[yzfrj]

Family rulez...!
So no plans to come. Since I was "no show" for previous trip. Not gonna "miss" this.

Anyway I got to be mad to have "fun in the sun" with the mercury near 40C.

Creepy lil bunch. Have fun chums.

[headers]

Originally Posted by yzfrj

Family rulez...!
So no plans to come. Since I was "no show" for previous trip. Not gonna "miss" this.

Anyway I got to be mad to have "fun in the sun" with the mercury near 40C.

Creepy lil bunch. Have fun chums.

Are you in? yes or no

[fiery enzyme]

Good question? It did not make sense to me too.

[Monster_BHP]

Hi,

Is the excursion in our usual Palar terrain or would we being doing something new? I was wondering if we have any mud bogging this time because everyone seems to suggest the Gurkha is bad in the mud!!

[ex670c]

Originally Posted by Monster_BHP

Hi,

Is the excursion in our usual Palar terrain or would we being doing something new? I was wondering if we have any mud bogging this time because everyone seems to suggest the Gurkha is bad in the mud!!

Hi Monster,

Any reason why the Gurkha should be bad in Mud.

This time we'll try out some tougher sand climbs (TPC09)

Regards,

Arka

PS - Mud-Bogging in June, after the 1Ton, Ignition system is upgraded.

[Monster_BHP]

Originally Posted by ex670c

Hi Monster,

Any reason why the Gurkha should be bad in Mud.

This time we'll try out some tougher sand climbs (TPC09)

Regards,

Arka

PS - Mud-Bogging in June, after the 1Ton, Ignition system is upgraded.

Hi ex670,

Well thats what some people seem to think in this forum, some gurkha owners included! IMHO the gurkha has a huge bogging problem and i am not sure why that is. My best technical guess is the lack of articulation screws up the ground pressure.

Talking of screw ups the bad news is the tire we changed last time seems to be unrepairable. I have spoken with the Micheline guy and i am waiting for him to inspect it on monday. So i cant make it to the recce with out spares this time!

Wonder if jeep tires would fit in case of emergency!

[fiery enzyme]

It is not the Gurkha/Jeep that bogs down, it is always the driver.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by fiery enzyme

It is not the Gurkha/Jeep that bogs down, it is always the driver.

...quite true in most situations.

The following incident happened at the recce #2 for TPC 2010 yesterday.

Driver 1 is driving a 4X4 up a reasonably steep (approx 35°) sand incline which is about 15 feet high. He makes 3-4 attempts and does not succeed. He tries in 1L, 2L, with engine revving high, but still is not able to do it. The vehicle almost makes it to the top, but it doesnt clear it. Driver 2 is standing nearby and watching all this.

Driver 1 : "This vehicle does not have enough power, if it had more power, i would be able to clear it in one attempt".

Driver 2 : "Shall I try it?"

Driver 1 : "Ok, if you want to ...but the power is not enough, i dont think you will be able to clear it either"

Driver 2 : "Let's see..."

Driver 1 hands over the key, and stands aside as Driver 2 gets in position for the climb. He revs the engine, accelerates fast and the vehicle clears the climb in the first attempt.

Driver 1 :


The above incident clearly demonstrates that driving technique is very important in off-roading.

It can overcome the shortcomings of lack-of-power in difficult situations also

.

[Blue Thunder]

^
Driver 1 --> Blue Thunder
Driver 2 --> headers
4X4 --> My Gypsy (MG410W) with stock engine.

[headers]

I'd like to add, understanding of the vehicle too. By understanding i mean mentally prepare your mind and make it talk to the engine. know your peak torque and the bandwith available to play around.

BT, you did well too. The sand was also ultra soft there and you needed to exploit your vehicle.

I had to do 3 attempts in my MG413W running Maxxis Trepadors.

And talking about the switch over to Maxxis trepadors {courtesy a good friend}, yesterday was my first try with the maxxis from my previous tyres {read Pirelli Scorpion 215, Michelin XM1 235, Cooper 235 and a special retread my own design 215}

The Maxxis performed reasonably well, but i would not say it was awesome. Ofcourse I did not deflate so my opinion could be biased.

cheers

[ex670c]

Hi Guys,

We finished the Recce's for May (combined 2&3) to give everyone time to prepare their vehicles for the Recce's in June & July.

We tried out SS# from TPC09 and the Individual Special Stage.

Regards,

Arka

[headers]

The pictures are misleading.. The sun was HOT and I lost 2 Kgs

BTW, how to get 3D pictures, anyone?

[matchless]

Originally Posted by headers

The pictures are misleading.. The sun was HOT and I lost 2 Kgs

BTW, how to get 3D pictures, anyone?

True the picture are very misleading… I was in an opinion that it was drizzling or it’s a nice cloudy day.

[yzfrj]

Originally Posted by headers

Are you in? yes or no

Originally Posted by fiery enzyme

Good question? It did not make sense to me too.

I guess you got the answer now .
No outdoor activities in Summer Period.

Originally Posted by headers

BTW, how to get 3D pictures, anyone?

I think you need some specialized equipment for that. And playback is not gonna be that "simple" either.

Waaat saaar buying 3D LED TV ?

[fiery enzyme]

Though the combined recce was done in the interests of time, it came bang in the middle of "kathiri" period. For the uninitiated, it is the hottest period of the summer down here.

This time I was well prepared, unlike the last recee when I got completely de-hydrated ( I suffered for a week).

So lesson#1 for newbies to Palar - Please follow the instructions on the TPC website so you are adquately prepared for the heat. Trust me you won't regret it.

As for the off roading part of the recee, the first part of the day was really interesting. We tried to identify the special stages from last year and try them out.

The really surprising part was how much the terrain has changed from last year. Some of those stages have lost their speciality while some have become super special .

The one obstacle showcased in the photos that have been posted so far was a really good one. It was a 60 degree climb followed by a change of course, then a 45 degree climb and a immediate 60 degree descent. The descent was also narrow and the exit was a patch of land only the width of the jeep with water bodies on both sides.

All the vehicles performed admirably well on all the obstacles. We also tried one obstacle with 60 degree climb that is atleast two jeeps length followed by a descent of the same angle.

Note: For the first timers to the sport, It is imperative you follow the spotter's instructions especially on multiple obstacles where you cannot see whether the previous vehicle has cleared the obstacle completely.

Leave your adrenaline junkie, college kid biking attitude at home because safety is to be taken seriously.

We almost had an incident where Mr junkie and friend tried to take the obstacle right behind each other when another vehicle had still not cleared the descent.

What is the use of spotters who are standing in the heat if you are not even going to listen to them?

If the spotter says stop, you stop! Period!

Next, don't come with unprepared vehicles. We cannot spend half a day recovering vehicles when the owner has not taken the efforts to prepare the vehicle. Palar is not a joke.

Recovering a stuck vehicle is part of the game. Recovering a vehicle which won't run is another thing.