Hi Guys
A quick update on our Goa to Leh trip. We finally did 29 days on the road, with the exception of not covering Ajanta & Ellora. We left Goa on Aug 15, 2022 as planned and returned back on Sept 12, 2022.
The Journey
At the outset, we were blessed with dry weather from GJ all the way to LA & back. We found the best highways sections in RJ, PB & HR and also experienced some really deplorable highway sections in GJ & MH. The journey from Udhampur to Srinagar was as expected with traffic snarls, army convoys etc. Same was the case from Srinagar to Kargil with Zozila Pass testing all driving skills! The onward journey to Leh was absolutely fantastic. Leh to Hunder too was good with the exception of road work after North Pullu. Hunder to Turtuk/Thang was again good. On the Hunder-Pangong route, there is an in-progress road between Rongdu & Agham, that would soon help speed up travel. The real surreal experience of the Ladakh landscape was the drive between Agham & Shyok. Another road that is ‘work in progress’ is between Tangtse & Lukung. The road from Lukung to Merak is also ‘out of this world’. Another memorable drive was the route from Chushul to Mahe via Mirpal Tso, Kaksang La and Yaye Tso. Mahe to Hanle was also a breeze. The main high point of this trip was the climb to Umling La, where we experienced snowfall in the first week of September. (Something totally out of the blue). Owing to the bad weather, we decided against driving with the Ertiga and chose to tuck in with Mr. Kaisang of Milkyway Homestay in his Mahindra Bolero. The next surreal experience was the drive from Karu to Jispa. Absolute breath taker! Drive from Jispa to Manali was enjoyable. The highway sections in HP (Kullu – Ner Chowk) were also in bad shape owing to the weather with a lot of landslides and debris (Owing to this, we had to halt at Pandoh for the night). On the Chandigarh-Jaipur section, we drove on the newly opened trans-Haryana highway. It was an absolute breeze but absolutely boring too! Major tunnels experienced were the Qazigund tunnel & the Atal tunnel. In the near future, a lot of passes could be redundant owing to the new tunnels being planned!
The Machine
The Ertiga performed well throughout our trip. The new set of GY Assurance TMax tyres too performed well. We did have some incidents too. While entering Srinagar, the suspension on the Ertiga did not feel good and we immediately got it checked at Jamkash Maruti in Srinagar. On checking, it was found that the Suspension stabilizer rod had given way and was replaced. The entire exercise took less than an hour and post replacement, the suspension felt like new. This would have been caused by the massive hits the Ertiga took on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway with potholes at high speeds. To add to this, the suspension took a beating on the road stretch from Udhampur to Ramban. The Ertiga performed well in all terrains, especially the water crossings and slush crossings in JK & Ladakh and across the 11 high passes we covered (Zojila/11649, Fotula/13479, Namikala/12198, Khardungla/17982, Kaksangla/17851, Nurbula/ 17328, Umling la/19024, Taglangla/17482, Lachungla/16616, Nakeela/15547, Baralachala/15912) We did have a ‘heart in the mouth’ moment at Sarchu bridge, where the Ertiga was unable to cross the uphill approach owing to running water and a centre formation caused by ruts. We were struggling till help arrived and with ‘a push and a shove’, the Ertiga crossed this stretch. We did 7172kms over the 29 day period, with a mileage of 15.80km/l. Fuel consumed was 453.91L, and was least priced at Daman at INR 94.29/L and most priced at 106.78 at Dhule, Maharashtra. Since we had fuel cans for our trip, we managed to stock fuel and avoided filling fuel in RJ & MP, where fuel prices are 110+. Fuel was available at all places in Ladakh and one needs to plan well in advance on the basis of route.
The Experience
We waited patiently for the Covid episode to end, before embarking on what we can truly describe: a trip of a lifetime through India, a trip as a couple and with our two kids. We realized that nothing came close to the adventure, excitement, and the humble people we met on this journey and the connections we made! The experiences with everyone on this trip were unforgettable, divine connections with all kind of people including army men, local people, fruit and vegetable vendors, taxi & truck drivers, motorcyclists and fellow drivers, herdsmen & farmers who were ever willing to help, and most importantly the heartfelt hospitality that we received in all places. (As we were driving in a GA vehicle, so many people enquired on where we were from, our place Goa, our wellbeing and wished us well in our travels!) In the same breath, while we made it through all of the fun, adventure, unexpected things, tough driving terrain & conditions and erratic meals, we realized that we can make it through anything together as a family.
A detailed travelogue will follow shortly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chorispao Hi All,
We on a 33 day road trip Goa-Leh-Goa starting Aug 15 & back on Sept 16. What was planned in 2018, is now a reality in 2022! Any members doing this trip around that time, do give us a holler. We are in an GA07 Gray Ertiga & would try and report whilst on the trip, time & connectivity permitting. As of now, the only hiccup is the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Hope this too gets sorted before our ascend.
Appreciate any inputs on the itinerary below.
Regards,
C'Pao |