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-   -   NIOC OTR 28th March - Pics and Report! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-excursions/55838-nioc-otr-28th-march-pics-report.html)

I have never ever attended an OTR event. Not even as a spectator. My only experience of an OTR is through the numerous threads posted on TBHP.
Infact the only offroading we have done in the Safari has been some mild stuff in Jaisalmer and on riverbanks.

With some knowledge(little knowledge can be dangerous right), we decided to go the whole hog. We assumed it to be the simple walk in the park kind of stuff.. but then in OTRs, expect the unexpected.

The day started unlike any normal saturday. We woke up pretty early, and at 7am were around Dhaula Kuan(thinking 7:10am is the meeting) time... but it was 6:30, and people had already moved on.
So decided to reach the venue directly, as I had the exact GPS position for the turn point on NH4.(thanks Harjeev!)

Tanked up, and reached the turn point close to 8am, and then turned left, and started coming on the road as instructed.

Then the road vanished, with a deep chasm(you can see this point in the older OTR thread), with two stones.

Soon a Jeep came for our "rescue" and without any drama in 4L, we slowly crossed the first challenge of the day.

It was only the beginning!

Reached the venue to find it teeming with one GV, One Scorpio, a Landy a Gurkha and millions of jeeps of various shapes and sizes and sounds.
Except the GV, everyone was ready for the trail.

We were like babes in the woods, and Roshun thankfully became our baby sitter(thanks buddy).

Slowly and slowly we started crawling towards the first "ground".
The track was unlike and sand track I had ever driven on.
Rocks, thorny bushes(I hate those), and funny inclines and declines where one wheel was guaranteed to be in air.

Lucky the step guards did not suffer any damage(sorry jeepers I know I caused traffic jams, crawling at 0.001kmph over obstacles :) ), but I was very worried about thornes.
Soon found out the best way to take care of that... use the bull bar as a bulldozer.
Slowly and steadily, with Roshun getting out of the scorpio and guiding us at every hard part, we inched along.. and very soon, the first real challenge of the day, a very steep sandy descent!

...CONT...

Hehehe reminds me of my first time. First time you are so much shocked to see all these people going crazy around you climbing up and down the mounds like kids with toy cars, that you just manage to hang on to your life and make it through the OTR.

cheers
vishwas

Before the descent the trail was slightly difficult, with some locaitons requiring wheel in air.
The six meter turning radius meant taking tight turns was very difficult.
However the jeeps did not have power steering, and therefore jeepers did not take any turns. They just pointed in the direction and pressed acclerator. Trail or no trail, it did not matter
The guide

The twists. What you see is a 2WD jeep, going on by sheer momentum, luck and winches!

the first challenge, the descent


No ABC and 1st low was the mantra
Well Safari has a fairly low crawler gear, so no issues going down.

Slow and steady....

And finally victory


But it was just trailer. Picture is still remaining.

Slowly other jeeps are about to come

But Harjeev decides not to use the track as he did not want to turn the steering of the non PS Jeep.

Landy comes down without any problems... quietly without any fuss.


Slowly everybody comes down, and not its time to climb a steep sandy slope. 2 weeks back X5 did the slope as it was hard, but constant churning has made it very sandy, and this time, its the challenge of the moment.....

@TSK: After all that you and your ride has been thru, this is definitely a breath of fresh air.

I am sure most of the regular question will be asked, so I am just going to enjoy the posts.:)

EDIT:

@Roshun : Hope to see more photos and your report.

@Harjeev : No honeymoon period, is it? Putting the jeep thru the drill on the very first time. clap:

Aaha...complete the account saar! Ranjan Da did not take his GV any further than he starting point?!

nice pics tanveer,good that you are enjoying your beast without any issues(touchwood)
@happy wheels AFAIK harjeev's jeep is still being restored so he might be driving someone else's

Ooopps! My bad! stupid:

the gv was parked after the first hurdle...as it avoided ruining its bumper by mere centimeters.def a smart decision.
anyways a willys mb had been brought along specially for the gv's owners.
this OTR was great and the scorpio/safari performed really well......despite their H/T tyres.i guess they have the torque advantage because on one particular incline (tanveen will surely have a report of this ) the soft roaders made it up with relative ease whereas a willys, a classic and a 540 had to be towed up.

