[govigov]

@motomaverick, a very inspiring travelogue indeed. it makes me feels like to take my car and then drive till i drop. Congrats to a job well done...

[SDP]

Fantastic start of a travelogue! One that I have been waiting for some time (since I head from Neeraj that he is back).

Excellent pics! Waiting for the travelogue to reach the mountains soon!

[paragsachania]

Superb, Excellent & Fantastic write up there motomaverick!

Just when I was reading through the first few posts, I saw a the picture of the Sumo Grande and began wondering if this belong to the same Gentleman I know.

I scroll down and realize it was the same KamathsX2 (Doc and Chandrakanth) whom I have met before on a couple of occasions.

Have been seeing and reading most of their experiences on their Facebook Pages over the last 2 weeks that this Travelogue ensured I get the full report right here!

Kudos to you all for taking up this trip on variety of machines just good enough to prove that its after all the men behind the wheel that matter than subjective stereotyping them as unfit for few regions/roads.

Well done, all of you

Rating this a well deserved 5 Stars from my side!

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by govigov

@motomaverick, a very inspiring travelogue indeed. it makes me feels like to take my car and then drive till i drop. Congrats to a job well done...

Oh yes it does not matter what car you have, if you are just a little bit careful and time your destinations, this trip is very much doable

Originally Posted by SDP

Fantastic start of a travelogue! One that I have been waiting for some time (since I head from Neeraj that he is back).

Excellent pics! Waiting for the travelogue to reach the mountains soon!

Yup the next log you will reach the mountains, but it would have been wonderful if you could have joined us.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Superb, Excellent & Fantastic write up there motomaverick!

Just when I was reading through the first few posts, I saw a the picture of the Sumo Grande and began wondering if this belong to the same Gentleman I know.

I scroll down and realize it was the same KamathsX2 (Doc and Chandrakanth) whom I have met before on a couple of occasions.

Have been seeing and reading most of their experiences on their Facebook Pages over the last 2 weeks that this Travelogue ensured I get the full report right here!

Kudos to you all for taking up this trip on variety of machines just good enough to prove that its after all the men behind the wheel that matter than subjective stereotyping them as unfit for few regions/roads.

Well done, all of you

Rating this a well deserved 5 Stars from my side!

The machine does matter as equally as the man behind the machine. Picture this, an alto driven by a lady overtaking a Innova while coming down Khardungla and then vanishing in couple of turns. No she was not driving rashly.

[sierrakamat]

The funny part was that the Sumo was fined at Gujarat as the puc certificate was missing (had got it done for the hvk monsoon drive).
Then started the Sumos frantic effort to find a PUC wala we visited umpteen number of pumps finally after 500km found the puc at that CCD .The man waiting by the wayside with his Van seemed like a god with a a chariot who took all of 70rs and gifted us the puc with the sumos photo on it ..
With all the horror stories about out of state vehicles being pulled over for the flimsiest reasons that certificate was a huge relief.

[ajay_satpute]

Super stuff. Totally glued to the thread. Bring it on guys.

I am impressed with the attention to details with each post and photograph. Thanks a lot for detailed report.

Cheers!

[dhondusaxena]

Hirak, I so miss being part of this epic trip. I was very enthusiastic for the trip but had to drop out due to some unavoidable medical emergency in immediate family.

Love the way you are presenting the whole trip. Feels like I am traveling with you. Good Job and many congratulations for completing the trip. Looking forward to the balance of the travelogue.

[motomaverick]

DAY 5 – Solo Drives
August 27th 9:30am
Location: Hanumangarh
Destination: Patnitop
Route: Hanumangarh – Dabwali – Bhatinda – Goniana - Bhag Purana – Moga – Nakodar – Jalandhar – Dasuya – Gurdaspur – Pathankot – Lakhanpur – Samba – Mansar Lake – Udhampur - Patnitop

After a good sleep, got up by 6AM to the call of the mobile. Switching off the alarm, saw a message from Narsi, the message was simple and depressing, here it is exactly replicated below

Hey I don’t think duster can start by 7.30 – 8.00. You please carry on and do not miss photo ops because of us. V Vl catch up wid u on way or in patnitop. V Vl keep u posted on details. Sorry guys

Well the day could not have started on a better note. With nothing else to do, as I did not want anyone left behind and play catch up, messaged our common Whatsapp group about the situation. Here is the conversation that happened.

