FACTS ABOUT DRIVING A SELF OWNED VEHICLE IN LADAKH-ZANSKAR REGION

While driving a self owned vehicle in the dreamland of LADAKH is one of the most fascinating experience of every travel enthusiast round the globe, it may not the privilege of every person despite owning a vehicle. In my opinion, a self owned vehicle is the most preferred mode of transportation in the Ladakh & Zanskar region.

If you are in the vicinity of places within 500 kms range of either JAMMU OR CHANDIGARH, it makes sense to drive down. Typically, for adventure enthusiasts from Northern India say upto Delhi, this becomes a feasible affair. People from the East, West & Southern India would find this difficult, since it would take 2-3 days to reach Delhi itself, apart from they additional 3-4 days journey beyond Delhi to Leh. So just a journey to LADAKH & back home would take about 10-12 days. Travel within Ladakh & Zanskar would require another 8-12 days depending on the Itinerary, you wish to cover. This takes the day count to a minimum of 18-24 days, which becomes a bit dicy for a traveler from the perspective of getting a long leave OR being away from his business place for such an extended period. In general, a typical Indian tourist takes a break of 10-14 days at a stretch in a year. This seldom limits the prospects of making the dream trip by self-drive mode. Most of them either travel by TRAIN, AIR & a bit of Road travel to reach LEH / PADUM. The sight-seeing within the local region is then limited to travel either by Taxis, Share Taxis OR by Buses.

 Of course, if you are a travel freak like me, these things would not deter you from extending yourself to this wonderful destination on your own. As the season commences May onwards, adventure enthusiasts begin their preparation to undertake this blissful journey.

PREREQUISITES FOR TRAVEL

1) SKILLS, PERSEVERANCE & PATIENCE

Needless to say, it also would require reasonably good Driving skills, which I believe most of you all would possess.  But remember, driving experience for long hours on the plains & driving in high altitude rough terrains would be completely different. If you would have undertaken drives of thousands of miles, overnight drives, scaled difficult Ghats, rough terrains, please do not be over confident. Remember, this is LADAKH. If stranded anywhere, help could be miles / hours away. Once the off roading begins with diverse surfaces like Turbulent Water Crossings, Rocky Surfaces, Loose Gravel, Muddy stretches, Slush & Snow covered stretches, the real driver within you starts unwinding.  Driving on regular tar surfaces at speed for hours may be soothing & relaxing. It gives you the pleasure of utilizing the vehicle’s fullest ability & capacity. However, if you are continuously driving the same vehicle on rough terrains, it is essential to maintain the right speed, continuous maneuver to avoid sharp rocky surfaces, dodge uneven surfaces from hitting the vehicle’s underbelly. All this can be physically & mentally tiring especially if you are travelling long stretches of rough roads like the 160-170 kms long stretch in the ZANSKAR valley extending from Purikutchey to Padum ( Tungri bridge). I had been on the ZANSKAR stretch 4 times on a bike. An average speed of 17-18 kmph can be achieved & a maximum speed of 21-22 kmph can be attained on such stretches. 4 Wheeler MPV / SUV vehicles may be able to do a little better. It requires a lot of perseverance & patience to resist stepping on the accelerator pedal. The mind gets weary as the time ticks, exhaustion may start creeping in. This is where the real driver within you is put to test.

2) KNOWLEDGE of your VEHICLE.

Friends, keep in mind, YOUR VEHICLE IS YOUR ONLY TRAVELMATE. The Right Driving Attitude & Skills expressed above comes from your knowledge of your vehicle’s capabilities & limitations. Your vehicle is the only thing in that world which would take you safely to your destination. It needs to be treated like a BABY. So, before you travel to LADAKH with your own vehicle it needs to be ensured that all the Electrical & Mechanical issues are resolved.

