COVID 19 put paid to most travel plans throughout 2020 so when the year turned a corner we all thought so did we. A quick trip in January with the road trippin gang to Bangalore, Bandipir National Park and Coorg and a short road trip with the family from Gurgaon to Rajasthan covering Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaipur was all we managed before the second wave hit big time and affected almost everybody one knows either directly or indirectly. Those were terrible times for all.
With rumours of the third wave doing the rounds planning a long road trip was really difficult because we had to factor in a lot of uncertainties. Anyway, as time went on we finally decided to keep September 15th as our cut off date and hit the road. The where was already decided. Ladakh and Kashmir with Chandertal thrown in for good measure, and this time there were a few family additions to the party. That meant two vehicles.
Day 01 Gurgaon – Una 440km
We generally prefer breaking the journey to Manali and land up in Una via Anandpur Sahib and the Bhakra Nangal Dam area.
Departure 0730 Arrival 1630 with an hour’s break in Karnal for breakfast and a brief detour in Chandigarh
Day 02 Una – Manali 240 km
Departure 1006 Arrival 2000.
The Una Manali road via Hamirpur wasn’t as scenic as I remembered it the last time but it’s much better than the Bilaspur – Mandi stretch which has always been terrible as far back as I can remember. The road from Mandi to Kullu was terrible with a lot of breaks coupled with road building construction work and the Mandi Kullu stretch took forever. After a leisurely lunch at Kullu we finally reached Manali at around 8pm covering around 233 km.
Day 03 Manali- Chandertal 124 km
Departure 0900- Arrival 1600
The 124 km to Chandertal took us a whole day. We reached Atal Tunnel around 1015 and those 8 km saved us at least two hours. It’s a super tunnel and helps cross Rohtang Pass in a jiffy.
There were some spots along the route to Khoksar that were great that for some reason one has always missed. From Khoksar though the 62 km to Chander via Batal was plain rough driving, there were literally no roads at all and it took us 5 odd hours to get into camp. After settling in we took a walk to the lake, as mesmerising and awesome as ever. For those who haven’t been to Chandertal, it’s a must visit! Yes it’s a rough getting there and the night will be rough too but the lake, the views, the stillness and the magnetic pull of the entire mountain just draws you in… The night was fun, a full house and some boisterous singing…
Day 04 Chandertal-Jispa 124 km
Departure 1030- Arrival 1700
Our next stop, Jispa, was along the Manali- Leh Highway. We decided not to shoot for Sarchu but have an easier day to Jispa. Took us a little over 4 hours to get on to the highway and thereafter we made good time to Jispa.
Day 05 Jispa- Leh 347 km
Departure 0730- Arrival 1800
A long day this one. A 350 km stretch that suddenly turned really bad after Sarchu. It was like driving through a desert, fine dust and sand everywhere. Even the More Plains that have always reminded us of runaways, was bumpy and uneven. This road this time was the worst I’ve ever seen it. Along the route we met four fine young ladies, three of them in their 80’s who where taking ‘hold your breath,’ their fourth road trip to Ladakh. Just as I was thinking of retiring!!! Their joi de vivre, enthusiasm and energy was fantastic to see and experience and they told us they’d started doing these trips 22 years ago which means they were in their 60’s when they began. So for those who think they’re getting too old or whatever, it’s never too late and now’s as good a time as any.
Day 06 At Leh
Day 07 Leh- Nubra 140 km
Departure 0900- Arrival 1230
A great drive over Khardungla the highest motorable pass in the world. Spectacular views this time round, a trifle nippy, and a smooth drive down
Having visited the Panamik Hot Springs the previous evening we set off for Turtuk, an idyllic village 90 km away, a hamlet we captured from Pakistan during the ‘71 War.
Day 08 At Nubra
Day visit to Turtuk the last outpost just before the Pakistan border. A beautiful idyllic village 90 km away with gurgling stream, farms and lovely woods and friendly folk.…It’s a delight and a must do… took us about 2 hours each way. Whilst there are a few cafes etc to grab a bite if you don’t get a spot make sure to stop at the Army outpost between Beniwal and Diskit where you can get the most scrumptious samosas!!!
Day 09 Nubra- Pangong- Leh 360 km
Departure 0800 Arrival 1800
A long one this but a beautiful drive from Nubra along the Shyok River via Agam. Some stark and stunning views enroute. We reached a very crowded Pangong Lake about noon. Two hours later we were off to Leh via the Chang La Pass the third highest motorable mountain pass in the world at over 17500’ and our first snowflakes…
Day 10 At Leh…a day off the road instead of off-roading resting up for the long day ahead. Leh was fantastic and I really enjoyed my time there. The food in the cafes is great, the streets are clean, traffic organised and the people are friendly and helpful. The markets are bustling too and generally the vibe is fantastic.
Day 11 Leh- Srinagar 420 km
Departure 0800- Arrival 1845
A long drive through some scenic routes and we crossed three passes on this route Fotu la at 13479 feet the highest pass on this road, Mika La 12,388 feet and Zojila at 11,649 feet.. Zojila was somehow not as dangerous as we remembered it to be, though it was very crowded and the one way routes had given way to both downward and upward traffic due to work in the road and the tunnel. We crossed the Pass around 1345 arriving at Sonmarg around 1500 for a nice leisurely lunch and onward to Srinagar 70 odd km away
Day 12 Srinagar- Pahalgam – Srinagar
Our planned sightseeing of Srinagar went for a toss because of the Airshow that day so we took off to Pahalgam. A three hour drive got us in time for a leisurely lunch and then it was another three hours to return. As far as the Kashmir leg of this trip goes, I’d like to reserve my comments. All I will say though is after Ladakh, it’s a dampener. We cut short our planned stay and moved on.
Day 13 Srinagar – Katra 240 km
We left around 0830 and got into Katra around 2ish a slow and tricky drive in some sections with a lot of roadwork going on not to mention goatherds on a narrow hill road with oncoming traffic. We started the climb to Vaishnodevi at 1830 and took five odd hours to get there. After a really nice darshan 🙏 we made our way back down and two and half hours later hit terra firma.
Day 14 Katra- Chandigarh 420 km
A long drive this with a nice stop for lunch around Hoshiarpur. Got in by 1800 and hit the bar thereafter, ending the trip as road trips always end…
Day 15- Chandigarh – Gurgaon 290 km
The group split in Chandigarh, some flew out some drive on and we made the trek home. Took us five hours to get in and one hour in Gurgaon traffic…
All in all we covered about 3500 km over 14 days approx 360 litres of fuel…
Cars Kia Sonet and Volvo XC 60 both performed really well… smooth as silk on those no so silky roads with a twist here and there but nevertheless a rockin ride
Less booze this time round, perhaps because we hit the bars a few more times in Leh and Chandigarh! For the record 3 bottles of whiskey, 3 bottles of vodka, 2 cases of beer and a bottle of rum were all the party of 9 polished off…
For those planning a trip, wanting to go, dreaming of taking a road trip, thinking of going, just go… jump in and drive/ride out. That’s the only way to do these things. For Ladakh I’d urge you to do tour research, you can read my blog here called Leh Essentials for some tips and do your own research as well. Have a good one
Ravi Sasan 