6:36am - Hirak Das: Folks duster is not able to start by 7.30 today. What do the rest do?
7:05am - Sathya Prakash: Same, as what u all did yesterday mor siimply leave us & go. Try to keep realistic targets if u stick to group dont try to force instead. As nothing is going according to orginal shedule we need to be flexible as the day comes
7:21am - Hirak Das: Rajesh if u guys are ready. Go ahead with the sx4 we will bring up the rear with Duster. Take the Bhatinda, Jallandhar, Dasuya route. When you stop for breakfast send us the location.
7:22am - Hirak Das: We will regroup on the way.

The rest of the group were already ready by 7.30AM and hence, they decided to leave. I was planning to stay back and try to explain the situation to Sathya, hoping that I would get a positive response. Since all the folks arrived last night at the same time and would have got the same amount of sleep, I did not see any reason why the group should be delayed due to one or two people. So at around 7.30 or 8am (can’t remember the exact time) Hari & I, went to Sathya’s room to discuss.

So what was the outcome? Well nothing came out of the discussion, tried to explain the reasons to stick to the group but all I got was excuses of how the previous day they were left or how the first day in Thane Jaswant was late. Normally I try not lose my fuse but that morning I lost my case and informed Sathya that he is one his own now. The Manza has enough grit to carry on its own to Ladakh and that is what we will do. Considering the age of the person I did not utter anything more and just stormed out of the room. Poor Hari, tried to talk for some time but I guess he also came out later. So there I was, tried to play a Good Samaritan by staying back but all I got was arguments of how others faulted earlier. I mean if you cannot let go of your ego and move forward I do not think a person belongs to a group road trip. After all we are also humans and there is only a limit to how much garbage one can take.

After this talk, we completed breakfast, took the medicines that Narsi had got for the trip for the Manza, also took the duplicate key from the Duster (We had each other’s duplicate key at the beginning of the trip) and asked the Duster to move ahead, as I certainly did not want to drive along with that car any more. I do feel bad for Narsi & Mohan for being mute spectators and not able to do anything, however, you cannot be pushovers all the time, there are times when one needs to put their foot down and take a stance, and I am glad we just did today in Hanumangarh.

After this incident we moved slowly out of Hanumangarh by 9:30AM a good 2 hours behind schedule. But as soon as we were on the road all the negative was forgotten as Rajasthan offered its final stretch of good roads completely tree lined.

Now that’s what we call highway to heaven


Completely tree lined stretch for good 15-20kms


Interesting thing we observed in Rajasthan was seeing people carrying flags or different colors. All we could assume was they might be carrying their respective village flags considering that this was the land of the Rajputs.


By about 10am we were crossing Dabwali, Haryana. Yes we just touch the tip of Haryana before proceeding towards Bhatinda. We did not mind it as we were adding one more state to our list.

Haryana also offers some good roads, though the Chautala bypass near Dabwali has a few broken stretches.


Soon by about 10:15am we were entering Punjab, thankfully we did not notice any change in the condition of the highway but traffic started to increase slightly. Most of the traffic consisted of deaf motorcycle riders. Yeah we coined them as deaf cause no matter how loudly you honk, you are not going to get even an inch of space. The only time they move to the side is if they are planning to stop or a Punjab road transport bus is behind. But apart from this small blemish Punjab was really good to drive.

These are the type of roads just before Bhatinda


Arrow straight sections without any undulations


A funny incident happened for the picture below. If you see the sardarji riding pillion, he got a scare of his life when an Octavia (up ahead) overtook them while they were overtaking that truck. He was so bewildered that he was looking left & right to see what happened


By around 10:40am we were about to enter Bhatinda. We stopped for some tea just before a flyover that gets you into Bhatinda town. The quick stop was good and refreshing for me. We then entered Bhatinda city and just followed the GPS to take us out of it. Since we were late, there was ample amount of traffic on the road. Being out of state car and not to take any risks, we were also stopping at all the traffic signals. The going got a little better when I realized that people generally do not overtake from the left leaving it relatively empty. So applying Bangy style maneuvers we were able to get ahead of the cars and finally take the NH15 towards Moga.


early morning traffic but seeing the left lane relatively empty we were able to progress


Thermal power plant right at the outskirts of the city.


