Tag Archives: SRINAGAR

GOT LEH’D IN JUST 109 HOURS

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Disclaimer: Such trips exhaust you enough to get mountain sickness and insomnia.

We all respect the fact that getting Leh’d is considered one of the most adventurous events of one’s life. While I do like long trips, this time I went for an excursion which was fast and rather super-fast during night hours.

I would like to thank Aamir Hussain for helping me by giving tips and sharing updates about road conditions, right till I lost my phone’s signal. :D

PFB a log of the most interesting 109 hours of my life:

12th June, 1600 hours  Left from Infosys Chandigarh with my Dad, Mom and wife in a Santro Xing – We got late as we were unable to get clutch plates from any of the authorized service centers in ChandigarhClutch Plate
12th June, 2330 hours  Reached Jammu – Looked for hotels but instead of staying in one, had dinner at bus stand and continued the journey.
13th June, 0600 hours  Reached Srinagar – Refilled the tank and went around the Dal Lake. (We were using LPG till Jammu)
Dal Lake
13th June, 0800 hours  Breakfast at river bank – Overpriced but delicious Paranthas.
River Bank
13th June, 1030 hours  Reached Sonamarg – Had Lunch – Trekked up the hill and rested under tall trees.
Sonamarg
13th June, 1400 hours  Left for Zojilla Pass – Got stuck in a jam for another 2 hours on the way due to land-slide – Had supper in Drass
Drass
13th June, 2200 hours  Reached Lamayuru. Finalized a hotel quickly as the house-keepers kept warning us that the electricity will be cut off in the next 15 minutes for the whole night – This was our first night stay in the last 30 hours.
Lamayuru
14th June, 0900 hours  Left for Leh after eating self-cooked noodles and soup – We were carrying a gas stove with utensils and enough grocery to survive an earth-quake for 5 days while having full meals.
Hills
14th June, 1130 hours  Reached Leh – Refueled – Had Lunch – Left for Pangong Lake
Leh
14th June, 1500 hours  Reached Chang La Pass – Took out the oxygen cylinders and started eating candies.
Chang La Pass
14th June, 1930 hours  Reached Upshi – Found night stay in a room with glass walls and bamboo roof – Drove back 14 km to the petrol pump for getting more fuel in containers.
Upshi
15th June, 0900 hours  Had breakfast – Packed more eatables after being warned about the terrain towards Manali – Left for Keylong.
Sarchu
15th June, 1500 hours  Stopped at Sarchu Check-post – Forced to stay in tents as the road was blocked till midnight – Had delicious Dal Chawal in a dining hall which was inside a white tent.
Tents
16th June, 0800 hours  Left for Manali – Said adios to Spanish mountain bikers – Got mesmerized by the BRO signs which are talked about in an article at DNA
BRO
16th June, 2000 hours  Reached Manali – Got stuck in jam for 2 hours – Continued after having dinner in Bunthar.
Rohtang Pass
17th June, 0130 hours  Went through a ditch – Tyre rim got damaged and passed out the air – Changed the tyre while leaving the lights on – Battery got drained and push-started the car.
17th June, 0500 hours  Reached Chandigarh – Left half the luggage inside the car – Took a bath and slept for 5 hours – Joined office at 11 AM – Saw signs of exclamation on my friend Harsh’s face who claimed that I can’t cover Leh-Manali road in less than 3 days.

Little Secret: I was only able to do it while changing the driver’s seat with my Dad for few hours.

I am glad to be able to conquer the top three scariest roads in Ladakh: Zojilla Pass , road to Chang-la top and Rohtang pass section. So the next time you feel like going on a trip, go get Leh’d.

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