  1. Ensure the vehicle is completely serviced & OIL changed before your travel.
  2. Wearable parts like CLUTCH, SUSPENSIONS, BRAKES, WIPERS, BATTERIES, TYRES are completely checked. If you are starting from Delhi, you would be roughly doing about 3500-5000 kms.
  3. List of Spares to be Carried in general for 2 wheeler & 4 wheelers.
  • Hydraulic / Manual Jack & Spanner (for 4 wheelers)
  • Screw Driver Set
  • Spark Plugs
  • Tyre Valves
  • Puncture Repair Kit
  • Foot Pump
  • 2 Clutch Wires (for 2 wheelers)
  • Accelerator Wire (for 2 wheelers)
  • Coil (for 2 wheelers)
  • Spare Rear & Front Tyre Tube (for 2 wheelers)
  • Jump Start Wires
  • Tow away rope 5 ton capacity.
  • Fuses (15-20 Nos)
  • Tool Kit
  • Battery Terminals
  • Thick Wire (for cleaning Spark Plug)
  • Polish Paper
  • Engine Oil (for 4 wheelers)
  • Brake Oil (for 4 wheelers)
  • Radiator Coolant Can (for 4 wheelers)
  • Contact Number of a Mechanic in case of any breakdown should be available.
  •  
  • 3) OVER-CONFIDENCE – THE BIGGEST DETTERENT of a SAFE TRIP

Often it is seen that enthusiast drivers drive with a sense of overconfidence sprouting from their previous experiences. You may be the King of the Road on the Plains & might have undertaken countless Day & Night drives without any breaks & crossed the most difficult Ghat sections.

But believe me, driving in Ladakh is a different game altogether.  One mistake & your entire life could spin around you. I would put it this way – While you are driving in Ladakh, there is no scope for any mistake. Your first mistake could be your last one.

Never underestimate any tricky surface or a underlying stone. It is always better to halt, step down & remove it for others. It could damage your vehicle & you could be left stranded for hours together.

Many plain surfaces may appear deceiving like Black Ice formed on certain road sections. If you misjudge the surface & drive at a regular speed, the vehicle could skid badly.

Do not try to use short cuts, which would shorten your distance & your life too. Especially on the Manali-Leh Highway, there are many such sections which would tempt you to do a small offroading. Your adventure could put you in a hopeless spot.

So in a nutshell, be a cautious & a vigilant driver. Have a good night’s sleep & take equal care of your vehicle.

4) FORBIDEN LINES – DON’T DRINK & DRIVE

Mixing Drink & Drive is the most common mistake which one can do. Of course, although forbidden by the LAW, there are no specific checks for DRUNKEN DRIVING unless, it is prominently visible at any police officer at a check post. But please don’t think that you can get away with a small shot of the booze.

Initially, you may get a mistaken feeling that your attention on the road sharpens, but as time passes, the spirit induces sluggishness in your mind. Once the alcohol levels start receding, it triggers off drowsiness which could be very dangerous. Intake of alcohol also deters your acclimatization process.

We all are aware that it’s a legal offence & hence I need not elaborate any further on this.

5) TRICKY SECTIONS – A NEGOTIATION

I have seen many amateur drivers rushing through Tricky sections & blindly following others. Water Crossings, Black Ice, snow slush, loose gravel, deep muddy spots & many other such tight spots pose a threat to your vehicle. The vehicle ahead of you may have easily passed over the section, but remember your vehicle’s capacity, ground clearance, laden weight may be different than the other one. The following types of Tricky Sections may appear on your way.

  • SLUSH
  • FEROCIOUS WATER STREAMS
  • FEROCIOUS WATER STREAMS bringing STONES / BOULDERS
  • FEROCIOUS WATER STREAMS bringing SLUSH
  • BLACK ICE
  • SNOW
  • UPHILL CLIMB ON UNEVEN SURFACES
  • DOWNHILL DESCENT

SLUSH

  • It’s a very tricky part. The uncertainty depends on the length, the depth & the viscosity of the SLUSH.
  • If it is appears deep, please disembark passengers. Do not overspeed & do not loose momentum. Maintain a steady RPM. Diesel vehicles deliver more torque at low RPM’s (say 1800-2500 RPM) compared to Petrol Vehicles. Read your vehicle manual for optimum Torque RPM.
  • On one hand, driving the vehicle fast over slush may result in loss of control and driving it slow may result in a loss of momentum thereby getting stuck in the slush.
  • If it’s stuck & refuses to move further, try reversing the vehicle a bit to gain momentum & then move further steadily. If it still does not move, please do not accelerate desperately. It may burn the clutch plate. Just stop the vehicle, remove the tow bar & take help from another vehicle to tow it out.

