[Samba]

It was 3 rd August and on the same day Kolkata's biggest Team Bhp meet was scheduled in the early morning at Rajarhat. A couple of days prior to the the meet 1100D told an OTR from Kolkata Offroader's was scheduled to happen on the same date. I have never been to any OTR's before, so i was excited about this OTR. Few of us made a plan to go for the OTR after the Team Bhp meet. So on 3rd August we were on time for the Team Bhp meet and after the meet me, 1100D and Mr.Sinha proceeded for the OTR event. Both of them owns a Scorpio 4x4 and i was the odd one out among them by not having any jeep/suv. So i parked my car at Azadhind dhaba on Nh2 & i tagged along with them.

The place for the OTR was selected as Harinkhola. From Dankuni side its 16kms prior to Arambagh on TN Mukherjee road. The spot selected was the river bed of Damodar. It was monsoon so the place was full of slush , undulation's, sand and water. A perfect recipe to cook a perfect OTR!

First time i had the chance to meet the legendary UBS sir. What ever i tell about him will be less! He is an absolute gem! The other experts like Adhiraj (Ade), Vivek Arora (Vicky), Pony (Ubs sir's junior son), Hero Sen, Anirban Ghosh were also present. Am sorry as i miss out the names of others over here. As it's my first time i couldn't remember every one's name.

This was my first time and i was offered to drive a jeep and engage 4L on a steep incline on the slush followed by a climb up. I drove the jeep according to the instruction given to me by the experts and was happy not to stuck it anywhere. After the drive i realized why people go crazy about jeeps! Its altogether a different feeling. Though i should not compare but still i would say it was like taking corners on a bike in hill roads! It gives that type of joy and thrill..!

As its my first time and am a novice on the technicalities of a 4x4, so let me not bore every one with my writing and share the pics of the event.















Bhpian Mr.Sinha having some fun with his Scorpio.



Here comes Marengo.

































That's me trying my hand on the MM540 DP climbing down the slope in 1st gear 4L with the foots off from all the pedals. (Pic taken by Mr.Sinha)



Me climbing up the slushy slope in 4L second gear. (Pic taken by Mr.Sinha)

[Samba]

From left that's 1100D (Anirban Ghosh), UBS sir and me.



From left 1100D (Anirban Ghosh), UBS sir and Mr.Sinha.













Marengo posing proudly towards the end of the OTR.





Other jeeps posing proudly too after the OTR.













But at the final exit Marengo and this jeep were royally stuck! It was already 6-15pm. By the time these two were recovered it was already 8pm. The jeep required 1.30 hrs for recovery and we thought Marengo will require more time but surprisingly Marengo was recovered within 5 minutes!













This gypsy was posing like a king when Marengo and the other jeep were been rescued.





The rescue operation going on.













At the end both were recovered while it was raining. All's well that ends well!



By 8-30pm we started from the OTR spot. Anirban da dropped me to Azadhind Dhaba, as my car was parked over there. He drove about 100kms extra just for me, so i can pick my car. A big thanks to him. Finally we reached back home around 12am. What a day it was. Got up in the morning at 4-30am to attain the Team Bhp meet by 6am. Attended the Team Bhp meet followed by the OTR and reached back home at 12am. 18 hours of sheer pleasure among cars & jeeps! What more can i ask for!!!

Last but not the least the Kolkata offroader's group is just fantastic. The brotherhood they share among each other is beyond thinking in today's world. Hats off to this group.

And lastly i got addicted to OTR's and jeeps from my very first visit! So eagerly waiting for more to come...!!!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the 4x4 Section. Thanks for sharing!

[psurelia]

Great shots Samba! The event would have been incomplete without a photographer and enthusiast like you.

[gearhead_mait]

Great one Samba! Sheer pleasure to see the pics.
Was it a cross-state meet? I can see vehicles with registration numbers from other states as well.

Anirban da - A quick question here.
In your opinion, what you think about the Scorpio Vs Thar, in terms of offroad capability. Is the Ground Clearance an issue here? There is no doubt over Scorpio's capability (Marengo proved it many times before this).
But when Marengo got stuck in the slush, did anytime a thought like "A Thar could have done it" came to your mind?

