[optimist]

To The Camp site:

The much awaited event finally happened with the offroaders and their stunning vehicles teaming up a little past the Nice road junction on Kanakapura road.

The lineup drew stares of all the people without any excptions along the road. A shop guy just before the lineup was left puzzled saying "Yake eivathu isthondu jeepgalu hoguthaive?" meaning "Why are so many jeeps going today?" Haha.

After the initial registrations and sticker distributions, the convoy started off towards the camp site by around 5:30pm in batches. Sorry no pictures of the lineup with me.

The convoy drove in a disciplined manner in a single file and the Team-BHP sticker on so many vehicles done up tastefully and purposefully was a wonderful sight. Turning point off the road Kanakapura road. At Harohalli we took a shorter route which took us through some villages. Guess some vehicles of the first convoy had been a little further and came back to take this road.

The turn from Kanakapura road at Harohalli


The road wound past some small settlements but was amazingly good.


A brief stop enroute to the campsite.



As darkness set in, we continued to drive. Missing a turn that went off the road into the mountain track, many vehicles had to take a U turn and continue. Further ahead was a series of confusion in total darkness. Marshals went ahead and the convoy made a few wrong turns causing enough confusion and retracing the route back to track. Finally we found the proper road from a few locals and continued, reaching the camp by 9 PM.

Edit: Others please chip in with the initial grouping snaps before we move on to the day one flag off and other details so that we can maintain a proper flow of events.

[fazalaliadil]

We, Prabhu, Ravveendrra and myself accompanied by two team mechanics in the HT Thar and Lynx, reached Kanakapura at around 12 AM and were driving in circles in and around villages, until we were rescued by Prithvi (O team) at around 1 AM and landed on camp at 1:15AM.

Special thanks to Prithvi, or we still would be running in the circle pattern as 'Latitudes' totally misguided us and the on board GPS was helpful only up to Kanakapura.

The Camp, the first impression when we landed at 1:15AM:
In the middle of nowhere a well and freshly bulldozed road led us to a huge well lit Shamania (tent), a sea of Jeeps parked with halogens reflecting in their windscreens made us realize that this was the biggest turn out we had ever seen at any OTR, it seems more were to report in the next morning.

The empty chairs in most random formation ever told us that a great party was long over and we missed a great time. In the Shamania were two sections and about 200 babies sleeping (most in fetus position), we too followed.

Next morning started at 6AM the with the most welcoming greetings and smiles from all. Met the O team one by one, Great guys who put in tremendous effort in making this event possible. Dwarak, Prithvi, Prabhu, Shahnawaz Khan, Vijay, Robbie, Andy and many other marshals. Thank you for everything. It was a herculean task providing great food and shelter, with clean chemical bathrooms for 200 guys with about a 100 Jeeps, a job very very well done !

On the trial:
MOST UNFORGIVING on Jeeps with drivers who lost one moment of concentration, miscalculation or over confidence.

If the tree branches would miss you...the foot ball and upward size of boulders would get your under belly.

We did sector 1 which was more of a trial drive until (on trial lunch) then it got interesting and we were on sector 2 which was more testing and harsher with its challenging obstacles.

Apart from a few superficial scratches on the hood, sides and a busted diesel tank (inspite of the shield) the Lynx was pissing droplets of fuel all through the sector 1&2 and the rear vehicle guys hollering about the leak was the pattern of the day.

Prabhu and Ravveendrra in the HT Thar were doing great until a busted MT tyre and the spare which was already patched earlier on a 5 inch tear, the were the reasons we had to pull out of day 2 and miss the action of sector 3&4, unfortunately.

If I was younger with caution taking a back seat, we would continue day 2 of the event, our loss.

Added to this my Jeep was smoking white the second half of day 1, thought it was due to an over doze of the one liter of engine oil, I had topped up the same morning. Only to realize the next day that it was a compressed fuel line at the tank end banjo on which my mechanic fitted a foot long shield. The shield on the pipe took the brunt and dented itself, full length but saved the pipe from tearing. The next morning too the smoking and misfire continued until the culprit shield was identified and removed and the smoke stopped and the power at the low end torque was normal.

