[BlackPearl]

The most difficult part of writing a travelogue is gathering the courage to start one! Wrong, for a strictly average photographer like me, even more difficult is to scan through the hordes of pics and choose the ones that are decent enough to be put up on team-bhp. After every good trip, the problem I face is that the images captured in my mind do not match with those taken on camera. The more beautiful a place, the bigger seems to be the gap between these two and depression sets in for not being able to capture the true beauty of nature. So I fall back on my human instincts and find a scapegoat, the 10 year old SLR camera. With one thing sorted out, it is high time to concentrate on the travelogue.
It was our 10th marriage anniversary and we wanted it to be special. Boss had other plans and all my leave requests were rejected. Suddenly I felt like the most valuable employee of the company. On hind sight it was the best thing that could have happened. If I had got the leaves on time, we would have missed the snow in Himachal and Uttarakhand.

Not so good start to the journey...
A week before the journey I swapped the wheels of the Thar with the Bolero. The Michelin LTX ATs were put on the Thar in anticipation of driving on snow. Just one day prior to the journey, while going to office in the Thar, I felt a wobble in the steering at around 80 kmph. It was a classic wheel balancing issue, at least that is what I thought. On the day of the travel, left office a bit early and got the wheels balanced. The problem remained unsolved. I was facing the biggest dilemma in life, whether to take the Thar or the Bolero. After a lot of discussion with my wife, a part of which was heated as I was blamed for changing tyres at the last moment and causing this problem, finally decided to take the Thar. Called up team-bhp helpline and it was answered by DBhpian SS-Traveler. He suggested to interchange the front wheels with the rear but no shop was open at that time. It was already 11 p.m. when we started from home. We decided to drive slowly through the night and planned to interchange the tyres in the morning at a roadside shop. Progress was slow through the night, partly due to the wobbling issue and partly due to heavy fog. We continued to drive and reached Kanpur at 4:30 p.m. next day. We were not able to find a single tyre shop that had a jack suitable for lifting the Thar.

Pic taken somewhere on NH2


Just before the Kanpur bypass there is a huge Mahindra showroom and service station where we had previously serviced our Bolero en-route to Ladakh. We decided to get the car checked there and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have taken in my life. One of the service advisers there is Mr. Saleem, a thorough gentleman and immensely knowledgeable. I insisted on meeting Mr. Saleem and brought the issue to his notice promptly. He immediately ordered the car to be put on a ramp. The next thing was a bit of a shock. He showed me that one of the bolts of the lower arm on one side had fallen off and another one on the other side was just about to fall off He had diagnosed the issue within seconds. The car was readied in one hour flat and this included a satisfactory test drive session and a thorough cleaning of the vehicle. Bill amount came to Rs. 289, another shock.



Marching ahead with renewed zest..
After this episode, there was no looking back. Kanpur to Delhi was done blazingly fast. I was in contact with SS-Traveler throughout the journey and even got an invitation to take a quick nap at his home. But unfortunately that did not happen as we did not find it prudent to barge into somebody's house in the middle of the night. After Delhi we encountered heavy fog. I was following a Punjab registered Dzire which was superbly driven. I was thanking my lucky stars for finding such a vehicle amidst the deteriorating conditions. However my joy was short-lived as the Dzire met with an accident. There was a tractor abandoned on the left lane without any light. The Dzire was not able to stop on time and lost a headlight. After this incident none of the vehicles wanted to lead. There was a trail of cars, buses and trucks behind my vehicle and I had no option but to drive ahead. We continued to drive through the second consecutive night and reached Kandaghat (near Shimla) in Himachal Pradesh after a grueling 34 hours drive from Kolkata.

Somewhere after Chandigarh, the road was beautiful


We had no problem in finding the Club Mahindra Kandaghat resort and the manager was kind enough to allow us an early check-in.
We were quite tired after the non-stop Kolkata-Kandaghat stint. Had a quick shower and grabbed some lunch from a local Dhaba and hit the bed. Woke up just in time to catch a beautiful sunset in the hills.



Day 3 - Kandaghat continued..
On the third day we woke up decently early by our standards and headed for Chail. Stopped for a few pictures at Sadhupul, a picnic spot by the stream named Ashwani.



While returning we stopped at Sadhupul again as the place was looking beautiful during dusk, the pictures however do not do justice.





