Anyone been to Ladakh? AMS Queries and Concerns

B

ballistic

Adept
Planning a trip to Ladakh this May :)

Been thinking about it since long.

Have read a lot about AMS and how to deal with it.

Just need some guidance on people who'v actually been there and their personal experiences.

I'd appreciate feedback from members here who'v experienced this issue.......

Thanks in advance :)
 
Hi!

Awesome thing to do buddy!!!

Ladhak is beautiful,

I have made a Bike trip there last summer with couple of other friends,

Shoot what you want to know!!!

Take 1 or 2 Max strip of Diamox along with you, to overcome AMS
Take it atleast 6-8 hours before you start climbing the hills,
Personally I feel people on the heavier side feel it a lot more,
While climbing up avoid having starch based stuff espicially artificial stuff like Maggi/Knor Soup which is easily avaiable up there,

You will find locals having Tents set up approx every 4-8 Hours (100-200 KM),

If you are goin there on Bikes, Please make sure you know how to repair punchers and carry puncher repair kits or extra tubes along with you, Cos for 100-200 KM at a strech you will not find any one to repair Punchers or tend to any Bike problems,
Avoid carrying to much cash with you, there are 2 ATM in Ladhak you can withdraw money from there (J&K/SBI) Let me warn you that it will be pretty crowded and the best time to withdraw is after 10 PM or early in the morning,

Enjoy your ride you will love it, You will find fellow travellers everywhere who will be more than willing to help you out if you happened to run into any trouble,

Places to stay: Single Large Tents/ 50-100 per person or Suite Tent 1500-2500 per 5 persons you can take anyone, Plus you will come across Small Lodge who will rent out rooms at nominal cost 500-1000 Max,

NOTE: Keep tabs of your belongings, People are very friendly there, this lets your guard down and thats when you make a mistake, Personal Exprience!! :)

PS: Dont miss Visiting Pangong Lake, Monestry, Zang Zang River Rafting in Ladhak, Nubra Valley, Kardungla- The Higest Motorable Road in the WORLD,

You can make a over night stay in Pangong, Its the most beautiful part of Ladhak,
& YES THE FOOD IN LADHAK is awesome, check it out you will love it,

Anything else you want to know let me know...
 
Which route is better? From Rohtang Pass or via Srinagar?

From Rohtang Pass, it around 720km and via Srinagar its 800-something I think. (From Chandigarh/Panchkula)
 
hmasalia said:
Take both the route!!

Go via Rotang-Cum Via Srinagar!!

PS: Both the route roads are HORRIBLE/TRIBBLE!!
Click to expand...

So, One should first go to Rohtang Pass, then come back and take the Srinagar road to Leh or from Rohtang Pass to Leh via Srinagar?

And yeah, the routes are bad..I've been to Rohtang earlier and I was stuck about 10-12 kms from there for 2 hours in traffic.
 
i will suggest going in June because last year the roads officially opened on 17th may. in may, there will lots of snow and roads are very tricky.

they key is acclimatization as you go upwards. spend time locally in all the places you go, go for a light stroll to get your body used to the height and temperature of that place.

if you or any other people feel out of breadth at any stage, carry camphor with you in the car or keep in your room, helps with breathing. dont directly breath it but let it be near wherever you are.
 
i think rockfella have been to ladakh last year. Its a nice place to visit, though i live in srinagar but never visited that place. I suggest you to stay in srinagar aswell and have a visit to Pahalgham, Gulmarg, Sonamarg(comes on the way to ladakh). You will love it :)
 
It will not make a difference buddy!! 100 KM is nothing.... when are doing a 1400 KM Trip from Delhi!!!

Roads from either way are extremely bad... so be mentally prepared for it... 60-65% of the roads are just horrible... from Manali to Ladhak

You can go in early May 17th, The roads are only opened once its cleared of snow!!

Also you get to view the untouched Snow!! remember when We returned back back to Rotang there way hardly any snow there!!

Somethings will depend on your luck!!

