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Preparation for Leh Ladakh
As the much-awaited road trip to Leh drew close, it was time to stop procrastinating and to earnestly start the preparations. With the family of four, including my wife Deepali, son Prajeet and Dad Thankappan, the plan for the road trip looked not too difficult and a date of 03 Jun was arrived at for making the grand start.
The trip was planned to be undertaken along with another family in tow (Ashish & family) making a grand convoy of two vehicles (A Mahindra Scorpio and a Maruti Ertiga).
The choice for route was two fold:-
Delhi-Udhampur-Kargil-Leh-Sarjo-Keylong-Manali-Delhi
Delhi-Manali-Keylong-Sarjo-Leh-Sarjo-Keylong-Manali-Delhi
Of course visits to Pangong-tso Lake and Nubra valley were also on cards with Leh as the centre.
The first choice was an onward journey through the Srinagar-Leh highway mainly due to gradual ascent and a much easier terrain for the drive.
However, the situation in Kashmir valley began deteriorating towards mid-May creating havoc in the plans being made. Alternate plans were hatched to make the onward journey through Manali-Leh highway. But to add to our fast accumulating worries, the Manali-Leh highway was expected to open up earliest by the first week of June due to a higher than normal snowfall during the past winter. Nevertheless, a continuous watch was maintained on the changing scenarios, both political and environmental.
Following preparatory activities were undertaken:-
-Booking of accommodation at Leh, Nubra valley, Pangong-tso Lake and transit stop points of Patnitop and Kargil.
-A complete servicing of my Scorpio was undertaken complete with wheel balancing and wheel alignment.
-A puncture repair kit was procured, courtesy Amazon.
-An oxygen bottle was procured to deal with unexpected AMS episodes, again courtesy Amazon.
-Following kit consisting of compressor, jumper cable and towing rope were mustered in the Car.
-Withdrawal of sufficient cash
-Preparation of a first aid kit
-Purchase of sufficient eatables for on-road use, considering the requirement for minimum stops on the Srinagar-Leh highway, especially on the stretch between Udhampur and Kargil.
1st Day Delhi to Patnitop
Much to the discontent of the family, the journey started as planned at 0530 hours on Saturday (03 Jun 17). By 0545, we hit the Ring Road heading to the north.
Plan was to hit Murthal for breakfast and lunch enroute whilst attempting to reach Patnitop by sunset.
Google Maps showed an approximate duration of 10 hours 30 minutes based on road conditions.
Reached Murthal Sukhdev Dhaba by 0700 hours and was amazed to see the Dhaba overflowing with eager customers.
After a few agonizing moments, and use of Indian jugaad, we managed to corner two tables. Breakfast consisted of Paneer paratha with lavish topping of butter.
Hit the road for onward journey by 0730.
Crossed Ambala, Ludhiana and stopped at ‘The Punjabi’s Dhaba’ in the outskirts of Pathankot (Nangal Bhur) for an uneventful lunch by 1330. The food was at the most average, but cheap. At 1415, we started again.
Roads up to Udhampur were good, with few bad patches. After Udhampur, due to four-laning work in progress on the Jammu – Srinagar Highway, few patches were again in dilapidated state.
After almost 13 hours on the road, we finally managed to reach Patnitop by 1845. The rooms booked at Misty Pines through ‘Holidays Bookings’ were found to be not available at the last moment, however the owner arranged alternate rooms and a total disaster was averted. Alternate Rooms were at ‘The Deodar Cottage’ Naag Temple Road, Kassal Morh, Patnitop. True to its name the guest house boasted a surrounding full of Deodar and Maple trees. The rooms were cheaply furnished and the washrooms were a disaster. Tired through the day’s driving, the plan was to go do a small photo session.
The guest house overlooked the valley and was an ideal place for evening walk. The guest house also gave a homely feel by taking orders for an ala-carte dinner.
Evening walk was followed by a few Bacardi Breezers and a lovely dinner spread. As the next day’s drive was to commence at 0500 in the morning, we crashed at about 2200.
