[gkveda]

Originally Posted by Schneller

Hey BHPians, need some advice on the following.

1. Planning a Delhi-Manali-Leh trip in January. Is it doable easily? Delhi-Manali is doable. I want to know about Manali to Leh.

2. Are the roads from Manali-Leh closed in night time or can be travelled?.

If you are planning in January, all roads are closed from either side.

Srinagar-Leh would be closed after sonamarg

Manali Leh would also be closed.

You need to plan only after may 15th, earliest

[Engine_Roars]

Hi Team,

I along with my wife are planning to travel to Leh/Ladakh in mid of April'2021. We will be flying from Pune to Leh via New Delhi and plan to be there for 5 days. I have a couple of questions and would appreciate any pointers.

1. Is now the right time to plan & pay booking amounts keeping in mind the uncertainties due to Covid?
2. Are 5 days enough after keeping 2 days for travel to & from Pune? I know enough is subjective still.
3. I would like to self drive/ride for a day or two and the rest I plan to hire taxis. Hope none of this should be an issue?
4. I don't plan on taking any holiday packages, rather would like to plan my own itinerary. Any pointers on what all must be included & what should be the chronology?
5. Any other pointers that I need to be mindful of before finalizing on this trip.

Appreciate the help.

Thanks,
A

[Krishroy]

Originally Posted by Schneller

1. Planning a Delhi-Manali-Leh trip in January. Is it doable easily? Delhi-Manali is doable. I want to know about Manali to Leh.

Part of Manali-Leh road will be closed during January.

Originally Posted by Schneller

5. Advices on where to stay and what to do.
(I’m a 23 year old who will be visiting with my girlfriend and maybe another couple) preferred accommodation is with all creature comforts. (Heated water, heated rooms and attached western toilets with running water a must)

Beyond Keylong, you cannot expect luxury accommodation till you reach Leh. Please plan accordingly.

[Krishroy]

Originally Posted by bigDaddy_In

Question:
1. Till things get better in Kashmir, no point planning the journey via Kashmir, right?

If you planning next summer, we can hope to get things better by then. Kashmir has her own beauty. It is worth driving from that side

Originally Posted by bigDaddy_In

2. I do not want to stick to the popular circuit of Leh-Nubra-Pangong-Leh. Its too crowded. I want to visit Hemis. Rough plan is Leh-->Nubra-->Pangong Tso-->Hemis-->Tso Moriri(optional)-->Manali. I am not sure of fuel availability after Nubra, any idea? I cannot think of carrying more than 10 lts of fuel in jerry cans because of limited boot space.

I recommend, you do Leh - Nubra - (via Sayok) - Pangong - (via Chushul) - Hanle - Tso Moriri - Keylong - Manali
After Diskit, you can find petrol pump in Keylong, if you take the above route. However, you can get fuel in Hanle in jerry can

Originally Posted by bigDaddy_In

3. Is the ground clearance good enough for the Pangong Tso Hemis Tsomori Manali sectors?

You can find Maruti 800, Alto on this road. It completely depends upon the driving skill. There are some nasty water streams, specially in the 'via sayok' road. You need to drive very carefully there.

Originally Posted by bigDaddy_In

4. I can think of 15 working days of leaves at max. This includes buffer days. Is that okay?

3 weeks is good enough

[bigDaddy_In]

Originally Posted by Krishroy

If you planning next summer, we can hope to get things better by then. Kashmir has her own beauty. It is worth driving from that side

Any good source who could guide us with the status? Also Indo-China tension would not let me visit Chusul Sector I believe.

[ranjitnair77]

Originally Posted by Engine_Roars

Hi Team,

I along with my wife are planning to travel to Leh/Ladakh in mid of April'2021. We will be flying from Pune to Leh via New Delhi and plan to be there for 5 days. I have a couple of questions and would appreciate any pointers.


Appreciate the help.

Thanks,
A

I've done a week long trip in April. It's wonderful without all the tourists but it can get cold so do carry warm clothing.

