Better Leh'd than Never - a 3,004 kms round trip of a lifetime!

prince_pervez · 17th June 2009, 17:50

@Suman! Snaps are amazing and breathtaking. Waiting for more.
Good thread title as well

kurmist · 17th June 2009, 17:51

With your permission, Suman, i would like to make the last pic (the lake and mountains) my desktop wallpaper. Just looking at it eases the stress of the day.

Looking forward to some more of these beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

vnabhi · 17th June 2009, 17:52

Fab pics Suman! Waiting with bated breath for more.

swift8847 · 17th June 2009, 18:13

This would be a trip of a lifetime indeed. Will wait for more description and the pictures.

One stupid question, Why are you advised not to smoke here??

PatienceWins · 17th June 2009, 18:29

Great pictures, especially the 4th one.

This is indeed a great trip!!

anurag_p80 · 17th June 2009, 18:41

Looks like a humdinger coming up!!!! The pics with the narrow road between the towering walls of snow is just fantastic. The lake with the mountains in the backsground ain't too shoddy either. Waiting for more.....

breezydrive · 17th June 2009, 21:09

An exciting journey to LEH is at its adventurous most in the begining of season!
And you did it along with family.

Truly a journey of lifetime.
Congrats!

Rudra Sen · 17th June 2009, 21:52

Come on Suman!! Please don't irritate. Start posting.

narayan · 17th June 2009, 21:57

Good show ! after hearing u say that u may not post this experience, i knew you would hardly be able to do that !

keep posting...

akroy · 18th June 2009, 08:21

Suman da, Another wonderful thread after Pramods !! keep them coming. I am enjoying Leh from bangalore these days.

Abhi

muralisk · 18th June 2009, 08:24

Another nice thread on Leh. Looks like, this is a must do destination. I am really getting inspired and would like to see more. So, keep it going.

asejwal · 18th June 2009, 09:31

Congratulations for having 'achieved' Khardung-la...Keep reclaiming your life. I'll be glued to this thread -

.

Tell me something, since you have just done this trip, is the trip from Delhi to Khardungla do-able in a Tata Sierra. It is a 1948cc TCIC engine producing 65 odd horses. Tyres are pretty new and the engine has been overhauled 10k kms. back.

Why I ask is becos I had been to Khargung La alongwith a friend in March 2008 and that time it was all snow, snow and more snow....In fact, the Qualis which took us from Leh to the top got stuck in the snow!?! It took a lot of effort and expert driving to get it out. I am attaching a few snaps from my trip...Please do reply - I plan to seriously take my Sierra to 'Nirvana'...

Abbas · 18th June 2009, 09:47

I am leaving today afternoon by link exp. to delhi. Will be riding from delhi to Leh. This log is coming handy. I won`t be able to reply from now since, i am about to get Leh`ed. HA HA HA

krish82 · 18th June 2009, 09:50

Chanceless, i am not sure weather i would be seeing such place in my lifetime, forget by road. Excellent travel.

i think the place in the photo is the one which comes in the Jab we Met song!

suman · 18th June 2009, 09:54

Thanks everyone for your appreciation. Uploading a travelogue is tiring work

so please bear with me for the delays.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashthedivx

Was GD accompanying you as well ?

No. GD was in a group of 4 Scorpios - I did see him enroute to Pangong Tso but (as expected), he didn't see me! On a road which is barely wide for two vehicles, he didn't see a Safari flashing its lights & bearing down on him from the opposite direction! I have suggested that he consults an Opthalmologist immediately, LOL. I did meet two others of his group though - fellow Bhpian Roshun & Anil and we did drive together between Tandi & Manali on the way back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

BTW will the snow walls remain in August ?

The snow walls are best enjoyed in all their glory till about June or so - in fact, they were even bigger a couple of weeks earlier (when Baralachla had just opened up). I'm sure you'll see some walls in August though maybe not of this height.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhijeetsng

By the way, what is the place in the last photograph. Looks stunning!

Pangong Tso, a salt water lake, approx 14,000 feet above sea level, part of which is in India and the rest in China. Simply breathtaking & you can see the different colors - amazing!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurmist

With your permission, Suman, i would like to make the last pic (the lake and mountains) my desktop wallpaper.

Hey, be my guest - I know what you mean. You can sit in front of that lake for days & not get tired.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swift8847

One stupid question, Why are you advised not to smoke here??

