17th May 2018, 08:42
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18th May 2018, 15:04
| #2 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: May 2012 Location: Chennai
Posts: 182
Thanked: 792 Times
| Re: 2018 SUV Offroad Excursions in Chennai Quote:
When Terratigers started off this year offroading, I was glad to be part of the gang that made the bang. This was a god sent opportunity. I know a lot of people who have and jeeps and other SUVs, all with a proper 4x4 low ratio gear box, but would have, so far, never touched that 2nd smaller lever in their history of ownership. Having an event like this was really a blessing. This was going to be my first OTR on my own vehicle, my recently acquired Thar, and I was thoroughly excited. I was there at last years Palar OTR drive in September, and had to content myself by driving others jeeps and being driven in others jeeps. This year it was going to be different. I had my own. A day prior to the OTR, I had taken the Thar to my FNG, got it ramped up and had the auto locking hubs checked for proper engaging operation. Had heard and read stories of the auto-locking hubs failing while OTR. All participants assembled at Hotel Mamalla, at Mahabalipuram and the registration process was completed. The first briefing to the participants was given from here. We were to drive off in a convoy to the OTR location, with a Terratiger in the lead and with one as the sweep. Every driver was instructed not to speed, to follow the vehicle in the front keeping at least a cars space in between, and to be always in between the lead and the sweep. No overtaking within the convoy, and no un necessary honking. Instructions were clear and precise. The convoy of participants consisted of Isuzu VCrosses and a MUX, Ford Endevours, Toyota Fortuners, and plenty of M&M Thars, and the OTR pepped up vehicles of the Terra Tigers. The drive to the OTR was about 30 to 40 minutes. The next assembly was for the next briefing before hitting the trails with all wheels engaged. All were instructed to deflate tyres to about 20 psi. Pressure gauges were passed around to check on the final pressure. I did not use the guage as a Terratiger (TT) marshal gave us a free tip that deflating steadily for 20 seconds (by the clock) would reduce the tyre pressure by 10 psi, and so it was. While filling up air after the OTR, the pressure was 22 psi.  The briefing was simple and in a clear language, advising on which gears to use to tackle the different terrains that would come in our paths, the speeds at which each of the terrain had to be tackled, which involved moderate throttling to crawling, depending on the obstruction. All were advised on the distances to be kept between the vehicles ahead of us and to wait for the vehicle ahead to clear the obstacle before the next vehicle takes on the same obstacle. The hand signals which would be used by the TT marshals to guide each driver over the terrain and obstacles was shown and explained. All instructions given were confidence inspiring for the newbie, and we were told that the TT marshals and recovery equipment were all at hand and in readiness. All were asked to belt up properly, including the rear seat passengers. We were then split into a few batches and each batch was lead and followed by TT marshals. And then the FUN begins. We had sand, and plenty of that. Throttle in, get stuck, reverse and try a new direction. And gravel so loose that harsh braking would carry you forward at the same speed you were travelling. Then there were huge humps - take them at slow speed and you get breached, take them at a high speed and you will be airborne. I got breached on my first one. Heaving and hoeing using the gears was getting me nowhere. Gave the TT marshal a thumbs down signal, and help was on the way. The Thar was pulled back and I was instructed on the correct procedure of tackling these. Next came the numerous sand dunes. Each driver was advised on from where to start, which gear to use, when to gun the throttle to reach the top. Getting to the top required the right speed to start off with, so that there is enough momentum to clear the top. The mistake many made was to release the throttle when you see that the top of the dune is almost there, and then you realize that the moment you take your foot off, you stop. And you stop just a meter away for the top of the sand dune. Now throttling gets you nowhere as gaining traction from stop on loose sand on a slope is very unlikely. You back off all the way down to your initial starting point and then try again. We were allowed umpteen times to try and get it right. Luckily for me, with the additional torque provided by the Race Dynamics