[Secretariat]

Originally Posted by ptaneja

But seriously, doesn't it get boring and sleepy driving all alone on lengthy highways ?!

Oh no, not at all. I know solo travel is not for everybody, but for those of us bitten by that bug, its the finest form of travel. I am at my sharpest best on a long solo drive !

Originally Posted by NPV

Excellent Travelogue, loved the short, crisp narration and pictures. Thanks for Sharing

Thanks very much. Coming from a Distinguished BHPian I am doubly honoured.

Originally Posted by earthian

Great trip report and good photographs. Liked your crisp writing and thank you for posting the map of the route in the beginning. Helps travel with you.

Thanks. Much appreciate your words.

Originally Posted by rdst_1

There was a brand by the name of Leh Berry who used to sell Sea Buckthorn juice and it was a staple at our house, until it became unavailable in the market. Feels great to finally learn about it's origins. I'll try and see if it can be grown in my environment. If you ever find your way back to these parts, do ping me as I live very close to Bir-Billing.

Oh wow ! I frankly did not know anything about sea buckthorn till I encountered it in Spiti. And double wow - you live close to Billing ? What a lovely place to live in. Very envious !

[SJM1214]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

Really? Do we need another travelogue on Kinnaur & Spiti?

Yes! We do.
All the Travelogues on Spiti or Ladakh(or any T'log on the Himalayas) are always special. And believe me, Sir, yours is a special one, which gives us a different point of view.

Thanks for this amazing travelogue with excellent photographs. Special thanks for the map in the first post. Including Bir-Billing in a Spiti-drive is an excellent idea.

[Dieselritzer]

Wow, this is what i call words not just complimenting, but rather blending into the beauty of what its describing. What a poetic amazing travelogue. I cannot even imagine ever stitching words so well, so perfectly. I am going to share this link with everyone whom I know love to read. True beautiful quality content.

Thank you would not be enough. The way you have ended the travelogue is touching and portrays the depth of your thoughts. You made my day Sir.

Thank you.

[BlackPearl]

Lovely write-up and pictures. One can never get enough of Spiti even if there are 100 more put up on team bhp. I am planning to go there again, only wish I stayed a bit nearer to Delhi!

[Secretariat]

Originally Posted by SJM1214

Yes! We do.
All the Travelogues on Spiti or Ladakh(or any T'log on the Himalayas) are always special.

Thanks for your kind words. That is so true - the Himalayas are so special that we never tire of reading about them

Originally Posted by Dieselritzer

Thank you would not be enough. The way you have ended the travelogue is touching and portrays the depth of your thoughts. You made my day Sir.

I am totally honoured. You have been very kind and generous. Thanks so much.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Lovely write-up and pictures. One can never get enough of Spiti even if there are 100 more put up on team bhp. I am planning to go there again, only wish I stayed a bit nearer to Delhi!

Wow - A comment from the master traveller himself. Your Spiti travelogue was a masterpiece that I read many times, but then "The Sherpa" is a lion while my own ride is a mouse; so won't even try to follow in your footsteps !! Thanks for all your travels and travelogues; they give many hours of pleasurable reading. For you, Kolkata is not far off from anywhere.

[i_nv]

One of the most beautiful ending note of all travelogues I have read in TBHP .
It summarises how beautiful your experience was over 30 days of travel in Himachal .
I am sure many more trips are awaiting you .
Loved it .

Originally Posted by Secretariat

The sun has gone below the horizon, and the lights have started to twinkle. I am sunk in my thoughts. How many more such trips would I be able to make ? I am unlikely to pass this way again, but I hope somebody dear to me will, and may the mountains be as kind as they have been to me.

The coffee has lifted me up. The camera comes out one last time for a photograph of the twinkling lights of Shimla.

Attachment 1807684

I give a long lingering look. And then turn back. It is time to go home.

Thank you for reading this travelogue and safe journeys wherever you are going.
[/left]

[Thermodynamics]

This is a gem of a travelogue. Engaging, touching, neat. Be it 244 or 244444, a travelogue of this kind is a bliss to read. Rated 5 stars.

I picked a thing or two for myself from your words. Most of my travels have been fully packed with no time to stop and smell the roses. Henceforth I change.

