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-   -   rkbharat's photolog for Leh 2010 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/83917-rkbharats-photolog-leh-2010-a-7.html)

Awesome pics, man !! You got some very nice shots of the Seagulls. I tried a lot, clicked around 150 pics and fed them 3 packets of PARLE G :D but got no good shots

Rajeev, You sure had the time of your life on this trip.
Super photos!! How did the SX4 do on the trip?
For it's ground clearance, don't think it would had much of a problem on that terrain.
Your trip on SX4 does give me hope, that it can be done on a Sedan :)

Thanks Ramkya sir
Honestly I fed them nothing, everybody was busy feeding them and me clicking

I had my shoes, jeans and socks all soaked in water, I was lost while taking these pics. many a times I even walked into the lake, and realized little late that I am in and wet

BTW all the people around me were little amused, confused, impressed or whatever kind , but it was fun
SX4 is wonderful car, honestly I will prefer an SUV during May-June. Do not trust too much on that GC, though it definitely give and edge over other sedans, front RAMP clearance is very very bad. So consider it as another sedan with better GC. And it does not have that low end torque, required at times.

But I had fun, never ever had to push the limits except on few snow crossing, where it was essential to maintain momentum in first gear, and while doing that it went to 5K rpm once or twice. Drive on steepest climb was no issue, sharp pin bends were no issue. I got very good FE of 11.5 on those hills. And drive on Hanle roads is something I will never forget. It was like am driving in some different planet

I explain later that we had a sad event, and even after that this little monster never let me down.

BTW I did it in Indica and Esteem(though with lots of problems) as well, so your hope should go up now :D

Drive to Hanle continues















Chumthang Sulphur Springs, you will have to walk down to reach it. There is an open bathroom to have bath and couple of hotel which supply water directly from SPrings

Uff!! man!! the first photo of the Goats is damn good. When will I ever go!!!:Frustrati Till then , it's good that people like you have a good camera, hehe!!stupid:
Ya, I remember you mentioned about the Innova chipping your SX4's ORVM, was that it ? or something else too ?
If you have done it in Esteem, then may be , just may be, I can do it on the Ikon

Stupendous collection of pictures. Wallpaper dreamland.

Somehow I kept missing this thread since inception & I'm sorry for that; I promise to follow-up on this from now on. As a matter of my appreciation, I've done the just with the highest possible vote :)

Could you pls share the route detail from Leh to Hanle pls? Tks.

No No, no chipping with Innova but more worst :(
And yes you can do it in Ikon, just choose the right time
Thanks Sudev sir
Thanks..

Route to Hanle:
Leh - Karu - Chumthang - Mahe- Nyoma - Hanle. Approximately 255 Km.

Stay options at Nyoma and Homestay at Hanle

This whole 250KM of Leh - Hanle is butter smooth except last 20 Km, and all of the sudden, 25 km before Hanle, road turned into pebble path. So we decided to take the Sady path. I walked a bit on the road and realized that its not soft and if I maintain the momentum I will cross some soft area as well. Here is the mistake. So I was to busy thinking about keeping momentum and forgot that it will not be all smooth. it was perfect till 2 km and then, bump . All of the sudden a deep depression, I had no time to brake and crashed into it at 60 Km, and such was the impact that I bounced back to the other side of the ditch. but I could drove up to the pebbled road.

Then all of the sudden I realized that Safari is following me blindly. I just started running back madly and stared waving for safari to stop. Now there was confusion. These guys thought I am having fun and waving to them for cheers. I used all possible signs to stop them, and when I realized they are going in, I just covered my head with hands.

And then just at last moment Varun braked hard, there was too much dust around and I feared worst. BECAUSE, Mohit, my other SX4 partner shifted to safari as he wanted to sit on the window with glass rolled down. And while they were heading for that ditch straight, he was half outside, sitting on the window.

But luckily they just stopped at edge, else this guy would have sever damages.

Anyways we assessed the damages to SX4.

First no leak, good part,

Now the bad part, bumper protruded from sides clamps, but not broken, lower plastic cover broken to pieces. and then I opened the bonnet and shocked. , Radiator has moved up from its original position, radiator mount was bent.

So first, we used wires to tie back the plastic cover at bottom and I tired to start the car, no problems, car started in one crank,

Good, so lets try to drive, for one KM, no issue, I decided to stick to stoned road as I was little worried by now. But NO LEAK, a big relief.

Anyways we reached Hanle safely. No drama.

In the morning I started the car, it started in one crank and then disaster, atleast that what it looked.

Coolant started leaking. And leaking fast, a drop every 2-3 second. No good, I was fearing the worst, radiator damage, which was kind of inevitable after that horrible crash.

Now what to do, talked to Mr Dorjee, the curator of observatory, who by then got very friendly with me, suggested they have a mechanic and will fix it temporarily. Ok then, we had no choice.

How do we go to telescope. SX4 can not ditch me after coming that far . I decide to take it till telescope and see how much is the leak. We drove slowly, no problems, pressed gas, no issues, missed left turn to scope and went straight, took U turn and reached Scope. Spent around 30 minutes there.

Came back checked for the leak. BUT no leak. I was confused. Anyways we go down, have breakfast and check again.

1 hour gone in breakfast, next assessment, no Leak. Now I am more confused and worried. What to do. I had fair amount of coolant and carried 10 liter of water from observatory and we decide to go to Leh and keep one eye on temperature.

next check was Nyoma, again no leak, coolant level was max. And then decided to do non stop to Leh and there was no leakage till Leh.

Asked people to do shopping and I went straight to Druk. because of my interaction last day, I knew the best guy there and the Service advisor. I called both of them and asked them to do the assessment.

First Radiator, good news no damage, Radiator mounts are bent badly, but they could manage to straighten the mounts but not the gutkas on the top.

but final verdict was no damage at all and car is safe to go to delhi.

After Leh-Srinagar via Zozila, and Srinagar-Delhi. no issue, no leakage.

But you know Bharat, you've a Maruti & I'm sure you can find a M.A.S.S near to you, no matter where you are in this country. But I'm wondering how the leak had started first of all? It should've either started immediately when the car was damaged & not the next day right?

Actually yes MASS is available most of the places, but you have to be careful, most of new cars, Like SX4, is a kind alien vehicle for them. So minor work or General servicing is fine but in case of any major fault, they might not able to help.

Regarding a leak, its still a mystery, lots of open questions,
why it did not leaked right after the accident?,
Why it happened next morning, And
why it did not Happened between Hanle-Leh and Leh - Gurgaon? If anything was loose, Zozila was bad enough to break it into two
From where did it leaked? MASS at Leh and Gurgaon did not found anything damaged?
MASS has no answer to how it leaked.

And I decided not to follow it further :)

More from Hanle..

All said and done, thankfully you guys came out of the accident scratch less and SX4 with minimal damages. Of,course it would have hurt you bad to see the car in that condition.

Can you share the repairing experience? What were the exact damages and costs etc? Is it that I am jumping the gun by asking the question?

I think we were posting at the same time. The pics are beautiful. I have come to love all your pics.

Such fabulous pictures!
What are the resolutions of the originals? I really think you should convert some of these into big posters from a good studio and frame them.

@RKB - View at Hanle is amazingly beautiful. What's more special on this place? Is it the spring water or anything more apart from that? I hope one doesn't need to take Dimox tablets here.