[Lukeskywalker]

Awesome pics mate. Keep it rolling!!!

[mclaren1885]

Nishanth, those are some really nice pics. I wish my leg was allright and I could have stayed on foot a lot longer. Looks like I missed quite a lot sitting in the car. Keep the pics coming.

And btw, where is everyone else? I saw atleast 7-8 cams out there.

Originally Posted by dwaraka

Thank you all for support in keeping my engine running and towing upto chikkaballapur after my fuel got empty.

Ouch! When did this happen? You were right ahead of us, till the point you took a wrong turn.

[mclaren1885]

I don't these guys have ever come across the word "give up" or "dead end" in the dictionary they learnt English from. If you look at the last pic in my previous post, most sane people at this point would say, let us go back the way we came. We have hit a dead end.

But a certain Shah Nawaz decides to show what his ride is capable of. So he heads down.


Needless to say, he gets stuck....


After many many many tries....... And endless wheelspins... The Gypsy hasn't moved an inch. See ...


Shah manages to climb the summit, while we gave up clicking pics. And then all we hear from him for the next 1hr or more is making fun of all those vehicles that struggled uphill.

[mclaren1885]

Hrishi makes his way down.


Crazy these uncles are I tell you...


White beauty deices to take it sideways.


The truck refuses to climb easily. Hrishi tries for about 15 mins, backing out each time and gunning it up.


But this time he has a secret move up his sleeve.


I run for cover, fearing he would run me over . That is why you don't see any pics after this for the 3L monster.

[mclaren1885]

And down she goes...


Ouch! Thats a freaking one month old car. I shriek out loud with pain. Don't know what was going on in Hari's mind.




Hari is determined to better its 3L sibling and just guns it.. I am seeing this through my viewfinder and I think the truck went up on two wheels.


Unfazed by what had happened Hari decides to conquer the summit in one go...


And makes it with a take off and crash land too...


After this, all we hear is an endless argument between Hrishi and Hari asto which of the two monsters were better . I think Hari is not going to let Hrishi forget this anytime soon .

[mclaren1885]

So we just witnessed the battle between the two Safari's. Vinay wants to see how the Xenon performs, so gets behind the wheel to attempt this feat.


I am literally trying to float myself up when I see this sight. It pains to see the car you love even if it has a single scratch. And here we have the bumper going thud into mud. Ouch Ouch Ouch!


Vinay guns it.


And... The Xenon goes sideways...


Vinay is not the one to give up so easily, so he firmly puts his foot down and here he goes.. here he goes again.....


Conquering the summit in ONE go.


Ok, now the results are out. If you need a Tata truck to clear a summit like this then buy a Xenon . Followed by a 2.2L Dicor. Don't waste your money on the 3L 2 tonne monster *running for life before Hrishi runs me over* .

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Ok, now the results are out. If you need a Tata truck to clear a summit like this then buy a Xenon . Followed by a 2.2L Dicor.

Actually it says a lot about Vinay's skill, who grew up driving Army 4x4s in every possible terrain from a very young age.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Actually it says a lot about Vinay's skill, who grew up driving Army 4x4s in every possible terrain from a very young age.

I don't think you got the joke . And yes, if you read carefully, you will see me mention in my earlier posts itself that the trail would have been a complete nightmare and disaster if it wasn't for Vinay. He never gives up, but this trail I think got on his nerves a bit. I shall add my bit about the people towards the end of my report.

[Samurai]

I understood the joke about Tata sibling rivalry, but people shouldn't miss the part about driver skill.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I understood the joke about Tata sibling rivalry, but people shouldn't miss the part about driver skill.

Samurai san, kindly have some patience. Justice will be done to all vehicles and driving skills in the last segment.

FYI, there was NO Tata sibling rivalry. I am just making it up, to make reading a bit more interesting, that's all.

Actually, I was going to post "Ok, now the results are out. If you need a Tata truck to clear a summit like this then buy a Vinay " ala TG style. But wasn't sure how Vinay would react, since I hardly know him. So played it safe. Since I know Mo(h)nish, Hari, Hrishi, Siddhu very well I can make some fun of them and know that they will take it sportingly. Last thing I would want to do is offend people I just met. Anyways, I shall carry on with my report now..