box on P2, I manages all the dunes without having to back down again. Hill climbing, rock crawling, whatever OTR obstacle you needed was here. Before tacking each different terrain or obstacle, a TT marshal would explain the procedure on how to go through and would demonstrate the process. The tips and advises given by the marshals were valuable, and heeding onto these got me and my Thar through all of what I put the Thar through, with ease. Just a word of caution. For those who were smart and decided not to literally following the marshall's signal while rock crawling, had their lower arms scrape the rock slightly. Once you start crawling up the rocks, you just wont be able to see what you are heading into, and the only way out safely without damaging your vehicle is to look keenly at the marshal and follow his signals. Oops, I am getting carried away and this post is getting too long. I will let the pictures and videos talk. All I can say more is that I had great fun and looking forward eagerly to the next ones, as in the calender. The assembling point - Hotel Mamalla   Line up for entry to the OTR  The first causality of the day. The longish wheel base makes the Endeavor prone to frequent breaching. Help was just 10 meters away. The Endy was pulled out.   The various terrain encountered.          A TT marshal guiding us up.  On the Rocks    This Gurkha had one too many on the rocks, and had to be shown a way out.    Up the Hill and on it   The gathering for lunch. Curd rice, chicken and vegetables. All measures to avoid polluting was in place, well though of.   The local boys beating the heat in jockeys, running after the jeeps for a packet of Tata Gluco+, which was well stocked up in a few of the TT marshal jeeps.  An open top jeep, and the only person I found overtaking within the convoy, honking unnecessarily, and breaking the queue to try out the obstacles first. May be he wanted to finish off fast and then go park under the shade of a tree.   Finally,all said and done by evening it was one fun filled day. Returned home with the jeep covered with sand and dust, and my heart filled with sweet OTR memories, and with eyes set on the next OTR date.  Making way through the loose sand Crawling up the rock Crawling up the rock - as seen from inside the jeep. Throttling up a hill | |
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18th May 2018, 16:24
| #3 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: KL/TN
Posts: 82
Thanked: 109 Times
| Re: 2018 SUV Offroad Excursions in Chennai Quote:
It was fun and learning indeed. The desire to have a proper 4x4 low range vehicle has taken a mighty surge post this event. Thanks a ton Terra Tigers! Thank you CAPTAIN for giving a chance to drive the Thar in those extreme terrains and help me getting the glimpse of offroading  Last edited by ajmat : 18th May 2018 at 19:05. | |
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15th June 2018, 12:29
| #4 | |
| BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: Chennai
Posts: 182
Thanked: 792 Times
| Re: 2018 SUV Offroad Excursions in Chennai Quote:
10th June - Closed Terrain at the Farm. Being a closed terrain, 'kids friendly' and knowing that the whole circuit will be under the watchful tiger eyes of the Terratigers (TT), went for the event with the children. The event started off with the assembling of all the vehicles for the day at The Farm which included Ford Ecosports, Jeep Compass and Mahindra Scorpios in the 2WD section, and a Jeep Cherokee, lots of Thars and Mahindra Jeeps in the 4WD section. Drivers of each section were briefed separately on the terrain, on their vehicles, and on how to use their vehicle in the best way to tackle the terrain without causing any damage to their vehicle. Off road driving instructions and tips, right from the basics on how to hold your steering wheel were given to the drivers. There were drivers who had been on off road excursions earlier and there were drivers who had neither taken their 4WD vehicle off the road nor used the 2nd shorter lever of their 4x4 till day, and 10th June was the day when that lever moved from the 2H slot to the 4H and then to the 4L slots. Instructions were confidence building for the first time drivers, and knowing that the marshals were always at hand, to help you out, was morale boosting. The 2WD vehicles were then led by a few TT marshals to the track set up for the 2WD vehicles, and the 4WD vehicles were led into the more harsher track that needed the torque of a 4 wheel low range to tackle the terrain. The terrain chosen for both the sections were thoughtfully done, based on the vehicles capabilities, and all that the driver had to do was to hone his