[Dushie]

Originally Posted by rpunwani

Many thanks, our itinerary has been finalised:-
07 Aug: Amritsar to Banihal
08 Aug: Banihal to Kargil (via Srinagar as we have to pick-up our friends)
09 Aug: Kargil to Leh
10 Aug: Leh
11 Aug: Leh
12 Aug: Leh to Nubra
13 Aug: Nubra - Hunder - Leh
14 Aug: Leh
15 Aug: Leh to Pangong
16 Aug: Pangong to Leh
17 Aug: Leh
18 Aug: Leh to Tso Moriri
19 Aug: Tso Moriri to Sarchu
20 Aug: Sarchu to Manali

As mentioned earlier, I have a Ford Ecosport 1.5T+ AT with 17" rims. I just replaced my Bridgestone Ecopia tyres (under warranty). The spare tyre is also brand new & I am carrying a puncture repair kit & air compressor. Is this ok for the trip ?

Any update on the condition of the roads on the above trip ?

It should be ok as long as you have good ground clearance and don't overload the car. I just completed my 3rd Leh trip last month. This time we drove in a petrol Creta and we were able to cover the entire stretch. Even though we came back to Delhi via Manali and the roads were not so great between the Leh Manali stretch it was manageable in a Creta with just 3 folks and baggage.

Originally Posted by supreddy77

Hi Krishroy,

We are now 10 days away from our Leh trip, I am getting the XUV serviced this week. I was wondering if we can buy the engine oil/fuse/coolant/brake fluid etc online as a backup in case the service doesn't have enough. Did you get them from the service center?

Do not carry too much stuff. it depends which route you are taking. In my trip i did last month, we did not carry any spare equipment apart from extra water and food which was required in case of emergency. If going via kashmir side roads are much better compared to Manali. Only Zozila is where you will find roads to be in a bad shape due to the weather and heavy vehicle movement.

Originally Posted by tomraven99

Planning for a Ladakh trip from Kerala during August in my Duster AWD. Will be taking the central India route through Nagpur-Agra. Are permits for Hanle,Chushul being issued now? Has anyone applied for ILP permits online through http://lahdclehpermit.in/?

Yes apply for permits online, Make sure you capture correct details. If going in the group the first persons details would be primary. Once you submit the details , you can't change the dates. Once in leh you need to show them the online payment receipt and carry at least 4 copies. So they would stamp and put a stick for the places you need to travel. Post which you would need to get at least 3 copies done for each, which you will require to show and give on check posts. It is not that crowded and if details are already submitted online you can complete this within 15 minutes.

[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by Dushie

It should be ok as long as you have good ground clearance and don't overload the car. I just completed my 3rd Leh trip last month. This time we drove in a petrol Creta and we were able to cover the entire stretch. Even though we came back to Delhi via Manali and the roads were not so great between the Leh Manali stretch it was manageable in a Creta with just 3 folks and baggage.

Many thanks. The GC of the Ecosport is min 200mm, wading depth is >400mm, so I guess should be ok.

Some more questions:-
Did you scrape the underbelly at any time?
How did you manage for fuel?
Any roads / areas one should be wary of?

I am carrying 2 x 20L tanks as we have a trip from Leh to Tso Moriri and onward to Manali. I will top up at Karu. From Karu we head to Chumathang - Mahe - Tso Kigar - Tso Moriri. This is 185 kms

After an overnight halt, we head to Sarchu via Tso Kigar - Sumdo - Polokong La - Tso Kar - Debring - Pang - Lachung La - NakeeLa - Sarchu. This is 228 kms.

Overnight at Sarchu and then to Manali via Baralacha La - Darcha - Jispa - Keylong - Tandi, where we can get petrol. This works out to 130 kms.

Total 543 kms with 45L in the car & 2 x 20L Jerry Cans should be good ?

[vittal]

I am planning to drive from Delhi - Jammu - Srinagar - Kargil - Leh in the 1st week of August. I can't do it during September so need suggestions on (a) weather conditions during August in Leh (b) chances of rains in the hills beyond Srinagar (Leh, Pangong Tso).

Thanks in advance for your response.

[supreddy77]

Originally Posted by rpunwani

Many thanks, our itinerary has been finalised:-
07 Aug: Amritsar to Banihal
08 Aug: Banihal to Kargil (via Srinagar as we have to pick-up our friends)

19 Aug: Tso Moriri to Sarchu
20 Aug: Sarchu to Manali

Any update on the condition of the roads on the above trip ?

Just came back from Ladakh trip yesterday. Please consider the Amarnath yatra traffic and vehicle movement restrictions till Aug 15th. On the road to Banihal (the entire Jammu-Srinagar stretch infact) we were stopped many times by the CRPF to let the yatra convoys pass and the vice versa.

