Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 | Page 38

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
Best Time
challenges that had to be surpassed first. And we did that
with flying colours…hence this article vrooms it’s way to
This is such a relative term…depends on what is your you.
target. For a regular family guy, June-August works best.
The climate is pleasant, most of the roads are opened Our Skoda Yeti was going to be the perfect
up by the BRO (Border Roads Organisation), and the companion for this audacious attempt. Although ours
vibrant Hemis festival can be enjoyed during this time. is 4x2, she has never let us down, even where there are
virtually no roads. Dozens of blogs were researched,
If you’re an adventure junkie who prefers solitude, hundreds of chats and mails were exchanged, calls to
wants to interact with locals, and a white Ladakh with a riders and drivers who had been there-done that. And
Chadar’ on the Zanskar is on your wishlist, then head to specifically for me, information about the amazing
wildlife and birding opportunities that this cold desert
Ladakh between December and February.
has on offer.
We chose the end of the tourist season, as we wanted
motorable roads, but also wished to avoid locations The various lists we prepared on the Keep app were for-
swarming with tourists. Started off from Mumbai on Gadgets, Attire, Medicines, Car essentials and Sundries.
17th Sept and reached Leh on the 22nd. Took us that It’s a great app for creating your probable itinerary and
long, as we visited Amritsar, for Golden Temple and journey log too. Strongly recommend you to download
and use this one. Another wonderful app is Splitwise- it is
Wagah Border, along the way.
a must if you want to split expenses with friends on a trip.
Where to Stay
On the Road
From rickety lodges, to tented campsites, from simple Early morning on 17th Sept, we set off From Thane at
homestays to luxury hotels… and everything in between, 5 am. Our Yeti was loaded to the hilt (travelling light
is something that we are yet to learn). Clothes, more
Ladakh has all on offer.
clothes, snacks- mostly home made, extra can of diesel,
It is advisable to check on the hotel of your choice and a very big camera bag…apart from the 3 occupants.
before you set off. Some may be pre-booked, others may be There’s a kick in starting off early from a city, you
zip through all the otherwise crowded areas in a
decided on the go.
jiffy, and are on the highway at top speed. Chai
At Leh, we stayed at Hotel Gawaling, which was quite stops are a must, and are essential pit stops on a long
passable, and honestly, a bit overpriced. The staff and drive. Driver change happened every 3-4 hrs, and
manager were super hosts though. Very helpful, and so a decent speed was maintained. We planned to
informative. The best option at Pangong Tso is, reach Leh, via Ajmer-Amritsar-Manali-Jispa route.
undoubtedly, Pangong Resort. At our last two
destinations viz. Tso Moriri and Tso Kar, we had very Mountains…
limited choices. We chose Tso Moriri Lake View and
Tso Kar Eco Resort, humble places with warm beds and The plains were full of rolling green fields,
lip-smacking food- served piping hot.
trundling tractors, puttering pumps, and vibrant Punjabi
locals. A thick, creamy lassi before we left Punjab was a
For more options, see Useful links
given, and we gulped down a tall glass before we
started the climb. After a while, the hills started with the
Hoshiarpur section, and tall lofty peaks were seen in the
The Preparations
distance as we neared the bustling town of Kullu.
Three crazy petroheads- Vishal, Saheer and yours The mighty Beas river was our constant companion
truly, had decided on this epic trip over a number of through this leg. The famous Rohtang Pass was also
months of intense discussion and debate. All 3 of us are crossed, and we could now see those thrilling Himalayan
married with kids, so sensitising our families towards the peaks looming ever close. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as cold
significance of this trip- what it meant to us boys, as expected, when we checked into Ibex Hotel, Jispa.
why we simply needed to do it, and how it would be (10,500 feet) This is a good place to stay, as it is adjacent
perfect just for boys to be going :p, were to the highway, on the banks of the Bhaga River.
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Vol 1|Issue 5-6|Nov 16 - Jan 17