[mclaren1885]

After seeing the pics, I am sure you all will agree with me how tough this particular hurdle was. Even the best of best (read Shah's Gypsy) struggled for traction to get on top. But there is a surprise in store for all of you. You must be thinking one must have a lot of GC (ala Shah's Gypsy) and/or lots of torque (1.3L Gypsy motor/jeeps/or Vinay at the wheels of a Tata) to be able to carry off this kinda stunt with ease. I cropped the previous set of pics to hide what happened at the very beginning. And truth be told, the first vehicle to climb this hurdle was.......



A puny 410 with Siddhu at the wheels. While most of the vehicles struggled to the top, Siddhu managed to get up there even before any of us even reached this point all by himself.



I think Siddhu had the last laugh amongst all the drivers!

Note to all: If you can't push yourself to put your cars through this kind of torture and are looking for a OTR chauffeur, look no further than our very own humble Siddhartha. He could use the money to pay for the spurious parts on his always breaking down RS .

And Siddhu, stop stealing others phones to siphon parts for your RS man . Poor Vinay had to struggle so much, borrowing Dwarak sir's sim card, Hrishi's cell phone just to find out where his phone was. Jesus, its time we get you some dowry to fund the repairs on that RS. rotflmao.

PS: IIRC, a few of the Jeeps, the Scorpio cleared the trail at one go too. Since I was too scared to walk up this treacherous path on foot owning to my swollen leg, I missed clicking the pics of the initial vehicles that went up.

The Scorpio impressed one and all. Rehaan just followed one motto. Foot down on the A pedal and let everything sort out itself.

[hgnishanth]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Nishanth, those are some really nice pics. I wish my leg was allright and I could have stayed on foot a lot longer. Looks like I missed quite a lot sitting in the car. Keep the pics coming.

And btw, where is everyone else? I saw atleast 7-8 cams out there.


Ouch! When did this happen? You were right ahead of us, till the point you took a wrong turn.

Thanks Rahul.. i am still a learner may it be offroading or photography. Well even with an injured leg your pictures are amazing and the write up is just excellent. Keep it coming.

Yes will be posting lots more pictures and quite a few videos.

Could do only so much yesterday cause after almost 20 hrs of OTR and almost a day out of the house on saturday with Roshan in getting the jeep cleaned serviced and few other works.. Sunday was typically reserved for Wifee!! I could only manage that much time yesterday

Yeah Dwarak Sir's Jypsy was out of fuel and was misfiring. Roshan / Sidhu / Hrishi and myself stayed back. Roshan and I towed the gypsy till a fuel station on the main road, after which with a lil bit of push/tow Dwarak sir managed to start his gypsy.

Then Sidhu gave the idea of having late supper early breakfast at the airport subway, so off went Sidhu & Hrishi ahead of us to pick up the subway sandwitches for all of us, while we were towing the Gypsy. I cant begin to tell you guys how nice a cold subway sandwitch feels/tastes on a chilly/windy early morning 3 am next to the highway, eating on a Gypsy bonnet!! I think all of us managed to gulp down a footlongwith ease!! Thanks Sidhu for the idea, it gave a much needed hunger break!!! I dont think any one of us would have got anything much to eat had we reached home hungry stomach at that time of the morning!

I also saw many more with cameras.. guys please start sharing pics..

Cheers

Nishanth

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Even the best of best (read Shah's Gypsy) struggled for traction to get on top. ....

While most of the vehicles struggled to the top, Siddhu managed to get up there even before any of us even reached this point all by himself.

Gypsies have a certain advantage which Sidhu uses to the maximum extent as he should. Shahnawaz doesn't use those advantages these days unless he is left with no choice. I suspect that was the difference, can somebody who was there confirm it?

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Note to all: If you can't push yourself to put your cars through this kind of torture and are looking for a OTR chauffeur, look no further than our very own humble Siddhartha.

Like last time when somebody gave him a Jeep...

[benbsb29]

@Hari : Have you removed those caps from the alloys on your Safari, or did they fall off?

Rahul, why did you reduce the size/resolution of the off-roading pics?

[vinod_nookala]

Guys,
You people had a wonderful OTR once again!! Nice to see expensive 4x4's numbers growing in every OTR. Great!!

p.s- With all due respects to Xenon, i feel that the approach angle is too low for some serious offroading and add a bull bar you have an approach angle of an Wagon R! Correct me if iam wrong!