[pdev29]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Arre, even my drive in your Monstar & Allan's Gypsy & the THAR is pending. I badly wanted to drive these but.... All the time it was ok, next turn/obstacle we will drive it or ask you to drive my vehicle but it just did not happen... I think the best would have been to just drive it straight away. somewhere in the back of the mind that there are 3 days of off-roading made us a little lazy thinking that there is time.

now this will happen only if we come to munnar or next year when you guys are back in mumbai but i want to experience the beast. you have made a killer machine.

[The Wolf]

This event by far looks like the most well organized one of all, experience does make things better, doesnt it?!

Wish I could make it, it wouldve been a wonderful experience

[Tejas@perioimpl]

More pictures from day 1 at lonavla:

[Backseat Driver]

Originally Posted by V-16

I think i passed my EXAMM. Did you??!!

I completely agree, this was my first OTR and I'm hooked. Great weather, amazing location, fantastic jeeps and mind-blowing obstacles.
However, the organization on the first day left a lot to be desired, especially time management. While I agree that with such a large turnout, each obstacle took very long, I expected the organizers to have anticipated this and prepared for it.
The other big problem was communication dissemination, nobody seemed to know where to go after completing an obstacle. A lot of time was wasted just waiting around and wondering about what next! This situation could have been easily avoided if all the jeeps had been divided into two groups and a lead car assigned to each group.
This whole situation got completely frustrating towards the end of the day, when we returned to Lion point at around 9pm and then waited for the entire group to assemble. Especially, as none of us knew the way to Kinal’s farmhouse in Karjat, which was the site for the Alfa Kilo challenge. After about a half hour’s wait, MC and I decided to go to Lonavala, as we wanted to do some shopping. We finished all our shopping and then waited for some more time!
Finally at around 10:30pm some of the Hyderabad jeeps came and announced that we were to head to the food plaza on the highway, after the Khopoli exit and the others would meet us there. So off we went!
We reached the food plaza and again waited!
After a while, we came to know that the rest of the group had decided to stay back at Lonavala for dinner and afters! and would come to Karjat the next day. We now had to decide whether to go on to Karjat or back to Lonavala.
We decided to proceed to Karjat as we were very keen on the Alfa Kilo challenge and didn’t think that we could get there on time in the morning. The only problem was – none of us knew the way and it was already 12:45. So we called Kunal and in spite of the lateness of the hour, he guided us over the phone to his farmhouse. Many thanks to Kunal and Nishant, who came out to the main road to guide us to the farmhouse. I’m sure we would have wandered for hours if it weren’t for these guys. Thanks again!
So finally we reached the farmhouse at 1.30am and found dinner for about a hundred people, ready and waiting! Hate to see so much food wasted!
Well so all in all an unpleasant end to what was an amazing day!

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Backseat Driver

However, the organization on the first day left a lot to be desired, especially time management. While I agree that with such a large turnout, each obstacle took very long, I expected the organizers to have anticipated this and prepared for it.

BD, any large OTR event never starts on time or and never ends on time. This includes professional managed MGE events too. Every offroader gets used to that fact after couple of events and learns to just go with the flow and enjoy the moments.

There was one large event in Munnar where we finished the offroading at the sane hour of 5:30PM. Only trouble was we had ended up in another state and 240Kms away from our resort.

[robinson.s]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Thanks mate! You've got some guts! Where are the pics from your camera? Do put them up. Too bad you nearly recovered us on thursday!

The pics will uploaded shortly, its in Gaggu's camera. We missed out on the recovery part Thursday night. Its would have been a nice caption though.
"Bangalore boys recovered the Organisers"

Regards

[Backseat Driver]

Originally Posted by pdev29

I hope you understand what i am trying to say.

cheers.

Dear Devang,
I'm sorry if I have caused offense. The idea here was not to offend or point fingers at anyone, infact i appluaud the planning and effort that went into organizing such a wonderful and complex event. I just thought that this could be a learning experience for both the participants and the organizers so that this first attempt can become a world-class yearly event.