The Zozilla Day (2nd Day)
As planned, after packing up, the drive started at 0510. Google showed the time for a 400 kms drive from Patnitop to Kargil to be about 9 hours, which looked highly optimistic to us, given the terrain to be expected, especially at Zojila and beyond. Nevertheless, we started optimistically.
The plan was to head fast towards Srinagar and clear the Kashmir valley as fast as possible (at a distance of 180 kms, by 0930). There were apprehensions on taking the Srinagar route, given the recent unrest in the valley. We had also heard about a few incidents, in which the tourists were stopped and their bags thrown out of their vehicles. The plan was to stop the vehicle directly at Sonamarg, by which the valley would have been well cleared. We were expecting G Maps to take us through Srinagar Bypass directly to Kargil. By 1000, we had hit Srinagar and alas GMaps gave us a conducted tour of Srinagar, including the Dal Lake, the Badami Bagh Army Cantt and the shopping district. The drive through Srinagar was uneventful and most of the shops were shut, don’t know on what account though (may be because it was a Sunday). By 1030, we were heading towards Sonamarg on Highway.
By 1300, we had reached Sonemarg and found the tourist activity to be just picking up. We headed directly for Zojila, as we had heard that the Heavy vehicles would be allowed to pass the Zozilla pass only after 1400 and therefore wanted to clear the pass before them. But as we neared the pass, we found that trucks in sufficient numbers were plying the route. Gradually, we commenced our climb to the 12000 ft height, which we were supposed to touch today. The roads on the pass were virtually non-existent and were full of stones and pebbles, with edges falling to a sheer drop of approx. 10000 ft. The Local drivers looked to be experts, with large numbers of Mahendra vehicles plying as taxis. Driving a Scorpio myself, I congratulated myself on picking the right choice. The happiness was however to be short-lived. I was also amazed at the number of small cars like Alto plying the pass with confidence. I had read that this year was worse than previous year with heavier than normal snowfall resulting in about 40 ft of accumulated snow in the pass.
At a few places, when stopped due to traffic ahead, the scorpio refused to budge due to gradient and had to be helped with a stone behind the rear wheel. The slow-moving truck traffic had to be continuously overtaken, which required taking the right lane at turns precariously close to the gorges, but afforded amazing views of the valleys and gorges. Through the drive, there was a continuous rubber burning smell, which I attributed to burning tyres due to the friction.
Half way through the Zozilla, Murphy struck. The clutch pedal when pressed, refused to come back and there was no other option but to come to the side and park the vehicle so as not to cause any traffic jam. The initial thought was how it could happen to my vehicle, which had done only about 25K kms and was just recently prepared for the trip. Being an Engineer myself, I tried to do some trouble shooting. The first thought which struck me was that maybe a linkage between the clutch and the pedal had got disconnected. However, there was no access to any such linkage whatsoever. However an opened bonnet almost confirmed the problem – A burnt clutch. A driver on the way stopped for some expert analysis and confirmed the worst fear – The clutch was gone and the only option would be renewal of clutch. The fact that it was to happen on top of Zozilla pass was something I couldn’t digest. Further he confirmed that there was nothing ahead up to Kargil which was about 130 kms. The only option was to retract and try to find a mechanic at Sonamarg. A recovery was the only option, which would require towing of the vehicle to Srinagar (The nearest Mahindra Service Centre).
Meanwhile, I tried my luck with some truck drivers, to look at the possibility of getting towed up to Kargil. The option of towing was a non-starter as the terrain of the road was unforgiving and the trucks were themselves struggling on the pass. After a wait of almost 30 minutes weighing all my options, the God Sent “Shabbir'' on his Scorpio Taxi pulled alongside and offered to do some checks himself. Well this time the Scorpio behaved just like a patient getting well on seeing a doctor. The clutch retracted and became normal. The verdict – The clutch was overheated due to overuse on the pass (I had kept the clutch continuously pressed through the transit on the pass for almost an hour and more). Now that the clutch had cooled down, it had become normal again. The burning smell had subsided. It took a couple of minutes for me to gain my confidence back on the vehicle. Scorpio was performing again. Thanking Mr Shabbir and the God for not leaving me stranded on the mountain top, I commenced my journey again.
