[hothatchaway]

I have done the Spiti circuit twice, the first occasion was on a motorcycle riding solo. The second one was earlier this year when I decided to slum it by taking a bus. Took the daily HRTC service from ISBT Kashmere gate to Reckong Peo. Its an ordinary non-A/C bus which leaves at 8 in the evening. The ride till Zirakpur was uneventful but once it started climbing towards Shimla, the driver seemed to have been possessed by departed F1 driver's spirit and he started throwing the hulking machine into every corner while climbing the switchback. Folks familiar with the climb from Parwanoo would know what I am talking about. Many of the young on-a-shoestring budget trekkers the bus was filled with, started pleading with the driver to stop so that they could at least puke outside!

There was a driver change at Shimla, but with local passengers piling on and jostling for space, I was sitting with half my bum hanging out. That and the stone age suspension meant that every bone in my body got a good rattle.

I had missed visiting Chitkul earlier, so took another local service from Peo. What was promised to be a 3-4 hour ride took double the time, as the hulk negotiated the treacherous curves to Sangla and beyond. Herds of sheep being shepherded on the road blocking traffic and inconsiderate drivers (often of private vehicles) who fail to stop at ledges to allow the bus to pass make life difficult for the HRTC bus drivers. I wondered at their patience doing this day in and out.

On the return leg, I took several short trips on private buses (not recommended) back to Rampur and decided to pamper myself by booking a seat on the 'AC coach' service to Delhi. The AC barely ran and with the windows up, things were perhaps more uncomfortable. But being a 'luxury' service it didnt stop as often and made it to Delhi faster than expected.

Hats off to the folks who drive these hulking machines up the most treacherous slopes in the world. As for me, I would try and stick to self driven vehicles in the future.

When I had ridden the circuit on my bike, after crossing Peo, I mostly had the trucks for company, both commercial and military. On my way down from Kunzum top, I had to let a couple of trucks pass as the pass is so narrow in stretches that the trucks could not even pass an anemic track bike. As I stopped with the giants looming up ahead of me, pushed the bike back with my feet onto a ledge and sat on my bike, the trucks lumbered past passing no more than a couple of inches from my shoulder. One friendly nudge and it would have been curtains for yours truly. One of my more hair raising experiences.





Cannot find the picture I had taken of the Peo-Delhi bus, this one was taken from my privileged seat by the window as we were rolling into Peo



On the way down



From my bike trip a few years back, flanked by the beasts of Himachal

[srikrishna717]

Thanks for this thread and bringing out a very important aspect for some people which is grossly overlooked. I know for many people it is like once in a lifetime ride or fun dirt track event. But these drivers do it day in day out, accepting all challenges on the way and not to forget, ferrying so many lives safely. Hats off to them.
Beautiful photos as well

[Samba]

An excellent thread. Rated 5*.

Most of the truckers in hills are very good human beings.

When there is a truck in front, i do not honk & 95% of them gave me way, whenever they found a suitable place.

Another sweet experience, i will share here-

It was raining and i was crossing Zoji La pass. In a narrow curvy stretch, a truck came from the opposite side. There was no space for each other to cross. So me driving the smaller car, i decided to reverse.

The helper of the truck jumped down and started to guide me while reversing. It was cold and he didn't had an umbrella. I told him, i will do it myself, you please get inside the truck. That guy told, you are new in this region and the road is risky, let me help you. I still insisted him to get inside the truck else he will get drenched. On insisting he went back. I reversed for around 100 m and gave way to the truck. The driver and the helper both stopped and thanked me a lot before moving away.

Sharing the pics for reference -

This is the road where, i had to reverse.



The truck going away.

[Sujoy76]

Excellant Post. It's a real tribute to the unsung heros.

[SJM1214]

Here are some photographs of things went wrong for heavy vehicles at high altitude.

Somewhere around Pangong Lake.


The Ghost of Ghata loops?


At Baralacha Top.




