[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Sunney

Climate in Uttarkhand:
Somebody very experienced in that area advises me the below:
"If you want green surroundings then after may is the good time. if you need clear sky then Nov- Feb is a good option. because during monsoons ots really hard to see the great Himalayas in this part of the world due to heavy clouds, if you want excellent photograph then you need to take a extra bit of pain on your legs and need to travel more by foot, but still travelling my car is a good option for you"

Is it correct?
Is it advisable to visit Panchchuli area in Nov. Feb time?
But then Leh is no accessible, correct?

Many parts of UK are open during winter. Not the case with Ladakh.

However, in the case of Ladakh, approach roads via Zoji la (Srinagar-Leh), Rohtang Pass (Manali-Keylong), Kunzum la (Kaza-Keylong) and Baralacha la (Keylong-Leh) are closed due to snowfall from end-Oct onwards and reopen only in mid/end May.

Clear weather is not an issue in Ladakh - it seldom rains, typical summer weather is hot and clear during day. It is possible to fly into Leh during winter and travel around some of the places.

[Sunney]

Oh, no flying, going by Linea only.
It is a serious photo journey, with highres DSLR. Car is convenient.

To shoot wild flowers and green habitat, what time is good? (Is flowers and greenery exists?)
May be in other parts of Uttarkhand one can see greenery, but what time? Which is good places?

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Rubber estate at 4000 mtrs altitude, where it is snow-bound 3 months a year, infertile soils?

Try buying into an apple orchard instead in Kinnaur or Spiti Valleys!

I'm slightly confused here. As far as I know Ladakh is a cold desert. And due to the high mountain ranges, the rainfall happens only on the western side to which Manali/ Srinagar / Jammu belong. That is why you have greenery on the Srinagar side but the Leh / Lahoul etc have long barren stretches. But you are saying snow falls for 3 months in that region. What happens to all the melted water then?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by shipnil

I'm slightly confused here. As far as I know Ladakh is a cold desert. And due to the high mountain ranges, the rainfall happens only on the western side to which Manali/ Srinagar / Jammu belong. That is why you have greenery on the Srinagar side but the Leh / Lahoul etc have long barren stretches. But you are saying snow falls for 3 months in that region. What happens to all the melted water then?

The melting snow?- Runs away into the River Indus and its tributories. The only greenery you see in Ladakh - that too in the summer months - is along the banks of the River Indus & its tributories like Shayok, Suru, Zanskar, in some places wherever it widens into a broad alluvial plain, whose silt is fertile enough for some basic cultivation.

Ladakh is known for all colours - red, brown, yellow, purple, blue - but green is not definitely not one of them!!!!

Sunney, UK and Ladakh are totally different terrain, most of UK being below 3000 mtrs altutude, whereas almost all of Ladakh is above 3500 mtrs high. They are not comparable at all.

[Sunney]

In fact I need to cover Kashmir in it's flowering time+ Leh, Ladak. Flowering starts from May.
So June is best time for serious photography, am I somewhat correct?

What is special about September-Oct? Why did you people chosen Sept-Oct for your Leh tour, any particular reason, pls explain?

[Irish]

Originally Posted by Sunney

In fact I need to cover Kashmir in it's flowering time+ Leh, Ladak. Flowering starts from May.
So June is best time for serious photography, am I somewhat correct?

What is special about September-Oct? Why did you people chosen Sept-Oct for your Leh tour, any particular reason, pls explain?

I hope, it should be because of the tourist rush during June and July and then landslides due to rains in the month of August.

EDIT: September - October is kind of a Off Season there. No mad rush of tourist, less number of jams are encountered, reasonable rates for accommodation and food.

Availability factor for few members can also be one of the reasons to do it in September.

Cheers!
Irish

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Sunney

In fact I need to cover Kashmir in it's flowering time+ Leh, Ladak. Flowering starts from May.
So June is best time for serious photography, am I somewhat correct?

What is special about September-Oct? Why did you people chosen Sept-Oct for your Leh tour, any particular reason, pls explain?

Yes, as Irish says.

