Chennai to Leh and Back - Anyone done this?

ram2004 · 6th April 2006, 23:36

I am firming up my plans to take a ride which I have been waiting all my life. We plan to go to Leh from Chennai (Chennai-Vijayawada - Nagpur - Delhi-Mussoorie- Mori-Thanedar-Sangla-Kaza-Tabo-Kyelang-Leh-Kargil-Srinagar-Jammu-Amritsar-Delhi-Hyderabad-Chennai) around July-Sept 2006, We are going by a Tata Safari Exi 4x4 (no kidding this is Petrol!!!). Has anybody in Chennai done a trip to Leh by road? Requesting team bhp members forum for some contacts in Chennai who would help me or just feel free to chip in with your tips and tricks!.....Ram (a passionate Tata Safari Exi 4x4 owner, selfdriven about 18000kms in Indian Highways mostly with wife+kid in the last year or so, longest trip Chennai-Goa-Chennai; Chennai-Bangalore-Guruvayur-chennai; and most of the remote corners in Tamilnadu).

Steeroid · 7th April 2006, 00:51

Hi ram

Another Safari, albeit a diesel Dicor, is also planning a similar trip from Cochin to Leh and back......sometime this summer, time permitting.

Yet another Dicor might join in from Bangalore, again time permitting.

hrag · 7th April 2006, 09:56

ram2004, I suggest you join the indiahighways Yahoogroup at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indiahighways
and get in touch with a Mr. Kumar there. He'll be able to give you all the tips you need.

tsk1979 · 7th April 2006, 10:44

Its sure going to be fun.
Some tips though.
1. Leave out the Nagpur route. Its better to follow the Golden Quardilateral than the corridors. Reason 1. Better roads 2. Less crime. You will be doing about 500kms extra but the better roads will make up for that. Sure you have a safari which will make its own road by there are lots of dacoits on the Nagpur route. Many times my cousins trucks have been looted, and that too during evening, it wasnt even dark.
2. Why go through mussourie unless you want to see it. I presume monsoons would have come and the mussorie highway is not as well maintaned by the BRO. So if you get stuck in a landslide you may get stuck for many many hours. I got stuck once for 4 hours. Then everybody pooled in 50rs to get a JCB machine. I would suggest take the delhi-chd route. Better road. Avoid kargil, enter through himachal.

khaadu75 · 7th April 2006, 10:53

Hey Ram, Trust me on one thing -- this sure is gonna be one helluva trip !!! My question is the same as tsk ... why head to Mussoorie-Mori-Thanedar ?? Instead you should just head straight to Thanedar from delhi ... also as its gonna be during the monsoons u'll have to make sure you keep ur plans pretty flexible ... The mussoorie - Mori - Thanedar stretch is an area where if stranded due to a landslide may take days to open for traffic so my advice is ' SIMPLY AVOID IT ' !!

Any other help needed ...let me know !!!

Cheers

khaadu75 · 7th April 2006, 10:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

. Avoid kargil, enter through himachal.

Hey, I didn't understand this portion of ur statement .... Where wud u like him to enter through Himachal ??

Cheers

naveendhyani · 7th April 2006, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram2004

We plan to go to Leh from Chennai (Chennai-Vijayawada - Nagpur - Delhi-Mussoorie- Mori-Thanedar-Sangla-Kaza-Tabo-Kyelang-Leh-Kargil-Srinagar-Jammu-Amritsar-Delhi-Hyderabad-Chennai) around July-Sept 2006,

hi there! i also have similar plans around the same time though i will b goin thru either a lancer or baleno (whichever i buy in a month's time based on BHPians experience). i stay in delhi so my journey wont take me more than 11-12 days in total. i will enter J&K either via jammu and exit via manali or vice versa. but bro, dont miss on Pangong Tso lake on the outskirts of leh, its awsome! nything u need in delhi, just let me know.

ram2004 · 7th April 2006, 11:58

Hi guys

First of all thanks a ton! My route plan was based on the following:
1. Driving Holidays - by Bob Rupani
2. Autocar Driving Destinations - Rishad Saam Mehta
and many websites right from Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Leh tourism down to Bsmotoring roads, travelogues and blogs

The reason for going through Nagpur is just time. Mussorie-Mori-Thanedar (alternative to Chandigarh-Shimla-Tabo-Manali-Rohtang-Keylong Leh) is just because of having the thrill to drive along rivers! tastes are simple but task ahead is daunting!.

