[nishantbhatia84]

Finally!! A Figo makes it to Ladakh!
I've read multiple travelogues of FWD hatches / sedans making it to Ladakh and used to wonder if the Figo would be able to make it as well. In my head I'd always hoped that I'll be the first one to post a Ladakh travelogue - in a Figo! You've beaten me to that, but I'm still very happy as it's an exciting read and I now have more confidence and better resolve to do a Ladakh Road Trip soon!!
Thanks for the awesome travelogue and information about the same!!

[autobahnjpr]

Dear LoveCars21,
Excellent Travellogue. Rated well deserved five stars.

Without being wordy and with enough pictures, you have touched the reader. While reading the narrative, it was like going with you on the journey vicariously.

Hats off to you for the marathon driving expedition covering 6400 kms and painstakingly keeping a record of all expenses and other details.
Motivates us to take a road trip to Leh!

Ford must pay you for such a super brand endorsement.

[satan's_valet]

That was impressive, taking a Figo to Ladakh.. I have always thought if I would be able to take my Figo there and you have shown a very positive way.

Excellent narration coupled with beautiful pictures have made this a very enjoyable read. Kudos. Rating a well deserved 5*.

[krichared]

this is one of the most detailed travelogue i have read, perfect for a rookie to get started.
Thank you very much on the helpful links on the required inventory to be stocked and every thing you have shared lovecars21

[Travelator]

Holy Cow. Is that a travelogue or something. Only once I stopped reading it, did I snap back to the reality that it was you who travelled, and not ME Superb feat accomplished and these are the piclogs which make some unknown tendons twitch somewhere urging me to take on this trip. Though driving from Bangalore will be a bit of an extravagance to my standards, it certainly is doable. Hats off to you though for taking time to pen this cinematic travelogue.

[himadrimondal]

Awesome feat to say the least. You seemed to be on a mission of just travelling, considering the number of days of continuous travel. Terrific photographs to say the least. This is really an achievement considering you have done it alone and on a lovely hatchback.

[Sinner666]

Wow!
Amazing TL, Truly deserves the 5 star thread.

Tsk's post stating Ladakh taxi unions banning self drive cars broke me up, as I was planning to do the run next year on a self drive. Had relegated myself to the thought of either buying a soft roader before next year or postponing the trip.

This has given me the much needed hope to attempt it in my Swift!

[Camshaft tunes]

Hi,

Sorry to say, but your Figo ain't the first to touch the sands of Ladakh. I started from Delhi to Manali to Leh to Srinagar & back to Delhi.

I did hit a few speed bumps. Had four occupants + luggage. Check out my feed.

[LoneWolf9]

And where did he say that he is the first person to do that?

On teambhp itself, I have read about maruti800 and other hatches driving upto leh/Ladakh.

You got to give it to the guy that he was the solo driver and he travelled all the way from Kolkatta to Leh. Leaving the terrain aside, driving such a distance itself is a challenge.

And we all know that he ain't the first and he won't be the last.

Cheers

[mi2n]

Originally Posted by Camshaft tunes

Hi,

I started from Delhi to Manali to Leh to Srinagar & back to Delhi.

I did hit a few speed bumps. Had four occupants + luggage. Check out my feed.

Is that a petrol Figo?

Originally Posted by LoneWolf9

You got to give it to the guy that he was the solo driver and he travelled all the way from Kolkatta to Leh. Leaving the terrain aside, driving such a distance itself is a challenge.

Definitely! But if Camshaft's Figo is petrol, that too with four occupants, he deserves almost equal credit for his feat of dragging the 1.2 ton hatchback plus passengers with the below average 1.2l petrol engine( just the 100nm of torque) over the highest mountain passes.

Which, incidentally brings two questions in my mind, experts please opine :

1. Performance wise, which engine suffers more in rarefied atmosphere? Diesel or Petrol?

2. How does the Ladakh region fare against the north-east with respect to steepness of climbs?

[Camshaft tunes]

Originally Posted by mi2n

Is that a petrol Figo?

Definitely! But if Camshaft's Figo is petrol, that too with four occupants, he deserves almost equal credit for his feat of dragging the 1.2 ton hatchback plus passengers with the below average 1.2l petrol engine( just the 100nm of torque) over the highest mountain passes.

