[Blooming Flower]

Fantastic set of pictures as usual, and a fantastic climb to the Sandak top. Flawless! You have put the Duster AWD to the best utilization in most abled manner.

I always wish, I could afford to spend a full-moon night at Sandakphu top. But being shifted out of Kolkata in most inopportune time seems to have offset the dream further from reality. I am in love with the sunset and the nightscapes!

OTOH, some resistance is still felt from the story of negotiation with LR association. Did the forest officials ask you to seek permission from LR guys first? Or their representatives were present in the check-post office?

Wish to see you and your Duster conquer many such challenges at ease in coming days.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Bikes are no longer allowed in this route :-(

Did you encounter any cyclists? I do understand the switchbacks would need them to walk, but did you see any?

[Heart_Revs]

How did pajero sfx perform during the trip?

[SouraC]

I had a jinx regarding Sandakphu for a very long time. The story starts from my collage days when my first plan to visit Sandakphu got dropped. From then I have tried visiting the place for another 4 times and could only reach the top once but that time also Mother Nature was not in a mood to unveil her heavenly beauty.

Fast-forward to present, I leaped in joy listening to the plan of this trip and in my mind I was skeptically sure this is the time for me to remove the expletive and I was correct.

Let’s start with few pictures of the great Kanchenjunga.







Every details of the trip is already well documented except what was happening inside our car.

This time I have left my steed back at home and was a mere traveler is Samba’s car which I relished. He is a fantastic driver and we have never felt any dreadful moment even when we were climbing the last 4kms. As me Samba and Avrendu are close enough most part of our journey we have spent planning our future trips and planning our activities at Sandakphu along with evening gossip.

Mirik Lake



The Road







Kalipokhri Lake



Duster Enjoying the Solitariness







Reached the Top



The Mighty Kanchenjunga







View from Gote







360 View from Gote

https://youtu.be/8R7-2tBujpw

Sunset from Gote

https://youtu.be/lWb5tip-2CE

Early morning view of Kanchenjunga

https://youtu.be/Xev_nSQJPHs

Our Stay and Steed



A Video - Sea of Cloud and Kanchenjunga

https://youtu.be/DDWRoKB2K6A

Bitten by Selfie bug





Last View of Kanchenjunga



The Road ends



Hope to share more in future, for now Adios

[Abhinav V]

The steep gradients looked very scary on the video
No wonder then that this is pure 4wd territory. There can simply be no room for any distractions. Even a mild deviation of sight to take in the scenery outside could cost you the momentum.
It is always great fun driving such a challenging terrain with a bunch of like-minded people and cars built for the job.
If Leh-Ladakh /Spiti Valley/ Sach pass has sheer drops, this has inclines steeper than a staircase, not to mention, switchbacks.
There is no other word for it, you photography is amazing. The scenery is spectacular and the Duster, take my bow

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Any resistance from the locals/taxi owners for tourists 4 Wheelers?

When we went there in Feb 2019 there was no issue. This time we had to book a vehicle from the Land Rover Association. The cost was Rs 4500 for the day and Rs 1000 additional for night stay. There is no resistance as long as one listens to their demands

[//M]

Such incredible drool-worthy pictures !

Any pointers about how to take a motorcycle upto Sandakphu and Phalut? I have heard that the authorities do not allow bikers on this route anymore. From my limited knowledge on this subject, the only other route is the one via Nepal and that too is probably uncharted in parts. Any other alternative?

[PointZero]

Perfect destination for Capable Vehicle and Experts on a Perfect weather .. WOW ! What a trip

[siddarthab]

Super Travelogue Samba

Your Duster has shown what a capable vehicle it is .... of course, the one at the wheel is the protagonist.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to choose between Samba - The Photographer and Samba - The Driver

Take a bow !!!

Warm regards,

Siddhartha

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

When we went there in Feb 2019 there was no issue. This time we had to book a vehicle from the Land Rover Association. The cost was Rs 4500 for the day and Rs 1000 additional for night stay. There is no resistance as long as one listens to their demands

You need to reimburse all those who drive to Sandakphu in their own vehicles.

