3rd May 2017, 13:39
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| Team-BHP Support   | 12 years of the Himalayas! This is not a travelogue but a journey that started 12 years back and hopefully will continue for years to come. I have lost count of the number of times we have traveled to the Himalayas, many of those trips were put up in travelogues, many have been lost from memory, but I do get sudden glimpses of them. The first one will be etched in my mind forever! I don't have many pics of the trip as I had a Pentax Optio 330GX camera with a 16 MB card! #1 : The first drive to the Himalayas: Sikkim Vehicle : 2005 Suzuki Baleno Lxi Places visited: Gangtok, Tsomgo, Pelling, Kaluk The excitement of driving in the hills for the first time was too much to bear with. My parents and parents in law were a bit concerned, but I had a lot of kilometers of highway driving under my belt to ward off their skepticism. I had participated in a few rallies as well, so it helped in convincing them. We started off at 6 o clock in the morning. Veteran rally driver Somdeb Chanda was going to Bhutan that same day. He told me to follow his Bolero till Siliguri and I did that meticulously. We took the Kolkata Panagarh Bakreshwar Moregram route. My father in law was stationed at Bakreshwar thermal power plant, so paid him a quick visit and continued on our way. Lunch was at Malda. The Dalkhola to Islampur stretch had been widened and we reached the outskirts of Siliguri at around 6 p.m. Parted ways with Somdeb Da and his family. Finding a hotel in Siliguri was not a problem, but we did not know how to convince the managers that we were a married couple. This was our first trip and it took us sometime to realise the problem, because the managers were not asking anything. They were just denying that there was vacancy! I think it was the fourth hotel if I remember correctly that had asked for identity cards and were convinced that we were not some runaway couple  But we made a promise that we would never stay in Siliguri again if it is not necessary and we had kept that promise for 11 years! We had to break it during last year's return from Bhutan as Phuentsholing was bursting with tourists and we did not get accommodation. Anyways, next morning we woke up early, terribly excited. But the weather was a dampener. It was raining. Not a good thing for the first timer! I started driving cautiously and soon we had crossed Sevoke on our way to Gangtok, capital of Sikkim. Rains continued till Melli. After that it was foggy till Rangpo. I felt as if it was like baptism by fire! The first drive to the hills and it was throwing all sorts of challenges at us! The flowing Teesta river along the route  The welcome sign at Rangpo  After Rangpo the weather was fantastic. The Baleno with its after market headers and free flowing exhaust was a blast to drive along the twists and turns and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Accommodation in Gangtok was at the office guest house in Zero point, called the Cherry Villa. It was a quaint little villa, a bit far from the main MG Marg in Gangtok. A pic with Ayub the caretaker of the guest house  The next day we went to visit Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La.   We took it easy the following day and visited the tourist spots in and around Gangtok. The most famous was the Rumtek Monastery.  Our college friend was travelling to Kaluk in west Sikkim with his office colleagues. The plan was to meet them and stay in Kaluk before moving on to Ravangla. We started from Pelling a bit late and asked a local about the route. He told us that there was newly opened short-cut that would save a lot of time. Little did we know at that time that it was a road apt for SUVs if not 4WDs. In fact there was no road. There were pebbles, boulders, mud and slush. Several times we had to get down to remove boulders. The car was skidding on the slush and it remains as one of the toughest tracks that I have ever driven till date. I can't remember the distance that the horrible road continued, but it felt like a never ending ordeal. Driving a low GC sedan for hours on that road has surely reduced my life expectancy . I wish we had dash-cams in those days! Finally we reached Ghonday Village Resort Kaluk at dusk, absolutely drained out and famished. Hard earned Chicken Momos!  The next morning was clear and view was superb from the resort.    