Grand Vitara - Offroading in exotic places

sudev · 10th October 2008, 14:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shakensoul

Beautiful pictures, any shots of the Raid ?

No. While I do have a few shots of starts where my duty was mandated there are no action shots.

sudev · 10th October 2008, 14:33

A shot of GV going up Gata Loops by short cut

YouTube - Grand Vitara - Shortcut up Gata Loops

The truck passing at the top shows the perspective of height that the short cut achieves.

Roshun · 10th October 2008, 21:37

Lovely pics & travelogue. I love the way the GV handles the mountain side - like a mountain goat. By the way, what vehicle were the people filming the GV's climb up the Gata Loops shortcut sitting in and did they take the same route or go the long way?

Cheers,

sudev · 11th October 2008, 10:24

@Roshun: They were the passengers who got left behind and had to hitch a ride in an Innova that followed the long road up.

sam003 · 11th October 2008, 11:27

Good snaps but I liked that pink candles though great one, please bring some for me

Meer · 11th October 2008, 13:41

Nice photos and execeptional experience Sudev. Did not know that GV was capable of so much off-roading

Samurai · 11th October 2008, 15:46

Great stuff Sudev, finally your GV made it to Leh and back. How did the skid plates hold up? Did you wish for better offroading tyres at any point? You must have completed 60K by now, did you switch your tyres?

sudev · 11th October 2008, 15:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

...finally your GV made it to Leh and back...

Awk...you did not see the service picture carefully? I was thinking you would latch on quick.

Samurai · 11th October 2008, 17:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by sudev

Awk...you did not see the service picture carefully? I was thinking you would latch on quick.

Umm, I saw that GV skid plates needed cleanup, but that is not a complete answer.

DirtyDan · 12th October 2008, 01:52

Sudev, those are fine and informative shots of the Manali-Leh road. I love that whole area up there and I can put your photos in the perspective and magnitude they deserve.

I hope the fellows who keep saying that this road can be crossed with their Skodas and their Swifts get a look at your photos and can recalculate their odds of success. I will repeat it for you gamblers. Yes, you will PROBABLY make it. But, do you really want to take the risk and do you understand the consequences of not making it?

autopsyche · 12th October 2008, 02:41

Beautiful pics and writeup Sudev sir.

Too bad we couldnt meetup in shimla, me and sarika left for delhi just before the cermonial flagoff.

Hope you enjoyed the event as always.

sudev · 12th October 2008, 09:01

@Samurai san: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post1011892

Got a little denting job done at Simla after that to get the rear door in shape and getting the rear latch working. The resultant trip to Leh was one of the "dustiest" I ever did with GV taking in loads of dust from rear.

sudev · 12th October 2008, 09:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

...finally your GV made it to Leh and back...

Did that last year too but came back via Srinagar. The GV is in the garage so did not take "after" pictures just yet. Will do this week and put them up.
The odo just crept past 65K just before Delhi on return. New set of tires after Desert Storm in February, if the present can hold that long.

Interestingly I had only one slow puncture - right front - that needed air top up every three days or so. Did not get it repaired as there was time paucity and the fact that it was a tubeless tyre. OTOH many Raid-Adventure guys keep reporting many punctures on the same route. Last few trips I do not remember any puncture in Esteem or GV.

One competitor has nine puncture in three days this time (10th Raid) and so did many in the 8th Raid. I guess it is style of driving plus the line you take that can make or mar your journey.

sudev · 12th October 2008, 09:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by autopsyche

Too bad we couldnt meetup in shimla, me and sarika left for delhi just before the cermonial flagoff.

My loss. Do we see you guys in the Storm?

Anmol, who was in Simla visiting and planned max to tag along till Manali, got signed up as official at last moment and I hope he did throughly enjoyed his role "on the other side"

Locomotive · 13th October 2008, 00:35

nice writeup and great pics. please post more videos. i could not have dreamed of straight lining the gata loops on my sx4. how were the roads? in august the roads from koksar to jispa were a complete mess. so were many sections after jispa. also there was absolutely no trace of snow. do you recon that this is a better time to do the manali leh trip? (i think by this time BRO would have done much of the road repairs

10th October 2008, 21:37	#123
Roshun BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Delhi Posts: 152 Thanked: 40 Times	Lovely pics & travelogue. I love the way the GV handles the mountain side - like a mountain goat. By the way, what vehicle were the people filming the GV's climb up the Gata Loops shortcut sitting in and did they take the same route or go the long way? Cheers,
	() Thanks

11th October 2008, 10:24	#124
sudev Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 3,838 Thanked: 3,179 Times	@Roshun: They were the passengers who got left behind and had to hitch a ride in an Innova that followed the long road up.
	() Thanks

11th October 2008, 11:27	#125
sam003 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 533 Thanked: 67 Times	Good snaps but I liked that pink candles though great one, please bring some for me
	() Thanks

11th October 2008, 13:41	#126
Meer BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 264 Thanked: 189 Times View My Garage	Awesome Nice photos and execeptional experience Sudev. Did not know that GV was capable of so much off-roading
	() Thanks

11th October 2008, 15:46	#127
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 25,832 Thanked: 45,631 Times View My Garage	Great stuff Sudev, finally your GV made it to Leh and back. How did the skid plates hold up? Did you wish for better offroading tyres at any point? You must have completed 60K by now, did you switch your tyres?
	() Thanks

12th October 2008, 01:52	#130
DirtyDan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dharamsala, H.P Posts: 2,075 Thanked: 1,565 Times	Sudev, those are fine and informative shots of the Manali-Leh road. I love that whole area up there and I can put your photos in the perspective and magnitude they deserve. I hope the fellows who keep saying that this road can be crossed with their Skodas and their Swifts get a look at your photos and can recalculate their odds of success. I will repeat it for you gamblers. Yes, you will PROBABLY make it. But, do you really want to take the risk and do you understand the consequences of not making it?
	() Thanks

12th October 2008, 02:41	#131
autopsyche Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: New Delhi, Indi Posts: 1,519 Thanked: 33 Times View My Garage	Beautiful pics and writeup Sudev sir. Too bad we couldnt meetup in shimla, me and sarika left for delhi just before the cermonial flagoff. Hope you enjoyed the event as always.
	() Thanks

12th October 2008, 09:01	#132
sudev Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 3,838 Thanked: 3,179 Times	@Samurai san: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post1011892 Got a little denting job done at Simla after that to get the rear door in shape and getting the rear latch working. The resultant trip to Leh was one of the "dustiest" I ever did with GV taking in loads of dust from rear.
	() Thanks

13th October 2008, 00:35	#135
Locomotive BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 221 Thanked: 108 Times View My Garage	nice writeup and great pics. please post more videos. i could not have dreamed of straight lining the gata loops on my sx4. how were the roads? in august the roads from koksar to jispa were a complete mess. so were many sections after jispa. also there was absolutely no trace of snow. do you recon that this is a better time to do the manali leh trip? (i think by this time BRO would have done much of the road repairs
	() Thanks