FEROCIOUS WATER STREAMS (with STONES & SLUSH)

  • Generally, water crossings are very tame in the first part of the day. As the heat soars in the second half of the day, water gushes down rapidly from the melting glaciers causing turbulent water streams. This happens especially during Mid-June to July end.
  • If the stream appears ferocious, get down from your vehicle & carefully examine the depth of the water & the surface beneath. Try to wad through it to look for any deep spots & protuding stones. Turbulent Water Crossings bring down small stones along with the water, which remain hidden below the water surface.
  • Decide upon the easiest path through the stream. Of course a 4 x 4 vehicle will always help, but it is actually not necessary. But if you are stuck in a tight spot, the regular front / rear wheel traction may not be able to pull / push your vehicle out.
  • Take a judgement, if required request your vehicle’s co-travellers to wad through the crossing & then drive it through the section. Lesser the laden weight, easier it would be for your vehicle to get through the tricky section.
  • Again, if the vehicle gets stuck, reverse it a bit for it to gain momentum. Change the direction of the steering wheel while reversing, to make a new path for the forward movement. If it does not work, again do not get into panic acceleration.
  • Use a tow line to tow the vehicle OR request co-travellers to help push the vehicle out of the tight spot. People tend to help in such places. I have a very good experience since I am a solo traveler.
  • Many a times, the silencer goes under the water. Make sure that the engine remains live by gradually raising the acceleration. If water enters the silencer, the engine would shut down. Ensure this does not happen. Keep your focus on the sound of the silencer. If it starts drowning, increase the acceleration a bit to make sure the water does not enter the silencer.
  • Take an instance, you are driving a bike which is heavily laden with 25-30 kgs of your saddle bag plus your weight. You are passing through a turbulent water crossing & the vehicle gets stuck up in between. Now your bike’s engine is under a stress of its own weight, your weight, your luggage, less power due to less oxygen at high altitude & above all it is stuck on a rock underneath water. The water is trying to rush in the silencer in addition to the physical thrust it is applying on the vehicle from the direction of its flow. I have seen many drivers making this mistake of driving through such sections with their feet on the side guards to ensure that the feet do not get wet. NEVER DO THIS.
  • I have also seen many drivers trying to speed up on such water streams to move out of such tricky sections in a haste. If you drive fast & the stones beneath the water changes the direction of your front wheel, believe me you would be thrown off balance & fall down. While riding through such sections on a 2 wheeler, keep your body weight equally distributed on the seat & both the foot rests getting into an alert stand. For this you would have to slightly pick yourself up from the seat. Hold the handle firmly to resist any sudden deflections. Keep your mind focused on the firing sound. Enter the water crossing with a slow & steady speed such that if you are thrown off balance, you can keep your foot aside to balance yourself and avoid a fall. By any change, you have to put your foot down in the water, please do it. Once your feet are in the water, regain your composure, pick up your weight completely from the seat & start wadding with the bike, simultaneously accelerating it gradually to match your wadding speed. Once your weight comes off your bike totally, you bike may be able to gather the required momentum to move out. If not, try reversing the bike by pulling it behind & changing directions. If it does not move, call for help from co-passengers to push your bike out. All the time, please ensure that the firing is steady & the water does not enter the silencer. If the water enters the silencer, it may choke the vehicle & it would have to be towed.
  • In SLUSH & SAND situations too, use the same strategy above to wad through the tough spot.
black ice section

BLACK ICE

  • During early snowfall, Black Ice adds to the perils of road travel. Although termed as Black Ice, it is actually thin & transparent. It is mostly formed when the road has textures which enables retention of water OR where a thin layer of water has accumulated & the temperature dips to sub-zero levels. Even snow offers somewhat traction, but black ice would not be supportive. Approaching drivers are not able to see the layer of ice & the vehicle tyres could possibly skid. Although, it does not last long, it can be extremely dangerous for unsuspecting speeding drivers. The main issue revolves around identifying which wet section is a dry ice one. 
4 TIPS to avoid BLACK ICE.
  1. If external temperatures are freezing, i.e. below 0 deg.C, you can consider every wet spot as a dry ice section. To an extent possible, try to avoid a wet patch if possible. 
  2. Do not accelerate while on white ice. Remove the foot on the gas pedal & shift to low gear. Approach with a slow and a steady speed. Keep the steering wheel straight. Do not attempt to turn, to an extent possible. 
  3. If you are at a high speed apply brakes before the tyres touch the wet section. Avoid braking while passing over black ice. You can at the most pump the brakes OR if you have ABS, then you can compress the brakes. Emergency brakes can skid the vehicle out of your control. Avoid cruise control on black ice. It can throw the vehicle out of control. 
  4. Most of the people try to correct the direction when the vehicle skids on black ice. It further aggravates the situation. Instead pump the brakes and wait for traction. Only then turn the steering wheel. 

