[Sujoy76]

Originally Posted by ottocycle

Actually, I was looking for specific product link. Found the tuktuk model of roofbox. The crossbar is one I am unable to locate on the webside. Also, would it be possible for you to share the complete cost of the required things. Was there any discount offered by Farad?

Well I took the AERODYNAMIC BLACK cross bar. You can find this under roof bar menu and go for Kit HILO. Farad gave me some discount than the market price and altogether I have paid 36K total for the whole package that includes the cargo box, cross bar and the cross bar kits.

[vikas2211]

What a TL , awesome work Sujoy76.

I don't know how many times I have visited this TL for some detail or another. Its a great reference for all the enthusiasts like me who are planning to do this circuit.

Great work!

[haisaikat]

Kudos Sujoy da for planning and executing such a mammoth trip all by yourself. I saw that you had seniors travelling with you and hats off to them for being supportive and patient throughout the journey, you are lucky to have them by your side.

Next comes the photos, beautiful, many of them are stunning, those moon shine moments peeking over the mountains in Sonmarg are like from a different planet all together. Clubbed with this is the immensely detailed narration which made me take almost 2 months to finish reading the TL as I did not wish to miss out any single word. Its like a complete trainer guide on preparation of mind for anyone who wish to do this circuit.

Finally comes your courage to tackle the odds while being the only one in charge amongst your family accompanying. Take a bow.

I recall pinging you after seeing your online posts at the start of your trip to take guidance about passing through Udhampur timings while I was gearing up for my Kashmir trip mid of October. Thanks for the info, it helped.

Regarding cold and snow, 2021 had seen early snowfall in J&K, same reason why you found Manali route closing abruptly and we had to literally abandon Pahalgam. Hopefully we have to reserve another visit. But I also realized that we need better preparation to counter the sub zero or nearing zero cold and windy weather that may be encountered in some of the places.

Did you finally ended up using the Jerry Can that you filled up while going for Pangong?
Also I saw you take portable O2 canisters but in my opinion if the need arises they exhaust in minutes and even if i take 10 it may not be enough in my opinion, we tried at home for an emergency while we were COVID struck. Probably there is researching needed to see if Portable Rechargeable O2 Concentrators can be rented which can be charged in our cars.

I am tempted to do the Ladakh circuit even more now and but reading your experience would consider doing it in a few years and not immediately until road condition can become even better than itself and more fuel refilling stations come up along the way. More importantly passing through the Jammu Srinagar road need to be timed better, like starting as early in the morning as possible to avoid truck traffic. My wife considers that as a nightmare crossing again.

Till then keep travelling and keep taking us along you like always. Rated 5 stars.

[Sujoy76]

Sometimes all we need is to be somewhere else to see things from a different perspective. Till I embarked on the Ladakh Roadtrip, I was just an ordinary road tripper but the Ladakh trip has given me enough ammunition to look at life from a different perspective.

The first step towards achieving anything in life is to think that you can. It is critical to have a future vision in order to attain your objectives
Believe in yourself, take action, and change the world!

[brownianmotion]

Originally Posted by Sujoy76

According to Google map it was a journey of little over 7 hours but I was sure that for me it would not be less than 10 hrs as I will be doing photography. We left Ludhiana at 9 AM.

Thanks for such a wonderful travelogue. Regarding traffic movement I have a question. Most of the time these days in ADGP traffic I see that traffic movements for Lmvs are allowed from Udhampur side till 1300 hrs . But I guess you went past Udhampur later than that . Did you face any traffic restrictions whatsoever?

[Sujoy76]

Originally Posted by brownianmotion

Thanks for such a wonderful travelogue. Regarding traffic movement I have a question. Most of the time these days in ADGP traffic I see that traffic movements for Lmvs are allowed from Udhampur side till 1300 hrs . But I guess you went past Udhampur later than that . Did you face any traffic restrictions whatsoever?

Thank you for the appreciation. While moving out of Ludhiana I didn't have this info about restriction of LMvs from Udhampur side till 1300 hrs, hence couldn't check anything. I have crossed Udhampur after 1300 Hrs and I didn't face any restriction moreover I've seen LMVs moving in both directions.