My calendar for Ladakh reads as follows:

MAY - early part of the month Zoji la reopens, last part of the month Rohtang opens, Kunzum la does not open before first part of June. Dates of reopening are uncertain, one cannot plan a driving holiday firmly. Moreover, you may not be able to do a round circuit like, say, Srinagar-Leh-Manali/Kaza. NOT ADVISED, except for those obsessed with seeing melting snow - lots of it!

JUNE - Roads in turmoil thanks to melting snow and roads being repaired and reconstructed. Occasional snowfall. Heavy truck and army convoy traffic. Dislocations in some crucial places like Zoji la and Rohtang Pass. Heavy tourist inflows and high hotel tariffs. But opportunities to see lots of snow and do "offroading". Small cars will suffer immensely. NOT ADVISED.

JULY - Significant improvement in roads, but traffic remains high. Disruptions for those coming via Srinagar thanks to Amarnath Yatra. Heavy rains in Himachal wreck roads via Manali & Keylong. Peak season in Ladakh. Good time of the year to do river water rafting. MAYBE.

AUGUST - Good month to drive to Ladakh. No school vacation or organised tour operator crowds. Roads all repaired and reconstructed. More baragining power in your hands with hotels. But beware of heavy security bandobast and problems in Kashmir Valley thanks to I-Day (if you are coming via Srinagar). Continues to rain, but less severity. Road via Kaza is also perfect. Weather is also pretty warm in Ladakh. DEFINITELY.

SEPTEMBER - My FAVOURITE month. Off season kicks in after Sep 15, all hotels begging for customers. For culture buffs, Sep 1-15 is the Ladakh Festival. All roads in Ladakh are superb, wonder why they make roads when there is no traffic. Less truck and army convoy traffic. Compared to greener August, September sees the approaching fall and places like Nubra Valley are brown. Weather increasingly cold. Occasional snowfall. DEFINITELY.

OCTOBER - Month to AVOID, unless you are a hard-core adventurer. Snowfall frequency more, chances of being "stuck" for 1-2 days high. Most hotels shut down, facilities on Manali-Leh route in Sarchu non-existent. Very cold. WHAT AN ADVENTURE!

Sunney, Aug-Sep are also good green times and the gardens of Kashmir Valley are still blooming with flowers and greens.

Why did we do our trip in August? Well, originally it was slated for September, but when we set the dates, we went by the convenience of Jeep Captain and SPK, both from Dubai, they had the month-long Ramzan holiday then. None of us had any children along, so school vacations did not matter. During the trip planning, once we announced the final dates (sometime in Mar-Apr itself), the rest of the team adjusted their work schedules accordingly, since almost all of us are working, except in the case of retired people like SS, DB, TS, Dr RK and PD.

[Sunney]

Hmm... So after 'Agasth panthrah' till mid-Sept.

I have to wait almost ONE year...

[JeepCaptain]

While the rest of the IPHE team was approaching Leh. Me and BolBolero with SS and AR was coming from Srinagar to Kargil with a stopoever in SonMarg.

Check this video which I shot few kilometers before reaching Sonamarg.

IPHE 2011 Expedition -Srinagar to Sonmarg Drive. - YouTube

[no_enthu_da]

Originally Posted by laluks

I guess Baby Alto wanted to be back in the Gramphoo Kaaza sector after seeing highways in Leh. Probably Baby Alto was marking its grief by the short malfunction

From Tanglang La to the IOC petrol pump, JP was driving the Alto (as I had a headache).

This is where the car completely stopped responding. I went back to my car and checked what the issue was. All of a sudden the gear lever had become smooth (it was very hard after the Chota Dhara hit). And the gears wouldn't engage!! I guess that's how it feels when your clutch plate is dead..

We quickly put my tow-rope in place and started towing her behind JeepCaptain's bolero - with me at the wheel.

Just to check if anything was different, I put my car in the first gear and released the clutch.

And.. Voila!! She tugged back at the tow rope!! Then on, till the end there was no repeat of the problem.

I still don't know what the problem was and how it got sorted!! Maybe she wanted me back :-D

[Sunney]

She is a chaste Indian girl, shameful to be tugged and abducted by a 'Ra-One'

[Surprise]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Yes, as Irish says.

My calendar for Ladakh reads as follows:

MAY - early part ...NOT ADVISED, except for those obsessed with seeing melting snow - lots of it!