Anyway I will keep logging on and hopefully I will be a wiser man before I put my actual drive plan. I know I have started early and I have team-bhp to guide me through. I also hope that I will end up with a big gang from all over India!!!!! That would be great fun and frolic for a lifetime!......thanks Ram

tsk1979 · 7th April 2006, 12:53

I think I'm misinformed then, ?I actually meant use the other route. I believe there are two routes to Leh from Delhi, one is through Kargil which is supposed to be dangerous and other is through north himachal. Maybe the other route is also through Punjab-Kashmir but does not include Kargil?

goldie_malhotra · 7th April 2006, 13:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I think I'm misinformed then, ?I actually meant use the other route. I believe there are two routes to Leh from Delhi, one is through Kargil which is supposed to be dangerous and other is through north himachal. Maybe the other route is also through Punjab-Kashmir but does not include Kargil?

There are two routes to leh - one goes via pathankot-jammu-srinagar-kargil, and another via manali-keylong-ladakh. But have heard that manali route is often blocked by landslides, even in the summers. The kargil route has better roads, though safety might be at risk (dunno whats the situation now).

tsk1979 · 7th April 2006, 15:10

Well thats what I meant when I said go to leh through himachal!

khaadu75 · 7th April 2006, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Well thats what I meant when I said go to leh through himachal!

Hey, But that allready is his route ... In his intial post he has stated that he wud enter from Himachal --- and thats why ur post had me confused

!!
Its just that instead of going to Manali he will bye pass it as he's taking the Kinnaur route ... !!

Cheers

khaadu75 · 7th April 2006, 20:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by saajan_20

hey ram

ok for ur trip till manali its an everyday road but from there on starts .
THE TRIP

Hey,

If you look at the details of the route Ram's planning on taking, u'll realise that its not an everyday road till Manali !! Infact the route that he is taking from Mussoorie till Rohtang is way tougher than the one from Manali to Leh .

I too had planned to head to leh for 3 weeks but that seems impossible now due to work related situations cropping up which don't allow me to leave Delhi till Mid Sept !! It seems we might have a whole bunch of bhpians at Leh this summers .....

Any assistance you guys need while driving thru Himachal pls feel free to PM me ....

Cheers

ram2004 · 10th April 2006, 12:24

Hi guys!

thanks to you all......specially

Hrag: for introducing Kumar on india higways group at yahoo - he is a guru on Indian Highways and is now helphing me with information on my route plan. With 600000kms on Indian Highways in 20 years, there is no better bet. He is doing great service by sharing all his wealthy information.

tsk1979: I think you are right in recommending the GQ instead of the chennai-hyderabad-nagpur sector. GQ is the longest but appears to be the most optimal and quickest....thanks

steeroid: One more tata safari will be a great addition to the ride. Do let me know you can contact me at 98407-53773

I am now revising the entire trip/route plan and will post it on finalising.

Thanks team-bhp once again!

Ram

6th April 2006, 23:36	#1
ram2004 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai Posts: 38 Thanked: 11 Times	Chennai to Leh and Back - Anyone done this? I am firming up my plans to take a ride which I have been waiting all my life. We plan to go to Leh from Chennai (Chennai-Vijayawada - Nagpur - Delhi-Mussoorie- Mori-Thanedar-Sangla-Kaza-Tabo-Kyelang-Leh-Kargil-Srinagar-Jammu-Amritsar-Delhi-Hyderabad-Chennai) around July-Sept 2006, We are going by a Tata Safari Exi 4x4 (no kidding this is Petrol!!!). Has anybody in Chennai done a trip to Leh by road? Requesting team bhp members forum for some contacts in Chennai who would help me or just feel free to chip in with your tips and tricks!.....Ram (a passionate Tata Safari Exi 4x4 owner, selfdriven about 18000kms in Indian Highways mostly with wife+kid in the last year or so, longest trip Chennai-Goa-Chennai; Chennai-Bangalore-Guruvayur-chennai; and most of the remote corners in Tamilnadu).
	() Thanks

