[PapaBravo]

Sikkim is very close to our heart since it never ceases to surprise us even after innumerable visits. This time we were surprised by this



A teaser picture of HULK enjoying the weather



**********

We had not been to hills for around 6 months. This is a long time for us. The 3 other road trips in last 6 months were in the plains. There was a short one day stint in Mussoorie but that obviously doesn't count. Bengali new year this time was falling on a Thursday. One Friday leave & we had 4 days in hand to satiate the hills craving.

Thanks to such a closely knit Team-BHP Kolkata Chapter, took all the advise on the latest road & weather conditions. Got to know that another team from TBHP was planning West Sikkim trip on the same dates. The second team was leaving Kolkata on 13th Night at 2000 hrs. We decided to tag along & be the part of convoy till Siliguri.

Although, I am in love with West Sikkim, this time we had thought of going to Gurudongmar Lake. Fellow bhpian himadrimondal had come back from the same place 10 days back. After long discussions on phone with him & bhpian imove, we decided to change our plan since this itinerary would have kept us on a very tight schedule without giving us time to enjoy the scenery. We have no problems making marathon runs, but once we are at the location, any hurry spoils it for us. We finally decided on East Sikkim.

Day 0 : 13 Apr : Kolkata-Gangtok

It was a usual busy day in office. I finished up the work by 1600 hrs & was home by 1700 hrs after topping up fuel & getting tyres filled up. My wife had already reached back from her office & packed up most of the stuff. After packing up last moment things, I thought of taking a Power Nap before the drive. We had to leave our place by 1900 hrs to meet the other team at 2000 hrs. We got ready & put the luggage in the car by 1830 hrs and 5 minutes later got a whatsapp from the other team that the departure has been delayed. The new ETD was 2200 hrs as one of the members got stuck in office for an unavoidable meeting. We finally left our place at 2100 hrs & went to KFC to get the dinner packed.

HULK at KFC



Waiting for the team to join in



Finally we all joined at Dankuni Toll & the convoy started to move around 2300 hrs. The Convoy had HULK, Scorpio 4WD, Scorpio Getaway 4WD & a Wagon R. This time we were not taking the route via Bihar. The Bengal-Bengal route is shorter but had horrible roads. Quoted from this travelogue.

While coming back I had made the cardinal mistake of not taking the same route that I had taken while coming. We thought we would explore the shorter NH34. That was our biggest mistake but more on that later.

But after watching the latest experiences of Blackpearl & himadrimondal on this route, we decided to take it. The first break at Moregram was after 4 hours for fuel for the WagonR traveling with us. Although we had not consumed much of our fuel, we topped up as well.

The convoy at Morgram



We crossed Farakka at 0415 hrs



After the sunrise, we stopped just after Malda at around 0630 hrs.

Morning tea with the team



L-R : imove, himadrimondal, PapaBravo, Sabre100the, shantanob, Subhankar.

This one is for bhpian mi2n. See I am not wearing a shirt & Jeans in this one.



Amitava Da's Getaway is a looker.



We started off & left the convoy at Dalkhola. We entered Sikkim by 1300 hrs.

Green Mahananda National Park



Welcome to Sikkim



We were staying in the same army accommodation as last time. As soon as we checked in a Hailstorm started. The whole storm lasted quite long. We had our tea & went for a small nap.



We finally woke up at 1800 hrs to find the storm still on. We left our guest house at 1830 hrs for a stroll in MG marg & to get the forms for Permit. The forms are available at the xerox shop opposite the Sikkim Public Service Commission behind Sikkim Tourism office at MG marg.

After picking up the forms we went to a nice restaurant call The Square at MG marg. This is a great place with wonderful food. Do try Crispy Chilli Babycorn when you are here.

At The Square



After having an early Dinner we retired for the day at around 9 pm. We had a long day ahead.

contd...