Lack of oxygen - likely to aggravate breathlessness if you smoke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by asejwal

Please do reply - I plan to seriously take my Sierra to 'Nirvana'...

Arun, depending on when you are planning the trip, I think the Sierra can make it. Will be a little bit of exertion in places but can be done. However, you now have an EX 4x4 - in your place, it would be a no-brainer for me

. Nah, I'm kidding, go ahead, plan around mid-August, should go through

17th June 2009, 17:50	#16
prince_pervez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Redwood shores, CA, USA Posts: 4,210 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	@Suman! Snaps are amazing and breathtaking. Waiting for more. Good thread title as well Last edited by prince_pervez : 17th June 2009 at 17:58.
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 17:51	#17
kurmist BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 95 Thanked: 77 Times	With your permission, Suman, i would like to make the last pic (the lake and mountains) my desktop wallpaper. Just looking at it eases the stress of the day. Looking forward to some more of these beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 17:52	#18
vnabhi Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: DC -> DC Posts: 5,958 Thanked: 2,393 Times View My Garage	Fab pics Suman! Waiting with bated breath for more.
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 18:13	#19
swift8847 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bangalore/Houston Posts: 324 Thanked: 2 Times	This would be a trip of a lifetime indeed. Will wait for more description and the pictures. One stupid question, Why are you advised not to smoke here??
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 18:29	#20
PatienceWins Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,416 Thanked: 809 Times View My Garage	Great pictures, especially the 4th one. This is indeed a great trip!!
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 18:41	#21
anurag_p80 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 314 Thanked: 7 Times	Looks like a humdinger coming up!!!! The pics with the narrow road between the towering walls of snow is just fantastic. The lake with the mountains in the backsground ain't too shoddy either. Waiting for more.....
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 21:09	#22
breezydrive BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NOIDA Posts: 750 Thanked: 125 Times View My Garage	An exciting journey to LEH is at its adventurous most in the begining of season! And you did it along with family. Truly a journey of lifetime. Congrats!
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 21:52	#23
Rudra Sen Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,590 Thanked: 6,532 Times View My Garage	Come on Suman!! Please don't irritate. Start posting.
	() Thanks

17th June 2009, 21:57	#24
narayan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,114 Thanked: 2,372 Times View My Garage	Good show ! after hearing u say that u may not post this experience, i knew you would hardly be able to do that ! keep posting...
	() Thanks

18th June 2009, 08:21	#25
akroy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA, USA Posts: 2,423 Thanked: 85 Times View My Garage	Suman da, Another wonderful thread after Pramods !! keep them coming. I am enjoying Leh from bangalore these days. Abhi
	() Thanks

18th June 2009, 08:24	#26
muralisk BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Hyderabad, Bangalore Posts: 711 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	Another nice thread on Leh. Looks like, this is a must do destination. I am really getting inspired and would like to see more. So, keep it going.
	() Thanks

18th June 2009, 09:31	#27
asejwal BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Delhi/Gurga Posts: 112 Thanked: 25 Times	Congrats Suman... Congratulations for having 'achieved' Khardung-la...Keep reclaiming your life. I'll be glued to this thread - . Tell me something, since you have just done this trip, is the trip from Delhi to Khardungla do-able in a Tata Sierra. It is a 1948cc TCIC engine producing 65 odd horses. Tyres are pretty new and the engine has been overhauled 10k kms. back. Why I ask is becos I had been to Khargung La alongwith a friend in March 2008 and that time it was all snow, snow and more snow....In fact, the Qualis which took us from Leh to the top got stuck in the snow!?! It took a lot of effort and expert driving to get it out. I am attaching a few snaps from my trip...Please do reply - I plan to seriously take my Sierra to 'Nirvana'... Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

18th June 2009, 09:47	#28
Abbas BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Visakhapatnam Posts: 465 Thanked: 544 Times View My Garage	I am leaving today afternoon by link exp. to delhi. Will be riding from delhi to Leh. This log is coming handy. I won`t be able to reply from now since, i am about to get Leh`ed. HA HA HA
	() Thanks

18th June 2009, 09:50	#29
krish82 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 203 Thanked: 34 Times	Chanceless, i am not sure weather i would be seeing such place in my lifetime, forget by road. Excellent travel. i think the place in the photo is the one which comes in the Jab we Met song!
	() Thanks