Managed the day one with the fuel starved engine effortlessly though.

Met all the wonderful people...so many long lost brothers. My personal high, was UBS Sir driving the Lynx at 11pm and liking it too and an ocean of information from him that followed.

Thank you, members of the O team, it was a very well organized event !

If you guys have recovered from the 'washing machine drum syndrome', please post some pics.
Regards,

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Prabhu and Ravveendrra in the HT Thar were doing great until a busted MT tyre and the spare which was already patched earlier on a 5 inch tear, the were the reasons we had to pull out of day 2 and miss the action of sector 3&4, unfortunately.

I know the terrain is laced with sharp rocks, boulders, thorns but how did this happen? Was there no one spotting? Also the MT tire which got emptied was which make? Curious.

My personal high, was UBS Sir driving the Lynx at 11pm and liking it too and an ocean of information from him that followed.

Pure bliss !

Spike

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

I know the terrain is laced with sharp rocks, boulders, thorns but how did this happen? Was there no one spotting? Also the MT tire which got emptied was which make? Curious.

Pure bliss !

Spike,

There were ample spotters and they did the best they could but the Jeeps to spotters ratio went a bit off as the whole and entire length of track was strewn with rocks and boulders, thorns and branches, it would need double the strength of spotters then.

It was a sure bliss.
Regards,

[dwaraka]

Thank you folks for your patronage and co-operation in making this event success. It was wonderful having you here for the event. We strive to give you best trails as always.

UBS, thank you for making yourself present for the event.

Dwarak

[Ravveendrra]

Our hearts were set on attending this event. Three vehicles planned to drive together - Fazal Saab's Lynx, Chetan's Thar CRD & Prabhu's Rubicon 'inspired' vehicle.

Chetan getting stuck in a business tour made Prabhu jump at the chance of putting the Hard Top being developed by him on the Thar and leaving the Rubicon at home. I was rooting for the Rubicon as I love the way it effortlessly overcomes obstacles but, practical considerations prevailed and it made eminent sense to test the Hard Top at 120+ speeds on the excellent NH 44 as well as on an OTR.

This meant that the HT had to be painted and fitted onto the Thar, something that happened after burning much midnight oil with Prabhu and me spending Wednesday night at his bodyshop. The jeep was ready only after dawn on Thursday with departure being scheduled for 8.00 a.m. Smart enough to realise that driving 700 km without sleep was foolhardy, both of us went home for a few hours of sleep.

Fazal saab's son gave us some tense moments when he came down with a stomach bug. Fazal saab almost did not make it and had in fact declared his inability to attend. The dark clouds cleared in the morning and around 9.00 a.m. we get a call from Fazal saab saying that his son was well on the way to recovery and wild horses could not keep him away now.

The Lynx and Thar caught up just outside Hyderabad around noon and put their heads down in an attempt to get to Kanakapura ASAP. The two vehicles gobbled up the smooth tarmac till Bangalore. Some faults noticed in the hard top were fixed with some 'band-aid' fixes. The Lynx of course needed no attention and made the run effortlessly maintaining constant speeds of a shade over 80 all the way.

Over dinner a little after BLR airport we decided to cut through the city instead of taking the ORR & NICE rd. We were right and for once, passing through BLR city was painless.

Fazal saab worked the phones and obtained directions on how to get to the OTR. We did manage pretty well thanks to the precise directions given by Prithvi. The last leg however threw us - we turned left just 1/2 km short at a Banyan tree. Turned out it was the wrong banyan tree :-( Prithvi was kind enough to come and fetch us.

After what seemed an unending darkness lit only by our headlights, we spied a little knoll all lit up and looking festive. We made our way there over a freshly minted track, what a sight it was - a sea of vehicles, 4X4s of every variety, shape & colour waited quietly for their day in the sun.

