roads manali/leh or srinagar/jammu/kargil/leh

hi,

are the roads still open ?
already snow on passes ?
passable for jeeps , busses etc ?
hiking with private vehicles ?
will roads reopen after snow disappeares ?
affected by earthquake ?

plan to get up to ladakh at beginning of november ?

please advice, would be best from local people with actual informations

thanks
thomas

I passed a sign close to Thikse saying the road from Leh to Manali is open - However, my taxi driver told me it is closed - anyway, he confirmed that the road to Srinagar is open.

I'm flying into Leh on Friday morning (4th Nov 05) and plan to stay a few days before (hopefully) leaving by road... I'm also keen to hear what the actual conditions are at the moment - best I can get is a temp range of -6c to +12c.... Apparently it can be relatively easy to find a ride out, I'm wondering if the ratio of vehicles changes after snow - i.e. more trucks and less jeeps etc etc?? Can anyone suggest a good company / place to try and book these trips? Cheers, Matt.

hi,

please reply after reaching leh, how the conditions are up there.

most of the companies close during winter, there will not be a lot of choice.
prices are usually the same everywhere, but since you usually have to book a whole vehicle, it s advisable to share the price with as many people as you can find to make it cheaper for you.

when the snow starts seriously, you can usually find no vehicles, no trucks and no jeeps. then you have to fly out !!!

thanks

i hope to hear from you after 4/5 of november.

thanks
thomas 12

Sorry about the delay - it's very cold but no snow yet... the Leh Manali road is open at the moment, and I'm leaving tomorrow morning 4am in a taxi for the journey!! Leh is fairly quiet at the moment, with many places closing down, but still a few restaurants and such open. Overnight is down to around -8 deg C and during the day up to +12 ish. Stunning scenery, I'm glad I came even if it's the end of the season!

That was a hugely appreciated reply at end of the season from someone in Leh.
Thanks very much!!

Hi, I am in Jodhpur right now, and I would really love to head up to the north as far as I can around mid-November!

What will and what won't be possible for me to do? I guess Leh is out of question by then...

Hope to get some infomation

Thanks, Carolin