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Old 2nd May 2016, 13:01   #1
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May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

1st of May 2016 : May Day also known as Labour Day called for a laborious OTR under the scorching Sun with temperatures as high as 41 degrees celcius at Harinkhola - Mundeswari River Bed in the Hooghly District of West Bengal. Luckily it was slightly windy which added some relief to the occasion. It goes without saying that the OTR was well organised by Kolkata Offroaders yet once again under the supervision of Sir Uday Bhan Singh and his son Adhiraaj Singh (a mentor to most of the Novice Offroaders like myself).

I have been to a few OTR(s) in the past as a spectator, spotter and doing some marshaling as well. All of it was a brilliant experience as I was amongst the action clicking some snaps. However, this OTR was very special to me for 2 prime reasons :
  1. This was a Trail Driving OTR with obstacles every now and then that had to be overcome
  2. This was My First Jeep Driving Experience

All excited about the event, it was difficult to catch up with some sleep due to the anxiety. However, a few hours of sleep did come in handy. Woke up to the Alarm at 03:00am, made a cup of coffee to myself and got ready. The Ice Boxes with the coolers and water with some home made Vegetable Rolls to fill hungry stomach of myself and the gang were put into the Figo's Boot and I hit the road at around 4:25am to UBS's Residence where I was supposed to park my Figo, transfer the luggage and get my hand's on experience of driving a Jeep to Harinkhola before for the Offroad Experience begun.

A bit about the Modified Jeep that was allotted to me to drive (as pointed out by Adhiraaj to me) :
  • CJ3B Body
  • Peugeot XD3P 2.5L Engine
  • KMT 90 Gearbox
  • Axle Ratio 6.44 (Tail : Crown)
  • Standard 600x16 Jeep Tyres

Sharing a picture of our ride for the day - Cooling off after the long drive to the Harinkhola Junction :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-dsc09567.jpg

I simply loved the Horn :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-dsc09642.jpg

Myself, BHPian Samba & BHPian SouraC had planned to share this ride for the day and we did so with all smiles all throughout at the venue. Though myself and Samba are usually the ones behind the camera, this time around we thought of giving that a break and do some 'Jeeping' for a change which was indeed very welcoming.

Thus there are not many snaps from my end for this event; just a handful. A couple of teaser pics to begin with :

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-7.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-dsc09664.jpg

Other BHPians to the likes of - BlackPearl, 1100D, PapaBravo, GhostRider, tach9000, navsjab, samfromindia, swapnil_alto, Myth to name a few were also a part of this event and for me it was a pleasure to be amidst such a bunch of enthusiasts. Though for some it was their first Offroading Event which they had attended and I guess it must have been a pleasurable one. Do post the pictures taken by you during the event to this thread.

My next post shall take you through the pictures of the action packed day where there was everything that one can get on a day of Offroading :
  • Offroading on dusty terrain
  • Some wheel spinning on sand and slush
  • A lot of winching and towing
  • Some water crossing
  • Driving on the rocky river bed
  • Some excellent wheel articulations

Though there is nothing much to write; a few pictures would do the talking !!

Last edited by AJ-got-BHP : 2nd May 2016 at 15:08. Reason: Changes
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Old 2nd May 2016, 14:59   #2
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Part I : Offroading on the way to the Mundeswari Riverbed

The Jeeps gathering at the Harinkhola Junction with a Mini Breakfast :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-1.jpg

The assembly point under the Railway Bridge near the Mundeswari River Bed :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-2.jpg

Adhiraaj giving everyone a briefing on the day's agenda :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-3.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-4.jpg

The SUV(s) queuing up for the trail :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-5.jpg

Our Jeep with the Team Posing :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-6.jpg

The Duster AWD which did Sandakphu - already dirtying it's foot :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-7.jpg

The Smart Gypsy :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-8.jpg

The modded Bolero 150BHP was on 2WD :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-9.jpg

A pic from the driver's seat :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-10.jpg

1100D's Marengo always finds it's own road :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-11.jpg

The 1500km run Duster AWD gets stuck in Sand and is winched it's way out :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-12.jpg

A down the road obstacle :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-13.jpg

Check the wheel articulation of the Gypsy :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-14.jpg

Coming downhill in a convoy :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-15.jpg

