Road Conditions: Manali-Leh / Kinnaur-Spiti

[genesis]

Overall your plan seems very ambitious. If you plan to just drive through and not see most places it is fine else I would slow down a bit.

Comments inline.

Originally Posted by sen2009

Day 0 (8-11 PM) to Day 1 (EOD)
Mumbai - Vadodara - Ahmedabad - Udaipur - Chittaurgarh - Jaipur - Rewari - Panipat

(I want to bypass Delhi by going from Rewari to Panipat through NH 71, NH 71 via Rohtak. Help with directions, waypoints in this region will be greatly helpful)

Very Very Ambitious and long drive. You will need a second driver unless you are hvk material.

Day2
Panipat Sight seeing - The grand panipat battle ground (if it's there) and Kala Aam
(Please help me in this. I want to see the great battle ground)

Panipat - Zirakpur -Panchkhula - Parwanoo - Chail - Narkanda - Hatu Peak


Day 3
Hatu Peak - narkanda - Baghi - Thanedar/Kotgarh - Rampur - Sarahan

Does Thanedar come on the normal route to Sarahan? You will be pressed for time. Sarahan is beautiful.

Day 4
Sarahan - Karcham - sangla - Chitkul

Day 5
Rest at Chitkul

Day 6
Chitkul - Reckong Peo - Kalpa - Roghi - Giabong - Ropa Valley

Recommend you stop at Kalpa. Worth staying. Is there acco in Ropa Valley?
Fuel up at Rekong Peo underneath Kalpa

Day 7
Ropa Valley - Malling Nullah - Tabo

Doable

Day 8
Tabo - Dhankar Monastery - Mud (Pin valley) - Kaza

Very ambitious to go to Dhankar and Mud on same day. You could technically do Kaza sightseeing on same day and stay the night in Kibber.
There is actually nothing in Kaza other than petrol and diesel which you can fill up later.

Day 9
Kaza Sight Seeing - Kye, Kibber, Tashigang, langza, Komic, Dumul
Kaza - Losar

Losar is nice and sleepy but the hotel has like 4 small rooms. Reach early

Day 10
Losar - Kunzum La - Batal - Chandertal (Stay if campsites are available)
Else Chandertal - Batal - Chatru

No campsites will be available at Chandertal in Oct and road will be dicey, maybe blocked off. You can technically reach Manali the same day.

Day 11
Chander Tal/ Chatru - Gramphu - Rohtang La - manali

Day 12
Rest at Manali

Day 13
Manali - Bilaspur - Kiratpur - Chandigarh-Panipat - Rohtak - Rewari - bahror

Day14
Bahror - Jaipur - Udaipur - Ahmedabad - Mumbai

That makes me reach Mumbai 15th night with a day and half to spare. This is my buffer if Malling Nullah or something else acts up. I am especially afraid of snow fall. Recent snowfalls have created quite a lot of troubles. I am keeping an keen eye on this page for latest updates -
Road conditions - latest reports HP/Ladakh - Page 32 - India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com

As for preparations, I am carrying the following special items -

1. Car invertor - (1750/-) Cigarette lighter to 230V AC - Need to check if it indeed works. If it does, I'll save quite a lot on purchase of additional camera batteries.

2. Tow Rope - Received from jaysmokesleaves. Thanks dude!

3. An wooden plank (6' x 2') to rest on the rear seats creating a bunk for one person. (Need to see how practical this turns out)

4. Roof carrier - Man does this make my car look ugly! But with 4 bengali tourists (with adequate luggage) ... no choice!


I'll keep adding my preparation details here. Meanwhile any (i mean ANY) help will be appreciated. Especially if someone can help map of the region.

[sen2009]

Hi Genesis,

Thanks a lot for your reply.
Based on your sugession, I am re-thinking my Kaza-Losar-Chandertal-Chatru-Manali program.

As such, there are two drivers - me and our driver. We are planning to take turns for every 350-400KM, so that we can do ~1500KM Mumbai - Panipat stretch in ~24 hours.

Other than that I would love to take it slower, but alas we are corporate slaves! And we pay our EMI from the proceeds of such slavery...


In case the Malling nullah is closed, I have to come back all the way down and approach from Manali (assuming Kunzum is open). Have not worked that out yet. If possible, could someone suggest something to me on this?

[hvkumar]

Sen,
I am afraid you are too late for the drive to Spiti and Lahaul Valleys.
I just returned from my drive there and the snow is already very intense in Lahaul Valley and on Kunzum la. The road had just reopened after 7-10 day closure. The road to Chander tal was closed by snow landslides and we had to reverse on that road. I would be very cautious about Kunzum la and Rohtang, both of whom can close down any time once it snows.

Malling Nullah is open although that also faced closure for 3-5 days a few days ago. You can easily do teh drive from Simla to Kaza even in winter since there is no snowfall on the road. However, most hotels in Kaza have already started closing down and even HPTDC Hotel Spiti will not be available after Oct 31.

I think you should keep your itinerary intact and go through Kunzum la and Rohtang once you reach Kaza and ascertain that it is open.

AFAIK, there is nothing to see or do in Panipat. I suggest you go to the Mahabharata battleground - the Gita Upadesh stal - in Kurukshetra instead.

[ashwinsid]

With so many trips to Ladakh/Leh done and being planned, I think the experienced travelers here could start one single thread on these places and it can be a one stop shop for all info like:

-Ideal time for travel there
-Various routes available
-What kind of vehicles are ideal.
-Necessary things to carry if one is driving
-Phone numbers, address, tariffs and food details of lodges/restaurants/camps
-Details on where one can get vehicle services /puncture repaired
-What to do when some problem occurs (vehicle stuck/breakdown) etc.
-Details, instructions & procedure to obtain permits
-Dos and Donts
-Must see places, things to do
-If any traveler has interacted with the Army there, details on what a traveler can bring them (sweets, magazine etc) as a gift/token of appreciation.