[psurelia]

Originally Posted by gearhead_mait

Anirban da - A quick question here.
In your opinion, what you think about the Scorpio Vs Thar, in terms of offroad capability. Is the Ground Clearance an issue here? There is no doubt over Scorpio's capability (Marengo proved it many times before this).
But when Marengo got stuck in the slush, did anytime a thought like "A Thar could have done it" came to your mind?

I would like to attempt to answer this question. Anirban da, please correct me if I go wrong anywhere.

In the stock form, it's definitely the Scorpio which rules over Thar because of the more advanced transfer case. So, on slippery grounds Scorpio scores over Thar. When it comes to climbing sandy slopes, Thar has an 850 kg weight advantage (lighter) over Scorpio.

The bottom line is there is no absolute winner. But, if driven carefully, Scorpio can do more because of its more sophisticated and comparatively easier to use equipments.

[cr4nkshaft]

nice pics as always samba!

one thing that I do not get is how Marengo was rescued? Was it towed out, or was it something else (like planks under wheels or something)...

Please excuse the n00bness of the query..

[gearhead_mait]

Originally Posted by psurelia

I would like to attempt to answer this question. So, on slippery grounds Scorpio scores over Thar.

I beg to differ in this point. But, I will let others, with more practical experience, explain it for me. I am sure there would be a lot of people to explain.

Originally Posted by psurelia

But, if driven carefully, Scorpio can do more because of its more sophisticated and comparatively easier to use equipments.

Bring it on! I can foresee a real battle shaping up.

[shomshree]

Great photographs Samba. How's the experience of your first OTR!!!

It was a great experience to meet U B Singh sir. Recently he got a Lifetime Achievement award from RFC India.

[avrendu]

Excellent pics Samba, as usual. The OTRs really need some good photographers to bring to the fore what all feats the able 4x4s are capable of. It was really bad luck for the 5 of us Sumitro, Joydeep, Deborshi, Saurav and me as we got caught in a very bad traffic snarl on the way.
One thing new this OTR saw was Marengo getting stuck. From my memory, I cannot recollect any such incident. I think Anirban will be the best person to analyse the reasons. But I think, in this particular spot, the Thar would have had the same fate. We can well see there is also a MM 550 right beside Marengo which was also stuck.
This was one of those spots which any offroader will always want to avoid.

Once again, thanks for the OTR pics. I lived this particular OTR through them.

[BlackPearl]

Great report Samba and awesome set of pics, absolutely pro stuff. Too bad we could not reach the place, missed a good event :-(
Anyways it was good meeting you at the tbhp meet.


Sent from my iPhone using Team-BHP

[lovecars21]

Great shots Samba.
Guys please let me know in advance if any such event takes place in near future.
Will bring in my MM 550 XD 4x4


Sent from my iPhone using Team-BHP

[tacho9000]

Originally Posted by lovecars21

Great shots Samba.
Guys please let me know in advance if any such event takes place in near future.
Will bring in my MM 550 XD 4x4


Sent from my iPhone using Team-BHP

lovecars21 kindly PM me your contact number. Next event I'll make sure you don't miss. Btw since you live at asansol hence you need to start early compared to late start by the KO group.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Great report Samba and awesome set of pics, absolutely pro stuff. Too bad we could not reach the place, missed a good event :-(
Anyways it was good meeting you at the tbhp meet.


Sent from my iPhone using Team-BHP

Heard you people couldn't get to the OTR spot due to severe roadblockage I guess. Anyways there's always a next time and do bring white tusker too if you can afford to come next time.

Originally Posted by shomshree

Great photographs Samba. How's the experience of your first OTR!!!

It was a great experience to meet U B Singh sir. Recently he got a Lifetime Achievement award from RFC India.

Attachment 1271236

This is why we people love UBS sir from our heart. The way he has worked towards promoting jeeping in India as well as in kolkata is to die for. We've become jeepers thanks to his hardwork and his infectitious effort towards goodness.