Heard of Hand-braking ?? :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-16.jpg

See the wheel articulation of the Pajero Sport :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-17.jpg

BHPian Ghostrider's Duster AWD got stuck :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-18.jpg

Adhiraaj with the Legendary 8181 comes to rescue :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-19.jpg

And yes, it has to be winched out :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-20.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-21.jpg

BHPian tach9000 makes his own road :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-22.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-24.jpg

The remains of the Immersions that happen in the river :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-23.jpg

Waiting for it's turn, under the scorching sun is not a good idea :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-25.jpg

BHPian Ghostrider's Duster AWD gets bottomed again :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-26.jpg

BHPian 1100D's Marengo comes to the rescue and tows it out :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-27.jpg

Another Duster AWD gets badly stuck in the sand and has to be winched out :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-28.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-1-29.jpg

Disclaimer :
Before any such debate or the battle begins, let me clarify that some people may think looking at the above snaps that either I have something against the Renault Duster AWD or that the Duster is not a capable Offroad vehicle. Neither of the above facts are true !! I would put it this way that some part is luck whereas some of it is driving skills. There were 4 Renault Dusters AWD with us on the given day out of which BHPian PapaBravo's (Pawan's) Duster did the trail like a breeze, very much flawlessly. I guess Pawan has understood the Duster AWD very well over time and his driving skills simply compliment their 'Jugalbandi' !! IMHO Pawan - I suppose you should mentor the AWD's at the next Offroad event in the pipeline

Last edited by AJ-got-BHP : 2nd May 2016 at 16:06. Reason: Changes
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Old 2nd May 2016, 15:18   #3
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Part II : Offroading and some water splashing at the Mundeswari Riverbed

Changing seats with BHPian Samba after everyone took a break :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-1.jpg

Samba - Always happy to be at the wheel :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-2.jpg

The terrain hereafter for the Offroaders :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-3.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-4.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-5.jpg

BHPian PapaBravo's Duster plays Ringa Ringa Roses with a Mahindra Thar :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-6.jpg

The mighty Pajero Sport Tailgating us :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-7.jpg

The Duster doing some 'Bumshake' on the Slushy terrain :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-8.jpg

The road behind us :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-9.jpg

This Jeep finds and makes it's own road :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-10.jpg

The SUV(s) queued up on the riverbed :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-11.jpg

Catching up with some local habitat :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-12.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-13.jpg

Following the trail :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-14.jpg

BHPian PapaBravo's Duster looks on as the Gypsy splashes it's way through :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-15.jpg

Cannot resist any further; PapaBravo's Duster AWD aka HULK plunges in :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-16.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-17.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-18.jpg

BHPian BlackPearl mentors this Pajero Sport through the riverbed :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-19.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-20.jpg

The other Dusters join the party :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-21.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-22.jpg

The organizers doing to and fro :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-23.jpg

This is home for this Pajero - Just a walk across and done :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-24.jpg

BHPian Ghostrider splashing it's way through the riverbed :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-25.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-26.jpg

Always in love with the Gypsy :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-27.jpg

Sir UBS joins everyone at the very end of the day - A classic celeb entry indeed :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-28.jpg

Sir Uday Bhan Singh came and caught up with everyone and took their feedback on the day's outing. We all were blessed and honoured with his gracious presence there.

It was getting very hot as it was now nearing noon. So we planned to called it a day by taking the narrow village roads back to the starting point. The group started to build the convoy and the entire convoy started to proceed when this happened :

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-29.jpg

Very unfortunate as the driver of this Jeep lost control. However, the best part is that there was no damaged to the vehicle and it's occupants. Hero Sen, one of the very Senior Offroaders drove it out from this condition !!

Had a fun filled day with a hand's on experience on Offroading and Jeep Driving - A Happy Me !! :
May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-2-30.jpg
Picture Courtesy : BHPian samfromindia - Thanks for the click mate !!