7th April 2006, 00:51	#2
Steeroid Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: N.A Posts: 7,046 Thanked: 2,751 Times	Hi ram Another Safari, albeit a diesel Dicor, is also planning a similar trip from Cochin to Leh and back......sometime this summer, time permitting. Yet another Dicor might join in from Bangalore, again time permitting.
	() Thanks

7th April 2006, 09:56	#3
hrag BANNED Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore / Madras Posts: 1,982 Thanked: 31 Times	ram2004, I suggest you join the indiahighways Yahoogroup at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indiahighways and get in touch with a Mr. Kumar there. He'll be able to give you all the tips you need.
	() Thanks

7th April 2006, 10:44	#4
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Its sure going to be fun. Some tips though. 1. Leave out the Nagpur route. Its better to follow the Golden Quardilateral than the corridors. Reason 1. Better roads 2. Less crime. You will be doing about 500kms extra but the better roads will make up for that. Sure you have a safari which will make its own road by there are lots of dacoits on the Nagpur route. Many times my cousins trucks have been looted, and that too during evening, it wasnt even dark. 2. Why go through mussourie unless you want to see it. I presume monsoons would have come and the mussorie highway is not as well maintaned by the BRO. So if you get stuck in a landslide you may get stuck for many many hours. I got stuck once for 4 hours. Then everybody pooled in 50rs to get a JCB machine. I would suggest take the delhi-chd route. Better road. Avoid kargil, enter through himachal.
	() Thanks

7th April 2006, 10:53	#5
khaadu75 BANNED Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: same as the proposed venue for F1 ;-) Posts: 1,156 Thanked: 16 Times View My Garage	Hey Ram, Trust me on one thing -- this sure is gonna be one helluva trip !!! My question is the same as tsk ... why head to Mussoorie-Mori-Thanedar ?? Instead you should just head straight to Thanedar from delhi ... also as its gonna be during the monsoons u'll have to make sure you keep ur plans pretty flexible ... The mussoorie - Mori - Thanedar stretch is an area where if stranded due to a landslide may take days to open for traffic so my advice is ' SIMPLY AVOID IT ' !! Any other help needed ...let me know !!! Cheers
	() Thanks

7th April 2006, 11:58	#8
ram2004 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai Posts: 38 Thanked: 11 Times	Continue with your valuable tips! Chennai-Leh Hi guys First of all thanks a ton! My route plan was based on the following: 1. Driving Holidays - by Bob Rupani 2. Autocar Driving Destinations - Rishad Saam Mehta and many websites right from Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Leh tourism down to Bsmotoring roads, travelogues and blogs The reason for going through Nagpur is just time. Mussorie-Mori-Thanedar (alternative to Chandigarh-Shimla-Tabo-Manali-Rohtang-Keylong Leh) is just because of having the thrill to drive along rivers! tastes are simple but task ahead is daunting!. Anyway I will keep logging on and hopefully I will be a wiser man before I put my actual drive plan. I know I have started early and I have team-bhp to guide me through. I also hope that I will end up with a big gang from all over India!!!!! That would be great fun and frolic for a lifetime!......thanks Ram
	() Thanks

7th April 2006, 12:53	#9
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	I think I'm misinformed then, ?I actually meant use the other route. I believe there are two routes to Leh from Delhi, one is through Kargil which is supposed to be dangerous and other is through north himachal. Maybe the other route is also through Punjab-Kashmir but does not include Kargil?
	() Thanks

7th April 2006, 15:10	#11
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Well thats what I meant when I said go to leh through himachal!
	() Thanks

10th April 2006, 12:24	#14
ram2004 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai Posts: 38 Thanked: 11 Times	Chennai-Leh Updates Hi guys! thanks to you all......specially Hrag: for introducing Kumar on india higways group at yahoo - he is a guru on Indian Highways and is now helphing me with information on my route plan. With 600000kms on Indian Highways in 20 years, there is no better bet. He is doing great service by sharing all his wealthy information. tsk1979: I think you are right in recommending the GQ instead of the chennai-hyderabad-nagpur sector. GQ is the longest but appears to be the most optimal and quickest....thanks steeroid: One more tata safari will be a great addition to the ride. Do let me know you can contact me at 98407-53773 I am now revising the entire trip/route plan and will post it on finalising. Thanks team-bhp once again! Ram
	() Thanks