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Old 7th August 2014, 19:08   #16
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Congrats! Another inspirational log for us minnows who just dream about Leh. Keen to know how the Storme handled overall. My plans are for next year in my Storme EX. Please keep the update going till the end.
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Old 7th August 2014, 19:49   #17
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Finally the travelogue is up!
Was so inspired by you that I wanted to go to Leh this year itself! However things didn't work out so next year for sure as a mark of completion of my Engineering Degree.
Sad you couldn't do Manali-Leh highway, did you think of going to Hanle?
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Old 7th August 2014, 21:38   #18
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Wow.. This is one good travelogue... Thanks for the details and the amazing pics. You have covered almost everything. well scripted. makes me think of making a trip to Leh.
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Old 8th August 2014, 10:16   #19
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

The Opening Shot of Safari splashing away is Glorious! The photography and narration makes this Ladakh Travelogue a must read and 5*s as well. Keep it coming as reading these Travelogues and planning is all we can do until the day comes when it's our chance to Reclaim our Life!

Last edited by alokgunhal : 8th August 2014 at 10:16. Reason: spell check
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Old 8th August 2014, 10:25   #20
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Dear Vishal (Thar 4*4) - first of all, congratulations on a wonderful travelogue. I really enjoyed reading it and it brought back wonderful memories of my trips there to test vehicles. My last trip was in "a certain dirty looking black color soft top vehicle" (ahem! ). "It" had conquered not only the roads but also almost everything which was there by the sides of the roads, most of it in 2WD!

Your travelogue is a unique collector's item for me because it has the photograph of our most respected Atlas of India Mr.H.V.Kumar Sir. You have also managed to capture the photograph of the ever elusive Gajanan Chitale, the man behind the Borg Warner 4WD transfer case, so thanks.

I am obviously very happy to see you owning and driving the Safari Storme. Driven correctly, it is almost like a torpedo, a true mile cruncher in every sense of the word. You don't even feel it when you do 1500 odd kms in one day. I am sure Prashant, Shashikant and you will agree with me. Please take good care of it, enjoy and drive safe!

Let's catch up in Sudarshan's place sometime. .

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar
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Old 8th August 2014, 10:52   #21
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

That was awesome. The details collected en-route is commendable. good job done.

Could you give more details on the dash cam used?
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Old 8th August 2014, 11:15   #22
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Quote:
Originally Posted by vittal View Post
Congrats on completing your dream trip to Leh.

Good photos & am enjoying reading your travelogue to Leh Ladhak.

Few Questions,
1. Did you find any issues crossing the nala / pass overflowing with water.
2. Did you carry any wooden planks and use it. if yes, of what sizes.

waiting for further updates on your travelogue.
Thanks!
1. No issue at all. While climbing Zozi La, at one incline I have to keep the momentum as all the vehicles ahead of me were sliding down and there I hit under body with a stone so stopped on next pit stop and observed if there is any damage, believe me Storme is covered with huge bracket under engine and there is no week area to get damage while off-roading.

2. No but that is noted and I will keep it in vehicle for next trip. Why? read the next post while coming back from Turtuk. I have 5 tone nylon tow rope, 2 D shekels in vehicle for emergency.


Quote:
Originally Posted by redracham View Post
Congrats! Another inspirational log for us minnows who just dream about Leh. Keen to know how the Storme handled overall. My plans are for next year in my Storme EX. Please keep the update going till the end.
Thanks and glad to here that our travelogue inspired you. Yep Storme is very capable vehicle for such trips.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dean5545 View Post
Finally the travelogue is up!
Was so inspired by you that I wanted to go to Leh this year itself! However things didn't work out so next year for sure as a mark of completion of my Engineering Degree.
Sad you couldn't do Manali-Leh highway, did you think of going to Hanle?
Thanks! Next year I will see you there. My family is inspired and already started planing for next year again to Leh. Hanle was planned for last day however my son was not well and he was desperately waiting for my return so dropped that plan and came back one day ahead of schedule.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jude300 View Post
Wow.. This is one good travelogue... Thanks for the details and the amazing pics. You have covered almost everything. well scripted. makes me think of making a trip to Leh.
Thanks ! yes one should visit this place at least once in lifetime.

Quote:
Originally Posted by alokgunhal View Post
The Opening Shot of Safari splashing away is Glorious! The photography and narration makes this Ladakh Travelogue a must read and 5*s as well. Keep it coming as reading these Travelogues and planning is all we can do until the day comes when it's our chance to Reclaim our Life!
Thanks a lot! yes the first banner picture is awesome. Concept is mine and executed perfectly by Prashant a co traveller.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM View Post
Dear Vishal (Thar 4*4) - first of all, congratulations on a wonderful travelogue. I really enjoyed reading it and it brought back wonderful memories of my trips there to test vehicles. My last trip was in "a certain dirty looking black color soft top vehicle" (ahem! ). "It" had conquered not only the roads but also almost everything which was there by the sides of the roads, most of it in 2WD!