The road from Pang to Nakeela pass is horrible (they were repairing the roads). After Barlachala, the road is better. There are 2-3 major water crossings, so check your vehicle's GC. The climb to Rothang is completely a mess, but doable.

[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by supreddy77

Just came back from Ladakh trip yesterday. Please consider the Amarnath yatra traffic and vehicle movement restrictions till Aug 15th. On the road to Banihal (the entire Jammu-Srinagar stretch infact) we were stopped many times by the CRPF to let the yatra convoys pass and the vice versa.

The road from Pang to Nakeela pass is horrible (they were repairing the roads). After Barlachala, the road is better. There are 2-3 major water crossings, so check your vehicle's GC. The climb to Rothang is completely a mess, but doable.

Thanks a lot for the information. Since we have an overnight halt at Banihal, we do not mind traffic delays.

The GC of the car is 200 mm unladen and water wading depth is stated to be 550 mm (however will not risk so much). By the way, which car did you take?

[supreddy77]

Originally Posted by Sandy28

Hope you are having a great drive? I can very well understand your excitement. Have gone thru it just 2 months ago.

Yes Sandy28, we had a great drive and adventure!!. I will be posting a trip log soon.

Originally Posted by rpunwani

By the way, which car did you take?

We drove a XUV500. I think your car's GC should be good enough. Just observe and tag with taxis or locals when doing the water crossings and all will be fine.

[tomraven99]

Originally Posted by supreddy77

The road from Pang to Nakeela pass is horrible (they were repairing the roads). After Barlachala, the road is better. There are 2-3 major water crossings, so check your vehicle's GC. The climb to Rothang is completely a mess, but doable.

Thanks for the input. It was in a similar condition 3 years ago when I did the route. However I guess this still beats the unpredictable Jammu Srinagar route.

[mpp19]

Originally Posted by supreddy77

Yes Sandy28, we had a great drive and adventure!!. I will be posting a trip log soon.



We drove a XUV500. I think your car's GC should be good enough. Just observe and tag with taxis or locals when doing the water crossings and all will be fine.

It gives an adrenaline rush even while reading this message. Do you have any pictures or video? It would be interesting to see some.

[Dushie]

Originally Posted by rpunwani

Many thanks. The GC of the Ecosport is min 200mm, wading depth is >400mm, so I guess should be ok.

Some more questions:-
Did you scrape the underbelly at any time?
How did you manage for fuel?
Any roads / areas one should be wary of?

I am carrying 2 x 20L tanks as we have a trip from Leh to Tso Moriri and onward to Manali. I will top up at Karu. From Karu we head to Chumathang - Mahe - Tso Kigar - Tso Moriri. This is 185 kms

After an overnight halt, we head to Sarchu via Tso Kigar - Sumdo - Polokong La - Tso Kar - Debring - Pang - Lachung La - NakeeLa - Sarchu. This is 228 kms.

Overnight at Sarchu and then to Manali via Baralacha La - Darcha - Jispa - Keylong - Tandi, where we can get petrol. This works out to 130 kms.

Total 543 kms with 45L in the car & 2 x 20L Jerry Cans should be good ?

Answers below -
Did you scrape the underbelly at any time?
-Yes, twice where the roads were bad and it could not be prevented.
How did you manage for fuel?
-We carried 2 10 Liters plastic fuel cans. Creta has a 55 Litre fuel tank. We were able to push another couple of liters in topup.
From Tso Morri we used one 10 litre can to top up the existing fuel. We were able to reach Tandi without hitting the reserve and over 10 litres of fuel still left.

Any roads / areas one should be wary of?
-During the rainy season the road dynamics and driving conditions change rapidly. It all depends on the driver and how you handle the situation. Best is to take your time and not be in a hurry. Before any water crossing inspect the location, see how others are clearing the same and better to offload passengers to reduce weight and help you guide better.

I am carrying 2 x 20L tanks as we have a trip from Leh to Tso Moriri and onward to Manali. I will top up at Karu. From Karu we head to Chumathang - Mahe - Tso Kigar - Tso Moriri. This is 185 kms.

After an overnight halt, we head to Sarchu via Tso Kigar - Sumdo - Polokong La - Tso Kar - Debring - Pang - Lachung La - NakeeLa - Sarchu. This is 228 kms.

Overnight at Sarchu and then to Manali via Baralacha La - Darcha - Jispa - Keylong - Tandi, where we can get petrol. This works out to 130 kms.

