[gunin]

Nearly a year ago we, a group of friends decided to drive to Spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh . The drive to Spiti was the longest road trip I had ever done. I keep getting flashbacks of the dry and harsh landscapes. I miss the long driving hours amidst what seemed to me like something out of this world. But most of all, I miss the camaraderie I shared with my fellow trip members.

The group consisted of:

Isuzu V-Cross: Gunin, Reeturaj, Nayanjyoti and Sudipta.

White Jimny: Shisir, his better half and Priyankar.

Red Jimny AT: Jamini, Prakritij and Prakritij’s sister.


White Jimny was starting for the trip from Dudhnoi, Assam. Red Jimny started from Sibsagar, Assam. I, in my Isuzu started from Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.

Planning for the trip:This one will be short. Almost all of the planning was done by Jamini. The rest of us shamelessly relaxed and just went along. Thank you brother.

Some pictures from our trip to get the log going:





A journey of being on the road with friends







Watching beautiful sunsets



Being starry eyed kids





Trusting a machine like a friend



Being foodies





Being impressed



Being mindful



And being welcomed back home

This is a short account of one of mys most memorable road trips. The photos shared here have been compiled from different cameras of the trip members.

[gunin]

Day 0: Pasighat to Guwahati:

I started at midnight as I could not wait to hit the road. There was quite a heavy downpour. Expectedly, I just had the company of fellow truckers on the road. I spent some time at home playing around with my kids.

Day 1: Guwahati to Purnia

Red Jimny had moved to Dudhnoi the previous day. We started from Guwahati at 4am. We met up with up with both Jimnys at Bongaigaon. It was a rainy affair all the way for that day. We found both the Jimnys moving along at a fair click. What it lacks in outright power is made up by its filtering (through traffic) capability.



With Nayan and Reeturaj



Meeting point at Bongaigaon



Tea break at Dabri

We stopped for lunch near Siliguri. Nayan had made some pork. I broke my vegetarian fast of the past 30 days with it.

I found Bihar to be quite welcoming and beautiful. We got some mangoes at 1/3rd of the price of what we get in Assam.



Tea Break

We lodged in a small hotel in Purnia recommended by Bhpian Sheel. It was a nice place. The weather outside was quite pleasant with the possibility of rains. Reeturaj quite wisely parked the Isuzu so that the loading bay was sheltered from the probable rains. In the evening, we met Sheel along with a friend of his. It was great meeting him.







On the road



With Bhpian Sheel

Day 2: Purnia to Lucknow:

Another long day on the road. I was happy soaking in the rural scenery of Bihar. There was rain in the morning. I thought I would get struck by lightning while taking a pee break.



Heavy rains in Purnia





Enjoying the drive in Bihar





Breakfast



And it was all yellow

Sometime in the afternoon, Reetu and I got behind the wheel of the Jimny AT. Jamini gave us a brief crash course on how to drive it. We didn’t comprehend much but acted otherwise. I told my left leg not to do anything and just repose in itself. Right foot on the gas and we soon found out the Jimny is not a slouch at all especially with the pedal tuner. Reetu and I left both the Isuzu and white Jimny behind. We were grinning like idiots. We thought Jamini might be worried about his car.



Nazar hati..

We were stopped at an under-construction toll gate by some policemen on duty. They were happily watching us drive towards them in the bright red Jimny. It was the first time I did a drunken driving test and everyone including the encouraging cops were overjoyed to see I passed.



Happy place

We wanted to reach Lucknow in time for some food at the famous eatery, Tunday Kabab. We eventually made it at midnight. The guys were very excited even after this long trip to have food from this place. The food was ok. Nayan explained how the kabab is made by repeatedly beating the meat with a club. Sudipta and I were not very enthusiastic about eating the beaten up meat once we heard it.



Tunday kabab Lucknow



Jalsa

Lodged at Jalsa, Lucknow for the night. It is a simple and nice place to stay with lot of parking space.

[gunin]

Day 3: Lucknow to Murthal:

Since we arrived late last night we had to settle for a late start the following morning. This theme was repeated for most of the trip.

