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-   -   Leh and Ladakh - Trip Planning - All queries go here (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/91481-leh-ladakh-trip-planning-all-queries-go-here-11.html)

I was not driving very fast except for few patches which were kind of highway for Pajero but did skipped lot of turns - you must have noticed some marks on turns - shortcuts which locals use - i followed most of these including one very scary at one of la's and I remember jumping lot of the turns on Ghata Loops , I didn't break for lunch though , have planned for next week - Delhi - Srinagar- Leh - Keylong - Kaza -Simla - Delhi with family - shall see what happens in Fortuner this time .

Sree-

Thsi is all Google Maps Warrior business. Like India on a PSP or Wii...

Your trip is almost bordering on the impossible. U'pur Chandigarh in a day... MAYBE-MAYBE---- fine, its just your 3rd day on the road. Manali acclimatisation at 2000-2500M is necessary for the lady and the child for 24 hours.
Leh-Khardung la_and back is a joy ride and you should add a day (if possible and stay over at Deskit/Hunder and see the most amazing dryscapes that you will ever see.
Leh Pangong- you will be lucky to do it in a day. And if you get an average of 6kmpl at that altitude, make sure you carry atleast 25L in jerry cans. You will max make it to Tangtse on the way back before nightfall.
Cancel Nubra.
Srinagar_Pathankot- not possible in a day. Too many variables. Traffic and Army convoys in one sector will destroy yuor timing. If you are trying the Udhampur-Dhar road without Army support, its ill advised. Come and stay in Jammu for a day as if Banihal closes and you are even 3 minutes late, you will have to backtrack with the lady+child. NOT worth it.
Pathankot- and its traffic- have you asked anyone about this? You will consistently manage an average of 60- meaning you will be in New Delhi around last light... and you want to drive with the family across the Chambal after 2200 to arrive into a city like Gwalior at midnight.

You know what- you need some serious counselling on the distances and roads.

But Leh-Pangong-Leh in a day- not possible. Srinagar-Pathankot- not possible and Pathankot-Gwalior- not possible.

You got to be joking to try this with family. I am sorry i cannot offer encouragement.

KD

Inside the car a light jacket will do, else heater. Outside the car a nice jacket required. At night, forget the temperature charts, you will need to be clothed from top to toe, and have a roof over your head. Wind chill often reaches -10- to -25 on any night there... and you cannot do anything but crawl back into your car and switch on the heater and worry about monoxide poisoning. And tehn the fuel the next morning to reach Leh.
So stay in the tents and cabins arranged for tourists in the Jun-Sept season there.

But isn't the Jawahar Tunnel o[pen 24 hours nowadays? Unlike the earlier 8 am - 5 pm?

~HVK_ appreciate the question.

I stand corrected- QUICKLY. Tunnel operating hours are stated as follows:

"Tunnel open 24x7, save excess Snowfall"

Here is the time chart for Srinagar-Pathankot.

Dep Srinagar 0700- arr into Jammu by 1500, driving time 7 hours, one hour halt/refreshments etc.

Dep Jammu 1630, arr Pathankot 1900.

This has been cross checked with authorities in J&K just now, and its good.

MH 03 White Scorpio on this run:

Wave if you are on this route.


31 Aug- Chandigarh- Manali (stay in Manali)
01 Sept- Manali (Stay in Manali)
02 Sept- Manali-Sarchu (stay)
03 Sept- Sarchu-Pang-Tso Kar- Upshi (stay)
04 Sept- Upshi- Leh (stay in Leh)
05 Sept- Leh city- local (Stay in Leh)
06 Sept- Leh- Khardung La- Deskit- Hunder (Stay)
07 Sept- Hunder- Khardung La- Leh (stayin Leh)
08 Sept- Leh- Chang La- Pangong Tso- Tangtse (Stay)
09 Sept- Tangtse- Leh (stay in Leh)
10 Sept- Leh- Alchi- Leh (Stay in Leh)
11 Sept- Leh-Kargil
12 Sept- Kargil- Srinagar
13 Sept- Srinagar-Jammu-Pathankot
14 Sept- Pathankot-Abohar
15Sept- Abohar-Jaisalmer
16Sept- Ahmedabad
17Sept- Mumbai

So, we both got into Jammu on the same day. The drive from Jammu to Srinagar on 17th was horrendous; I am sure you would have faced the same as well. Took us almost 12hours to hit Srinagar Airport.

