[Devrishi]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Karnal to Amritsar can take around 8 hours. So you can fit in Jallianwala bagh and Golden Temple. Rest will be dicey.
Wagah is a 1 hour drive from Amritsar. If you really want to do it, see Golden Temple at Afternoon(40 degree Centigrade), then go to Wagah and come back for Sound and light show if you are still not hospitalized after Sun Stroke
Ideally, go to Amritsar, rest at hotel till 4pm, then go to Wagah, come back for sound and light show, and see Golden Temple. Do not eat at hotel. Take Langar at Golden Temple. ITs a must, do not skip it.

Amritsar to Srinagar is possible in a day if you start by 8am latest. At punjab JK border cops stop trucks in middle of the road leading to 2-3 hour long jams often.

Secondly, you do not need two nights at Nubra. If Wari la is closed(quite possible in june) you can drive back to leh and then simply head to pangong the next day. This will give you time for pangong.

Pangong to Tso moriri can take 14+ hours.

Thanks for your replies J. Ravi & Tanveer. I shall do as suggested - go to wagah in the eve & thereafter go for Light & Sound show followed by visit to Golden Temple and have Langar.

Now, the other problem... if Wari La is closed, can i not go to Pangong following the route Nubra > Agam > Shyok Village > Durbuk > Tangtse > Spangmik (Pangong). What is the problem in this route.

If i cannot go through above route, i will get stuck. I wont be having any booking in leh & it will be a season time. In that case, i will have the following MODIFIED-plan:

13th June: Leh > Nubra
14th June: Nubra > Leh
15th June: Leh > Pangong Tso
16th June: Pangong Tso > Leh
17th June: Leh > Sarchu / Jispa
18th June: Sarchu / Jispa > Manali [Tuesday Rohtang is closed, i will have no traffic hassels]

14 hrs drive Pangong to Tso Moriri - my family will kill me - hence dropped in this trip. I believe after Pangong, Tso Moriri will be less enjoyable.

One more question - While returning from Leh, should i stay at Sarchu or Jispa? I understand that Jispa is at lower altitude than Sarchu. How long will it take to travel to Jispa from Leh & Sarchu from Leh. What should i do?

Thank you so much

[bruty]

I will be there during this period, keep an eye on DL 3CBB Safari Dicor

[aplang1]

I am planning to do this trip in the last week of May 2013. This is my first trip ever for such a long period in mountains. I would appreciate if the forum Gurus could guide me accordingly.

I have gone through most threads on the forum for Leh Ladakh trips before preparing my itinerary. Permits will be arranged for by Army friends.

My base in Leh sector will be Upshi where i will be staying with the Army friends.

Vehicle: 2006 Elantra Crdi
Mileage: 145000 kms
Ground Clearance: 185mm
Vehicle Condition: Good, New tyres
Passengers: 4 adults including me

If Anshuman can do this trip in a Laura, I thought why not give it a try in the Elantra.

The other options are 2011 Ford Figo TDCI with 31000 kms on the odo and 2009 Hyundai i10 with 36000 kms on the odo. I chose the Elantra primarily because of the extra luggage space, more power and the longer range.

Thanks!!

[amitw79]

Hi Friends

I am planning to get Leh'd this May.

Tentative plan is to start from Jalandhar(Punjab) on Sat 11th May.

My questions/concerns/doubts so far is whether I would be able to do this 15 days trip in TATA MANZA and how exactly the road conditions will be.

Any special preparations to be done for the car apart from Regular Servicing and thorough check-ups? Regarding GC, I am planning to get some sort of aluminium sump guard (not sure if I would be able to get it though)

Will I be able to do Pangong and Nubra during that time?

Initially the idea is to go via Srinagar and return via Rohtang/Manali if Rohtang Pass is open by that time (near to May end)

People on-board: 2 (both good drivers)
Personal Luggage: Minimal to Medium
Supporting stuff for vehicle: Lots of it

Any input will be very helpful.

Thanks!

[Shutterbugger]

Hi there,

I am planning to visit Ladakh over a 10-14 day trip in the next few months and had some very basic questions to get started. Apologies in advance if these have been answered in the 60 pages of this thread - I did not have the wherewithal to go through all of them (I will later on for the more detailed issues of itinerary, driving conditions, etc.)

* What kind of weather one should expect in the months of June, July, Aug or Sep in Ladakh - keeping in mind rain, sunshine, clear skies, landslides etc.

* Would July or Aug or Sep be particularly bad times of the year to head to Ladakh? Asking since most likely it will be one of these 3 months for us

* We have a Linea Diesel 2012 model with 185 GC. Is it advisable to use it for a trip across Ladakh? What about issues with emergency repairs in case of any eventuality - anyone knows how bad (notice - not asking how good :P) the Tata-Fiat service network is?

* Is it possible to hire a cab and driver in New Delhi or Chandigarh for the trip? How much would it cost approx?