Originally Posted by haisaikat

Did you finally ended up using the Jerry Can that you filled up while going for Pangong?
Also I saw you take portable O2 canisters but in my opinion if the need arises they exhaust in minutes and even if i take 10 it may not be enough in my opinion, we tried at home for an emergency while we were COVID struck. Probably there is researching needed to see if Portable Rechargeable O2 Concentrators can be rented which can be charged in our cars.

Thank You and sorry for late reply. Yeah planning the trip was most difficult as I singlehandedly planned every minute details about the trip. The places to stay, distance between the halts, hotels and their facilities and most importantly road conditions. It was tough but simultaneously a nice experience. No seniors have travelled with me, we were accompanied by my friend and his wife.

I had made it a point to take as many photos as possible as well as doing videography. I love doing photography as they become a treasure for the future days when I can see them cherish the good times It was really tough to narrate each and every detail about the trip so that it can be helpful for other travellers to plan their trip. I still feel that I've missed out on many things.

Talking about the courage, I would say we all have it in us. It's just a mental block that stops us from going out and explore the unseen. once you break that barrier then there is nothing that can stop you from achieving your goal.

Well the jerry can was emptied at Hanle.

Finally, it was an experience that has changed many perspective. I'm more confident now

[chorispao]

Hi Sujoy
A well documented travelogue! I have used this as a base for planning a trip to Leh. Along with my wife & two kids, we plan to drive from Goa – Srinagar – Leh – Manali – Goa over a month, with a relaxed itinerary. Plan is to drive Aug 13 to Sept 11, 2022 in a Maruti Ertiga Petrol. A have a few questions since this is based largely on the routes you have taken.
1. From Leh, we plan to drive to Turtuk & Thang via Hunder.
2. From Nubra Valley, we plan to drive to Pangong (Merak) via the Sumur-Khalsar-Agham-Shyok-Durbuk-Tangtse route.
3. From Pangong (Merak), we plan to drive to Nyoma and then to Hanle via the Nama-Kaksang La-Mirpal Tso-Hor La-Yaye Tso-Mahe-Rhongo-route.
4. From Karu, we plan to drive to Manali via Jispa
Is the above doable in an Ertiga with 185mm GC? I plan to get a fresh set of GY Assurance II tyres before the drive. Am assuming mid Aug – mid Sept will be a dry period and hence drivable. The alternate plan for 2 is to drive from Nubra-Leh-Pangong & for 3 is to drive from Pangong – Karu– Hanle. We have no alternate plan for 1 & 4.
Appreciate your advice on the above.
Regards,
Rohit

[asethi]

Originally Posted by asethi

Thanks Sujoy. I'm more interested to know how much will the tank last while travelling in tedious terrain of Ladakh. Going by my experience in peak Bangalore traffic, the full tank range can be <300kms with avg <8kmpl for this car and that was my worry. Also, mileage can significantly drop on steep roads. If we can find a fuel station within 300kms everywhere, then it shouldn't be a problem and don't need to carry spare fuel.



Well that's the irony you know. I haven't had chance to explore my home state J&K, well till recently Ladakh was part of it! I've driven Bangalore to Jammu but till recently I had never crossed Patnitop, and last year was first time I even visited Kashmir, and now Ladakh is waiting.

So for me the trip will happen in 2 phases - Bangalore <-> Jammu and then Jammu <-> Ladakh.

But yes, this will now happen soon and thanks for all the motivation!

Finally this trip happened, thanks Sujoy for the inspiration!

And what a trip it was, scary and adventurous at the same time!! The Shyok road was exactly how you described and I had few difficult situations on this stretch but came out smiling.

Leaving with few of pics of the trip, I hope to write a travelogue penning down all the details and of course, tons of photographs.