Next destination was Mount Narsing resort in Ravangla. The distance was less and we stopped at a few places en-route for photo sessions. The road to the hill top of Mount Narsing resort had been freshly laid with rocks and stones. It would have been impossible to take the Baleno up there without damaging the under-carriage, though I contemplated it for a while as I did not want to leave the car below. However, Sikkim being a very safe place it was not much of a problem. The Tata Sumo that had been hired by Rajarshi and his colleagues took us up to the hill top quite easily. It was my first failure in taking my car to a place that I wanted to and I observed the advantage of high ground clearance and diesel grunt! The hill top of Mount Narsing resort boasted a 360 degree view. It was a fantastic place to be and is still highly recommended after 12 years. The next day we started early in the morning from Ravangla for Kolkata. We did not stop anywhere except for re-fueling. It was a fast drive back home and the 1.6 litre engine of the Baleno showed us why it was such a gem in its time. An immensely satisfying trip came to an end, but it marked the start of an era for us, an era of frequent drives to the Himalayas! Last edited by BlackPearl : 9th July 2018 at 04:22. |
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29th June 2018, 01:00
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| Team-BHP Support | re: 12 years of the Himalayas! # 2 : The second drive to the Himalayas : Sikkim again! Vehicle : 2004 Maruti Suzuki Alto LX Places visited: Gangtok and surrounding tourist points It is for a reason that Alto has been the highest selling vehicle ever since it was launched. Ours is still running strong after 14 years. But it was never a plan to go to Sikkim in the Alto, it was purely circumstantial. My wife and I had 7 days off in the end of December but we have been eternal paupers throughout our life. It was no different at that time. So the only place we could visit during the holidays was the Bakreshwar Thermal Power Plant where my father in law was stationed. It was a "no-brainer" between the Baleno and the Alto for a highway drive, but we chose the Alto to save money on fuel. It turned out to be a fantastic decision in the end! We reached Bakreshwar in the afternoon.   In the evening we went to Shantiniketan in the evening to visit the famous "Poush Mela" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poush_Mela). At that time we used to work for an industry that gave 10 days holiday during the new year. So we had lots of holidays in hand but nowhere to go. At around 11 am that day, just after breakfast, Rajsri asked me if I was not going anywhere due to lack of money and would I travel if she could arrange for it. The answer was obviously yes. Next moment he called her father who was working in the power plant. I did not follow the conversation, but 10 minutes later I saw her father enter the apartment. The plan had been made between the two of them! We were supposed to leave within half an hour for Gangtok  By noon we were out on the highway after a super quick lunch prepared by my mother in law. Luggage was minimal as we were not prepared for a long trip. Still the Alto felt a bit under-powered on the highway with 4 people on-board. We booked the TCS Guest House in Gangtok on the way. Till Moregram i.e. the junction where SH60 merged with NH34, the road was not too bad. But after that nightmare started. I have never see a worse NH34 in my life, though it is famous for bad stretches quite frequently. I thanked my stars that I had not taken the Baleno as we would have to abandon the journey. It would have scraped its bottom on the lunar landscape. The road condition was so bad that Volvo bus services had stopped. We saw trucks and buses abandoned every now and then with broken axles, broken leafs etc.   Our puny little Alto trudged ahead amidst the chaos. It took us 10 Hours to reach Malda from Bakreshwar, a distance of approx 200 Kilometers. It usually takes 4 to 5 hours! We had ample time in hour hand, so decided to stay at a hotel in Malda for the night. Woke up at 3 in the morning and started by 4 after quickly cleaning the car.  Road condition was far better than what we had encountered the previous day. But after some time our pace got hindered by tremendous fog. My experience of driving in fog was not that much during those days and I was quite scared. Progress was very slow till a bus came from behind as a savior. I started following the bus and it maintained a good pace in-spite of the heavy fog. After following it for about 50 kilometers the fog became less. I got greedy and overtook the bus. But the good visibility lasted only a few kilometers and the fog came back with vengeance. At one point I was not able to see anything beyond the bonnet of the Alto and almost come to halt. Thankfully saw the 6 bright lights of Lokenath Travels bus in my rear view mirror. When the bus crossed me I realised that I was just meters away from hitting a pole! After that I did not leave the bus till Siliguri. The saviour!  We refilled fuel at Siliguri and continued towards Gangtok. The beautiful Sevoke road  Just 64 Kms left  Rafting on the River Teesta. The dam had not been built at that time.  