Which, incidentally brings two questions in my mind, experts please opine :

1. Performance wise, which engine suffers more in rarefied atmosphere? Diesel or Petrol?

2. How does the Ladakh region fare against the north-east with respect to steepness of climbs?

Yes, its a Figo Petrol. The total trip was about 3200 kms. I had spent around 14500 on fuel alone. Aside, I found that its better to run on Petrol than on Diesel at such high altitudes as a Diesel motor requires a higher compression ratio hence more air. Also, I came across a Fortuner guy, who wasn't really happy with the sluggish performance of his vehicle. Apart from this, there were instances at moore plains where my car got stuck in sand. The road from moore plains to Tanglang La was under construction at that time. So I had to go off-road. After a few instances of getting stuck, I learnt the art. Had to floor the pedal to the metal on the first gear, so that the car continues to move. There were many instances when the car went high on the front two wheels while jumping over the sand dunes. I had no choice, but knew it was safe as there were no blocks of rocks around. Anyway, that doesn't mean that I went unscathed. The car did take several hits under the belly and I did manage to crush the cross-member and crack open the oil sump in the middle of nowhere at Layamaru. So I had to drain the oil in a spare fuel can which I had & stuck the sump with the m-seal. Lucky for me, I knew something like this might crop up, so I took a nil depreciation insurance cover, and was mechanically prepared for instances such as this. After reaching Delhi and giving the car for repairs at Delhi Ford, the total bill came out to some Rs. 75000, with my share capped at Rs.1600.

[lovecars21]

Originally Posted by abhii176

Beautifully written travelogue, loved reading through this. Rated a well deserved 5 stars!

Thank you for your comment!

Originally Posted by 1100D

Only probably, one night at Pangong (Lukung or Spangmik) would have made it very very special, especially since you spent one rest day at Agra later on.

In absence of a AWD/4WD system, FWD is an easier configuration to drive on slush/snow/ice than simple RWD's that are seen on the terrain (not considering the expensive modern/premium RWD's controlled by computer wizardy, like electronic traction control etc). I have myself seen a Xylo and an Innova struggle up a slushy incline, slipping and sliding, where a Maruti 800 took the same slope with aplomb.

But anyway, lets not take anything away from this super adventure from you. Hope to see more soon!

Thank you Anirban da for liking the TL. I somewhat agree with you on the point that driving a FWD is easier than RWD on snow because while driving up Chang La in snow few RWDs were sliding around but my Figo was steady.

Originally Posted by SouraC

Arunasish (lovecars21) Enjoyed reading it. can't explain in words how much I have enjoyed it. We all were waiting for this travelogue to come up.

What you have planned and achieved is exceptional but at the same time risky. Everyone has there own capabilities / limitations and should remember it while creating their plan.

Rightly said SouraC! Anyone planning a roadtrip to Ladakh need to keep in mind "their own capabilities / limitations". Ladakh is a tough terrain. I had met a Range Rover owner while waiting in the queue at Sonamarg, he was driving back from Leh. He stopped by and told me that driving through Zoji La, Chang La and Khardung La is not possible in a hatchback and his HR registered Range Rover got numerous underbelly hits and even his front bumper was damaged.

I was not the one to turn around. I did the same circuit without any damage to my machine, not even a single scratch! Few underbelly hits that too safe hits.

I am not discouraging anybody but everyone knows his own capabilities better than anyone else. Take precautions and prepare yourself before venturing into a Roadtrip to Ladakh.

Originally Posted by Thilak29

The south Indian dishes are very pricey there

Good one LOL! Its obvious that one has to pay more to eat South Indian dishes sitting in North India.

Originally Posted by bullrun87

An excellent travelogue, it was a fascinating read. The ladakh circuit is way more difficult with a hatchback especially in may and june. Your travelogue reminded me of my own journey to ladakh two years ago in a chevrolet beat, it was a hell of an experience.

Would love to hear more about your trip. Please share some photos and details.

Originally Posted by aspire

One question though, how do you get that t-shirt?

