[KharbandaKartik]

Originally Posted by throttleflick

Very nice post Kartik. Carrying a butane stove surely makes sense in these times.

I keep coming back to this travelogue time and again. For 1 - I've been wanting to escape the wfh life for a while and venture out safely in the open. And 2 - I got a Taigun 1.0 AT to make 1 happen.

The one thing that is keeping me from doing a trip which involves snow patches is that AT. Do you think a MT would aid in having better control on the kind of roads you went through?

Thank you !

You'll have no problems with the Taigun AT, you'll be on NH-05 all the time, and BRO makes sure that the road is commutable, there's regular de-icing, etc. However, once we divert away from the national highway, we're pretty much on our own, have to be careful on those roads.

Manual should offer better control but as long as you are gentle on the accelerator, you'll be good.

If you would like to have some fun in snow, now is the right time to go

Originally Posted by Coolvik_2006

Great Travelogue Kartik. A crisp one.

Have a query though !

How are the road conditions enroute Spiti & adjoining areas of interest considering I have Polo GT 2021. Will GC be an issue ?

Regards,
Vikram.

Thank you !

I have done Spiti and Kinnaur in my i20 previously, with maximum 3 people on board with luggage and the underbody didn't touch anywhere, so lesser people on-board the better. Ground clearance won't be a problem but you'll need to be extra attentive and that gets you tired comparatively quicker.

In case, if you plan to go in summers, please avoid Batal - Gramphu stretch and Chandertaal in Polo, if you're planning a trip in winters, these routes will be closed anyway.

[Coolvik_2006]

Originally Posted by KharbandaKartik

Thank you !

Thank you !

I have done Spiti and Kinnaur in my i20 previously, with maximum 3 people on board with luggage and the underbody didn't touch anywhere, so lesser people on-board the better. Ground clearance won't be a problem but you'll need to be extra attentive and that gets you tired comparatively quicker.

In case, if you plan to go in summers, please avoid Batal - Gramphu stretch and Chandertaal in Polo, if you're planning a trip in winters, these routes will be closed anyway.

Thanks for the insights brother !

I also have an Elite i20 2017 and the GC is just about the same as Polo (5mm difference).
Since I plan to visit Spiti & Kinnaur along with my Wife and 2 kiddos, what should be the ideal time for the trip.

[KharbandaKartik]

Originally Posted by Coolvik_2006

Thanks for the insights brother !

I also have an Elite i20 2017 and the GC is just about the same as Polo (5mm difference).
Since I plan to visit Spiti & Kinnaur along with my Wife and 2 kiddos, what should be the ideal time for the trip.

You should consider April or May. I am not suggesting June, July or August because lately there have been a lot of landslides, especially in Kinnaur during monsoons.

Children may not be able to recognise symptoms of high altitude illness, please watch out for this.

[Coolvik_2006]

Originally Posted by KharbandaKartik

You should consider April or May. I am not suggesting June, July or August because lately there have been a lot of landslides, especially in Kinnaur during monsoons.

Children may not be able to recognise symptoms of high altitude illness, please watch out for this.

Thanks for flagging the alert and suggesting the appropriate time for the trip.
Appreciate brother !

[emmenhr]

A crisp travelogue. Just one question, if there was snow/black ice, how did you manage without a 4x4? Because you mentioned that at one point of time, there was Bolero struggling to climb.
The Spiti valley roads are treacherous and if you managed it on snow/ black ice without a 4x4, then kudos to you.
Cheers
Krish

[KharbandaKartik]

Originally Posted by emmenhr

A crisp travelogue. Just one question, if there was snow/black ice, how did you manage without a 4x4? Because you mentioned that at one point of time, there was Bolero struggling to climb.
The Spiti valley roads are treacherous and if you managed it on snow/ black ice without a 4x4, then kudos to you.
Cheers
Krish

Thank you !

I mostly drove during the day, when the snow is soft and has more traction.

The highway had no snow anyway.

It was only once in the night, when it was really slippery, and it was then when I saw a bolero slipping, it could be because of the weight it was carrying and it's highly likely that it was a 2 wheel drive.

[Kaus2002]

Originally Posted by KharbandaKartik

On roads with snow/ice, it's easy to see the traction control light come on, if you're not easy on the accelerator and it does let you know the limits of your tyres on current conditions by cutting power.

Thanks for bringing this up, So what I see is ESC + EDL will do the job most of the time .. Don’t need an 4x4 or AWD to travel such roads ..
Which engine you have in your kushaq 1.5 or 1.0 ??
And after driving 10000km have you experienced any Rattling noise issues.. people are making a big deal about it ..

