[lovecars21]

After crossing Zoji La top

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej4qsTBoGHo

[alfaromeo1984]

WOW!!

Hats off to your better half for accompanying you on this beautiful drive and adventure.
No matter how many times one reads about leh, one can still never get tired. Amazing travelogue very nicely done. Truly worth 5 stars.

[TheDesertRat]

A quick question to all who have been to Leh.

Do Zojila and Rohtang now allow one way traffic at specified timings? Looking at both the passes, the road appears too narrow for traffic both ways (or is it just me being a chicken).

[ashphil]

What a lovely TL! You must be a very brave man do this trip as a solo driver with a Figo. Hats off to the lady in your life for accompanying you.
regards,
Ashok

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by lovecars21

We all have a “To Do List” in our life...

to the both of you for ticking off Ladakh from that list. And how!

Loved the way you've summarized at the end of each post, mentioning "Total underbelly hits:".

Regarding your battery issue at Sonamarg, and the check engine light at Khardung La - what had happened and how did you address the issues finally?

What's in the ultra-large Coca Cola can?

[BlackPearl]

Wow Arunashish, hats off to you and your better half for fulfilling your dreams and kudos to you for taking a hatchback. Awesome clicks as well. It took me a long time to finish reading the travelogue. The thread deserves a 5 star but there is some problem, it is showing an error when I am trying to rate the thread.

[lovecars21]

Originally Posted by TheDesertRat

A quick question to all who have been to Leh.

Do Zojila and Rohtang now allow one way traffic at specified timings? Looking at both the passes, the road appears too narrow for traffic both ways (or is it just me being a chicken).

Zojila and Rohtang allow traffic at specified timings for example traffic from Drass was allowed between 09:00 am till 1:30 pm and then traffic from Sonamarg was allowed after 2:30 pm. There are always a few who break the rule. The roads are narrow at few places and we had to stop and give way to them.

Originally Posted by ashphil

What a lovely TL! You must be a very brave man do this trip as a solo driver with a Figo. Hats off to the lady in your life for accompanying you.
regards,
Ashok

Originally Posted by alfaromeo1984

WOW!!

Hats off to your better half for accompanying you on this beautiful drive and adventure.
No matter how many times one reads about leh, one can still never get tired. Amazing travelogue very nicely done. Truly worth 5 stars.

Thank you ashphil and alfaromeo for liking my TL. Yes, I am really lucky to have a life partner who thinks like a roadie.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

to the both of you for ticking off Ladakh from that list. And how!

Loved the way you've summarized at the end of each post, mentioning "Total underbelly hits:".

Regarding your battery issue at Sonamarg, and the check engine light at Khardung La - what had happened and how did you address the issues finally?

What's in the ultra-large Coca Cola can?

Thank you SS da for liking my TL. Ladakh has not been ticked off from my list and will never get. It has been marked as "done and will do it again"

At Sonamarg when the battery failed I had to push start the engine with the help of other travellers. Kept the engine start for 10 minutes so that the battery gets charged from the alternator. At high altitude passes I did not turn the engine off.

At Khardungla the Engine Malfunction indicator did get 'ON'. Checked the Engine Oil level, coolant level, brake oil level, steering oil and the bottom of my car to check for any leakages near the Mobil chamber. Everything was perfect. Then I went through the car’s manual and it was mentioned that even if the Engine Malfunction light gets on, one can drive but will get less power output from the Engine. So keeping my fingers crossed I drove on. After reaching Diskit the Malfunction indicator automatically got 'off'. Then I understood that due to high altitude and thin air the indicator had got 'on'.

It is very important to keep the air filter clean so that the engine gets whatever oxygen is available.
During my trip I checked and cleaned the air filter every alternate day.

The large Coca Cola can is actually a mini 11 ltr indoor outdoor fridge which works on 12v and 220v. It is available on ebay.in.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Wow Arunashish, hats off to you and your better half for fulfilling your dreams and kudos to you for taking a hatchback. Awesome clicks as well. It took me a long time to finish reading the travelogue. The thread deserves a 5 star but there is some problem, it is showing an error when I am trying to rate the thread.

It feels great to get back to back comments and likes from the super gurus, SS-Traveller and BlackPearl. Thank you!

There seems to be a problem with the rating system as many have informed me. I have already informed the support-team about the same. Hope it gets resolved soon.

[sdp1975]

Beautifully written travelogue, with lots of useful details. Could not rate the thread due to an error.

Originally Posted by lovecars21

“Driving a low GC car to Ladakh that too as a solo driver in May would be a challenge” he said.

Why is a low GC car a problem specifically in the month of May - because of snow ? Are the other months any better ? Asking this as I've been toying with the idea of visiting Ladakh in my Punto.

[bullrun87]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

Beautifully written travelogue, with lots of useful details. Could not rate the thread due to an error.



Why is a low GC car a problem specifically in the month of May - because of snow ? Are the other months any better ? Asking this as I've been toying with the idea of visiting Ladakh in my Punto.

The roads have barely opened to ladakh in may and june and are most certainly at their worst in those two months. This is the best time for those who want to see snow besides the road. Melting snow can cause severe water crossings especially in the afternoon. In august and september water crossings are easier to negotiate and this is probably the best time to take a hatch to ladakh although rohtang and zozila can get very difficult in rainy season. Maintenance work constantly goes on in ladakh and by august/september you will find the best roads of the year. The punto has the best ground clearance in its class hence it is a great vehicle for travelling to the area. The punto will definately take fewer underbody hits compared to other hatchbacks.

[lovecars21]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

Why is a low GC car a problem specifically in the month of May ? Are the other months any better ? Asking this as I've been toying with the idea of visiting Ladakh in my Punto.

There are two highways that connect to Leh to the rest of India:
1) Srinagar-Leh Highway which opens generally in Mid-April
2) Manali-Leh Highway which opens generally in Early-May

This year both highways opened after schedule due to excessive snowfall. Generally during May and June you will get snowfall and the roads become dangerous as cars tend to lose traction. At few places I got stiff rise ahead with deep craters. In such situation one has to maintain the momentum as well as negotiate safely through the craters. In such terrain it is much easier to drive a SUV than a low GC hatchback.

After June the weather becomes better in Ladakh and the best/safe month to drive there is August and September.

[lovecars21]

Road to Khardungla

http://youtu.be/h1e35JyUsQ0

[psurelia]

What a lovely travelogue. People go to Ladakh in SUVs and in groups. From that angle and the heading of your story, I would rather call this story a mission-log than a travelogue. It definitely takes sheer guts and a bit of insanity to plan such a trip. Congratulations to you for the success of the mission.

The beautiful pictures nicely complement your story. Knowing you personally, I could really feel every moment of the trip and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[lovecars21]

Kargil to Leh highway

http://youtu.be/oEGWkha8Nog

[Zahoor23]

Every Ladakh travelogue is different, it has a charm of its own. This one is definitely one of the best travelogues of the mighty mountains i have ever come across. A big salute to you for successfully attempting it with Figo. I always loved Figo for its superb steering and good drivability. Excellent pictures, felt like i virtually travelled to Ladakh with you

[lovecars21]

After the weather got cleared at Khardungla

http://youtu.be/8hhBVq_AUbU