I was very excited to drive on the Lucknow Agra Expressway. It has so many lanes but I think I will get bored if I keep driving here. Also, it felt like it had a lot of toll gates.

Red Jimny was having some problem with its Fasttag since the previous day and there were delays at each toll gate. The situation got so bad that even the owner of the car, Jamini was advising not to follow it at the toll queue.

It was eventually rectified with the issue of a new tag. Jamini was so happy with the fast toll collection that we thought he went off route just to pay some toll fees.



Impressive cars



Sugar cane juice break


Red Jimny got lost while finding the way to the expressway. We in the Isuzu were having a mild laugh about it not realising we would do the same later in the evening while trying to get on the Eastern Peripheral Highway. But more on that later.

I liked the rest stops this expressway has for travellers with facilities for fuel and food. It was quite hot outside. I managed to get some sleep in the backseat which I found to be very comfortable.

Late in the evening, I got behind the wheels of the Red Jimny AT and was grateful for being able to rest my left knee. I saw the Isuzu following behind and couldn’t help but admire how great it looked in the rear view mirror.

Somewhere near Ayodhya, there was a huge jam near the toll gate. Shisir in his white Jimny was filtering through the traffic like a pro with me following close behind in the red Jimny. I was a bit worried about how the Isuzu would filter through such traffic. But I was worrying unnecessarily- the Isuzu was making its own way by scaring off cars which were trying to cut into its lane. It was quite fun to watch. I observed the white Jimny to be quite fast in the 2nd half of the day compared to the first half. On asked about it Priyankar just gave a knowing smile.

It was already quite late by the time we were in the outskirts of Delhi. This time team Isuzu tried to lead the way to Murthal. We tried to get on the Eastern Peripheral Highwaybut got hopelessly lost. That was the last time we led I believe for the entire trip- we were too hopeless in this. We just laid back and let the map savvy Jimnys take the lead from that day onwards. It was quite late but there was a huge rush of people having food at Murthal. At the entrance of our hotel, a person reversed his Ecosport into our Isuzu and promptly sped off. We were too tired to make a scene and accepted the small scratch it had made. It was around 1 am when we had dinner in the nearby dhaba. I never thought pure vegetarian restaurants could have such rush but the parathas were quite good. We rushed back to our hotel hoping to utilise whatever little time we had to get some rest and utilise our rooms.



Failing miserably in leading the convoy

Day 4: Murthal to Narkanda:

After a long sleep of around 1.5 hours, we headed out of Murthal at around 6 in the morning. We started realising that it is quite a task packing and loading the Isuzu with an open bed. Nayan deftly feigned a sore back and handed over the duty to Sudipta who had flown to New Delhi and joined us the previous night. Prakritiz’s sister also joined us at New Delhi for the remainder of the trip.

There was a lot of traffic as we started and the weather was very hot.





Shimla Outskirts





Sunset near Narkanda. Sudipta standing tall.


We reached Narkanada late in the evening. I was really impressed by Reeturaj’s parking skills as he manoeuvred the Isuzu into the tight parking space of our stay. If I had to park in such a manner, I probably would have ended cancelling my stay and kept driving on. Narkanda was quite chilly and we readied our warm clothes for our journey further into Himachal Pradesh.



Love is in the air. Or not haha



A comfortable stay at Narkanda

[gunin]

Day 5: Narkanda to Chitkul:

In the morning, I took out some lichis bought from Bihar and shared them with some monkeys of Narkanda. They seemed quite pleased and tried to bully me for some more.

All of us got ready for bone chilling cold- we thought if Narkanda was so chilly it would get only colder as we moved on further. Reetu gave me a pair of new warm socks as well. Sudipta and I got some tasty berries from a nearby shop.



Some extra fuel



Very tasty



Apple orchards near Narkanda

After travelling for a while we realised the weather was getting only warmer. We decided to make use of the warm gear anyway and set the car AC to the lowest temperature possible and felt a little comfortable. I think we got back to summer clothes during lunch time.