The roads up to Drass were in bad condition, with us averaging at about 20-30 km/hr. At Drass, we stopped at a Tea shoppe (Local with no fantasy brews). The Old Lady was kind enough to buy some noodles and prepare them for us. Refreshed after the Noodle treat, we continued ahead till the Kargil War Memorial on the base of Tololing Hill. The War Memorial is well made and does inspire the patriotic feelings to the core. The sacrifice of the soldiers is well chronicled, and the museum is awe inspiring. The memorial is a must see for all Indians in and around the Place. The parting Comment on the main gate arch read - “When you go home, tell them of us and say that for their tomorrow we gave our today”.
The road from Drass to Kargil was a driver's dream. Nice, smooth and curvy, we averaged about 60 kmph and reached the sleepy little town of Kargil at about 1900. With some efforts we found the ‘Rangyul Resorts’, independent and well-conceived cottages overlooking hilly ranges. Stacked with all necessary amenities, we had a cosy stay. The dinner was good and the menu had a large spread. There were solar heaters for hot water supply and the resort had a generator back-up. The Resort itself had seasonal offerings as the entire place is abandoned during winters when the Zozilla pass closes. As per the staff, the entire place gets submerged under the snow during the winters and has to be retrieved post winter.
3rd Day Kargil to Leh
The 3rd day started a bit slowly with late wakeup and bed tea. The sun shone brightly even at 0600 in the morning providing some good opportunity for photoshoot at Kargil heights. By 0830, we were ready for breakfast after gearing up and packing all the bags/luggage.
The breakfast at Rangyul Resorts consisted of Aloo parathas and eggs to order. After a leisurely breakfast we were ready to leave at about 1000. Today’s drive of about 200 kms was expected to be a cakewalk due to expected good conditions of the road.
By 1000, we were on the road again. As soon as the drive started, we could see the nature and surroundings transforming from all green to desert topography. The almost 220 kms from Kargil to Leh is an opportunity for endless photography and is a professional photographer’s delight. I felt that we were driving in the Grand Canyon, whereas my wife felt that we were in Switzerland.
Through the drive one could see the mountains changing hues from brown to white to greenish blue to pink/reddish and what not. Words cannot do justice to the sightings which is possible only in case of a drive through these terrains. The roads are being maintained in a very good state by the BRO and one could see local Altos and Santros zipping through them.
Enroute, we stopped at a local Chinese place for lunch. After a quick lunch consisting of rotis, Dal and Aloo Mathar, we set sail again.
By 1600, we reached the Gurudwara ‘Pathar Sahib’ being run and maintained by the Indian Army. There is a legend about the location of the Gurudwara. It is believed that the Gurudwara was built on the point where Guru Nanak sat meditating to protect the local populace from the atrocities of a Demon. The Gurudwara is well maintained and runs a Tea-Bundi Langar.
By 1730, we were cruising alongside the Leh Airport and entered the Leh city shortly. Like any hill city, Leh is also congested and we had a tough time navigating to the Main Market, where our Guide for the day stood waiting for us to take us to our Guest House.
Although the booking was done through Mr. Umaiyar of the ‘Greenville’, which is listed on the AirBnb, due to unavailability of rooms at Greenville, he had booked us with ‘High Himalayas’ nearby the Shanti Stupa in Leh City. The ‘High Himalayas’ looked dilapidated from the outside and put us in doubt initially. However, the interiors were well done up and four spacious rooms on the first floor of the building were fully available to us along with the common areas.
After settling down at our new stop, in the evening we proceeded outside to explore the place and headed for the Main Market. Finding a parking spot in the surroundings of the Main Market can be a huge task. However, we found one about 500 meters from the place and then proceeded on foot. The Leh City is a vibrant one with its own raw energy. People are friendly and the city offers a lot of options for Restaurants. For Dinner, we hit on ‘Chopsticks’, which served a wide variety of Chinese, Thai and Japanese delicacies.