* for a 10-14 day trip, how much should we budget for assuming 4 people are travelling in one car? How much do hotels usually cost per night in that region?

Thanks a lot in advance!

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Shutterbugger

* What kind of weather one should expect in the months of June, July, Aug or Sep in Ladakh - keeping in mind rain, sunshine, clear skies, landslides etc.

Lots of snow melt in Jun-Jul.
Problem of water crossings in some sectors during that time.
In Jul, heavy rains in approaches in Manali region.
Pretty warm in Aug, but cooler in Sep, cold in Oct.
Use sun block cream at all times.
Maybe some snowfall in end-Sep, and definitely a few times in Oct.

* Would July or Aug or Sep be particularly bad times of the year to head to Ladakh? Asking since most likely it will be one of these 3 months for us

Avoid July - snow melt, bad roads, uncertain weather conditions, heavy rush in Ladakh, high season tariffs in hotels.
Best could be September - peak season ends, good weather, excellent roads

* We have a Linea Diesel 2012 model with 185 GC. Is it advisable to use it for a trip across Ladakh? What about issues with emergency repairs in case of any eventuality - anyone knows how bad (notice - not asking how good :P) the Tata-Fiat service network is?

Forget service networks, there is none, the Tata ASC in Leh struggles to service Tata vehicles, they are not equipped for servicing Fiats. However, for normal mechanical help, there are plenty of workshops in Leh, but if you want any specific part, you will not get it there.

* Is it possible to hire a cab and driver in New Delhi or Chandigarh for the trip? How much would it cost approx?

Cabs from outside Ladakh region are not allowed for sight-seeing in most Ladakh circuits, so you will have to hire another local cab anyway to go to Pangong, NUbra Valley or Tso Moriri. Avoid going in cabs.

* for a 10-14 day trip, how much should we budget for assuming 4 people are travelling in one car? How much do hotels usually cost per night in that region?

Thanks a lot in advance!

You can get excellent hotels (last year's tariffs) for <Rs 1,000, with some haggling. Don't book anything online, the choices are limited and rates too high. In places like Pangong, Tso Moriri, choices are limited, but you can bargain them down to, say, Rs 500-1000 per head even there.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by aplang1

My base in Leh sector will be Upshi where i will be staying with the Army friends.

Vehicle: 2006 Elantra Crdi
Mileage: 145000 kms
Ground Clearance: 185mm
Vehicle Condition: Good, New tyres
Passengers: 4 adults including me

I would not take more than 3 people in an Elantra. Loses ground clearance & power, and you won't have enough space to carry so much baggage & other essentials. Even in my SCorpio, I think 3 passengers is the correct size.

The other options are 2011 Ford Figo TDCI with 31000 kms on the odo and 2009 Hyundai i10 with 36000 kms on the odo. I chose the Elantra primarily because of the extra luggage space, more power and the longer range.

Thanks!!

I would choose either of the small cars, but avoid overloading them.

Originally Posted by amitw79

I am planning to get Leh'd this May.


My questions/concerns/doubts so far is whether I would be able to do this 15 days trip in TATA MANZA and how exactly the road conditions will be.

Road conditions in May will be terrible & a car like Tata Manza with such a long wheel base could be like a fish out of water. Theoretically, it may do it, but with bad road conditions at opening of the season, you are going to face many knocks & risk heavy damage, besides struggling to cross slushy & stony sections.

Any special preparations to be done for the car apart from Regular Servicing and thorough check-ups? Regarding GC, I am planning to get some sort of aluminium sump guard (not sure if I would be able to get it though)

Not only expensive, but also reduces GC further.
Special preparations:
- do not expect Tata service in Leh, they may not have parts for Manza which is not a car used in those parts
- Change air filters after reaching Leh
- Ensure your battery is in prime condition
- If tyres are near the end of their life, good to change before the trip

Will I be able to do Pangong and Nubra during that time?

Yes.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by aplang1

Vehicle: 2006 Elantra Crdi
Mileage: 145000 kms
Ground Clearance: 185mm
Vehicle Condition: Good, New tyres
Passengers: 4 adults including me

If Anshuman can do this trip in a Laura, I thought why not give it a try in the Elantra.

Few years back, my original candidate for the Ladakh trip was indeed my 2006 Elantra CRDI: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...rt-review.html

Elantra has good ground clearance, but with 4 adults and their luggage i fear your car is going to sink a lot. My advice is to pack light and before you tackle any obstacle get down and plan the path keeping your car's underbody in mind. Also, get to know your car's underbody, you should know where are the fragile parts placed, and how to steer to avoid them. At times there might be places where a scrape will be inevitable, knowing your car well will help a lot in avoiding fragile parts.