At Rohtang Pass

[RohitChauhan10]

My grad college was midway between Solan and Shimla, having done 100s of trips from Delhi to Shimla in the HRTC (Volvo + non-Volvo) buses. I can vouch for the safety these drivers provide. As students we always found it cheaper to take the private buses, which agreed with hothatchaway are best to stay away from in the hilly regions, private operators usually hire young inexperienced drivers and then tend to shuffle them a lot leading to a very unsafe scenario.

In one of my casual chats with the driver (always preferred the front row seat for the leg room), he mentioned that he had been driving for HRTC for over 28 years and only the best of the lot with over 25 years of experience in HRTC usually get 'promoted' to driving the Volvo (luxury) buses.

Thanks for the post, reminded me of my countless overnight journey to and from college.

[SJM1214]

Road construction and dumpers at Gulaba( Rohtang Pass).

[1100D]

Originally Posted by mi2n

Reminds me of a snippet I made during our Ladakh drive. A truck loaded with TMT Bars negotiating a sharp curve on a broken stretch of the Leh-Manali Highway

Thanks Mithun! This very video you have shared shows the kind of constant sway (Bobbing) that these trucks have to endure (almost sometimes at the verge of toppling). Was mentioning the exact same thing here:-

Originally Posted by 1100D

Trickier for the Trucks as the weight is not entirely concentrated towards the bottom, so the driver needs to control sway, especially on these unpaved stretches

Originally Posted by JediKnight

HRTC-Himachal Road Transport Corporation drivers have insane driving skills. May be among the best in the world in high altitude mountain driving. Also i wonder how they handle diesel freezing issues etc.

Great video there! They light up a stove under the metallic tank!!

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Here’s a good one on the HRTC.

While it's a lovely video to watch with an awesome background track, however, parts of it seems to be "stage managed" with the driver. For example, when the Tata 1512 bus has to reverse for the oncoming Gypsy at 6:20, the Gypsy is suddenly facing the other way at 6:47!!

Originally Posted by condor

Courtesy ! This is what I miss about driving these days. From the time I have begun to understand driving, I have observed this. But with the way people have taken up driving over the past many years - without caring for others, this behaviour and character has been less obvious. Or taken over by brashness and self-centeredness. Most of the younger generation have not seen the single lane "highways" that we used to have earlier, and dont know basic driving etiquette about giving way or using the dipper, and many other such.

So True @Condor! You bring such an interesting point. As a matter of fact, rather than courtesy/consideration for other road users, many a road-tripper today are worried about losing precious seconds, since they have a stopwatch running capturing the triplog, in order to brag about their adeptness in covering the distances quickest!! However moronic it might sound, such a culture is developing among the folks at large, losers mostly, out to prove a point, only within themselves!! Unfortunately, every other road-user suffers and thus a general bad perception develops.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

@1100D - Thanks for sharing the pictures. The much bashed -T- Badge seems to the heavy vehicle of choice up on the hills. Long time ago someone from down south - Ooty to be exact told me that while on the plains the Leyland is preferred, up on the hill roads of Ooty and similar places, the drivers prefer Tata. Not sure how much of that holds up these days.

True! Tata commercial vehicles rule the hills!

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Some of these Tata trucks and buses were having a set of yellow fog lamps up front, looks like a pretty inexpensive and perhaps preferred one as well. Any idea which brand is that one?

Those Foglamps are mostly Neolites

Originally Posted by SJM1214

In that case, why limit this thread just to Himachal Pradesh. Let's replace high altitude Himachal Pradesh to the Himalayas.

Here is my share,
An Army convoy on the slopes of Rohtang Pass( Khoksar side)

True @SJM1214 that's quite logical. However, the reason this thread is aligned to Himachal, is because this idea occurred to me here. Probably fuelled by the sight of full-size (10.00-20 wheels! 1510 onwards) busses at most of high-altitude villages. While most of other similar areas, probably have smaller vehicles supporting daily life. Even in case of defence convoy, the usual Stallions, the 713 4X4 are mostly based out of LCV/MCVs. For trucks though, they are almost everywhere!!

