[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by suman

A damn good idea but this will call for at least a 10 day trip unless we are trying to do it the Raid style. Going to be very difficult getting 8 days off (assuming a Saturday or Sunday in between) in August.....let me sleep over it.

In any case, even if I'm not able to join in, fellow Dicor mates MUST keep an evening free in Delhi - booze & dinner at my place.

Cheerscheers:

I was told we can do it in 7 days....plus 1 day at Delhi for Suman's hospitality and I still can make it from Cochin in about 13 days.

[tsk1979]

Actually steer here's a tentative itenary
Day 1(Sat) : Delhi - Manali (11 odd hours)
Day 2(Sun) : Manali - Sarchu etc., half way. Good comfortable tented accomodation about 1000/night for 2 people.
Day 3(Mon): Sarchu to Leh. Reach Leh by evening
4/5/6:Tue/Wed/Thurs. Three days for Leh and surroundings
7: Friday : Drive back to Manali
8: Sat : back to delhi

Alternatively if return journey is also done in two days you will be back in Delhi on sunday which makes it 9 days instead of 8.


So 8 days is minumum

[nkapoor777]

Tanvir paaji - Driving back from Leh-Manali (475 km) in a single day will be very exhausting. It is a 15-16 hour drive. And then, you want to do another 650 km the very next day (Manali-Delhi). You got to have a break in between somewhere.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

4/5/6:Tue/Wed/Thurs. Three days for Leh and surroundings

Make it 1.5 or 2 days in Leh max. Is it then possible to drive back through another (less demanding) route which may be faster?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by nkapoor777

Tanvir paaji - Driving back from Leh-Manali (475 km) in a single day will be very exhausting. It is a 15-16 hour drive. And then, you want to do another 650 km the very next day (Manali-Delhi). You got to have a break in between somewhere.

Yes it will be exhausting, but Steer wants to make it a quick trip!

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Make it 1.5 or 2 days in Leh max. Is it then possible to drive back through another (less demanding) route which may be faster?

Well this is the shortest route. There is nothing less demanding possible here. Only way to lessen the fatigue is to take comfortable accommodation at Sarchu and acclimatize nice and healthy.
As for 1.5-2 days at Leh, no use. You will be able to just a couple of places.
Normally Leh is a 12 day job, 9 days is the bare minimum.
Also rushing on that Terrain is not going to get us anywhere, you can make good speed on Delhi-Bombay stretch.
But I feel those coming from south will need to take 2 weeks off due to the fact that if you drive continuously from Cochin, by the time you hit the most difficult part of the Terrain, you are already very very tired.
I reckon even if you pull high speed the bare minimum to reach Delhi from Cochin will be 4 days, or 3.5 days.
If you can somehow get your safari to Bombay or Delhi before you make the trip, it will be very very easy for ya.

[BunnyPunia]

Day 1: Delhi-Manali : 565kms/ 11hrs
Day 2: Sarchu is 222kms from Manali at 14000 feet. It is not advisable to make a night halt here for first timers to himalayas as AMS can hit very bad. Even Himachal toursim buses now make Keylong as the night stop and not Sarchu. They used to loose passengers to AMS every year! Keylong is at 11000 feet and AMS doesnt hit here.
Day 3 : Keylong to Leh can be done in one day. distance is 360kms / 11 hrs.
Day 4 : Will take a day for the permits for Khardungla and other areas. Day 4 can also be a rest day
Day 5 : You can easily go to Khardugla, worlds second highest morotable pass , around 45kms one way. If time permits, you could drive ahead to khardung village and come back
Day 6 : I would say dont miss Pangong tso lake. Its one miracle of a place. Round trip of around 340kms
Day 7&8 : Leh to Manali
Day 9 : Manali to Delhi

[suman]

Originally Posted by BunnyPunia

Day 6 : I would say dont miss Pangong tso lake. Its one miracle of a place. Round trip of around 340kms

Thats 34 kms right?

A good itinerary overall I'd say......though I'd add on a day & a half each way so that its a little less stressed. Its going to be a one-time experience for most if not all so should keep time in hand to enjoy the scenery......and acclamatise oneselves as Bunny & Tanveer have said.

[tsk1979]

Thanks for the tips Bunny, I had a few doubts

Originally Posted by BunnyPunia

Day 1: Delhi-Manali : 565kms/ 11hrs
Day 2: Sarchu is 222kms from Manali at 14000 feet. It is not advisable to make a night halt here for first timers to himalayas as AMS can hit very bad. Even Himachal toursim buses now make Keylong as the night stop and not Sarchu. They used to loose passengers to AMS every year! Keylong is at 11000 feet and AMS doesnt hit here.
Day 3 : Keylong to Leh can be done in one day. distance is 360kms / 11 hrs.
Day 4 : Will take a day for the permits for Khardungla and other areas. Day 4 can also be a rest day

Keylong is a good option and also has concrete accommodation etc., I reckon Manali to Keylong will be around 4 hours or so. That means ample rest possible. However Keylong to Leh will be draining, thats why day 4 is rest I guess. Any nearby places to visit on Day 4, something short and nice so that rest is mixed with sight seeing

Day 5 : You can easily go to Khardugla, worlds second highest morotable pass , around 45kms one way. If time permits, you could drive ahead to khardung village and come back
Day 6 : I would say dont miss Pangong tso lake. Its one miracle of a place. Round trip of around 340kms

How much time will this 340kms round trip take. Is it coverable in about 8 hours or so.

