The ambient dust and sand levels are so high that your car’s air filter can get clogged very quickly.
BHPian RoadFiend recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
My daughter (12 years) and I self-drove from Bangalore to Ladakh and back last summer. We both had a great time in Ladakh and you can too. This thread was very helpful (I suggest reading from the very start of thread circa 2013).
Documenting some of our learnings:
1. ACCLIMATIZATION: High-altitude (anywhere above 10000 feet) acclimatization is super important. People get very seriously sick. Recently, I learnt that an ex-colleague passed away while visiting Ladakh. So, please do take it seriously. However, with adequate preparation, it can be child’s play. Read on:
a. Diamox – Start taking tablet Diamox (acetazolamide) 48 hours before reaching an altitude of 10,000 feet. It helps reduce the risk of altitude sickness. The dosage is 250mg twice a day – after breakfast and after dinner. My daughter took half a tablet each time.
b. Route – Choose a route with as slow an ascent beyond 10000 feet as possible. For night’s stay, choose the lowest altitude place available.
c. Firstly – Once you cross 10000 ft, stay at the first location for 2 nights to acclimatize. For most people, that will be at Leh. Make that stay relaxed and less active, not a hectic sightseeing day.
d. Don’t be high – While driving at high altitude, plan the longer breaks at relatively lower altitudes vs at higher altitudes. When at peaks (aka tops), minimize your time and activity there. Prefer sitting over walking, and don’t brisk walk, never run. If you want to trek, resist the urge and don’t; you can do it on your second trip to Ladakh.
e. Oxygen – Arrange to receive and carry a medical-grade oxygen cylinder when you reach above 10000 ft altitude and keep it all the time when you’re at that height. Its size should be approximately that of a household LPG cylinder. The small ones available on Amazon are of no use (except, maybe, a placebo effect). Such cylinders are available for rent at Leh, and you could get it pre-delivered to Keylong/Sissu/Manali or wherever you first reach 10000 feet. Do not try to cost save and skimp this, rather, choose to stay in cheaper hotels. We didn’t need to use this – however, this is a life-saving insurance.
f. Drink – Hydration is SUPER important. Whatever your usual drinking habits, in Ladakh, you have to constantly sip water. And in a day, your consumption should include a litre of electoral water. Avoid tea and coffee. Avoid all carbonated beverages. These are diuretics and will dehydrate you. Absolutely no alcohol at all. Try the butter salt tea (called gur-gur) that the locals consume. That is good for avoiding altitude sickness.
g. Eat – At high altitude, it takes half the oxygen to metabolise carbs. So, embrace the humble Roti, Dahl, and Chaval and avoid everything else, especially fried foods. Try to have some curd (preferably local) every day. Pause your love of paneer, chicken, etc., while at high altitude. Local Ladakhi foods are carb-rich, like Chu-Tagie, Skyu, Thukpa, and Thenthuk are your best bet if you develop a liking (Our personal fav was the Thenthuk). Obviously, if you are on a keto diet or a Low-Carb diet, pause that for your high-altitude trip and only eat carbs. Eat slowly and lightly and stop when 80% full. Idea is to reduce the effort for digestion, to use the minimum possible oxygen towards metabolism.
h. Merry – Tone down your Goa vibes. High altitude isn’t the right place to sing, dance or otherwise exert yourself. No inebriation whatsoever. Quieten down. Embrace the silence and solitude. A good strategy that will serve your health well in high altitude, even if you have no interest in meditation and spirituality. {anecdote – Ladakh has a lot of immigrant workforce. I was talking to a Bihari person working at a homestay in Tso Moriri. He had been there 3 months and still had not fully adjusted. He was looking for Pudin Hara when I came across him. So, it is not advisable to imagine yourself acclimatised after two nights’ rest at Leh.
i. Snack not – Continuous snacking is not a good idea. Chips and munchies are not a good idea. Most stops serve watery Maggi – which supplies carbs and liquid in cozy warm form – a very good idea as it also gives you a break. Indulge in small talk with the shop owners and locals. That’ll keep you engaged and grounded. And witnessing their modest resources in such a harsh environment will hopefully bring humility in oneself.
2. EYE GEAR – The bright sun and the terrain glare are also very cruel on the eyes, more so in snow. A good polarised sunglasses is a must. Preferably wrap around. Decathlon has them. Normal sunglasses are not sufficient, irrespective of brand.
3. TOO MUCH SUN – In the morning, the sun brightens up quite early by 7 or 8 am because of less pollution. This sunlight is one of the harshest you will experience anywhere. The temperature may be very cold but the sun will relentlessly cook you. Generously apply SPF 70 sunscreen to any exposed areas of skin. Try to buy SPF-protected clothing if possible. Use the arm protection sleeves that have a high UPF rating.
4. HEAD FIRST – The discomfort in Ladakh is largely due to the wind and the uneasiness manifests mostly in the head area. So having headgear that covers the ears and nose and mouth well is a great idea. You can have light balaclavas that are available in Decathlon as a tool which you can wear over your head, and then you wear the polarized sunglasses, and you’re good to go because that will insulate you from the wind, and also the ubiquitous sand flying around, including during the frequent sandstorms.
