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-   -   A Pajero, Gypsies, CJ3B, Classic & MM540 go off-roading, stream crossings & cooking (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-excursions/45264-pajero-gypsies-cj3b-classic-mm540-go-off-roading-stream-crossings-cooking.html)

Ok, this was an 'invite only' OTR that was organized by jeep_thrills member Vinay (t-bhp handle: CJ3b). Vinay calls me a week ago and informs me about the planned OTR at Avaala Konda (chikabalapur/devanhalli) where a very tough trail leads to Srini's land at the foothills of a mountain.

As this is an 'invite only' OTR and the trail is tough and recovery can take hours if stuck, so Vinay wanted a maximum of 6-8 jeeps there.

Finally we had 1 Pajero(kayum), 2 Gypsies(mine + sid's), 1 Classic(rajiv), 1 MM540(Bhaskar) & 1 CJ3b(Srini) going for the OTR on 3rd Sept.

We all met at Columbia Hospital near hebbal and proceeded towards devanahalli village for b'fast.


Soon, we hit a snag. fuse blown of the CJ3b. This meant that the lights, horns were not working on the CJ3b. As is with all jeepers, some amount of DIY and temporary fixes were done and we soon proceeded further


Soon, after traveling some parts of the terrain I got stuck, in my locker enabled Gypsy, at seemingly the simplest of places and had to be pulled out. :Frustrati No amount of rocking, etc helped. The right front tyre was deep in rut and rear left was in air. while both the rear wheel had traction, the front had none and to make matters worse the t-case was also stuck in mud.

Notice the spray of mud in the front right tyre (Suresh Stephen rocking from the drivers side) and the left front tyre motionless. at this point even the locker enabled rear wheels did not help

As we head forward we come across deep narrow busy paths and the vehicles get a royal scrubbing of thorns, leaves, branches etc.

Soon we are at a deep excavated pit kind of terrain where we have to 'slide' down and then come out using 'momentum'. All the vehicles did it successfully, including the Pajero with it's massive engine and a weight disadvantage.




I brought the Gypsy into the pit and then my wifey wanted to try taking it out. Nobody thought that she would be able to take it in the first try itself, so no one took pictures of her in that terrain and she was really mad at everyone there (including me :-(). All of us were thinking that she would go up and then would for some reason try to brake etc and would come down. However, nothing of that happened and she just took the Gypsy of the cliff with ease.

In the next terrain, I then ensured that I took pictures of my wifey driving the Gypsy. Here she is getting ready to cross the steam.


In the stream with reasonable water flow. She wanted to cross the steam 'splashing water' everywhere and I had to tell her that the rocks in the stream would spray parts of the gypsy everywhere if she even tried the crossing in high speed.


Crossed the stream successfully


Soon we reached a lake, that according to Vinay & srini was just a very very small water bed last time they came here. This time there was NO way we could cross this in our 4x4's so few of them went to search for a way out while few of use just chilled out and relaxed.

May the lord be praised that you had the presence of mind to take the photo of your wifey taking the Gypsy across the river. :-)

Let the photos flow... (am sure you might have added more before I post this message) :-)

I knew something was up in the air on 3rd, so this was it, apart from your Gypsy rear tyre.:)

Great stuff man, too bad your wife's cliff climbing was not shot. Best thing to capture these moments is keep the camera ready, all the time.

Will be posting the rest of the story later today.

Sharath, yes man, an innocent looking rock did the tyre :Frustrati.

Oh man, you know I did the descent/slide and then got out of the gypsy and she climbed in and gave the camera to me. Before I could realize that I had to take pictures, she had already zipped to the top in one go. The irony is that ALL others with some 3-4 cameras also did not click pictures and were busy watching if she would make it to the top or not :-)

So, again and again you keep under estimating your wife's talent :D
I am sure its the last time and you wont (read - forced not to miss) miss it from next time. lol:

Nice one there. I see many OTR and news about 4x4 now a days in here. Is it just me?