The front tow hooks(on both sides, below the bumper) serve very well as feeler pins(dont know if this is right term!), they are pretty strong and are the first ones to hit the obstacle, they give out warning in advance, listen for them scraping. Try not to use too much clutch slipping for climbs, if your car isnt moving, back up and chart a plan to steer and attempt will little more momentum .

Elantra CRDI is a very reliable car, even at this mileage it should do the trip easily, only it has been maintained religiously. All the best for trip!

[tsk1979]

IF you skip the Manali leh route, its easy to go to Leh in any car. The Zoji la route has few tricky sections and crators on the road are easily avoidable.
Toyota has a well equipped service center in Leh. Even Scorpio/Xylo support is readily available. As for Tata, forget service. Their service center did not have simple stuff like coolant or air filters.

[honeybee]

By the way, a while back I had picked up an excellent book from Crossword: "Ladakh" by Romesh Bhattacharji. It's a beautiful book by the author who has scaled Ladakh and the surrounding regions on foot, two wheelers and four wheelers, and gives a lot of insight into the history and geography of the region as well as some of the unexplored parts of the same.

I think anyone travelling to Ladakh needs to buy and read through the book to understand the region better. It also has some important suggestions on the best times to reach a place, though generally these are more from exploration and experience perspective rather than safety.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by amitw79

Hi Friends

I am planning to get Leh'd this May.

Tentative plan is to start from Jalandhar(Punjab) on Sat 11th May.

My questions/concerns/doubts so far is whether I would be able to do this 15 days trip in TATA MANZA and how exactly the road conditions will be.

Great to see another Manza planning to drive to Ladakh. I guess since you are going in May I will get to know really well how the car performed. But before you do attempt, just try and understand the essential parts of the car and the under body. If you are loaded then you are bound to hit one time or the other, just plan where you would want the hit.

The car already has a metal sheet covering the sump with just a small opening for the oil drain, at least this is present in my car. The metal sheet might not be that thick at the very least 2mm. I have plans of making a 3-4mm aluminum sheet and fix it in place of the current one. I would also suggest looking at the option of adding rubber spacers from Autorunner in the suspension as Manza springs are way too soft and sag pretty easily on uneven roads.

Other than the above, all the best.

[amitw79]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Road conditions in May will be terrible & a car like Tata Manza with such a long wheel base could be like a fish out of water. Theoretically, it may do it, but with bad road conditions at opening of the season, you are going to face many knocks & risk heavy damage, besides struggling to cross slushy & stony sections.

Sir, will it be equally bad if I take only the Srinagar-leh route to and fro?

I thought Srinagar Leh route is easier for cars like hatchbacks and Sedan.

I went from Manali all the way upto Rohtang and back, in June 2010 with 3 adults and two kids on board, faced all the slush and madness, car did pretty well at that time and underbody was hit only once

[Shutterbugger]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Lots of snow melt in Jun-Jul.
Problem of water crossings in some sectors during that time.
In Jul, heavy rains in approaches in Manali region.
Pretty warm in Aug, but cooler in Sep, cold in Oct.
Use sun block cream at all times.
Maybe some snowfall in end-Sep, and definitely a few times in Oct.

Would May be a better time? How would the roads be at that time?

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Forget service networks, there is none, the Tata ASC in Leh struggles to service Tata vehicles, they are not equipped for servicing Fiats. However, for normal mechanical help, there are plenty of workshops in Leh, but if you want any specific part, you will not get it there.

Would you recommend doing this terrain in a Fiat Linea?

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Cabs from outside Ladakh region are not allowed for sight-seeing in most Ladakh circuits, so you will have to hire another local cab anyway to go to Pangong, NUbra Valley or Tso Moriri. Avoid going in cabs.

But I guess there is no alternative to hiring a cab from Delhi/Chandigarh if we decide not to drive ourselves. Driving from Mumbai would take a lot of time which we won't have given work commitments. Is it easy to hire cars for self drive in Ladakh?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by amitw79

Sir, will it be equally bad if I take only the Srinagar-leh route to and fro?

I thought Srinagar Leh route is easier for cars like hatchbacks and Sedan.

I went from Manali all the way upto Rohtang and back, in June 2010 with 3 adults and two kids on board, faced all the slush and madness, car did pretty well at that time and underbody was hit only once

It is a steep ascent upto Zoji la, and be prepared for some slush, but definitely doable in any car, as long as you are a skilled driver.

Originally Posted by Shutterbugger

Would May be a better time? How would the roads be at that time?

May is a bad month, lots of snow melt, roads in bad shape, unpredictable water crossings.

Would you recommend doing this terrain in a Fiat Linea?

Definitely more reliable than a Maza, but even more difficult to resolve any repair issues.

[Shutterbugger]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Definitely more reliable than a Maza, but even more difficult to resolve any repair issues.

From a GC perspective and from the point of view of reliability / sturdiness of the car, would Fiat Linea Diesel make the cut on Ladakh terrain? I realize that if we are unlucky and a major part needs replacement, it might be very challenging.