So, where all did you go?

Just a question... Any specific reason for getting into Jammu?

We did Dras - Sonemarg - Srinagar (Byepass) - Patnitop - Udhampur - Dhar Road (known as 'ByePass to Samba / Pathankot'... but, doesn't really end up there) to DayalChak (~90kms of desolate questionable roads which will take 2.5hrs) - Lakhanpur - Madhopur (10kms short of Pathankot). (27May2011)

We crossed Srinagar's entry point at 12:54hrs and got into Madhopur at 22:45hrs, the distance being ~350kms for the above mentioned sector.

OKie! OKie! The latest update from the Ladakh Taxi Federation... Non-Leh (JK10...) taxiz are not allowed beyond a certain point from Leh towards K-La (Nubra - Panamik), Pangong and Tso Moriri. You will per force need to hire local cabs who's understanding is by the 'Union Rate List'... Common Sense & logic takes a backseat. So, irrespective of anyone who says anything, don't hire a cab from outside Leh to be with you to take you through the valley.

Another thingi... Most Non-Ladakhi operators claim that they know all routes, which means they know the 'straight' route to Leh (from Manali / Srinagar). Most Ladakhi operators claim that they know all routes and that they know the masters of the routes who are these ole guys who seem to have done every route... believe me, 99% of them have not seen the face of Nubra Valley beyond Hunder (Kamel dekhega... tent mein rahega), and beyond the direct route to Pangong & Tso Moriri, these fuys work on hearsay. Ask them to take the Chushul-Tsaga-Nyoma route between Pangong & Tso Moriri, some people may know, but other routes... Nah! Hanle... Some friend's friend's granpa once went there with his donkeys, so, that qualifies one to be well-versed with Hanle.

Can't comment on the HP portion... but my two cents on the rest is as follows.

1. You have acco available at Tso Moriri. I don't know the status at Upshi.

2. On 6th, you can stay put at Hunder, but if driving is the dominant gene, you can go ahead by another 85kms of clean roads and stay over at Turtuk with Attaullah is his camp. Hospitality is excellent; the family remains with you. Enjoy their extremely simple food.

3. On 8th, stay back at the "Martsimik La" camp at Lukung. The 34kms drive back to Dothguling GH at Tangtse can be avoided. More so, the dusk at Pangong should not be missed at any cost.

4. For 10th & 11th, the Leh - Alchi - Leh and Leh - Kargil, can be combined in one day. In fact Saspol, the point at which the road splits for Alchi and Kargil is 60kms from Leh, and enroute you may want to stop at Patthar Sahib Gurudwara and Magnet Hill. Do stop at the tea-stall next to the prayer-wheel (on the right side of the road) at Saspol for tea.

5. Srinagar - Pathankot is doable. See my entry on the route in this thread itself.

You answered my question- my advise was because the gent was travelling with wife + 1 year old in tow, so anything goes wrong, then its bad joss.

I'm not sure about the weather in Sep/Oct so I will leave that to the others, but for travelling from Manali to Leh, I think the better option would be to travel via HPTDC volvos. The road is maintained by the BSF, so it should be fine but the traffic is very heavy.

Searched HPTDC website, called their manali office, there is no Volvo service in that route, last time when I went in 2006, had to come back from rohtang, the road was closed, and I think there is a night halt requied too.

Can we please refrain from giving wrong information to fellow members in case we don't know something ? Manali to Leh on Volvo buses ? Road maintained by BSF ? Heavy traffic ?

Ooops Sorry for the misinformation. This was given to me by the tour guide in Manali when i visited last month. Didn't verify the info, so apologies.