Eagerly waiting for the next event to take place in the due coarse of time and intend to drive a Jeep yet once again. It is indeed very addictive and that there is lots to learn before I indeed buy my own 4x4 SUV someday. For everyone who has till now not experienced offroading in person, I would suggest you to get the experience at least once; the next time will not have to be told

Last edited by AJ-got-BHP : 2nd May 2016 at 16:49. Reason: Changes
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Old 3rd May 2016, 07:34   #4
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the 4x4 Excursions Section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 3rd May 2016, 09:36   #5
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Amazing pics Arav, of the insane day you guys had. Sadly i have developed a forced habit of missing these meets. :(

Great to see the duster gang getting their cars dirty.
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Old 3rd May 2016, 10:14   #6
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Lovely report Arav da. The pics are awesome.

Some how before this OTR i decided not to carry my DSLR and enjoy every bit of driving. At the end i can vouch it was a great decision and the icing on the cake are these awesome pics and report shared by you! Thanks a lot.

Till date i have attended few OTR's but this was the one i enjoyed the most. The trail driving through the Mundeshwari river bed was awesome. It was super hot and humid while we were on the open top jeeps but none bothered about the heat much! It was 41-42 degree 'C' outside! That's the love for jeeps and off road driving!

Gotta learn a lot of things like how to take inclines with lose sands or how to do water crossing in a more safer way! Last but not the least a special thanks for all those who have done the spotting in this heat. Without good spotters an OTR is almost impossible.

Because of driving and being driven by you i missed on taking any pics or video's this time except these two pics clicked from my mobile.

The early morning line up at Singur.

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_6064.jpg

The not so lucky Bhpian Tacho9000's jeep went off the road when his brother a newbie driver was trying his hand on offroading.

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_6065.jpg

Looking forward for the next OTR soon! Am kind of getting addicted to this!
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Old 3rd May 2016, 10:33   #7
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP View Post
For everyone who has till now not experienced offroading in person, I would suggest you to get the experience at least once; the next time will not have to be told
That is so true Arav! I missed the mud-party yet again. Hope to be part of the fun during the next OTR by Kolkata Offroaders and that will be my very first rendezvous with the Gurus of KO. I am eagerly waiting for the next KO OTR to be announced.

The pictures are really superb and the trail looks really interesting. Thanks for sharing the fun!
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Old 3rd May 2016, 11:09   #8
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP View Post
1st of May 2016 :
[*]Axle Ratio 6.44 (Tail : Crown)[*]Standard 600x16 Jeep Tyres[/list][/b]
Good to see offroading finally happening in Calcutta, I participated in few OTRs years back with UBS sir around Dankuni brick factory.
Can you please explain about 6.44 crown pinion ratio, never heard about it.
Why bonnet of all jeeps were open in one of the pic, precautionary measure or all of them were about to touch red mark in meter (it looks like all of them have XDP or XD3P engines)

Regards,
Shubhendra Singh
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Old 3rd May 2016, 13:47   #9
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Amazing report and lovely photographs ! The pictures themselves tell the story of all the excitement and adrenaline rush we had there. Rated 5 Stars !

Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP View Post
The Ice Boxes with the coolers and water with some home made Vegetable Rolls to fill hungry stomach of myself and the gang were put into the Figo's Boot and I hit the road at around 4:25am to UBS's Residence where I was supposed to park my Figo, transfer the luggage and get my hand's on experience of driving a Jeep to Harinkhola before for the Offroad Experience begun.
The yummy rolls were a godsend as i didn't have anything for breakfast and got very hungry when we finally reached the venue. Also the chilled water helped us beat the intense heat amidst all the action.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP View Post
The modded Bolero 150BHP was on 2WD :
Did you really say 150 BHP You should have told me, would definitely have checked her out !

Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP View Post
Very unfortunate as the driver of this Jeep lost control. However, the best part is that there was no damaged to the vehicle and it's occupants. Hero Sen, one of the very Senior Offroaders drove it out from this condition !!
Wow! We were all discussing how it needs to be recovered using two jeeps, similar to what happened to Marengo in last OTR. Hats off to Hero !

