Trip to Ladakh

kpzen · 18th July 2006, 21:46

Hope u are running with good set of rubber......
Last time i saw the GIIIs were in the last phase of their life

naveendhyani · 18th July 2006, 22:43

gr8 memory kpzen. actually last meet i had a stepney tyre on the front left side which was nearing the end of its cycle. have changed it with a brand new GIII. thanx for noticing buddy.

naveendhyani · 19th July 2006, 17:34

checked out this device on ebay, http://cgi.ebay.in/Ultra-Portable-In...QQcmdZViewItem, do u think it will b good enough to power a laptop & recharge batteries?

zenx · 19th July 2006, 17:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by naveendhyani

i have one more query. is it safe to camp at riverbeds, lakesides in ladakh? u know its different when u r all boys & its different when u have a lady with u.

Naveen, the wife and i had camped at Chotta Darra overnite (Kaza-Gramphu road), no issues. More plains is supposed to be iffy, and the Manali Leh stretch does have more (varied) traffic, but don't think its risky.

Sideways · 19th July 2006, 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by naveendhyani

checked out this device on ebay, http://cgi.ebay.in/Ultra-Portable-In...QQcmdZViewItem, do u think it will b good enough to power a laptop & recharge batteries?

Should suffice. One thing I noticed though, the description says 100 Watts and the picture says 75 watts. Request yo to verify with seller before you buy it.

Would be better if it was 100 watts - ateleast for use with your laptop. again depends on the wattage of your charger.

yogesh sarkar · 19th July 2006, 23:12

Hi Naveen here are few things from my side.

First of all check out this Article on AMS, just carry Diamox and take it when you see the slightest form of AMS. Other then that drink lots of water, don’t stay at mountain passes too long.

Second you will need lot of fuel to do the Manali – Leh stretch, if you are planning to do more exploring then you will need more petrol. What is the range your car gives in full tank? Consider the worst case scenario, cut that range down to half and then based on same fuel average carry spare petrol, Tandi (last petrol pump) is 375kms from Leh.

Third camping should be relatively safe, however in many places in ladakh especially near Pangong Tso there are high velocity winds. For pangong tso, I would recommend that you either stay at Spangmik or if you are unable to find accommodation then stay in Tangste.

Forth your car would do it quite easily; heck your car has better ground clearance then a Sumo (sumo 160mm, balano 170mm)! Just be careful while going over bumps, broken surfaces and water crossings.

August is the best month to visit ladakh, naturally you will see more tourists in august then in any other month. Regarding rains, your in a car you shouldn’t have any problem

.

Let me know if you need any more info or help.

yogesh sarkar · 19th July 2006, 23:16

One more thing, beside the spare wheel carry a spare tube or puncture repair kit and a Portable Electric Pump/Compressor

khaadu75 · 20th July 2006, 00:08

Hey Naveen, I have been following this post with a lot of interest though havn't said anything so far .. !! A lot of gud ideas and suggestions have come your way that will be real handy though a lot of advise has been given against going in the Baleno and this isw here I differ to a lil extent . It definitely has a low ground clearance and to counter it you have to drive with your HEAD and not your HEART !!!

I dunno much about how confident you are with your vehicle or how much u understand it but its simple ... if you see a situation where you feel its gonna bottom out get your wifey to step out and help u thru . Just explain to her what exactly u wanna avoid and she will make sure you avoid it .... !! Also downhill on a bad road is where you have to be more careful of your car bottoming out and ot that much on a uphill stretch unless its an impossible situation or you are being super stupid !!! Also rememeber that people may warn you about suspension , tyres , etc but the biggest threat on such a journey comes from worn out clutches .... GET TO KNOW UR CLUTCH LIKE UR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT !!!

And the final advise .... Its not as tough as its made out to be , its just a beautiful drive so go and enjoy it and u'll come back with no problems !!! Just keep that HEAD of urs awake and rational ....