5. DRESS IN LAYERS – Any point of time if you’re inside a car, then the car temperature will make it comfortable and you would be able to manage with your regular T-shirt kind of gear, but the moment you step outside, you should have a wind resistant jacket handy so that you are coming out of the car prepared, and then once you return back to the car after brief stops, you can take off that jacket and continue in comfort.
6. COLD HEARTED LAKES – Whenever staying near a lake, remember that it will be very cold because of the chilly winds from the lake, especially after dark. Try to stay in a Ladakhi home if possible. If not, cover yourself in layers of blankets and quilts and wear thermals, and everything you can put on so that you can brave through the extreme cold that happens in the last part of the night. Use hot water bags and fill them with hot water. They can be very useful.
7. MUD IS BEST – Staying in a traditional Ladakhi mud house is the best choice as it is the coziest and warmest place. Usually, they have carpeted floors and tree wood ceilings. They also use Pashmina shawls as door curtains, and their effect in trapping heat indoors is magical. On the contrary, modern choices like tents or wooden cottages are actually very cold and uncomfortable. Avoid them as much as you can – don’t fall for their pretty pictures.
8. EARLY BIRD KEEPS WARM, AVOIDS FLOOD – In Ladakh, it is very common for water to cross the roads. It is particularly more so in the months of July, August, and September. In the day, the sun starts melting the glaciers and as the day progresses, the water rises higher and higher and in the later part of the day, the road may become impossible to cross and you have to turn back. So, in these seasons, ask the locals when to start. It is always advisable to start very early and reach your destination early (say in the afternoon) and spend time in your chosen place, so you can completely relax and enjoy your day instead of facing a crisis.
9. SHOVEL OUT – Invest in a sturdy shovel, either from your local hardware store or from Amazon, for about ₹1000 – ₹1500. When you cross some water, your car might get stuck, and this will be helpful in moving stones and other material to free your car. Sometimes rocks also fall down the hill and fall on the road, and if you are driving early in the morning, others may not have driven before you to clear them, and so it might come in handy to move heavy rocks and boulders of the road, so it’s a good thing to have around, it’s fairly cheap as well, so I highly recommend having a shovel with you.
10. DIRT COVERING DASHCAM – The dash cam gets blurry pictures because the windshields get caked in dirt so often. Put a rag in the driver’s side door pocket and stop every 10 or 15 minutes, depending on the dirt level. Jump out of the car and clean the portion of your windscreen in front of your front cam as well as in front of your rear cam. The rear cam usually gets more sand. Then jump back in and continue your drive. This will ensure that you get clearer footage from your Dash cams. In Ladakh, the views are so amazing that you will really want to download and save your dash cam footage for viewing years later.
11. ASK FOR HELP – Many of the routes are through open valleys or river beds. Be careful in identifying the correct route through these. For example, taking a local guide along from the Hanle homestay was very helpful in navigating through the uncharted Norbula terrain on the way to Umling-La.
12. FUEL UP – Many routes have huge gaps between fuel stations. And your vehicle’s fuel efficiency will drop due to low oxygen. While local villages do sell fuel, these are likely adulterated. It is better to carry extra fuel. I bought 2 metal jerry cans of 20 liters capacity from Oliveplanet with a pouring attachment and still fell short in Tso Moriri!
13. CHARGE IN CAR – Instead of our habits of charging devices in the hotel at the end of the day, make a setup to be able to charge during the day while driving your car. Invest in a nifty car inverter. I bought one from Amazon for about Rs 2000. This is because many places don’t have reliable power throughout the night. And the voltage may vary and damage – I lost/fried a multi charger in the Leh hotel. At some places, power is solar-generated and lasts only from 7pm to 11 pm (at Diskit, Merak, Karzok etc).
14. SIM – Only post-paid SIM works in Ladakh. That too, somewhere Jio will work, somewhere Airtel. BSNL has wider coverage but very erratic. If you have multiple SIMs, use all. We had Airtel, Jio and BSNL and at various times, only one worked, not the others. Plan to be without network for most parts. Keep cash and loose change. Request wi-fi from the locals.
15. BONUS TIP – At high altitude, the oxygen levels are much lower, and the amount of energy produced by your vehicle reduces. This can show up as difficulty in climbing up ascents. This will be more accentuated at the highest places like Umling-La. However, there is a more insidious issue that can escape the eye. The ambient dust and sand levels are so high that your vehicle’s air filter can get clogged very quickly. And that really starves the engine and the vehicle’s power collapses. Local cabbies keep additional air filters and keep swapping them and cleaning them at service centres. I didn’t know that and faced a challenge while trying to ascend Umling-La. Eventually stopped, took out the air filter, and used the car inflator to blow out as much of the dust as possible, and the engine growled with power again. Of course, have a good car tyre inflator and also practice changing tires at home before starting.
Best wishes for your trip!
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