While we waited like gentlemen at the traffic signals even though it was relatively empty, locals were having a field day


Finally after almost 30mins we were out of Bhatinda and onto the highway. We were immediately welcomed by some good roads with shades. I was just following the GPS completely and hence, we did not know which route it was taking us through. The destination was set to Moga. Thankfully Google maps was a little clever as it asked us to take a right turn after a bad stretch of road near Bajakhana. The straight on that road was apparently going to Kot Kapura but when we took the right we were actually going towards a place called Bhag Purana. After taking the right we were immediately onto the state highway 16A, though this road was narrower than the NH15, it was passing through villages and farm lands. All the folks in the Manza were thoroughly enjoying this small deviation which was taking us through Punjab village side. The road was piercing through acres upon acres of Wheat pkantation. Though the plantation was just sown as it was still green, the lush greenery was very soothing.

That’s the bad section at Bajakhana, where we took the right


That right led us through these roads. Check out the modified jeep, Punjab is known for their modified cars and jeeps and we did get a glimpse of one or two


Lush green farms


We stopped near this farm to take some pictures. Another funny incident hapened. While we were clicking the farms, the farmer actually came out of his hut shouting at us. We quickly wrapped up and zoomed away. It looked like he had something in this hands as well


Finally I had the camera in my hand and tried some abstract shots. Was still trying to figure out how a Nikon works


Now you must be wondering why I spent 1 paragraph on the deviated route that we had taken. The reason being, this little good luck actually helped us close the gap with the Sumo & Sx4 by some 40kms. They apparently went via Kot Kapura which is a longer route and they had to stop for breakfast as well, while we had our tummies full. However, the gap was still large at that point of time. Next up when we were just entering the village road, we get a call from Narsi asking us where we were and that they were stuck in a Rasta Roko student rally at Kot Kapura Moga road. We told them where we were and asked why they went to Kot Kapura. They probably were surprised that we were going through an alternate route, ultimately they were able to take a u-turn and come back to Bajakhana and take the same village road.

Well Mr. Murphy almost equalized our advantage as when crossing Moga, we followed the GPS blindly and it ensured that we were driving through a market area which was so congested that the Manza was barely able to move without touching anything. Ultimately our luck ran out and the left OVRM hit an old lady while I was trying to give way to some motorcyclists. We just uttered our sorrys and “mauf keejiayes” and moved on. Thankfully after a few kms the ordeal ended and we were able to cross Moga and move towards Jalandhar.

The crowded market road that the gps took us


Babaji traveling and was doing yoga, the local auto


At around 1:30PM we send our location status in Whatsapp and surprisingly we get a reply from Chandrakant stating that they were just 35 kms ahead of us. This was a huge gap closure that we did and we were happy with the progress. The Duster was behind us as they had to take the u-turn due to the student rally.

Next up in our radar was Jalandhar, just as we were entering the city, we got a message from our group (Sumo & Sx4) stating they were stuck inside Jalandhar city due to some festivities. Immediately I stopped on the side and starting seeing if there is a bypass for Jalandhar. Thankfully, in fact there is a bypass which we gladly took. This little short cut enabled us to get out of Jalandhar in quick time and we were on our way towards Dasuya on NH 1A.

Map of the route we took to avoid the city, please use this and don’t take the route GPS suggests


The Jalandhar bypass on GT Road


But as soon as hit the NH 1A hunger games started in our tummies and we started looking for a place to stop. We kept going forward reached Dasuya and then suddenly on the right side I see a dhaba called Royal Haveli, at first it did not ring a bell but once we took a u-turn and came back to the eatery, I immediately remembered that this joint was features on one of the episodes of Highway on My Plate, they had given rave reviews of the food.

Meanwhile the Duster which was behind us and constantly taking updates from us regarding the route. In fact we even had a devilish idea of not telling them to take the Jalandhar bypass and make them suffer inside the city but thinking about the two other souls inside that car, we become the savior angels and guided them on how to circumnavigate the city via the GT.