driving skills to adapt to the terrain and clear them skillfully. The tracks consisted of rocks, stones, gravel, sand, mud, slush and water crossings in varying degree of harshness suited for the 2WDs and 4WDs vehicles to handle, and TT marshals were placed at all spots which had the potential of the vehicle getting stuck, to guide you on the right technique to get unstuck, without being towed out. Towing out the stuck was the last resort. It was 5 hours of continuous fun. I got to improve on my 'off the road' driving skill from the last OTR. The children had loads of fun, shouting with joy at seeing the wheels spin, the sand getting thrown up, the jeeps digging in, mud and slush splattering on the jeeps, and screaming with fear when the water floods onto the jeeps bonnet while crossing the lake. The OTR ended with a better driver in me, a lot of fun and good memories for the wife and children, with my son stating that we should have this event again next weekend, and I am sure with the drivers of the 2WDs seriously contemplating on getting a 4WD.  Till the next OTR on the 14th of July, I would be looking at the below photos and videos and mentally tutor myself to drive better. The 4WD convoy being led  An Ecosport and a Jeep Compass wishing that they had a 4WD to get into the lake and splash some water.  The track for the 2WD vehicle   The trail for the 4WD         Where the children had fun watching the mud splattering and the tyres spinning    Papa, are you going in, is this deep, will we sink ?   Children having a joy ride in an open Jeep The 2WD Ecosport powering through loose sand Eeeeek, Papa, you are going to get the Jeep all dirty and muddy. Thoughtfully arranged loop. A skilled driver would take the climb and turn in one go. Next time for me, maybe :-) And finally - removing the muck off and getting the Thar ready to go to office.  Thanx a lot to Arka and his team of Terratigers to promoting 'Offroading' as a sport and who made all this possible for us to use our 2WD and 4WD SUVs to their true potential and what they are built for, and looking forward to the next OTR. | |
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14th August 2018, 16:50
| #5 | |
| BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: Chennai
Posts: 182
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| Re: 2018 SUV Offroad Excursions in Chennai Quote:
14th July - Open Terrain Better very late than very very late.  Was quite busy with work and travel over the past few weeks that I could not get the time to post this earlier. I had the privilege to attend the off road event organised by the Terra Tigers (TT) on the 14th of July, yet another fun filled event. Got up early, took the Thar for refueling and checking the tyre pressure. Came back and went to wake up my 9 year old son, who was already awake and in tears thinking that I had left without him. Got ready, had breakfast and left for Motel Mamalla, the assembly point for the event, with my all excited son. By the time we reached there, a few participants had already assembled. The registration process was in progress and we completed ours and waited for the rest to join. This time there was a wide range of SUVs - Pajero, Endeavour, Isuzu VCross, Fortuner, Gypsy, Gurkha and Thars and Thars and Thars. The initial briefing for the drivers was carried out from here. The convoy was formed with each driver being told whom to follow and who will be on his tail. The drive to the venue, the Palar river took about 30 minutes, and all stopped to re group. The second briefing to the drivers were carried out here. Techniques to drive on sand, rocks and in slush was explained. Working of the 4WD system of the different types of SUVs present was explained. Preparing the SUV for an off road event was told to the participants, and all were asked to engage their SUVs 4WD High to start off with, and then shift to Low as the terrain got tougher. Since, for the days event, most of the riding was going to be on sand and on rocks, all were asked to deflate the tyres to around 20 psi. Pressure gauges were handed around for those who did not have one. This time I had come prepared better than the last event. I had a pressure gauge, a 3T tow rope with shackles, and my navigator and son, who kept commenting that we might get to try out the tow rope. The group were split into two, with the 'Soft' off road machines (Pajero, Vcross, Endeavour and Fortuner[no offense please]) being in one group and the other 'hard' off road machine (Thar, Gypsy and Gurkha) being in the other. Each group was lead by a TT marshal vehicle, and swept by a TT marshal vehicle. The trails led over sand, rocks, marshy areas and grassland. I