Chitkul is called the last village of India (there are many first and last villages in India). It is a small village but it was total chaos when we reached late in the evening. The owner of the homestay we had booked said he was having electricity problems while we could see all lights were on. He had given away the rooms to other guests. This theme would keep recurring for the entire Spiti circuit. I understood what over commercialisation of a place can do.

I had imagined a peaceful, quiet getaway in Chitkul as it is the last village and all but found it quite the opposite. We were lodged in some other stay and didn’t mind too much. If I ever go back to Spiti again I will avoid the tourist season.



Approaching Chitkul



White Jimny in the wilderness



Isuzu. I love these shots taken by Nayan



Chitkul

Nayan fell sick at night and changed parties. He wanted a ride in the red Jimny. We the Isuzu people did not take it kindly Nayan took some awesome shots of the Isuzu while riding in the Jimny which placated us and we accepted him back. Prakritij had joined us while Nayan went off in the Jimny. He felt himself coming to life in the Isuzu.

Day 6: Chitkul to Kalpa:

We left for Kalpa after a late start. More tourists were coming into the small village and I was happy we were getting out.





Sunny morning at Chitkul



Jimny thinking about some mischief

We decided to visit the so called Suicide Point of Kalpa and got stuck in a nightmarish traffic jam. Tempers flared on one occasion as a local Bolero Pickup tried to cut us off. Then we both gave each other quiet company for the remainder of the traffic jam which was quite long. I found it very comical.

The sheer cliffs were amazing to say the least. Some people were shouting and hollering at the point. That took a bit away from the beauty of the place.



Suicide point, Kalpa

We had one of the best stays of the trip at Kalpa at Akshit Homestay. The hosts were very welcoming and the overall place was very good.



White V-crosses





On the road

At night, Sudipta and I walked a few kms to get some medicine for one of us. We walked close to 6 kms and got the pharmacy. We gave up the idea of walking to the Reckong Peo market. A kind local helped us with a shortcut through someone’s home which reduced our walking distance by a bit. We also saw a fox while walking.

[gunin]

Day 7: Kalpa to Tabo:

This day was one of the best drives of the trip. We made our way through huge dry mountains for most part of the day. The landscape is very stark and beautiful. The drive from Kalpa to Tabo made us realise why we were driving from one end of the country to another- it was that beautiful.









Some dream roads



Lovely truck

Somewhere along the way, we lost both the Jimnys. I think they stopped at some popular point for a break. We chose to drive on as we had enough of traffic and loud tourists the previous day at Kalpa. We saw a quiet place by the river side with only a tractor for company. It was a beautiful evening which filled our hearts.





A sunset to savour



Another pic by Nayan



Some solitude

I managed to brush a local’s Alto while giving way in a tight corner. The lady came out all guns blazing and demanded that the damage be repaired. I accepted my fault which put her in a fix - she had expected a fight as that seems to be the normal with certain tourists. She then blamed her poor husband who was driving the Alto and all four of us in the Isuzu defended the man and he seemed very grateful to us. In the end, it all went amicably and we wished each other safe travels.



Near Tabo

In Tabo, the same story repeated itself as in Chitkul. I will not go too much into it as the homestay we eventually got was good too. We got to taste the local food as well.

Day 8: Tabo to Kaza:

The sun was out in Kaza and Sudipta and I took a walk to the nearby bank of the Spiti river. It was very peaceful just to sit and soak in the environment. We saw a fox trotting about as well.



I loved this food. Curd with a local roti/ bread. We got some dry fruits as well



By the Spiti river. If only stilling our minds were as easy as sitting still.

Both the Jimnys had moved out while we were finishing packing up. At Sudipta’s insistence, we decided to check out a Buddha statue located just outside the town of Tabo- and we were glad we did. It is a narrow trail and quite unsuitable for a vehicle like the V-cross but Reeturaj managed to drive it like a pro. The views from the top were quite amazing.







