[Red Liner]

This thread is all about a few 4x4'ers grouping together and exploring new trails in and around Bangalore for offroading.

May the discussions on these begin:

1. What are the trails that are already done. A comprehensive quick list.
2. Are there adjoining trails around the above we can explore?
3. How do we decide who goes on a more professional basis rather than a show of hands + phone calls. I am game for either, but if recce's are not discussed in the open, how do people know about it?
4. Do we do these recce's unannounced and off the group?
5. Do we have ideas of new trails which we can explore? Please post up.

I would think we post up recce's here, and block the participants to 5 vehicles and close it there. That was what I originally planned at the start of the Savandurga recce/OTR. The first 5 make it.

Mukund aka the Ragpicker, call me for the next recce I am there. I have been very tied up the past year which is why I have not really been around. Plus a few new additions to the garage.

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

1. What are the trails that are already done. A comprehensive quick list.

2. Are there adjoining trails around the above we can explore?

• Ramanagram (Dead trail now. Nothing left)
• Bidadi -- Looks like there could be potential
• Soligere -- Literally out of bounds now
• Kolar -- Not gone there for years now
• Sarjapur/Choodemahalli: -- ??
• Pearl Valley
• TG-Halli
• Chika Toray (Where we went last week)

3. How do we decide who goes on a more professional basis rather than a show of hands + phone calls. I am game for either, but if recce's are not discussed in the open, how do people know about it?

No Idea.

5. Do we have ideas of new trails which we can explore? Please post up.

• Kanakpura Road seems to have lots of potential. Lots of 'Rocky trails' could be possibly there
• BSK-6th Stage: In city and again lots of rocky trails possible
• Somebody mentioned 'Tumkur Road'..
• Chika Toray: Lots of potential

I would think we post up recce's here, and block the participants to 5 vehicles and close it there. That was what I originally planned at the start of the Savandurga recce/OTR. The first 5 make it.

IMHO, the first 5 may NOT be the best candidates to go in for a recee. May need to rethink on who all goes for the recee.

I think 1-2 seniors + 2-3 other folks are the ideal for the recee part.

[vinod_nookala]

Well guys, interesting thread...recce is something we too miss out often. First hand, we end up either finding the trail too much to be explored or end up doing a picnic sort of Off road.
Who does the recce is the big question!! May be we find some solution out of discussions here.:-)))

[Red Liner]

Okay Khan, lets begin the recce's. I think you have listed out quite a few. I will try to meet Jammy sometime this week and I will check with him on this. I agree with you on the first 5 bit. We should just post up the recce details here and on JT with the confirmed seniors and add 2-3 more of whoever else wants to join. If the recce is successful, we do a full blown OTR the forthcoming week end.

So, which one do we start with? I am free this Sunday (8th) with a marginally okay jeep (brakes on one wheel are out - plugged a leak, steering assy is wild). We need to get a tow rope. Shall we go back to Chika-toray and explore more since you mention its a lot of potential?

[khan_sultan]

My plans for this weekend are a bit fluid -- but no way I am going to Chika Toray this weekend.

Also, we should prepare a list of essentials for a Recee. here are my inputs:

Recovery Gear
----------------

• Fully working/functional Tow Cable
• All 4x4's with recovery gear and hooking points
• Hi-Lift Jack
• Tool Box
• Other essential consumables
• First AID kit

People
---------

• Also very essential, IMHO, is a person who knows the local language very well and is able to strike a rapport with the local folks around the area we do the recee.

Food/Etc

• Enough drinking water + short eats
• A light jacket + caps (You never know, at times one can get stranded in night)

Keep adding..

[Red Liner]

I think you have added enough stuff. Just got off the phone with Mukund and he mentioned that we can probably fry a few eggs if we go on a recce anywhere in Bangalore vicinity until the monsoons strike. I will agree to that. Having one kannadiga/person who knows kannada around with us will be good. Thats usually a done deal.

Not this week end - gives me some time to fix the niggles on my jeep. March end, there's a camping being planned. How about mid-march? Should give us a breather to recover from the stuff thats just happened and raise our appetites. Though Mukund was whining about getting up early on Sunday, I am sure he will be there if we give sufficient recovery time. We have plenty of time, so lets think more about the trails for now.