[PapaBravo]

Day 2 : 14 Apr : Gangtok-Changu-Thegu-Nathula-Kupup-Gangtok

The day started early & we were at the Permit office at 6 am. There were two counters each for North & East Sikkim. We noticed that there was no one at the North counter & Lots of people at the East one. We heard that there was fresh heavy snowfall the previous evening & all roads to North Sikkim were closed. Therefore, they were not issuing North Sikkim. Thankfully we had cancelled the North plan earlier. For East, the road ahead of Changu lake was closed, so they were issuing permits only till Changu. We managed to get permits till Nathula & Baba Mandir with some contacts. The permit officer told us that although the roads are closed, if we are able to, we can go ahead as well. Some Army contacts were helpful.

After the permits, we got rolling for our destination at around 0730 hrs. We had thought of going as much East & Up as possible & make stops while coming back. Even after leaving so early our car was the 22nd car to cross the check-post that day towards East Sikkim. According to a travel agent a total of 60 cars are currently given permits per day for East.

Trip starts with some greenery



Before we could soak into the greenery & serenity we reached here



There were fresh landslides & the path had narrowed down quite a bit at some points creating bottlenecks.

Hulk stuck in Jam



Seems to be a landslide prone area



Spot the Bridge



Respect to BRO for keeping the roads open even after numerous landslides. After sometime we started again. We had not gone too far till we encountered some more landslides



After these two portions, the roads ahead were good.

There were some steep patches which had road signs like this



Er..No. We made it in normal auto mode. Wasn't so steep.

Then again



First sight of snow



Then some more snow





We passed Changu lake & went ahead. We could find some patches being cleared



4-5 kms ahead Changu Lake we encountered another Jam.



There was good amount of snow on the road plus there was an incline. So some cars who were trying to up were either getting stuck or were sliding back.

Another tourist Bolero trying to be oversmart getting stuck in the snow



This Scorpio 2WD was the first in line. The army guys were helping everyone. They tried pushing the Scorpio but it didn't budge. The scorpio slid towards the Cliff side & stopped.





By this time all the tourist vehicles behind us had turned back. The Bolero ahead of us was hired by people in Uniform & was a 4WD. It mad thru the patch. I engaged 4 Lock & Voila! Made thru the stretch without any external help. This part onwards there was no traffic, no cars & no tourists. That bad snow patch was actually a blessing in disguise. This is the part where the monies you paid extra for that 4WD system pays off.

contd....

[PapaBravo]

Day 2 : Contd

The roads ahead were empty



Some more pictures En-route



Snow getting increased



There were some parts where the snow was not cleared.



Tricky. Too much snow + Hilly Terrain



Some narrow + slippery



Spot the road



Zoomed in



Destination not too far away



Relief at approx 14k ft. (Signboard behind)



The vistas were amazing

Hulk & I enjoying the weather



Mountains up & close



Scenic



Don't remember the name of the lake



White all over



A Yak Enjoying the weather



Hulk is enjoying as well



Snow fun



Amidst the mountains



contd..

[PapaBravo]

Day 2 : contd...

Enjoying Sikkim



Sometimes Chinese see us



Sometimes they don't



Cold tyres



A frozen lake on the way



We pass thru the apparently highest ATM in the country



Some parting pictures of Hulk with the Mountains.



Some altitude ratings from Hulk's GPS & my watch





Post the Photoshoot, we went to Kupup & had Coffee & Maggi. It felt heavenly in biting cold.



After Kupup, the roads were closed for all traffic. We saw ahead & could not even spot the road. We had to return back in time as well & the locals at Kupup were hinting at a Hailstorm soon. We decoded to head back.

Scania on the way back



As planned, we stopped at Changu on the way back





After 11 hours of drive in the heaven, we were back in Gangtok by 6 pm. Rested some time at the Hotel & went to our favorite cafe live & loud for dinner. This place has live music & good food.



By 9, we retired for the day.