Thank you very much.

[Secretariat]

Originally Posted by i_nv

One of the most beautiful ending note of all travelogues I have read in TBHP .
It summarises how beautiful your experience was over 30 days of travel in Himachal .
I am sure many more trips are awaiting you .
Loved it .

Thank you. Much appreciate your wishes of many more trips. Then I can inflict many more travelogues too

Originally Posted by Thermodynamics

This is a gem of a travelogue. Engaging, touching, neat. Be it 244 or 244444, a travelogue of this kind is a bliss to read. Rated 5 stars.

I picked a thing or two for myself from your words. Most of my travels have been fully packed with no time to stop and smell the roses. Henceforth I change.

Thank you very much.

Very kind of you; thank you for your generous words. Yes, there is a charm in travelling slowly. Holidays are always way too short, but occasionally, it is also enjoyable to go to just one place or two and really savour the place.

[dhanushmenon]

Wow. What an amazing travelogue! Such free flowing and gripping script, had me glued from the first word till the last. You really have a great knack of writing sir!
The photographs were splendid of course. Though, despite your disclaimers, I did hope for some usual landscape spreads, which you purposefully avoided. Well, you also know it, that how much ever times you you see them, you will never get tired of those stunners. After all, ain't that a reason why we cross the country to the sublime snow clad or barren mountain deserts!

Rated the very well deserved five stars. How I wished I could rate this one six stars! Undoubtedly one of the best logs I've come across in the recent past.

[Secretariat]

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

The photographs were splendid of course. Though, despite your disclaimers, I did hope for some usual landscape spreads, which you purposefully avoided. Well, you also know it, that how much ever times you you see them, you will never get tired of those stunners. After all, ain't that a reason why we cross the country to the sublime snow clad or barren mountain deserts!

Totally floored and honoured, especially coming from such a distinguished travelogue writer. Thank you so much for your very warm words. You are right - some places can be seen and seen, photographed and photographed, and they would never be tiring.

Your own travelogues are legendary and have given hours of reading pleasure. Kochi to Bhutan - Wow ! And your ride is a beast !

[kskthere]

That was an awe-inspiring journey and breathtaking narration. There is a beautiful soul behind that write-up.

Although you mentioned the car performed magnificently, I'd like to know what kind of challenges did you face and what precautions one should take in such long solo drives?

[Secretariat]

Originally Posted by kskthere

That was an awe-inspiring journey and breathtaking narration. There is a beautiful soul behind that write-up.

Although you mentioned the car performed magnificently, I'd like to know what kind of challenges did you face and what precautions one should take in such long solo drives?

Thank you very much.

On your query, the following are the preparations I take for, and during, long solo drives. Much of this is the same even when it is not a solo drive, but they assume added importance when you are alone. This is, of course, a personal view; other solo drivers may have different dos and donts.

• Prepare the car thoroughly, including significant preventive maintenance. I change tyres and brake pads well before the end of their useful lives. For this drive, as the car had done 90,000 kms, I had also had all belts and hoses changed, wipers changed, all filters changed, in addition to all the usual servicing, even though some were not strictly required. I also have 24/7 roadside assistance valid always. The biggest vulnerability in solo drives is a mechanical problem with the car which you have to deal with alone.

• I have the route throughly researched from this forum and always keep backup route plans ready in case of disruptions. A vulnerability when you are driving alone is that the weight of dealing with unknown events has to be borne entirely by you.

• Physical fitness is often an underestimated part of driving. I actually have a warm up routine before starting the drive each day which amuses onlookers no end. My experience is that it helps reduce fatigue and improves the joy of the ride. I ensure a full night's sleep and also stop regularly, say after every 2-3 hours for a tea break. On long solo drives, fatigue is the biggest enemy.

• I never drive during the night. Its always a risk, and is a greater risk driving alone. And no bling ever; not even a ring.

• Contrary to many other solo drivers, I always stop if somebody asks for a lift, even on a deserted highway. I have never once had an unpleasant experience and will continue to give lifts even knowing the risk. I once gave a lift to a guy who was carrying a big gun in Arunachal Pradesh ! He proved to be a most delightful companion; he narrated the life of a hunter, which was why he was carrying the gun. I have had many interesting experiences with unknown fellow passengers who I was giving a lift to. You can't do this if you have a family in tow.

