Volkswagen India flagged off the highly anticipated first chapter of Volkswagen Experiences (VWe) from Chandigarh. Excitement was in the air as customers and fans of the brand geared up for the start of ‘The First Chapter: An Exhilarating Expedition to Ladakh’, in a convoy of over 25 Volkswagen cars including the Virtus, Taigun and Tiguan. They drove from Chandigarh to Leh via Manali.
But VWe goes beyond just driving great cars along spectacular routes as participants get a chance to truly immerse themselves in these peaceful surroundings along with specially curated activities. Strangers became friends as the VW community grew stronger but it was the cars that played the starring role, conquering good roads, bad roads, water crossings and some of India’s highest motorable passes along the way.
As the Volkswagen Experiences journey drew to a close for customers and fans in Leh, it was the turn of the media fraternity to take over the convoy of cars and continue the expedition venturing further north. Auto Today editor Yogendra Pratap took over driving duties of a Taigun GT with the class-leading 1.5 TSI engine, starting off with an exploration of Leh’s most prominent landmarks including the Indus-Zanskar Sangam and the Thiksey Monastery.
The real adventure, though, got underway as the Virtus, Taigun and Tiguan convoy made their way out of Leh towards Nubra Valley. The first real challenge for both man and machine came in the form of Khardung La – one of the highest motorable roads in the world perched at an altitude of 17,582ft.
The high altitude makes AMS (acute mountain sickness) an ever-present concern. Spending a day acclimatizing in Leh is critical and once at these altitudes, moving slowly and as little as possible is advised. Momentary light-headedness, though, will remind you that the air up here is thin.
This story is from the June 2024 edition of Auto Today.
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This story is from the June 2024 edition of Auto Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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