[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

OT: LOG, what 4X4 did you buy? Don't tell me its the Safari

Yo MC, you guessed it right mate. It's a Safari!

[Khodays]

Hi Tanveer, this has been one of the most memorable travelogues ever, read it page to page and have made us go wonky.

I would like to get in touch with you, anyway possible, do share your contacts which you feel comfortable, we want to do this route this year, the car is getting prepped for the same, thanks in advance.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Khodays

Hi Tanveer, this has been one of the most memorable travelogues ever, read it page to page and have made us go wonky.

I would like to get in touch with you, anyway possible, do share your contacts which you feel comfortable, we want to do this route this year, the car is getting prepped for the same, thanks in advance.

Oops, I missed this post. So did you do the trip? Anyways, PM me your contact details. We can get in touch.

[Adityasjaswal]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

LOL guess what, even no road tracks are going to be mapped this year.
From July onwards, anybody wanting to do Ladakh will need only OSM maps, nothing else.
As for 4x4, sell your car, and buy the Thar!

Esteem, well I would be scared to do these in a 4x4. Till hanle esteem will do fine, but the Pangong Chusul route is best left to high GC vehicles(though if you are brave you can attempt in esteem), and as for Kyun Tso. "Shudder"!

may you please elaborate what OSM maps are??

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Adityasjaswal

may you please elaborate what OSM maps are??

OSM stands for openstreetmap. www.openstreetmap.org. This is a community driven mapping effort.

[Libra]

Tanveer Bhai, I am a big fan of your writing, photography, technical knowledge and attitude. I understand you live in Delhi NCR. If it is not very inconvenient, I would like to speak to you to take some advice. May I request you for your contact details?

[Traveller Nayak]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Thanks guys!
Well from BLR you need to add around 6 days.
As for leaves, I got only 7 working days off for this journey.

I hope, some day I can get a month off. Then I would like to visit all the high altitude lakes accessible by vehicle(around 11), and 2-3 lakes accessible only after trekking.
then I will also visit Zanskar valley, and Spiti, not to mention chandertaal lake.

And yes, my better half is indeed a better half in every sense, tolerating my driving, and staying in all sorts of places! We work as a team, and on all trips she takes care of the packing and food checklists!
Without her planning, we would have had to spend all these days without lunch!

Tanveer: as I read this and having read your 2009 queries on where to find the cable and the tool kit (Mayapuri etc) probably for your first drive to Leh and your bible on Leh and all associated areas - I can’t help but reflect that you must have really really liked the place on your first drive.

If I may ask, what was 'it' that made you fall in love with this place? While we all may say this is heaven and would like to go there 'again' - fact remains to be driving each time from Delhi takes its own time. One seldom finds people who keep on going back to a place like Leh where to reach it could be a challenge. I guess all kinds make this world!

You must have done real good deeds in your earlier life to have a better half who compliments and accompanies you for your love for such places. God bless.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Traveller Nayak

If I may ask, what was 'it' that made you fall in love with this place? While we all may say this is heaven and would like to go there 'again' - fact remains to be driving each time from Delhi takes its own time. One seldom finds people who keep on going back to a place like Leh where to reach it could be a challenge. I guess all kinds make this world!

You must have done real good deeds in your earlier life to have a better half who compliments and accompanies you for your love for such places. God bless.

Thanks for your wonderful post.
If you ask me for one thing, its Hanle. Not just me. Even my wife believes its Hanle that calls us again and again.
Guess what, in 2012, we spent 2 nights in Hanle. Such is the pull of that place.
Surprisingly, most people skip it, and those who do not, often say, whats so special. But there are a few, who listen to the wind there, gaze at the stars, and understand, why Hanle is that "magical place",

That said, thanks to the permit nonsense, and the "I am God" attitude of the those in power up there, I think we will focus more on Zanskar and Spiti.

Last but not the least, if you rush through a trip in Leh, you miss out the forest for the trees. That is why I tell everyone, do not rush, see less, but do justice to what you see. And then you will keep coming again and again.
I know people who just go to Tso moriri trek around the lake and come back, without even stepping a foot in Leh.

They have understood, how to do Leh, and what is "their" magical place

[archangelvishal]

Tanveer,
Hi...

i have been wanting to write in my few bits of appreciation for this "God of T-logs". I have read it and re-read it multiple times, even forced my wife to read it (though all she did was view the amazing photographs). It has helped immensely in making up our minds to visit Leh and drive all the way from Pune in our Hyundai i10 for this trip.

infact, wifey even agreed to forego out plans for Phuket/Singapore/KL in lieu of this trip.

Thanks again for the amazinglt detailed Log and tops and photos.

Best Regards,