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

I have done the Spiti circuit twice, the first occasion was on a motorcycle riding solo. The second one was earlier this year when I decided to slum it by taking a bus. Took the daily HRTC service from ISBT Kashmere gate to Reckong Peo.

Thanks @hothatchaway for sharing the experience!!

As a matter of fact, since you mention about your second trip being a biking trip! Coincidentally, I got a snap of this temporarily abandoned bike, probably at a similar spot to your second snap!

Originally Posted by Samba

Another sweet experience, i will share here-

That's so sweet of both of you. That's how it should be! Consideration for another life should find a higher priority in our lives than it does now!

Originally Posted by RohitChauhan10

Thanks for the post, reminded me of my countless overnight journey to and from college.

Happy to be able to rekindle memories of simple times! Alongwith memories of just the countless travels during those times, I am sure there must have been memories of much more that flashed your mind!!

Originally Posted by SJM1214

Here are some photographs of things went wrong for heavy vehicles at high altitude.

These pictures are so heart-breaking. Can't even imagine the kind of ordeal the crew go through during these times. The temperature, the altitude and in some cases lack of food and delay in recovery.

[SJM1214]

Fuel tankers on Manali-Leh road.

[uditsharma01]

Brilliant write up and equally beautiful shots. I grew up in mountains and learned the basics of driving there. Driving in mountains is very different. It's more sensible there.

Drivers are more patient and considerate. There are a few pretty obvious ettiquetes:

1. When you are on a narrow path and encounter another vehicle coming from front, don't wait for a head-to-head situation. Stop the vehicle when you find enough space for the other vehicle to pass.

2. Don't honk when you are tailgating. The driver in front of you will give you space to pass when it is available. Same applies if you are driving in front of you. If a vehicle starts to tailgate you that means it is cruising faster than you. Give that vehicle the space whenever you find some.

3. Horns at curve is the language drivers communicate through.

4. Vehicles ascending a climb gets the preference always.

Just few bits. I reckon driving in mountains is far more rewarding. Snow drive is a complete topic in itself and calls for another discussion. Hats off to daily drivers on these difficult roads.

[Deveshs5]

This can well be the next marketing campaign for Tata Trucks.

[landcruiser123]

I've seen many trucks and buses in Sikkim and it was a sight to see them share the road with cars and other smaller vehicles. They are very respectful about giving right of way and helping cars overtake safely when there is a sufficient gap.

That said, Truckers in India (in any region) are unsung heroes. They drive very basic machines (with minimal creature comforts) for long hours without comfortable highway-side rest facilities and in harsh weather conditions. Add to that, some local police force and RTO officials harass them in many states.
All these problems are compounded in hills with dangerous roads and inclement weather.

The saying goes- "Without truckers, the only thing you'd put in your mouth is your foot." Tribute to these unsung heroes of India.

[SJM1214]

I checked my dump of photographs. I found out that I clicked so many photographs of these heavy vehicles unknowingly.
Here are some more.

Some Military Vehicles.


Leh-Delhi bus

[maverick.munish]

Originally Posted by RohitChauhan10

My grad college was midway between Solan and Shimla, having done 100s of trips from Delhi to Shimla in the HRTC (Volvo + non-Volvo) buses.Thanks for the post, reminded me of my countless overnight journey to and from college.

Another JUIT lad on the forum.


The Himachal Road Transport Corporation or HRTC, as we Himachalis commonly address it, is just the best. You can't even imagine what kind of routes do the drivers fearlessly traverse every single day, with utmost confidence. Narrow roads, landslides, animals and numerous other risks await them as they set out on their respective routes, but they are masters of their game.

This is where HRTC is undeniably the best. Firstly, the Drivers and Conductors both are certainly from Himachal and know the roads like no one. Over and above, they'll be polite and help you wherever possible, be it about changing a seat or stopping somewhere for nature's call. They won't misbehave as the case with many private operators who end up being unruly.

[shuvc]

Here's one. Giving way to a loaded specimen lumbering up the road. Somewhere between Pooh and Spello.

Curious about the vertical 'bull bars' on either side of the face of the truck.

How frequently do these trucks require tyre changes ?