Drive to see the Buddha

We had planned to visit Dhankar monastery and Mud village on the way to Kaza. While both the Jimnys went ahead, team Isuzu noticed the long line of tourist vehicles from afar and aborted its mission. We have had enough of being stuck in traffic jams- we paid our respects to the monastery from afar.



Dhankar monastery

We took a detour towards Pin Valley and were in awe of the landscape surrounding us. There were patches of small cultivation in the valley. Jamini went ahead to Mud village as the Isuzu and the white Jimny returned a few kms short of it. White Jimny was running out of petrol and Isuzu was running out of enthusiasm. Jamini and his red Jimny were running high on both.





Pin Valley



Near Kaza

We reached Kaza and went to the lone petrol pump there. I had images in my mind of a lonely fuel pump with bored attendants- quite similar to ones we get in some places in Arunachal- going ecstatic at the sight of a car. Of course it was the opposite- it took us around an hour of waiting. The queue was well managed though with police officers managing the traffic.

In the evening, Nayan prepared some special tea for all of us and we felt some energy crawling back in our tired bones. We went to check out some cafes in Kaza but the popular ones had a waiting line. We instead ate at a small stall which served us very tasty momos.

[gunin]

Day 9: Kaza to Losar:

I remember this day as it was one of the best driving experiences of the trip. Our first stop for the day was at Langza Village. Then we went towards Hikkim for posting post cards from the small post office there. We sent many postcards but so far only a few have been delivered nearly a year after. It was quite a struggle to send post cards amidst the rush of other tourists.



Amazing landscape



Langza village



Jimnys doing their thing



Isuzu happy with its own selfies




Very high indeed

We visited the Key monastery and I was glad it was very less crowded. I was at peace there. If I had the luxury of time I would have liked to just stay there for a few days- and then spend the days in meditation. Maybe someday.



Key monastery



Some green places in the desert



Shot by Jamini. He hiked a bit to get this one

Jamini had planned the trip to the last km. We drove through Kibber Village so that we could have a great view of the Chicham bridge.

It was late afternoon as we drove through Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. I could only soak in the beautiful vistas playing around me. We spent some quality time just watching the magical sunset.





Driving through Kibber





At times like these, I felt one with God.

We reached Losar quite late in the evening. It was very cold in Losar. The homestay was very comfortable and cozy. After dinner, Sudipta, Reeturaj and I walked a little ahead. Once we crossed the lighted part of the street we could see the beautiful night sky. It was one of the best moments of the entire trip for me.



Look at the stars. Look how they shine

Day 10: Losar to Solang:

We started quite early as the journey ahead was known to be quite tough. We were required to enter our details at the exit of Losar and also advised to call our near and dear ones as there would be no network coverage from that point on.

The journey started well enough. The roads were quite bad and kept getting worse as we progressed. I never had any problems with bad roads in other trips as both my Isuzu and Bolero 4wd manage just fine. However, here surprisingly it was quite busy as well with many Force Travellers ferrying tourists. This required us to give way, undertake reversing manoeuvres quite frequently. Team Isuzu gave full marks to Reeturaj for handling this entire stretch with aplomb. A car like Jimny makes sense on such roads with narrow roads and busy traffic. I missed my Bolero 4wd at that time.



The perfect car(s) for such roads. My Bolero will be great too here.



The Isuzu managing it through well enough

We paid our respects at Kunzum pass and then proceeded towards Chandrataal lake.



I love this picture



Red Jimny in the wilderness




Three Assam cars in Spiti

We took a diversion to see Chandrataal lake and got stuck in a series of traffic jams. If the previous days’ driving felt like heaven this was nothing short of torture. Also, some local HP registered vehicles were behaving rudely in such jams. The worst were those Traveller drivers. In the end, we just turned around a few kms from the lake. Sudipta was crestfallen. Reeturaj told him Sikkim has more beautiful lakes with no such crowds. I agreed with him. Nayan was busy inhaling oxygen from the oxygen cans.


Jamini in his Red Jimny was determined to see the lake and we wished him well. I believe even White Jimny got fed up and returned without seeing the lake.