[ragpicker]

Hey Folks,

Check out the trails behind Bannerghatta national park. Go towards the national park, take the left going towards Jigani industrial estate, first major right takes you to Raagi Halli. See if you can make a trail thru the jungles which should get you onto a road from Anekal to Harohalli. Me supposed to explore that side from a while but have not gotten around to going there.

cheers

[sreerajunnithan]

Very Good thread. I think you guys should be selective about the ppl (Drivers and Vehicles) who is participating this. Strictly not more than 5 4X4s, experienced off roaders, Good Condition of the vehicle, It would be gr8 if at least one 4X4 with a winch, If others (who owns a Jeep/Gypsy/) want to participate they can But without their vehicle, Not more than 2 in a vehicle, preperation for night stay as K_S pointed, a GPS would be handy for recording route but not neccecary.

Thanks
--Sree--

[Sha]

Good thread.
Winch is must for any recee.
There are trails after Hosur say about 4-5 trails from the highway upto A2B. Today while driving through higway I wanted to try but no backup vehicle so did not try it.

[trammway]

I have conducted 2 RECCE in JAWADHU Hills, as I'm planning to conduct a offroad even there.

IMO, RECCE is an exercise to identify and analyze the route and terrain. Hence one need not consider recce means something which 100% requires an hardware to accompany with, Even by trekking one can identify and mark the locations.

Secondly while going for RECCE with Jeeps the number should not be more than 3 or 4. This will ease the travel time, the best part to carry 2-3 people in a Jeep.

As all have already expressed the Jeep should have most of the recovery items and all the easily damagable items such as hoses, cables.

It is also advised strongly to know the environment before you venture into the RECCE excercise like legal barriers and permissions etc.

It is also good to carry a local person where the RECCE is planned.

The communication plans also plays a vital role as RECCE itself a exploration work and needs few people outside the RECCE area know about it. So it comes handy if there is a SOS situation.

Then it is also neccessary to carry enough food and water along, don't forget to take a compass and First Aid kit along

[khan_sultan]

Friends,

We 4 -- Mukund (Ragpicker), Vijay (star_aqua), Vijay (Swastikviji) & self spent the day today on a recce for a new OTR trail and have found some good spots for off-roading near Jigani/Anekal area.

So 1 more trail for us to explore -- and best of all, it is all 'non forest' land and tons of opportunity for us to explore in detail.

Type: Mainly Mud/Loose gravel. Would be quite a trail in rainy seasons. Small areas with hilly boulders/rocky areas. There are several small rainy streams that have little valleys that can be explored further. A quite large pond/water bed also exists.

Difficulty: Begineers - Moderate. (Need to explore the area more to test/find tough paths, but for sure there is potential)

Local Situation: Sparsely populated villages. NO forest issues.

Food/Etc availablity: Not available. All things to be carried over.

Similarity to any existing trail: Pearl Valley

Pictures of some parts of the trail would be put up soon by Vijay.

PS: Vijay/Vijay will officially 'name' this place soon :-)

Cheers,

[star_aqua]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Friends,


PS: Vijay/Vijay will officially 'name' this place soon :-)

Name has been decided . waiting for vijay to post the pics!

[ragpicker]

The plan to go out was hatched late on saturday night. Sultan laughing when i told him that we will go out early. He thought that we will leave only by 8 or 9 am. Surprisingly we were all set to leave at 5 am in front of iim on banerghatta road.

It is one of the few times that i kept up my time and did not keep anyone waiting. It was great to leave very early in the morning at 5 am. Cool breeze and at times it was chill too.

Beautiful place where i had loafed around many a year back. It was great to be that side again. The amount of loafing space we have around ourselves is so huge that it never fails to fascinate me.

Thanks to Sultan, StarAqua and SwastikViji for making this a memorable trip.

cheers

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by ragpicker

The plan to go out was hatched late on saturday night. Sultan laughing when i told him that we will go out early. He thought that we will leave only by 8 or 9 am. Surprisingly we were all set to leave at 5 am in front of iim on banerghatta road.

It is one of the few times that i kept up my time and did not keep anyone waiting. It was great to leave very early in the morning at 5 am. Cool breeze and at times it was chill too.

Beautiful place where i had loafed around many a year back. It was great to be that side again. The amount of loafing space we have around ourselves is so huge that it never fails to fascinate me.

Thanks to Sultan, StarAqua and SwastikViji for making this a memorable trip.

cheers

And where's the picture? So now (again) made us to wait for pics

[A-jay]

NOTE FROM TEAM-BHP SUPPORT: Please do not spam the threads with same one liners again & again. Stick to the context of the thread and do read the rules before proceeding further.

Team-BHP - Announcements in Forum : Announcements

Thanks.
Team-BHP Support