The First Trans Himalayan Motoring Expedition - Save The Yak 2011

[anjan_c2007]

I am posting the thread and pictures on behalf of the team, describing the adventures of the rallyists, explorers,adventurists and dare devils, who during the 42 day Trans Himalayan expedition covered 16000 kms through 17 states and 3 countries (including own "Mera Bharat Mahaan"). I will quote the experience in the words of friend Mr Shahrukh Cassad, the team's heart and soul.

"I welcome you all to share this adventure of ours the 1st Trans Himalayan Motoring Expedition- Save the Yak 2011(Mahindra Adventure). I hope you enjoy seeing the photographs as much as we enjoyed being in them.Through these beautiful pictures we hope that we can communicate to you the joy and excitement, the highs and lows that we experienced on this trip which covered 17 different Indian States, 2 other countries Bhutan and Nepal and a distance of 16000 kms over a period of 42 days."
" Everyday, as we set out in the morning, we were always excited and equally apprehensive about who we could meet, what the journey would bring for us and what type of obstacles we would encounter. Would it be landslides, snow, uncrossable water bodies, bad roads or maybe no roads at all? It is our sincere advice to any person thinking of undertaking such a journey to be prepared to face a few lacks. Lacks as in lack of proper accommodation, lack of sleep, lack of proper food, lack of oxygen,lack of roads and of course face sub-zero temperatures."
"We all knew that we had to try to complete this expedition against all these odds because in trying we only risked failure. But if we didn't try then we would "ENSURE" the expedition's failure and disappointment and frustration for us."
"At the end of each long tiring day, when we slept we were a satisfied lot as each one of us in our hearts knew that we had done the very best we could individually and as a team."
The expedition was flagged off from Kandivli, Mumbai by the Vice-President Mahindra and Mahindra and had reached Nagpur, from where it was flagged off by Mr Shivajirao Moghe, the Guardian Minister, Nagpur. Some pictures to start with. More and more will be uploaded soon.

The banner

The Nagpur flag off

ZERO milestone at Nagpur, the flag-off venue
(all pictures clicked by the team members)

[amitwlele]

This is going to be a great read. 16000 Kms in 42 days. Eagerly waiting for more updates.

[anjan_c2007]

More pictures here. The pictures do all the talking for now.Descriptive texts follow about the team's experiences from time to time in their own words.The route was from Mumbai to Nagpur to east and North East via Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya,Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,other NE states, Sikkim, Bhutan, Bihar, Nepal and then towards north upto ladakh and Leh via. Himachal Pradesh.

The check-up at Nagpur

Zero milestone Nagpur

Zero milestone Nagpur

Departure

National Highway 6 Left Dr Vinod Thakur, Commandant, ITBP and Shahrukh Cassad

On the move

Shahrukh takes a Harley ride at Raipur

The 12,000 feet altitude

In the NE

Greenery in Assam.The Kaziranga Rhino

Assam grazing fields



A place east of NE -this place is east of Rangoon and among the easternmost parts of India.

The Hi-tech Dhaba-nothing so hitech about it!!

A road halt

Army camp

The basket

House on wooden stilts-Arunachal Pradesh to save the occupants and the property from rains.

The youngest member Yohann Doongaji on elephant back.

[amitwlele]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

More pictures here. The pictures do all the talking for now.Descriptive texts follow about the team's experiences from time to time in their own words.The route was from Mumbai to Nagpur to east and North East via Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya,Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,other NE states, Sikkim, Bhutan, Bihar, Nepal and then towards north upto ladakh and Leh via. Himachal Pradesh.

Couple of questions:
- How was this team formed for the expedition? Any selection process? Is this a every year affair? Keen to know so that if possible would love to be part of it next year.
- Did Mahindra sponsor the entire trip?

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by amitwlele

Couple of questions:
- How was this team formed for the expedition? Any selection process? Is this a every year affair? Keen to know so that if possible would love to be part of it next year.
- Did Mahindra sponsor the entire trip?

It was a Mahindra and Mahindra show - about the selection process I shall let you know after speaking with the participants. This was the first such "Save the Yak" expedition for this team. Lets hope its a continuous process and goes on and on.
More pictures friends:

Yohann Doongaji out in the cold near Sela
with Kevinder Talwar, Mangesh Wankhede, Shiraz Doongaji, Rajratna Ramteke, Nityanand Ramteke, Yohann
Shahrukh Cassad with Kevinder Talwar,Yohann Doongaji (son youngest member) and Shiraz Doongaji (father the eldest team member)

Clouds in the North East

The National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY), signboard (only one of its kind in India)

Tawang monastery

Hotel NEFA


Hill Section

Near Lalchulungla

Lalchulungla

[anjan_c2007]

More pictures friends. I got a treasure trove of several pictures yesterday, courtesy Mr Shahrukh Cassad, a friend and team member.