Chandrataal lake. By Jamini

We gave lift to a lady from Chandrataal to a nearby dhaba from where she could arrange further transportation. Nayan had stopped inhaling oxygen from the oxygen cans.

The entire stretch of this so called NH is really tough and not at all a pleasure drives. This was mainly because of excessive traffic for such a road. We brushed a Hyundai Verna at one narrow road. There was no time and space for any apologies- with a Force Traveller breathing down our neck everywhere.

We reached Atal tunnel in the afternoon. We tried maintaining the prescribed speed limit but it seemed only we were following it. There was constant honking and unruly driving in the tunnel. We were quite glad when we got out of it.

We waited for both Jimnys to make it to the beautiful homestay at Solang. It would be the last night together for all of us- Shisir in his white Jimny was heading off for Gonbo Rongjon. We celebrated a well planned and executed drive and were a bit sad that it got over all too soon.



The whole gang. The T-shirt is from a small group of car/ travel enthusiasts from Assam callled Crew-37

Day 11: Solang to Guwahati (halt at Chandigarh):

Red Jimny and the Isuzu started towards Chandigarh- which happened to be our only night halt for the remainder of the trip. After bullying through some really unruly traffic in Mandi we made it to Chandigarh late at night. We got tested for drunk driving and passed the test with full marks.

Our friend Rishiraj joined us at Chandigarh. He could not join us for the trip due to other commitments and was then heading off towards Spiti for a trip of his own. The following day, I met a dear friend, Blossom from my MBA days in Zirakpur.

When we started from Chandigarh, we four in the Isuzu had no idea that we would not stop for a night halt again all the way to Guwahati. But that’s how it went. It also showcased the capability of the Isuzu for extended hauls.

We briefly stopped at Lucknow for some dinner. Some of the local guys were constantly asking if we were foreigners and what not. It was quite funny.

It was early morning when we reached Gorakhpur and Red Jimny had enough of the constant travel and stopped over at a hotel there. Team Isuzu decided to drive on. We were four of us and were alternating the driving duty.

Soon we saw welcome signs of our home state, Assam. Truly, there is no place like home. Heavy rains welcomed us near Bongaigaon. I decided to take one last picture of the trip.



Welcome back!

In what seemed like a blur, we reached Guwahati after driving for around 40 plus hours from Chandigarh. The car smelled of our tired spirits. It was almost telling us to get out of it and hit a bed for some rest.



Ending with this picture by Nayan

Thank you for reading!

[Aditya]

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

[ABHI_1512]

This was long time coming but what a roller coaster when it finally arrived. Reading through the experience itself felt good this morning. The sadness of not being able to join this trip would perhaps rankle me for the rest of my life. A true blue spectacle of camaraderie amidst some beautiful places on earth, a worthwhile journey indeed.

The minor hiccups like brushing local vehicles twice would perhaps be just an anecdote in the larger picture but I would think that the journey was one of a kind for sure. Like minded friends, some real good food and breathtaking pictures, this travelogue should not have ended but it did. Congratulations to you all for the wonderful trip, may be, next time I will be able to join, should something like this happens again. And I will keep hoping it does.

[Yogi..Reeturaj]

Thank you for helping me relive this epic trip Gunin. Zu club zindabad

Also a big thanks to Sheel and Gaurav for helping with the route options during the journey.
I will be reading this again and again just to relive the nostalgia.
My highlight from the trip will surely be the camaraderie and the amazing might sky of Losar. The quiet and solitude will be etched in my memory for ever.

A special thanks to the Zu , it’s a machine that’s built for the long haul and it took us everywhere and bought us back home without a hiccup.

[Prakritij]

Thank you Gunin for the TL. I relived our trip through your words and memories came flashing back.
While the Isuzu had the convenience of 4 drivers, Red Jimny had the luxury of AT and small footprint, making it the perfect car for the terrain. No wonder we saw so many Jimnys out there in HP.
But hats off to the Isuzu guys for covering Chandigarh- Guwahati at a stretch.
We parted ways at Lucknow bidding goodbyes and good nights as Jamini and I were so tired. But watching you guys moving ahead sparked some energy in us and we made it till Gorakhpur somehow.
Will post some pics once I get better connection.