There is not much to see in Chail. We went to see the Kali-Ka-Tibba atop a hill. The route to that place was desolate and we took the opportunity to take out our camp chairs and stove and quickly boiled Wai Wai for lunch.





The temple can be seen in the back drop


Kali-Ka-Tibba is an ancient temple and the view of the Shivalik range from this place is breathtaking.





Next destination was Chail Palace made famous by the Chanchad House in 3 Idiots movie. It is a hotel run by Himachal toursim and entry fee is Rs 100 per person.



A must visit place in Chail as per trip adviser is a small dhaba named Soni dhaba. The food is awesome and one should not miss the Shakkar Roti there.



Day 4 - Kandaghat to Mashobra
Mashobra is a one and half hour drive from Kandaghat. It was time to say goodbye to Club Mahindra Kandaghat after a wonderful 2 days stay.

The driveway in CMH Kandaghat is beautiful, a parting shot


After a lazy 50 kilometers drive we reached Club Mahindra Mashobra. View from the room -


Inside the room


After a quick lunch we visited a small church in Mashobra.


It was pretty cold and I took the opportunity to get warm


The cosy confines of the hotel room was the best place to be. It was a lazy afternoon and we watched the sun go down..


To be continued...

[BlackPearl]

Day 4 continued...

After sunset we decided to find out about the places of interest in and around Mashobra. It seemed that Narkanda and Kufri are popular tourist places but the reviews on the net were not encouraging. Most people mentioned that these were crowded with tourists and we strictly wanted to avoid such places. All the good reviews were pointing towards Chitkul, 240 kilometers from Mashobra. Google was showing a drive time of 6.5 hours. This was a bit too much as we had to come back to Mashobra the same day. 500 kilometers of travel in a day in the hills is something we had not done before and I was skeptical. But my skepticism could not hold a candle in front of my wife's enthusiasm and it was decided that we would do the trip to Chitkul and back, come what may. Went to bed early as it would be a 4 am start the next day.

Day 5 - Mashobra-Narkanda-Rampur-Sangla-Rakcham-Chitkul and back..
Next day we woke up at 3 a.m and were out by 4 a.m sharp. Followed google maps and 20 minutes later ended up in front of a closed gate of a church. It was pitch dark, the narrow road we had taken was a steep decline amidst a forest and the building in front of us looked deserted. It was an eerie situation. I was not able to reverse the Thar as the rear wheels were loosing traction. Put it into 4H and was able to reverse up to a place where I could at least take a 20 point U turn. Ok, 20 point was an exaggeration, but I literally had to go back and forth many times in order to make the U turn. It is a lesson learnt never to trust the google map in the hills. At a later point I had this discussion with SS-Traveler and he suggested that it is better to plot the entire route before hand on a laptop and then follow that route in google maps. On top of all this drama it was bitter cold and the soft top of the Thar was no match for it. We were shivering inside the vehicle and the heater was not working. Anyways, enough of this rant.
We had reached the banks of Sutlej by the time it was dawn.




The road till Sangla was beautiful and the road surface was good as well. There was absolutely zero traffic and the Thar was able to maintain a blistering pace. It was immensely satisfying to drive the Thar on the twisties.







After Tapri the road condition deteriorated due to frequent landslides. The last 50 Kms or so to Chitkul was painfully slow. The distance also turned out to be much more than what google had showed and was close to 260 Kms till Chitkul. But once we reached Chitkul we realised that it was worth all the pain. The scenery will be etched in our minds forever. The snow-clad mountains, the valley and the flowing Baspa river create a stunning view. It was desolate and not a single soul could be seen, just what we wanted.



























Pictures do not do justice to Chitkul. One must visit this place in winter.

We spent around 30 minutes in Chitkul. While returning we saw this monastery but did not have time to visit.


The drive back to Mashobra was arduous to say the least. We reached the hotel at around 10 p.m. after a round trip of 520 kms
People who have done this circuit are not believing that this could be done in a day and that too in a Thar.

To be continued...

[BlackPearl]

Day 6 - Mashobra-Solan-Nahan-Paonta Sahib-Dehradun-Mussoorie-Dhanolti

Day 6 was going to be another hectic day with a 350 km drive from Mashobra in Himachal to Dhanolti in Uttarakhand. We started at around 10 a.m. The road from Solan to Nahan needs special mention. It is one of the most beautiful roads we have driven. The surface is good and full of twists and turns. It is a driver's delight.