Since it was winter, there was an abundance of roadside shacks selling oranges and apples. My father in law can be called a connoisseur when it comes to fruits and vegetables. He was extremely happy seeing all those shacks and wanted to stop. I, on the other hand, don't like fruits and to stop as well! A visibly happy father-in-law  Not so happy son-in-law  Welcome to Sikkim board at last!  We reached Gangtok late in the afternoon. The route to the TCS guesthouse was familiar as we had been there before. I was extremely happy to reach there after a grueling journey. We knew Ayub, the caretaker, and he was happy to see us back again. He is an excellent cook and we lost no time in ordering for dinner. It was bitter cold and I was well prepared!  We had a visitor!  Next day we went out for sight seeing in and around Gangtok. The famous Rumtek Monastery   Young monks at Rumtek   In the evening, Rajsri and her parents went for the cable car ride. I did not as I am scared of cable cars.  Next morning was the same routine, wake up, relax, have late breakfast and go out for sightseeing. Though it was winter, the snow peaks were not clearly visible. There was a lot of haze.   These were the best pics I could take of the peeping snow peaks!  We went to the Gangtok Zoo, called the Himalayan Zoological Park, Bulbulay. The Alto parked in front of the gates of the zoo. This road was quite steep.  A few pictures of the animals    That evening, after returning to the guest house I fell seriously ill. I had been greedy in the afternoon and ate a lot of mutton Phalays from a road side shack. Those who dont know, Phalay is a Tibetan delicacy. It is like a fried momo filled minced vegetables and meat. I have had it many times before, but this time the quality of oil or the meat might have been bad. I was literally shaking with stomach pain and high fever. Rajri and my parents in law tried to cover me up with multiple duvets, but I was shivering like hell. Frankly speaking, that night I had thought I would die. I have never felt so sick before or after that in my life till date, touch-wood! Ayub came and said that I would need to be shifted to the hospital. But thankfully before that, Rajsri and her mother made a concoction of water and very high amount of salt that I gulped at one go. That horrible liquid induced vomiting and I felt much better after that. Next morning woke up a bit late and still felt a bit down with fever. But we had to start for Kolkata as my father-in-law had to attend office the next day due to an emergency.  Said goodbye to Ayub, his wife and son Dehbit. They had been wonderful hosts. The return journey was terrible and it took more that 25 hours to reach Bakreshwar power plant. The condition of NH34 had deteriorated further in the past 4 days and I had a real tough time saving the underbelly of the Alto. It was a stressful journey back, but the memories of the sudden trip to the Himalayas will remain etched for a long time to come! Last edited by BlackPearl : 9th July 2018 at 04:22. |
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8th July 2018, 03:37
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| Team-BHP Support | re: 12 years of the Himalayas! #3 : The third drive to the Himalayas : West Bengal and Sikkim Vehicle : 2005 Suzuki Baleno Lxi Places visited: Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Gangtok, Lachen, Gurudongmar, Lachung, Yumthang I had already put up a travelogue on team-bhp for this trip. So not writing again in details. Just posting pics from the trip. The boot of the Baleno was full up to the brim. We were 4 people travelling.  The narrow bridge before Farakka Barrage. For me this works as a signal that Farakka is just round the corner  The broken bridge after Raigunj  On the way to Darjeeling  The heritage Toy Train  Parking was not a problem in Darjeeling in those days  Keventers was a must visit in those days!  The famous St. Paul's School   Rajsri posing!  The majestic Kanchenjungha   One of my most favorite roads, Peshoke   Photoshoot on the way to Kalimpong  Morgan House, Kalimpong  Last edited by BlackPearl : 9th July 2018 at 04:29. |
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9th July 2018, 04:40
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| Team-BHP Support | re: 12 years of the Himalayas! # 3 : continued From Darjeeling we went to Kalimpong and then to Gangtok. From Gangtok, we hired a Mahindra Armada Grand 4x4, as my Baleno would not be able to go to Gurudongmar. This was the start of loving high GC no nonsense workhorses  On the way to Gurudongmar  Gurudongmar Lake    The Armada Grand 4x4  Certificate of visit   A few more pics, wish I had a better camera and could take better pics.     It was a 10 day trip to Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Gangtok and North Sikkim. We have not visited Gurudongmar again after this trip. Need to plan for one in the next few years. We can take our own vehicle now, so that is an added incentive. The link of the travelogue on team-bhp written 10 years back - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...th-sikkim.html Last edited by BlackPearl : 11th July 2018 at 15:11. |