We parked the beasts and walked through a yard peppered with tables, chairs and remnants of a grand feast to peep into the sleeping quarters. What a sight it was - the shamiana type tent erected on recently levelled land housed several scores of people sleeping peacefully on matresses lined up neatly on carpets.

We were grateful that no hearty greeting, no warm smile of welcome greeted us. We were glad no one other than Prithvi stayed up on our account, Prithvi's gesture had already left us feeling ashamed of ourselves for being so late.

We quickly picked a clear space in that sprawling tent, found the stack of matresses, sheets, pillows and blankets and made our beds for the night. Intention being to wake early, get our act together and head off early for the day's driving.

Coming up . . .. .day 2 i.e. day 1 on the trail. . . .

[optimist]

Would you guys be interested in downloading/watching full hd (50i) videos from Youtube? If so i can try and take the pain of uploading 5MBb to max 500MB videos totaling to 2.6GB

Any other options apart from a resize to 640x480? or can we try and set up a private torrent?

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

Also the MT tire which got emptied was which make? Curious.

Spike,

The tyres were Yokohama MT's with a soft side wall but heard a tree stump went through someone's other brand tyre on sector 3, day 1.

[genesis]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Spike,

The tyres were Yokohama MT's with a soft side wall but heard a tree stump went through someone's other brand tyre on sector 3, day 1.

Trail 3 was merciless. A Thar's Geolandar AT had a stump go right through the sidewall, rip a gigantic hole in it and remain embedded inside.

[optimist]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Spike,

The tyres were Yokohama MT's with a soft side wall but heard a tree stump went through someone's other brand tyre on sector 3, day 1.

I was in the thar as a passenger (Sector 3 / day 1). Suddenly we heard a blow out! The front left got pierced with a stump maybe 2" in dia and was about 6" in length. The tyre was as 18psi. Yokohoma AT. More complications as Pradeep(not on TeamBHP) had given his wheel spanner some distance behind to the white 540 and was not carrying the jack rod. Thanks to Sandeep who lent us his wheel spanner and to someone else who cleared the bush and thorns for us to change the tyres with his deadly machet and helped with a hydraulic jack.

In case we had not got the spanner + hydraulic jack, we would have been royally stuck. As all know there was no possible alternative trails except a very few places.

Also at the sharp left at the top of the place where the Gulburga gang's tyre rim had a major problem, the left rear tyre sidewall squeezed real flat enough to put the heart in the mouth.

Lesson's learnt:
Yokohoma's are unsuitable for such trails.
Never leave without tools lent to someone.
Carry all required tools on your own without depending on someone.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Spike,

The tyres were Yokohama MT's with a soft side wall but heard a tree stump went through someone's other brand tyre on sector 3, day 1.

Ok.

Originally Posted by optimist

Yokohoma's are unsuitable for such trails.
Never leave without tools lent to someone.
Carry all required tools on your own without depending on someone.

Well said.

During my past 2 visits, I have observed the Bangalore trails are unforgiving to two things-tires & body work (paint) and if one is really unlucky the diff and the leaf springs join in too! No wonder most vehicles in these sides have diff guards and well protected underbellies. The terrain is such. More details of the trail please.

Samurai waiting for your report, I know you were not driving this time, so you must be having loads of pics and tidbits to share.

Spike

[the traveller]

Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT post one-liners that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the overall quality of this forum.

Please read our rules before proceeding any further.

[optimist]

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

Ok.

Well said.

During my past 2 visits, I have observed the Bangalore trails are unforgiving to two things-tires & body work (paint) and if one is really unlucky the diff and the leaf springs join in too! No wonder most vehicles in these sides have diff guards and well protected underbellies. The terrain is such. More details of the trail please.

Samurai waiting for your report, I know you were not driving this time, so you must be having loads of pics and tidbits to share.

