Here's my meet report:
We had decided to meet at the ramp where NICE Road meets Tumkur Road at 6:30 am. I leave home at 6:00 am, fire up the Safari (boy, are the others going to be surprised!) and see that the fuel gauge is a little less than 1/2. No worries, I'll fill diesel at the neighbourhood bunk.
Idle for a minute and head to the HP bunk on Bellary Road - the attendants are half asleep and no credit card service at this hour. Forget it, I'll fill somewhere on the way. I'm running late now and take the Outer Ring Road from Hebbal to Tumkur Road, hit Tumkur Road at 6:20 am and there's so much traffic - check my purse at a traffic light and there's not enough cash to fill the Safari's tank.
As I near the meeting point, I spot two long trailer trucks parked and no sign of any TBHP members. I get closer and spot a Jeep with the bonnet open and 4 guys peering inside. Aha - this must be one of the Jeepers!
Folks gathered there are wondering who this is driving up in a Safari. Park, idle for a minute, and get down - meet Chandan (and company), sreerajunnithan (and company), star_aqua (and company) and kittigadu (and pal). khan_sultan is nowhere to be seen. He then shows up in a few minutes. Introductions done and chandan asks me if I have space. Ha - I have space for anything. We then transfer food to the Safari and start, agreeing to sync up at Hotel Mayura at Bellur Cross.
I follow chandan into an IOC bunk and there is no credit card service. But the attendant tells me there's another bunk 1 km down the road which accepts cards. Head there and the same story - anyway fill diesel worth a grand and start.
Under normal circumstances, the Safari would have made mincemeat of the other vehicles on any decent half-road, forget a National Highway. But I have a problem - I'm carrying loads of food which includes lots of gravy. So I take it easy on the rough patches, hoping that the carpets don't get soiled. After Kunigal, I get bored and decide to clip - if the gravy spills, it spills - I'll clean it. Plus, the smell of all that food is making me hungry. Clip the rest of the distance to Hotel Mayura and the rest have just settled down for breakfast.
As I park, I notice kittigadu's bonnet open and all the Jeepers peering inside (Army spec boss, more guys have to peer inside!). It is not starting - kitti calls his mechanic, electrician, plumber, carpenter etc ;-) and finally it starts.
We leave Mayura at 9:00 am and the plan is to reach tank up at an IOC bunk just before Sakleshpura. Follow the rest ofthe vehicles for a while and by now, I am sure no self-respecting bunk on NH48 will accept a credit card and so, clip again to find and ATM. I pop into Channarayapatna town to find an ATM and am positive the rest have zipped past. Post successful ATM jaunt, I clip again and reach the IOC bunk - no sign of the others, tank up and zip to chandan's cottage reaching there at 11:30 am. Call khan_sultan after 15 minutes and find that they have just reached Sakleshpura town. Decide to wait.
The rest slowly arrive and we relax in chandan's cottage. The Jeepers have discovered the rolling hills behind the cottage and while chandan, khan_sultan and I relax, we can hear the Jeeps roaring.
From chandan's balcony:
Near the base of the tower in the picture above, what is actually happening is:
After some pictures, the Jeepers come to the cottage - introductions again and suddenly, sreerajunnithan reaches into his backpack and pulls this out: (note chandan's expression)
After some time, chandan's expression hasn't changed:
We want to know the range of that lens and we are told it is a few km. And then sreerajunnithan says his Jeep's FE is low - how he figured that out, we don't know since he has neither a speedo nor odo - here begins the topic of the lens coverage equalling the Jeep's FE.
We then head out and wait for dwaraka (who started from Bangalore ages ago and everybody is sure he's doing some mini-trails on the way). We then meet Mr. Vikram, our guide for the day. Vikram is very sceptical of the Safari making it on the trail but I am adamant. Encouraged by khan_sultan / chandan / dwaraka, I decide that nothing is going to stop me. If I get stuck, I get stuck but let me find out if the Safari can off-road or not for myself, instead of referring to Google.
First obstacle: some slush on an downward incline. I get into the incline in 4L and there is a hump to be crossed. By the time I accelerate for the hump, the Safari has started sliding towards a rock wall on the RHS. You know the expression with bricks in it - my meter has started and its beating an auto meter without even trying (10K, 20K, 30K). If the side of the Safari hits the wall, I'll have to sacrifice a lot of things.
Nobody is taking pictures - everybody is watching the Safari. A million thoughts run through my head - should I have listened to Vikram? If I get stuck here, I've ruined the OTR for everybody else. But 300 Nm can't be for nothing. Accelerate and the Safari lurches forward clearing the slush and the hump. Reclaimed life once.
Lesson learnt: in the few seconds I was mortified, I should have done something instead of measuring the gap between the Safari and the wall.
OK, this beast can pull off the road. We then reach a small stream and chandan has crossed it. He waits just after the stream and signals me to cross. I ask him to move forward since I don't want to ram into him by mistake. Stream crossed and I get out to take some pictures:
star_aqua crosses:
Next is a 90 degree left turn on a rocky incline - Vikram's assistants ensure only one vehicle at a time. I make the turn and there is another tall step to be crossed. 4L engaged, I lurch only to slip back. Again, with the same result. Vikram says rev it and try. Rev it in 4L and the Safari clears the tall step with the H/T tyres spinning away.
Reach the top and park behind chandan's Gypsy and Vikram's Jeep:
Traffic jam in the jungle:
Waiting to cross another stream, reassuring to have dwarak behind me:
Make it to stop 1 and park next to chandan's Gypsy:
khan_sultan pulls up with his cheerleaders:
To be continued...