Himalayas Road Trip (Delhi – Leh – Manali – Delhi). 7th – 20th Sep, 2009

The Himalayas are jaw dropping spectacular! Words can’t describe its diversity, beauty and energy and IMHO it’s best experienced first hand.

Driving along the dangerous cliffs & curves of the Himalayas across Uttarakand, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Ladak and Jammu & Kashmir for almost 12 days, the group often felt humbled and speechless. Some were experienced Jeepers (Jeep Thrills India) and some first timers like me.

The trip almost had it all – lost important personal belongings which were returned by Samaritans who own so little, vehicle breakdowns – some major, some minor, a few arguments and heated discussions, much laughter, impromptu bonding sessions, mimicry, some altitude related sickness, planning & re planning on the fly, being stranded middle of nowhere at 2 am, retiring early in picturesque cosy hotels which cost less than USD 5/night, warm hospitality all along, simple but extremely tasty food, a few drinking sessions, interactions with saffron robed men in search of god and higher meaning – who always were generous to share, meeting people from diverse nationalities drawn to the mountains – some hippies & some psuedo new agers in search of Shiva & Shakti, British woman solo bikers, happy and contented locals, drug king pins, heavy concentrations of Ley lines, sacred Hindu temples, landslides, rain, rocks, glorious sunshine, snow etc…. etc….. Mostly importantly, it helped form friendships for life.

Special thanks to Romi Malik who was most generous with his jeeps, resources, hospitality, equipment, time and patience. In a sentence, he made it all happen.

Thanks also to Roopin for his persistence in ensuring the trip became a reality, MP Sreeni for the initial planning, Giri for the photography, and the rest Mac, Prithvi, Nikhil, Dimpy for the driving, logistics, bits & ends.

The trip route:

Trip Route

Some Photos from the trip:

Trip Photos