[darkchild82]

Beautiful! I'd love to explore Spiti Valley someday!

[GolakaGo]

Finally!! Thoroughly enjoyed the write up, bro. You've planted a bug in my mind now���� I recall not enjoying the Mandi stretch too, maybe because it was the transition phase from quiet, scenic routes to bustling civilisation coupled with very bumpy roads��

[SumoDriver]

Loved your post, Bro. I am from Arunachal. Keep driving and exploring, Best wishes!

[Red Liner]

Hey, I didn't receive my set of post cards yet! How long has it been now... A year?! Was it lost in transit? Or is it still there at the post master's desk in Spiti? Be a good fella and go back this year and check for me, will ya?

[gunin]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

This was long time coming but what a roller coaster when it finally arrived. Reading through the experience itself felt good this morning. The sadness of not being able to join this trip would perhaps rankle me for the rest of my life. A true blue spectacle of camaraderie amidst some beautiful places on earth, a worthwhile journey indeed.

The minor hiccups like brushing local vehicles twice would perhaps be just an anecdote in the larger picture but I would think that the journey was one of a kind for sure. Like minded friends, some real good food and breathtaking pictures, this travelogue should not have ended but it did. Congratulations to you all for the wonderful trip, may be, next time I will be able to join, should something like this happens again. And I will keep hoping it does.

Thank you Abhi da! I remember you being a part of the planning group for the trip and the disappointment among us when you could not make it. I hope we get a chance to make another such trip some time. You are right about minor inconveniences about being just a footnote in an otherwise wonderful experience

Originally Posted by Yogi..Reeturaj

Thank you for helping me relive this epic trip Gunin. Zu club zindabad

Also a big thanks to Sheel and Gaurav for helping with the route options during the journey.
I will be reading this again and again just to relive the nostalgia.
My highlight from the trip will surely be the camaraderie and the amazing might sky of Losar. The quiet and solitude will be etched in my memory for ever.

A special thanks to the Zu , it’s a machine that’s built for the long haul and it took us everywhere and bought us back home without a hiccup.

Thank you Reetu. Here's to more such trips in the future!

Originally Posted by Prakritij

Thank you Gunin for the TL. I relived our trip through your words and memories came flashing back.
While the Isuzu had the convenience of 4 drivers, Red Jimny had the luxury of AT and small footprint, making it the perfect car for the terrain. No wonder we saw so many Jimnys out there in HP.
But hats off to the Isuzu guys for covering Chandigarh- Guwahati at a stretch.
We parted ways at Lucknow bidding goodbyes and good nights as Jamini and I were so tired. But watching you guys moving ahead sparked some energy in us and we made it till Gorakhpur somehow.
Will post some pics once I get better connection.

Thank you Prakritij! We Isuzu guys got homesick. Please post your experience of the trip.

Originally Posted by darkchild82

Beautiful! I'd love to explore Spiti Valley someday!

Thank you. I hope you make it soon.

Originally Posted by GolakaGo

Finally!! Thoroughly enjoyed the write up, bro. You've planted a bug in my mind now���� I recall not enjoying the Mandi stretch too, maybe because it was the transition phase from quiet, scenic routes to bustling civilisation coupled with very bumpy roads��

Hi brother thank you so much. Yes, getting back from a trip is the most difficult phase.

Originally Posted by SumoDriver

Loved your post, Bro. I am from Arunachal. Keep driving and exploring, Best wishes!

Hi brother. Thank you so much. Good to see a fellow bhpian from Arunachal Pradesh.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Hey, I didn't receive my set of post cards yet! How long has it been now... A year?! Was it lost in transit? Or is it still there at the post master's desk in Spiti? Be a good fella and go back this year and check for me, will ya?

Haha when you go there again please remind the postmaster.