Regards
Sutripta

[Samba]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

[b]
Beautiful photographs - especially the stars, clouds, snow-clad peaks and sunrise. Definitely added to my wishlist.

Thanks a lot. If the weather is clear, Sandakphu is worth the effort. I will definitely visit this place again.

Originally Posted by arindam_xeta

Speaking to you guys from half the world away I could feel the excitement. I wish I could make it this time but unfortunately had to travel for work.

Thanks a ton. Specially after the Northeast trip, i was missing the orange Nexon on Nh34 in front of my car! The good news is, the potholes have been repaired now and its a smooth ride till Siliguri!

Originally Posted by gmhossain

Mere mortals like us would think twice, if not thrice, to drive to the nearest mall in the week-end! And here you are executing a week-end drive to Sandakphu, the highest peak in Bengal, that too from Kolkata!

Thanks a lot, i dared to take this trip as we were three drivers in one car.

Originally Posted by ARAY

Short crisp and and adventurous trip. Thanks for sharing. Have seen several dusters climb Sandakphu but this guy makes the climb look like a walk in the afternoon. Epic pictures for sure. Rated 5* .

Thanks brother. Eagerly waiting for the Bong Duster to scale Sandakphu! Knowing you for more than a decade, am sure you will be grinning in this route!

Originally Posted by Sayata

Just awestruck by your awsome pictures and fantastic piece of writing. One thing I must say, at weekends mere mortals like us go to malls, pubs or movie halls for relaxations but legends like you , go to Sandakphu for peace of mind.Hats off to you!!

Thanks. Legend is big word! It should be spared for the right person. Am just happy to be a mere road trip loving guy.

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

Wonderful pictures of a wonderful adventure.
How was the performance of all cars ?
Did you loose traction anywhere ?

Thanks.

Duster- It climbed between 1900-2500 rpm in 1st gear & auto mode. Only once i had to gun it at 3000 rpm and put 4wd lock when a jeep came from the opposite side in a super steep incline. A low range is always more suitable in such inclines.
The ride height of Duster is lower than cars like Thar, so it scrapped 2-3 times where there were big boulders. The short turning radius was a boon, the car took all the turns in one go.
Duster didn't lose traction anywhere.

Pajero's - Due to large wheelbase and longer turning radius, taking the turns were a challenge. 3 point turns were required. The low range gear box helped them in the stop/go situation's on the turns.

Scorpio - It was similar to Pajero, but due to shorter wheelbase it was easier at places.

Gypsy - The gypsy was more than 30 years old. The owner feared of damaging the vehicle as it lost traction for a couple of times while climbing up, so he parked the car below and hoped into another vehicle.
But i saw a white Gypsy at the top, used by the army.

Something like the Thar or Bolero is the best vehicle in this terrain!

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

A crisp travelogue with mind boggling pictures. I have been there 6 times but never clicked a single pic like the ones you have shared!

Thanks a ton, the pics posted by you are beautiful.

Originally Posted by Hatari

Stunning pics. Adding this to my to visit list!

Thanks a lot.

Originally Posted by Sunny_ST3

Amazing. As you been there, will you advise to ride there on adv bike(Himalayan)?

People have done Sandakphu in bikes earlier. It's doable. You have to be very careful specially while coming down.

Originally Posted by cr4nkshaft

The alpine meadows beyond Sandakfu towards Kaluk (where you have taken the sunset shots) are one of the most beautiful ones I have laid my eyes on, and boy what a sunset did you see!

Thanks a ton.

Yes the night was bitter cold!

Did you mean Phalut or Kaluk?

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Any resistance from the locals/ taxi owners for tourists 4 Wheelers?

Regards
Sutripta

What i understood is, if one comply by their demand they are friendly, if one do not pay them or be harsh with them, then it might be a different story.

Infact we had to pay Rs 8000 for no reason.
Rs 5,500 for their vehicle + Rs 500 per car!

