[GTO]

6 a.m. on a Sunday morning? You gotta be kidding me. A sunday is the ONLY day of the week that I can wake up after 0600 hours. Butttttttttttttttt when it's for exploring different offroad locations, alongwith a pimped out Defender, does a car guy need a second thought?

All of us were on time, and as planned, we left from Sion Circle at sharp 6:15 a.m. A leisurely drive (a 4 speed Jeep on the expressway!) saw us reaching Lonavla around 8 a.m. After high-speed runs in the C220 & Vtec on the expressway, cruising in a Jeep can be a humbling experience (60 - 90 kph). You actually start considering even Altos as quick cars! After some delicious vada pav + masala chai, we head straight to Rajmachi in search of offroad terrain. The regular trail was boring buttttttttttttttttttt

We decide to chart out our own trail. There are few things more enjoyable than creating your own roads and going as far as your line of vision permits you to.

NOTE : We had three cameras clicking, so I am only posting some from mine. Xtreme power will follow with his set, and my mobile phone pictures will be uploaded tommorow morning. EDIT : Phone pics uploaded here

BHPian "Xtreme Power" getting off the road in his awesome Defender



Moving boulders out of the way. Look beyond, we didn't know where we were headed either


Downhill best taken in 1st low without touching the brakes


Attacking a 3 feet tall 80 degree incline obstacle. Notice how the Defender is almost a see-saw, both our offroaders scraped under bellies here. And fought for traction.


We found atleast 4 great offroading spots around Rajmachi (but totally off the regular trail), the most memorable of which was climbing up a STEEP hill, handling boulders and then jumping down a 60 degree 500 meter long decline. We enjoyed coming down to much (1st low) that we turned around and tried going back up that same incline. I made it halfway up, but the tyres lost grip. Backed up to attack again with better momentum, and we saw a security guy running toward us with a walkie talkie in hand! They were afraid our Jeeps will topple (in hindsight, it was dangerous, Am sure xtreme power & Addy have pics. I didn't click here) on their property and there'd be liability issues.

We scooted straight from there to old Khandala and thereon to Tungarli Dam. Again, we didn't exactly have a route, this being a recce, and only set out to find some more challenging patches.

We couldn't have asked for more. Some spots around Tilangi Dam were 8.5 - 9 / 10 in level of difficulty. Many a time, we stopped to decide whether our offroaders will make it through and the chances of us ending up toppled. We decided to take difficult stretches one by one, so that if one gets stuck, the other can pull it out. I remember asking xtreme power, on three different occasions, "Hey Allan, you sure ya got a towing rope?" I wouldn't have had the guts to do some of those sections if I were all alone. Knowing that there is someone to pull you out is a confidence - booster.

Continuing to make our own road


See that hill at the back? There was a lake in between (look carefully just below the bull bar) and we decided here, that we want to cross the lake and climb to the top of that hill! We did too!


I cross and look back to see Allen (xtreme power) running toward his defender to get it down.



That's where we were before, and here we are now on the opposite side. Successfully and after a lot of trail evaluation.


Continuing our climb


Brakes smoking (just kidding, thats from the Marlboro in my hand)


Neither of us got stuck even once! Whatever we wanted to tackle, it was a case of point and shoot. The kind of terrain we encountered here, and further on, was simply superb! I could hear Addy go "gulp" on more than one occasion, but we made it through just fine. Our machines supported us brilliantly. At some spots, we were sure that one mistake and our 4x4 would topple over. Another scary moment was when the Jeep & Defender were in the middle of a long & steep hilly incline. The terrain was too slippery to offer sufficient grip, but we couldn't abort half way (too dangerous). Tyres spinning, diff lock enabled (Defender), brute force and both our 4x4s made it through.

Best part is : We've still left about 6 hours of exploring and 2 other locations (RHS of where we went in the end, and Gold Valley) for the next time I'm really happy with finding some great offroad terrain close to Bombay. Most I know of entail a 2 day trip (Silvasa, Igatpuri, Mahabaleshwar & Deolali).

Other notes:
- Thanks to Xtreme power for the very thoughtful move in getting along a pair of long-range walkie talkies. It made effective communication between the two offroaders so simple! I'd never go offroading without a pair again.

- We saw a Mahindra Axe - civilian version with hardtop et all - zoom by in the opposite direction. Sadly, our cameras were not at hand.

- Bumped into a red Ferrari F430 - being R-I-P-P-E-D on the expressway. Sad that we didn't cross each others paths in the long tunnel. Picture will be uploaded tommorow.

- Drove Xtreme powers 25 year old Pajero on the eastern express. What a car, for its age & the 3.0 lakh kms on the odo. I absolutely love cars that can perform without complaint at this level.

- Did donuts in a gokart running on a Yezdi engine! All in all, what a truly petrolhead sunday.

Some misc pictures:

One of the most tastefully done up offroaders I have seen. BTW, the steep incline you see behind the Defender, we eventually conquered!