Cheers

bhogalrajnish · 20th July 2006, 00:14

Nice tips Yogesh ,

Hay bro about permits in Ladakh . As soon as you reach Leh get your permits. For Pangang Tso you will need to specify if you intend to stay there for a day so get the permit for 2-3 days. (Tell the guy in the DC office "Do din Pangong me BATHNA he ) "Staying means Bathna in Ladakh"
Camping near the lake will not be possible as the Army will not let you do that . There is a New guest house there. Its about 5-6 Km after the army post on the side of the lake . The owners name is Tashi. He should be able to help you with accomodation there. I stayed at his guest house with three other friends last year, though the guest house was still under construction he was more than happy to provide us shelter and food ..

Nubra valley should not be a problem .
I would recomend trekking to the monestry on opposit side of Nubra village (Cant recall the name) and there is a amazing Water fall as well .
If you want to stay in Nubra there is a Guest house right at the end of the village .

naveendhyani · 20th July 2006, 10:00

[b]@ yogesh :[b] checked many articles on AMS. will surely carry diamox with other general medicines & first aid kit. the list of medicines i will b carrying is (pls add ny other medicines if u feel i might need) Disprin / Crocin, Diamox, Combiflam, Throat Lozenges, Otrivin Nasal drops, Albucid Eye drops, Imosec, Dulcolax. all of these are taken off the raid-de-himayala site. SIDEWAYS, thanx for the link.

i will stick to the highways & main roads only since its a baleno & not an SUV

. the range of my vehicle in city is almost 500 km. i will b carrying a 20 l jerrycan for fuel. BTW is metal one better than the translucent high grade plastic one? since fuel quality might not b that good in tandi, i will fill the can in chandigarh only.

high velocity winds wont b an issue since the tent i m carrying was used by an austrian climber who conquered mount everest. i m sure its gonna take winds easily.

i surely respect the path & as stated earlier i have fixed an engine cover below the car. also on SIDEWAYS recommendation i will get the fuel guard also fitted in my car.

i m carrying a tubeless repair kit & a foot pump. along with that i will carry a spare tube just in case.

@ khaadu75 : i promise i will drive with my head & not my heart

for the last couple of trips on the highway my wife acts a good navigator plus i keep telling her about the mechanisms of how things work in the car. she helps me in situations where i might have to overtake a much bigger vehicle from the left side on the highway by gauging the situation ahead. i m sure she will b able to help me out in case we encounter a rough terrain. the kind which u conquered on the zen. i saw that video, just beautiful.

i have been using my clutch wisely but wud luv if u can elaborate this point a little more. "GET TO KNOW UR CLUTCH LIKE UR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT !!!"

even i think its more like a board exam. everybody's afraid as its still little unchartered territory.

BTW ur end line should not be Cheers but "Beers"

@ bhogalrajnish : i surely will take the permit at pangana tso for 4-5 days. my friend who's an officer with the army is trying to get in touch with the army unit stationed there. if possible i wud luv to camp near the lake else as suggested by u i will go to the lake side guest house & request the owner to camp in their premisis. i just dont want to stay in closed houses, hope u will understand.

will be spending 2 days in nubra valley so will surely try to trek to the monestry. how long does it take to visit that monestry? pls do let me know.

thank u brothers for such lovely tips & encouragement. will post the list of all i m carrying as soon as everything is in place. keep watching this space & fill in just in case something pops in my mind that u have forgotten it in the previous posts.

till then "JUST IMAGINE"

Maverick5490 · 23rd July 2006, 01:11

Hey Naveen.. how r the plans coming up? i was back in Delhi for the past 15 days so couldnt give any inputs..and as i see most of the pointers r covered here.. here r a couple of my observations..
- Cover as much distance as u can in day light.. daylight starts as early as 4.30 am and lasts upto 7.30 pm.
- The Manali-Leh sector is in a terrible condition.. it will be tough on ur Baleno,so maintain special caution in this sector.
-Its best if u both drive in parts.. as the altitude and the bad roads make it very stressfull.
-Keep lots of lively songs in the car.. slower songs will make u drowsy..
-Keep the A/C off in the tough sectors as it will help the engine.
-Keep a good pair of sunglasses.. very useful!

will add more pointers as they come to me..
Regards,
Maverick.

naveendhyani · 24th July 2006, 12:23

@ maverick5490 : we do not intend to do night driving at all. will make up all the distance during the day light. will take extra care on the manali-leh sector.

thanx for the inputs but u r too mean. after such a lovely trip to leh u have not posted the report nor the pics.