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11th July 2018, 15:14
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| Team-BHP Support | re: 12 years of the Himalayas! #4 : The fourth drive to the Himalayas : Darjeeling and Mirik, West Bengal Vehicle : 2005 Suzuki Esteem Vxi Places visited: Darjeeling and Mirik This has been one of the best trips to Darjeeling till date. My colleague Saugata and I decided over lunchtime in office to go to Darjeeling and we started in the evening. 3 more friends had joined us in such a short notice! Though I will remember this trip forever, thinking of it brings back painful memory of Saugata, who passed away last year in a tragic boating accident in USA. There is a travelogue on team-bhp for this trip, so just posting a few random pics and videos. Doing a 180 degree with the Esteem on the desolate helipad in Mirik      The link to travelogue written many ages back - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ng-esteem.html Last edited by BlackPearl : 22nd July 2018 at 04:00. |
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15th July 2018, 06:01
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| Team-BHP Support | re: 12 years of the Himalayas! #5 : The fifth drive to the Himalayas : Binsar, Almora, Baijnath, Kausani, Patal Bhuvaneshwar, Birthi Falls, Nainital Vehicle : 2007 Suzuki Esteem Vxi Places visited: Binsar, Almora, Baijnath, Kausani, Patal Bhuvaneshwar, Birthi Falls, Nainital There was a long gap of almost 4 years between the the 4th and 5th trip to the Himalayas as I stayed in USA during that time. I was so scared of flying that I did not come back to India even once between 2008 and 2011! This trip to Binsar was made within a few weeks of coming back after buying a pre-owned Esteem. The Esteem has turned out to be one hell of a faithful vehicle and is still with us.  The link to the team-bhp travelogue - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...0-km-trip.html #6 : The sixth drive to the Himalayas : Gangtok and Darjeeling Vehicle : 2007 Suzuki Esteem Vxi Places visited: Gangtok and Darjeeling After returning from USA, 4 of us college friends went to Gangtok and Darjeeling to catch-up on the events and stories of the past 4 years! This was the last time we stayed in the beautiful Cherry Villa at Zero Point, Gangtok. This was also the last time I took a sedan to the Himaayas, at least till date   Incognito had put up a lovely travelogue on team-bhp - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...g-kolkata.html (A Himalayan Retreat aboard the Silver Blaze (Kolkata-Gangtok-Darjeeling-Kolkata )) Last edited by BlackPearl : 5th September 2018 at 02:37. |
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5th September 2018, 02:15
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| Team-BHP Support | re: 12 years of the Himalayas! When I had started writing this travelogue last year, I did not realize that it would turn out to be such an over ambitious project. The last trip mentioned above i.e. trip number 6 was my last trip to the Himalayas with a sedan. It was just a month before we got the delivery of our 4WD Bolero LX, named the White Tusker. From then onward the frequency of the trips increased manifold times and most of them have been put up on team-bhp. Then a white Thar called The Sherpa came into the picture in 2014 and the trips continued. The count stands at 30 as of now This thread has become too long, unwieldy and boring. I am sure no one in his right sense will go through all these pages of mediocre writing and sub-par pictures. I can only visualize myself going through these pages when I become old Noting down the rest of the trips along with the associated travelogues on team-bhp - #7 and #8 Sandakphu and Phalut, Nepal and West Bengal - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ll-phalut.html (Destination Sandakphu, the Land Rover territory. Update - another trip till Phalut) #9 Lava and Charkhole, West Bengal - Yet to be written #10 Ladakh, Kashmir - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ay-ladakh.html (Jullay Ladakh!!) #11 Gangtok, Sikkim - Yet to be written #12 Kaluk and Uttarey, Sikkim - Yet to be written #13 Silerigaon and Aritar, West Bengal and Sikkim - Yet to be written #14 Sandakphu, Nepal and West Bengal - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...