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samba View Post
Some how before this OTR i decided not to carry my DSLR and enjoy every bit of driving. At the end i can vouch it was a great decision and the icing on the cake are these awesome pics and report shared by you! Thanks a lot.
Yes its hard to pursue photography, carry the bulky & expensive DSLR amidst all the action and enjoy driving at the same time. I learnt it the hard way. Besides the mobile/compact cameras does a pretty good job in these conditions. Next time i am bringing a action camera for sure.
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Old 3rd May 2016, 14:50   #10
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Awesome report Arav once again, you own this section of off-roading meets in and around Kolkata. Great to see the participant numbers increasing day by day. Unfortunately I could not take my Bolero that day due to a front prop shaft problem. But that gave me the opportunity to do the spotting as well drive a few vehicles like the Bolero with the m-eagle engine, the Gypsy with the Baleno 1.6 engine and the mighty Pajero Sports
The Dusters of Pawan and sinsha were most impressive considering the fact that many people (including me) had thought that they would not be able to do the complete trail.
Adi, senhero and 1100D should be transported to Mars as the Earth is no longer enough for them. The newbies were going bonkers seeing the insane stuff done by these guys.
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Old 3rd May 2016, 14:55   #11
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

All the Jeeps and the Thars are born for offroading, including the Pajero Sport.

Duster proves yet again it is no where near to being an offroader?
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Old 3rd May 2016, 15:14   #12
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Fantastic write-up AJ-got-BHP. The pics are really doing its work well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP View Post
1st of May 2016 : May Day also known as Labour Day called for a laborious OTR under the scorching Sun with temperatures as high as 41 degrees celsius at Harinkhola - Mundeswari River Bed in the Hooghly District of West Bengal.
Really it was a hot day and of course it was the sting of the Off-Roading Bug that has kept us going.

Its my third OTR with KO and by far it is the best because of the challenges it has in store for us. The trail was mixed with Sandy climbs, Rough patches, Steep downhill, Muddy river bed and the Water crossings.

Without good spotters an OTR can become hazardous. We all are thankful to every senior member of the KO team who guided the newbies home safely.

Please find few pictures of the River trail below:

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_104342.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_104333.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_102907.jpg


Stopped for water pipes used for irrigating the nearby fields

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_103132.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_103128.jpg


A small water crossing

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_104044.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_104131.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_104140.jpg


People were crossing the river with their cycles on there shoulder

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_104727.jpg


And lastly the final water crossing

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_105745.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_105808.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_105830.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_105915.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_105952.jpg

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_110009.jpg


I Love Gypsy.

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_110020.jpg


UBS Sir arrived at last to congratulate and encourage us.

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_110726.jpg

A landscape at Last

May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience-img_20160501_110154.jpg

I will be waiting for the next OTR eagerly.
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Old 3rd May 2016, 15:26   #13
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Quote:
Originally Posted by MercFan View Post
All the Jeeps and the Thars are born for offroading, including the Pajero Sport.

Duster proves yet again it is no where near to being an offroader?
Dear MercFan with all due respects passing on a comment like the duster is incapable or nowhere near to being an offroader is quite a noobish comment. Agreed the dusters of Ghostrider28 as well as the orange duster had got stuck quite a few times but it was mostly due to their lack of experience wrt offroading skills. We all have seen how bhpian PapaBravo had performed with his duster awd in the sense that it didn't get stuck anywhere neither did it need to get any help from the winch. It powered and performed well throughout the otr and I will admit that PapaBravo knows pretty awesome driving. Also there was this duster awd which had done sandakphu,a pretty tough terrain for any vehicle in this part of country. It wouldn't have done if it were built delicately and had delicate components which wouldn't stand a chance in offroading situation. Even I had my jeep tilted on the side due to rookie mistake done by my brother. So next time do watch the pictures clearly and understand what has happened before making such an arbitrary comment.

P.S.- I hope this comment will be taking in the most positive manner and no arguments will follow.

Regards,
Subhra
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Old 3rd May 2016, 15:54   #14
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

Quote:
Originally Posted by aak91 View Post
Sadly i have developed a forced habit of missing these meets. :( Great to see the duster gang getting their cars dirty.
Missed your presence buddy !! Probably the next OTR shall happen sometime during early monsoons. Shall keep you posted on the same.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samba View Post
Lovely report Arav da. The pics are awesome. At the end i can vouch it was a great decision and the icing on the cake are these awesome pics and report shared by you!

Till date i have attended few OTR's but this was the one i enjoyed the most. The trail driving through the Mundeshwari river bed was awesome. It was super hot and humid while we were on the open top jeeps but none bothered about the heat much!