Dud_Dodo · 25th July 2006, 20:46

Hi Naveen, Enjoy your trip. I haven't been to those heights but had gone for a camp wid Aquaterra Adventures, based out of GK II. You can probably contact these professionals & ask them for suggestions.

I'm looking for some contacts from there, they're extremely friendly & helpful, I'm sure they'll be able to guide you.

naveendhyani · 26th July 2006, 10:16

@ dud_dodo : thanx for the info regarding aquaterra adventures. will try to get in touch with them.

@ everybody else : the list of all i will b carrying on the trip is on the way to this section, pls watch out.

snaz · 1st August 2006, 15:14

well i'm not as well versed with the driving conditions or remote distance driving as most of the guys above me, but since I seem be having the unique distinction of being the only guy to have actually stayed in Leh for a year,here are some observations:
(do note that I was there in 1998-99,and was just in seventh grade so some of the observations might not be so comprehensive)
1.The car
Due to the high alt. the cars obviously don't burn the fuel so efficiently and hence the preferred cars those days in and around the region were mostly sumos. The khardungla pass is a specially testing route and I clearly remember the maruti gypsy i was in, struggling on some turns even in 4x4(which by the way is a must on the route).
2. The route
I have been to pangongtso, remember a lot of people camping along the route, and most of the groups had females as well. So, I can assure u of the safety along the leh-pangongtso road(its mostly deserted).And another thing, I clearly remember my dad talking of civilians requiring some sort of a pass to be made for visiting the pangong lake, which we didn't require as he was in the army.Will check and confirm.

Thats about all I could figure out.Any specific queries are welcome.

18th July 2006, 21:46	#16
kpzen Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Faridabad Posts: 5,610 Thanked: 1,876 Times View My Garage	Hope u are running with good set of rubber...... Last time i saw the GIIIs were in the last phase of their life
	() Thanks

18th July 2006, 22:43	#17
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	gr8 memory kpzen. actually last meet i had a stepney tyre on the front left side which was nearing the end of its cycle. have changed it with a brand new GIII. thanx for noticing buddy.
	() Thanks

19th July 2006, 17:34	#18
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	checked out this device on ebay, http://cgi.ebay.in/Ultra-Portable-In...QQcmdZViewItem, do u think it will b good enough to power a laptop & recharge batteries?
	() Thanks

19th July 2006, 23:12	#21
yogesh sarkar BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 238 Thanked: 37 Times	Hi Naveen here are few things from my side. First of all check out this Article on AMS, just carry Diamox and take it when you see the slightest form of AMS. Other then that drink lots of water, don’t stay at mountain passes too long. Second you will need lot of fuel to do the Manali – Leh stretch, if you are planning to do more exploring then you will need more petrol. What is the range your car gives in full tank? Consider the worst case scenario, cut that range down to half and then based on same fuel average carry spare petrol, Tandi (last petrol pump) is 375kms from Leh. Third camping should be relatively safe, however in many places in ladakh especially near Pangong Tso there are high velocity winds. For pangong tso, I would recommend that you either stay at Spangmik or if you are unable to find accommodation then stay in Tangste. Forth your car would do it quite easily; heck your car has better ground clearance then a Sumo (sumo 160mm, balano 170mm)! Just be careful while going over bumps, broken surfaces and water crossings. August is the best month to visit ladakh, naturally you will see more tourists in august then in any other month. Regarding rains, your in a car you shouldn’t have any problem . Let me know if you need any more info or help. Last edited by yogesh sarkar : 19th July 2006 at 23:14.
	() Thanks