Originally Posted by cr4nkshaft

nice pics as always samba!

one thing that I do not get is how Marengo was rescued? Was it towed out, or was it something else (like planks under wheels or something)...

Please excuse the n00bness of the query..

cr4nkshaft Marengo was rescued using towing with a winch. But the jeep beside it had a considerably tough time. Have heard that multiple winching had to be done to get it out. Btw not everyone knows but that jeep beside Marengo is known as Charchariya due to a chronic problem with the silencer system in the jeep.

Originally Posted by psurelia

I would like to attempt to answer this question. Anirban da, please correct me if I go wrong anywhere.

In the stock form, it's definitely the Scorpio which rules over Thar because of the more advanced transfer case. So, on slippery grounds Scorpio scores over Thar. When it comes to climbing sandy slopes, Thar has an 850 kg weight advantage (lighter) over Scorpio.

The bottom line is there is no absolute winner. But, if driven carefully, Scorpio can do more because of its more sophisticated and comparatively easier to use equipments.

Well said dada. What you said is absolutely true. The thar is way advanced compared to the archaic jeeps we drive out at the OTR but still it can't beat the scorpio 4wd in terms of user friendliness and comfort mixed with good offroadability. The thar has a weight advantage crucial for certain more difficult climbs but I've seen Marengo perform previously and can assure this much that in capable hands both Thar and Scorpio are quite closely matched with only the weight coming into play during loose dirt or sand drive which goes to the advantage of Thar otherwise Scorps do perform and quite amazingly when needed in the hands of a good driver

[1100D]

An awesome reporting and a fabulous depiction of events, people who know, will appreciate how difficult it is to convey the challenges of an offroad event through photographs, but you seem to have done that straight out, naturally. What's interesting is that, I cannot guarantee you that it will get better!! Because with time, you'll want to spend more time behind the wheel and watching the terrain!

Anyways, one thing that I was wanting to point out, since I had the privilege of seeing the pics straight from your camera, they looked fabulous as well as natural and I cannot really say why, the pictures somehow are not striking the same punch to me now.

Anyway voted "Snickers" to the thread, as I prefer that over "5 star"

Originally Posted by gearhead_mait

Anirban da - A quick question here.
In your opinion, what you think about the Scorpio Vs Thar, in terms of offroad capability. Is the Ground Clearance an issue here? There is no doubt over Scorpio's capability (Marengo proved it many times before this).
But when Marengo got stuck in the slush, did anytime a thought like "A Thar could have done it" came to your mind?

From a pure offroading perspective the answer would be Thar anyday anytime. Lighter body and shorter wheelbase. Besides the 2.5 engine has more usable torque low down the rev-range than the 2.2 which is incomparison a little more rev-happy.

However, Marengo's MLD helps, provided the driver is reminded of its presence and he revs the slipping wheel to activate it!

Regarding getting stuck, its not such a big deal on the OTR's. The point where Marengo got stuck, a 550 was stuck before, right beside it, on the logically more easier path. However, for Marengo, I was sure it would get stuck. There were many odds against it, will come to that later.

But yes, The rest of the vehicles, circumvented the water through a dry but slippery path.

Originally Posted by psurelia

I would like to attempt to answer this question. Anirban da, please correct me if I go wrong anywhere.

In the stock form, it's definitely the Scorpio which rules over Thar because of the more advanced transfer case. So, on slippery grounds Scorpio scores over Thar. When it comes to climbing sandy slopes, Thar has an 850 kg weight advantage (lighter) over Scorpio.

The bottom line is there is no absolute winner. But, if driven carefully, Scorpio can do more because of its more sophisticated and comparatively easier to use equipments.

The transfer case is same. The advantage Thar has, is that, it has a manual shifter versus the electric shifter in the scorpio, which is sensitive to wading.

Offroad Thar is better. But the Scorpio is a better all-rounder, given that it can do many other tasks with elan.

Originally Posted by cr4nkshaft

nice pics as always samba!

one thing that I do not get is how Marengo was rescued? Was it towed out, or was it something else (like planks under wheels or something)...

Please excuse the n00bness of the query..

