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Old 25th September 2009, 16:16   #286
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No more praises to you!! You have now gone beyond that, nice narration and photos. Do please continue doing the good work! Please Please PLEASE continue with report
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Old 25th September 2009, 17:07   #287
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this ones an epic travelogue... please post the entire details of the trip in brief later..

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Old 25th September 2009, 18:43   #288
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I feel Tanveer is enjoying the most here. He is actually reliving the trip. He is also taking us along. Once again, thanks for the photos and the report.
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Old 26th September 2009, 13:31   #289
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I visited Leh, Hanle and few passes.. Sitting at home in front of comp for 5-6 hrs and at around 50/- expenses . This is certainly one of the best travelogues I have ever read !! Tsk you are playing a devil now by keeping us crave for the next update.
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Old 27th September 2009, 03:13   #290
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surreal,eye popping, i wish english language had some more words to describe the pictures. especially the ones you shot of the tso...made my heart sink.

salut.
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Old 28th September 2009, 01:04   #291
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I've only this to say about this travelogue Tanveer, and that it is simply renders you SPEECHLESS and the pictures are STUNNING.

Looking forward to the rest of the narrative.
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Old 28th September 2009, 02:00   #292
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Tanveer, what happened this weekend? The laptop refused to work?
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Old 28th September 2009, 12:12   #293
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Majic View Post
No more praises to you!! You have now gone beyond that, nice narration and photos. Do please continue doing the good work! Please Please PLEASE continue with report

well TSK, if it was for my last comment , i am really sorry, its monday afternoon and i am yet to see the post for the day please do keep posting the wait is really agonising!

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Originally Posted by bigmoose85 View Post
Tanveer, what happened this weekend? The laptop refused to work?
Hi bigmoose85, the laptop must be in good condition, i rather suspect it to be Tanveer, who is confused with all the pictures as to what pictures are to be posted!!

Last edited by Jaggu : 28th September 2009 at 13:28. Reason: Back to back posts, use Multi Quote instead. Thanks
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Old 28th September 2009, 18:55   #294
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As he posted on Friday afternoon Tanveer is off to yet another trip. And from his Facebook postings I gather he is around Tirthan / Jalori area. And to top it all while there he saw a leopard cub too!!
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Old 29th September 2009, 01:24   #295
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You guessed it right Sudev. But no pics of the leopard cub. It was 8 in the night, and suddenly I see something which looks like a large cat right in the middle.
However very unlike a cat, it just stays there, and bares its little teeth.
Then as it went scurrying away we realized this is a baby leopard from all the spots.
Later shringi vatika couple told us that this cub got separated from its mother, and roams this area.
When it was smaller, it used to feed on leftovers, but lately dog pups have been going missing, and its the obvious culprit.
Villagers have tried capturing it to give it to forest department, but its clever. If its not captured, it may start feeding on livestock soon, and then somebody may kill it.
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Old 29th September 2009, 08:57   #296
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Hello Tanveer, so your on another trip, there goes another lot of time reading your next travelogue, please continue doing the good job
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Old 29th September 2009, 11:46   #297
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Why so, where so and How so

Tso is pronounced as "So"
So Kyun Tso, literally sounds like Why So.
That was the first question.
"Why So" - The answer is simple "Because its there".
The second question is "Where So?"
And google satellite imagery happily shows you 2 lakes 30-40kms from Nyoma as the Crow flies
Now the only remaining question is "How"
For that it was time to ask questions from locals.
AS I had heard from others, the route goes from Nidar village, and a red gypsy with 20 passengers was going there.
So time to follow the red, but red had already gone couple of kms, but villagers pointed me to a bridge far away which had to be crossed to go to Nidar

So off we went off the beaten path, and boy was it a road or what.
Again those sharp stones which I hate. Constantly pounding on the back.
The red gypsy had gone into the marshes intelligently, and I decided to follow them.
It was a local taxi, dropping villagers.
the tire tracks were all over, and quite a few times, I found the white elephant getting bogged down in the slush, but with 4x4 to the rescue, things were okay.
Then came more rocks, and rocks.
Climbing some, hitting the foot guard, it was quite a torture, and soon we found the road blocked via a landslide.
time to head towards the village and ask for directions.

Apparently the "bypass was blocked". and main road went through the village.
I caught hold of the taxi (gypsy) driver and asked for the route.

He told me its very tough, and recent rains had partially blocked the road, so some rock climbing would have to be done in 4WD.
The road would be as bad as ever, and get worse. He reckoned minimum of 2 hours to get there.

time for some calculations now.
Why so was becoming Why not tso.

