[laluks]

Ladakh,

The Land of High Passes
The Roof of the World
Between the Earth and the Sky
The Coldest Desert in the World
Highest Inhabited Land in the World
Altitude of 9000 feet to 25000+ feet
The Northernmost State of India
...


To the travellor Ladakh is the land of numerous landscapes - Magnificient mountains, Glaciers, Snow capped mountains, Colours, Sandy deserts, Golden Dunes, Scorching Sun, Chilling Winds, Blue Waters...

Ladakh has its own definitions for everyone. And for me Ladakh is beautiful, vast, and a humbling experience. Getting lost and being miniscule in the vastness of mother nature, touching our inner self and trying to realise what we are is indeed a humbling experience.

I would like to reiterate what I had felt after my first trip in 2009 to Ladakh this time around too. We have not conquered anything; we all just became a part of nature for some days, and tried to overcome the difficulties as a team, and share the joys together.

[laluks]

Prologue

The memories of our trip in 2009 to Ladakh is still fresh in our minds. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...humbleh-d.html

The Road Runner Team - Glenn and the Three musketeers (me, Sj_Koova and avasekeh) were three strangers before the trip. After the trip a great team bond existed between us. We used to meet often to catch up and one fine day somewhere in 2010, we felt that we must do a trip again. But priorities - official & personal were not matching so easily. It was tentatively decided to be a trip somewhere in June 2011. Uttaranchal was the destination in mind.

We had some discussions and the plans were being charted out. I wanted to do Ladakh and Spiti Loop again, but our initial plans for Uttaranchal had no room for that. We wanted to visit Valley of Flowers, and hence the plan had to be shifted from June to August.

In the mean while HV Kumar was also planning a trip to Spiti and Ladakh in August together with JeepCaptain. HVK's plan were matching most of my dreams. I had a chat with Glenn and SJ_Koova about the same. But they did not have that many days in hand to join HVK's plan. So I had to make a choice, and I chose HVK's plan. Glenn and SJ_koova respected my decision, and I am humbled at their openness and really respect them for not trying to convince me to join them. But finally they did the Spiti Loop and I caught up with them for a wonderful evening in Chitkul.

I had a chat with HVK, he briefed me about his expedition and offered me his navigation seat. And thus my second trip to Leh materialised, and this time too with the great convoy of HVK. I had the privilege to be his navigator this time. You can say HVK takes me to Leh for the second time. Through out the trip I was amazed by the vast knowledge of HVK, his ever helping nature, and his true leadership to keep the convoy drive a success.

I got new friends this time too. A lot of them.

[laluks]

The Plan

HVK, JeepCaptain and the other members of the convoy were discussing the plans already for over a few months when I joined in the discussion group. There were email group and facebook group set up to discuss the drive. A lot of emails and facebook posts happened on the topic. I could not be very active due to my committments. But I used to catchup with all what is being discussed periodically. The facebook group helped to build a team bond virtually. HVK used to give the team updates, daily plans, information often.

Finally the evolved plan before the trip was as follows.

01 12-Aug Bombay-Delhi
02 13-Aug Delhi-Narkhanda/Sarahan
03 14-Aug Sarahan-Chitkul
04 15-Aug Chitkul
05 16-Aug Chitkul-Tabo
06 17-Aug Tabo-Dhankar
07 18-Aug Dhankar-Kaza
08 19-Aug Kaza-Losar-Chandra tal
09 20-Aug Chandratal-Keylong/Sarchu
10 21-Aug Sarchu-Leh
11 22-Aug Leh
12 23-Aug Leh-Lamayuru-Kargil
13 24-Aug Kargil-Padum
14 25-Aug Padum-Kargil
15 26-Aug Kargil-Batalik-Leh
16 27-Aug Leh-Nubra Valley-Turtuk
17 28-Aug Turtuk-Shayok-Tangtse- Pangong
18 29-Aug Pangong-Nyoma-Hanle
19 30-Aug Hanle-Tso Moriri-Leh
20 31-Aug Leh
21 01-Sep Leh-Sarchu
22 02-Sep Sarchu-Dalhousie
23 03-Sep Dalhousie-Delhi
24 04-Sep Delhi-Bombay