JUNE - Roads in turmoil thanks to melting snow... NOT ADVISED.

JULY - Significant improvement in roads..... rafting. MAYBE.

AUGUST - Good month to drive to Ladakh.... DEFINITELY.

SEPTEMBER - My FAVOURITE month..... DEFINITELY.

OCTOBER - Month to AVOID, .... WHAT AN ADVENTURE!

HVK, Fantastic inputs. This will definitely help for the one who are planning to get into these regions.

So the best season is Aug-Sep, but this travelogues shows the challenges even at this time. God, how will it be in the October?

BTW, have you been at all those seasons?

[laluks]

Originally Posted by Surprise

HVK, Fantastic inputs. This will definitely help for the one who are planning to get into these regions.

So the best season is Aug-Sep, but this travelogues shows the challenges even at this time. God, how will it be in the October?

BTW, have you been at all those seasons?

Surprise, for the actual travel buff who wants to explore the places, Aug-Sep is ideal for all the reasons mentioned before. They'll go to places with determination and planning to make the trip / drive a possibility with minimum difficulties. A very good example is our own HVK. Nature is unpredictable for sure, but being better planned helps.

I have read about similar trips from TBHPians tsk1979, rkbharat, locomotive ...

These drives are very difficult from the been there done that drives through the easiest and simple stretches just for the heck of reaching Leh or KLa or Pangong Tso. HVK decides the places to explore, and then makes a plan to drive. This is grossly different from how to reach Leh - travel types.

Three cheers to HVK for helping us with the planning and taking us all there and proving beyond doubt - Where there is a will, there is a way.
Some people say these days - Where there is a wheel, there is a way - I dismiss that as pure vanity.

[JeepCaptain]

Dear All,

I was too busy last 2 weeks where Lalu & HVK was posting about our experiences between Kazaa to Leh.

Eventhough the TL has reached Leh,I thought I should write now about this interesting encounter.

We had an interesting meeting between with Italian cyclist called Alberto right after we left Tabo.He stopped when we waved him and wished his best of luck. When we started talking, we were dumpstruck to find out he is been cycling all alone for past three weeks in the Himalayas.

The lone cyclist started his trip from Srinagar and has been cycling for past three weeks and he had reached only Tabo!! He was on his way to Shimla. His 3 wheeled cycle was fully equipped with all the items for this trip including a portable water purifier.
From him we got the first information about the weather and what is waiting for us ahead of Kaza. At that time Discovery Bolero and SPK's Bolero was the last in convoy and rest of the team had gone ahead of us.He also mentioned about the landslides and Avalanches happened ahead of Kaza.

While we were having a conversation with Alberto, SPK decided to do some offroading in the near by Hills. Check out the pics and videos.

The Lone Adventurer



Came all the way from Italy to Himalayas for cycling. Hats off to his determination and spirit.







Alberto talking to TS while Baby Alto & NJ is watching.



Alberto and Baby Alto ( no_enthu_da)



I am well Equipped to face any hardship.



Alberto and the Bolero's ( Discovery Bolero and SPK's Bolero Stinger)



Alberto explaining JC his adventures he faced during this trip.



Yours Truly JC & Alberto



Alberto & no_enthu_da ( Baby Alto was hit by a bad head ache before Tabo and he was travelling in Dicsovery Bolero while JP was drivng his Alto)



Discovery Bolero and Alberto's specially prepared three wheeled cycle. Pic taken by TS



After a 10 minutes meeting we bid good bye and contnued. Pic taken by TS

[JeepCaptain]

Check out the Videos of our meeting with Alberto. While we met alberto SPK's Bolero Stinger who was following us came and stopped behind us. You could hear multiple languages in this video, like English, Italian and Malayalam too.

IPHE 2011 Meeting with Alberto in the Himalayas Part-I - YouTube

And after a while since the conversation between Alberto and TS and JC was going on and doesnt seem to end. SPK decided to take his 4x4 Bolero to do some offroading.

IPHE 2011 Meeting with Alberto in the HimalayasPart II - YouTube

While we were talking and clicking pics with Alberto, SPK is having fun offroading in the Himalyas.

IPHE 2011 Meeting with Alberto in the Himalayas Part-III - YouTube