Total 543 kms with 45L in the car & 2 x 20L Jerry Cans should be good ?
-Yes it should be sufficient as we were able to do the same stretch in Creta.
Road to Tso Morori is in a bad condition and repair work was on in many places. So the speeds would be low and you would have to drive carefully.

[supreddy77]

Originally Posted by mpp19

It gives an adrenaline rush even while reading this message. Do you have any pictures or video? It would be interesting to see some.

Thanks mpp19. Still processing the photos and videos. Will share soon.

[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by Dushie

Total 543 kms with 45L in the car & 2 x 20L Jerry Cans should be good ?
-Yes it should be sufficient as we were able to do the same stretch in Creta.
Road to Tso Morori is in a bad condition and repair work was on in many places. So the speeds would be low and you would have to drive carefully.

Did not realise, the fuel capacity is 52L and not 45L as earlier mentioned. So I have another few kms under the belt

Many thanks for your replies

[nikhil_d1106]

I travelled to Ladakh in June this year. I new petrol bunk is coming up at Nyoma which should be very handy while going from Pangong to Hanle/Tso Moriri.

[PGA]

https://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/ne...ar/829842.html

Much awaited but pl read the news fully before heading out that way

[SJM1214]

Zanskar celebrates as new ‘road’ brings it 600km closer to Himachal Pradesh.

Residents of Buddhist-dominated Zanskar valley of Ladakh are celebrating as a new road has brought the region closer to Himachal by over 600km. They gave a grand welcome to the first vehicle that arrived in the valley via the new road after crossing the Shinkula pass.

Though the road is not safe for general traffic movement and is still under construction, three persons from Manali, including this reporter successfully reached Padum, the headquarters of Zanskar, in their SUV. As the vehicle entered the valley from Shinkula pass, the three men were given a warm welcome by happy residents in many villages. The BRO officials, politicians, and many organizations also congratulated the trio for being the first to reach the Zanskar valley by this road.

News Source.

[gypsyFreak]

Another sector opened for tourism - SIACHEN.

Centre on October 21 announced that the world's highest battlefield Siachen has been open to tourists.

The entire stretch from Siachen base camp to Kumar Post has been thrown open for tourism, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The move will give a boost to tourism in Ladakh and allow people to appreciate the tough work done by Army jawans and engineers in extreme weather and inhospitable terrains, Singh added.

Singh was addressing a function in eastern Ladakh to inaugurate Col Chewang Rinchin Bridge on Shyok River, located about 45 km from the county's border with China.

"The Ladakh MP in his address, mentioned about opening this area to tourism. And, I am happy to share that the government has decided to open a route from Siachen Base Camp to Kumar Post for tourists," the minister said.

"This step will make them appreciate the efforts put in by jawans, engineers and other workers," he said.

Singh later tweeted, "The Siachen area is now open for tourists and Tourism. From Siachen Base to Kumar Post, the entire area has been opened for Tourism purposes".

The Siachen Glacier at the height of around 20,000 ft in the Karakoram range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds

Avalanches and landslides are common at the glacier during the winters and temperatures can drop to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius

At the bridge inauguration, Singh said only steel and concrete have not gone into its making, but "sweat and valour" of the engineers and workers of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) too.

They have toiled hard and people should know their stories, Singh said.

The 1400-ft long bridge is the highest altitude permanent bridge that will connect Durbuk and Daulat Beg Oldi and reduce travel time by about half.

The Indian Army had moved a proposal for opening up Siachen to tourists with a focus to showcase the working conditions of troops serving in the sector, and the government gave its nod, according to sources.

According to official figures, the Army lost 163 personnel at the world's highest battlefield during the last 10 years. India and Pakistan started deploying troops at the strategically key glacier in 1984 and mountaineering expeditions were allowed till then.

The Glacier came under the strategic control of India in 1984 following 'Operation Meghdoot'.

Former northern command chief Lt Gen (retd) B S Jaswal, however, feels that environmental issues will be a matter of concern.

"Tourism and other activities will see a surge in waste dumping. This will hasten glacier retreat. Due to the presence of the Army, a lot of non-biodegradable waste is already present there and every day, about 1,000 kg is being added," Lt Gen Jaswal said.

He said that while opportunities will open up the doors for revenue generation for locals as also the government, keeping the security in view, red lines will have to be drawn to restrict areas for visits.

This being a very sensitive area, security issues, especially concerning foreigners, will have to be factored in, he added.

At the same time, the former army commander said, it will also motivate the youngsters to join the Army.

"They will learn that the forces can operate and sustain in extreme climate and very hostile terrain.... It will be a capability demonstration to our countrymen," he added.

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/in...s-4555171.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/71688708.cms