Feelin' at home


Hey, can offroaders swim?


Happy guys


Shaadi . com entry for Allan


Shaadi . com entry for Addy


Beautiful aren't they?

[balenopower]

Brilliant recce there GTO and even better pics.

[Aditya]

Two of the best offroad vehicles around, two great buddies, climbs, descents, thorns, insects, stones, gravel, mud and water it was all there. At the end of it, a breathtaking view. A lazy Sunday turned into an adventure. I was apprehensive about some descents, but both the vehicles conquered them with great aplomb. I was glad we looked for a place other than Rajmachi. Tungarli Dam was brilliant.
It was a Sunday well spent. Looking forward to more offroading adventures.

[kailashnj]

These are one of the best offroad pictures that I have seen. You guys had a ball there.

Looking forward to be part of one such adventures with you guys.

[khan_sultan]

Guys, from you have mentioned, this looks like 4x4 paradise and will be in full bloom in the monsoons.

Am tempted to visit this place for a full day or 2 hangout in the rains.

Great going folks.

PS: why was addy 'gulping' :-)

[Samurai]

Hey GTO, this is fantastic. It is a great feeling to explore new places to offroad. The photos show this is place with great potential. If it was slippery in this season, it will be a handful in the monsoon.

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

PS: why was addy 'gulping' :-)

He was thirsty...

[phamilyman]

Awesome fun guys!!

Superb pics and lovely narration.

[Aditya]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

PS: why was addy 'gulping' :-)

Simply because I worried that the vehicle would not go down certain slopes without slipping or damaging their undercarriages. There was a lot of loose gravel and many boulders. There were a few places where the vehicles slipped.
@ Kailash - Let me warn you. It is not as simple as it looks. There are many places where you have to get out of the Jeep and walk or run to see what's ahead. Many times, boulders have to be moved out of the way or kept under the tyres to prevent the vehicle from slipping backwards. Add to that the dehydrating heat and the dust. It can drain you out. If you can get past that, a 4x4 adventure is just amazing.

[akshay4587]

Nice pics
and trail looks inviting
nice fun you guys had there
How would you rate performance of XD3P off the road over previous 2112 CC XDP?

[jaysmokesleaves]

Excellent recce work while you guys had fun.

Can you please post the tyre make and size on the defender.
I would seriously like to put those on my Safari and then try some clutch burning terrain.
Would be fun to do the whole trail you guys found.
Cheers to the Mumbai team.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Two of the best offroad vehicles around, two great buddies, climbs, descents, thorns, insects, stones, gravel, mud and water it was all there.

Truly. The company made it even more fun.

Originally Posted by balenopower

Brilliant recce there GTO and even better pics.

More comin' up tommorow!

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

this looks like 4x4 paradise and will be in full bloom in the monsoons.

If it was slippery in this season, it will be a handful in the monsoon.

Um, where are those Classic diff locks & limited slips available again? It was mega to see diff locks in work. Particular stretch, Defender stuck in between, wheels only spinning. Diff lock enabled and that thing just breezes through!

Of course, we'll revisit a couple of times in the monsoons.

Am tempted to visit this place for a full day or 2 hangout in the rains.

Come by, Khan! It'll be great to have guys from down south in our territory (I also plan to visit your neck of the woods for a Monsoon OTR). And your Gypsy will have company in Allans exceedingly capable carb 413.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Simply because I worried that the vehicle would not go down certain slopes without slipping or damaging their undercarriages. There was a lot of loose gravel and many boulders.

Yeah, we took a couple of truly hard knocks today.

There were a few places where the vehicles slipped.

How about the one where we were sliding sideways and climbing upward? Or we're going down with zero steering control. I also put my wheels in the air a coupla times today.

@ Kailash - Let me warn you. It is not as simple as it looks.

Truly. Pictures only tell 20% of the real story, in terms of how difficult some patches were.

Originally Posted by akshay4587

How would you rate performance of XD3P off the road over previous 2112 CC XDP?

To be honest, I don't feel any difference in capability though one can't argue with numbers, and there would be an advantage. Have posted earlier also that the 2.1 & 2.5 are so similar. There may be some extra push, but its not a difference that will make or break an offroad attempt.

[revtech]

GTO great report there and some awesome pictures i must say...!!!

really like the pic of the defender going downhill and crossing the lake.

the inclines look steep in the pictures, im sure they must have been quite a task to handle.


rev

[jithudigitised]

two off-roading beauties handled tough terrain well,it seems.

Liked the pic of climbing the hill and two of them resting near the lake.
Awesome!!

[Dippy]

Brilliant pictures and report. Nice to see such terrain around Mumbai. Why do family commitments happen on Sundays ?

[danlalan]

Just met Xtreme Power at carters. Was telling us all about it. Seems you guys had an awesome time. Heard this new track is even better than rajmachi.