and the final plan that got executed on ground was

00 11-Aug Bangalore - Bombay (Flight)
01 12-Aug Bombay-Behror
02 13-Aug Behror-Rampur
03 14-Aug Rampur-Chitkul
04 15-Aug Chitkul-Pooh
05 16-Aug Pooh-Kaaza
06 17-Aug Kaaza - PinValley - Dhankar - Kaaza
07 18-Aug Kaaza - Kee - Kibber - Tashi Ganga - Kaaza
08 19-Aug Kaaza - Komik - Kaaza
09 20-Aug Kaza-Losar - Jispa
10 21-Aug Jispa-Leh
11 22-Aug Leh-Batalik-Kargil
12 23-Aug Kargil-Padum
13 24-Aug Padum-Kargil
14 25-Aug Kargil - Lamayaru - Leh
15 26-Aug Leh
16 27-Aug Leh - Kardung La - Nubra Valley - Turtuk
17 28-Aug Turtuk - Karu - Leh - Pangong
18 29-Aug Pangong-Nyoma-Hanle
19 30-Aug Hanle-Tso Moriri
20 31-Aug Tso Morriri- Tsokar - Debring - Keylong
21 01-Sep KeyLong - Udaipur - Killar - Sach Pass - Champa
22 02-Sep Champa - Khajjiar - Dalhousie - Pathankot
23 03-Sep Pathankot - Kishangad
24 04-Sep Kishangad - Bombay
25 05-Sep Bombay - Bangalore (Flight)


HVK will elaborate on the planning, the expedition team, how it all happened, etc...

[laluks]

The Team

Scorpio (Mumbai)
hvkumar - The Chief
laluks
SSS
DB

Bolero (Kerala) - nicknamed Discovery Bolero
JeepCaptain - The man behind the idea of this drive.
NJ
JP
TS

Bolero 4x4 Stinger (Kerala)
SPK
VE
APK
SKV

Swift Diesel (AP) - nicknamed AP Swift
BM
CV

Alto (Mumbai) - nicknamed Baby Alto
no_enthu_da
Dr. RK

Innova (Delhi)
AK
PD
PK

Bolero (Mumbai)
BolBolero
SS
AR

Mumbai Roadsters - Team of two great Swifts led by KSM-Vtec

Swift Petrol (Mumbai)
KSM-Vtec
YP

Swift Petrol (Mumbai)
AP
KP

PS : I am not expanding the names of the team members for privacy reasons. More introduction to the members as the story evolves. Wherever I know their TBHP handles I've mentioned it.


Also I am dedicating this travelogue to the Mumbai Roadsters and Baby Alto, whose determination, passion and perseverance have taken them through this entire trip.

[laluks]

The Travelogue Structure

Like the previous log http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...humbleh-d.html I'll concentrate on the events and pictures. HV Kumar will brief us on the planning, route conditions, specific points to note if any in each of the sectors.


Since the team consists of many tbhpians, they'll pitch in with their comments and their wonderful pictures as the log evolves.

We'll follow a sequence in posting so as not to cross post, and to keep the log in the order of events unfolding. I'll put the days events and pictures, followed by HVK's take on the day's events and tips, followed by posting of additional pictures and comments from the members for the day.

Hope to capture the details to make this a wonderful log.



On to the Story

[laluks]

Day 0
11th August 2011
Bangalore - Mumbai

After finishing the pending work at office I took a Volvo bus to Bangalore airport by 18:00hrs. The flight was only at 22:00hrs, but the enthusiasm for the trip got me on to the bus early.

Within half an hour it rained cats and dogs in Bangalore and as expected all the roads choked up. By 20:30hrs I was still stuck near Mekhri Circle. A feeling of panic rushed in, just 1.5hrs for the take off, need to reach at least 45 minutes before that, which means I just have 45 minutes to reach the airport which is at least 30+ kms away from where I am. Felt helpless and lost.