UPHILL CLIMB ON UNEVEN SURFACES

  • While ascending, many a times we do not get the right momentum while negotiating a uphill hairpin bend. OR maybe you have taken the right momentum, but it is disturbed by an approaching vehicle from the opposite direction. Always ensure that sufficient distance is maintained between your vehicle & the vehicle ahead of you.
  • At times, if you have to halt your vehicle on an ascend (to allow ongoing traffic OR while negotiating a narrow path), the vehicle may not be able to pull through again due to the steep ascend. Signal the driver behind you to reverse & reverse your vehicle. When it approaches a less steeper surface, accelerate to pick up speed.
  • It this does not work, ask co-passengers in your vehicle to get down to pull up your vehicle. Once the laden weight is reduced, the vehicle may be able to pull up on the ascend.
  • Don’t use half clutch for longer periods in such case. The clutch may burn out gradually leading to loss of traction on your road ahead.

DOWNHILL DESCEND

  • Although relatively this is much easier to handle, many people do the mistake to using the brakes entirely. Engage your vehicle in lower gears like 2nd or 1st on steep descends. Brakes tend to wear out gradually as they are subjected to the pressure of the whole weight of the vehicle.
  • If you are descending, always give priority to the ascending vehicle approaching you. The movement of an ascending vehicle is opposed by gravity & it takes more effort by the engine to chug up continuously. If the ascending vehicle loses momentum, it may be difficult for it to retake the same.
  • The movement of a descending vehicle is always complemented by gravity. Hence the engine is relatively at much ease comparatively. Ensure that the descend is controlled both by brakes & low gear.
  • Have a watchful eye on loose gravel while descending. Approach such surfaces with lower speeds to ensure that your vehicle does not skid.
Travel with a minimum luggage on a 2 wheeler. It should be limited to a single saddle bag.
  • DRIVING A TWO WHEELER in LADAKH.

Cruising on a two wheeler in Ladakh is one of the cherished dream of every travel enthusiast. Crossing the barriers of a 180 deg view from a bucket seat of a comfortable four wheeler’s windscreen & daring the bare weather on a hip wide seat for thousands of kilometers enjoying the 360 deg bare view of the magnificent Himalayas is a unique exhilarating experience altogether.

