[KSM-Vtec]

Originally Posted by ramie2400

Amazing pics kaushik,i envy you for this would love to go some day for a ladkah trip

dont worry bro, we will do it together this year.

[KSM-Vtec]

Well well well Zojila Pass was a great adventure. To start with we made it just in time for getting entry into the pass that evening. We reach this check post where we are asked to make an entry into a register kept there.

At this point even getting out of the car was difficult as it had began to pour cats and dogs. So how Mihir managed to get off and run up to the shelter where the register was kept.

We move on and wonder why the pass had to be kept closed after sunset. Wide roads with interlocking tiles almost all the way to the top. A few trucks crossing us but none going up in our direction. The drive to the top was very ok BUT then it became very very dark and it also began to rain even more heavily. The road became narrow and mucky aswell. I decide to switch on 2 of my aux lights and it makes no difference. With all the 6 lights turned on we move ahead slowly.

To our horror we close into a junction with no sign boards, but luckily the most unpredictable act happens up there. We see a man showing us the way towards the road going to the right(upwards). Not having a choice we take his word that its an easier way out we move further.

The drive was becoming difficult with almost no visibility and very little grip and a steep fall on one side. To make matters worst we come across a live landslide, i dint think how bad it could get but decided to just rush past the situation. There was no turning back and with luck on our side we managed to clear 3 turns with rocks rolling towards us from the top.

On reaching the bottom it looked like we have been driving during the night and sun rise had just happened. We switch off our 6 head lights and drive into Sonamarg.

Was a beautiful, adventurous & scary incident but at the end of the day it was worth the experience i must say.

Will post pics and vids soon.

[traveloholic]

You've got me glued to this thread Kaushik. I am all in for this thread.

[KSM-Vtec]

Originally Posted by traveloholic

You've got me glued to this thread Kaushik. I am all in for this thread.

thanx a lot bro!!! great to know that you liked it.

[ramkya1]

Kaushik,Congratulations on doing the "Mother of all Drives", I've read EVERY travalogue to Ladakh, each one is a gem and so different in perspective!!!!!

Yours is a great account with lovely pictures to add colour. The Zojila part is hair-raising enough for a bald man... ...... way to go. Maybe we'd meet somewhere on that road in 2010

-Ramk
=====

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by KSM-Vtec

Well well well Zojila Pass was a great adventure. To start with we made it just in time for getting entry into the pass that evening. We reach this check post where we are asked to make an entry into a register kept there.

At this point even getting out of the car was difficult as it had began to pour cats and dogs. So how Mihir managed to get off and run up to the shelter where the register was kept.

We move on and wonder why the pass had to be kept closed after sunset. Wide roads with interlocking tiles almost all the way to the top. A few trucks crossing us but none going up in our direction. The drive to the top was very ok BUT then it became very very dark and it also began to rain even more heavily. The road became narrow and mucky aswell. I decide to switch on 2 of my aux lights and it makes no difference. With all the 6 lights turned on we move ahead slowly.

To our horror we close into a junction with no sign boards, but luckily the most unpredictable act happens up there. We see a man showing us the way towards the road going to the right(upwards). Not having a choice we take his word that its an easier way out we move further.

The drive was becoming difficult with almost no visibility and very little grip and a steep fall on one side. To make matters worst we come across a live landslide, i dint think how bad it could get but decided to just rush past the situation. There was no turning back and with luck on our side we managed to clear 3 turns with rocks rolling towards us from the top.

On reaching the bottom it looked like we have been driving during the night and sun rise had just happened. We switch off our 6 head lights and drive into Sonamarg.

Was a beautiful, adventurous & scary incident but at the end of the day it was worth the experience i must say.

Will post pics and vids soon.

Kaushik, I think you are talking about the Y-Junction right at India Gate on Zojila Pass. The road going up is only meant for vehicles going down and is supposed to be much worse condition than the normal road which comes up from Sonamarg

[KSM-Vtec]

Thanx a Sir!!! Yes we will meet for sure. In fact we were planning to meet you during out recent trip to GJ & RJ but somehow could not plan it right.

Well i most say for sure that this log doesn't come anywhere close to your international road trip log in anyway.

Originally Posted by ramkya1

Kaushik,Congratulations on doing the "Mother of all Drives", I've read EVERY travalogue to Ladakh, each one is a gem and so different in perspective!!!!!

