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The Route Metrics
- Odometer Start: 12,450 km
- Odometer End: 13,180 km
- Total Distance: 730 km
- Terrain: Wet tarmac, deep slush, and high-altitude rocky trails
Conquering the Mountain Pass
The monsoon rains were relentless, turning the standard mountain pass trails into challenging muddy tracks. The vehicle handled the slippery switchbacks flawlessly — torque delivery remained smooth, and the new traction-control settings kept the chassis incredibly stable through the river crossings.
Driver Note: Fuel efficiency dropped to roughly 9.5 km/l due to heavy idling and low-range gear usage in the deep mud sections.
GPS Track & Waypoints
- Checkpoint A (Base camp): Departed at 06:00 AM under heavy cloud cover.
- Checkpoint B (The Summit): Reached at 11:30 AM. Visibility dropped to less than 10 meters.
- Checkpoint C (Riverside Trail): Safely parked by 04:00 PM.
Equipment used
Recovery gear
- Snatch strap: Premium recovery strap (Amazon Affiliate Link)
- Tire deflator: ARB brass tire deflator kit (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Comfort items
The night at 4,200m was -5°C. The sleeping bag we used was rated to -10°C and kept us warm through the freeze.
Trip summary
| Stage | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manali to Rohtang Pass | 51 km | 2-hour wait at the top due to landslide |
| Rohtang to Gramphoo | 23 km | First water crossing of the trip |
| Gramphoo to Kaza | 110 km | Long day, lots of slush |
| Kaza to Leh | 230 km | Via Kunzum Pass |
| Leh to Manali | 316 km | Return via the same route |
# Sample YAML used in the field
trip:
start: 2026-07-20
end: 2026-07-25
vehicles: 1
crew: 2
In our next log, we will inspect the air filters and check for underbody debris before pushing further north.
ℹ️ No expenses recorded for this trip yet.
Add rows to
_data/expenses.csv with trip_id: spiti-2026.