Day 3 : Gangtok-Deolo-Kalimpong-Kurseong

Morning at Gangtok



On our last trip, we had planned Parasailing but could not do it since the weather did not support us. This time we had planned to do Parasailing at Deolo & then proceed to Cochrane Place, Kurseong. We left Gangtok early. We did not take the normal route to Deolo. All cars go to Deolo via Chitrey & Kalimpong. We tried the less traveled route thru Rangpo Forest-Mangchu Forest-Icche Gaon. I would strongly recommend this route. It is very Scenic, runs thru forest & small hamlets.

Some pictures of that route



A small road going between the small settlements



Flowers in front of many homes



Clouds on the road



We reached Deolo & booked ourselves for Parasailing at Himalayan Eagle. This is the most trusted Parasailing organizers out there. We had some time so went to check out a nice resort nearby called the YURU resort. It looked like a great property. We would try staying there for the night next time. They had a wonderful trail leading to a beautiful vantage point.

The entrance



The trail



And the Vantage point





After sometime, we got a call from the Parasailing guy & we reached his place just a kilometer away.

Getting ready


Up in the air







And landed



contd...

[PapaBravo]

Day 3 : contd...

After the thrilling Parasailing experience, we left for Kurseong. We stopped at our favorite place in Kalimpong called Cafe Refuel

Java standing inside the Cafe



They give bicycles on rent as well.



We were very hungry & enjoyed the lunch



After feasting, we left for Kurseong. We reached Kurseong by 7 pm.

Our room's name in Cochrane place.



We were quite tired & went to sleep after a quick small dinner.

Day 4 : 16 Apr : Kurseong-Kolkata

We left Kurseong at 0500 hrs. Some pictures enroute

The branch off NH34 joining SH7 at Gurah and then Panchgram.



Huts in rural Bengal



A chaiwala enroute had a very different stool



I had got Hulk filled up till auto cut the last evening 20 kms ahead of our hotel. One thing to know about Kolkata-Siliguri run is that higher speeds won't make you reach any faster. There are numberous bottlenecks, jams, railway crossings. So the car, that just overtook you will end up behind you at the next railway crossing. It is very unlike Kol-Del runs. So I decided to do a mileage run on the way back. I wanted to make the whole trip from Kurseong to Kolkata (625 kms) without a refill. I drove very sedately and to my surprise recorded the shortest time ever taken by me. We reached home at 4.30. Just 11.5 hours & that too with a 2 hour break. So effectively, 9.5 hours of drive time. By the way, I should not take the full credit here. There was Voting in many parts of Bengal & the roads were very empty.

After reaching home checked the Distance to Empty



625kms + 180kms + 20kms = Range of 825 kms. Good enough for me.

So this is how this travelogue comes to an end. Thank you so much for reading & being part of the journey !!

Major Routes :

Kolkata-Siliguri : https://goo.gl/maps/JfHvnaFcDvp

Gangtok-Deolo : https://goo.gl/maps/2RkBs5Q1oHt


PS : I would like to convey my thanks to SS-Traveler, himadrimondal, Blackpearl, imove for the 24x7 support. I would also like to thank my wife Meghna for being on all our crazy drives. She is my co passenger, Navigator, motivator & fun partner.

Regards,

Pawan

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing.

[Samba]

Lovely travelogue Pawan da. Hulk and you combined did an awesome job! Rated 5*.

Between the watch you are wearing, is it the Casio Pro-Trek? It looks awesome for trips to hills/mountains!

One thing which struck my mind is you and us together completed the whole circuit! You did Gangtok to Kupup and back to Gangtok and last month we did Rongli to Kupup and back to Rongli! So a combined effort from Kolkata Bhpians to cover a full circuit in Sikkim!

Our travelogue from the other side of the journey!
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...dans-thar.html

Few pics between Zuluk to Kupup!

[Samfromindia]

I am planning to drive Sikkim this year and this travelogue is going to help me a lot for sure ! Concise & crisp write up with lovely pictures The HU of the duster is nice and i wish i had the same. Your watch compliments the traveler in you.