By the end of the dinner, it was time to rest and recuperate. After a long three days of driving, rest was indeed well earned.
Although we were carrying necessary medications for AMS, including tab ‘Diamone’ and oxygen bottle, it appeared that it would not be required, with the oldest member of the group (My Father at 70) roaming around jovially along the streets of Leh.
4th Day - Leh
The morning was a relaxed one as no early morning trips were planned. We arose by 0700.
We were welcomed by bed tea by the hostess. The only available breakfast was bread omlette, which we were ok with. After the breakfast and an additional cup of tea, the most important activity of the day awaited us. To get the Scorpio examined by the expert and to assess its roadworthiness for the balance part of the trip, especially the Rohtang crossing. While Ashish and I went to get our cars checked, the ladies and children went for a walk around the area.
By 1000, we were at the Mahindra service center on the Leh-Manali Highway. The staff at the service center was very prompt and courteous. Without wasting any time an expert mechanic was detailed to take trials of the clutch assembly. After a thorough road trials came the verdict – There was no issue with the clutch and it is all set for the Rohtang adventure. With all my misgivings towards Mahindra having evaporated, I felt almost battle ready.
As the day was set for local sight-seeing, we decided to try Shanti Stupa first, being the closest to the Guest house. The drive to Shanti Stupa was a breeze with clean and empty roads. The Shanti Stupa itself was a marvel. A gigantic clean structure embellishing the Peace and tranquility of the Ladakhi People and their way of life. The structure was designed by a Japanese architect in the 1980's. The cleanliness of the structure surprised me given its location in between arid mountains.
The next on the agenda was the Leh Palace. The drive to the palace was through the cramped streets of the Main market and Polo grounds. However, the Scorpio could reach the end point, till the entry of the Palace. The Palace was a 15th century structure made in sandstone or something similar. The structure itself had nine levels. The 1st three levels were closed to visitors. The Palace unlike the grand structure in Rajasthan or elsewhere was just a structure, with no or minimum exhibits inside. There was no mention of any royal family or lineage.
The next on agenda being lunch, we visited the German Bakery, being on the to-do list since the previous night. With too much of a crowd, all we could order was burgers.
Post-Lunch, we visited the ‘Hall of Fame’, a war memorial by the Army of Srinagar – Leh Highway. The place was well done with a complete summary of various military operations. There was also a souvenir shop with local artefacts on sale at discounted prices as compared to the Main Market or the Tibetan Refugee Market.
In the evening, the dinner was planned to be in-house and the hostess had prepared a good spread consisting of soup, followed by Mutton Momos, followed by Rice with Chicken Curry and Aloo Mathar. The preparation was hot and tasty with liberal splice of spices.
After a sumptuous dinner, it was time to retire so as to awake refreshed for the following days' adventures.
5th Day Leh to Nubra Valley
The plan was to start for Nubra Valley by 0700, so as to avoid the morning rush of vehicles heading for Nubra. However, by the time breakfast was over and we were ready to go it was already 0800. We needed to top up our tanks prior to starting on the highway, which consumed another 30 minutes. So by the time we started on the way to Khardung-la, it was already 0830. The first check post belonged to the Taxi association and was down in Leh itself. Seeing our private number plates, they needed to confirm our identity and compare it with the name on the RC.
The distance from Leh to Khardung-la is about 39 kms. The initial drive to Kardungla was eventless for about 10 kms, but then we had to stop due to a massive traffic jam which lay ahead of us right from the first Check post. At least 3 kms of vehicles lay ahead of us. At the same time snowfall started and gave us a perfect opportunity for photo-ops.
Incoming Army vehicles told us about a landslide and heavy deposit of snow due to snowfall the previous evening. They said the clearing operations were in full swing and that it would take about 3 hours.