No query is stupid! Marengo was winched from the back by a legendary jeep named 8181. Besides, since its nose had cleared the sand embankment, it was easier for a few folks to give it a push simultaneously. Infact after the vehicle moved back about 3 inches, it gained grip on 4 wheels and was able to self extract.

Thankfully, as Samba mentioned, it took a surprisingly less time, 5 minutes to come out, given the huge time the 550, beside it, took.

But I guess, it was a pact made by Marengo and the 550 to spend time together, as they held each others hands while coming back from the OTR spot to the main road!

Originally Posted by gearhead_mait

I beg to differ in this point. But, I will let others, with more practical experience, explain it for me. I am sure there would be a lot of people to explain.



Bring it on! I can foresee a real battle shaping up.

No battle, you are right.

Originally Posted by avrendu

One thing new this OTR saw was Marengo getting stuck. From my memory, I cannot recollect any such incident. I think Anirban will be the best person to analyse the reasons. But I think, in this particular spot, the Thar would have had the same fate.

Yes Marengo was finally done for. I did have a scare at Gangani, where I realised, while the winch was almost being readied, that I forgot to switch to 4wd, once engaged, Marengo was out in a jiffy.

And another situation, on this OTR itself, without me realising that I had the handbrake on.

But having said that, this OTR was also the one where Marengo was most likely to get stuck. There were various reasons.


1> Marengo was fully loaded with 5 passengers. As it was raining and the rest of the vehicles being open, Marengo was a shelter.

2> Low approach speed :- there were passengers, the approach speed wasn't as much as I would have preferred

3> The tyres :- The rear tyres are almost at 45k and have lost tread, of the front tyres, one tyre is a H/T tyre. Marengo has never fought for grip as much as it did throughout this OTR, even on the dry sections.

4> Very bad spotting. It was raining heavily, and from the approach, there was a small hump rendering the waterless part of the track somewhat invisible from the drivers seat. The guy wearing white shirt and a turban, guided us into the water, while to him, the better track could be visible.

5> The driver wasn't too concerned about getting stuck at this point! But now I know that the rear carpet is spoilt with soil.

But frankly, I was always curious about the extractability of the 2.5 ton wagon, so it was good to have the experience. However, would not have preferred the incident to occur at the fag end of the day with receding daylight and frequent showers, rendering the terrain slippery to even walk on.

Originally Posted by avrendu

We can well see there is also a MM 550 right beside Marengo which was also stuck.
This was one of those spots which any offroader will always want to avoid.

Ha! Ha! Trust me, its plain adrenaline rush, I am not sure if you could have also resisted.

But yes, if I took the pain to stop, look around in the rain and take the better path, I would have deprived myself of the experience!

Originally Posted by lovecars21

Great shots Samba.
Guys please let me know in advance if any such event takes place in near future.
Will bring in my MM 550 XD 4x4


Sent from my iPhone using Team-BHP

Will be great if you join us next time. One will be held soon enough.

[Burn_out]

Superb shots Samba. As I mentioned on your FB as well, the action shots with the front wheels in the air are just awesome. You got me hooked to 4x4s again.

Originally Posted by avrendu

Excellent pics Samba, as usual. The OTRs really need some good photographers to bring to the fore what all feats the able 4x4s are capable of.

Well said dada. These OTRs are really something everyone should witness and experience. I now rue not having followed Samba on Sunday. Maybe next time.

Originally Posted by psurelia

I would like to attempt to answer this question. Anirban da, please correct me if I go wrong anywhere.

In the stock form, it's definitely the Scorpio which rules over Thar because of the more advanced transfer case. So, on slippery grounds Scorpio scores over Thar. When it comes to climbing sandy slopes, Thar has an 850 kg weight advantage (lighter) over Scorpio.

The bottom line is there is no absolute winner. But, if driven carefully, Scorpio can do more because of its more sophisticated and comparatively easier to use equipments.

Interesting perspective. I am a novice when it comes to 4x4s. But, I was under the impression that the Thar being a newer product and tailor-made for offroading would be better equipped to handle the mucky surfaces. Seems we don't give the Scorpio its due credit.