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

By this time all the tourist vehicles behind us had turned back. The Bolero ahead of us was hired by people in Uniform & was a 4WD. It mad thru the patch. I engaged 4 Lock & Voila! Made thru the stretch without any external help. This part onwards there was no traffic, no cars & no tourists. That bad snow patch was actually a blessing in disguise. This is the part where the monies you paid extra for that 4WD system pays off.

Well some useful advantages of 4WD other than playing in OTR Makes me wonder if my 2WD ride with HT tires will pose a problem in this kinds of situation.

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

Major Routes :

Kolkata-Siliguri : https://goo.gl/maps/JfHvnaFcDvp

Gangtok-Deolo : https://goo.gl/maps/2RkBs5Q1oHt

The routes will come pretty useful. Last time i took NH34 while going to Siliguri and it took me 14 long hours to reach there. No chance of picking up speed in most of the stretches due to broken roads. Will try this route this time. Well keep up all the good work !

[Chillout]

Excellent writeup, looking forward to my trip to Darjeeling and Gangtok this weekend. I am flying down from Chennai and renting a car from Bagdora. I hope Nathula pass is open on the day i intend to visit. I shared the pictures with my daughter and she is all excited, I hope the weather is favorable.

Can we apply for the permit to Nathula pass in advance.

Also hope the weather in Gangtok is pleasant, I plan to bring only light jackets and for Nathula pass, will hire those big jackets.

[psurelia]

Excellent travelogue PB! The pictures of the old silk route in white are gorgeous. I have east Sikkim on my bucket list for quite a while now. Thanks for such a lovely half treat as they say - flavour is half the savour! I had been to Kalimpong last December and I also think that the best part of Kalimpong is the paragliding at Deolo.

[arindam_xeta]

Great pictures and descriptions. Rated 5*. I heard about that Yuru, resort at Deolo, is it on that same Deolo cliff down the left hand side? Loved your adventures in the snow with Hulk. Many Happy miles to both of you!

[BlackPearl]

Nice crisp travelogue Pawan and lovely pictures. Rated 5*. Good to hear that the 4WD was put to good use. It must have felt really good to be able to go ahead in the snow when others had to return

[mi2n]

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

This one is for bhpian mi2n. See I am not wearing a shirt & Jeans in this one.

Haha! Was it the heat or NH34 that made you drop your pants?

You are really taking the Duster from strength to strength. I came across your Brio at Chandni Chowk few days back. The thoughts of your transition to the mighty Duster has ignited a strong urge in myself ever since. The wait gets harder each day.

Team-BHP has stormed Sikkim this year and how! With dozens of vehicles sporting the T-BHP stickers venturing into the state, our beloved forum must be getting quite popular there.

Can you please shed some light on the snow piled up in the middle of the road with tyre tracks on both sides. It will surely hit underbellies of low GC cars, but would it be damaging or can I just plough through such piles?

Congratulations on another courageous drive! Excellent captures too, heavenly as you have rightly said. Thanks for sharing.

[Uprasenjit]

Lovely thread Pavan....Hulk seems to be enjoying. How did Hulk performed in the snow ? Surely you had to engage the 4L I can see.

[PapaBravo]

Originally Posted by Samba

Lovely travelogue Pawan da. Hulk and you combined did an awesome job! Rated 5*.

Thanks a lot Samba !!

Between the watch you are wearing, is it the Casio Pro-Trek? It looks awesome for trips to hills/mountains!

Yes its a Protrek. I always switch to Altitude mode whenever I am in hills.

One thing which struck my mind is you and us together completed the whole circuit! You did Gangtok to Kupup and back to Gangtok and last month we did Rongli to Kupup and back to Rongli! So a combined effort from Kolkata Bhpians to cover a full circuit in Sikkim!

Absolutely. Full circuit coverage.

Few pics between Zuluk to Kupup!

Fantastic pictures as always.

Originally Posted by Samfromindia

I am planning to drive Sikkim this year and this travelogue is going to help me a lot for sure ! Concise & crisp write up with lovely pictures The HU of the duster is nice and i wish i had the same. Your watch compliments the traveler in you.