But, our Volvo driver was smart, he gets into small bye lanes and drove the bus like a charm to clear the jam and hit the Hebbal flyover. He zoomed like nobody's business and reached the airport by 21:00hrs. With just 15 minutes to spare I checked in. The trip happened for me because of his sheer determination to reach the airport no matter how, than just waiting in the jam as we normally expect. An enormous amount of gratitude to him.

The flight took off as planned and was supposed to land at Mumbai by 23:30hrs. But as luck would have it, there was air traffic jam at Mumbai and we got our landing slot only after 45 minutes, by 00:15hrs. We flew over Mumbai for 45 minutes!!

HVK was frantically trying to reach me. My phone switched off and me circling over Mumbai. The Scheduled departure time as planned was getting delayed for HVK. This also meant he will have a tough time during the day to reach Delhi.

Finally by 00:30hrs I got to switch on the phone and informed HVK about the melee. I got into the cab waiting for me and as per the plan headed towards Dahisar Toll Gate. HVK calls into tell me that he is stuck in a bad jam and asked me continue all the way till Ghodbundher cirlce near Hotel Fountain. Finally we both reached the circle by 01:40 hrs. Got introduced to the other team members in HVK's Scorpio, SSS and DB. We started to roll.

The trip is ON!!

But, with in the next 15 minutes we got stuck in a terrible jam at Vasai. We had to wait all the way till 03:30AM for us to move from there. It was shocking.

Thank God from then onwards we had smooth sailing and no major traffic bottle neck.

[laluks]

Day 01
12th August 2011
Mumbai - Behror

We had a beautiful drive, though it was raining heavily. By 08:00AM we had reached very near to Bharuch.


HVK did a detour to show me the Golden Bridge on Narmada, which connects Ankleshwar to Bharuch. Golden Bridge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





Railway Station Bharuch?


Free Ride?



We stopped by the Tropic Of Cancer


HVK's Scorp at Tropic of Cancer


The Team at Tropic of Cancer


HVK takes the time to quickly check the Scorp.


We continue on. Somewhere before Rajasthan


continued...

[laluks]

Day 01
12th August 2011
Mumbai - Behror

At 13:30 hrs we stop for some rest near Khairwara village.


A signboard, our destination is quite far away, atleast 750Km more!


Roads looked inviting


But we needed our rest


I went clicking around the greenery.


It was unbelievable. Is Rajasthan this green?


After some rest we moved on. Rains here and there


Roads were beautiful


Missed my Civvy!


By 16:00hrs we reached the Chittorgarh Bye pass.


continued...

[laluks]

Day 01
12th August 2011
Mumbai - Behror

HVK stopped at the Byepass and tried to show me the views of the Chittorgarh Fort. Since it was cloudy I was not able to see it.

This guy was very curious about what we were trying to see. Since I had the 200-500 handy I clicked him from a distance.

Curious at Chittorgarh


A little further saw this structure by the roadside


It started to rain again


With a non stop drive from there we reached Behror by 23:00hrs and checked into RTDC Behror for the night. DB managed to get the last remains of food left at RTDC Behror for dinner. After dinner we crashed by 23:30hrs. We had to wake up early next day for the next drive. We had already done over 1400Km for the day!!

[laluks]

Over to HVK for the Planning of the drive, Team forming and his account of the first day's drive.

[Stratos]

Thread Moved from Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing.

[SDP]

WOW! This thread is going to be AMAZING!
So many stalwarts, so many fantastic cars, so many brilliant story-tellers and at least one fantastic photographer.
Permanently glued!

[Fauji]

Wow!! Waiting for this TL ever since i heard about the trip from HVK. Come on Lalu. Let us have a feast of pictures - five starred ones!!!

[amitwlele]

Wonderful Start. Quite a convoy you had there with Swifts and Alto's thrown in. Would be following this thread to check out how these were able to cope up with Leh roads.

Someday i intend to take my Vista there.

[BulZire]

That is one wonderful ride you people did, Pics are fabulous and showcasing the beautiful INDIA at its best.
will watch this place for more pics and ride logs keep going.