Quote:
Originally Posted by Secretariat Some tips please for driving in snow and on ice laden roads, without aids like snow tires. |
Thank you Secretariat! I have posted my experience about driving on snow below.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghodlur Biraj,
How much distance did you cover and how much did Neil return back in terms of average. |
Thank you Girish! I remember taking pics of the MID after completing the trip but for some reason, I can't find it in my laptop and I formatted the memory card. The total distance was close to 1350 KMs and the fuel efficiency for the entire stretch was ~15.4 KMPL. In the plains it gave close to 17-18 KMPL and hills it was 12-14 KMPL. The reason I respect 15.6 KMPL is because there was at least 2 hours (in different intervals) of idling in Snow. Moreover, my other car is a Linea T-jet so, I really don't know how to extract FE from Punto.
Quote:
Originally Posted by D4D Amazing experience you've had.
Did your Punto require snow chains on the terrain?
And a diesel(correct me if I'm wrong) isn't always going to start on the first crank in the cold? |
Thanks D4D! I didn't carry any snow chains or ropes. The experience is documented below.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffHanger Woah! Are the snow covered Punto's pics real? |
Thanks CliffHanger. I still remember the chill my fingers experienced while clicking the pics. It wasn't easy to click with the gloves on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by venkatt1800 The thread and the machine which enabled it-Neil-deserve five stars. |
Thank you for the appreciation, Venkatt!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bhogalrajnish wow I miss home. |
I can imagine how someone who has lived there, must be missing it. I was there only for a few days, and still I am missing it crazily.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sajusherief Never thought a hatch back can make such a trip through the slush. |
On the contrary, it's the smaller hatchbacks that rule such terrain. While I was cautiously treading my way back, I was being constantly overtaken by Altos, M800s, and Santros. It's a different thing that I overtook all of them after crossing Kufri.
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolguru4ever Whoever underrates a Punto, should read your post. |
Thanks! Punto is a fantastic car. That chassis deserves a more powerful unit. I have taken it to the beaches in Diu and the hill of Himalayas, it has never let me down.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tamed_explorer Amazing! I have always been thinking of taking my Ritz vdi on such a stroll but never got that confidence. |
Take it! I saw a RJ registered Ritz in Narkanda, he seemed as comfortable as I was. It definitely can do the stretch. Will wait to hear about your experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Samba The message i want to convey you is, am really jealous of you! You drove an oceanic blue Punto (arguably the best handling hatch back) on the snow laden Himalayan roads! Am sure its more than enough to make a number of Team Bhpian's jealous of you! |
Thank you so much Samba. It's the forum that inspired me to make such a trip and then share my experience. The Punto has always been a step-child for me, as Crusoe (my T-jet) gets more attention as well as affection. Yet, it's the Punto that has taken me to the most delightful of places from virgin beaches near Diu to snow covered Hatu.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nda992 Having spent 3 years there, I visited these place twice, but during the summers.
Your writeup makes me feel like going back again. |
Thanks nda992, I sometimes feel like quitting my job and become a teacher in some small town in Himachal. One glance at my EMIs, and I quietly slip into my cabin. That place is divine, and it's really difficult to not miss it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by alfafan I am guessing yours is the new punto with 190mm of ground clearance which is perfect for rough roads. Just wanted to check how it performed on rough roads and did it bottom out anywhere |
Thanks Alfafan, yes it's the 2012 Punot but has 185 MM ground clearance. Active version has 190 MM. 185 was more than enough. The only difficult spot was Swarghat, but even a Fortuner will bottom-out at Swarghat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deoelect Had the same question as alfafan. Did the Punto bottom out anywhere? |
Thanks deoelect, the bottom did scrape the craters of Swarghat but nothing serious. Punto has a very sturdy under-body protection plate. It's only the noise that scares but the car seldom would let you down. I drove through almost 2 feet of snow, there was a loud noise of the protection plate ploughing through the snow but mechanically there were no issues.
Quote:
Originally Posted by voyageur I had to ask you something. Is Narkanda a part of Shivaliks / Himalayas? My knowledge of the place is very weak. |
Thanks Voyageur, Narkanda is part of Himalayas and surrounded by the Sivalik range. The elevation of Shivaliks is typically ~1000-2000 meters but Narkanda is at 2700 meters. The locals told me it's the highest point between Shimla and Rampur and gets the maximum snowfall.
_________________________
Thank you all for appreciating the thread! It really means a lot. Let me share my response to some common queries:
How did the Punto take it?
As mentioned in my response to Samba, my Punto has always been the lesser preferred option while deciding on a road trip. It's Crusoe (my T-jet) that gets priority. This trip too was planned to be done in Crusoe. Unfortunately, I lost Crusoe's RC before the trip and didn't get time to go through the procedure of getting duplicate RC issued. Thus, very reluctantly I decided to take the Punto. On the planes I used to constantly tell my wife, see how this is struggling to overtake, Crusoe would have been a breeze to drive on highways. My wife would point out, don't say such a thing, poor Neil might feel bad. Once we reached Swarghat, Neil came into its elements. Eating away bad roads at will. The surface at Swarghat is so horrible that NASA can use it for testing its Rovers. This is when I first started appreciating Neil over Crusoe. I am absolutely sure that Crusoe with its low GC and long wheel-base would have struggled on that road. After that, the ghat sections were tailor made for the Fiat's chassis.
While driving through slush, the broad (195 section) tyres offered excellent grip. The only scary part was at Fagu during the return journey. There was ice on road, which is much tougher than snow. The tyres were losing traction still, we managed to plough our way through.
In Narkanda, the car was parked outside at negative temperature. Since there was a snow-storm outside, I couldn't go out to crank it at regular intervals. I was pleasantly surprised when it started on the first crank in the morning. The Diesel had not solidified and the car was not coughing or any untoward sign. There were two MUVs in the property (a Bolero and a Sumo), and both didn't start. One of the owners came and asked if mine was a petrol car. Even they were surprised on why the Diesel didn't freeze. Even I don't know the reason because there were no additives in fuel, I didn't cover the engine, and didn't keep it on in the night. Perhaps, I was lucky or Punto is well-engineered. Maybe, the 5W-40 Selenia did the trick.
Bottom-line - The Punto performed way better than my expectations and is now emotionally as close as Crusoe.
Driving on Snow
This was my first experience of driving on snow. So, it was dependent on what I had read, what I had seen on Youtube, and invaluable suggestion by the driver at Hotel Hatu. I didn't have snow-chains or ropes, neither did I lower the pressure to abysmal limits. The wide tyres, Punto's long wheelbase did the trick. The idea is to use brakes as less as possible. The best way is to use engine-braking. I drove the entire journey from Narkanda to Shimla in 2nd and 3rd gear. Even if your car is equipped with ABS, it can skid when one applies brakes. It usually happens when there's oncoming traffic and we realise that we need to slow down. Thus, the key point is drive slow (but maintain momentum) so that emergency braking is not required. It's much easier to drive on fresh snow as it offers good grip. It's the snow that has settled and turned into ice, which is dangerous. On such stretches, I used to follow the tread marks of the vehicle in front as it would have roughed up the surface of the ice.
So, if one is traveling with a non 4x4 car, please Drive slow and avoid braking as much as possible. If there's a faster and better equipped car behind, let it pass.
Hope these answer the queries. Please feel free to post or pm, if I missed something.