Your travelogue is a unique collector's item for me because it has the photograph of our most respected Atlas of India Mr.H.V.Kumar Sir. You have also managed to capture the photograph of the ever elusive Gajanan Chitale, the man behind the Borg Warner 4WD transfer case, so thanks.

I am obviously very happy to see you owning and driving the Safari Storme. Driven correctly, it is almost like a torpedo, a true mile cruncher in every sense of the word. You don't even feel it when you do 1500 odd kms in one day. I am sure Prashant, Shashikant and you will agree with me. Please take good care of it, enjoy and drive safe!

Let's catch up in Sudarshan's place sometime. .

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar
Sir and here I got perfect 5 starts with your post on thread. (Apne to char/pach chand lagadiye)

Yes the place is worth exploring and its heaven on a earth and I am sure it will take at least 5 trips for me to cover whole region. And that vehicle of yours was certainly not the dirty looking but the legend. Yes 2WD is more than enough because who want to put strain on the vehicle there where human struggle to breath.

Yep the credit of 100% success of this trip goes to the Atlas HiWayKing Kumar sir without him I am sure we would have struggled lot and if you loose maximum energy in planning/booking/maps etc. then very less energy remains for actual enjoyment. Borg Warner man dropped at last minute and that was big loss for us as we remained with only 2 drivers.

Safari Storme is right match for me and I care a lot for it. For Safari 1000 km/day is normal and we covered 1700+ kms on last lap Hanumangarh to Pune. I was playing with my son after returning home so this is the capability of Safari Storme.

Quote:
Originally Posted by nettooran View Post
That was awesome. The details collected en-route is commendable. good job done.

Could you give more details on the dash cam used?
Thanks! The credit of collecting the details goes to co-traveller Shashikant as my responsibility was to drive and just drive.

You can find all the details of dash cam on Tanveer's thread here. The model I used is SJ4000 which is belongs to TBHPian @gautamkhadse

Last edited by Thar4x4 : 8th August 2014 at 11:19.
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Old 8th August 2014, 14:24   #23
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Continued...

Day 7: Leh - Khardung La - Diskit - Turtuk.

Target: Worlds highest motorable road and 242 Km.



We achieved today's milestone the mighty Khardung La and we are not in hurry to reach the destination as we are ahead of schedule.

Strict warning from Kumar sir and traveller friends, do not stop at passes for more than 30 mins so we started to roll down from height of 18380 ft. Safari Storme is crawling in 2nd and 3rd gear, breaking the ice formation from puddles and it is making interesting sound.

Soon we are on plan road and time for food, the place is Khardung just after crossing North Pullu. While resting at any hotel out first requirement is nice parking for Safari .

We are at hotel Skitchan, ordered nice vegetable maggi as that was the only option we have here.

We leave foot marks of HiWayKing where every we travel (of course with permission of owner)

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-khardung-hotel.jpg

After small break we are on the road again and now mission Turtuk, the last village of out country.



Tata Safari Storme enjoying the bath after concurring the mighty Kahrdung La

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-1.jpg

Beauties posing with nice background

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-2.jpg

Meditation

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-3.jpg

Hunder and the famous road why? read day 8.

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-4.jpg

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-5.jpg

The bacterian double hum camels

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-6.jpg

Your's truely captured by Prashant.


Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-7.jpg

Here is the special composition of Nubra valley route.



While driving towards Hunder we crossed a big bridge called Siachen bridge with tight security and board with photography prohibited so we switched off our cameras and dash cam as well.


After spending sometime at Hunder we started again towards Turtuk. It is narrow road with some bad patches and army camps. You hardly find any vehicle crossing by.

We reached Turtuk, it is awesome small village situated between mountains. Untill you reach this village you hardly see any greenery but you enter then its green everywhere.

To see the main village and old mosque you have to climb 150 ft and then its heaven. Can't explain in words, have a look



Small canals coming down from top.

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-8.jpg

Way up to village

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-9.jpg

Small water fall

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-10.jpg

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-11.jpg

View from the top of the hill towards river bank.

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-12.jpg

Paddy fields everywhere.

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-13.jpg

Turtuk sweet boy

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-n-14.jpg

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-numbra.jpg

Overall this was the best day of our whole trip.

