The Spiti Loop > done differently - 7900kms

jaysmokesleaves · 3rd October 2008, 16:30

@ anupmathur >> Kindly see the post below!
This was ur advice posted in the route queries section >> At that time I didnt take much note about the words DEPTH and ADVENTURE QUOTIENT. with regards to Spiti, it now has a completely different meaning for me.

21st August 2008, 08:08 #30 (permalink) anupmathur
Senior - BHPian

That would be the best way to do it.

BTW, Jay, you have not mentioned how many days you have at hand.
Also, to what 'depth' do you wish to cover Spiti? What kind of 'adventure quotient' are you looking for?

There are the remote areas which are diversions from the main route: Dhankar and Pin Valley. One extra day at least.

Regarding the Malling slide area, yes, that is a very uncertain patch.
e.g.: I have been twice to Spiti.
Once was going and coming via Malling, because Kunzum was closed and the next time was both ways via Kunzum because Malling was closed! We even waited at Sumdo for 2 days for the malling slide to open so that we could complete the LOOP. Alas, it was not to be.

hellstar · 3rd October 2008, 16:44

@jaysmokesleaves thats was the more capturing travelogue i have gone through in a while , all the more so because it was well supported with captioned photographs. Great Trip man ... you are surely one lucky dude .... :-)

SRShrikanth · 3rd October 2008, 17:34

'jaysmokesleaves' it has been an absolute pleasure going through your entire travelogue.

Your sense of adventour is not only genetic but also very well captured in script as well.

Hope to catch up during a Mumbai meet, if your still within city-limits and not up & above in hilly terrain.

Looking for more to come from your desk.

PS: I always knew that smokin grass elevates you, but to get to where you have gone, smoking-leaves seems a better option hereon. !!!

anupmathur · 3rd October 2008, 19:56

Indeed, this travelogue has taken us higher than any other has!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRShrikanth

PS: I always knew that smokin grass elevates you, but to get to where you have gone, smoking-leaves seems a better option hereon. !!!

And in the context of this remark, I see new meaning in this little incident:

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

This man was busy smoking. So i spoke to him about what his ingredient was. He fell so proud of himself that he could share info about his smoke that he went overboard in taking a few very deep puffs. Next minute he was choking and coughing so badly that his lungs would come out. He even wasnt in a position to drink water that I offered.

You haven't told us the result of this investigation yet.

And did he survive to live and smoke another day?!

jaysmokesleaves · 3rd October 2008, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by anupmathur

You haven't told us the result of this investigation yet.

And did he survive to live and smoke another day?!

LOL

He did survive. He recovered 5 minutes later, completely winded.
I did leave him with a little - 'secret of the smoke'.
If you want to smoke her, dont let her smoke you.
Im not sure if he quite got it.

anupmathur · 3rd October 2008, 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

LOL

He did survive. He recovered 5 minutes later, completely winded.
I did leave him with a little - 'secret of the smoke'.
If you want to smoke her, dont let her smoke you.
Im not sure if he quite got it.

Of course he didn't, my friend Jack!
You might as well have told him to eat sugar lumps!

ramkya1 · 4th October 2008, 12:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

........................

Thanks for the good deal of information you have provided above. I had no knowledge of it. Now, if you can tell me the story of Malling Baba.!!

........................

Jay,

As I posted earlier Malling is one dicey patch any time of the year in this loop, never know when it will get closed. Don't know about the BABA

I think you must have taken the new by-pass @ Malling Nulllah, the old one is reportedly closed. The new BP is better than earlier, more wider and easlier to clear landslides now.

From all accounts of Travellers on this lopp, the toughest is the Losar-Granphoo section, full of boulders you described.

To have completed this loop is a test of endurance for man and machine.

--Ramky
======

jaysmokesleaves · 5th October 2008, 16:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramkya1

Jay,

From all accounts of Travellers on this lopp, the toughest is the Losar-Granphoo section, full of boulders you described.

To have completed this loop is a test of endurance for man and machine.

--Ramky
======

And I think im going to do it again next year.

kuttapan · 5th October 2008, 21:05

@jaysmokesleaves - Very nice travelogue, especially liked the pictures. Must have required huge amount of patience to stop you car, walk around and take pictures, considering the number of times you stopped.

Gave it a 5-er

Steeroid · 5th October 2008, 21:42

I still havent gotten around to finishing this travelogue - its like a long, engaging book that you dont want to finish with!

PatienceWins · 5th October 2008, 23:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steeroid

I still havent gotten around to finishing this travelogue - its like a long, engaging book that you dont want to finish with!

I know it is great and engaging, but do not have the patience to finish it. I know PatienceWins!!

Great trip!!

-GT- · 5th October 2008, 23:24

Jay:

We have been having some holidays (in UAE) due to Eid and since I had been traveling, I was not even checking my emails, leave alone browsing the net. I get a chance to log-in T-BHP this evening and this travelogue has made me sit at one place for the last 2 hours (didn't even get up for a smoke break).