Yes, this is a gem of a vehicle from Mahindra..




En-route to Dhanolti, just before Paonta Sahib, we had a sumptuous lunch at this dhaba. Food was outstanding.


We reached Dehradun at around 4 p.m. The road from Dehradun to Mussoorie is beautiful. We crossed Mussorie and took the road towards Chumba and Dhanolti and finally reached the Club Mahindra Kanatal resort at 7 p.m. We had thought that Kanatal would be not so cold and were pleasantly surprised to be proved wrong.

The bonfire party organised by the resort staff was more than welcome -


Day 7 - Tehri Dam

We took it easy the next day after driving over 800 kms in the previous two days. We visited the Tehri Dam, around 35 kms from Kanatal. It is the tallest dam in India according to wikipedia and I have no idea what is means.







By the time we came back to Kanatal the sky had become very gloomy. After a few minutes it started snowing. It was beautiful.





Our trip was nearing its end and we would be starting for home the next day. The sunset seemed to reflect our melancholy mood.



Day 8 - Kanatal to Delhi and continue..

We checked out of the hotel at around 10:30 a.m. and planned to reach Delhi by 8 p.m. We had a dinner date with the Delhi bhpians at Karim's
But moments after hitting the road we were spellbound by the sheer beauty if the surroundings. The snowfall the previous day had cleared the sky and we could see lofty mountain ranges all around.



















We went on clicking pictures oblivious of the ticking clock. It was soon half past 11 and we had not even left Kanatal. Tried to make up time but the road condition did not help. There was slush and black ice and the cars were driving cautiously. The bikers were having a tough time and some of them even slipped. We stopped and asked a few of them if they needed any help. Thankfully they said no because I don't know how we could have helped them in case they had said yes. The situation was messy and tricky. I did not take any chance and switched to 4 High.



Things improved after around 20 kilometers and we were able to up the pace. After crossing Dehradun the power of the Thar was again put to good use and we reached the outskirts of Delhi by 6:20 p.m. Reached Karim's by 7 p.m. and met bhpian and schoolbuddy predatorwheelz (Aniket) along with JKDS (Basu). DBhpian SS-Traveller (Shamindra) and his family joined us by 8 p.m. and what followed was pure culinary delight, ah we Bengalis





Left to right - predatorwheelz, JKDS, SS-Traveler, BlackPearl


We will be ever grateful to the bhpians for lovely treat and the warmth and affection that they showed. Finally at around 10:45 p.m. it was time to bid goodbye. Got the directions on how to go out of Delhi and take the YEW, tanked up and were on our way by 11:15 p.m.

Thankfully we did not encounter any fog during the return leg. We continued to drive through the night and the journey was uneventful.



At around 3 p.m. we found a lovely spot and stopped to have lunch. Lit up the stove and cooked Wai Wai.





We reached the outskirts of Kolkata by 8 p.m. and got stuck at a huge traffic jam at one of the toll plazas just before entering Kolkata. Somehow negotiated the jam and reached home by 8:45 p.m. The GPS logger showed a drive time of 19 hours 40 minutes from Delhi to Kolkata. The trip meter showed a distance of 4890 Kms covered in the past 9 days.

The trip itinerary in short -
Day 1 and 2 : Kolkata - Kandaghat (1850 kms)
Day 3 : Kandaghat - Chail and back (60 kms)
Day 4 : Kandaghat - Mashobra (40 kms)
Day 5 : Mashobra - Chitkul and Back (520 kms)
Day 6 : Mashobra - Kanatal (350 Kms)
Day 7 : Kanatal - Tehri Dam and back (70 kms)
Day 8 and 9: Kanatal - Kolkata (1750 kms)

Special thanks to the Delhi bhpians SS-Traveler, predatorwheelz and JKDS for all the help with the itinerary and routes and ofcourse the lovely treat at Karim's.

[ampere]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Dont know what to praise: The beautiful white weather, or the White Thar!

[v12]

Excellent writeup and pics Blackpearl!! Seriously if it were not for the thread title - it would easily be mistaken as a US travelogie in Jeep Wrangler.