The Royal Haveli, Dasuya


Inside the Haveli it is all modern and huge. In fact the tables were quite big


Customary photograph with the Durbaan


Hari taking one as a stamp that he was here


Same for Venkat as well


How can the Manza be left behind


Lunch was simple and superb. The butter naan’s were one of the softest that we have ever had along with the kofta’s and dal fries. It is a pure veg restaurant and even though the price is on the upper side, the food is well worth the price.

As we were having lunch, got a call from the Duster asking us where we were, we let them know about the dhaba. So after sometime we see Narsi & Mohan entering the dhaba. They grabbed a few roti’s and we were quickly out of the place after that.


Having spent close to an hour for lunch, we again fell behind the others who were almost near Lakhanpur toll gate. Around 5:15PM we crossed Pathankot and were merrily heading towards Lakhanpur. Having read about the terrible truck traffic at the toll gate, we were wary on the amount of time it might take to cross over to J&K. But thankfully there is a separate exit for cars, which you have to reach by driving a little on the wrong side. In fact the Gmaps was intelligent enough to show us that path. Crossing Lakhanpur was a breeze with no checking whatsoever. So finally after 5 days of driving we entered into J&K. We were expecting the ghat section to start after Lakhanpur but were surprised to see straight 4 laned divided roads. In fact these roads go all the way to Jammu. Now the J&K government is extending it all the way up to Udhampur. Once completed it is going to be a breeze to reach Udhampur.

Just after Pathankot


The NH 1A after Lakhanpur (pic courtesy Manoj)


The dilemma that we had was whether to take the Samba – Udhampur shortcut or go via Jammu. Lots of folks in BCMT and Team-bhp have written to avoid the Samba – Udhampur route which goes via Mansar Lake as it is completely broken and secluded. But the keedda of not heeding good advice cropped up and at our next tea stop some 50kms before Samba, we checked with the Tea wala, showing him the car in question and asking if this vehicle can go on that route. He was affirmative that it can go. Another reason to take that route was that the Mumbai folks were already close to Mansar Lake having taken that route.

So off we went with the decision made to take the Mansar Lake route. The Duster which had gone ahead of us, was waiting after a toll as it did not know the way. So reluctantly it had to follow us as we took the right at Samba. For people wanting to try this route (please try only if you have a SUV) the route is pretty well marked. The route begins properly with a single lane tree lined with slight ghats. But after some 5-6kms we faced our first slush crossing, it was not just slush but coupled with large stones. Thankfully we were able to navigate this obstacle properly. However, that was not the end as after a few meters we faced another one which was even bigger with ruts created by passing trucks. In my mind I realized we might have made a mistake of taking this route, but then the “Never Say Die” attitude of conituing come what may took effect and with the first hit to the underbody of the Manza we were able to cross this obstacle as well.

Picture of a slush crossing on this route(pic courtesy Manoj)


The Mumbai folks taking a break somewhere on the same route


Sorry we don’t have any pictures of this route as all attention was on saving the car and crossing the obstacles properly.

After these two slush crossings the going became a little easier but after a km or so there was another one coming up which looked even more dangerous. We just said our prayers and dived in slowly, prodding carefully, utilizing the entire width of the road to ensure there are no hits, but the car hit at two places. But I knew the hits were not dangerous. After these initial adventures, the going became a little easier as I was able to gauge how to cross these kind of slush. Meanwhile behind us the Duster was finding it relatively easier to cross all these due to its high ground clearance. Thankfully, it did not overtake us but waited for us to cross these obstacles before proceeding further.

Next up we came to a check gate where we were asked to stop. I got down and wanted to know what’s wrong, but the cop was immediately on his mobile calling someone and then bashing that fellow. Then we realized that when we entered this route there was another check post and due to the time of the day (around 6.30PM) we should not have been allowed on this route. But since we had made this far, the cop let us through. While we were at our adventures we got a call from the Mumbai folks wanting to our whereabouts, informed them that we had crossed the police checkpost, they actually wanted us to inform that if we are still long way off to turn back. But hearing that we had crossed the check post, we were encouraged to carry on. I just had a simple request to stay put and wait for us. Thankfully the group obliged and informed us that they were waiting somewhere after Mansar Lake.

