driver has the habit of riding the clutch or a typical city driver where the clutch is the first thing pressed while braking, etc. The clutch has a longer life in the hills than in the cities ...

So anyone who is planning a direct Manali - Leh trip .. u can even do it in a Qualis also ... the only thing that will not do well is the super luxury cars !! Infact any of the small cars wud be gud enuff to get u there very comfortably .... !!

Cheers

I agree with Khaadu...I have done extensive driving in the Uttaranchal Hill's in my Dad's Alto ( LX Version - without power steering)...around 30-40% of the road stretches being bad...

No problems with the Alto even with 4 people sitting in the car.. In fact ..when I did some driving in Himachal around 2 years back.. There were Maruti 800's every where...along with the Maruti Service Stations...Heck..It almost seemed like every alternate Village had a Maruti Garage !!

Many people regularly take Qualis, Sumo, Mahindra's from Manali to Leh..

In fact I would be skeptical in taking big powerful cars on that road - more power of the car = more tempting to drive fast = more risk..

Additionally, u wont have many options of repairing ur cars in the hills..

- One of my uncles in Dehradun working in the Police mentioned that most of the accidents on the Dehradun - Mussorie hilly road or the Nainital Road are caused by Delhi Drivers - zooming their big cars on the hills..
Almost each accident has a Delhi car or driver connection..

One of my friend from Shimla told me that the same of true of accidents which happen in the Kalka - Shimla route...either Delhi or Chandigarh youngsters with their fast zooming cars...

deepakhon · 2nd March 2006, 12:56

My colleague, who writes in tbhp under the name WRXXX has done the trip on his Skoda Octavia. With that ground clearance, I wonder how he managed it. The car still was fantastic at the end of the trip (European build quality

). May be, I will ask him to post his experiences in this thread.

Red Bull · 17th May 2006, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhogalrajnish

Buy a Royal enfield get a Ladakh Stand fitted and there you go .
Rajnis

Bhai What is a Ladakh stand??? I am going to Ladakh in June this year,
Hearing the term for the first time.
Thanks to explain

naveendhyani · 17th May 2006, 16:00

@ red bull : ladakh stand is a load carrying stand that u can put on ur bike. its in the shape of JL so u have space on ur left and right side plus the middle joint sits on the rear seat of the bike. u can get them easily in delhi. also they have special tanks for bullet which can house more fuel especially done for ladakh travels.

nything u need in delhi just PM me.

Red Bull · 19th May 2006, 12:49

Thanks a lot for your reply,,

Well,,,,, I was wondering If Steel frame + panniers is what you mean..
I am still undecided wether to go for Steel Fram panniers / or go with a Saddle bag(typically like this)

Is it possible for you to please post a photo or give a link so that I get a better visual idea.
Thanks in advance
Red Bull

naveendhyani · 19th May 2006, 13:03

sorry bro, i tried to find a pic but could not. anyways its a stand made of metal tubes in which you can carry loads of stuff, especially meant for enfield bikes. in your case i would prefer a ladakh stand to saddle bag cause this has way too much space in which you just dump all the stuff and leave.

in delhi you can find it easily in karol bagh market. anything else just buzz me on MSN or Yahoo else PM me.

WhiteAttraction · 13th September 2006, 16:40

Hey Guys did all of you do the planned Ladakh & Leh trips??
Am planning one...with a bike in tow....just started thinking about it so will need as much advise as possible...am based in bangaore but plan to fly to Delhi to start the trip...the one constraint I have is time...have only about 4-5 days at hand....what dyou think?

vijaypalrana · 13th September 2006, 18:26

hi Naveen bra,

I have never been to leh but I do read a lot about ladakh and trips to leh. If you are planning to buy a new car and take it there and then giving it to your wife she will kill you.

better buy a used SUV for ladakh trip and later settle it for your wife's brand new car. Tata Safari is a good choice for comfort but for offroads Gypsy is the best. And you see even our armed forces are using gypsies to navigate those sections.

Sumit19629 · 20th April 2009, 21:37

Hi Guys,

I am trying to understand if it worth to drive XETA to that height or take a 4x4 to Leh.

Couple of days back i did Shimla / Kausali and Kurfi on it and while coming back just couple of km i hit a stone on the right hand side Front Wheel.

So any input / suggestion or comment on how to go about it would be welcomed.

