[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Route 2: There is a direct road from Dotma to Kokrajhar. This runs W - E. Fairly good quality. Does not go through Sapatgram/ Fakiragram.
Dotma - Fakiragram is part of the Serfanguri - Bilasipara road, and is in horrible condition. Also, if anything, longer than option 3.
Gossaigaon TO to Kokrakhar 42 Km.
Kokrajhar - Bahalpur is 28 Km.

First time: stick to route 1.

Regards
Sutripta

Thanks, will do. There are some things one cannot learn by reading or looking at maps, experience is the name of the game.

Cheers,

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

Thanks, will do. There are some things one cannot learn by reading or looking at maps, experience is the name of the game.
Cheers,

Which map are you using?

Regards
Sutripta

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Which map are you using?

Regards
Sutripta

On-line I use MMI & Google Maps but the best is Google Earth. Hard-copy, I use Eicher India Road Atlas and TTK Road Atlas India. Even using all of them together does not give the insights that regulars who use the roads can give from their experience (like you and HVK have done).

Cheers,

[Sutripta]

Hi,

Times and distances for Calcutta - Tezpur
Time is best thought of as "engine on" time. Have removed all deliberate stoppage time (fuel, food, etc), and all forced stoppage of more than 5 min (jams).

Daylight driving, not in a hurry, but not dawdling either.
Mix of vehicles (fastest to slowest), Xylo, Ambassador 2000ISD, Armada Grand, Maruti van, but mostly Xylo.

A small section of NH31C not covered this time (did not feel like backtracking to drive over known bad roads). Have extrapolated the time for that section.

Well, here goes.

VIP Rd Jn NH34 - NH60 Jn NH34
220 Km, 290 min

NH60 Jn NH34 - Farakka Brg
65 Km, 80 min

Farakka Brg - Malda (Mahananda bridge)
36 Km, 60 min

Malda (Mahananda bridge) - NH34 Jn NH31
120 Km, 120 min

NH34 Jn NH31 - Ghoshpukur TO
107 Km, 90 min

Ghoshpukur TO - Phulbari
19 Km, 20 min

Phulbari - Mainaguri (NH31)
51 Km, 70 min

Mainaguri - Dhupguri (NH31)
18 Km, 20 min

Dhupguri - Falakata (Coochbehar TO)
25 Km, 50 min

Falakata - AlpDr - Kamakhyaguri
56 Km, 80 min

Kamakhyaguri - NH31C (Kamakhyaguri TO)
4 Km, 6 min

NH31C (Kamakhyaguri TO) - NH31C Jn NH31
99 Km, 180 min

NH31C Jn NH31 - NH31 Jn NH52
139 Km, 160 min

NH31 Jn NH52 - NH52 Jn NH37A
195 Km, 220 min

Kamakhyaguri - RasikBil - NH31
18 Km, 20 min

NH31 (Kamakhyaguri connector) - Bahalpur
116 Km, 130 min

Bahalpur - NH31 Jn NH31B (Jogigopa TO)
20 Km, 20 min

NH31 Jn NH31B (Jogigopa TO) - NH37 Jn NH31
163 Km, 180 min

NH37 Jn NH31 - NH31 Jn NH52
25 Km, 45 min

Guwahati Bypass
19 Km, 15 min

Guwahati Bypass End - NH37 Jn NH37A
153 Km, 210 min

NH37 Jn NH37A - NH37A Jn NH52
23 Km, 30 min

Regards
Sutripta

[Harry1983]

Hi Raveendra,

The route Hyd-Suryapet-Khammam-Rajumandry-vizag is better. However, the time you are planning to start is bit of a problem. You will encounter heavy traffic till Suryapet. I always start at 2 or 3 in the night and reach by 1 or 1.30 to vizag with a 40 minute break in Rajumandry for break fast.

[Ravveendrra]

Thanks Sutripta, that is absolutely wonderful information. Such detailed times! Hats off to your patience to record and compile them all.

Thanks Harry, We plan to take the dreaded NH to Bza as the road vis Khammam and Aswaraopet to Rajahmundry has reportedly deteriorated, we were planning to avoid bad stretches which might play havoc with the cars as well as use the GQ to make up for time. If someone tells us that the road via Khammam is decent we just might shift to the Khammam route. My observation is that most bus and taxi traffic from Vijayawada tries to come in to Hyderabad by 6.00 am. We are therefore hoping to avoid oncoming traffic by leaving at 5.00. We are also hoping to miss the heavy outgoing traffic to Vijayawada as they tend to leave around 6.00. IMHO lorries are OK, buses are totally avoidable as they are absolutely reckless and pose grave threat to life and limb, so having heavy truck traffic to overtake is fine while heavy oncoming bus traffic is to be avoided.

If you can share the place to stop in Rajahmundry for good food, we just might do so.

Cheers,

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

Thanks Sutripta, that is absolutely wonderful information. Such detailed times! Hats off to your patience to record and compile them all.

