[rkbharat]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I guess opinion may be divided on this matter of continued use of Diamox. I used Diamox on all days even after we realised that we were fully acclimatised to the higher altitude and did not feel any health problems. Just being extra cautious. I find drinking water regularly helps more than just Diamox, and I also stuck to a diet of lots of water. Camphor - someone in our team mentioned its use, but I did not use it, am told that it is a good alternative to Diamox?

In Last two trip, no Diamox, not for myself, not even for all fire timers with me. followed and recommended frequent hydration through out the trip.

[hvkumar]

Avoid Use of Lap tops & I-Pods

Use of lap tops in high altitude areas is not advised since the HDD can crash. This is just not theoretical thought, but some of our friends have lost their lap tops by disregarding this advice.

Places where lap tops should strictly not be used:

- Kunzum la, 4500 mtrs
- Chandra Tal, around 4500 mtrs
- Baralacha la, 4900 mtrs
- Sarchu, 4400 mtrs
- Lachulung la, 5100 mtrs
- Pang, 4500 mtrs
- Tanglang la, 5300 mtrs
- Pensi la, 4400 mtrs
- Rangdum, 4000 mtrs
- Khardung la, 5400 mtrs
- Wari la, 5300 mtrs
- Pangong, 4300 mtrs
- Tangtse, 4000 mtrs
- Chang la, 5300 mtrs
- Chushul, 4400 mtrs
- Man/Merak, 4300 mtrs
- Hanle, 4300 mtrs
- Nyoma, around 4300 mtrs
- Tso Moriri, 4500 mtrs
- Sach Pass, 4400 mtrs

You can safely use lap tops in places like Chitkul, Tabo, Kaza, Keylong, Jispa, Leh, Nubra Valley, Kargil, Padum & Dalhousie.

Please keep your lap tops totally shut down (and not in hibernation or stand by mode) in the restricted places.

In case you need the lap top to download photos, etc, please plan your downloading schedule so that you do not use it in such places. Carry extra flash memory instead.

Here are a couple of useful links:
high altitude laptop problems? | Lightstalkers
Laptop in Tibet - Lonely Planet travel forum

[hvkumar]

CLOTHING

1 Woollen Socks
2 Woollen Cap
3 Woollen gloves
4 Thermals
5 Jacket
6 Sweater
7 Shawls
8 Scarves/Bandanas
9 Cotton Wool
10 Knee Caps (if required)
11 Linen/shopping bags to store soiled clothes

It is always advised to carry soft bags/haversacks. Please avoid hard baggages.

What should be the wardrobe?

1. You have to carry heavy woollens, and also wear it most of the time
2. Ideally, have thermals - 2 pieced ones - on all the time
3. Wear a waterproof jacket (not wind cheater) with woollen inners
4. Carry along 5-6 pairs of clothes, including undergarments
5. Since the weather is dry, cold and your clothes are inside the woollens/ jackets, they won't get dirty, can be reused for 2-3 days without any problems
6. You can wash your clothes, they dry out very fast in the Ladakhi weather, not more than 3 hours at most, except in the case of heavy jeans, etc. So, in places like Leh you can wash the clothes and dry them through the night
7. Carry along a Iron to press your wet clothes, if necessary
8. Wear woollen socks or 2 ordinary socks one on top of each other. They can get wet, hence carry many pairs of socks
9. Always wear casual shoes, no chappals
10. Wear thick material like jeans, no shorts
11. Since the day sun can be harsh, you may want to take along the broad-rimmed hats (sola topi), and also the woolllen caps (full face or full head) caps for the cold

[k149in]

Thanks a lot for sharing every experience on this thread. Its a very tough job to write such lengthy travelogues and hats-off to you guys!

[hvkumar]

Personal Things


1 Spare Spectacles
2 Passport Photos
3 Photo ID
4 Mediclaim ID Card
5 Mediclaim Latest Policy Paper
6 Sun Block Cream
7 Cold Cream
8 Chap sticks
9 Anti-Fungal Powder
10 Goggles

[Styler]

I am really enjoying this thread. Please carry on.

My first trip to leh was in a shared Armada taxi, sitting in the back seat when I was a student in 1991. I don't know if anybody will believe it, but at that time I spent Rs 1800 (All Inclusive Delhi to Delhi) on a 15 day trip. My second trip to Leh was driving on my RD350 in 1994.

My most recent trip was the Leh - Kashmir Circuit in 2010, driving my Scorpio with my wife , 2 friends (a couple from bombay) , and kids (8 & 3 then). I generally travel at a leisurely pace when I am with kids. From Delhi we reached Leh on the Fifth day (After Night Halts at Patnitop, Srinagar, Sonmarg, Kargil). We had acclimatised by the time we reached Leh, and nobody felt AMS. I did take valuable advice from HVK and others when my Scorpio lost power completely and started puffing out thick white smoke at Chang-La.

This year I went to Baspa Valley and around.

I plan to do the next trip without kids, at a quick pace like you guys. I will be doing the complete circuit as you guys. I am just hoping I will have some other cars for company. It is always a little better to have more than 1 vehicles.