Khardung La


Diskit


Chang La

[Sujoy76]

Originally Posted by chorispao

Hi Sujoy
A have a few questions since this is based largely on the routes you have taken.
1. From Leh, we plan to drive to Turtuk & Thang via Hunder.
2. From Nubra Valley, we plan to drive to Pangong (Merak) via the Sumur-Khalsar-Agham-Shyok-Durbuk-Tangtse route.
3. From Pangong (Merak), we plan to drive to Nyoma and then to Hanle via the Nama-Kaksang La-Mirpal Tso-Hor La-Yaye Tso-Mahe-Rhongo-route.
4. From Karu, we plan to drive to Manali via Jispa
Is the above doable in an Ertiga with 185mm GC? I plan to get a fresh set of GY Assurance II tyres before the drive. Am assuming mid Aug – mid Sept will be a dry period and hence drivable. The alternate plan for 2 is to drive from Nubra-Leh-Pangong & for 3 is to drive from Pangong – Karu– Hanle. We have no alternate plan for 1 & 4.
Appreciate your advice on the above.
Regards,
Rohit

Thank You for the appreciation. You have time on your side to enjoy your trip to the maximum level. I would say with 185mm GC your can easily do the trip as most part of the road in Ladakh is well laid. For Leh to Turtuk, I would suggest your start early from Leh so that you can reach Turtuk early and visit Thank on the same day. Further stay at Turtuk for couple of nights and enjoy your time out there. You can visit the Monastery, Tayakshi village. You can stay at Ashoor Guest House. This one is situated on the road and they serve good food. Once you come back to Turtuk, there also stay for couple of days and enjoy the dunes, the monastery and if you like, you can visit the Siachen Base Camp. It is not open for tourists.

For your journey from Nubra to Pangong, only point of concern would be the road that goes through the Shyok river bed. With 185 mm GC, your Ertiga can negotiate the surface. Just drive carefully and you will be through. Stay at Maan or Merak. You can enjoy Pangong more closely. Kaksang La route is well laid but be prepared to face numerous hairpin bends with sharp inclination. Spend some time around Mirpal Tso and Yaye Tso.

New sets of tyres will be very helpful while you negotiate the demanding surface at some points. As you have enough time keep some days as back-up so that you can alter your plan if required. Rest, everything will be fine. Just believe in your capabilities and drive safe.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by asethi

Finally this trip happened, thanks Sujoy for the inspiration!

And what a trip it was, scary and adventurous at the same time!! The Shyok road was exactly how you described and I had few difficult situations on this stretch but came out smiling.

Wow man!! Congrats for completing the trip. A road trip to Ladakh is always a special one and once you complete it, the experience makes you a seasoned road tripper. You Nexon looks stunning, specially the one you took with the Diskit monastery at the backdrop. Lovely photographs. Wish you many more such trips in future.

[chorispao]

Thanks Sujoy for the insight and guidance. Will post once we complete this trip.
Regards,
Rohit

[brownianmotion]

Originally Posted by Sujoy76

For the mileage part, i didn't keep track of that but after the total trip the MID displayed 17 KMPL. So practically it should be around 15-15.5 KMPL which I feel is not bad considering the load it was carrying and the terrain it encountered. Yeah I used the reserve stock of petrol at Hanle. I forgot to mention that in the TL.

Sujoy, this is the 2nd time I am reading this TL. Its amazing. I have 2 questions:- a) You did Diskit-Pangong-Hanle-Karu . I assume you topped up in Diskit. How much fuel you carried as reserve and how much reserve fuel you need to use during this stretch Diskit-Pangong-Hanle-Karu. Very interested to know the fuel consumed during this stretch as it will give a good estimate of how much fuel to provision. b) Is Kaksang La route more scenic than the Rezang La route ?

[Sujoy76]

Originally Posted by brownianmotion

Sujoy, this is the 2nd time I am reading this TL. Its amazing. I have 2 questions:- a) You did Diskit-Pangong-Hanle-Karu . I assume you topped up in Diskit. How much fuel you carried as reserve and how much reserve fuel you need to use during this stretch Diskit-Pangong-Hanle-Karu. Very interested to know the fuel consumed during this stretch as it will give a good estimate of how much fuel to provision. b) Is Kaksang La route more scenic than the Rezang La route ?

Diskit now has two petrol pumps and one more petrol pump is coming up. I carried 20 Ltr extra fuel and used that in Hanle. I guess Rezang La and kaksang La both route are special. If you love climbimg the hills through winding roads negotiating hairpin bends, then go for Kaksang La. Your will enjoy the view of Mirpal Tso and Yaye Tso as well as cover two more passes i.e Thota La and Hora La. This route is a bit longer comparing the Rezang La route. In my view both routes are beautiful. You can take any one of them.