[tsk1979]

Sometimes the govt forgets to build roads. Lahaul and Spiti is one such place.
The possibilities are endless. Meadows, tracks, river beds....

[Ym-enjn]

Wow.. Didn't knew you can drive all the up to Paradise.. The third pic from the top is simply mind blowing. One question.. why is the sky so blue?? :}

[tsk1979]

The reason for blue sky is no pollution and high altitude.
Many pics were taken at over 4000m above sea level, and others at around 3200-3500m above sea level.

[sudev]

The star of all the picture and twinkle of your eyes......lovely pics. Feellike dropping off al things at hand and head up there!

[tsk1979]

What are you doing down here Sudev! you should have gone with the recce team. I am told there were up there couple of days back

[tsk1979]

This thread is mostly about the himalayas, and the dirt tracks and the rocky trails.
This winter it was time for something different
Gujrat.

Gujrat is the home of the little Rann and the Great Rann.
Endless flats, calling you to floor the engine, and go to the horizon.

Its also the home of sandy beaches, and lovely sunsets. Driving on a beach is something we had never done before.

As for the flats, well we had done sambhar before, but this time we discovered the beauty and the danger of Rann.

first the little Rann.
It looks so tempting, and simply, but its easy to lose your way and get lost without a GPS, and its even easier to find that solitary pocket of sand and get bogged down.


The horizon is calling.






At the beach.
Beaches are tough, and beaches are tricky, esp with high tide coming in. Luckily, we managed all without getting stuck


But there exists a Rann which swallows tractors and trucks. And it ate the white elephant too!


the Rescue

YouTube - Safari Tractor Rescue

[tanwaramit]

wow Tanveer, amazing pics is the one word. You managed to get in quite a few distance before getting stuck.

The tractor had to pull out and then take your beast to quite a few distance.

Were you in 4L before getting stuck ?

[tsk1979]

I was in 4H, and she went in on momentum. When the safari gets stuck, it really gets stuck!

[adc]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Gujrat is the home of the little Rann and the Great Rann.
Endless flats, calling you to floor the engine, and go to the horizon.


The horizon is calling.

Attachment 510822

Of course wonderful images, how did you get this from the top? I am yet to finish up reading yours and vardhan's Rann runs.

[tsk1979]

I held the camera over my head and jumped

[tsk1979]

Its been a long time since I updated this thread. Below are a series of pictures in the High Himalaya, in the Feb of 2011. with a western disturbance looming, we hit the mountains again, went to Kinnaur, and enjoyed the snow!

Our first long ride had us negotiating ice in pitch dark


And couple of days later we got the snowstorm!


Luckily, it did not get sunny, and we got snowfall in the day!


And that day was the day we headed back, under heavy snowfall, which meant, no pesky traffic, just the rumble of our diesel, and the soft sound of snow under the tires


For a full year we did not take her to the mountains, but what came in Jan 2012.... was something beyond the wildest dreams....

[tsk1979]

I guess its time to update this thread!
The Safari has done a lot of snow driving, but most of it was in accessible places, with not so high altitudes, and ambient temps within -2,-3 degrees.

In Jan 2012, we had a chance to go to -7.
The trip was to Gangotri, in winters. Roads are closed during this time, however due to elections in UK, BRO had cleared the roads enough so that their trucks could deliver ballots and election officials.

So here we were at almost 3000mts above MSL, in peak winter season.
Result, driving on packed ice over 6 inches thick


Our job. Support vehicle for the Bikers in our group+ an EEco
Yes. Maruti Eeco. You will be surprised what a 2WD Eeco can do with 4 people stuffed in the boot for weighing down.


There is absolutely no danger of getting stuck. The biggest danger is skidding. With simple AT tires without studs or chains, there is absolutely no grip. If you start sliding, you slide till you hit the snow embankments, if there are no embankments, you go tumbling down into the Ganga.


Another pic


Surprisingly, even at this altitude, the high sun areas are devoid of any snow!


But where there is shade, you get this!


However snow means narrower roads. For 2WD BRO trucks, it also means no go, and hence long one truck traffic jams


Sometimes two trucks get entangled, like electrons in a quantum romance


And sometimes they tunnel through... and you get wounds


So this was a short story of a very small adventure trip of ours, and our first and only "group" ride till date with "WED"

[tsk1979]

2012 also saw our aging safari conquer passes unheard off. With breakdowns and triumphs, it was a trip to remember no doubt.
Some pics from the journey.

The high point of the trip was the Kakasang La. The toughest pass we have ever done, apart of Marsimik La.

Full log here
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...l-again-5.html

Sharing some moments.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

The high point of the trip was the Kakasang La. The toughest pass we have ever done, apart of Marsimik La.

Awesome pictures as always Tanveer. Why would you rate the Kaksangla as one of the toughest? Is it because of the remoteness?

I have not been to Marsmik La, but this year we plan to visit Ladakh again, so will try to have a go.

Since you love the Himalayas and offroading, please take out some time and visit the eastern part. Sandakphu is highly recommended as that is one of the toughest climbs I have faced. You will love it and it will be a break for Sandkphu as well to see a Tata instead of the regular Land Rovers and Mahindras. Edit: forgot that LR is part of Tata now

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Awesome pictures as always Tanveer. Why would you rate the Kaksangla as one of the toughest? Is it because of the remoteness?

I have not been to Marsmik La, but this year we plan to visit Ladakh again, so will try to have a go.

Since you love the Himalayas and offroading, please take out some time and visit the eastern part. Sandakphu is highly recommended as that is one of the toughest climbs I have faced. You will love it and it will be a break for Sandkphu as well to see a Tata instead of the regular Land Rovers and Mahindras. Edit: forgot that LR is part of Tata now

Actually, its the toughest because when we did it the trail was all rock. Most places it was blocked due to construction, and we had to take steep offroad rocky shortcuts where one bad move would mean cartwheeling down the hill into Mirpal Tso.

As for the East would love to do so, but somehow, I am too lazy to bring myself to cross the badlands of UP.
moreover, places like Sikkim etc., have a big permit thing issue due to local taxi union. Such rules and regulations to facilitate a pressure group usually puts me off. So I don't think Sikkim is happening anytime soon.