Looking forward for the next OTR soon! Am kind of getting addicted to this!
Same here Samba !! Skipped the idea of carrying the DSLR and am myself amazed on the job done by a petite Point & Shoot Camera. The sport is indeed addictive as one forgets about everything else when you are in it and when you are at it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by psurelia View Post
That is so true Arav! I missed the mud-party yet again. Hope to be part of the fun during the next OTR by Kolkata Offroaders and that will be my very first rendezvous with the Gurus of KO. I am eagerly waiting for the next KO OTR to be announced.

The pictures are really superb and the trail looks really interesting. Thanks for sharing the fun!
Partha Da it's high time that your King Kong (the Storme 4x4) does some talking on an OTR Event. Missed you and hope you are able to catch up for the next one. Will try and keep you posted. By the way you may contemplate of getting your RE also at the OTR. Just a suggestion, will be fun !!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shubhendra View Post
Why bonnet of all jeeps were open in one of the pic, precautionary measure or all of them were about to touch red mark in meter (it looks like all of them have XDP or XD3P engines)
It was just a precautionary measure to let the jeeps cool off after being driven for approximately 65 Kms to reach the meeting point. Yes, my Jeep had the XD3P Engine. Did not check on the rest. I am a novice at Offroading you see

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Originally Posted by Samfromindia View Post
The yummy rolls were a godsend as i didn't have anything for breakfast and got very hungry when we finally reached the venue. Also the chilled water helped us beat the intense heat amidst all the action. Did you really say 150 BHP You should have told me, would definitely have checked her out !
Hey Samrat !! Good to hear that your overall experience at your debut OTR Event was a pleasurable one and that you enjoyed every bit of it. There is a basic "things to carry" (though not a list) which I ascertained after attending a couple of OTR events which usually comes in handy for mostly everyone attending the OTR event.

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Originally Posted by BlackPearl View Post
Awesome report Arav once again, you own this section of off-roading meets in and around Kolkata. Great to see the participant numbers increasing day by day. Unfortunately I could not take my Bolero that day due to a front prop shaft problem.

The Dusters of Pawan and sinsha were most impressive considering the fact that many people (including me) had thought that they would not be able to do the complete trail.
Thanks Sumitro for the appreciation !! The sad part is that although I might be owning this section of the off-roading meets; I still still do not own a 4x4 yet. Envy you having two of them which are almost the best in the business. All said and done, sorely missed the action from your Bolero. It's always a pleasure to capture stills of your Bolero through the lenses. Hopefully next time for sure.

Indeed good to see people bringing in their own SUV(s) for the Offroading event and not minding to throw it around which was never seen before. Specially the Brand New (1500Km run) Duster and the Mitsubishi Outlander which got stuck badly on several occasions but their owners had a smile on their faces at the end of the OTR event.

The Duster of PapaBravo and Sinsha were the best out of the lot of the 4 Dusters present on that day. However, sinsha's duster did get some battering whereas PapaBravo's Duster did the trail exceptionally well; would say beyond comparison to an extent.

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Originally Posted by SouraC View Post
The pics are really doing its work well. Really it was a hot day and of course it was the sting of the Off-Roading Bug that has kept us going.

Without good spotters an OTR can become hazardous. We all are thankful to every senior member of the KO team who guided the newbies home safely.
Thanks SouraC !! Amazing pictures from your end too. Thanks for sharing

It was indeed a hot day and the coolers (in the ice boxes) at the end of the OTR did help us to cool off. It was fun to team up with you and enjoy the Jeep Driving Day. Yes, we should be grateful to the Senior KO Members as well as certain Senior BHPians who did the spotting in that heat and ensured the safety of us participants.
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Old 3rd May 2016, 16:19   #15
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Re: May Day OTR with Kolkata Offroaders : A Trail Driving Experience

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Originally Posted by tacho9000 View Post
but it was mostly due to their lack of experience wrt offroading skills. Also there was this duster awd which had done sandakphu,a pretty tough terrain for any vehicle in this part of country.

P.S.- I hope this comment will be taking in the most positive manner and no arguments will follow.
Very valid points buddy. Fully agree on the off-road driving skills. Offroading depends on "Man" more than the "Machine", if not both.

Sorry, I did not go through the "sandakphu" thread, will search for it.

Yes, reply taken in the highest positive manner
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