• The only challenge I face in a solo drive is the absence of anybody to help when its very rough terrain. Having to get down and figure out which way would minimise the chance of underbody hits, remove stones in the path, help navigate very tight passing manoeuvres on a narrow mountain road , that sort of a thing.

Hope this is useful. Try it out. Solo drives can be the most exhilarating of experiences. You, your car and the whole wide world - it's special.

[kskthere]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

Hope this is useful. Try it out. Solo drives can be the most exhilarating of experiences. You, your car and the whole wide world - it's special.

Thank you very much for the information.

I do embark on solo road trips, but they have never been more than 500 km, to and fro. Hopefully, one day, I would venture out on such a long drive to enjoy solitude.

[ssambyal1980]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

Really ? Do we need another travelogue on Kinnaur & Spiti ? There are already, maybe 243 travelogues out there on T-BHP. So much so that GTO is considering adding an additional qualification for membership - you've got to have done the Spiti drive ! So why another one ?

Well, the state is so beautiful that even the 244th travelogue won't be too tiring. And this BHPian loves to hear the sound of his own voice; or at least the sight of his written word ! Plus there is no penalty to adding to the weight of the Travelogues Section. And maybe, there is a hidden snippet or two yet to be told. So, off we go.

A few compromises though. We'll let Sangha Tenzing be in peace. If he had known that camera toting BHPians would make a beeline to Gue, he probably would have let the scorpions wreak havoc on the village (the reason it is said he became a mummy). And the tall claim that NH5 is the most treacherous road in the world is balderdash ; so no photos of the "infamous" board. I'll also try not to post the same photos (Kazigs, the rock overhang, Hindustan Ka Aakhri Dhaba, etc etc - T-BHP servers are already groaning with them)

After that irreverent blah blah, some genuine acknowledgements. A salute to BHPian ssambyal1980 (Julley! Himalayan Spiti Adventure in a sedan) whose T-log of the circuit in a sedan first sparked the desire (pun intended) to do this on the premise that what a Dzire can do, a Xcent can do too ! Then the lovely travelogues of Bluebird 7 (Kinnaur & Spiti: Journey of a Lifetime) and gearhead mait (Kinnaur & Spiti: Diametrically-opposite marvels of the Himalayas with a strong bonding) (Good Lord - Batal to Gramphu in an Eon !) kept the fires going. My go to guru, Senior BHPian Wanderernomad helped as he always so willingly does and one of the highlights of this trip was the dinner with him and his wife in Chandigarh. Thank you mate.

Solo drive as always. The same companion - Hyundai XCent AT. 90,000 kms on the odometer and the heart of a Hercules. This trip was 8000 kms door to door from Bangalore. 30 days of roaming around mid Sep to early Oct, 2018.

First of all congrats mate for your long cross country trip to the Himalayas. It really takes a lot of courage and will power to undertake such a long trip solo. Nonetheless the solitude is the ultimate bliss. It feels really nice that our Spiti travelogue is a source of inspiration for the fellow BHPians. Even I derived the much needed inspiration to travel to Spiti in a sedan from an old travelogue by a BHPian who travelled in an Hyundai i10 some years ago. Here's the link to that travelogue (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...rip-spiti.html (A Hatchback and an epic 2000 kms road-trip to Spiti)) There is definitely some mystic associated with Spiti that attracts the traveller inside all of us. Your lovely travelogue has once again stirred the nostalgia. Looking forward to many more adventure filled travel stories from your end. Wish you many many more miles of safe and pleasant drives.

Best Regards

[gearhead_mait]

Wow! You have wonderful sense of humor, Sir and it reflects in your writing. Your travelogue is short and yet filled with so much small bits of information which is missing in all other Spiti travelogues in the forum.

"Where the Dzire go, Excent can also go" - Agreed 100%
And I would like to add that if the Chandrataal road and Kunzum Pass was open at the time of your travel, your Excent would have forced you to take the road where the Dzire travelled.

Rated 5*