[sinharishi]

A snow drive to the foothills of Himalayas was on the cards. We were waiting to hit the road at the right time. We kept tracking the weather for the month February, Shimla and the nearby region was supposed to get snowfall during mid-February. Taking our chances, we decided to head to Narkanda, in search of Snow.


The plan:

What: Delhi/NCR BHPians drive to Narkanda - In search of snow.
When: 23rd to 25th February.
Where to: Narkanda, Himachal Pradesh.

23rd February/Friday:
-Drive to Chandigarh after office, reach Chandigarh as per you own convenience.
- Check-in at Hotel Velvet Clarks Exotica, Zirakpur.
- Delhi to Chandigarh distance: ~230 Kms.

24th February/Saturday:
- Drive to Narkanda.
- Check-in at Tethys Ski Resort.
- Drive/Hike to Hatu Peak.
- Chandigarh to Narkanda distance: ~180 Kms.

25th February/Sunday:
- Breakfast at the Hotel.
- Check-out from Tethys Ski Resort.
- Drive back to Delhi.
- Narkanda to Delhi distance: ~425 kms.

The Team:

• Traveller Nayak.
• sunejarahul.
• sinharishi +1.
• sameerg001.
• BB311 +1.
• Deeps +1
• Ashir.

Our Rides:

Did we find SNOW? Yes we did :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghjs...rcJ0w&index=21

[sinharishi]

Left home around noon time on the 23rd of Feb. I had to pickup BHPian sunejarahul before meeting BHPian Deeps, Ashir and BB311 at Mukarba Chowk around 3 PM. BHPian Traveller Nayak and sameerg001 left for Chandigarh a couple of hours later around 5 PM.

BHPian sunejarahul ditching his S-Cross for another..



Tanked up!



BHPian BB311's Ecosport and Ashir's Baleno waiting for us at Mukarba Chowk



BHPian Deeps arrives in his Jetta



Regrouping after Panipat toll



BHPian Traveller Nayak's Fortuner and sameerg001's Figo



Namaste Chandigarh, we stopped for dinner at Nik Baker's. Highly recommended.









After dinner we headed to our hotel in Zirakpur.



Our stay for the night. Coincidentally BHPian AZ911 was in Chandigarh and staying at the same hotel.

[sinharishi]

Day 2: Getting ready to leave for Narkanda.

















It started raining heavily.



Chandigarh-Shimla Highway.





Himalayan Expressway tollgate, few BHPians love this toll so much that would pass this same toll for 4 times on the same trip.





We move together, always!











It was getting cold.



Breakfast stop somewhere after kandaghat on Chail-Kufri road.

We continue driving towards Narkanda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHh-DBAaTuQ

https://youtu.be/JWBG6nq5Lhc

[sinharishi]

We kept taking breaks. Somewhere between Chail and Kufri.





This is how we were welcomed in Kufri. Happy faces all around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abvn4ZE7hSQ&t=1s

Time to take out the Jackets!



Driving through the clouds.





Tea time.





We stop for some breathtaking views.









Just as we were about to continue driving towards Narkanda, got this on the MID.

















Climbing up towards Tethys.



Tethys Ski Resort, Narkanda.

[sinharishi]

We gathered for Lunch after checking-in into our rooms.





Weather was on our side, rains gave us company from Kufri all the way till Narkanda. But hey, this was no monsoon season, we were here for SNOW . After spending sometime at Tethys post lunch, we left for Hatu Peak. Only BB311 had made the climb earlier and he already warned us of narrow steep inclines.

Few BHPians took some pictures while some of us were getting ready for Hatu. We took only 3 cars to Hatu - Ecosports, Fortuner and S-Cross.



















We left for Hatu around 6 PM. The drive upward was very steep with narrow roads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS64...GrcJ0w&index=5

It was getting dark, temperature kept falling as we progressed, it was getting windy. I stopped my car at one point where I saw a safe spot to turn around. Suddenly it started snowing heavily, it was like a blizzard. I handed over my car keys to BHPian Deeps. who is an experienced driver when it comes to extreme conditions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOtT...GrcJ0w&index=4

By the time we turned around, everything around us was white! The drive back to Tethys was adventurous. Driving the Fortuner (RWD/AT) down on hard ice was a challenge. It kept skidding towards the edge of the road.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u19-...GrcJ0w&index=3

At the U-Turn point.





Everything turned white around us within minutes.











Fortuner lighting up the road.



BHPian BB311 waiting for the other 2 cars.



Making the last turn - from where the ascend to Hatu begins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFSX..._fOh2zn3GrcJ0w

[sinharishi]

It continued to Snow till we reached Tethys.



Born fire time.







It stopped snowing when we were returning to our rooms.



Day 3: Time to head back home. Fortuner, Baleno, Jetta and Ecosport left early around 8am, Figo and S-Cross left around 11am.