Near Lalchulungla

Shows the area's topography


The adventurists move on

They have reached Bhutan-at the famous Swiss bakery,Thimpu.Thimpu is a different world.The traffic is very disciplined and orderly. The roads are neat and well maintained.Its a Kingdom after all.


Checking out the cars in Thimpu

Main street, Thimpu

Again Thimpu

Trying out a Bhutanese GHO

Yohann thinking? How do I get this stuff loaded?

The College of Business Studies, Royal University, Bhutan

Bhutan to India

Entering into Sikkim

A landslide zone in Sikkim.The NH 31 is notorious for landslides.There are a few zones that are perpetually landlslide prone.Rock fall is also prevalent in some zones.Landslides cut off the tiny, landlocked state. NH31 is its only link to the main land and if there's a slide Sikkim is cut-off for sometimes 4 to 5 days. the BRO needs to clear the slide and then the traffic moves.

Slide cleared

A Mahindra dealership

At Singtam, Sikkim. The child remembers the visitor Shahrukh, who was there earlier in 2009.

A waterfall in Sikkim

[starter]

Anjan, Fantastic travelogue.
Thank you very much for sharing it with us.
I've always wanted to do the NE loop, some day, i hope..
Cheers,
Deepak

[phamilyman]

Interesting triplog, so how/where were the yaks saved? or is it yet another grand trip masquerading under a charitable cause?

16000km in 42 days is a lot of serious driving - hats off to them on that!

[agspins]

Wow Anjan sir that is amazing...reminded me of Silk route expedition of 1994.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by starter

Anjan, Fantastic travelogue.
Thank you very much for sharing it with us.
I've always wanted to do the NE loop, some day, i hope..
Cheers,
Deepak

Originally Posted by agspins

Wow Anjan sir that is amazing...reminded me of Silk route expedition of 1994.

Thanks friends. Will post more pictures and also experiences of team members in their own words.

[anjan_c2007]

More pictures from Sikkim and thereafter:

(L-R) Shahrukh C. and Ahmed Panjwani

Water Falls Sikkim-there's on the outskirts of Gangtok, but all of them look alike. May be this is the same one (L-R Shahrukh Cassad and Vinod L. Thakur).

Passing through a landslide zone

Mother and Child (remember the Simon and Garfunkel song "Mother and Child Reunion" that was penned at a restaurant when they were having chicken and egg)




Yaks grazing at and near the snowy and whitish Yumthang.

Moving from Sikkim

Traversing across

[anjan_c2007]

Another assortment of pictures:

The team at Saarchu Army camp.Its at 14300 feet altitude above mean sea level (msl) and the temperatures were - 6 degrees Celsius. The army official in a track suit told the team members that he was comfortable here. His previous posting was in a place where it was - 30 degrees Celsius.


Driving on


With Col. Jaideep Bali
with Kevinder Talwar, Mangesh Wankhede, Shiraz Doongaji, Rajratna Ramteke, Nityanand Ramteke, Yohann
Kevinder Talwar, Mangesh Wankhede,Shiraz Doongaji,Rajratna Ramteke, Nityananda Ramteke and Yohann Doongaji
with Shiraz Doongaji, Yohann Doongaji, Kevinder Talwar, MAJOR AMBUJ SAHU, Ahmed Panjwani, Rajratna R
Shiraz and Yohann Doongaji,Kevinder Talwar, Major Ambuj Shahu,Ahmed Panjwani and Rajratna Ramteke

[LithiumSunset]

Anjan,

That looks to be an exciting adventure that the Mahindras sponsored(?).

However, I am curious, how does a drive through the 17 states and two other countries contribute towards saving the Yak?

Did it raise money, awareness or just diesel smoke in the pristine hills?

Sorry to be brutally blunt about this, but it must be my jealousy that has got the better of me! :-) Look forward to more photo posts on this travelogue.

[amrisharm]

Wow, the teaser pictures look very very interesting! An epic journey it truly is. I just have one request, that is please, if possible, provide detailed maps of the places and routes that you all took. thanking you in advance .

[anjan_c2007]

The "Save The Yak" Trans Himalayan expedition was to purely create awareness among the populace in saving and preserving the dwindling population of the yak. The yak also known as the zoological cattle species bos mutus or bos grunniens (wild yaks are from a sub species of bos grunniens) has been first known to be dwindling in numbers in the early 1990's.The yak is at home at elevations between 3000m to 5500 m above mean sea level (msl) and hence the expedition was through the Himalayas to reach the roads, villages, hamlets,towns and cities perched at these levels. Stickers were affixed to many motor vehicles proclaiming "Save the Yak" to create awareness.
More pictures to follow from the treasure trove friend Shahrukh handed over to me a few days back.