There was no way this would be done without missing Tso Moriri.

So now it was a choice, and the question was "Why not Tso"
The answer was because Tso Moriri and Kiagar Tso.

Finally it was time to concede defeat, returning from 1/3rd way.


TO BE CONT..............
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Old 29th September 2009, 11:59   #298
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Deafeat....

First the surroundings. Can you spot the road? Well I could not, thats why we turned towards the village
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658723970_htp4gl.jpg
The white elephant, there are some obstacles which are better not taken, esp with a bad back
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658724532_prk9il.jpg
The entire village seemed to have come to see us off!
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658725441_sepckl.jpg

The view. This is wheat almost ready for harvesting. Unlike in the plains, where harvest is at the end of winter, the climate here demands that wheat be harvested just at the end of summer. Kind of like in Soviet Russia
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This is the bridge which you cross for going to the village When we finally reached back on the bridge it was 12:20 ish. We had spend around 40 minutes in our excursion, and covered around 15 kms in total
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658726742_qijdml.jpg

The ride on the bridge
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658730994_vkmkrl.jpg

I know its disappointing, and this was a lake we really wanted to see, but if we had gone there, we would have reached Tso Moriri late at night. With hardly any traffic on these trails, and also the risk of trail being blocked(as told by gypsy driver), even if we had pushed forward there was no guarantee of completion. This is where bikers excel. they can go around small landslides.

Moreover, my back had not healed yet. Bad road was not something I could afford to risk at this moment.

So with a heavy heart it was close to 12:30 we left Nyoma for Tso Moriri.
Kyun Tso will be done some other time....

For the curious, here is a good maps image. We had just covered around 1/3 or 1/4th of the way. If we had gone there we would have reached around 2pm, then 2 hours for return minimum, and ti would have been past 4 at Nyoma.
Not a happy thought!
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-kyuntsoattempt.jpg

So with the bitter taste of defeat, it was time to head towards the much bigger lake.
How bigger? Well look at this satellite image
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-kiagarkyuntsomoriri.jpg

Top left is Kiagar Tso, small lake before Tso Moriri. Each of the Twin lakes of Kyun Tso are slightly as big.
Below them you see the huge huge lake, partially frozen(google earth tile for that region was taken in winter)

So off we went for the bigger lake, Today we will cross the 10th pass of our journey, the Namshang La.

TO BE CONT.........
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Old 29th September 2009, 12:10   #299
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cnaganathan View Post
Hey TSK,

This is not fair - I mean leaving us in the lurch like this till Tuesday. I agree with @Bapu and am sure you will hear more voices like us. You should at least finish upto Kyun Tso.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Majic View Post
No more praises to you!! You have now gone beyond that, nice narration and photos. Do please continue doing the good work! Please Please PLEASE continue with report
So there you have it. Our failed attempt for Kyun Tso. But do not be disappointed, this was not our only failure. Plans were made and broken at the last moment again, only a couple of days later!
.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vinzrox View Post
this ones an epic travelogue... please post the entire details of the trip in brief later..

Sure., will do that. Let me know all the details you want to know.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigmoose85 View Post
I feel Tanveer is enjoying the most here. He is actually reliving the trip. He is also taking us along. Once again, thanks for the photos and the report.
Quote:
Originally Posted by neoonwheels View Post
I visited Leh, Hanle and few passes.. Sitting at home in front of comp for 5-6 hrs and at around 50/- expenses . This is certainly one of the best travelogues I have ever read !! Tsk you are playing a devil now by keeping us crave for the next update.
Quote:
Originally Posted by karan86 View Post
surreal,eye popping, i wish english language had some more words to describe the pictures. especially the ones you shot of the tso...made my heart sink.

salut.
Thanks for your comments guys!
Quote:
Originally Posted by gd1418 View Post
I've only this to say about this travelogue Tanveer, and that it is simply renders you SPEECHLESS and the pictures are STUNNING.

Looking forward to the rest of the narrative.
I will post As fast as possible. I still have half the pics to process
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigmoose85 View Post
Tanveer, what happened this weekend? The laptop refused to work?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Majic View Post
well TSK, if it was for my last comment , i am really sorry, its monday afternoon and i am yet to see the post for the day please do keep posting the wait is really agonising!