Btw, have you got video's too?

Nice one khan so this is the same place where the high lift jacks were used?/

Thanks for pics @Khan_Sultan

How did the Pajero do in this ? Can you please compare if possible.

Any pics of Pajero doing all this.i dunno why i like Pajero.

Great stuff Khan though your ommission was not pardonable. anyway mate keep the pictures coming please.

Srini's place, the farmland, lay on the other side of the water and we had to find a way/place from where we could cross the water and reach the other side.

After much scouting on 4x4's and walking in bushes we managed to locate a place from where we 'thought' that we could cross the stream and go to other side.

Here we have Vinay, Srini and others testing the 'depth' of water and the 'firmness' of the ground beneath to see if our 4x4's can pass it or not. After much discussion and thought/route planning, it was decided that we would cross the stream this way.



Bhaskar was the first to attempt and soon got stuck royally. After much circus and effort to get him out, it was time for the hi-lift jacks to be put in operation.





After much effort, Bhaskar is safe on the other side.


So after the learning of this attempt, we tried putting in a chain to one of the submerged rock to pull it out, so that we could get a clear way to cross, but to no avail. we could not get any grip on the submerged rock to pull it out.


So it was sid's Gypsy turn to cross and also get's stuck royally.




After using the both hi-lift jacks, spare tyres and approx an hour, the gypsy was extracted from this place.


BTW, this crossing showed us the importance of hi-lift jacks. Read the post here

After this, we knew that there was NO way that the pajero could cross this without significant damage, so we again went scouting for another place around the water and after some 1/2 hour found a place from where the rst of vehicles could cross without damage.

After all the vehicles were on the other side of the water, this is where we landed up and now had to cross this pit.


TBC...

Khan - Not fair! You left the picture story at a very crucial point! :-(

Super event log Khan. Don't let us hanging in the air for too long..:D

Now, thats the spirit lol:

:Frustrati
Who do you think can wait after this? :( You should have completed atleast this leg.

This \'pit\' was of loose red mud and one had to again slide the 4x4\'s slowly into the pit and then go up the pit the other way which included sharp turns and very deep ruts/crevices on the right side of the path. We had to be very careful on the up, as any vehicle going into the rut/crevice on the left would have meant circus & extraction that could have taken hours

The challenge in this type of terrain is to keep momentum, control the steering and vehicle direction properly as any skidding could land one in the rut.

Here am I already in the pit and about to take my gypsy up the pit.


Notice how the front wheel are literally going 'in the front body' and the rear wheels are literally 'falling off the body'


Here is the Pajero sliding down and then trying to go up the pit.



It took lots of attempt from the Pajero to go up the pit and the H/T tyres + the heavy weight did not help much. However, credit to the owner for pushing the pajero to the limit and not bothering about the scratches, mud bath, bumper abuse and under body scrapping.


Do notice the front left wheel of the Pajero in the air. This is the view from the top of the pit from the other end.


Now we again came back to the 'lake' shown in last picture of the second post -- now on the other side and here my rear left tyre sidewall hit a rock on some speed and I had an instant 'tyre burst' and complete tyre damage :Frustrati. So it's time to at least find a spare tyre for the time being.


After the tyre change we were soon to again encounter some very very thick bushes and couple of times lost the way also and had to do lots of circus to reverse and back out from the bushes at places.

Spot the gypsy in the bushes in the picture below..


Finally we reached Srini's farmland after crossing one more small stream where we had to remove some rocks so that the pajero could cross safely. The farmland had a very cosy small room and it was then time for cooking, picnic and merry making..


TBC..

WHATAYYYYY!!!

Boss this is the stuff of offroading dreams ! Kickass. I should keep an eye in the forest for a 4x4 herd next time I land at BIAL :D

That said, what was the pajero repair cost after that? uska toh ek ek plastic item bhi max expensive hoga na? :D