A vehicle reaches the crest of Lachalang-la, at 16,600 feet.

Journal and photo by Nancy Olson

This "journal" comes to you in the form of a press release, and it is early. The release is for a few days from now, but since this is my journal day, and since I haven't written a journal yet, here you go:

KEYLONG, India, Sept. 19, 2004--Drive Around the World and Land Rover Certified have driven over the highest motorable road in the world. At a proclaimed 18,320 ft, Khardung-La is the highest mountain pass on Earth.

After driving more than 25,000 miles through 22 countries since Nov. 1, 2003 on their yearlong Parkinson’s Research drive-a-thon, the LONGITUDE Expedition team headed north, and up, into the Indian Himalayas. In this part of the Karakoram Range, the Indian Army is always on guard to protect the high-altitude borders it shares with Pakistan and China. A drive up to the Khardung-La required a special permit, and the expedition team was greeted by smiling Indian Army troops and tough-as-nails road crews working at the summit.

Signs all along the paved and winding road remind travelers to drive safely, while other strategically placed signs give insight to the immense pride of the engineers, road crews, and military who build, maintain, and protect these “highest roads in the world.”

To reach Kardung-La, the Drive Around the World convoy of four Land Rover Certified Discoverys and eight crew members traveled 362 miles north along the well-known Manali-to-Leh Route. This road, the second-highest in the world according to India, traverses four 16K-foot-plus mountain passes, with the highest, Kanglang-La, topping out at 17,590 ft.

The team had previously spent three nights at 5,000 ft, with a final night at 11 K feet before hitting the high altitudes. The team says they experienced first-hand some of the effects these high altitudes can have on the human body.

“I feel really bad,” said Take Me With You! guest Matt Candelaria, 36, of Los Angeles, Calif., at around 16,000 ft. Candelaria is traveling with the team as their guest throughout India.

Experiencing symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness, which indlude headache, dizziness, nausea, euporia, and diminished appetite, Candelaria just wanted to “lose altitude.”

The quickest way to do that was to continue ahead to Leh, which sits at about 11,500 ft up in the Indian Himalayas.

The roads were narrow and crowded with slow-moving trucks and buses, but the team climbed and descended easily, clearing all the mountain passes before dark, and reaching their destination at Leh just after nightfall.

In Leh, the team and Candelaria adjusted to the high altitude while researching permits for the Khardung-La Pass, just 16 miles to the North.

“This area and several others near India’s borders require a special travel permit,” said expedition leader and Drive Around the World founder Nick Baggarly, 36, of Upland, Calif..

With permit in hand, the team, including Candelaria, but minus three who were feeling mild altitude sickness, drove the steep switchbacks up to the summit at Khardung-La. Their GPS and altimeter reading 17,700 ft, the team questioned the validity of the road’s 18,320-foot claim.

“The locals and the tour guides here say the pass isn’t really 18-three, but who cares,” said Baggarly. “This is the highest we’ve ever been, and we’re out of breath. The guys who built these roads are amazing.”

From Leh, the team is headed through China, Krzykstan, Khazakstan, Russia, Alaska, and Canada, before their expected return in Dec.

“This is one of the most beautiful stretches we have driven on this expedition, and we’re soaking up in every minute of it,” said Baggarly. “As much as we want to get home, we know we’ll miss these places when the journey ends.”

LONGITUDE Expedition team members include Baggarly, Chanda Baggarly, 33, of Visalia, Calif.; Todd Borgie, 35, of San Gabriel, Calif.; Adam Burgess, 31, of Saratoga, Calif.; Neil Dana, 31, of Danville, Calif.; Colin McAuliffe, 25, of New Paltz, New York; Justin Mounts, 31, of Witchita, Kansas; and Nancy L. Olson, 31, of Southlake, Texas.

Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.