[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by pramods

Done the Leh trip...

Glad you finally made the trip after your major disappointment the last time. Look forward to your travelogue now!

[Swift Express]

Originally Posted by pramods

Done the Leh trip, went via Srinagar and came via Manali, started on 19th May and returned yesterday 1st June, incase anybody is planning currently Manali route is in better shape the Srinagar, Zojila was in worst shape and Kargil Leh too was in bad shape, even though both the La after Kargil are tarred but everything else is in bad shape.

-Pramod

Great to hear you made it. Thanks for the latest update on the Road Condition. I am starting off from Mumbai on 9-June-12 by road. Will start my journey from Srinagar towards leh on 13-June-12. Have a Vento Diesel. There are three people. Wats you take how difficult will be the drive as per current road conditions in Vento. Is Leh Manali route doable in Vento.

[indian21r]

First Leg of Trip till Valley is on now. Team of 5

June 1st Friday : Hyderabad to Pune Done in 10.5 hrs by Driver and Cousin

June 2nd Saturday : Pune to Udaipur 4:00 am to 7:00 pm. Roads are good throughout. Heavy traffic from Mumbai to Diu. Must be because of it being a Saturday. (3 drivers). We took the Baroda, Ahmedabad expressway, Did not realize that the exit is into the city. We lost sometime here. Anyway Surprised to see that the road in Maharashtra dn Gujarat are 3 lanes each way.

June 3rd Sunday : Udaipur to Abohar. Started a little late @ 7 am. Neither of us had more than 2 hours sleep the previous day at home. Had to halt here due to a stopover of more than 2 hrs at Ajmer Sherif Dargah. Anyway we have time till 12 pm tomorrow to be in Amritsar. Reached Abohar by 8:45 pm. Kishangarh to Hanumangarh road is a beauty.Except for a few speed breakers and railway crossings. The road is a beauty and really. Butter Smooth. Single toll is a good alternative. Started @ 220 pm in Ajmer and reached Hanumangarh by 7:45 pm with standard breaks for toilet / coffee /fuel refilling. Cool 5 hour drive averaging 80kmph. The desert road is very scenic with added attraction of dust storm for close to an hour.

Next weeks itinerary
June 4th Monday :Will be doing Abohar, Firozpur stretch to Amritsar. Reach Amritsar by 10 am or 11 am and Check in at Hotel, Pick up my sisters from Airport @ 2pm, Have lunch, see Jallianwala Bagh and head for Wagah Border, Followed by night time visit to Golden Temple.

June 5th Tuesday : Start for Katra around 12 pm ( no Helicopters available to Temple). So we have to climb the ghat. What is worry some is not being able to get a room in bhawan. We plan to start the trek around 9 pm or so. Are they any alternatives for private room in Bhawan. I am searching everywhere but finding none. We will need some accommodation after the trek)30 hrs a good enough up and down

June 6th Wednesday : Night stay again at Katra

June 7th Thursday : Katra to Srinagar ( jam packed. Getting hotels is real pain, Wondering should I book for 3 days in Houseboat or 1 in HB and 2 in a Hotel. Some of them are mentioning that HB tend to have mosquitoes and also water in the lake stinks.

June 8th Local Sight seeing, Shikar ride etc.

June 9th : Gumarg Gondola. For the Gondola, do we need to do any walking if the tickets are booked online. How far is the Car park from actual ride. Return to srinagar by evening.

June 10th - Srinagar to Drass /Kargil. My uncle is against us staying in Sonamarg

Infact this trip is turning out to be a Secular Darshan run for me. Ajmer Dargah to Golden temple to Vaishnodevi to Buddhist Monastery

Any Inputs on accommodation in Srinagar /Katra are greatly appreciated. 3 star accommodation atleast

[sidwadia]

Originally Posted by pramods

Done the Leh trip, went via Srinagar and came via Manali, started on 19th May and returned yesterday 1st June, incase anybody is planning currently Manali route is in better shape the Srinagar, Zojila was in worst shape and Kargil Leh too was in bad shape, even though both the La after Kargil are tarred but everything else is in bad shape. Manali is more of patience game because of tourist going toward Rohtang and making a complete mess with Parking, I have to spend 3hours at Marhi because of traffic jam!

Barlacha was good with tar road and just Snow all across, Tanlagla from Leh side is tarred while the descends is bad because of water and mud, will need some caution with 2wd, Rohtang was ok but need some caution with water and no road at few places, at some places there are land slides that are regularly cleared and that creates some difficulties with car ground clearance.
TSO Morriri last 30kms are as usual bad, while at Gayk BRO is greeting the bridge repaired and I had a very difficult time because of Dozer just made the road and it's was just cleared the road for trucks and I had Yeti!
-Pramod

That was really helpful Pramod. Thanks !
Since I am planning for my first road trip to Leh starting 22nd June from Delhi, would be great to get your advice & detailed experience to help me plan better.
regards
Sid

[sidwadia]

Originally Posted by Devrishi

Okay... Leaving on 31st May for Manali & Keylong in my Fortuner:
Kanpur > Delhi > Manali > Keylong > Baralacha la > Keylong > Manali > Delhi > Kanpur
Trip from 31st May to 10th June
anyone from team-bhp there in those days??
:-)

Hi Devrishi,
I am planning my Ladhak road trip from the 22nd of June. Would be great to get your first hand experience to help me plan better.
Many thanks in advance
regards
Sid

[indian21r]

Originally Posted by Swift Express

Back to back posts, please use Multi Quote (Quote +) instead. Thanks
Wish you a Safe Drive and Njoy . I would be in Leh on 14-June-12. Going Via Srinagar Kargil. Will wait for the update from your end on Leh Manali Road condition and accordingly decide if to take the said route on the way bike.

