Why I switched from Scorpio Getaway to Fortuner on my way to Ladakh

Mahindra service centre guys clearly told me that it wasn't wise to drive the vehicle to any destination especially considering that I had Chambal ahead of me to cross at night.

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We planned a drive to Ladakh in a Mahindra Getaway 4x4 from Bangalore. I was to reach Srinagar first and Shivali would join me there. The plan seemed simple and straightforward and I started the drive towards Hyderabad. But somewhere near Anantpur, the AC conked off. I pulled over and mulled about the consequences as the northern plains were reeling under a severe heat wave and there was no way I could make this drive without air-conditioning.

I drove back 200kms to Bangalore to see if I could take some rest and fix the issue before starting. I was also contemplating taking the Jimny instead. Went to a Mahindra service center and got the issue resolved. Came home and took rest with plans to start the trip the next day. Next day went smoothly and I reached Nagpur well in time for some good rest. The Getaway pulled like a locomotive and with the weight of luggage, the rear felt very settled.

The next leg was from Nagpur to Gwalior and I got a shock seeing the condition of the roads between Seoni and Sagar. It was hell with umpteen speed breakers, dust and heavy trucks fighting for space. Anyway 60kms before Sagar at Ghourjhamar, I heard a crunching sound and found to my horror that the gearbox was stuck in fifth. Pulled over immediately. Looked around and saw a middle-aged man staring at me from an eatery. Asked him if there was a mechanic who could take a look at the car and he promptly got into the car and showed me the way. The gears had freed up by then but there was a heavy crunching noise from inside the gearbox. Shalu Thakur took me to a nearby village off the highway and pointed to a makeshift workshop. The mechanic thought that it was the front propeller shaft and disconnected it.

At Ghourjhamar

To test the fix, we attempted to start the car and lo and behold, now it wouldn't start. Turned out that the car was parked at an incline at the workshop and now the pump wouldn't pull the diesel out. The priming wasn't working and had to be removed and set right. We then tested the fix but the sound remained. By now I was searching for a Mahindra service nearby and found one 60kms away at Sagar. Told them I was heading their way and if I didn't get there, they would have to send a tow truck. They were extremely nice and asked me to drive slowly to the service center.

I started from Ghourjhamar village and drove to Sagar on the NH44 with only 4 gears. Reached Mahindra service and they took one look at the vehicle and proclaimed that parts would not be available and would take months to arrive and indicated that the gearbox was the culprit. I had no choice but to move on. Luckily, the crunching had stopped by then. Some part had broken off and got dislodged somewhere and now had settled down. The fifth gear however was not engaging.

Mahindra clearly told me that the sound can come anytime and it wasn't wise to drive it to any destination especially considering that I had Chambal ahead of me to cross at night. Took a chance and aimed for Gwalior. It was quite late by the time I started. The drive however was uneventful with the car holding up till Gwalior well enough. I was extremely gentle with shifts and never exceeded 90kmph. Fighting dacoits with an immovable piece of metal in the chambal ravines was a tad unnerving.

The next day was a decision day. I decided to get into NCR and get the car into service and get another vehicle for the rest of the drive. Didn't want to be stuck on a mountain pass with the gears jammed. So the Mahindra made its way into a service station. Explained my predicament to the workshop in charge and he congratulated me for getting there without the car being impounded. The car was a ten-year-old diesel and the rules in NCR were strict. Mo wonder the workshop manager was ecstatic that I got in successfully. They would have to remove the gearbox and check for an estimate. Meanwhile, I got hold of a Fortuner, transferred all the luggage from the pickup into the Tfort and realized that all the stuff wouldn't go in. Left some back in the Getaway. Started for Ludhiana from the service station at NCR very late in the evening.

The rest of the drive was a breeze. Ludhiana came and then Jammu came. I had stayed at the Hari Niwas palace, Jammu on an earlier drive and I chose the same place for the halt at Jammu. This time the journey from Jammu to Srinagar wasn't as smooth as the earlier one. The Amarnath Yatra was in progress and even though the rules were strict and the planning was very good, the sheer number of pilgrims made it a slow progress.