Personally I think due to the sucess of 3 Idiots there will be tons more of crowd out there!! DONT FORGET TO go to Pangong thats the best place on the entire trip there are tents you can stay! Which are large enough for 3 People to stay! may be 4 also!!

It will be cold!! so take warm clothes along!! Carry basic medicines along with you...

N yes while shopping in for anything in Ladhak... remember you can bargain

Also checkout the Safety Road Sign posted by the Border Highway Patrol!!

Dont be a Gama in the Land of Lama
Careful curves ahead..... etc etc etc.....
 
Srinagar - Leh highway has just been reopened for traffic and the first convoy has managed to get through!

Though this does not necessarily mean that the Zoji La is now open for tourist traffic or would remain so in the coming days (if there is heavy snow fall), it does mean however that in all likelihood, Ladakh travel season would begin early this year.

Which is good news for travelers and bad for nature, locals and even those living in plains.
 
Mephistopheles said:
Which route is better? From Rohtang Pass or via Srinagar?
From Rohtang Pass, it around 720km and via Srinagar its 800-something I think. (From Chandigarh/Panchkula)
Click to expand...

I went to Ladakh via the Srinagar route by car during October 2009.

Met some people who had come via the Shimla route. They said that some of their members(young people) had fallen sick while travelling but we had no such problem.
Those who know both the routes say that the Srinagar route is better for travelling but the scenic beauty in the Shimla route is better.
So you choose - you want to see the scenery while being sick or not.

You can go to Ladakh via the Srinagar route and return via the Shimla route.
If you want to see Tso Moriri, you will have to travel almost 300-400Kms of the Leh-Shimla route. So it makes sense if you return via that route and see the lake too.

By the way, are you travelling by car or bike????
Are you going to trek???

If you are going via the Srinagar route, be prepared for Zozila pass. The road is horrible. There is only space for one car to pass and there is no asphalt on the surface. We had to drive almost 1KM with a puncture before we could find a spot where another car could pass and only then the tyre could be changed. Check the tyres of the car/bike before you leave Srinagar/Shimla.

P.S: We were having COCA 200(a homeopathic medecine) frequently during travelling to Ladakh and in Ladakh. It was mostly a preventive measure and none of us(my father, mother and another family) fell sick. There were only two young members in the group and that was me and another one. All the others were 40+.
Those who had come via the Shimla route also used to take even a stronger dose of COCA and yet they had nausea and vomitting.
 
Ideally, take your regular meds with you and carry a strip of Diamox, but DO NOT take it as a precaution as there are some people who do.. but its not advisable for all the side effects / risk that it carries. Bottomline - keep it as a last measure.

Just stay properly hydrated (drink lots of water, juices - basically fluids) and at the same time do not hold on to your nature calls.. remember you are not in flight.. you can stop the car and do your business. Don't stuff yourself on heavy meals, instead break down your food intake in small snacks in between (fruits etc) Keep your head and ear covered at all times as the cold air and constant change in pressure (i.e going up and down the mountains) may trigger the AMS.. therefore wear your monkey cap constantly till you reach leh

IndiaMike.com is a great travel forum.. you could get lots of information from people with previous travelling experience as well as query any doubts as most of the frequent travelers lurk around there.

You can read mine and my friends Ladakh trip experience here - Ladakh Chronicles, Part 1 - Intro | Where The Streets Have No Name Note there are more chapters / link to the whole travelogue you can find there..

In our group out of 6 people, only 1 person was affected with severe AMS on the Manali to Leh Journey.. thought the rest had a heavy head but you can't avoid that due to the pressure / climate change. After you reach Leh, make sure you do not do nething major or travel / site see around the next day. Would advise you to keep it as an acclimatizing day.

@ hmasalia - Not sure about others, but in my personal experience (Me being on a lil heavier side) i didn't experience any AMS symptoms as against the person who experienced it is far away from being on a heavier side (though hes a smoker) but was off smoke for 3 days of the journey. So i don't think that weight has anything to do with AMS.
 
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