  • If you are taking your own 2 wheeler to LADAKH- ZANSKAR, the spark plug usually fails within a distance of 1000 – 1500 kms. This happens because the AIR GAP and the FUEL flow in the carburetor is adjusted by your service station for travel in the plains & altitudes upto 6000-7000 feet about sea level, where the oxygen levels are normal. However, once you cross 11,000 feet, the oxygen level depletes significantly & the FUEL AIR mixture in the combustion zone receives very less oxygen. This results in an imbalance resulting in more fuel being driven inside compared to what it can actually burn. Consequently, the spark plug starts accumulating carbon on the surface. Once the surface is completely covered, it stops generating the spark & your vehicle shuts down.
  • No need to PANIC here. As a stop gap measure, open the AIR FITER & the SPARK PLUG. Clean the spark plug thoroughly with a THICK WIRE & POLISH PAPER. Remove all the black carbon accumulated on the edge & the inner cavity of the SPARK PLUG. Clean the AIR FILTER either by dusting it OR by a foot pump nozzle. This would clear off the dust in the AIR FILTER & would permit more flow of oxygen in the chamber. Re-install the Spark Plug & start the vehicle. It would start instantly.
  • When you reach LEH & before you move out of LEH to any long destinations, it is essential for every 2 wheeler to visit the local mechanic. There are a few local mechanics in the vicinity of 5 kms once you start from LEH towards KARU. These mechanics are well seasoned to handle this issue. It may take not more than half an hour & you will find a queue of vehicles after 10pm to get the setting done.
  1. First, the mechanic would check with you the total kms done during your journey.
  2. Next, he would open the carburetor & the AIR FILTER. Looking at the extent of the carbon accumulation on your spark plug & the distance you have travelled in high altitude, they would insert and wind a COPPER wire in the jet hole thereby limiting the flow of the fuel to match the oxygen levels there.
  3. Clean the Carburettor with Petrol
  4. Clean the Air Filter by a high pressure pump
  5. Reinstall the Carburretor & the AIR FILTER
  • Your bike is now ready to travel anywhere in LADAKH. The reduction in the jet flow size would also reduce the vehicle pick up but would at least ensure that the vehicle does not fail anywhere due to the spark plug issue. THIS IS A MUST for EVERY BIKE travelling to LADAKH. Once you reach back home, remember to tell your mechanic to remove the COPPER WIRE at the time of servicing.
  • It may not be necessary to do this setting in KINNAUR & SPITI Valley where there are very limited stretches of altitudes above 11,000 feet.
  • For a 2 wheeler, normally, we use a tyre pressure of 28-32 PSI on the rear tyre & 22-26 PSI on the front tyre for urban driving. Four wheeler tyre pressure may be different as per the manufacturer’s recommendation. However, this tyre pressure may not be usable on offroading terrain. Since the road conditions are uneven, the tyres are often subjected to constant torture by the sharp stones / uneven surfaces. For 2 wheelers, a higher tyre pressure say 35-40 PSI for front tires & 45-50 PSI for the rear tyres is recommended. You may have a slightly bumpy ride, but it would be anytime better than having a low pressure puncture.
  • If it’s a Tyre with a Tube, you can make use of a Puncture Resistant Chemical. Believe me, the manufacturers may make tall claims of sealing multiple punctures. However, if the chemical seals your punctured tyre even once in the HIMALAYAN region, then it is worth it. It has helped me in one of my trips, when I had a rear flat tyre at PANIKHAR in the SURU valley. Even if you are well trained to replace a puncture, replacing a rear tube of a BULLET is a Herculean task and may not be a one man’s job.
  • I met Arun Kaushal, a solo traveller at KUNZAM pass in 2014 in the 3rd week of Sept. He had brought his friend’s bullet from Ludhiana on a solo bike trip. He had a rear flat just about 3 kms before the KUNZAM pass at 01:30 pm in the afternoon. This gentleman had removed the rear tyre of his BULLET (old Bullet with CI crankshaft) with the help of a couple of travelers who were in an INNOVA. It took about 8 of us from 3 different groups to refix the tyre again.
  • You are travelling in the Trans Himalayan Region where getting help in case of any untoward incident is the most difficult thing. It’s only travellers like us who can make a difference by extending a helping hand to those in need. Be it any small thing like offering spares, fuel, tow rope, pushing travelers out of difficult water crossings, slush OR be it helping someone reach a medical facility, you have an unsaid agenda to help others.

Your help is priceless, which no money can compensate. Spread the message of helping others in turn whenever required. God forbid but you may be the next one requiring help around the corner.

During one of my solo bike trip to SPITI VALLEY (see story), I remember having given a tyre tube to a solo traveler. After that, we travelled together. Today, he is on my friend’s list. Whether you are travelling alone or with others, do whatever is possible from your end. For the needy, you are like a God’s angel, which he will never forget in his life.

RIGHT SIZE OF THE GROUP to TRAVEL

The entire belt of HIMACHAL, KASHMIR, LADAKH & ZANSKAR is the most secure belt for tourists. Even if you are travelling solo, there is no issue. However, you are certainly travelling in an area where there are a lot of uncertainties. Hence travelling with the right size of the group becomes very important.

Any size of the group is OK as long as people are like minded. As per my experience in general, larger the size of the group, slower is the pace. People usually get along in small trips of say 3-4 days. However, every individual is different coming from different cultures, lifestyles, interests. For small trips, people usually tend to adjust with each other. But when we are speaking of a 10-14 days trip, individual attitudes may crop up.

In my opinion, smaller the group size say 4-6 people would be the right count. If you are travelling on a two wheeler, it is always recommended to have at least two members. If one gets stuck up anywhere, the other can always help.

This is again my personal opinion & cannot be taken as a general behavior tendency of groups. Your individual experiences may be different.

TO SUMMARIZE

In this article, I have tried to take you through the various pros & cons of Self Drive Options. On the basis of my personal experience, I have listed the prerequisites & the perils of Self Drive. 

If you feel this article was useful to you, please share it with your friends, relatives & contacts aspiring to take the Self Drive Mode to Ladakh & Zanskar.

Should you require any assistance in planning your Ladakh / Zanskar trips, please feel free to write to me in the box provide below. I will try to respond as early as possible.