The movement of vehicles commenced only by about 1200. The initial climb to Kardungla was eventless, but as we gained height, the weather changed and we experienced heavy snowfall during the drive. Whilst we were oblivious to the changing weather outside, many bikers bore the full brunt of it. As we reached about 13000 ft, there was solidified ice on the track, which led to many bikers losing balance. Groups of bikers ahead of us made the onward journey very slow. We reached the topmost point on Khardungla pass (18000 + feet – The highest motorable Pass in the World) by about 1530. The drive by itself was more taxing than the one through Zozilla and the members of the team, especially my Deepali and Prajeet became nauseous (Road Sick). However, my Father, a septuagenarian, was solid as a rock, with none of the topographical changes affecting him. The only thing that worried him although was the depth of the valley along the road.
We learnt from a few incoming vehicles that the traffic from Nubra to Leh was held up below due to inclement weather and that there was no indication about when they would be cleared.
As we descended Khardungla, the Nubra valley opened up ahead of us. The roads are narrow and the turns are quite treacherous. Our stay in Nubra was booked in ‘Heritage Thongsal’ Campstay at Tirith, Nubra Valley.
During the drive, we found numerous Army units along the way. The thought that the Army by its mere presence all along the country was a great unifier crossed our mind. The Nubra by its geographical location is banked by Pakistan on one side and China on the other side.
We reached our destination by about 1930. The distance from Leh to Tirith is about 110 kms. We took almost 11 hours to cover the distance. The temperature in Tirith was quite low and we had to don our winter clothing. The tents themselves were quite cozy. Electric supply was to be available only from 2000 to 2300. There were no charging points in the tents and charging of mobiles and Laptops was to be done in the Dining hall. The staff made additional charging extension cords available.
The dinner consisted of Rice/Rotis, Dal, Butter Paneer, Dum Aloo and Kheer. After a long day, we wound up early.
Due to the state of the Khardungla pass, we decided to prolong our stay at Nubra by one day and instead of heading back to Leh the next day, planned to drive straight to Pangong through a direct route. The road was supposed to be quite ok for about half the distance and bad the other half.
6th Day Nubra Valley
We started our sixth day on a relaxed note. Bed tea was served at about 0630. We freshened up and had our breakfast by 0900.
By 1000, we started our sojourn for the day by heading out to Hunder for the Bactrian Camel Ride. On the way, we stopped at the only available petrol pump in the whole of Nubra at Diskit. We topped up for the 150 + 190 kms drive awaiting us till Leh. Also, we learnt that no petrol was available which had left many bikers stranded at Nubra.
The Bactrian Camel Ride was an interesting event. This was followed by a photo session on the Sand dunes at Hunder.
We had our Lunch at ‘Cho Cafe’, Diskit, Nubra. A great restaurant and wonderful staff served up a very tasty lunch consisting of Indian and Chinese dishes.
The Post-Lunch session consisted of a trip to Diskit Monastery, built in the 14th century.
Another attraction on the way is the ATV ride. Though steeply priced at Rs. 1200 for one vehicle for a 2 km joy ride, it is a good experience for kids atop the highest sand dunes in the World.
After about 4 days of driving, it was time to rest in the afternoon.
Evening looked perfect for a walk. We strolled down the tranquil and serene atmosphere of Tirith Village.
Spoke to a few drivers who were conversant with the Nubra – Pangong road and satisfied ourselves that the 150-km stretch was all not that bad. Almost half the stretch was good and we had to be worried only about the other half.
We had an early dinner at about 2030 and were in bed.
7th Day Nubra Valley - Pangong
After finishing the breakfast, we commenced our journey by 0900. The drive was expected to be half good and half bad. The diversion to Pangong was to be taken from Khalsar Village. The roads looked perfect in the beginning.
However, after about 20 kms, we started encountering stretches, where there were no roads absolutely. There were big stones which had to be negotiated. However, we could see that BRO was working to repair these stretches. There were no passes in the drive from Nubra to Pangong.