Yours is a great account with lovely pictures to add colour. The Zojila part is hair-raising enough for a bald man... ...... way to go. Maybe we'd meet somewhere on that road in 2010

-Ramk
=====

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Kaushik, I think you are talking about the Y-Junction right at India Gate on Zojila Pass. The road going up is only meant for vehicles going down and is supposed to be much worse condition than the normal road which comes up from Sonamarg

Well i guess its the same junction i guess. But not knowing much abt it we were forced to take that road, but now that i am back safe i don't regret taking it...lol

[unoczar]

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!

3 of us clapping for the wonderful effort!!! I'm not sure if any body else would dare such an act. i wouldnt.

[KSM-Vtec]

Originally Posted by unoczar

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!

3 of us clapping for the wonderful effort!!! I'm not sure if any body else would dare such an act. i wouldnt.

Thanx a lot, you bet...glad that you liked the log.

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by KSM-Vtec

Thanx a Sir!!! Yes we will meet for sure. In fact we were planning to meet you during out recent trip to GJ & RJ but somehow could not plan it right.

Well i most say for sure that this log doesn't come anywhere close to your international road trip log in anyway.

That was a miss........ would have loved to meet you on the BP.

IMHO, Ladakh is truly one heck of a drive; few places in the world has roads as high as this with challenges like this. Europe, UK and US the roads are so good, the signages are brilliant and emergency responses so well organized, the risk is actually dwarfed. I've talked to / mailed to many foreign friends / relatives; hard core roadies dream of doing the Ladaky drive once in their life time, the adrinaline is in the actual danger of the drive, you can never be sure of anything on this ride!!!! I feel this ride is truly "Mother of all drives" and people who have done are really lucky and blessed.

--Ramky
=====

[KSM-Vtec]

Originally Posted by ramkya1

That was a miss........ would have loved to meet you on the BP.

IMHO, Ladakh is truly one heck of a drive; few places in the world has roads as high as this with challenges like this. Europe, UK and US the roads are so good, the signages are brilliant and emergency responses so well organized, the risk is actually dwarfed. I've talked to / mailed to many foreign friends / relatives; hard core roadies dream of doing the Ladaky drive once in their life time, the adrinaline is in the actual danger of the drive, you can never be sure of anything on this ride!!!! I feel this ride is truly "Mother of all drives" and people who have done are really lucky and blessed.

--Ramky
=====

very true, but like they say "Grass is always greener on the other side" my bad.

[KSM-Vtec]

We woke up in Srinagar to frantic phone calls from parents. Apparently, there had been a confrontation between the military & some terrorists at night and 3 police personnel had been shot down. The city was on curfew mode. We had our breakfast & went into the city to see exactly what was happening - we are adventurous, you see !!!

Well, the city was functioning as normal, but i haven't seen so much of military presence in any civil locality ever !!! There were army trucks, all loaded and bullet proof, with army personnel coming out from its hood & their guns pointed everywhere. The slightest mishap & they were ready to shoot. Now we were scared !!!

We did our shopping & left for Jammu - there were tons n tons of army truck going in the opposite direction - into Srinagar !!

We passed by Jawahar Tunnel, and via Jammu, reached Katra by sundown. Here, we pitched for the night. It was a religious visit tomorrow, Vaishnodevi !!!

[KSM-Vtec]

On Day 10 when we left from Leh in the morning we had decided that we would stay over for the night in Drass and then take it forward from there.

But as the day passed by we realised that we were running ahead of time and we were in Drass at 4PM in spite of the rain we had faced on the way. So we decided to visit the war memorial and then move on further to Sonamarg.

As luck had it we were in Sonamarg at 6PM but there was not electricity or telephone connectivity there. After spending abt an hour there we concluded that we should be moving further, we realised later that this was not such a wise decision. It was pitch dark and on the way to Srinagar we found various check post with gunmen, things were getting scary and we were cursing ourselves. But there was no turning back and finally we saw light at the end of the tunnel. With constant guidance from HVK we entered Srinagar from the correct point and found our way to the lake by abt 9:30PM.

The day was not very demanding but the last leg made it a ? and i wouldn't recommend it to people. I think its a better idea to do Leh-Sonamarg.

[krazydriver84]

Dude, Amazing travelogue. It has totally got me mesmerized. You are getting the Leh bug started in me again. I thought I was out of it. And for the leh bug, i need to get the gypsy bug started now.

[KSM-Vtec]

Originally Posted by krazydriver84

Dude, Amazing travelogue. It has totally got me mesmerized. You are getting the Leh bug started in me again. I thought I was out of it. And for the leh bug, i need to get the gypsy bug started now.

Thanx a lot. Well the Leh bug can never die believe me, it just gets subsided for a short time during th offseason....lol. Ya its just the right time to look for a gypsy if you have decided to get one.