At around 7.30PM we crossed the lake in darkness and finally we caught up with the group. What a relief it was see the rest. The first thing I did after stopping the car and getting down was to “thank” Rajesh for staying put for us. With the pleasantries out of the way, the convoy started rolling towards Udhampur. From here on for the next 37kms the going was a little easier as there were not many slush crossings. But if it was day time we would have had a lot of photo opportunities as in the dark we could make out some overhead railway bridge which was cutting the route every now and then.

Driving in the dark on the hills is a challenge in itself, plus if you have bad roads and traffic from the opposite side, it further adds to your trouble. Had a couple of close calls as we were overtaking the slow climbing trucks with trucks coming from the opposite side. On one such moves, I am still wondering what happened to the Duster. It was right behind us, I saw an opening and overtook the truck in front of me, then in the review I saw the Duster trying its move but it could not make it and had to back down as a truck came from the opposite side. It had ample time to make its move so I am still wondering what happened. Since we were not in talking terms this question remained unanswered.

Finally, after driving in the dark for 3 hours, we at 10.30PM reached Patnitop JKTDC Alpine guest house. The outside temperature was quite a chill and after 5 days the jackets and caps came out. To add to beauty as we were reaching the guest house it became misty and slight drizzle as well. But everyone was relieved that we made it to Patnitop as we had decided. For consecutive two days we were able to reach our decided destinations though we had to stretch a little bit.

After gobbling up on hot maggi & roti curry from a Vaishno Dhaba, we settled down for the night. Tomorrow, we would enter Kashmir and our target was Sonmarg.

Distance covered: 546 kms
Time Taken: 14 hours
Map:


Next day was scheduled to start at 7.30am. This time everyone was in agreement without any issues. But did we have a clean start? What happened to the group dynamics? Was everything hunky dory? Find out.

[narsi_6989]

Hey Hirak, nicely explained post. I would like to take this opportunity to give some minute details to our readers.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

After a good sleep, got up by 6AM to the call of the mobile. Switching off the alarm, saw a message from Narsi, the message was simple and depressing, here it is exactly replicated below

The reason for this message was very simple. Myself and Mohanan had a conversation with Sathya on the night we reached Hanumangarh. The conversation was almost similar to the conversation you had with him and we were taken aback by the replies we got from him. Once we knew we could not convince him, I just sent out that message to you. I was of the view that already two souls are suffering and did not want the same to happen with you guys. We had no choice since we were in his car. And thanks a lot mate for waiting that day.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Now you must be wondering why I spent 1 paragraph on the deviated route that we had taken. The reason being, this little good luck actually helped us close the gap with the Sumo & Sx4 by some 40kms. They apparently went via Kot Kapura which is a longer route and they had to stop for breakfast as well, while we had our tummies full. However, the gap was still large at that point of time. Next up when we were just entering the village road, we get a call from Narsi asking us where we were and that they were stuck in a Rasta Roko student rally at Kot Kapura Moga road. We told them where we were and asked why they went to Kot Kapura. They probably were surprised that we were going through an alternate route, ultimately they were able to take a u-turn and come back to Bajakhana and take the same village road.

This was real big detour for us. We were the first car to stop due to the rasta roko and were just 10kms behind the Sumo. Once we knew that the traffic will not clear, we started backtracking and followed the GPS to Bajakhana-Bhag Purana road. It took us through some narrow but beautiful village roads and we spent more than an hour to reach Bhag-Purana.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Meanwhile the Duster which was behind us and constantly taking updates from us regarding the route. In fact we even had a devilish idea of not telling them to take the Jalandhar bypass and make them suffer inside the city but thinking about the two other souls inside that car, we become the savior angels and guided them on how to circumnavigate the city via the GT.

Thanks a lot saviour angels, but as you know the kheeda of not heeding was already planted in someones head, we took the city route

Originally Posted by motomaverick

As we were having lunch, got a call from the Duster asking us where we were, we let them know about the dhaba. So after sometime we see Narsi & Mohan entering the dhaba. They grabbed a few roti’s and we were quickly out of the place after that.

