Grand Himalayan Road Tour (GHiRT)- What to Visit?

ks_bluechip

Hi deeps79: Good to see your post after some time gap. I am now learning to use DSLR in "non-auto" modes! Already know a bit about exposures and f-stops! Hope to take the DSLR to Bhutan in April and use it more sensibly!

Yes, I don't think one can do the whole of the Indian Himalayas in one go ... perhaps will have to be split into many smaller bits (not just 3) like GHRT-JK, GHRT-HP, GHRT-UA, GHRT-SK and GHRT-AP ... Gosh! thats a whole lot!!

I have travelled most of those regions and routes by Local Buses and Share-Jeeps.... but doing all that with self-driving sounds kind of scary! But should be thrilling, if I recall those many Passes on way from Srinagar - Leh - Manali ...... And then Tawang, Bomdila, Alang, Pasighat, etc. at other end of India.

Hmmm.... more I think about it, the more exciting it sounds. And you say Sept-Oct is best?

- KS

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ks_bluechip

Ronak; Thanks for the info. I would like to buy that book. How does one order with Strand? Is it online website or by phone? and do they take Credit Card? and do they send by courier? let me know all the details, Thanks, again - KS

shahronakm

Generally I visit their book store & pay them advance 50 % (In case of longer delivery) & 100 % (In case of shorter delivery time). After receiving they give us a call after which we can collect our book. However do check this link for online ordering.

http://www.strandbookstall.com/store...howtoorder.htm

Ronak.

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Sadanand Kamath

GHRT was coined by me when you were on GIRT .
Please refer to post 126 of What to see on our Grand India Road Tour (GIRT) ?

Of course, there is a slight difference; T in my GHRT stands for travel .

Sadanand

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Dilliwala

You know how vortexes work, right? I'm trying very hard not to get sucked in.

WHAAAA...? Yikes!
Altho sometimes I feel I cud do with some hormone replacement myself.
But then, will it turn me into a female ? If yes, will I have to dye my hair blond if I want to travel alone in India ? If yes, will I then have to start a thread on IM about my blond dye? Answers please!

I think they might be referring to AWD (all-wheel drive)? That's where the car will automatically adjust the power while driving, switching between 2wd and 4wd as required, rather than the driver having to flip a switch. Right, gents?

No sir, it was considered at the time of buying, but the 4WD can safely be described as a bumpy sh.itbox, terrible suspension (leaf-spring).
I've been looking for a decent 4WD for a year now, but none of em meet my criteria.
Altho Mahindra has almost talked me out of it, citing very good, solid reasons. And 2500 to 3200 cc (Scorpio) is a LOT of power and will take care of 99% situations, literally. It only leaves those one or two situs though where u really need 4X4 - Avid's description of the track to Larot being one example.
(Thanks, Avidbhai, u just made my life more miserable . Here I was perfectly happy and secure in the knowledge that it was a bike-track only - read the IM thread - and accepted it philosophically on the basis u can't go EVERYWHERE with 4 wheels, and now u tell us that with the right 4-wheeler it CAN be done?!! More sleepless nights until I can get there. Thanks !
In 2006, missed doing Rohru-Chirgaon by a whisker. Coming back from Kinnaur, the planned route was Rampur-Sungri-Rohru. Night halt with side-trip to Chirgaon, then continue Tiuni-Chakrata-Mussoorie. But, mum got sick so had to head straight for Delhi via Shimla/Solan/NH1).

Hmm, not great if it's still the old suspension. Plus uncomfortable for rear-seaters on a very long trip. And 1400 cc - I dunno, I personally like more power, altho I'd agree that the 4X4 is good.

Heater-plugs defective/not working - not a prob down to 12 C.
Heater-plugs good/new - one crank at 8 C.
Heater-plugs good/new - two cranks at 2.5 C.
I only emphasise, never compromise on the quality of heater plugs, and never leave home without a well-maintained vehicle.
ksb's not thinking of winter anyway.

GHiRT?
How about a military style title? 'Operation Tushar'.
Tushar - snow, him - snow.
(However there will HAVE to be a ban, strictly-enforced, to referring to it as - "OT"!

Oh, I know! The 'P2P Tour'. In line with various suggestions to break the trip up - Pathankot to Pithoragarh!


PS: I just got majorly sucked in, didn't I?

ks_bluechip

Sadanand .... Yes, That's right! Wow!! ...... I did see that post #126 now .... and also you were the one who suggested the Daruwala book way back then! Either I missed those posts or my memory is really bad (could be either ).

So Sadanand-ji, as the original name-suggester, one seat on the GHRT-Rath is kept reserved for you!

