Thanks so much for putting all this useful information together, Yogesh, I've found it very helpful in preparing for my trip. Unfortunately, I won't be getting away as early as would be desirable so will have to stay flexible as far as making plans and see how the weather plays out in September. I'll be keenly watching for your trip reports!
I'm still at home in Canada now, and the car is in Goa so haven't been able to do any 'hands on' preparations yet, but will arrive in Goa September 16 and had hoped to get away by the 20th or so after resting up a bit and getting organized. The car, a Swift, is near-new so shouldn't have much concern about mechanicals -- the condition of the roads on the route is another question of course. A Goan friend will be co-driving and we will make as quick a dash to Manali as is practical before making decision as to whether conditions suitable; we have 6-8 weeks available, so time not a problem. I'm hoping for a few more long road trips over the next few years so do not want to punish the car unduly on the first major trip. While I have enjoyed all the Ladakh photos on the site for the scenic wonders, my closest attention has been to the condition of the roads and traffic shown
!
I have also picked up a lot of information from the various threads and trip reports. I am totally in awe of the enthusiasm and energy of the group which radiates from these reports and pretty well in every thread. No doubt, I'll soon have some questions -- perhaps it would be best to start my own thread to keep information in one place. I'll have a laptop along, so it will be fairly easy to access and save the valuable tips and information as well as stay in touch.
mike