1st March 2006, 14:11	#20
nsbhat Newbie Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 11 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey guys! What about the Scorpio 4x4 version.....
	() Thanks

1st March 2006, 23:09	#21
khaadu75 BANNED Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: same as the proposed venue for F1 ;-) Posts: 1,156 Thanked: 19 Times View My Garage	Hey, I wonder why ppl insist on big strong cars for the Leh trip ? Also someone mentioned that the car used for the Leh trip wont be worthy of driving after the bashing of the Leh trip .. .. I think this is a strange statement according to me though I myself havn't done that stretch . I agree about the Gypsy as that has a 4WD .. but I know ppl who have taken their Maruti 800 to Leh and back about 6 times in the past 3 yrs and that too with out any modifications .. TOTALLY STOCK !! The 800 is an excellent car in the hills and trust me when I say excellent ... Also someone mentioned about clutch and suspension finishing in one Leh trip ... I still disagree unless one is doing that trip as a particpant of the Raid de Himalaya .. lol !!! Why shud a clutch wear out in that one trip, the onle way that wud happen is if the driver has the habit of riding the clutch or a typical city driver where the clutch is the first thing pressed while braking, etc. The clutch has a longer life in the hills than in the cities ... So anyone who is planning a direct Manali - Leh trip .. u can even do it in a Qualis also ... the only thing that will not do well is the super luxury cars !! Infact any of the small cars wud be gud enuff to get u there very comfortably .... !! Cheers
	() Thanks

2nd March 2006, 12:56	#23
deepakhon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,441 Thanked: 65 Times	My colleague, who writes in tbhp under the name WRXXX has done the trip on his Skoda Octavia. With that ground clearance, I wonder how he managed it. The car still was fantastic at the end of the trip (European build quality ). May be, I will ask him to post his experiences in this thread.
	() Thanks

17th May 2006, 16:00	#25
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	@ red bull : ladakh stand is a load carrying stand that u can put on ur bike. its in the shape of JL so u have space on ur left and right side plus the middle joint sits on the rear seat of the bike. u can get them easily in delhi. also they have special tanks for bullet which can house more fuel especially done for ladakh travels. nything u need in delhi just PM me.
	() Thanks

19th May 2006, 12:49	#26
Red Bull Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 15 Thanked: 0 Times	Ladakh stand again,,, Thanks a lot for your reply,, Well,,,,, I was wondering If Steel frame + panniers is what you mean.. I am still undecided wether to go for Steel Fram panniers / or go with a Saddle bag(typically like this) Is it possible for you to please post a photo or give a link so that I get a better visual idea. Thanks in advance Red Bull
	() Thanks

19th May 2006, 13:03	#27
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	sorry bro, i tried to find a pic but could not. anyways its a stand made of metal tubes in which you can carry loads of stuff, especially meant for enfield bikes. in your case i would prefer a ladakh stand to saddle bag cause this has way too much space in which you just dump all the stuff and leave. in delhi you can find it easily in karol bagh market. anything else just buzz me on MSN or Yahoo else PM me. Last edited by Rehaan : 22nd April 2009 at 16:34. Reason: Old post - but edited for SMS language due to reported post.
	() Thanks

13th September 2006, 16:40	#28
WhiteAttraction Newbie Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 15 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey Guys did all of you do the planned Ladakh & Leh trips?? Am planning one...with a bike in tow....just started thinking about it so will need as much advise as possible...am based in bangaore but plan to fly to Delhi to start the trip...the one constraint I have is time...have only about 4-5 days at hand....what dyou think?
	() Thanks

13th September 2006, 18:26	#29
vijaypalrana BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 35 Thanked: Once	hi Naveen bra, I have never been to leh but I do read a lot about ladakh and trips to leh. If you are planning to buy a new car and take it there and then giving it to your wife she will kill you. better buy a used SUV for ladakh trip and later settle it for your wife's brand new car. Tata Safari is a good choice for comfort but for offroads Gypsy is the best. And you see even our armed forces are using gypsies to navigate those sections.
	() Thanks

20th April 2009, 21:37	#30
Sumit19629 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NEW DELHI Posts: 6 Thanked: 5 Times	Drive Xeta GLX to Leh! Hi Guys, I am trying to understand if it worth to drive XETA to that height or take a 4x4 to Leh. Couple of days back i did Shimla / Kausali and Kurfi on it and while coming back just couple of km i hit a stone on the right hand side Front Wheel. So any input / suggestion or comment on how to go about it would be welcomed.
	() Thanks