5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!

[sami316]

Hi Tanveer,

That was one helluva teaser. Really looking forward to the travelogue which promises to be a BLOCKBUSTER.

[akroy]

Wonderful teaser there Tanveer, Hope the white elephant treated you well in the entire trip.
Will keep watching this thread for more.

Abhi

[Bapu]

Hi Tanveer,

Welcome Back to the world of Low Altitude Sickness!!

Sad to hear about your back. Hope all is well now. It's the off track places in Ladakh that are the real gems.

Eagerly waiting for your writeup and already going through your pics

[Indizen08]

Looking forward to the travel blog.

[Rudra Sen]

Me going to sleep and you'll be banned by tomorrow morning.. If we don't see any picture.

Hurry up!!!

[suman]

Tanveer, knock knock! Time to take a vacation to complete the Travelogue & pics

[rajneeesh]

So this time it is the master's back which is playing up. The White Elephant seems to have been in a good mood due to the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Tanveer, waiting for the next dose. You have an audience which has been waiting for over 3 weeks. Work can wait. WE CAN'T.

[tsk1979]

It was 10:30am, when we started from Anandpur Sahib, all geared up.
My back was feeling better slightly, and I hoped it would hold up.
First thing to do was the jerry can test.
Plastic ones are leaky, and if something had to leak, it better do now.
We had 2 cans of 35 liters each, and at an HP pump we put in 33 liters in one of the cans.
It took only a few kms to realize that it leaks, albeit slightly.
Well what happened has happened, in Leh the special Jugaad will have to be done for the same.
Till then it has to be tolerated.
We made good time. Traffic was thin, suggesting that the tourist rush would be low, a fact confirmed by people who had left just before me.
Except for a small jam before Aut tunnel, progress was okay, and it was around 5:30 in the evening that we decided to tank up at Pure for Sure Manali, the only truly trustworthy pump.
With 33 liters in the can, and 65 liters in the fuel tank, fuel would be last of our worried.
Moreover the safari does Manali Leh on a single Tank, and we had a lot extra.
I stretched my back a bit there, and it was sure acting up.
But with not time to waste, and darkness falling, it was time to attack Rohtang Pass.
IT was also time to take out the camera, to refresh old memories of our May trip.


As we went pass Marhi, the true character of road emerged. Under snow, everything is smooth and nice, but with all snow melted, what emerged was a proper nightmare.
Lot of people who had done Manali Leh had told me that Rohtang is the toughest pass. Now I know what it meant. My back as it was going for a toss. It was time to put some reli-spray, and say a prayer.
For some time my wife took the wheel again, and it was time to head up, on something which cannot be called a rod.
There were craters so big that in the safari we had to plan which route to take.
Came across a santro with 4 people, all of them standing outside, trying to figure out how to go.
Near the top there was lot of slush, rocks, potholes, and we were doing all this in the night.
Finally at Khoksar we breathed a sigh or relief, and decided to have aloo Paranthas.
But as they say expect the unexpected.
Instead of the Parantha, came somehting with 1mg aloo and deep fried! Like a Puri. Imagine 1mg aloo stuffed Poori deep fried.
After this disgusting dinner, we headed to PWD Sissu, and reached there at 10pm. It was time to get the caretaker, and sleep in our room, and in my case, get the hot water bottle ready.
Rohtang is not good for good backs, and when your back has been acting up like this... its hell.
So with a hot water bottle under my back, a muscle relaxant in my system, and lots of pain relief spray, finally it was time to sleep.
Tomorrow we go to keylong, it was just 2 hours away, and therefore, tomorrow will be a nice rest day.

[vineethvazhayil]

This is going to be one awesome thread! Awaiting updates!

[gd1418]

Ab aur aage ki kahani..??

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Lot of people who had done Manali Leh had told me that Rohtang is the toughest pass. Now I know what it meant. My back as it was going for a toss. It was time to put some reli-spray, and say a prayer.
For some time my wife took the wheel again, and it was time to head up, on something which cannot be called a rod.
There were craters so big that in the safari we had to plan which route to take.
Came across a santro with 4 people, all of them standing outside, trying to figure out how to go.
Near the top there was lot of slush, rocks, potholes, and we were doing all this in the night.
Finally at Khoksar we breathed a sigh or relief, and decided to have aloo Paranthas.

+1 to that. No other pass is as bad on the body & vehicle as Rohtang. Rainfall really takes its toll in there.

Sorry to hear about your back mate, I hope it was relatively well during the trip. Now eagerly waiting for the log to continue.

[SS-Traveller]

@ Tanveer: I can well sympathize with your back condition. Been there, done that - bad roads + bad back = hell. But then, you're the man, you stuck with the trip and completed it despite the pain. My hats off to you.

[vkochar]

Carry on !!! Eager to read the whole bit.

Evryone's getting Lehed these days !! I bet you next year we will have almost everyone landing up there ( including me )

[tsk1979]

If you ask me what was the best stay of the trip, I would say "Keylong".
Luxurious room with carpets, hot water, and comfortable bed.
Just what my back needed.
And all for 250rs.
did not take many pics that day. It was a short 2 hour drive.
The jerrycan was leaking with every pothotle, and I figured only around Pang there would be enough room in the fuel tank to pour the 33 liters.
Coupled with this was the dust, and the white elephant insisted we breath the road just like the air filter. Internal circulation or external, dust was pouring in.

We started from Sissu around 1pm or so, an reached Keylong in about 2 hours.

Time for the photographs?















After a short rest to my back and some hot water bottle and spray treatment, it was time for a short drive and a smallish river crossing




Chanderbhaga was just opposite the road, and we walked there to find on veg food.
However it was decent, not too bad.

I also took a night shot early that night


finally it was time to sleep early. Alarms were set for 5am, and by 5:30 we planned to be on the "Highway".
Unknown to us, it was going to be the toughest, dustiest and longest ride of our lives. We were going to find out what is "Manali Leh highway".

[Indizen08]

Nice photographs.
How is your back, Tanveer?