Hiring an auto rickshaw and driving up to Ladakh

downjim

A group of friends and I are considering getting hold of the some auto rickshaws and driving from Delhi to Manali-Leh-Srinagar-Delhi this summer. We are expecting people to say it is a ridiculous idea. We are all pretty clued up on the scene in India and in particular Kashmir and are not easily put off however- as have just come back from driving an ambulance across the Sahara and clearly the Rickshaw Run has several races across India each year all of which are 3000kms+. We want to do our own version of this and are aware it will be tough and uncomfortable but are determined to give it go

I have a few questions:

1) Although I am aware the passes can be closed at any time which of July/August or september is the most sensible time to do this trip

2) Does anyone know of anywhere in Delhi we can hire rickshaws for 2-3 weeks?

3) Which section of road between Manali and Leh or across to Srinagar is the road at its worst?

If anyone can answer any of these questions or offer any other advice to aid us I would be really grateful

thanks in advance

James

indiaprof

Well, congratulations to you in advance if you pull this off.

You'd want to check with the Indian authorities about whether or not the road is open to foreigners. The part around Kargil, which is near the LOC, is probably security sensitive. I'm pretty sure the Indian Government doesn't want foreigners larking around all over J&K.

As for the auto-rickshaws, can they handle the inclines on that road? How much weight is going to be in each rickshaw? And last I checked, a Bajaj auto-rickshaw was a pretty hefty investment. Have you guys talked to any auto drivers about this?

downjim

Thanks for your advice - it seems that buses/trucks as well as the odd foreign motor cyclist/cyclist have been passing along the Kargil road in the last couple of years so are pretty confident about the road being open (although the security issues in Kashmir in Summer 2008 were clearly not that great- we are aware that we might have to change plans at very short notice on a trip like this)

I would be really interested to hear from people what they think about the inclines - auto rickshaws are incredible vehicles and I have had friends who have travelled on the Rickshaw Run across India over pretty tough terrain at times but perhaps not to this extreme. At the moment we are just looking for possible contacts about hiring a rickshaw as ideally we don't want to buy one.

Haylo

Given their basic construction, I was idly considering purchasing an auto to use while I'm in Delhi, but one look at the price made me recoil in horror!

While auto drivers may do informal deals between themselves, I doubt there is anywhere which offers formal hire of these to foreigners.

If you can afford it, and are set on doing the trip in an auto, your only option may be to bite the bullet and shell out for purchasing one, then selling it after your trip. However, that may not be an easy option, bear in mind that it is definitely time consuming, certainly not straightforward and it may not even be possible for a non-diplomat foreigner to purchase a vehicle while in India.

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Hal

There was a television show on the Travel Channel called "Which Way to Wagah?" in which 3 brothers drove around India in an autorickshaw. Not sure how they procured it, but here's a link to the show. Maybe they can help.

http://www.whichwayto.tv/Wagah.html

palerider

well, you are insane, but hey, never stopped any of us coming to India.!!

Sounds great. if you change it to July, can I come.?
I can sing the "convoy"song really badly.

I was thinking maybe you could get some publicity on board. There are a lot of Indian cable stations now, surely one or two of them could get a bit of coverage happening. Might help with the finances as well, and get some approvals which may otherwise be difficult.

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camelgirl

Why don't you contact the people who organize the Rickshaw Run (which I've been promoting here on IM for a couple of years trying to get some IMers to do it, as I'm long past being able to do that sort of thing, though I would have 30 years ago ) Overland by Rickshaw!

I think it's a great idea, let us know if you do it!

I saw on the news that they now have pollution free Rickshaws in New Delhi. Something else to look into.

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labrol

There is no restriction on foreigners travelling on the route you have planned. Do not expect any sudden changes because no such restrictions were applied even during peak of insurgency. With record number of voters having voted a govt to power, expect things to be better.
perhaps you can think of a greater adventure by making it Delhi-Simla-Kalpa-Kaza-Leh-Kargil-Srinagar-Amritsar-wagah-Delhi.

Take a mechanic along and lots of tyres and tubes!!

The only thing you can not do is to take a detour to the Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso lakes without permits. However a Leh based tour operator can help keep the permits ready before you enter Ladakh, Just incase you want to tease the machines further by driving across to the high altitude desert lakes.

Start workouts because the autos may need pushing at places where oxygen is scarce for normal activity.

Take a doctor along. Make it the last week of June till mid july and you have a doctor. Possibly I will come at my expense and in my 4wd to Join you in the Ladakh section!!

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labrol

The passes generally open by mid May and remain open definitely till end August.

mridula

What an idea! All the best. Sorry I can provide no help with the contact though.

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downjim

Thanks for all this fantastic info so far- it is incredible how involved people get on this site- what kind of prices Haylo did you find rickshaws were going for?

Palerider - I will let you know if we go in July - certainly your idea of getting publicity sounds really interesting and as you say might open up doors that otherwise in terms in bureaucracy might make the journey difficult

Camelgirl - I will get in contact with the Rickshaw Run organisers even if they can't organise it themselves they may well have contacts- so thanks for that.

Labrol - I like your idea of going into Kaza area - it all depends on time if we can get enough time off it would certainly be an interesting side excursion- also once in Ladakh certainly fancy doing some offbeat stuff- will let you know if we end up going around the late June period.

So thanks for all the info so far - please keep it coming

James

labrol

The autorickshaws that you hire shall likely have yellow number plates(Commercial use). So some commercial driver's rules would apply. Check that out as well. I will let you know if I find something.
If you buy the autorickshaws, you can have black on white number plates(Private). Then any valid driving licence works. Also there is no tax on crossing state boundaries. With yellow plates you pay a tax either for an All India permit or pay at every state border. It will be a tidy sum. You will cross from Delhi to Haryana, Punjab, Himachal, Kashmir.

There are some persons in Karol Bagh area in New Delhi who sell Royal Enfield motorbikes to riders and then buy back on return. Check the lonely planet India for info. Some of them may help to do the same for the autorickshaws.

You will need to hire a vehicle like the Qualis or Sumo to carry spares and supplies just before getting into the mountains, perhaps at Chandigarh. The autos will have to be run on minimal load.

As for getting involved, it is not just about indiamike, it is about India. Love it or hate it, that is the way we are. The downside is, we are inquisitive and do not much understand the concept of individual privacy. So do not complain about that part when you are here. You will be treated like family everywhere in exchange for just one smile and one wave of the hand.

palerider

How could they complain?

Indizen

It is a ridiculous idea!

Reemus

The auto-rickshaws (Autos) are of three types, based on the the type of fuel they run on:
1. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
2. Petrol
3. Diesel
CNG and Petrol powered Autos may not be poweful enough to handle the steep inclines you would encounter. Try checking out which company makes higher powered Diesl Autos. I have seen Autos from Bajaj and Piaggio on the roads.