The t-shirts were customised and made by Team-bhp Kolkata members. The initiative is taken by Papabravo and distributed during our meets. You can find more details on the Kolkata Team-bhp Meet thread.

Originally Posted by Judemayne

Will be driving a Ritz, your Log will be my blue print.

Best wishes for your trip. I am sure you will have a lovely time.

Originally Posted by siddarthab

Take a bow !!! This was epic. Read the whole travelogue at one go, it was so engaging.
Crisp writing and splendid photographs.

Thanks for keeping the hope alive in us. One day .....

Warm regards.

Thank you siddarthab.

Originally Posted by nishantbhatia84

Thanks for the awesome travelogue and information about the same!!

Thank you nishantbhatia84.

Originally Posted by autobahnjpr

Ford must pay you for such a super brand endorsement.

Lolz!

Originally Posted by satan's_valet

That was impressive, taking a Figo to Ladakh.. I have always thought if I would be able to take my Figo there and you have shown a very positive way.

Go ahead and drive. Just keep in mind not to damage the oil sump. Note the location of it and accordingly manoeuvre.

Originally Posted by krichared

this is one of the most detailed travelogue i have read, perfect for a rookie to get started.
Thank you very much on the helpful links on the required inventory to be stocked and every thing you have shared lovecars21

Thank you krichared.

Originally Posted by Travelator

Holy Cow. Is that a travelogue or something. Only once I stopped reading it, did I snap back to the reality that it was you who travelled, and not ME Superb feat accomplished and these are the piclogs which make some unknown tendons twitch somewhere urging me to take on this trip. Though driving from Bangalore will be a bit of an extravagance to my standards, it certainly is doable. Hats off to you though for taking time to pen this cinematic travelogue.

Thanks you Travelator for your comment.

Originally Posted by himadrimondal

Awesome feat to say the least. You seemed to be on a mission of just travelling, considering the number of days of continuous travel. Terrific photographs to say the least. This is really an achievement considering you have done it alone and on a lovely hatchback.

Thank you Himadri da.

Originally Posted by Sinner666

Wow!
Amazing TL, Truly deserves the 5 star thread.

Tsk's post stating Ladakh taxi unions banning self drive cars broke me up, as I was planning to do the run next year on a self drive. Had relegated myself to the thought of either buying a soft roader before next year or postponing the trip.

This has given me the much needed hope to attempt it in my Swift!

Swift is a powerful car. Go ahead.


Here is one for you Sinner666

Originally Posted by Camshaft tunes

Hi,

Sorry to say, but your Figo ain't the first to touch the sands of Ladakh. I started from Delhi to Manali to Leh to Srinagar & back to Delhi.

I did hit a few speed bumps. Had four occupants + luggage. Check out my feed.

Camshaft tunes, I never said anywhere in my TL that I claim to be the first one to drive a Figo to Ladakh. I know one friend who drove his Figo from Delhi to Ladakh and back in 2012. He had got his car's oil sump damaged and had to claim insurance to get it repaired in FASS.

Originally Posted by LoneWolf9

And where did he say that he is the first person to do that?

On teambhp itself, I have read about maruti800 and other hatches driving upto leh/Ladakh.

You got to give it to the guy that he was the solo driver and he travelled all the way from Kolkatta to Leh. Leaving the terrain aside, driving such a distance itself is a challenge.

And we all know that he ain't the first and he won't be the last.

Cheers

Yes, LoneWolf9 I never said I was the first one to drive a Figo to Ladakh. The terrain and distance did matter but the final joy of completing the circuit without a single scratch/damage was WONDERFUL

[lovecars21]

Road between Leh and Pangong after crossing Chang La

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X11mmMdTvZk

[vdm]

Hi Lovercars21, what an amazing travelogue. Its was so engaging that once I started reading I just couldn't stop myself till the end. I would like to congratulate you on your drive from West Bengal to Ladakh in your ford figo with a perfect plan. The photographs are just amazing to watch at.

[AtheK]

Just read through the entire travelouge in one shote, it is fascinating, i had been saying that this is something i really want to do all my life.

Well 15th Aug 2015 is when the journey begins, Independence it is...Hoping to recapture some of those memories here after that!!!

Congratulations on your journey, you have made yourself and Figo Proud!!