Thanks Sam. Let me know if you need more help in route guidance. I accidentally discovered the altitude display in the HU quite late. There is a story about the watch from this trip. The Parasailing guys didn't exactly know how high there Launch pad was. I told them after looking at my watch that it was approx 1700 m. They thanked me & have now planned to write the same in their hoarding in bold.

Well some useful advantages of 4WD other than playing in OTR Makes me wonder if my 2WD ride with HT tires will pose a problem in this kinds of situation.

Practical usage in such situation are really satisfying. One is actually utilizing the transmission where it is supposed to. As written above, a Scorpio 2WD could not make it. The advantage that Ecosport has is the weight. But doubt that it would be easy to tackle the incline full of snow.

Originally Posted by Chillout

Excellent writeup, looking forward to my trip to Darjeeling and Gangtok this weekend. I am flying down from Chennai and renting a car from Bagdora. I hope Nathula pass is open on the day i intend to visit. I shared the pictures with my daughter and she is all excited, I hope the weather is favorable.

There have been some major storms in the last few days in Sikkim. Hopefully they should subside by weekend. These places are lovely at this time of the year. Hope your daughter has loads of fun.

Can we apply for the permit to Nathula pass in advance.

Also hope the weather in Gangtok is pleasant, I plan to bring only light jackets and for Nathula pass, will hire those big jackets.

If you are going to hire a cab for the circuit, the travel agency will get most of the permits done. Please carry minimum two photographs, Voter IDs/Passports for the permits. Just give the Xerox of documents & photographs of all traveling to the agency the previous & they will manage the rest. You will find plenty of agencies on MG marg. DO remember to carry lots of water/juice & small snacks & keep yourself hydrated once you enter the high altitude. Gangtok would be pleasant.

Originally Posted by psurelia

Excellent travelogue PB! The pictures of the old silk route in white are gorgeous. I have east Sikkim on my bucket list for quite a while now. Thanks for such a lovely half treat as they say - flavour is half the savour! I had been to Kalimpong last December and I also think that the best part of Kalimpong is the paragliding at Deolo.

Thank you Sir. Time to tick off this item in your bucket list. Its a fanatastic place. And agree, that Deolo Parasailing is the highlight in Kalimpong, apart from the Chicken roast at Morgan house though.

Originally Posted by arindam_xeta

Great pictures and descriptions. Rated 5*. I heard about that Yuru, resort at Deolo, is it on that same Deolo cliff down the left hand side? Loved your adventures in the snow with Hulk. Many Happy miles to both of you!

Thank you for the wishes Arindam. Yuru is a nice property. While gping to the view point/park at Deolo it would be the uphill track on the right.

This is how the rooms look like

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Nice crisp travelogue Pawan and lovely pictures. Rated 5*. Good to hear that the 4WD was put to good use. It must have felt really good to be able to go ahead in the snow when others had to return

Thanks Sumitro. As I told, it was a blessing in disguise. Thank god there was so much snow on that patch which wasn't cleared. *Evil Grin*

Originally Posted by mi2n

Haha! Was it the heat or NH34 that made you drop your pants?

None actually. But wearing all that for a night drive would have definetly been an overkill.

You are really taking the Duster from strength to strength. I came across your Brio at Chandni Chowk few days back. The thoughts of your transition to the mighty Duster has ignited a strong urge in myself ever since. The wait gets harder each day.

Oh that is great. It was sold to someone in that area. Unfortunately I haven't been able to spot it since it left my garage.

Can you please shed some light on the snow piled up in the middle of the road with tyre tracks on both sides. It will surely hit underbellies of low GC cars, but would it be damaging or can I just plough through such piles?

These are tricky. You have to keep a keen observation on the ruts. When in doubt, it recommended to stop & recce. But these are the places where the Skid plate really comes in handy. Take a look at the skid plate & how it acts as a snow plough.

Congratulations on another courageous drive! Excellent captures too, heavenly as you have rightly said. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks you so much !!