[KharbandaKartik]

Originally Posted by Kaus2002

Thanks for bringing this up, So what I see is ESC + EDL will do the job most of the time .. Don’t need an 4x4 or AWD to travel such roads ..
Which engine you have in your kushaq 1.5 or 1.0 ??
And after driving 10000km have you experienced any Rattling noise issues.. people are making a big deal about it ..

You don't need it unless you venture away from the usual roads. At the same time I also believe that a 4*4 or AWD will give another level of confidence.

My car has completed 15,000 KMS and is done with its first service, there are no rattles, except one from the left door, which comes up, when music is played loud.

[Kaus2002]

Originally Posted by KharbandaKartik

You don't need it unless you venture away from the usual roads. At the same time I also believe that a 4*4 or AWD will give another level of confidence.

My car has completed 15,000 KMS and is done with its first service, there are no rattles, except one from the left door, which comes up, when music is played loud.

That’s awesome 👏🏻.. Speakers of kushaq are really great, they are no less than Bose or harman.

[RijuC]

Hi Kartik, I was inspired by the mesmerizing travelogues of Winter Spiti and now the Ladakh tour; and visited nearby Skoda dealership in Gurgaon for a TD.

However the TD vehicle 1.0 AT had a banging sound whenever I pressed the brake pedal. The SA informed it is usual with the brand new cars. However I didn't find any such banging sound in my earlier cars (zen Estilo and Swift). And recently I did TD in multiple new Scorpio N. However didn't find any such sound with other cars.

Could you please throw some light on this aspect? The TD car was brand new, just 39 km on ODO when I started.

I am really scared due to all horror stories of Skoda brand. Otherwise we liked the Kushaq.

[KharbandaKartik]

Originally Posted by RijuC

Hi Kartik, I was inspired by the mesmerizing travelogues of Winter Spiti and now the Ladakh tour; and visited nearby Skoda dealership in Gurgaon for a TD.

However the TD vehicle 1.0 AT had a banging sound whenever I pressed the brake pedal. The SA informed it is usual with the brand new cars. However I didn't find any such banging sound in my earlier cars (zen Estilo and Swift). And recently I did TD in multiple new Scorpio N. However didn't find any such sound with other cars.

Could you please throw some light on this aspect? The TD car was brand new, just 39 km on ODO when I started.

I am really scared due to all horror stories of Skoda brand. Otherwise we liked the Kushaq.

I am glad it inspired you.

I have never heard any sound while pressing the brake pedal, you could try test driving once more just to be sure.

Horror stories are scary but that is there with most of the brand these days, especially after the chip shortage. I would suggest you to take the additional warranty and just enjoy, in case if you buy Skoda/Volkswagen.

[DriftDevil]

Originally Posted by KharbandaKartik

You don't need it unless you venture away from the usual roads. At the same time I also believe that a 4*4 or AWD will give another level of confidence.

Hey, Firstly a lovely post and quite motivating. I am doing spiti valley Jan 2024 end. Have option of either a driver in 4x4 or self drive a thar AT 4x4. I have been quite confused hearing about driving in snow (never driven in snowy conditions) but have good amount of experience driving in hills, ghats and long distances. Could you advise if self drive option is a good decision in winter spiti?

[KharbandaKartik]

Originally Posted by DriftDevil

Could you advise if self drive option is a good decision in winter spiti?

Thank you!

Tough question, if you're someone who's game for the extreme, you'll enjoy.

You'll be seeing temperatures around -20 degrees celsius, so prepare accordingly, if your Thar is diesel then early morning starts can be a problem.

In winters hotels are closed in Spiti and you'll have to stay in a homestay with a basic heater, etc.

The road to Kaza, Spiti happens to be a national highway and is cleared of snow regularly, thanks to BRO. So it shouldn't be a problem, however you may encounter snow in Narkanda, Nako or similar high altitude passes, driving on snow can be a lot of trouble even in a 4*4, so maybe carry snow chains and drive very slow.

I suggest that you make a comfortable itinerary(avoid night driving) and account for the delays which you may have.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Good luck and be safe!

[DriftDevil]

Originally Posted by KharbandaKartik

Thank you!

You'll be seeing temperatures around -20 degrees celsius, so prepare accordingly, if your Thar is diesel then early morning starts can be a problem.

In winters hotels are closed in Spiti and you'll have to stay in a homestay with a basic heater, etc.

I suggest that you make a comfortable itinerary(avoid night driving) and account for the delays which you may have.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Good luck and be safe!

Thank you for such a quick response 😊

I am going with an expedition team, they have their backup vehicle and mechanics and trip captain. I was just in 2 minds thinking whether to opt for self drive or not but your post and response gave me confidence to take this challenge up!