After visiting 59 countries on his 1923 Springfield Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce, Rick Brown, a 70-year-old American, has a target to prove his mettle in the highest and dangerous roads of India -- the daunting Manali - Leh highway. The road trip to Ladakh has always been fascinating the adventure enthusiasts from across the world, but nobody has ever attempted this in a vintage car. After being surrounded by hundreds of curious people in Manali for a whole day, Rick’s dream journey to drive on Manali-Leh-Srinagar highway, along with driving his vintage car to Khardungla pass and Changla pass, started on Wednesday. Most of the people not belonging to mountains would be terrified only with imagination to drive on Manali-Leh highway with some of the highest motorable passes of the world like Marsimik-la and Khardung-la. But, this elderly American is going to do this with his 1923 make vintage car. He has successfully cleared first and hard leg of the tour on Wednesday. When many modern high efficient jeeps had given up before bad condition of Manali-Rohtang road, Rick drove his car like he was enjoying a ride on super highway. He would stay in Keylong (Lahaul) and start his second leg to Sarchu on Thursday and cross 16,050 feet high Baralacha pass. “I love the company of my second wife (Silver Ghost) and I will keep exploring the world till I die,” Rick said, while giving a ride on his car which he believes is the most driven Rolls-Royce of the world. “I purchased it in 1996 and have driven it over 3.5 lakh kilometers.” Tom Stevenson, a 59-year-old Canadian, has joined Rick in his adventurous journey. They are fishing friends and have travelled many countries together. Despite being the oldest model, the duo -- Rick and Tom -- came first place in
After visiting 59 countries on his 1923 Springfield Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce, Rick Brown, a 70-year-old American, has a target to prove his mettle in the highest and dangerous roads of India — the daunting Manali – Leh highway. The road trip to Ladakh has always been fascinating the adventure enthusiasts from across the world, but
Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a condition that can occur when ascending to high altitudes too quickly without proper acclimatisation. It is caused by the reduced oxygen levels and lower air pressure at higher elevations as in Ladakh. Altitude sickness can range from mild to severe and can affect anyone, regardless of their age or physical fitness level. Tourists generally remain above 10,000ft when in Leh Ladakh. They even travel through some portions which are higher than 17,000ft. Tourists may have to spend night near Pangong lake and Tsomoriri lake which are 14,000ft and 15,000 ft high respectively. So, they are required to acclimatise properly in Leh before moving to higher regions to avoid health related complications. In Ladakh, many tourists have lost lives in the past due to altitude sickness and many of them took it very lightly and did not acclimatise properly at Leh. Symptoms of altitude sickness can vary but commonly include: Headache: A persistent, throbbing headache is often the first symptom of altitude sickness. Fatigue: Feeling unusually tired or weak, even with minimal physical exertion. Dizziness and lightheadedness: Feeling unsteady, dizzy, or having a sensation of spinning. Nausea and vomiting: Experiencing an upset stomach, loss of appetite, and sometimes vomiting. Shortness of breath: Difficulty breathing or feeling breathless, especially during exertion. Difficulty sleeping: Insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns are common at high altitudes. If altitude sickness is left untreated or ignored, it can progress to more severe forms, such as high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). HAPE involves fluid accumulation in the lungs, leading to breathlessness, coughing, chest congestion, and a bluish tint to the lips and fingertips. HACE, on the other hand, involves swelling of the brain, resulting in confusion, loss of coordination, seizures, and
Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a condition that can occur when ascending to high altitudes too quickly without proper acclimatisation. It is caused by the reduced oxygen levels and lower air pressure at higher elevations as in Ladakh. Altitude sickness can range from mild to severe and can affect anyone,