got breached once on a sand mount due to the lack of momentum, in spite of my navigator shouting to me to gun the throttle, and had the privilege to use the newly purchase tow rope, which excited my son even more, since his wish had come true. The trails were very well though of, and lead you through quite a few challenging climbs and drops, twists and turns, rocks and stones. The presence of the TT marshal at each of these challenging stages, helped in boosting your confidence, knowing that help was always close at hand. There were participants who were apprehensive of driving down the steep hills, and eventually managed to go down with confidence after the tips and demonstrations from the marshals, and there were failures in climbing up the sand dunes, but with each failure came newer knowledge on how to over come these, and get better. The TT marshals were ever present, with tips on how to drive across the stages. Few participants were guided up the tough terrain with a marshal sitting beside the driver to explain the proper gears to be used and when to step on the pedal and get across. It was one full FUN filled day. Got to learn a lot of new techniques, meet and make friends with more like minded guys. A few photos of the event and the trail. Please excuse the quality as most were taken off the dash cam. The range of SUV manufactures     The Desi range of SUVs    My Thar and the Navigator  Going up a dune  Getting stuck few meters before the top due to the lack of momentum.  Reversed down to try again, got few tips from Arka and made it to the top.  The play ground for the mean 4x4 machines  The almost vertical drop  Which is the best way up ? 4WD low and you make your own way.  Through the grasslands  The trail      One of the few places with water on the perennially dry Palar  The regroup at the end of the day before leaving the river bed.  The final stop before dispersing. The marshal vehicles had compressors for those who wanted to fill in air.  Few Videos The art of getting stuck and you are guided on how to do it right the next time. And the art of getting stuck and un stuck. Another fun filled day came to an end that evening much to my sons dismay. This was his first outing at the Palar. He had great fun and was eagerly waiting to go to school and tell his tales. The event was well managed right from the assembly at Motel Mamalla to the end of the day, which included a sumptuous lunch of curd rice, chicken and vegetables, and the ever flowing cups of Tata Gluco+. Thanx Arka, and the whole of the Terra Tiger team for the event. Due to my travel had to miss out on the last weekends event that was held at the Farm, and looking forward to the next one in September. | |
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28th December 2018, 15:23
| #6 | |
| BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: Chennai
Posts: 182
Thanked: 792 Times
| Re: 2018 SUV Offroad Excursions in Chennai Quote:
The above was the calendar for 2018, but it did not end with The Palar Challenge held on the 8th of September, 2018. Terra Tigers held an event every month after that, in October, November and in December. As the year comes to an end, I guess it is time to summarize on what happened after THE PALAR CHALLENGE (Pics & Report: The Palar Offroad Challenge)click for link. The summarization is in 4 parts due to the length and photographs. Part 1 - OCTOBER – This was a closed event held at the Farm on the 13th of October, 2018. The closed event at the Farm was organized for those who owned 2wd SUVs and would have liked to try out their ware in a contained environment, the track of which was man made (done by the Terra Tigers), and which had a mixture of terrain that would challenge the vehicle and the driver, all under the watchful eyes and guidance of the Terra Tigers (TT) marshals. There was rocks and sand, side slopes, articulation pits and slush pits, all man made and done up, that even tested the caliber of the 4wd vehicles. This was a half day event, with the initial grouping and briefing held just before the start of the off road trail. Unfortunately there were no 2wd SUVs, and the turn out were all 4wd vehicles and mostly Thars. There were a few first timers who wanted to try their hands and their vehicles on the track and terrain that their vehicle was built to handle and the set up at the farm was a perfect place to start. Few photos of the event.                  | |
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28th December 2018, 15:38
| #7 |
| BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: Chennai
Posts: 182
Thanked: 792 Times
