[zenren]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

the prize goes to Batal-Gramphoo section in Himachal Pradesh, where my Linea had more than 50 underbody hits, but survived the battle! It is a misnomer to call it a road; it's only a track formed by military 4x4 vehicles, private trucks and Tata Sumos depending upon the ground situation there. It had all the ingredients to make it the worst road: horizontal and vertical curves, stream-crossings, narrow road with full of stones and boulders of all sizes, to name a few!

On one very narrow S curve on a ghat section, there was a water-crossing with full of boulders. Slowly and carefully, I drove my Linea on knee-deep water and entered the last turn on the S curve, only to face a fully-loaded truck blocking the road! The truck driver signalled his inability to go in his reverse direction as there were couple of trucks behind him. The road was just wide enough for a truck and nothing more. The outside was freezing with sub-zero temperature. So, I somehow reversed my Linea in the double-curve, but every time, I ended up dashing against boulders submerged in the water and invisible on my Linea's rear-view mirrors.

Can't still accept it as a road! Even the 4x4 SUVs would think twice before venturing on that surface.

OT but I now know one Linea that should never be considered while going for a used car purchase

[500ContyCruiser]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

Now, the prize goes to Batal-Gramphoo section in Himachal Pradesh

I agree some of HP roads are almost non-motorable! Still I love those roads the way they are!! Especially Spiti Valley

Below photo taken after crossing Malling Nala

Originally Posted by 500ContyCruiser

Still I love those roads the way they are!! Especially Spiti Valley

Thanks, 500ContyCruiser. Even I enjoyed driving on those terrible, but scenic roads.

Originally Posted by Ragul

Where did you go? Kaaza?

Thanks, Ragul. My Linea visited Kinnaur-Spiti-Lahaul circuit in Himachal Pradesh via this route: Bangalore>Vadodara>Chandigarh>Shimla>Sarahan>Kalpa >Kaza>Bilaspur>Jaisalmer>Pune>Bangalore. The places indicated refer to the night halts.

Originally Posted by zenren

but I now know one Linea that should never be considered while going for a used car purchase

Thanks, zenren. You don't have to worry as I don't have any plans to part with my Linea!

Originally Posted by CoolFire

God, you got more courage than an Everest climber.

Thanks, CoolFire. I pass on the compliment to my Linea!

[arup.misra]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

It had all the ingredients to make it the worst road: horizontal and vertical curves, stream-crossings, narrow road with full of stones and boulders of all sizes, to name a few! I ended up dashing against boulders submerged in the water and invisible on my Linea's rear-view mirrors.

Is that the stairway to hell? .

Since you have survived to tell the tale, I suppose you can approach fiat with the picture. May be they'd use it for their ad campaign and in exchange you get a new Linea whenever its launched.

Originally Posted by arup.misra

May be they'd use it for their ad campaign and in exchange you get a new Linea whenever its launched.

Thanks, arup.misra. The credit goes to my Linea. I am happy with my Linea, which will take me to more states in India and neighbouring countries, yet to be explored!

[S_U_N]

The last few kilometers (I think 20 KM) towards Murudeshwar are the worst that I have driven on a highway.

[bigwheelz]

The Mumbai-Pune expressway might make it to the worst roads list albeit for a different reason. With so many crossings opened between the dividers (By patrolling authority for their convenience), the number of accidents/deaths will get it into Top 10 worst roads for sure.

[swiftdiesel]

The worst stretch of road in my driving is the ghat road from Pannaikadu to Kodaikanal. You can literally experience your tyre articulating into the trench hole and return back. The roads inside Kodaikanal town are not roads, some broken potholed terrain. The challenge is in negotiating these craters without damaging your suspension but at the same time maintaining the momentum as some ghats are steep!

There are other terrible stretches I've encountered like the Avinashi-Coimbatore stretch, Dindigul-Batlagundu, Trichy-Karaikudi, Devakottai-Thondi, Nagercoil-Marthandam. But I've discounted all these, as road laying work's going on and of course nobody knows when it'll be completed! But for me, this Kodaikanal ghat section is by far the worst!

[nilanjanray]

The 10 kms stretch before Tala/Bandhavgarh is pretty interesting.

NH7 between Allahabad and Pench was bad during 2012 autumn. Bad enough for truckers to go on a strike.

Many many interior roads in India - connecting small towns of villages - are horrible.

Many mountain roads - especially after the monsoons - become bad and dangerous.

I think we should focus on the best roads, and not on the worst, because there are too many horrible roads in India to make a proper list :-).

Almost all can be tackled in a capable vehicle, but if one is racing against time and has to travel far, then it becomes a problem.

[mobike008]

Somewhere between Nainital-Joshimath which is a total of 280kms.

Out of these, almost 100kms were like roads below and underbody of the car took many hits and we were averaging 15kmph-20kmph on these stretches.

[Biraj]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

I cannot forget those horrific moments in the remaining part of my life and neither my Linea!

That's one scary road. Linea is a very sturdy car and I realised it when I took it to Kalatop and Khajjiar during monsoon. Still, I am not sure if it is ready for roads like these. I was chatting with a Punto owner while my car was getting serviced and I was telling him about my plans to take my T-jet to Ladakh in May this year. He recommend going to Kaza via Shimla as that will have better roads. He was talking about some Khooni dariya (Sutlej) that runs parallel to the road and how scenic the drive is. I feel like searching for his number and show him these pics. Hats off to your courage

Originally Posted by Biraj

I was telling him about my plans to take my T-jet to Ladakh in May this year.

Thanks, Biraj. You can definitely drive in your Linea T-Jet to Ladakh. My Linea visited Leh in 2011.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

I thought the Krishnagiri-Thiruvannamalai section of NH 66 was the worst stretch; but that was in 2011. Now, the prize goes to Batal-Gramphoo section in Himachal Pradesh, where my Linea had more than 50 underbody hits, but survived the battle! It is a misnomer to call it a road; it's only a track formed by military 4x4 vehicles, private trucks and Tata Sumos depending upon the ground situation there. It had all the ingredients to make it the worst road: horizontal and vertical curves, stream-crossings, narrow road with full of stones and boulders of all sizes, to name a few!

Attachment 1044476

On one very narrow S curve on a ghat section, there was a water-crossing with full of boulders. Slowly and carefully, I drove my Linea on knee-deep water and entered the last turn on the S curve, only to face a fully-loaded truck blocking the road! The truck driver signalled his inability to go in his reverse direction as there were couple of trucks behind him. The road was just wide enough for a truck and nothing more. The outside was freezing with sub-zero temperature. So, I somehow reversed my Linea in the double-curve, but every time, I ended up dashing against boulders submerged in the water and invisible on my Linea's rear-view mirrors. Seeing my predicament, the driver of the PB-registered truck got down, went behind my Linea, stood in knee-deep freezing water and guided me to a wider portion of the road. He then went back to his truck, started and crossed my Linea. I thanked him and allowed the other two trucks to cross me. When the road was clear, I again drove my Linea on that double-curve and safely came out of knee-deep water. I cannot forget those horrific moments in the remaining part of my life and neither my Linea!

Attachment 1044478

Attachment 1044477

Ravi saar, The Krishnagiri - Thiruvannamalai stretch is still horrible. Even after 1.5 yrs , nothing has improved on that stretch!

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

The Krishnagiri - Thiruvannamalai stretch is still horrible.

Thanks, sagarpadaki. NHAI has plans to widen it to 4 lanes; until that project is complete, it is better to avoid that section.

[jalva]

Another vote for Himachal. NH22 doesn't look like a National Highway at all

Rekong Pio to Gurgaon is amongst my toughest single day rides.