Iced.



























The ones who left early took the Chail route and stopped at Chail Palace for Lunch.

[sinharishi]

S-Cross and Figo all set to leave.





We were 30 mins into the journey when we got a call from BHPian Biraj, he was returning to Delhi from Mashobra when his Linea's alternator failed. He was at Chota Shimla, we navigated to his location and got the car double checked from a nearby Mechanic. The Linea had to be flatbed-ed to Chandigarh. Biraj checked into a hotel and stayed back at Chandigarh to get the car checked at FASS. S-Cross and Figo proceeded towards Delhi late night from Chandigarh.



Back Home. Trip came to an end at 3:30am on Monday morning.

[ampere]

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

[BB311]

It was an amazing trip to say the least. Thanks for the TLOG Rishi, it will keep our memories alive for long. I remeber the scary Hatu descent, we did not roll down, but skidded all the way down.

[tracerspiff]

While I do appreciate the travelogue, I have to say this having driven in heavy snow(In Michigan, USA); it was an "extremely" dangerous thing to do on your part without proper snow tires. Our regular Indian tires are not made for snow and will not grip in fresh snow.

For anyone reading this travelogue, Please do not attempt to do this on regular tires. It is hard enough keeping the car straight on plains. No matter how experienced you are, you "CANNOT" drive on snow without right practice. The tires will just not grip. Attempting to do so in the hills when you have never done it in the plains is extremely dangerous.

I am so relieved that nothing happened to you guys. This trip could have ended very badly.

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by tracerspiff

Our regular Indian tires are not made for snow and will not grip in fresh snow.
.
.
.
I am so relieved that nothing happened to you guys. This trip could have ended very badly.

Appreciate your concern, having stayed in Eastern Europe for 3 yrs I agree that things could have gone worse. In India, it is not possible to change to winter tyres every season, it never snowed in Delhi/NCR and never will.

We were at a wrong place at the wrong time. Climb to Hatu should be attempted during the day, on a bright sunny day.

[AZ911]

Originally Posted by tracerspiff

It is hard enough keeping the car straight on plains. No matter how experienced you are, you "CANNOT" drive on snow without right practice.

Not endorsing this, but there are not many plains in India to get practice of this kind. USA is blessed with that terrain and the affordability of keeping tyres for seasons. Here in India, we try to do the best we can with what we have. Moreover, people from the hotter plains (who visit mountains once or twice a year) have no incentive of stocking up snow tyres.

Also, practicing for this would be a chicken and egg situation here with using such trips as practice vs practicing and going for such trips.

So, rather than avoiding such drives altogether, a more feasible option here is being careful and trying to dive in for such adventures with a group and not solo.

[Biraj]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

We were at a wrong place at the wrong time.

At least for me, you guys were at the right place in the right time. As I mentioned in my travelogue you guys were godsend that day.

Once again, Thanks!!! And keep me posted about your trips so that I can be around, just in case...

PS: Great adventure!

[Traveller Nayak]

Originally Posted by tracerspiff

For anyone reading this travelogue, Please do not attempt to do this on regular tires. It is hard enough keeping the car straight on plains. No matter how experienced you are, you "CANNOT" drive on snow without right practice. The tires will just not grip. Attempting to do so in the hills when you have never done it in the plains is extremely dangerous.

I am so relieved that nothing happened to you guys. This trip could have ended very badly.

Travelling with calm headed folks who watch out for each other always helps.

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Appreciate your concern, having stayed in Eastern Europe for 3 yrs I agree that things could have gone worse. In India, it is not possible to change to winter tyres every season, it never snowed in Delhi/NCR and never will.

We were at a wrong place at the wrong time. Climb to Hatu should be attempted during the day, on a bright sunny day.

With changing weather patterns and shifting of seasons I won't be surprised if Delhi NCR gets snow in another 50 years.

Originally Posted by AZ911

Also, practicing for this would be a chicken and egg situation here with using such trips as practice vs practicing and going for such trips.

So, rather than avoiding such drives altogether, a more feasible option here is being careful and trying to dive in for such adventures with a group and not solo.

Well said. The challenge here was not the snow as such but extremely narrow path down, no natural or other light and extreme weather conditions compounded with snow. As you rightly say: one has to be careful and it is best to be in a group. It took me roughly 40 minutes to cover a distance of what I will say was just about 5 feet. But this was a narrow curve that was snowed out and going downhill. More on that later with few pictures.

[Ashir]

A travelogue is not what you just see or read.
It is a journey that you cherish.

A Journey through



all the little things,



the feelings of joy & love,



the long lasting memories,





beautifully captured in a travelogue,



that you travel, every time you read.



Thank you sinharishi for taking time to compile the TL.

Looking forward, towards our next adventure.



P.S. You missed my matrimonial pose