19th July 2006, 23:16	#22
yogesh sarkar BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 238 Thanked: 37 Times	One more thing, beside the spare wheel carry a spare tube or puncture repair kit and a Portable Electric Pump/Compressor
	() Thanks

20th July 2006, 00:08	#23
khaadu75 BANNED Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: same as the proposed venue for F1 ;-) Posts: 1,156 Thanked: 16 Times View My Garage	Hey Naveen, I have been following this post with a lot of interest though havn't said anything so far .. !! A lot of gud ideas and suggestions have come your way that will be real handy though a lot of advise has been given against going in the Baleno and this isw here I differ to a lil extent . It definitely has a low ground clearance and to counter it you have to drive with your HEAD and not your HEART !!! I dunno much about how confident you are with your vehicle or how much u understand it but its simple ... if you see a situation where you feel its gonna bottom out get your wifey to step out and help u thru . Just explain to her what exactly u wanna avoid and she will make sure you avoid it .... !! Also downhill on a bad road is where you have to be more careful of your car bottoming out and ot that much on a uphill stretch unless its an impossible situation or you are being super stupid !!! Also rememeber that people may warn you about suspension , tyres , etc but the biggest threat on such a journey comes from worn out clutches .... GET TO KNOW UR CLUTCH LIKE UR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT !!! And the final advise .... Its not as tough as its made out to be , its just a beautiful drive so go and enjoy it and u'll come back with no problems !!! Just keep that HEAD of urs awake and rational .... Cheers
	() Thanks

20th July 2006, 00:14	#24
bhogalrajnish BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 215 Thanked: 67 Times	Nice tips Yogesh , Hay bro about permits in Ladakh . As soon as you reach Leh get your permits. For Pangang Tso you will need to specify if you intend to stay there for a day so get the permit for 2-3 days. (Tell the guy in the DC office "Do din Pangong me BATHNA he ) "Staying means Bathna in Ladakh" Camping near the lake will not be possible as the Army will not let you do that . There is a New guest house there. Its about 5-6 Km after the army post on the side of the lake . The owners name is Tashi. He should be able to help you with accomodation there. I stayed at his guest house with three other friends last year, though the guest house was still under construction he was more than happy to provide us shelter and food .. Nubra valley should not be a problem . I would recomend trekking to the monestry on opposit side of Nubra village (Cant recall the name) and there is a amazing Water fall as well . If you want to stay in Nubra there is a Guest house right at the end of the village .
	() Thanks

20th July 2006, 10:00	#25
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	[b]@ yogesh :[b] checked many articles on AMS. will surely carry diamox with other general medicines & first aid kit. the list of medicines i will b carrying is (pls add ny other medicines if u feel i might need) Disprin / Crocin, Diamox, Combiflam, Throat Lozenges, Otrivin Nasal drops, Albucid Eye drops, Imosec, Dulcolax. all of these are taken off the raid-de-himayala site. SIDEWAYS, thanx for the link. i will stick to the highways & main roads only since its a baleno & not an SUV . the range of my vehicle in city is almost 500 km. i will b carrying a 20 l jerrycan for fuel. BTW is metal one better than the translucent high grade plastic one? since fuel quality might not b that good in tandi, i will fill the can in chandigarh only. high velocity winds wont b an issue since the tent i m carrying was used by an austrian climber who conquered mount everest. i m sure its gonna take winds easily. i surely respect the path & as stated earlier i have fixed an engine cover below the car. also on SIDEWAYS recommendation i will get the fuel guard also fitted in my car. i m carrying a tubeless repair kit & a foot pump. along with that i will carry a spare tube just in case. @ khaadu75 : i promise i will drive with my head & not my heart for the last couple of trips on the highway my wife acts a good navigator plus i keep telling her about the mechanisms of how things work in the car. she helps me in situations where i might have to overtake a much bigger vehicle from the left side on the highway by gauging the situation ahead. i m sure she will b able to help me out in case we encounter a rough terrain. the kind which u conquered on the zen. i saw that video, just beautiful. i have been using my clutch wisely but wud luv if u can elaborate this point a little more. "GET TO KNOW UR CLUTCH LIKE UR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT !!!" even i think its more like a board exam. everybody's afraid as its still little unchartered territory. BTW ur end line should not be Cheers but "Beers" @ bhogalrajnish : i surely will take the permit at pangana tso for 4-5 days. my friend who's an officer with the army is trying to get in touch with the army unit stationed there. if possible i wud luv to camp near the lake else as suggested by u i will go to the lake side guest house & request the owner to camp in their premisis. i just dont want to stay in closed houses, hope u will understand. will be spending 2 days in nubra valley so will surely try to trek to the monestry. how long does it take to visit that monestry? pls do let me know. thank u brothers for such lovely tips & encouragement. will post the list of all i m carrying as soon as everything is in place. keep watching this space & fill in just in case something pops in my mind that u have forgotten it in the previous posts. till then "JUST IMAGINE"
	() Thanks