Hey Tanveer,
Its was great to meet you in person.
Great narration and pics. Keep it coming, buddy!!!
Cant wait to see and read the rest of the report and pictures..

@happy
As akshay has correctly pointed out, my jeep is still in the workshop. I expect to have it in a week to 10 days.

I was driving a fellow jeepers jeep and lucky for me, this OTR was was his 1st after he bought the jeep and infact the jeep is his first 4 wheeler too.
So he was not very comfortable in driving, and me helpful, as I always am was very happy to oblige. :D:D

The challenge of the moment was a sandy hill, turned very very loose by vehicles, and nobody was expected to reach the crest.
I don't have many pics, as I was trying with white elephant, other pitch in.

Anyways the scorpio went at it

But the highest point anybody could reach was daredevil Harjeev.
He used to go back, give full throttle and go charging up. The jeep would fly in the air.
But victory eluded him by a whisker.


It was my turn. Handed my wife the camera, and charged at the hill.
Everybody was watching I think, wondering where will the safari 4x4 do!

But on first attempt momentum is missing, and I make it up a little but,with wheels spinning

This was the highest I went then


So what to do? Observe from a distance before starting up again

This time I charge again high rpm on 2nd Low, and she goes quote high.
140 horses do mean something!

But that something is also not enough as the HT tires just keep turning, and I come back down, tasting defeat like everybody else.
Maybe Landy will do it? Or maybe the Gurkha.
Reversing




....CONT....

After that it was time to come back and watch

Landy, decides to have a go

I don't have the full sequence, but even the Landy fails. Harjeev still holds the record!


So who will do the hill? The Gurkha?
with its difflocks and all, everybody had high hopes.
I decide to ride shotgun with Rahul(rhandle)

But will Gurkha do it?
Sadly not.
1L meant no speed, so 4 wheels spinning meant digging in.
On 2L there was not enough torque(unlike scorpio and safari) and at the top as she started to dig in the engine would stall.

More pics



Thats all I have from the Hillclimbs, Roshun you need to put in more pics!

After that it was time to go back, and head to the meeting point again for leg two.
The route chosen was difficult, and we were really crawling.One if the jeepers was overheard that he is a very safe driver. rl:

I followed our Baby sitter Roshun.
A couple of jeeps and roshun went up a very steep incline.

Soon they were back for us on foot to guide us up the very steep incline.
We did not know it yet, but this incline will defeat the jeeps, almost defeat the gypsy and also stall the gurkha.

But I did not want to be winched out.
2L and 3000rpm was the mantra as I charged at the steep sandy route.
.. CONT ..

Hi Tanveer,

If I may add to what you have written. That Jeep was being driven by Pushkin. Who is amoung the best drivers in NIOC. He can take a 2 WD at place where some guys would put a 4WD.

That was a sheer skill driving with some pull by tow straps here and there.

Great writeup yaar !!!


H Sarab,

The Major driven by Pushkin had to be towed up because it was a 100% 4x4 incline and the major was a 2x4.

540 was mine and I did manage to take it up easily.

regds

Amit

OK I'm missing something here.
Last I met pushkin he owned the Jeep that harjeev is driving down the hill with white soft top. So when and why did he buy a 4x2 major? His jeep was one of the best restored mm550 here.

cheers
vishwas

Sorry......mistook mr.pushkins 550 for a 540.stupid:

Hi Viswas,

So you meet him ages back. That Jeep had an issue getting registered. He wanted a vechile registres in Delhi or Gurgaon. So he sold that Jeep to a Fellow Jeeper who has got it registered it in Punjab.

The new Jeep is a modified Major with a DI turbo charged engine with a hard top, a/c, accord seats on the hole a good job. He is planning to get it converted to a 4x4. That is though an expensive proposition as it is a 5 speed gear box.

His 550 was indeed the best restored Jeep.


No Issues buddy. These Jeeps all look the same.

Regds

Amit