• Your flight will land early in the morning. You must acclimatise for the rest of the day. Please don't do anything. Even a trip to the bazaar. Just take it easy.
• Pangong Tso and back can be done in a day. It's a long journey but it's lovely. Keep it to the end of the trip when you are better acclimatised.
• You can do a day trip to Khardung La. I'm not sure if you should be going to Nubra Valley unless you can stay overnight .
• You can do day trips to the nearby monasteries. Alchi and Hemis are beautiful.
• You should keep a buffer day. There is a possibility that Chang-La or Khardung-La might be snowed in and you might not be able to go.
• Get a driver for the passes. There will be snow and you might need snow chains in certain sections so it is better to have an experienced local driver.

Most importantly, keep your plans flexible due to unpredictable weather conditions. Do a lot less than you normally would. The cold and the altitude can quickly get to you unless you are careful.

[Engine_Roars]

Originally Posted by ranjitnair77

I've done a week long trip in April. It's wonderful without all the tourists but it can get cold so do carry warm clothing.



Most importantly, keep your plans flexible due to unpredictable weather conditions. Do a lot less than you normally would. The cold and the altitude can quickly get to you unless you are careful.

Thanks much, this will definitely help. I will keep all of this in mind while finalizing this plan. Do you think 5-6 days are enough to at least visit & soak in the beauty. I don't plan to "tick" all the places but I do wish to cover most important once.

[DogNDamsel12]

1. For flying in to Leh, you need a day to acclimatise. All civilian flights into Leh land by 9am. Ideally, a day needs to be added for the acclimatization.
2. Remember that the time that you would be travelling, much of the La's (passes) may be closed depending on the snowfall.
3. An ideal trip plan usually is 6-7 days
Day 1: Reach Leh
Day 2: Stay in Leh and get around the place
Day 3: Leh to Nubra Valley via Khardong La (highest motorable civilian pass that may just be closed)
Day 4: Nubra to Leh
Day 5: Leh to Pangong via Chang La (again may be closed). I have heard that post Sep 2019 they dont allow you to camp these days, so you may want to check the same.
Day 6: Pangong to Leh
Day 7: Leh / Zanskar /Alchi

Because of the rarefied atmosphere and extreme cold climates, I would strongly advise against rushing it at least on these terrains. Army is in total charge, including in case anyone started feeling sick, their response to AMS is quick. The terrain being a plateau, as well as the road infrastructure being under BRO (Border Roads Organisation), roads mostly are really good except for the climb and descent from the passes. If you wish to condense the trip to 4 days, may be you could let go of Pangong (though for a Leh trip, to me that's a serious compromise). Nubra valley with the Diskit Monastery is very pretty and a good hike. Also loads to discover in and around Leh if you dig the intrigue of beautiful monasteries - Shey, Thiksey, Hemis, Tsemo etc.
For self driving around Leh, it will be a breeze. For accessing the passes... well.. depends!

[ranjitnair77]

Originally Posted by Engine_Roars

Thanks much, this will definitely help. I will keep all of this in mind while finalizing this plan. Do you think 5-6 days are enough to at least visit & soak in the beauty. I don't plan to "tick" all the places but I do wish to cover most important once.

Yes. 5-6 days are more than enough and a perfect duration to soak in the place. April is a good time to go with the passes closed and not too many tourists coming in. You shouldn't even plan the itinerary until you get in as weather conditions are dynamic. Have fun !

[Engine_Roars]

Originally Posted by DogNDamsel12

1. For flying in to Leh, you need a day to acclimatise. All civilian flights into Leh land by 9am. Ideally, a day needs to be added for the acclimatization.
2. Remember that the time that you would be travelling, much of the La's (passes) may be closed depending on the snowfall.
3. An ideal trip plan usually is 6-7 days
Day 1: Reach Leh
Day 2: Stay in Leh and get around the place
Day 3: Leh to Nubra Valley via Khardong La (highest motorable civilian pass that may just be closed)
Day 4: Nubra to Leh
Day 5: Leh to Pangong via Chang La (again may be closed). I have heard that post Sep 2019 they dont allow you to camp these days, so you may want to check the same.
!