Regards,
Bidisha

[pdev29]

Originally Posted by Samurai

BD, any large OTR event never starts on time or and never ends on time. This includes professional managed MGE events too. Every offroader gets used to that fact after couple of events and learns to just go with the flow and enjoy the moments.

There was one large event in Munnar where we finished the offroading at the sane hour of 5:30PM. Only trouble was we had ended up in another state and 240Kms away from our resort.

Different STATE and 240 KM how did you manage that??

Originally Posted by robinson.s

The pics will uploaded shortly, its in Gaggu's camera. We missed out on the recovery part Thursday night. Its would have been a nice caption though.
"Bangalore boys recovered the Organisers"


hahaha we were lucky and got saved, or else you guys would have made our life worst on forum

Regards

[gsferrari]

I think it is fair to say that despite a few hiccups, we had a BLAST! What the organizer team and the organizing club will do is take the feedback, implement some changes to the processes and come up with a better event with some crazy trails next year.

There is no doubt that the trails have a lot of potential offering a great mix for newbies and expert off-roaders alike. Interacting with many of you has given us inputs on how to put up a better show. Expect more thrills in V2.0

[V-16]

Well said Guru. Absolutely right !!

Also I hope your coffin...er....ice box grows larger. Owing to the sheer size of that thing you tug along (thank God for that, as its a life saver for many of us) i would like to christen you as "The Undertaker"

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by pdev29

Different STATE and 240 KM how did you manage that??

By crossing over a mountain that separates the states. Here is how it happened:

Originally Posted by Samurai

An hour later, around 5PM we finally ride out onto to the tar road. Oops, time to disengage 4WD, back to 2WD. Yeah, that concludes the Jeep Thrills offroading trail, the toughest and the most beautiful trail I ever had the fortune to drive on.

There is some confusion happening there. While waiting for rest of the gang to come down, I try to get some details from Jayesh (Jack33) about how to go back to the resort.

Me: Ok, how do we go back to Ayur County.
Jayesh: You mean Munnar, you can’t go to Munnar, you can stay in Kodai today.
Me: What?
Jayesh: You are in Tamilnadu now, closer to Kodai.
Me: What?
Jayesh: You came over the mountain taking the Munnar-Kodai route. By road Munnar is 200+ kms away.
Me: What???

[DKG]

If there is a paradise for offroading it most certainly was Lonavla and Sawarsai. The natural beauty of the region floored me and I was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the place.

We had loads of fun and without a doubt you guys made our trip all the way from Hyderabad most memorable.

I realise its not easy organising large events but you guys need to plan things more meticulously for the next event. I was asked to be at Lions point at 7:30 am which I was and not until 9 am did the first Jeep turn up ! Its a different thing that I loved the tranquility of that morning and enjoyed it immensely as I waited for all to turn up.

One should also try to end events before sun down as its downright unsafe.

Somewhere along the line the bit about handling the locals went totally out of whack and several Jeepers had unpleasant moments with roads being blocked.

The lack of time planning and local villager issues aside this indeed was a most special event. I loved every bit of it.

Big thanks to Tejas and team for organising this for all of us. Your efforts are deeply appreciated and had it not been for your message asking for feedback, which I have posted, you have a winner on your hands for the future.

The sight of Pavna lake and the surrounding hills in that intermittent rainfall was magical. I was floored and thanks a ton for organising such a special viewing for us.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

The Spidey dance at Sawarsi:

[drifter]

Really good to see the spidey flexing her legs. That is some mean articulation. Are there any videos?

Drifter

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

The Spidey dance at Sawarsi:

He he.. Jaggu was driving with my B.I.L sitting inside, all scared :-). Look at the directions in which the wheels are pointed, all ready to roll over. It was fun.

Originally Posted by drifter

Really good to see the spidey flexing her legs. That is some mean articulation. ..

Actually, it is the lack of articulation that is making the wheels rise up in the air. The jeeps that did it after me went without any drama :-)