Trip Map & Log

Akshay’s Home-Kalkaji

11 jun   2012

After loading up, we start from Akshay’s home at around 5pm.

Meter reading: 77662

RK’s Home-Janakpuri

11 Jun 2012

After loading up some more supplies at RK’s place, Akshay, Kashan & Soumik head out of Delhi.  10:30 PM Meter reading:77768

Murthal

12 jun   2012

Our first pitstop. Late night snack of parathas.

Chandigarh

12 jun 2012

we should’ve taken the bypass to roopnagar, but we ended up driving through chandigarh

Swarghat

12 jun 2012

Reach the doorway to the mountains at dawn

Mandi

12 jun 2012

breakfast

Manali

12 jun 2012

pass through and head across the river to vashisht

Vashist

12-14 jun 2012

Reach vashist on the 12th around 1pm. We rest for the next couple of days, check out old manali and get the paperwork done and head towards leh on the 14th.

Meter reading: 787370

Marhi

14 Jun 2012

Reach around 10:30 and wait till 12pm for the rohtang pass to open.

Rohtang La

14 Jun 2012

Go paragliding on our way up

Gramphu

14 Jun 2012

Fork in the road. We take the one that goes towards spiti

Chhatru

14 Jun 2012

A beautiful little hamlet. Snack and head to Bhatal. Have our first misadventure, get stuck in a glacier, passersby help us. A little later we encounter another glacier, where the ice is too soft to drive over and we end up spending the night in the car.

Bhatal

15-16 Jun 2012

After the night in the car, we reach Batal. After a quick breakfast, we head towards Chandratal. Bad timing and inclement weather forces us to abort a 1km or 2 short of chandratal. We end up walking close to 20km but miss out on the lake. Leave the next morning.

Meter reading: 78428

Chandratal

15 Jun 2012

Aborted attempt at reaching the lake. We walk around 20km after a 3km drive up from batal, we couldn’t drive any further since the ice on the road hadn’t yet been cleared this year.

Khoksar

16 Jun 2012

Soumik catches a bus back to Delhi. We wait at khoksar for about 5 hrs for RK to come join us.

Keylong

16-18 Jun 2012

Reach Keylong late evening. Stay two nights, go site-seeing, stock up on diesel at tandi and visit the Khardong Gompa.

Meter reading:

Arr:78539 (16th)

Dep: 78584 (18th)

Khardong Gompa

17 Jun 2012

Baralacha La

18 Jun 2012

Catch a snow fall after crossing the pass (bharatpur)

Sarchu

18-19 Jun 2012

Spend the night in a tent. Probably one of the coldest nights of the trip.

Meter reading:78701

Pang

19 Jun 2012

Lunch

Leh

19-22 Jun 2012

Reach late evening, hunt for a hotel and food. Spend 3 days at Leh. Permits, repairs, sight-seeing, F&B.

Places: Leh Palace, Tsemo Castle, Zorawar fort, Shey, Market, Nirvana Cafe, Amdo food, Mughal Restaurant, Masterchef café

Meter reading:

Arr:78966

Dep:78993

Khardung La

22 Jun 2012

The highest point of our trip

Khalsar

22 Jun 2012

Quick bite

Sumur

22 Jun 2012

We stopped at the banks of the river and on our way back, one of the tyres got stuck. Had to enlist local youth to get it out.

Panamik

22- 23 Jun 2012

Hot springs

Diskit

23 Jun 2012

We were running low on fuel, a helpful trucker gave us some.

Hundar

23 Jun 2012

Sand dunes and a stream for a car wash

Turtok

23 Jun 2012

Reach around 8:30 pm. The northern most tip of the country. Hope we can go again some time when the apricot orchards are in full bloom.

Meter reading:79333

Khardung La

23 Jun 2012

Second major puncture on the trip. Some how make it to Leh

Leh

24- 26 Jun 2012

Reach around 9 on 24th. RK leaves for Delhi by late night bus. We stay for a couple of days, get repairs done, unwind and head to Pangong.

Meter reading:

Arr:79567

Dep:79582

Chang La

26 Jun 2012

Snack

Phobrang

26 Jun 2012

On our way to Pangong we took a detour to Phobrang, a tiny little village but an absolutely stunning location.

Spangmik (Pangong Tso)

26-27 Jun 2012

Reach Spangmik around 6. Find a homestay and stay in a tent.

Meter reading:79768

Chemrey

27 Jun 2012

Visit the chemrey monastery

Hemis

27 Jun 2012

Hemis monastery, snack

Upshi

27-28 Jun 2012

Spend the night at the cross-roads town of Upshi. The next morning we wait for Mr.Mishra and gang to join us. We all leave for Tsomoriri around noon.

Meter reading:79930

Chumathang

28 Jun 2012

Passing through

Sumdo

28 Jun 2012

Fork in the road. One leads to Tso moriri and the other to Tso kar. The road is fine till Kyagar so, from there on it is non-existent. Good off-roading opportunity

Karzok (Tso Moriri)

28- 29 Jun 2012

reach in the evening. check in. check the lake out. Mishra and gang leave early next morning, we leave in the afternoon.

Meter reading:

Arr:80090

Dep:80110

Sumdo

29 Jun 2012

This time towards Tso kar

Tso Kar

29 Jun 2012

We planned to head back towards manali. The plan was to stop for the night at Pang, but we ended up taking a wrong turn at Debring and landed up in Rumste

Debring

29 Jun 2012

The vast open fields at debring can be quite confusing, the lack of proper signage led to us making the wrong turn

Rumste

29-30 Jun 2012

Stop for the night.

Pang

30 Jun 2012

Quick meal

Sarchu

30 Jun 2012

Quick repairs.

Zing Zing bar

30 Jun – 1 Jul 2012

Have some major trouble in the car. Somehow make it across the pass and spend the night at Zing zing bar.

Meter reading:80473

Keylong

1 Jul 2012

Major repairs. Spend 2-3 hrs. Finally car is ‘driveable’ again

Rohtang La

1 Jul 2012

Spend 2-3 hrs at the pass due to landslide.

Palchan road

1-2 Jul 2012

Find a nice little cottage/homestay place at Palchan, 8-10 km before Manali.

Meter reading:

Arr:80650

Dep: 80675

Chandigarh

3 Jul 2012

Reach chandigarh late night, had to rendezvous with a bunch of bikers who had left some stuff behind at Palchan

Puran Singh ka Dhaba (Ambala)

3 Jul 2012

Late dinner at one of the “Puran Singh ka Dhaba” s

Kalkaji

3 Jul 2012

Get back home around 8:30 am.