Jammu was quite hot the day I arrived with the temperatures touching 40 degrees. However, the next morning the heavens opened up and the rains got the temperature down to 24 degrees. Reached Srinagar by noon and found my place of stay near the airport. I had to be at the airport to pick up Shivali that evening and with all the drama of a faulty gearbox and some late-night drives, managed to reach Srinagar on the designated day. Emptied the Fortuner completely before going to the airport as the cars are checked thoroughly on entry.

Srinagar was familiar ground. Apart from the Dal Lake, we also went to Tosa Maidan and en route there was a bit of confusion. We were told not to proceed as there was some terrorist activity at Gulmarg and the suspects had moved toward Tosa Maidan. After we agreed to turn back with gloomy faces, the cops decided to allow us to go to the top. Not only that, they treated us to some hot chai and Kashmiri rotis before we started on our climb. The drive was a dirt trail and an easy climb. The views at the top were spectacular.

The bungalow overlooking Nigeen

Tosa Maidan

After spending a couple of nights at Srinagar, we moved toward Dras. The drive was slow due to the various detours we kept taking.

Standing tall with the setting sun

Flowering valley

Next was Leh and we relaxed well. The Leh market was a wonderful place to shop and we did our bit of shopping and eating. After spending a few nights at Leh and visiting the local places of interest, we drove to Pangong Lake and spent a night there.

Namgyal Tsema gompa

Shanti Stupa

On our return, Chang La was completely engulfed in fog. One interesting thing that happened was the behaviour of the taxis. The JK10 number plates are forever in a hurry ferrying passengers to and fro and standing on the horn in a traffic jam while tourists in their own cars meander around, slowly soaking in the views. But when Chang La was engulfed in fog, all the taxis moved aside and allowed me to pass. I was the lead vehicle followed by twenty-odd vehicles. Found this strange as these folks knew the terrain well but refrained from being the first car.

Cyclists at Pangong

The next leg of the journey was to Zanskar and we decided to head to Suru Valley. The drive was uneventful except for a wonderful army convoy of Bullets. They looked fabulous on their bikes with two Gypsy-ies at either end. Followed them for a while and enjoyed the cavalcade in action.

The ribbon of tarmac in a brown landscape

The place of stay at Suru Valley was very cosy and we found wonderful company in the hosts. They served us delicious food and also gave us a brief overview of the Ladakh political map. It was an interesting conversation and we were much wiser after the interaction.

The breatkaing valley

We were headed to Padum next day and landed up at another beautiful home where we had a couple of nights stay. The hosts were warm and the place was away from Padum town and was extremely pretty. We had a good meal and retired for the night with plans to visit the Zangla fort the next day.

Drang Drung glacier

The mesmerizing highway

A moment to cherish

Zangla was mesmerizing both due to its location and its history. There was some effort being made to restore the palace and championing it was a descendant of the erstwhile King, a disarmingly charming young man who led the effort to restore the palace. He explained his plans to us and we made our little contribution toward the effort.

Tenzin looking out of the King's summer room at Zangla palace. It was here that Hungarian scholar Alexander Csoma de Koros stayed in 1823 while compiling the first Western dictionary of Tibetan. Down below is the Zangla village.

We went back to our homestay at Padum and had a hearty meal. The next day would take us towards Shingo La and we would get to witness the magnificent Gumbok Rangan standing tall.

Atal tunnel was empty, and so was Manali where we halted for the night. The drive back toward the capital was smooth and uneventful. Had to catch a flight back as the Getaway is still undergoing repairs at the workshop.

This brings to an end a very enjoyable and eventful long drive. We were amazed by the Ladakhi hospitality and the tough life they led. We truly hope and pray that the land remains free of clutter in the years to come.

As always, all picture credits go to Shivali. That is all from my side.

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