Thanks.

Filling in a few holes.

Vidyasagar Bridge - NH117 Jn NH06
8 Km, 12 min

NH117 Jn NH06 - NH06 Jn NH02
9 Km, 6 min

NH06 Jn NH02 - NH34 (Belghoria Expressway)
14 Km, 15 min

NH06 Jn NH02 Jn Panagarh Darjiling Morh
136 Km, 120 min

Panagarh Darjiling Morh - NH60 Jn NH34
150 Km, 140 min

NH31/ Ghoshpukur TO - NH31 Jn NH55
23 Km, 30min

NH31 Jn NH55 - Phulbari
10 Km, 30 min, but can vary wildly

NH31 Jn NH55 - NH31 Jn NH31A
22 Km, 35 min

NH31 Jn NH31A - NH31 Jn NH31C (Chalsa)
39 Km, 55 min

NH31 Jn NH31C (Chalsa) - Mainaguri (NH31)
41 Km, 50 min

Don't think I've left out anything important.
Do a sanity check on the data and revert in case of doubts/ errors.

Regards
Sutripta

[adc]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

Hi, this thread has been inactive for a while as we were busy tying up tickets, accomodation and watching Absynthguzzler kick the butt off the Dengue virus. It is now time for an update. Our programmme is as follows:

26.12.2009 Tawang

Ravveendrra, all quiet out here? any more updates about routes or like?


Called up a Tawang hotel today to know more about the weather.

Mighty cold now and with snow all over at Sela Pass. Plus as per the manager, by look of the weather, snow is going to be out there all over Tawang within the next couple of days or so.

Good, very good...

Snowy passes, frozen lakes, and biting cold - gotta make this trip.

PS: Also as per the manager, Bum La [china border] travel is restricted very much. Looks like quite a bit of cajoling has to be done at the Arny check point.

[adc]

Originally Posted by adc

Mighty cold now and with snow all over at Sela Pass.

Good, very good...

Snowy passes, frozen lakes, and biting cold

Ravv, loved that 10-day countdown subject line on the mail. The countdown has truly began for you guys.

Have a look at the minimum temperatures, dug it out from the imd website [ http://www.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/d...ast/tawang.htm ] . But as such they are not predicting snow at Tawang itself right now in the next 4-5 days. Of course, by itself, Sela pass has snow with its 13k feet height and the lakes surely are frozen by now.



DISTRICT : TAWANG STATE : ARUNACHAL PRADESH
------------------- ------------------- -------------------

-------------- ---------DAY-1 DAY-2 DAY-3 DAY-4 DAY-5
------------------------11/12 12/12 13/12 14/12 15/12

Max Temperature ( deg C) 9 10 9 9 8
Min Temperature ( deg C) -2 -1 -1 -1 -1


Fantastic!

[Sutripta]

Hi guys,
Going to Assam tomorrow. If you can post your schedule, maybe we can meet up.

OT, I hope you know no roaming with prepaids in the NE.

Sutripta

[absynthguzzler]

Here you go Sutripta,

20.12 Dep. Hyd & N/H Rambah.
21.12 Dep Rambah N/H Siuri.
22.12 Dep Siuri N/H Siliguri.
23.12 Dep Siuri N/H Tezpur.
24.12 Dep Tezpur N/H Dirang.
25.12 Dep Dirang arr. Tawang.
28.12 Dep. Tawang N/H Dirang / Bomdila.
29.12 Dep Dirang / Bomdila N/H Tezpur.
30.12 Dep Tezpur - arr. Shillong by nightfall
01.1 Dep Shillong N/H Siliguri.
02.1 Dep. Siliguri N/H Kharagpur
3.1 Dep Kharagpur N/H Vizag.
4.1 Arr Hyd by nightfall

[vnabhi]

Looks like a meticulous plan! All the best to you guys.

I am praying that things should not go awry on the highways in AP due to this crazy stir over United AP Vs Divided AP. There seems to be some trouble today in Rayalseema and coastal AP

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by absynthguzzler

Here you go Sutripta,

23.12 Dep Siuri N/H Tezpur.
.
.
.
02.1 Dep. Siliguri N/H Kharagpur

I think you mean Siliguri - Tezpur. These are the only two common (space and time wise) regions where your and my schedule coincide. Lets see if I can schedule something which will not hold you up.

Sutripta

[pulsar56]

We are getting updates on the recent agitations in Andhra and are planning to leave on Saturday instead of Sunday morning.

Any updates from the Gorkhaland front will be much appreciated. (read a post by Sutripta on another thread that he is stuck in Sikkim!)

[absynthguzzler]

Originally Posted by pulsar56

We are getting updates on the recent agitations in Andhra and are planning to leave on Saturday instead of Sunday morning.

Any updates from the Gorkhaland front will be much appreciated. (read a post by Sutripta on another thread that he is stuck in Sikkim!)

Hmmmm , its time i buckle up and pack my stuff then ., Now where's them inners