After about 70 kms of driving, the roads became good again and the drive became enjoyable. One could see many bikers on the route.
We stopped for lunch about 40 kms short of Pangong at 1230. Lunch consisted of hot and steaming Egg noodles (Maggi) and Hot and delicious Kawa.
By 1430, we had reached our destination. There was a good crowd of day-trippers (Leh-Pangong-Leh on the same day) at the beginning of Pangong Lake.
Our Camp Site was ‘Royal Campsite’ about 8 kms from the beginning of the Lake and was located on the bank.
As we arrived, the sun was bright and the place looked good for some amazing photography. By 1530, we were down along the Lake. The water was near freezing (one couldn’t immerse his feet for more than a minute or so). During the next one hour, the weather changed from bright sun to cloudy to snow fall to chilly winds. The winds caught up in the evening and temperatures dropped to 2-3 degrees Celsius.
The dinner was served at 2030 and consisted of hot sweetcorn soup, noodles, rice, dal, paneer, rotis and Kheer. Overall the Campsite at Pangong looked to be better managed than one at Tirith. Hoping to encounter a sunnier sky in the morning, we went to bed.
The chill and winds continued through the night and in spite of adequate blankets and quilts made available, it was a sleepless night. The chill and the lack of oxygen at 14000+ feet altitude made breathing a laborious process. Nevertheless, the night passed and a new day made its beginning.
8th Day Pangong to Leh
Although the day dawned giving an impression of a sunny and bright day, our hopes were soon belied as snowfall started in full earnest. Although the winds had subsided a bit, the chill in the air continued.
The hot poha and aloo parathas served during the breakfast helped a lot.
By 0830, we were on the road again. We made good speed but were stopped within an hour at the Pangong check post. Slowly it became clear that the Changla pass (3rd highest in the world) had received a liberal share of snowfall the previous night and hence traffic both ways had been suspended. But it also emerged that the task of clearing of snow was in progress and would be completed in about 2 hours.
True to their word, BRO cleared the snow and made the pass available by 1130. Thus, we started our climb on Changla by 1230, with continuous snowfall through our climb. The pass was choked with snow, reducing the motor-able part of the pass to one way, resulting in huge traffic jams. It was an exciting drive nonetheless.
By 1430, we had crossed the pass and were cruising towards Leh. In between, we made a small break for Maggi Lunch.
The lunch was followed by a trip to the ‘Hall of Fame’. The shopping at Leh was completed with the purchase of a Pashmina shawl, a yak wool shawl and prayer flags for gifting.
For dinner, we visited the ‘Chopsticks’ again.
By 2200, we had already crashed as the drive next day was to commence at 0600.
During our entire stay at Leh, there was no internet available. However, Airtel post-paid worked for voice calls. In Nubra and Pangong, only BSNL postpaid network worked.
We had to request Omyer to do our bookings for our return journey. As suggested by Omyer, we made a booking at Padma Gemur Camp at Jipsa and Hotel Kanchanikoot at Manali.
9th Day Leh to Jipsa (The Day of Passes)
Our onward journey commenced at 0620 from High Himalaya Guest House. Plan was to reach Sarchu which was at a high altitude at the earliest and thereafter make a dash for Jipsa, where the evening was to be spent. The distance from Leh to Sarchu was approx 150 kms and from Sarchu to Jipsa was about 90 kms.
When we started, we had an inkling that there would be passes in the stretch. But we were not prepared for what was to come. The initial drive from leh was a very smooth one with wide roads. We made good speed during the first two hours. Thereafter we encountered our first pass for the day, the 2nd highest pass in the world – Thanga-la Pass at 17500 fts. For the first time, we found smooth and wide roads on pass. However, as we attained height, snowfall started and the higher levels of the pass were full of accumulated snow, which the BRO was toiling to clear. Except for one stretch, which had solidified ice, the drive was a cake.
We encountered three more passes: Nakeela (15500 ft), Lachungla (15600 ft) and Baralachala (4850 mtrs).