Day 7&8 : Leh to Manali
Day 9 : Manali to Delhi

If Steer is in a rush is it possible to do Leh Manali in one go. Have you ever done it, on a bike? I think with multiple drivers it may be possible with drivers sleeping taking turns.

Another question is about Fuel.
I think Jispa or something is the last fuel stop.
So I guess its advisable to carry 40 liters of fuel at any given time. The stench of diesel can be overpowering!

[BunnyPunia]

No Suman, thats 340kms, via Chang La (another high altitude pass)
Pangong is one of the biggest lakes in the world, 2/3rd of which is in China

A map of Manali-Leh route :

steerioid : as per your post no 19, there are only two routes to Leh. From Manali it is 475, from Srinagar side (via kargil) it is a little less but then Delhi-Srinagar is 875km as compared to Delhi-Manali which is 575kms

[nkapoor777]

Originally Posted by BunnyPunia

Day 2: Sarchu is 222kms from Manali at 14000 feet. It is not advisable to make a night halt here for first timers to himalayas as AMS can hit very bad. Even Himachal toursim buses now make Keylong as the night stop and not Sarchu. They used to loose passengers to AMS every year! Keylong is at 11000 feet and AMS doesnt hit here.

Couldn't agree with you more BunnyPunia. Infact there is a magical little place right next to Keylong, called Jispa. You guys can stay at Hotel IBex there. Amazing serene surroundings, but it seems like we will have the peace disturbed by a bunch of rowdy T-BHPians , or did I hear that spouses are also going?

[BunnyPunia]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Thanks for the tips Bunny, I had a few doubts

Keylong is a good option and also has concrete accommodation etc., I reckon Manali to Keylong will be around 4 hours or so. That means ample rest possible. However Keylong to Leh will be draining, thats why day 4 is rest I guess. Any nearby places to visit on Day 4, something short and nice so that rest is mixed with sight seeing

I see it this way that on Day 2 if you do less, you can always start early at 6am on Day 3 and hence reach Leh by 4-5pm from Keylong.
On day 2, start at 7am from Manali, Rohtang by 9. Spend an hour there, have breakfast and by 11am , carry on Keylong.
Dont miss ATV rides / snow scooters at Rohtang

In Leh, the day you apply for permits, the whole day, you can visit the many places like Stok Palace, its museum, The Leh palace (a must see at night when it is illuminated), Shek, Thiksey and Hemis (1-2 hrs from Leh). The list is endless. You wont get bored on Day 4 , no chance.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

How much time will this 340kms round trip take. Is it coverable in about 8 hours or so.

Hmmm,it takes around 5 hours one way. Leave Leh at 5am, reach there by 10am. spend 5-6 hrs, camp, make your own food, leave by 3pm max and back in leh by 8pm. You have to cross Chang La to reach the lake and hence you have to cross it again on the way back. remember to cross it before 6pm, after that army doesnt allow it. [/quote]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

If Steer is in a rush is it possible to do Leh Manali in one go. Have you ever done it, on a bike? I think with multiple drivers it may be possible with drivers sleeping taking turns.

On way back, the route till Sarchu is in a relatively better shape than Sarchu to Rohtang.
I think Leh to Sarchu should take around 7 hrs (253kms), ie you should hit Sarchu by 12 noon if you leave Leh early. Continuing, you should be at Rohtang by 6pm and finally Manali by 8pm. It is possible with multiple drivers but very tiring.
Havent done the leh route , did spiti last yr, a more demanding ride!
Anyways im off to Leh on May 16th, just a few days from now, on my Karizma

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Another question is about Fuel.
I think Jispa or something is the last fuel stop.
So I guess its advisable to carry 40 liters of fuel at any given time. The stench of diesel can be overpowering!

The last fuel pump is at Tandi, not Jispa. Tandi to Leh is 368. The DICORs should give around 8kmpl minimum, which means around 46L of diesel. For the kind of trip you will have, carrying extra fuel is not an issue. no need to carry it. the safaris will easily make it to leh from tandi in one fuel tank

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by nkapoor777

Couldn't agree with you more BunnyPunia. Infact there is a magical little place right next to Keylong, called Jispa. You guys can stay at Hotel IBex there. Amazing serene surroundings, but it seems like we will have the peace disturbed by a bunch of rowdy T-BHPians , or did I hear that spouses are also going?

Jispa is before keylong, I reckon about 35kms, i.e. one hour more to do on the next day.
I have heard IBex is a luxury setting, and Keylong has basic hotels.

[BunnyPunia]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Jispa is before keylong, I reckon about 35kms, i.e. one hour more to do on the next day.
I have heard IBex is a luxury setting, and Keylong has basic hotels.

Jispa is 32kms ahead of Keylong (towards Leh). That saves you one hour on Day 3

[nkapoor777]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Jispa is before keylong, I reckon about 35kms, i.e. one hour more to do on the next day.
I have heard IBex is a luxury setting, and Keylong has basic hotels.

No Tanveer, Jispa is after Keylong (sure) and it is at a lower attitude as well as compared to Keylong (I think so). And Jispa would be an ideal setting for a night halt with your better halves. Would definitely get you guys some browney points.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

How much time will this 340kms round trip take. Is it coverable in about 8 hours or so.

Tanveer, are you assuming 2 lane highways here? In Sikkim, it took us 5 hours to cover 135Kms on well paved roads. You may have to completely rethink the average speeds you can get here. Also, don't tell me you will be driving continuously. You may want to get down very often for scenic shoots, that is definitely big on your agenda.