Spike

I'm a rookie in this field but I believe the newbies driving had no idea which direction to steer as nothing was visible at times. Sitting in the left seat many times I was at a loss as to the direction of steer. Half the time had to get out and spot for these guys. This trail needed absolute guidance and the same to be followed by the guy driving. Rocks and stubs hidden by the bush were plentiful. Most of the complications happened due to lack of guidance and imho the direction sometimes taken despite guidance by the newbies. The abuse was pretty much apparent by the the missing/broken hub caps, broken fenders, scratched paint and top's, and in places by the scrapes visible on the rocks on the trail and subsequent intense oil/diesel drips. To know one's vehicle dimensions and capabilities was the utmost need of these highly technical trails. Well experienced guys offered a lot of advise and help in the crisis points. At many points on trail photography was put aside in favor of guiding the vehicles through. :(

Many vehicles did not manage to reach or restrained from going on trail 3.

I also managed to retrive a flag ripped of a marshal's (gypsy) flag pole hanging from the thick bushes on trail 3. This trail saw the tyre punctures/damage to 3 vehicles.

I'm really stunned by the trail 3 difficulty and more at the effort by the persons who marked the same. At no point except one or two did we feel the need to get out to find route directions. Kudos to the trail markers. A perfectly executed job.

Also the volume of the participants and vehicles led to a severe shortage of spotters and trail guides. Could the organizers after some well deserved rest give us the official participation statistics please?

Many of them dropped out due to various reasons and breakdowns. I did not go to trail 1 & 4. The difficulty of the trails as gleaned from the organizers and participants in the increasing order of difficulty was 1 2 3 & 4.

I'm waiting for the rest of the initial grouping day's photographs to be posted and some signal to post day one's snaps. Guess the participants and their photographers would be busy getting back or attending to the urgent repairs or just plain cooling off.

[dieselbelly]

Sector 4, climb 1 was very challenging, on day one i was the last vehicle on this climb, pretty much loose soil and a 40 degree incline. 4 low, 1st gear was the only way forward and with lockers in front, my mm550 did it in one shot.

Sector 4 , climb 2 was the most challenging obstacle. On day 1, only Vijay prabhu managed to do it without a winch, then 5 vehicles were winched up, and finally everyone else backed off and regrouped for lunch at 2.30 pm. After lunch, the remaining portion of the trail was completed and then we got back to climb 2 and it was decided only those who feel confident and have capable vehicles should try this obstacle. The climb started in between two rocks, at around 30-40 degree incline, turned left and then turned right up a straight 45 degree inline. At the top of this particular last incline, there was another bump to be negotiated and it was here that most vehicles lost traction and went sliding back all the way. The entire climb was made up of loose boulders and more loose soil. Seat belts on, we went up first, 4 low, 1st gear, and with around 50% throttle, got through the 2 rocks, took the left and then, at the right up the 45 degree incline, I almost had to floor it all the way, jumped the final bump and crawled up. Phew, success and what an adrenaline rush!!!

Behind us was a tirunalveli jeeper, vimal, who got through again on the first attempt, with more momentum and luckily he did not really loose traction to slip back. Then came Arka's jeep driven by Ali, which had a tough time at the top bump at the end of the 45degree final incline and kept sliding back. This inspite of lockers and excellent driving techinique of trottle modulation and turning the steering from left to right for more grip. We could see all the four wheels spin and raise up a cloud of dust. Then Arka took over and after a couple of attempts realised that he had to go down all the way, try and pick up some momentum and charge up at best possible speed and thats how he finally made it up to end the proceedings for the day.

It may be noted that on day 2 , not a single jeep could make it and Vijay prabhu later told me that in spite of trying many times at full trottle, his jeep would reach the final bump, and that the area just below the final bump was dug up so bad from the previous days efforts, that the front would lift and by the time it landed on the bump, his rear would loose traction and slide back.

guys, this one climb did it for me, and i am sure that the guys who made this and witnessed the efforts would agree that this one wont be forgotten by any one of us.

[headers]

A wonderful event organised by BODA attended by Terra Tigers. We did Track 4 on day 1 and Track 3 on day 2.

No major complaints from any vehicles. We had fun!

Thanks BODA for taking the effort to take this event higher!