May be during rush time, the association guys wont ask you to take a vehicle from them! During lean time they look for money.

Originally Posted by Blooming Flower

Did the forest officials ask you to seek permission from LR guys first? Or their representatives were present in the check-post office?

Thanks.

The forest officials asked us to get the permit from the LR association guys first.

Originally Posted by silverado

Did you encounter any cyclists? I do understand the switchbacks would need them to walk, but did you see any?

Nope, we didn't see any.

Originally Posted by Heart_Revs

How did pajero sfx perform during the trip?

Bhpian Dip27in drove the Pajero SFX. He will be the best person to comment on this.

What i felt is, the longer wheelbase and turning radius was the main problem, plus at higher altitude it was losing a bit of power.
At the end, it made it.

Originally Posted by SouraC

Let’s start with few pictures of the great Kanchenjunga.

Wonderful pics.

Originally Posted by Abhinav V

If Leh-Ladakh /Spiti Valley/ Sach pass has sheer drops, this has inclines steeper than a staircase, not to mention, switchbacks.

Thanks.
I have done Ladakh/Spiti in a Toyota Etios, but this is a 4wd territory.
Agreed absolutely, a small lapse in concentration can be fatal.

Originally Posted by //M

Such incredible drool-worthy pictures !

Any pointers about how to take a motorcycle upto Sandakphu and Phalut? I have heard that the authorities do not allow bikers on this route anymore. From my limited knowledge on this subject, the only other route is the one via Nepal and that too is probably uncharted in parts. Any other alternative?

Thanks brother.

Bikes are not allowed anymore through the Singalila national forest. So going by Nepal is the only option left. :(

Originally Posted by PointZero

Perfect destination for Capable Vehicle and Experts on a Perfect weather .. WOW ! What a trip

Thanks a lot.

Originally Posted by siddarthab

It is becoming increasingly difficult to choose between Samba - The Photographer and Samba - The Driver

At Sandakphu, i was physically standing above the clouds, now after reading your comment am spiritually above the clouds! Thanks a lot!

[A.G.The Rambler]

Originally Posted by Samba

I always wanted to drive to Sandakphu for a long time. Its a 4WD track,

Logged in after a long long time and what a treat to my eyes. Mind boggling pictures and excellent driving skills. Kudos to Samba and the whole team. Missing my Kolkata days :-)

[hothatchaway]

Driving 1500 kms over the weekend from sea level to 11000+ feet. TeamBhp has to come up with another category for your TL, 5* alone ain't cutting it no more.

The pictures were stunning. One may have disappointment in store to behold Sandakphu in person after going through your photography.

The video clip of the final ascent was hair raising. I was thinking two things, the tight bends which you have already answered that The Dusty with its shorter wheelbase was able to negotiate at one go. The second one was oncoming vehicles; I read about the Mahindra you encountered at the very top but where is the ledge on the way to let an oncoming vehicle pass?!

Another year and I think you would have recovered your investment on the Duster!

[Pancham]

Wow! Just Wow pictures. I have been to Sandakphu but have never even seen pictures like these. Hats off to making it look so easy.

P.S: In 2017, I remember they were repairing the roads from Tumling to Sandakphu. Seeing your pictures, it seems its still the same.

[dip27in]

Originally Posted by Heart_Revs

How did pajero sfx perform during the trip?

The most deterrent part for Pajero SFX was the long wheel base and size of the car. It had to take most of the sharp bends as 3 point. It did well upto the last 1 km of point. Then at point the car had almost no power.

I took of the airfilter and disconnected the mass airflow sensor at that point and then the car was once again back with power. It emitted lot of smoke but did it with ease even with 3 point turns, where I had to stop, back and move on. Sharing a short video of the final climb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dciZLLdBh-o

The car had no issues with Ground clearance and anything else. It took everything and without any fuss. I did engage 4WD only for the last 7kms or so and LLC for the last 1km climb.

BTW, my car is running 82k with stock clutch, it already had some vibrations due to minor slippages even during city runs but still it did it without any drama or fuss.

Sharing few photographs from my end