Hi bigmoose85, the laptop must be in good condition, i rather suspect it to be Tanveer, who is confused with all the pictures as to what pictures are to be posted!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by sudev View Post
As he posted on Friday afternoon Tanveer is off to yet another trip. And from his Facebook postings I gather he is around Tirthan / Jalori area. And to top it all while there he saw a leopard cub too!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Majic View Post
Hello Tanveer, so your on another trip, there goes another lot of time reading your next travelogue, please continue doing the good job
Yup, I went to the Tirthan again. but the pics are in queue. First Leh pics will get processed, and then Tirthan. But it was not really a driving trip. The highlight was the 6kms one way trek to Serolsar lake, and sitting by the river side in the evening, and the heavenly food at Shringi Vatika.
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Old 29th September 2009, 13:35   #300
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The road to ... Tso Moriri

My last updates have been short of pics, but the fact is the more difficult the trail, the less the pics.
but things will change now.
The road initially was very good. Again, this means less pics, as the focus is on reaching.
With time not being on our side we raced towards Tso Moriri. We wanted to reach early, because the decision was that if we did not like the options to stay there, we will drive back to Leh...
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658731499_y4swsl.jpg
Thanks to the excellent roads we were at Mahe bridge at 12:45pm.
Submitted the permits and it was time to move forward.
The road was good, but we had a big scare.
As I am driving along at around 40-50kmph, suddenly there is rainfall ahead. Rainfall of rocks i.e.
Few large stones tumbled down.. I hit the brakes hard and with a screech stopped few meters before the rocks.
Labourers working came running to clear the rocks.
Apparently this section was seeing continuous rock fall due to rains, and the workers were there to fix things.
But that was some save!
Did not take many pics initially, except for the Yaks
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658732765_dv4mcl.jpg

Finally around 1:20pm we hit the 10th pass of our journey. The Namashang La.
Compared to the earlier ones, it was tame, and the road was good
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658734471_47xzol.jpg

I knew it will not last
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The question was not "if the road will go bad" but "when will the road go bad.
The answer to that when is "When scenery turns awesome, the road goes real real bad".

For our share of awesome scenery, we had the Kiagar Tso, the small lake, which in some ways is more magical than the great Tso Moriri
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658736179_rmqvrl.jpg

5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658736825_xrvwtl.jpg

And along the magical lake came magical roads!
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658737267_zfsovl.jpg

But you have a choice here.
Do you follow the road, which actually is all sharp rocks dumped onto the track so that it does not turn to sand, or do you follow the sandy tractor trails on the mountain, a few feet away from the main track.
The taxis were taking the road as the sand was deep, but we did not think twice. It was onto the sand.
For now, no stopping at Kiagar Tso, we will see it on our way back, for now it was time for Tso Moriri.
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658737959_5ms5rl.jpg

The sandy tracks also meant serious 4x4 usage
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658738670_wejrzl.jpg

The white elephant, at home in the sand
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658739467_vfxpul.jpg

Though we were in a hurry, the lake was too magical, and I decided to stop more and click
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658746214_rd9rgl.jpg

More lake
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658746794_onquel.jpg

Some wild horses.. and cows too, but not wild I am sure
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658747505_hqbmll.jpg

The "road had started snaking up the mountain, and so it was end of our "sand track".
2 options, take the road, or go straight up the shortcut.
Well answer was obvious.
Goodye Kiagar Tso for now
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658748212_nkr5pl.jpg

after taking the shortcuts up the mountains, we came to more plans like place.
This will also have to wait till we come back, for now the lake was the target, and by my calculations it was just a few kms away!
5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658748695_uquuwl.jpg

Now plains is a misleading name, the track was pretty bumpy.
After the plains came the madness of the same sharp rocks. Driving so much in ladakh makes you hate these type of roads. Atleast your teeth are not falling out!

Now it was drive drive drive till you see the Tso

Soon the lake arrived, and we decided to first go and eat, No photography till hunger is satiated.

Korzok looked like a ghost town. Dirty places to stay, and some tents. It did not take long to decide that we will go back today.
In hindsight, if we had not gone to Pangong till yet,we may have stayed, but compared to pangong, Tso Moriri fails badly. Don't get me wrong, its lovely in its own right, but when you spend 2 days at Pangong, every other lake seems wanting.

Coming back to topic of eating, well the food was seriously lousy, and curd was made of goat milk. Really smelly stuff. If you want to participate in a reality show where they make you eat "things", you can practice with Goat milk curd.


Meal done(albeit a bad one), we headed to our spot by the lake, and decided to spend some time here, and also taste and see if water was as salty as Pangong..


5000kms and 12 Passes, a 20 day wild wild ride to the roof of the world!-658749586_gcw9ul.jpg


TO BE CONT..........

Last edited by tsk1979 : 29th September 2009 at 13:37.
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