“Adventure is a state of mind, not a destination.” A lot of different words or phrases can be used to describe man’s primordial instinct to explore the unknown, to get out of one’s comfort zone and to push onward to new horizons. Yes, the very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. And for many of us, an adventure means getting behind the wheel to set out to create new memories with our favourite companion, be it on four wheels or two.
The Volkswagen Experiences seek to give customers and fans of the brand a specially curated multi-day driving experience
And that precisely seems to be the basic premise of the Volkswagen Experiences drive - to make new adventures, one road trip at a time. In June 2024, car&bike was invited to participate in the inaugural edition of the VWe, to sample what was to be an adventure no less with a car from the VW stable. So, read on to find out how it went down, a VW drive around the roof of the world!
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On the first leg, customers and fans of the Volkswagen brand drove the cars from Chandigarh to Leh.
The first edition of the Volkswagen Experiences took off from Chandigarh, with customers and fans of the brand piloting the cars to Leh, with overnight halts in Manali and Jispa during the journey. For many, it was an eye-opening experience, not just because it was a first, to be driving across such altitudes, but also to experience how the cars took it all in stride, be it the Taigun, Tiguan and even the Virtus sedans. The over 400 km stretch from Manali to Leh had it all, from smooth new black top, twisty mountain roads, completely broken roads, no roads, to steep ascents, across several high altitude mountain passes.
The Manali-Leh highway still offers a driving experience unlike anything else. Pictured above is the climb up the Gata Loops, consisting 21 hairpin bends.
Even though the first pass out of Manali, Rohtang La (at 13,000 feet or 3,980 metres above sea level), can be avoided now, thanks to the Atal Tunnel, there are several others which you still need to drive across. There’s Baralacha La (16,500 feet or 5,030 metres above sea level), and Tanglang La (17,480 feet or 5,328 metres above sea level), in addition to Lachung La (16,616 feet or 5.065 meres a.s.l.) and Nakee La (15,547 feet or 4,739 metres a.s.l.) to reckon with.
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Road conditions can still be quite challenging on the Manali-Leh road.
Over recent years, road surfaces have considerably improved on the Manali-Leh highway, thanks to regular maintenance by the Border Roads Organisation. But the twin challenges of thin air, and high altitude driving remain, as do broken patches and water crossings from snow melt. From Leh, it was our turn to take the cars onwards, to explore new destinations around Nubra Valley, and then pilot them back to Delhi.
The Volkswagen Taigun posing with the Thiksey monastery in the background, in Leh.
On this trip, our companion was to be the Volkswagen Taigun, the 1-litre engine version with the torque converter automatic gearbox. Considering the terrain, and the routes we had chalked out, several of us wished for the bigger, and seemingly more capable Tiguan. And why not? With a bigger 2-litre, four-cylinder engine, with nearly 65 per cent more horsepower, the Tiguan doesn’t just get more ground clearance, but also gets all-wheel drive (AWD) in the top variants, making it the preferred choice for the conditions.
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The Taigun may be a front-wheel drive compact SUV, but it definitely doesn't lack attitude.
But when the key to the Taigun 1.0 litre variant was handed over, we had no complaints. After all, adventure is just a drive away, and has as much to do with the driver’s common sense and experience, rather than banking on “adventure-ready” features or capabilities in the car for the job. For the route we were to take, the terrain, and driving conditions, the Taigun has decent ground clearance, and adequate performance, and should be just fine, I thought, before we set out from Leh.
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The VW convoy travelling down from Khardung La pass at 5,359 metres above sea level.
From Leh, our route took us across the Khardung La pass, with an altitude similar to Everest Base Camp at 17,582 feet (or 5,359 metres above sea level). The drive up to Khardung La begins as soon as you’re out of Leh city limits, and is a formidable wall of mountain that needs to be crossed. The cars made quick work of the climb up the pass, and we crossed over to the other side. After a quick stop for a cup of hot tea at North Pullu, we carried on down into Nubra Valley, for a lunch stop at Diskit, also to be our digs for the night. The convoy then headed back over the Shyok river and along the Nubra river, towards what was to be one of the highlights of the trip, the Siachen Base Camp.
The road to Siachen Base Camp is tarmac for the most part.
The road to Siachen Base Camp is all tarred, with beautiful vistas accompanying us at every turn and every ascent or descent along the river. After nearly four hours, we made it to Siachen Base Camp, which isn’t that high up, and in terms of altitude, it’s similar to Leh, at around 12,000 feet (or 3,567 metres).
The Volkswagen Taigun posing at Siachen Base Camp, with the Siachen Glacier in the background.
After spending some time at base camp, with new and old friends over a few cups of tea, it was time to head back. Some of us started ahead of the convoy, in staggered groups, and it was a relatively fast drive back along the Nubra. The cars made it evident that they are built for the job at hand, with barely any fuss, even over the broken road sections.
Driving back to Diskit from Siachen Base Camp.