Thanks for all the information, this will really help .

Originally Posted by ranjitnair77

Yes. 5-6 days are more than enough and a perfect duration to soak in the place. April is a good time to go with the passes closed and not too many tourists coming in. You shouldn't even plan the itinerary until you get in as weather conditions are dynamic. Have fun !

That is a relief, I was worried if I was being too optimistic. Thank you .

[Krishroy]

Originally Posted by bigDaddy_In

Any good source who could guide us with the status? Also Indo-China tension would not let me visit Chusul Sector I believe.

Keep an eye on this thread; you will get all required info.

I have done entire Spiti circuit and Srinagar-Ladakh, based on the info I received from here

[GNG19]

Apologies in advance if this is a slightly silly question. Based on whatever I've read and after watching videos on YouTube trying to gauge the road conditions, I have been trying to assess whether a road trip to Leh would be possible on my Honda City (5th Gen).

It has all been slightly confusing for me for two reasons:

(1) Although there are plenty of reports of sedans/low GC hatchbacks being driven, I'm not sure how something like the City with low-ish GC and a slightly larger wheel base would fare in these conditions. There are a few videos of the City getting stuck in river stream crossings (on the Manali-Leh route).

(2) Some of the posts are from a few years back. In case the roads have improved, it may change the dynamic and the decision to go or not.

It's my understanding that a drive from Delhi-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh should be possible with the car I have right now. Would this accurate? Also, would the return leg being driven from Leh to Manali be possible or should I stick to the Kargil-Srinagar route on the way back as well?

[Sandy28]

Originally Posted by GNG19

Apologies in advance if this is a slightly silly question. Based on whatever I've read and after watching videos on YouTube trying to gauge the road conditions, I have been trying to assess whether a road trip to Leh would be possible on my Honda City (5th Gen).

It has all been slightly confusing for me for two reasons:

(1) Although there are plenty of reports of sedans/low GC hatchbacks being driven, I'm not sure how something like the City with low-ish GC and a slightly larger wheel base would fare in these conditions. There are a few videos of the City getting stuck in river stream crossings (on the Manali-Leh route).

(2) Some of the posts are from a few years back. In case the roads have improved, it may change the dynamic and the decision to go or not.

It's my understanding that a drive from Delhi-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh should be possible with the car I have right now. Would this accurate? Also, would the return leg being driven from Leh to Manali be possible or should I stick to the Kargil-Srinagar route on the way back as well?

Hi GNG19, you can do a road trip to Ladakh in a City as long as you dont go for very remote off road routes. I did Srinagar-Kargil-Leh-Khardungla-Nubra-Pangong in my Hyundai Verna in 2019 with family and faced absolutely no problem. Yes you have to be careful but it is very much doable. I couldn't take the Manali route for return as it had not yet opened when I was returning.

You may want to read my below thread if it helps


https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...road-trip.html (What the mountains teach you | Learnings from my Ladakh road trip)

[KSingh]

Originally Posted by GNG19

It's my understanding that a drive from Delhi-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh should be possible with the car I have right now. Would this accurate? Also, would the return leg being driven from Leh to Manali be possible or should I stick to the Kargil-Srinagar route on the way back as well?

Delhi-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh route is very much doable with sedans. I did (Srinagar-Leh-Pangong-Khardungla) in June 2015 with a Hyundai accent. There was only one water crossing towards Pangong, at which it got minor rubbing at the bottom. All passengers have to get down in chilled water and push it.
On Manali-Leh road, taking a sedan may be challenging (be ready for bottom touching/hitting, especially at water crossings). I did this route on bike and found the hatchbacks and sedans (low GC) were struggling to pass through water crossings.

[AdityaDeane]

As per some local reports and rumours, the Manali Leh highway is about to open early as soon as next week, as the amount of snowfall has been very low on the higher passes.

The Rohtang Pass which usually had snow over 10-12 feet, has only 4 feet of snow this year, and will be opened soon.

All those planning their Manali-Leh drives, enquire from your hotels and homestays, and begin packing for heading off to the amazing and scenic routes.