Thanks for the wishes man. I will surely update as and when I get access to Internet.

[Swift Express]

Originally Posted by indian21r

First Leg of Trip till Valley is on now. Team of 5


Any Inputs on accommodation in Srinagar /Katra are greatly appreciated. 3 star accommodation atleast

Hotels in Srinagar are mostly running full. Try to do an advance booking for the one's remaining through Online Mode. Hotel Mirage is one of the good options which is available. You can also contact Sajid- Gd Travel agent in Srinagar for bookings - 9796716252.

[Sunney]

Originally Posted by Swift Express

Hotels in Srinagar are mostly running full. Try to do an advance booking for the one's remaining through Online Mode. Hotel Mirage is one of the good options which is available. You can also contact Sajid- Gd Travel agent in Srinagar for bookings - 9796716252.

Youth Hostels c/o. Youth Hostel Association, India(in collaboration with ‘Youth Hostel International’) provide fairly clean rooms at fair rates, with all facilities, very safe also. One can be a member of the association at very cheap rates (Rs. 1550/life membership), to avail subsidized room rent. Non members too can avail rooms. Generally booking is needed; but you can try. They provide 'first come first serve' basis. Please find below few addresses:
J&K:
1) Hotel Mirage, Near Dr. Dhar, New Era Road, Raj Bagh, Sri Nagar. 190 008(j&k)
Telephone:0194-2107176,09906591371,09469031003
2) Hotel Broadway Kassal More Patnitop, Distt Udampur, Jammu and Kashmir
Telephone:0199-2275439
3) Youth Hostel Leh-Ladakh, C/o Hotel Horzey, Old Road Chulung, Leh-Ladakh (J & K), India
Telephone:+91-1982-252454, 09906979233 (Mr.P. Wangchuk)

[BunnyPunia]

Originally Posted by indian21r

June 6th Wednesday : Night stay again at Katra

June 7th Thursday : Katra to Srinagar ( jam packed. Getting hotels is real pain, Wondering should I book for 3 days in Houseboat or 1 in HB and 2 in a Hotel. Some of them are mentioning that HB tend to have mosquitoes and also water in the lake stinks.

I m leaving Delhi on 6th June (5am) and aiming for Banihal alteast. Hope to bump into on the road! I will be in a Aria

Originally Posted by Devrishi

Okay... Leaving on 31st May for Manali & Keylong in my Fortuner:

Kanpur > Delhi > Manali > Keylong > Baralacha la > Keylong > Manali > Delhi > Kanpur

Trip from 31st May to 10th June

anyone from team-bhp there in those days??

:-)

Leaving Delhi on 6th, from Srinagar side, Leh by 8th. Coming back via Rohtang. Will be in a Aria. Hope to see u on the road!

[BunnyPunia]

Starting from Udhampur in 30mins - 2 issues yesterday slashed our Banihal plans! Its pretty cloudy - aiming for Drass tonighjt. Will update on road conditions by night

[Thamizha]

Checklist for ladakh (Road trip in bike)

This was our first adventure experience (of this kind). We had no clue what to carry and what is necessary. So we browsed few sites and got some checklists. After consolidating we thought if we carry all of it. We will never complete the journey on time.

We took not even 50% of this list. I am attaching the checklist. I felt this will help you. It has all the items which we consolidated, as everyone’s needs are different. But per my experience, the less you carry the easier the trip will be. Try to have the necessities alone.

Hope this will help some.

[docfreak]

I completed my Shimla-Spiti-Manali road trip in extreem weather in End of May, the pictures and details u can see at quintessential travller.
I shall be happy to answer any specific query as well.

[Swift Express]

Originally Posted by BunnyPunia

Starting from Udhampur in 30mins - 2 issues yesterday slashed our Banihal plans! Its pretty cloudy - aiming for Drass tonighjt. Will update on road conditions by night

Look forward to your update. Leaving from Mumbai Tonite for Srinagar- Leh- Manali and Back.Looking for latest update on Zojilla Pass.

[BunnyPunia]

Did Sonamarg to Leh today. Left at 5:30am, however, the barricade wasn't lifted as there had been an accident a day before n the cops were taking it easy today. However, the press card worked and we were allowed to go along with four other private cars heading to leh by 7. Initial few km are excellent - however, the climb is horrible. Sedans n hatchbacks will touch the under belly easily! And it was rainin. Traffic was a mess - wasted an hour in jams. Lotsa snow on the top though.
I would say over 60 percent of srinagar-leh is very good tarmac. Inspite of wasting 2 hrs near mulbek due to blasting and one hour enroute zojila, we were in leh by 9 : 14 hrs - 3 for jams : 11 hrs. This includes around 1 hour in all for photo breaks.
Enroute fotu la, massive landslides n bad roads for a while. Some very bad stretches before those plains (forgot the name, before nimmu). That said, 60 percent route is super well tarred n hence 10 drivin hours for us for app 350-360 km. K - top got closed due to heavy snowfall - will give it a try tomm. Leh is deserted - includin restaurants!
Summary - hatchbacks n sedans : a big NO for this route! Heavy rains are further deepening the massive potholes of zojila

[pramods]

Looks like Zojila is in same condition since start, I did the same on 22nd May and it was snowing that day, Yeti was having tough time crossing this pass, at some places the puddles are so deep that it can take the whole car, I did it in late evening as the pass opened after 2 days of snowing at 7 PM in the evening. In comparison Rohtang, Barlacha and tanglanla was easier and safer!
-Pramod