Dusk was approaching, and I decided to lower the pace to a more relaxed one, taking a few breaks, to click a few photographs, and generally take in the beautiful views of the snow-capped mountains. A journey after all, is no fun, when you’re in a tearing hurry to get anywhere. Every now and then, you should take in each precious moment, and “stop, to smell the roses,” as the saying goes. By the time we got back to Diskit, it was completely dark, and the last 10-odd kilometres over entirely broken roads.The Taigun though took it all in its stride.
The VW Taigun at Hunder, Nubra Valley.
After dinner, with a bonfire and bonhomie of fellow travellers at Diskit, we called it a night. The next morning, we drove out to check out the Hunder sand dunes, home also to the double-humped Bactrian camel, with only a few scores in numbers remaining today. The Bactrian camel isn’t native to India, and made its way from Central Asia to India during the period of the Silk Route trade several centuries ago. The Taigun made its way effortlessly through the dirt tracks along the dunes, where we spent a couple of hours just driving around. After a lunch stop along the Nubra, it was soon time to hit the road, with a few of us leaving before the larger convoy, back over Khardung La and into Leh by evening.
From Leh, it was time to bid adieu to friends and companions from the past few days and head solo into the unknown, in search of new adventures. The idea was to head inland, away from the tourist circuit, in search of some wildlife. The destination wasn’t very far from Leh, but it is completely off the tourist circuit; perfect for some quality time with the Taigun.
The Volkswagen Taigun 1.0 has been a pleasant surprise for us during this drive.
The road surface soon disappeared, as did mobile networks, and by late afternoon, we reached the village of Ulley, at nearly 14,000 feet (or 4300 metres above sea level). On the road to Ulley, you won’t find any tourist vehicles or groups of motorcyclists which seem to have become the norm than the exception in Ladakh these days. The only exception will be the odd local car, more often, a 4x4 truck.
Ulley village is not on the tourist map. It's perfect for adventurers seeking some peace and solitude in this quiet corner in Ladakh.
Our host at the Snow Leopard Lodge, Stan Votsal, led us for the last hour or so into Ulley, where we settled in for the night. Great hospitality, good food and sharing life stories over dinner with our host, we turned in, and a comfortable bed was all that we needed. Ulley is known as the snow leopard haven of Ladakh, but only in winter, when the mountain sides are covered with snow. And considering the terrain of the Himalayan big cat, it’s also home to its prey, the Himalayan blue sheep and the Ibex. Leaving the Taigun to rest, I climbed up a hillside in the hope of catching a glimpse of some wildlife, and it wasn’t entirely disappointing.
Taking a break on the way back from Siachen Base Camp.
After spending nearly a week with the Taigun around Ladakh, it was a pleasant surprise. Despite its small-ish 1-litre, three-cylinder engine, the Taigun has enough performance to climb up serpentine mountain trails through some of the highest motorable roads in the world. Never did we feel a lack of performance, or the car faltering, even when we made a dash for Khardung La top on the way back up. The Taigun is also a safe car, with a 5-star Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP) score and boasting of German engineering, superb build quality and more than 40 safety features, including six airbags, electronic stability control and hill hold control, among others.
The Volkswagen Taigun has proved to be an impressive companion on the drive across Ladakh over a variety of challenging terrain.
And when the road surface deteriorated, the Taigun took it all in its stride, without a whimper. Broken roads, no roads, water crossings and dirt tracks, it took on everything that we, and the terrain could throw at it. In all, the Taigun has proved to be an impressive companion, with good dynamics, a stable ride, and decent ground clearance to tackle all kinds of road conditions that we encountered. On the twisty sections, the Taigun was a delight with its sharp handling, and overall, it was quite an impressive car during our drive across Ladakh.
The VWe offers an opportunity to explore new places, and also discover the capability of the cars.
The first edition of the Volkswagen Experiences has been nothing but a true-blue adventure in every sense, across every day, and across every corner of the roads that we travelled on. From driving across high mountain passes, broken roads, water crossings and every imaginable surface that one can think of, the route had it all. For any Volkswagen owner, or even for someone considering a VW as his or her travel companion, the VWe definitely offers a chance to experience first hand what these cars are capable of.
The convoy resting at Diskit, Nubra Valley.
And then there’s the camaraderie and sense of bonhomie that goes hand in hand on such a drive with fellow enthusiasts and like-minded adventure junkies. More importantly, for those new to such drives, there’s also the sense of safety and security of being guided along by experienced travellers and adventure expedition leaders. All these make the Volkswagen Experiences that much more compelling for anyone who possibly has not had such exposure to multi-day drives across the upper Himalayas.
The Volkswagen Taigun at Siachen Base Camp, one of the highlights of the first edition of the Volkswagen Experiences drive in Ladakh.
The driving days and routes have been carefully thought out, not to make it stressful or tiring even for newbie adventurers. Long before we set out on our solo drive, the experience with the Volkswagen Experiences (VWe) event certainly made a strong impression, as did the Taigun we used during the course of the drive.
(Photos: Volkswagen India & Preetam Bora)
