The Great Himalayan Drive, Kashmir to Arunachal starts January 29

Is it possible to cover the entire span of the Himalayas from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh as one unbroken journey by road? Yes, it is. And I am setting out to show how it can be done, starting January 29, 2010. And I will drive for approximately 120 days.

Billed to be a trip never done before (certainly not in recorded memory), the journey will stretch from the western border of the Indian Himalayas in Kashmir to the eastern end in Arunachal Pradesh. It will also go through Ladakh, Lahaul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.

The journey has been made possible with sponsorships from TripAdvisor.in and Yatra.com.

It is the ultimate driving challenge, one full of adventure, excitement and fun. Why am I doing this trip? To show it can be done. To record all the wonderful sights and sounds along the way. To meet the various peoples and develop a greater understanding of their lives, their society and their cultures. As in my earlier travels, I also hope to get closer to our natural world so I can respect its beauty and fragility more. By sharing my experiences and stories with the rest of the world, I hope they too learn from the ways of those in the mountain. And start caring for the environment as it may not be same forever.

To a great extent, it will be an expedition into the unknown. I am not going with any fixed itinerary, only a tentative one. The idea is keep taking and following tips from locals and those in the know about these regions. This is the surest way of unearthing gems for a travel writer. Following guide books may give a greater sense of security, but not knowing where the following night will be spent is another thing.

The journey will take place in two phases. The first leg, starting January 29, will go from Nepal to Arunachal Pradesh and last 8-10 weeks. The second leg will go from Kashmir to Uttarakhand, ending where the first started. This will start in May for 6-8 weeks. It is being done this way keeping weather conditions in mind. The higher passes of Ladakh and Lahaul Spiti are open only from May – September approximately. This is also a time when the eastern Himalayas get too wet. In theory, one can do the whole stretch in the summers at one go. But then one would also miss out the spring flowers of Sikkim and Bhutan. Hence such an itinerary.

I will be posting updates with photographs en-route whenever connectivity allows on TripAdvisor.in, Yatra.com’s Fan Page on Facebook, on Kunzum.com and Twitter (@ajayjain and @kunzum). At the end of the trip, I will also be bringing out a pictorial travelogue.

The Tentative Route

Phase I:

NEPAL: Mahendranagar (Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve), Khaptad National Park, Bardiya National Park, Lumbini, Pokhara, Jomsom, Chitwan National Park, Kathmandu, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
INDIA: Darjeeling, Guwahati, Itanagar, Ziro, Daiporjo, Alang, Namdapha Wildlife Sanctuary, Dibrugarh, Mon, Jorhat, Mokokchung, Kohima, Kaziranga, Shillong, Gangtok, Nathu La, Yumthang
BHUTAN: Thimpu, Paro

Phase II

INDIA: Rudrapur, Bhimtal, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag, Rishikesh, Barkot, Mori, Sarahan, Sangla, Kalpa, Lahaul Spiti, Jispa, Leh, Tso Moriri, Pangong Tso, Siachen, Nubra, Alchi, Kargil, Zanskar, Srinagar, Uri, Jammu

Watch this space for live updates!

Tagged as: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bhutan, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Ladakh, Lahaul, Manipur, Nagaland, Nepal, road trip, Sikkim, Spiti, The Great Himalayan Drive, uttarakhand