-3rd-time.html (Bolero 4WD takes us to Sandakphu. For the 3rd time!) #15 and 16 Ladakh and Sikkim - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...oa-sikkim.html (Kolkata to Kashmir to Kerala, with a dash of Goa & Sikkim) #17 Kurseong and Darjeeling, West Bengal - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ndra-thar.html (Weekend drive to Kurseong and Darjeeling in a Mahindra Thar) #18 Borong and Baiguney, Sikkim - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...-baiguney.html (Weekend trip to South Sikkim in a Mahindra Thar: Borong and Baiguney) #19 Pokhridara and Zuluk, Sikkim - Yet to be written #20 Tawang, Arunachal - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ndra-thar.html (Call of the wild : Western Arunachal in a Mahindra Thar) #21 Pokhridara and Zuluk, Sikkim - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...back-seat.html (Zuluk from the back seat) #22 Kandaghat, Mashobra and Chitkul, Himachal - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...hite-thar.html (Winter Himachal in a White Thar) #23 Sandakphu, Nepal and West Bengal - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ndra-thar.html (Sandakphu and beyond in a Mahindra Thar) #24 Borong, Sikkim - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...th-sikkim.html (Monsoon drive to Borong, South Sikkim) #25 Bhutan - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...olero-4x4.html (Throwback to a bygone era - Bhutan in a Bolero 4x4) #26 Sikip, Baiguney and Darjeeling - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ling-thar.html (Sikip, Baiguney and Darjeeling in a Thar) #27 Kalpa, Nako, Tabo, Mudh, Kaza and Losar, Himachal - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ndra-thar.html (An experience called Spiti in a Mahindra Thar) #28 Pelling, Kaluk and Gangtok, Sikkim - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ve-sikkim.html (Thar & Duster AWD Twins drive to Sikkim) #29 Bhutan - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...orpio-4wd.html (West Bhutan in a Scorpio 4WD) #30 Gangtok and Tsomgo Lake, Sikkim - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ndra-thar.html (Gangtok and Tsomgo Lake in a Mahindra Thar) So I just need to put up 5 more travelogues to catch up with last 13 years of travel to the Himalayas. Will have to complete them before I go back to India and start travelling again! Last edited by BlackPearl : 5th September 2018 at 02:43. |
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5th September 2018, 04:31
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| Team-BHP Support  | re: 12 years of the Himalayas! Thread moved to the Travelogues section. Thanks for sharing! Quote:
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5th September 2018, 09:09
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| Team-BHP Support  | |
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5th September 2018, 09:30
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| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Anand(GJ23)
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| re: 12 years of the Himalayas! Wow, what an amazing list of travelogues. I am proud to say, I have read or gone through almost all of your travelogues. Thanks for these detailed logs. The title of this post "12 years of Himalayas!" inspired me to think about my first visit to the Himalayas. My first time was way back in 1994 for a trekking camp in Manali. I used to carry a Kodak KB10 camera with two film rolls. Here is the only photograph available from my first trip to the Himalayas.  |
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5th September 2018, 13:02
| #11 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Ipswich, UK
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| re: 12 years of the Himalayas! Before reading this log I want to say that I had the privilege of driving to Sikkim for the first time with you 3 years back And the addiction which you have introduced continues... |
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5th September 2018, 13:34
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| BHPian  | re: 12 years of the Himalayas! Great thread BP! I am sure this will evoke nostalgia within many of us. And hats off to you...for the trail that you had discovered a dozen years earlier, some of us here, are still hanging onto it. Thank you for being the trail blazer . Rated 5 stars. Regards, Sayak Last edited by sayakc : 5th September 2018 at 13:42. |
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6th September 2018, 10:30
| #14 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Bengaluru
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6th September 2018, 15:50
| #15 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: bangalore
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| Re: 12 years of the Himalayas! Quote:
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