We reached Sarchu by 1330. Had a lunch of hot and steaming Maggi. By 1415, we recommenced our journey. We finally reached Jipsa by 1800 and by 1815, were comfortably settled in Padma Gemur Camps. We were welcomed by the traditional Tea of HP – Buckthorn Tea. This camp unlike the earlier ones at Nubra and Pangong boasted of continuous power supply and charging points in the tents, which given the weather was a big comfort. However, there was no hot water connection in the camp and the same had to be collected from the staff in the morning in buckets.
The camp also hosted the Hon’ble CM of Haryana Shri Khattar and his entourage, although for a brief time and were treated with the traditional tea.
For dinner, the Camp had organised a good spread including Rotis, Rice, Dal, Mixed Veg and Chicken Curry, not to forget hot Kheer. The weather became chillier with the night and we retired for the day by about 2200.
The plan for the next day was to finish breakfast by 0800 and start for the ‘Rohtang’. The distance till Manali from Jispa was about 140 kms. But the roads leading up to and on Rohtang are infamous for their roughness and hence we mentally prepared ourselves for the final assault.
The next fueling station after Leh was at a place called ‘Tandi’, 28 kms down from Jispa and about 10 kms down from Keylong.
10th Day Jispa to Manali
As planned the previous evening, we finished breakfast by 0800 and by 0810, we were on the road. By 0900, we were fuelled at Tandi and ready to go ahead.
The roads to Rohtang are in poor condition. By 1200, we were atop Rohtang. After spending the previous week amongst some of the best, cleanest passes, our first impression of Rohtang was very poor. The pass was swarming with tourists and the surroundings of the pass were as dirty as it could get.
The climb-up to Rohtang was nothing to write home about. The difficulty level of the climb from Leh side is overstated as the climbs at Khardungla are more difficult.
Our descent from Rohtang pass was completed by 1400, but were caught up in massive traffic jams for entry into the city. We managed to reach our hotel in the city centre after a quick lunch at Punjabi Dhaba by 1615.
At 1800, we set out to River bank Restaurant on Kullu Highway, about 18 kms from our Hotel. The 18 kms stretch took 2 hours for us to negotiate. The grilled trout however saved the day for us. Return journey took 2 hours again.
11th Day – Manali to Delhi
The 580 odd kms journey from Manali to Delhi was planned to be completed in one day. Accordingly, we started our journey by 0700 in the morning. The route was to pass through Mandi, Bilaspur, Chandigarh to Delhi.
The roads were ok. By 0930, we hit Mandi and found a cozy place for Breakfast. After a liberal dose of Aloo parathas and tea, we hit out again. By 1200, we had crossed Bilaspur and were heading for Chandigarh. The Google maps made us pass right through Chandigarh, Mohali to NH at Ambala. By 1530, we were happily munching in KFC for a delayed lunch.
We were happy that there were no undue delays till the time and expected to reach Delhi by 1930.
We started from KFC by 1600 and found the traffic on NH to be manageable. There were no serpentine cues at Toll ways and by 1845, we reached Azadpur Mandi, from where we had to enter the ring road. Surprisingly Delhi roads seemed to be empty and by 1920, we were back to our Home at Sardar Patel Marg.
As the journey came to an end, I realized the awesomeness of what we had achieved during the past two weeks. The nomadic existence had put few things into perspective for us. Life was indeed possible away from the comforts in our cities. People did indeed lead happy lives safely away from social networking sites. And yes, it is possible to live in harmony with mother nature.
My heart went out to the innumerable nameless people working through heat and cold maintaining the border roads for us. Salute to BRO and GREF.
Also, I couldn’t but look appreciatively at my Scorpio for having endured the 3000 odd kms of one of the toughest terrains in the world. Even after giving me a warning for not handling the clutch properly early into the drive, the Muscular Scorpio stood me in good stead through the drive. Through 3rd to 13th of Jun, the Scorpio guzzled Diesel worth INR 14500 at an average of 12.5 Km/Ltr.
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