There is a wealth of information for anybody who is planning to drive to Leh.
Thank you so much everybody.

Styler

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Styler

I am really enjoying this thread. Please carry on.

My first trip to leh was in a shared Armada taxi, sitting in the back seat when I was studying in 1991. I don't know if anybody will believe it, but at that time I spent Rs 1800 (All Inclusive Delhi to Delhi) on a 15 day trip. My second trip to Leh was driving on my RD350 in 1994.

It will be wonderful to see some of the photos from that trip. So much has changed since 1991 - 94 and I am sure we can do a comparative of some of the same places then and now. If you can upload some of your earlier trips photos, that will be great.

[akaush]

Kumar saab,

Great information there. I used one of your excel sheets to prepare ourselves for the journey. Thats the very reason Innova was full with just both of us at the start.
I had a kerosene stove, enough maggi for all of us to survive 2 days (15 pacs of 6 pack maggi), onions, tomatoes, 2 sleeping bags, 1 tent, enough woolen clothing, all tools for the vehicle, spare tube etc.

For me day 3 started with some noise outside the room waking me up. I got up to see BM roaming around in towel and looking for bathrooms to bathe. I saw even HVK was looking for a bathroom. HV had to go out early to get his car fixed. Well I thought I'll take care of the morning breakfast for everyone so that we do not get delayed. I went to the reception and ordered 20 aloo parantha's and 15 plates of Poori Bhaji. They needed about 40 minutes time to serve.

HVK asked us (many of us were standing there, I think Laluks, BM and CV) to get going towards Chitkul and he will catch us there. We tried to get everyone ready (including ourselves). 40 minutes later BM was still roaming around in a towel. He was the last one to get ready.

Meanwhile Jeepcaptain's team met with HV somewhere on the road, discussed about the disc issue and returned back to our hotel. This was the first time everyone was together, first time we met SPK and team. We had a good breakfast and the final order became about 40 parantha's and 25 poori bhaji's. Immediately after breakfast we all sat together and JP initiated a the introduction session. It was fun to know each other under JP's supervision. Finally after filling fuel in Rampur we all left for Chitkul.

HVK never really allowed us time for Lunch just one Chai stop, where people were more busy with dogs on the bridge than taking their Chai's.

It was a very scenic drive to Chitkul, we reached a little after 5 pm and I immediately started looking for the cooks. We had nice Pakora's and Chai to compensate for our lunch. Dinner took some time to be prepared. Meanwhile most of the photographers went out to capture the beauty of Chitkul.

Dinner was ready at 8:00 pm. We also had a nice discussion with Saji and Glen on the route ahead and their experience on Sach Pass.

Here are a few pics from my side for the day.

[hvkumar]

The route to Chitkul was exciting enough for the shutterbugs to stop frequently for their photo ops, and it was a very very slow drive - with nice gloomy weather, not warm at all.

One of the great things about traveling in teams was that one or more members could take on additional roles - for the first phase of our trip, akaush was the able organiser of Food & Boarding, a job he did a fantastic job of, as you can gauge! He not only secured accommodation for us at HPTDC Rampur - and dinner too at 1 am - but also made sure we were all well fed (at least, on the one or two occasions we really got to eat!).

AS we had done in Rampur, we also booked our hotel rooms in advance in Chitkul too, but we need not have worried about the extended weekend crowd this far into Kinnaur Valley - our team virtually took over the Panchali Resort in Chitkul that day, as we were also joined by our friends Glenn & sj-koova who were on their way back to Bangalore from the Lahaul-Spiti Valley circuit. It is always nice to have a reunion with dear friends, that too amidst tightly-packed drives.

[akaush]

Originally Posted by Styler

I plan to do the next trip without kids, at a quick pace like you guys. I will be doing the complete circuit as you guys. I am just hoping I will have some other cars for company. It is always a little better to have more than 1 vehicles.


Styler

for next year we already have a few people looking to join in. Lalit from Lucknow, VB from Chandigarh and I will be doing it from Delhi. (well depending on who finally comes and completes the trip)

[hvkumar]

Here is the HVK Scorpio's Log Book for Aug 12, 2011: Bombay-Behror:

[hvkumar]

Here is the HVK Scorpio's Log Book for Aug 13, 2011: Behror-Rampur:

[hvkumar]

Here is the HVK Scorpio's Log Book for Aug 14, 2011: Rampur-Chitkul:

[Styler]

Originally Posted by akaush

for next year we already have a few people looking to join in. Lalit from Lucknow, VB from Chandigarh and I will be doing it from Delhi. (well depending on who finally comes and completes the trip)

Akaush,

I guess we will have a thread for getting together, as the time comes nearer. It will be nice to travel together with more people and vehicles who are team-bhp members.

Styler

[Thar4x4]

Originally Posted by Styler

Akaush,

I guess we will have a thread for getting together, as the time comes nearer. It will be nice to travel together with more people and vehicles who are team-bhp members.

Styler

Sirs, please add my name as well for next year plan, it will be nice experience to travel with people like you all.

Thanks,
Vishal