We badly wanted a break and to meet you guys and it was a forced stop for Sathya.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

On one such moves, I am still wondering what happened to the Duster. It was right behind us, I saw an opening and overtook the truck in front of me, then in the review I saw the Duster trying its move but it could not make it and had to back down as a truck came from the opposite side. It had ample time to make its move so I am still wondering what happened. Since we were not in talking terms this question remained unanswered.

Here comes the answer for that question, the reason Sathya gave.

Sathya's answer:
I am not able to see the roads properly and roads are narrow. I want to be in the convoy and do not want to be left behind. What if something happens to us if left alone?

And mind you we had lots of close shaves and you know very well about what happened the next day.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by narsi_6989

The reason for this message was very simple. Myself and Mohanan had a conversation with Sathya on the night we reached Hanumangarh. The conversation was almost similar to the conversation you had with him and we were taken aback by the replies we got from him. Once we knew we could not convince him, I just sent out that message to you. I was of the view that already two souls are suffering and did not want the same to happen with you guys. We had no choice since we were in his car. And thanks a lot mate for waiting that day.

Really interesting, you should have just told the actual thing I would have saved my energy, and besides we already had the Dusters duplicate key

Thanks a lot saviour angels, but as you know the kheeda of not heeding was already planted in someones head, we took the city route

Seriously you guys did not take the GT bypass? Curious! I remember Venkat speaking and explaining more than once to Mohan. Now that I think of it, thats the reason you guys came in when we were about to finish lunch.

And mind you we had lots of close shaves and you know very well about what happened the next day.

Yes, I know what happened next day and it will be documented, afterall people should know what actually happens in group travel. Dont worry no fingers pointed.

[sierrakamat]

The funniest incident on that day was at the dhaba at night with the man with one stove making parathas for 12 super hungry individuals ..no one waited for a plate and were grabbing each others parathas and just wolfing the food down as if there was no tomorrow.
Patnitop at night was beautiful with the fog and the chill ,the hotel Alpine Resort was right out of a 60's movie with all that wooden furniture and period wall paint i am sure at some point of time Sharmila Tagore or Shammi Kapoor must have stayed there when the hotel was in its prime.
Actually the drive through the slush did give even the Sumo a hard time and i was wondering how on earth are the Manza and SX4 are even moving about hats off to you guys.

[himadrimondal]

Epic travelogue, excellent write-up which has kept the interest going even though Leh is still far away. Lovely set of photographs.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by sierrakamat

The funniest incident on that day was at the dhaba at night with the man with one stove making parathas for 12 super hungry individuals ..no one waited for a plate and were grabbing each others parathas and just wolfing the food down as if there was no tomorrow.
Patnitop at night was beautiful with the fog and the chill ,the hotel Alpine Resort was right out of a 60's movie with all that wooden furniture and period wall paint i am sure at some point of time Sharmila Tagore or Shammi Kapoor must have stayed there when the hotel was in its prime.
Actually the drive through the slush did give even the Sumo a hard time and i was wondering how on earth are the Manza and SX4 are even moving about hats off to you guys.

Oh yes I remember that night, the way the Paranthas were vanishing. Especially the look on Chandrakant face or was it someone else as the Parantha vanished right under his nose.

For the slush it was a prayer and then the dive. As they say, you learn to swim only when you jump into the pool.

[narsi_6989]

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Oh yes I remember that night, the way the Paranthas were vanishing. Especially the look on Chandrakant face or was it someone else as the Parantha vanished right under his nose.

It was Chandrakanth most of the times and I also remember parantha vanishing right under Manoj's nose

[NannuBhai]

motomaverick,

Amazing. Saw the link to this write-up on Team-BHP's FB page. Followed it down here. And have been glued to it. Sadly, I had to break up the reading, as I had to go & get ready for work. But, soon as I reached office, I followed up the story on my Android app.

A few things - the drive itself has been done very beautifully....to have taken a couple of vehicles with comparatively low ground clearances and to have driven all the way, with just one hit to the under body, that is very nice driving indeed.

Secondly, this travelogue has been very very beautifully written....absolutely amazing...mesmerising actually. Your write-up involves the reader so much into the story...almost can imagine me going along this travel.

Very nicely written. Waiting for the remaining part of the story!! Do try and put in all the details....you've definitely captured a number of readers....!!!