Your pics, captions, eye for details, depth of words, ...I can go on and on - are absolutely mind blowing. I will have to go through the entire thread once more and enjoy the so many things that I am sure I would have missed (I don't have eye for details).

jaysmokesleaves · 6th October 2008, 11:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellstar

@jaysmokesleaves thats was the more capturing travelogue i have gone through in a while , all the more so because it was well supported with captioned photographs. Great Trip man ... you are surely one lucky dude .... :-)

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuttapan

@jaysmokesleaves - Very nice travelogue, especially liked the pictures. Must have required huge amount of patience to stop you car, walk around and take pictures, considering the number of times you stopped.
Gave it a 5-er

I feel there is no point in making a journey if we do not have the time to STOP and admire what we originally set out to see. In that context taking time out to stop completely irrelevant. Its better to come back with a feeling of content than to return with a feeling of having missed out.
What was more challenging than the trip though was putting this travelogue together. In that context, it took some patience. Glad you appreciate it.
Thanks for the * too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steeroid

I still havent gotten around to finishing this travelogue - its like a long, engaging book that you dont want to finish with!

Ive gone through my entire travelogue thrice already. It sure is engaging but on the hindsight, i feel it could have been better. And im particularly upset about losing and being unable to share the Pics from Lossar-Mumbai due to the m geting corrupted somehow on my hard drive.
Glad you have the patience to read through.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

I know it is great and engaging, but do not have the patience to finish it. I know PatienceWins!!

Great trip!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by -GT-

Jay:

We have been having some holidays (in UAE) due to Eid and since I had been traveling, I was not even checking my emails, leave alone browsing the net. I get a chance to log-in T-BHP this evening and this travelogue has made me sit at one place for the last 2 hours (didn't even get up for a smoke break).

Your pics, captions, eye for details, depth of words, ...I can go on and on - are absolutely mind blowing. I will have to go through the entire thread once more and enjoy the so many things that I am sure I would have missed (I don't have eye for details).

Glad you liked it. Thanks.

simply_sunny001 · 6th October 2008, 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

No 4wd was used in the entire trip.

Jay
your travelogue made some wonderful reading since last few days.congrats.

But why you havnt used 4WD,did you feel 2WD adequate for the terrain that you have been through.

Please post in detail about this.

Thanks

maddy42 · 6th October 2008, 14:49

Well i appreciate the effort you taken both for the trip and also keeping us engrossed in this travellogue. Only thing which comes to my mind is Next trip kab hai?
Well reminds me there is this movie coming called HEROS. You wrote the story for it or what?

3rd October 2008, 16:30	#106
jaysmokesleaves Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mostly Mumbai Posts: 1,702 Thanked: 1,452 Times	@ anupmathur >> Kindly see the post below! This was ur advice posted in the route queries section >> At that time I didnt take much note about the words DEPTH and ADVENTURE QUOTIENT. with regards to Spiti, it now has a completely different meaning for me. 21st August 2008, 08:08 #30 (permalink) anupmathur Senior - BHPian That would be the best way to do it. BTW, Jay, you have not mentioned how many days you have at hand. Also, to what 'depth' do you wish to cover Spiti? What kind of 'adventure quotient' are you looking for? There are the remote areas which are diversions from the main route: Dhankar and Pin Valley. One extra day at least. Regarding the Malling slide area, yes, that is a very uncertain patch. e.g.: I have been twice to Spiti. Once was going and coming via Malling, because Kunzum was closed and the next time was both ways via Kunzum because Malling was closed! We even waited at Sumdo for 2 days for the malling slide to open so that we could complete the LOOP. Alas, it was not to be. Last edited by jaysmokesleaves : 3rd October 2008 at 16:32.
	() Thanks

3rd October 2008, 16:44	#107
hellstar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,072 Thanked: 44 Times	@jaysmokesleaves thats was the more capturing travelogue i have gone through in a while , all the more so because it was well supported with captioned photographs. Great Trip man ... you are surely one lucky dude .... :-)
	() Thanks

3rd October 2008, 17:34	#108
SRShrikanth BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: B'bay/Stockholm Posts: 255 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	Awesome travelogue. 'jaysmokesleaves' it has been an absolute pleasure going through your entire travelogue. Your sense of adventour is not only genetic but also very well captured in script as well. Hope to catch up during a Mumbai meet, if your still within city-limits and not up & above in hilly terrain. Looking for more to come from your desk. PS: I always knew that smokin grass elevates you, but to get to where you have gone, smoking-leaves seems a better option hereon. !!!
	() Thanks

5th October 2008, 21:05	#114
kuttapan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,155 Thanked: 22 Times View My Garage	@jaysmokesleaves - Very nice travelogue, especially liked the pictures. Must have required huge amount of patience to stop you car, walk around and take pictures, considering the number of times you stopped. Gave it a 5-er
	() Thanks

5th October 2008, 21:42	#115
Steeroid Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: N.A Posts: 7,046 Thanked: 2,751 Times	I still havent gotten around to finishing this travelogue - its like a long, engaging book that you dont want to finish with!
	() Thanks

5th October 2008, 23:24	#117
-GT- BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chennai / Dubai Posts: 171 Thanked: 3 Times	Jay: We have been having some holidays (in UAE) due to Eid and since I had been traveling, I was not even checking my emails, leave alone browsing the net. I get a chance to log-in T-BHP this evening and this travelogue has made me sit at one place for the last 2 hours (didn't even get up for a smoke break). Your pics, captions, eye for details, depth of words, ...I can go on and on - are absolutely mind blowing. I will have to go through the entire thread once more and enjoy the so many things that I am sure I would have missed (I don't have eye for details).
	() Thanks

6th October 2008, 14:49	#120
maddy42 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Coorg Posts: 2,131 Thanked: 1,328 Times View My Garage	Well i appreciate the effort you taken both for the trip and also keeping us engrossed in this travellogue. Only thing which comes to my mind is Next trip kab hai? Well reminds me there is this movie coming called HEROS. You wrote the story for it or what?
	() Thanks