[Turbanator]

Great travelogue , that's some serious driving

Day 1 and 2 : Kolkata - Kandaghat (1850 kms)
Day 8 and 9: Kanatal - Kolkata (1750 kms)

Did you guys split driving duties ? having dinner in Delhi after a drive from hills and then driving all the way to Kolkata - definitely a commendable job.

[gearhead_mait]

Another one of those beautiful long drives and some records shattered again! The THAR takes the cake here.
Congratulations on your 10th anniversary and wishing you all the happiness (including more travel, some cross country drive as well?) in the coming years.

Rated 5*.

[Uprasenjit]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Day 1 and 2 : Kolkata - Kandaghat (1850 kms)
Day 8 and 9: Kanatal - Kolkata (1750 kms)

I can only dream of these distances

Lovely photos and travelogue as usual. You travelogues has always been an inspiration to many like me.

You had lunch at a dhaba ?

[DrANTO]

Dear Blackpearl,

Congrats for an excellent travelogue and photos. I love your Thar.When I first read your ownership review, I didn't like colour of your Thar.But seeing the pictures of your Thar in this thread made me fall in love with it. You have got an amazing ride brother.

Regards.

[AJ-got-BHP]

BlackPearl, a White THAR and Himachal in the Winters is itself a lethal combination !! I am in awe with the modesty and the crispness in your travelogues. Very well written with some awesome pictures which indeed narrate your wonderful experience Congratulations to you as it makes to the Homepage. Rated a 5 Star !!

Himachal is indeed a very pristine state with a lot of cleanliness. Your Travelogue took me back in time to my road trip from Jaipur to Himachal which we did in May 2010 where we covered Shimla, Chail, Kufri, Manali, Solan & Rohtang. We were indeed blessed to find a good quantum of snow in this trip like never before. Sharing some pictures of a White Himachal through my eyes :





















Some Panoramic Ones Too :





Keep writing such wonderful Travelogues BlackPearl and keep inspiring the community as you always have had. Kudos to you mate !!

[Red Panda]

Wonderful travelogue and lovely photographs. 10th year of togetherness well spent. You guys are an inspiration.

Warm regards and best wishes
Avishek.

[gearhead_mait]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

The route to that place was desolate and we took the opportunity to take out our camp chairs and stove and quickly boiled Wai Wai for lunch.

This particular image of yours brings out the very essence of a road trip. Relaxed, serene and ample time to laze around.

All of a sudden, it brought back one sweet memory of our East Sikkim trip.

[himadrimondal]

Beautiful travelogue to say the least. That's a hell lot of kilometers covered in such a short time span. Short is really sweet, so are the photographs. Some excellent landscapes truly deserve a print and a wall hung. The Thar is truly a no nonsense vehicle. Rated.

[SouraC]

Now this is Bad..

A person who can write this crisp a Travelogue which inspires a lot of folks like us and also can take pictures which makes us grasping should never write.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

The most difficult part of writing a travelogue is gathering the courage to start one! Wrong, for a strictly average photographer like me, even more difficult is to scan through the hordes of pics and choose the ones that are decent enough to be put up on team-bhp. After every good trip, the problem I face is that the images captured in my mind do not match with those taken on camera. The more beautiful a place, the bigger seems to be the gap between these two and depression sets in for not being able to capture the true beauty of nature. So I fall back on my human instincts and find a scapegoat, the 10 year old SLR camera. With one thing sorted out, it is high time to concentrate on the travelogue.

Surely you should start training friends and colleagues how to complete a 2 week trip in 9 days (Whatever might be the reason). It will be a smash hit and lot of people will be standing at your front door to register themselves.

Jokes apart, wish you many more Anniversary runs which will enrich us with more Travelogues. As usual, I am again mighty impressed by your driving abilities, tenacity and photographic skills.
In my opinion those massive distances covered in a single drive should come with some restraint advisory for keeping you fellow enthusiasts safe.

As finale, I should repeat AJ’s words..

Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP

Keep writing such wonderful Travelogues BlackPearl and keep inspiring the community as you always have had. Kudos to you mate !!

[Samba]

Wonderful travelogue with equally beautiful pics. Rated 5*. White Thar in white snow looks gorgeous!

Your travelogue brings back our memory of Himachal trip way back in 2005. Right now i do not have the pics of our trip but i can share two screen shots from the video we took during that trip.

The car in which we traveled.


My dad with famous Shangla baba in front of the temple on the way to Shangla.