| Re: 2018 SUV Offroad Excursions in Chennai Part 2 -NOVEMBER – This was held at Palar, the vast and open river bed, on the 10th of November, and with the rain gods avoiding this part of Tamil Nadu, the place was dry, save for a few places with water. Apart from the regular experience Chennai Off roaders, a few Thar owners who had their first taste of off road driving at the Farm in October, were present to try out their newly gained skills in an open and harsh terrain, away from the hustling and bustling crowded city. As usual the event was well organized, with the initial briefing, and an explanation of what sort of terrain the drivers would encounter for the day. The participants included a 2 months old or rather new Isuzu V Cross, with the owner eager to try out his 4x4 and confirm that his investment was well worth. A full day event, with lunch consisting of Chicken/Veg Fried rice (the usual curd rice and ‘chicken chukka’ was tastier ) at around 2pm, had all the participants, young and old, novice and the experienced trying out the harsh Palar’s never ending sands and dunes, the occasional slush where water had accumulated and the rocks. All under the watchful eyes and the guidance of the TT marshals.Photos of the event.                               |
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28th December 2018, 15:51
| #8 |
| BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: Chennai
Posts: 182
Thanked: 792 Times
| Re: 2018 SUV Offroad Excursions in Chennai Part 3 -MOTUS OPERANDI – This is an event which is being organised by the Farm, a restaurant on the OMR, in the middle of a working farm that has cows, buffaloes, goats, hens and various other animals, and gives the restaurants patrons an entirely different experience in dining, an Experience of Life on the Udder Side – as the restaurant people like to call it. The first edition of the Motus Operandi was held in August, 2018 showcasing a range of eclectic motorcycles, and the second edition in September, which was a display of miniature flying models of aircrafts and helicopters. Terra Tigers were invited to host the third edition of the Motus Operandi in November, to showcase the ‘Must haves’ for ‘Off Roading’ and to display a range of fully modified off road vehicles, and it was done with aplomb. Apart from the display, there were demonstrations and explanations of various off road equipment that are fitted onto or carried with the vehicles. The only thing missing was the visitors to be taken for a ride in one of those fully modified off road vehicles. Photos of the event.                  |
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28th December 2018, 16:52
| #9 |
| BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: Chennai
Posts: 182
Thanked: 792 Times
| Re: 2018 SUV Offroad Excursions in Chennai Part 4 -DECEMBER – The December event was also held at the Palar on the 8th. With December seeing Chennai getting some badly needed rains, the Palar had partly turned into what it is supposed to be, a river, and the barren sand had turned into a field of greenery, with shrubs growing to about 2 meters height and camouflaging what sort of ground was beneath. This made the December event more eventful, with the convoy proceeding with extreme caution through the thick growth, each driver keenly observing the vehicle ahead, and the convoy lead treading the ground with caution, before the convoy followed. Getting stuck, with no forward motion, reversing and finding an alternate route was the game for the day in the bushes. And it was fun. Photos of the event.                               With each passing event I guess my off road skill have been improving, as this was the first event in the year where I did not get stuck or breached. Looking forward for ex670c to post the 2019 calender. And for those of you who are interested in what maintenance I had to do after all these off road excursions - The very next day after an OTR I get the Thar thoroughly cleaned up, especially the under chassis and the engine bay. I open up the air filter box, and shake off the dust from the filter. (I still have not got a snorkel. Waiting for ex670c to make me a metal pipe one  )And then I had taken the Thar for the 40,000 km servicing after the December event, and apart from the routine 40k km jobs, got a couple of front wheel bearing and the link stabilizer bars replaced, as they were showing signs of wear out, all hubs greased and the wheels balanced and alignment done. Apart from a few scratches on the oil sump and the silencer canister, the bottom was relatively damage free.The front and rear suspension are in good condition, the hard top holds good with no creaks or cracks. |
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