Some observation about this village, the people here do not talk much with tourist or Army. They shut their doors close when you are walking from the lanes. Once you climb up the hill its hard to find the way and there is no one come ahead to show you the way. Kids here are spoiled by tourist and foreigners specially, if you ask them for photo they ask for money except the boy in above photo he was very nice kid. One kid came running towards so we asked him for photo, he said yes and flag a salute and started singing rasrageet . We clicked him and then he said give me money now.

Our hotel owner informed us that do not click women and people take it as offence here.

After spending hour or so in paddy fields we came down at our stay.

This is our today's camp side.

Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms-dsc_01531.jpg

After having special chicken prepared by owner himself in village style we called it a day as the temperature was going down.

Tomorrow's plan is drive back to Leh from same route.
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Old 8th August 2014, 15:19   #24
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Wonderful travelogue Thar4x4. What makes it absolutely delightful is the fact that you've jotted down every bit of expense as well as trip log for mere mortals like us from Pune who'd want to make a trip to Ladakh someday soon. Thanks once again!
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Old 8th August 2014, 15:21   #25
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Brilliant details complemented by fitting narration and captures there Vishal . Had bookmarked this since you shared on your FB wall and finished reading it all now.
Every time I read a Leh/Ladakh Travelogue, I suddenly start making plans to drive there and things aren't progressing much since the past 2 years due to family commitments.

Like Alok mentions, the opening shot of the Safari splashing is THE ONE that does full justice to the beast. I am sure, within less than a year of your laying hands on the Strome, you have already utilized its strength.

Look forward to read and watch the rest of your journey, Keep that coming!

Rated 5 Stars, obviously.
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Old 8th August 2014, 21:46   #26
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Re: Chasing the Lama... The Journey Pune - Ladkha - Pune, 7000+ km

One more question.

In one of the travelogue I have read that one can pay the state tax at Lakhanpur itself which will be valid at Quazigund. Did you try this as I notice you have paid state tax at both Lakhanpur & Quazigund.
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Old 9th August 2014, 03:54   #27
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Boy oh Boy !!!! Vishal what a travelogue and brilliant narration. That video at the start was very well composed.I watched the video and read the narration in one go 1 hr 45 min is what it took , that shows how catchy and interesting compilation you have put up (Also it shows how jobless Iam ).

Amazing and most importantly you can now look at those pinup's on your desk with pride .

Cheers,
pdma.
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Old 9th August 2014, 04:58   #28
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Nice narration and beautiful pics. I liked the first video composition and loved the music you have chosen. Great experience, congrats!!!
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Old 9th August 2014, 12:42   #29
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Quote:
Originally Posted by moralfibre View Post
Wonderful travelogue Thar4x4. What makes it absolutely delightful is the fact that you've jotted down every bit of expense as well as trip log for mere mortals like us from Pune who'd want to make a trip to Ladakh someday soon. Thanks once again!
Thanks! Glad that you liked it and found valuable. Two groups from Pune and Mumbai already used it and came back from Ladkha with big smile on face that's why thought of sharing it here.

BTW What happened to Pune TBHP meet, no updates for long time?

Quote:
Originally Posted by paragsachania View Post
Brilliant details complemented by fitting narration and captures there Vishal .
Thanks Parag! I have learned to write and collect details of trips to the minute level from you guys.


Quote:
Originally Posted by vittal View Post
One more question.

In one of the travelogue I have read that one can pay the state tax at Lakhanpur itself which will be valid at Quazigund. Did you try this as I notice you have paid state tax at both Lakhanpur & Quazigund.
My friend Shashikant was in charge of this department so will talk to him and let you know.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pdma View Post
Boy oh Boy !!!! Vishal what a travelogue and brilliant narration.
Cheers,
pdma.
Thanks ! Glad you liked it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by psurelia View Post
Nice narration and beautiful pics. I liked the first video composition and loved the music you have chosen. Great experience, congrats!!!
Thanks ! Yep, everybody likes this music as watching this video on HD screen and listing to the music is like going to Ladakh virtually.
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Old 9th August 2014, 16:49   #30
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Re: Chasing the Lama in a Safari Storme: Pune - Ladakh - Pune, 7500 kms

Excellent ,Excellent travelogue!
Amazing pictures and narrations
Detailed itinerary , cost breakup in tabular forms is very good and Useful .
As Moralfibre has aptly said that it is that something that is sowing the seeds to start dreaming of conducting a trip like this
in hearts of mere mortals like me.

No ownership of a Storme should be deemed as Complete without a trip to Leh.
It is made for this terrain. In those Pictures the beast looks like it belongs to that world.

Last edited by madhu33 : 9th August 2014 at 16:51.
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