Aishah, go ahead and have the IM-Leader with Title-Changing know-how (will that be Machadinha?) to change this Thread's Title to:

Which places to visit on Grand Himalayan Road Travel (GHRT)

Aishah

All done, KS, by She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed!! (Took a while to learn that one, many secret codes to crack)!

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AvidTrekker

No, referring to switchable "on-the-fly" from 2WD to 4WD


No Indian vehicle has the perfect 4WD specs. Maruti Gypsy is OK if only two of us are riding.
Scorpio will sell a 4WD and deliver it after some 6 months. They discourage customers from buying a 4WD.

Among the phoren assembled ones, Hyundai Terracan is good. Have you seen the youtube video where it is dropped by a crane from 100 feet up and still works??

My friend bought it and was digging up material to salve the conscience when he saw the destruction video.

You must have read this thread.

The road is "repaired" every year in patches. Although you cannot go upto the tree {see photo in thread} that the bikers went, you can still go up 75 per cent of the way.
You can still do it the next time.

The "back road" to Sarahan via Taklech and Daran ghati is worth trying by 4WD. Its a dirt track, I would like to see if a vehicle can cross it.

I like this title

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Dilliwala

Oh of course. Yeah, not too sure I care for them myself.

Bolero 2 WD has good suspension, but that's just it, not the 4WD. U're right, they're discouraging me re the Scorpio too.

Yep, that's the one.

I'm relieved the track is there - based on the map, I told someone in another thread they can cycle thru.

ks_bluechip

Thanks, Aishah! Though later I did see Dilliwalla's GHiRT and P2P .... both pretty good, I thought!

And did you say you did the Title Change yourself? Great! All the geeky technical learning (configuring Routers, Fixing Broadband Settings, Choosing printers etc.), you have been subjected to by IMers, is finally paying off .... Changing IM thread Title must have been a breeze? Nadreg (in his HR-avatar)) has chosen Wisely. Sorry, I thought you might need Machadinha's help on that .

Aishah

It's a breeze, KS! Yes, that Broadband thread taught me a lot...
Talking of 4WD vehicle choices here - petrol Gypsy sounds good - what about Mitsubishi Pajero? Any opinions on this one? It first came out when I was a surfie in days gone by and I always had my eye on it..

puchoo

The Pajero with its inter-cooler packs quite a punch , though i have not had the opportunity to drive it outside Delhi so will not comment on that..

The Gypsy is a pretty reliable machine but i agree with the replies that its not the most comfortable in the back seat but then again this is not supposed to be a couch ride either is it

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Monkjoel

hi KS,

i just checked your travel blog... you seem to have very extensive experience of road travel/car etc. but still my 2 cents on your questions...

well, you can surely do 80% of himalayas in one trip i.e. Himachal, JK, Uttranchal etc. but Arunachal side you got to do separately...

About the car, i feel Indica might give you some trouble, yes it has an internal heater, but the breakdown avg. on the road is too high and the last thing you want to do while traveling is to spend most of the time locating a garrage... also its ground clearance is pretty low... You can decide on any Petrol vehicle with good ground clearance like Gypsy or any CRDI disel vehicle... like scorpio, bolero, tavera, qualis etc. i had bought scorpio for this very purpose, and till date it has never let me down, i recently did south india and covered around 7K kms in 20 odd days, it was fabolus, check out the photo gallery at http://picasaweb.google.com/anishjoel/OnRoad

i also do delhi-dharamshala almost twice a month, and its good ground clearance is very handy... if you can get a 4x4 nothing like it... about those jeeps you mentioned and showed pics... they are highly UNreliable for himalayn road travel, unless you are a mechanic or having one in the group with all necessary tools and spares...

about the drivers skills, well, highway travel and mountain travel are 2 different heavens with no real corelation... so you got to have some very experienced mountain driver for this... well i wont mind getting an offer to be your Sarthi for this... :-happy traveling... search your inner being thru your outer travel.

cheers.

Mod Note: I have deleted your email address, Monkjoel, not a good idea on Open Forum, it will invite spamming etc. You will soon be able to PM each other after some days.

Aishah

Nice pics, Monkjoel! Looks like you have had some good trips.

amarshah

[quote=ks_bluechip;458602]Avid & Puchoo: Which Indian models have this 2/4WD that you talk of? Do you know??

Another option would be the Tata Safari. On the costlier front would be the Ford Endaveour or Hyundai Tuscon. (I have got few decent reviews on the Tuscon myself...) But sticking with a maruti or tata would be a good bet in remote places...

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