I know its too much to ask and most of the info is available from various travelogues. But it is always helpful when all info is available in one single thread.

Traveling to Ladakh/Leh is adventurous for some, enlightening for some more, few might travel just to say I have been there. But whatever the reason, I think traveling to these places will help the local economy, will create awareness on the environment there and how our Army is doing things, the Army friends can also enjoy interacting with fellow countrymen from different cities. Its such a wonderful thing, traveling.

And HVKUMAR Sir, I have decided not to let go of any opportunity to tell you that YOU ARE AWESOME! So this is one opportunity. YOU ARE AWESOME!

[hvkumar]

Thanks, Ashwin!

I think it would be a great idea first to have a thread of all threads - meaning, compile an index of all the various threads on Ladakh/Spiti, during this season and previous ones.

It will be like the Lek Meet thread which has been useful in keeping all informed on who is travelling when to Ladakh and facilitated several meet-ups.

Personally, I have also checklisted the things needed for Ladakh, which have been shared in the forum. Several others also have done so, and it will be useful to have all of them in one place. So one of us will have to take the initiative of requesting all Ladakh travellers to add their bits too in that master thread.

[tsk1979]

Rohtang Pass will officially close on October 31(Snow or no snow)

[ashwinsid]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

So one of us will have to take the initiative of requesting all Ladakh travellers to add their bits too in that master thread.

None better than your good self sir! I am sure other senior travelers here agree too.

Now lets have the master thread on Ladakh/Leh/Spiti please!

[KSM-Vtec]

FYI..i tried starting a similar thread for all issues/threads related to the OHC(Old Honda City) but the idea was rejected by the moderators as it amounted to duplication in their opinion.

[ashwinsid]

^^ I guess copy pasting info from one thread to another might be considered as duplication.

A master thread with all info collated in one single post (and if required the thread locked) so that it can be reference material for the travel. I am particular about a thread for these places as a journey to Ladakh/Leh is epic in all ways. No amount of preparation can give peace of mind to a traveler. Lets see what the moderators think of a master thread for information on Ladakh/Leh. Hoping HVKUMAR sir will take initiative.

[tsk1979]

Actually for a single destination, a single thread is preffered. This is the way it has been for things like eg "Route info for Bikaner" etc., etc.,

[ac 427]

Originally Posted by sen2009

The first mega redemption activity of 22k EMI for my Safari is coming up.

It will start either 1st or 2nd October, 09 night and will end 16th Oct night/ 17th Afternoon. (I am not writting "approximate", "If things go well", "As per initial plan"... etc. as they are quite obvious)

The route plan is as following -

Day 0 (8-11 PM) to Day 1 (EOD)

That makes me reach Mumbai 15th night with a day and half to spare. This is my buffer if Malling Nullah or something else acts up. I am especially afraid of snow fall. Recent snowfalls have created quite a lot of troubles. I am keeping an keen eye on this page for latest updates -
Road conditions - latest reports HP/Ladakh - Page 32 - India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com

As for preparations, I am carrying the following special items -

1. Car invertor - (1750/-) Cigarette lighter to 230V AC - Need to check if it indeed works. If it does, I'll save quite a lot on purchase of additional camera batteries.

2. Tow Rope - Received from jaysmokesleaves. Thanks dude!

3. An wooden plank (6' x 2') to rest on the rear seats creating a bunk for one person. (Need to see how practical this turns out)

4. Roof carrier - Man does this make my car look ugly! But with 4 bengali tourists (with adequate luggage) ... no choice!


I'll keep adding my preparation details here. Meanwhile any (i mean ANY) help will be appreciated. Especially if someone can help map of the region.

hey man,

I have just come back from Himachal after doing a 5500 km mumbai - himachal -mumbai trip : here is my travelogue http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...bo-back-3.html (Mhawk all over Mumbai, Chandigarh, Narkanda, Karcham, kalpa, Sumdo, Tabo & back)

A few things that you have to be wary of

1. Only calculate an approx of 900 km a day, to be on the safer side 800 kms a day.
2. On the ghats i.e from the time you enter himachal, average only 200 km a day (even that is pushing too much) we left from Kaza at 11 A.M and reached manali @ 12 in the night.
3. Do not try to by pass delhi, we got stuck @ rewari as the roads were wiped away by the rains, maybe they are redone now, maybe not. We lost good 6 hours trying to do that.
4. Take flashlights, oxygen tanks + oxygen tablets incase any one has the effects of altitude sickness
5. Take a electrical / hand / foot operated air pump.
6. take a steel tug rope, the normal one will not be able to pull out the safari if it gets stuck, we had a scorpio, mhawk.
7. food / water is not an issue anywhere in himachal.
8. roads are in great conditions on the golden quadrilateral the only strech of bad road is from Rohtang Pass to Manali, i think its the worse in the country, currently there is road widening project happening there.
9. and most importantly keep in touch with your family, inform them in the morning and eveing about where you are and where you will be, places like Nako there is NO network : not on airtell / bsnl / tata photon card, and imagine if you are not in touch with your family in hilly regions for 2 days or more what will happen to them, we learnt the hard way....
10. Avoid night driving and take care of your car and she will take care of you.
11. ANd yes as someone rightfully said, the winter has started to set, kunzum la was already burried under snow, as you will see in my pics call up himachal times to figure out weather before you leave. Trust me the last thing you want is to come back from your trip without completing the whole circuit.

P.M me if you want more detailed info. And yes safe driving.

Cheers
AC

[sen2009]

Hey man,
Thanks for the inputs.
I have completed my tour. Not entirely sucessfully.. but somewhat.

Reading your travelogue now.