23rd July 2006, 01:11	#26
Maverick5490 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Thane Posts: 1,464 Thanked: 1,816 Times View My Garage	Hey Naveen.. how r the plans coming up? i was back in Delhi for the past 15 days so couldnt give any inputs..and as i see most of the pointers r covered here.. here r a couple of my observations.. - Cover as much distance as u can in day light.. daylight starts as early as 4.30 am and lasts upto 7.30 pm. - The Manali-Leh sector is in a terrible condition.. it will be tough on ur Baleno,so maintain special caution in this sector. -Its best if u both drive in parts.. as the altitude and the bad roads make it very stressfull. -Keep lots of lively songs in the car.. slower songs will make u drowsy.. -Keep the A/C off in the tough sectors as it will help the engine. -Keep a good pair of sunglasses.. very useful! will add more pointers as they come to me.. Regards, Maverick.
	() Thanks

24th July 2006, 12:23	#27
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	@ maverick5490 : we do not intend to do night driving at all. will make up all the distance during the day light. will take extra care on the manali-leh sector. thanx for the inputs but u r too mean. after such a lovely trip to leh u have not posted the report nor the pics.
	() Thanks

25th July 2006, 20:46	#28
Dud_Dodo BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Penang, Malaysia/Goa, India Posts: 115 Thanked: Once	Hi Naveen, Enjoy your trip. I haven't been to those heights but had gone for a camp wid Aquaterra Adventures, based out of GK II. You can probably contact these professionals & ask them for suggestions. I'm looking for some contacts from there, they're extremely friendly & helpful, I'm sure they'll be able to guide you.
	() Thanks

26th July 2006, 10:16	#29
naveendhyani BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 542 Thanked: 9 Times	@ dud_dodo : thanx for the info regarding aquaterra adventures. will try to get in touch with them. @ everybody else : the list of all i will b carrying on the trip is on the way to this section, pls watch out.
	() Thanks

1st August 2006, 15:14	#30
snaz Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: kanpur Posts: 1 Thanked: 0 Times	well i'm not as well versed with the driving conditions or remote distance driving as most of the guys above me, but since I seem be having the unique distinction of being the only guy to have actually stayed in Leh for a year,here are some observations: (do note that I was there in 1998-99,and was just in seventh grade so some of the observations might not be so comprehensive) 1.The car Due to the high alt. the cars obviously don't burn the fuel so efficiently and hence the preferred cars those days in and around the region were mostly sumos. The khardungla pass is a specially testing route and I clearly remember the maruti gypsy i was in, struggling on some turns even in 4x4(which by the way is a must on the route). 2. The route I have been to pangongtso, remember a lot of people camping along the route, and most of the groups had females as well. So, I can assure u of the safety along the leh-pangongtso road(its mostly deserted).And another thing, I clearly remember my dad talking of civilians requiring some sort of a pass to be made for visiting the pangong lake, which we didn't require as he was in the army.Will check and confirm. Thats about all I could figure out.Any specific queries are welcome.
	() Thanks