Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   4x4 Excursions (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-excursions/)

-   -   Munnar Monsoon Magic! Updated! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-excursions/83674-munnar-monsoon-magic-updated.html)

There are 2 things that off-roaders in Bangalore do between Feb - May every year:

1. Start their vehicle preparations for the upcoming season
2. Pray for rains and then some more rains -- the more the better.

With the rain gods showing mercy and some little testing of vehicles going on, few of us decided to head out to Munnar for some monsoon magic and welcome the arrival of the monsoon in Kerala.
To fully enjoy this vacation, only 6-7 vehicles were allowed and some very very serious planning was done for some 3-4 weeks -- where every possible thing was discussed in great detail. The only thing we did not discuss was actually the plan itself.

Anyway, let me not bore you with mundane details and just give you all a preview of what we did for 3 days there in Munnar :).



















I am sure rest of the folks who went there will weave a never ending story around this fairy tale of a trip.

WHAT!! :Shockked:

This is just awesome Khan saab, do tell us more. Looking forward to a detailed report! and how could you??!!

Looks like this is going to be another famous, block buster thread

i have read atleast few of them now and i begin to understand what to expect in such a thread.

I also see it as a great team building event and method. I am looking forward to learn more about this event.

Super pics there! I am just imagining being there! Waiting for more pics. Some pics of highway too!

Was just waiting for this thread to start... Looks yummie Yummie OTR, Definately everybody would have enjoyed.

Blockbuster of a thread in the making. I'm subscribed.

Khan Saab and Jaggu Bhai, please don't stop

wow, the trail is too tempting..

please post some more pics.

Awesome! Sooooooooooooooo much fun!

Excellent start of the Monsoon :-)

Have been watching hurricane owner's FB for a while with udpates. Good to see it started here.

What's surprising is, Khan starting this thread. :D Probably he was fed up with those guys who never bothered to start one. Hehehe

Nice pics, keep them coming saab. lol:

@siddu, which one you took, the tractor or the Gypsy?

I was lucky enough to be a part of this OTR and I must say one of the wonderful

journey Ive been through. Be it People, vehicles, OTR or food everything will remain

as a fond memory for a very long time.

Have attended few OTR's since November '09 but this is one hell of an OTR. Everything was extreme in this OTR. Very few pictures have been captured from my side as it was raining 24/7. Managed to click

some pictures and few videos which I will be uploading in a while.

And thanks to Swastik viji,Vijay Prabhu, Sri raj, jaggu, Khan Sultan, Rajesh,
Siddarth, Venky and others for letting me be a part of this amazing
OTR.

Pictures and videos will be added when ever I have some free time.

Ah!!! Finally it's here. It was one heck of a weekend!!!!

--Sree--

Heard of this trip happening.

Looks like it was a mud bath.

Looking forward to pics /details on the slush and am sure there was quite a bit of recovery done?

What a way to welcome the Monsoon!

Spot and conditions looks very very challenging, to say the least.

Hooked on to the report.

:eek:

Jaggu: were you or were you not at Coorg? ;)

Beautifull photos!
Can't wait for the step-by-step narration!

Wow. Nice to see all the actions coming in the form of pic's and words. For the benefit of others on the entire trip here is the small gist of it.

Day 1 (11th june 00:30 hrs) Meet up at silk board

Total jeeps - 7
2 Gypsy's
4 MM 550's
1 Invader
Reached the first destinations at 15:hrs after a drive on tarmac for about 525 kms.
Four jeeps joined from Kerala. (2 CJ's/ 1 MM 540 and 1 invader)

The first OTR destination Vattavada Dam via Jayesh's farm house (Place we planned to sleep that night)

To reach the farm house after covering approx: 5 kms took 4 hours plus hours with one jeep break down (CJ from Kerala).

All of us were so tired and exhausted that we planned to rest and finish the track next day morning, but after food and refreshment decided to hit on the trail towards Vattavada dam.
Decided to have less jeeps to avoid further break downs.
Started off on the track with 1 gypsy 2 MM 540 and 1 Invader at 23:00 hrs.
The track was so heavy in the night, one of the MM 550 struggled to climb through, and we decided to turn back and try back in the morning.
We reached the farm house at 4:00 in the morning.

Day 2.
Five of us with 2 jeeps (gypsy and invader) started again at 730 am and started climbing the mountain to reach the final destination of Vattavada Dam. We covered the deadly pine forest went through the deep slush, cut few loges on the way and managed to touch the dam site with great satisfaction and sense of achievement.
It was wet and cold with lots and lots of leaches around.
Retured back to the base camp with all the member to get ready for the Day 2 trail.

All the jeeps started off at 12 noon passing through Koviloor village covered approx: 8 kms rocky muddy track and returned back around 730 in the evening.
All of us were so exhausted; we decided to stay in the Camp Noyel resort to stat fresh in the morning to Bangalore.

But the fate had some thing else to say, to reach the resort, we took more then 3 hours after ditching 1 540 on that heavy muddy track.

Final Day.
Got up very late, after break fast, reached Munnar in the evening recovered the 540 and towed all the way to munnar and got fixed in the local garage to head back home.
The drive in the night to Bangalore via chinnar wildlife sanctuary was exciting with the hope to see some animals on the way.

But I guess with all the lights and the raving sound from the engines made the animals stay away from the road.

Finally got back to Bangalore on 14th at 830 in the morning, most of us skipped the office and slept whole day and night.

Total drive on tarmac of 1000 + Kms and approx: 30 kms of extreme off road track with 85 hours of sleep less days and nights pumped in enough adrenaline to make us feel what we capable off.

Superb trip guys. I personally enjoyed to the max: looking forward for more events.

Regards

Robinson