[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by KSM-Vtec

[b]


Finally we reached the above spot and since we are not HVK we got taken aback by the massive road/flyover construction happening there and got into the wrong road. We realized our mistake soon and turned back towards the correct direction. It was around 0130AM on 4th September when we reached Kishangarh.

Yes, it is a big mess thanks to road widening on NH8. Kishangarh itself is a busy truck junction, and the heavy vehicle traffic here is to be seen!!!

The mistake which KSM-vTEC made was to turn right (towards Ajmer/Udaipur), when you have to actually turn left (towards Jaipur) to get to the NH79 junction which takes you to Udaipur via Bhilwara & Chittorgarh.

HVK was in hotel Panghat and had told us that we was planning to leave really early say around 2-3AM so that he can make it to Mumbai early evening....

GB(BolBolero) & SS wanted to take some rest and had decided to takeover the hotel room from HVK since he would be leaving anytime soon anyways....

That was the neatest swap we did. Lalu & I slept in that room till 2 am, then handed the baton to BolBolero & SSj who arrived at that time, and we left for Bombay at 245 am! Sounds like 2 long-distance bus drivers changing places
I can imagine how bemused the hotel guy must have been when he saw this pair next morning - how did the original residents get transformed so through the night?

It was also a good chance to make some lead on HVK ....so it was an obvious unanimous decision.....saying bye bye to GB & SS at around 2AM we moved on....

Ah ha! I ultimately arrived in Bombay 5 hours+ ahead of the MUmbai Roadsters despite their "over-taking" me at Kishangarh. But that story is another one which I will recite soon.......after we hear how BolBolero fared that day driving from Pathankot to Kishangarh, and managing to reach 5 hours behind despite having left a few minutes after me in the morning!!!!!

[himavanth_m]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

I have a tent, a sleeping bag and a couple of bed sheets permanently stashed at the back of my Fortuner. Does't take up space, and gives a lot of flexibility. Setting up and having fun a tent - in a picturesque spot (say a grassy knoll overlooking a stream) - can be good fun especially for kids. One can also get those small camp chairs and a folding table, and have a proper chill-out time or do a night stay (if one is properly equipped for cold).

Sorry OT
Could you please let me know the approximate cost to procure a tent and a sleeping bag. If it comes within our budget, I would like to purchase one.
I would also like to know the cost of the foldable table , camp chairs. The tea brewing kit that you mentioned, is it through the 12V socket in the vehicle. If yes, I would like to know the cost of this as well.

In Hyderabad, does anyone know where I can get these?

[BolBolero]

Day 18 & 19, Pathankot - Kishangarh, 3rd. & 4th. September 2011

Pathankot to Amritsar to Hanumangarh

We i.e: SSj & me were supposed to leave from Pathankot at around the same time as HVK and laluks were departing. But as we hadn't had a chance of meeting up with IPHE Team B, we decided to delay our departure and atleast say our final goodbyes to rest of the gang.

So here we were knocking on the doors of the hotel to wake up the guys, who must have been totally fatigued after their marathon drive from Leh to Pathankot! But the overwhelming urge to say a final goodbye, overrode good sense. So after saying our farewells to NJ, no_enthu_da, JeepCaptain, and unsuccessfully trying to rouse JP & TS we finally left the hotel.

We were maybe around 15 mins. behind HVK's Scorpio when we departed at around 7:45 am. Somewhere along the road, I made a decision to head into Amritsar town to partake of the famous "Kulchas" for breakfast. At around 9:45am received a call from HVK, instructing us to take the left towards Jallandhar at the Amritsar bypass. But as the mind was already made up regarding the Kulchas, we headed straight into Amritsar City and we were at the Main Bus Stand at around 10:00 am.

After a leisurely breakfast, we left from the Restaurant at around 10:40 am. and landed smack in the middle of a huge traffic jams, caused due to processions taking place all over Amritsar City to mark the martyrdom of Baba DeepSingh. After losing nearly two hours we finally managed to make our way out of Amritsar.

We reached Tarn Taran at around 12:45 pm. and continued onwards. Having taken the Bathinda route while coming to Amritsar from Mumbai nearly 18 days ago, we decided to try out the route via Abohar to Hanumangarh. We crossed the towns of Harike, Makhu, Zira, Talwandi Bhai, Mudki, Faridkot and reached Kotkapura. From here we took a different route than what HVK had taken. This way we missed the horrendous section between Mandi Dabwali and Hanumangarh!

This is the route we took:


Having already lost a lot of time in Amritsar, we did not stop for lunch, but instead stopped for a small tea break, accompanied by some dry fruits and biscuits from our food stock.

We were in constant touch with the Scorpio and the Swifts through Google Latitude and Mobile. Having lost nearly two hours in Amritsar, HVK's Scorpio was way way ahead of us. Luckily for us the Mumbai Roadsters Swifts were more or less in same general area, and both the Swifts and the Bolero would probably be reaching Hanumangarh at around the same time.

At around 6:30 pm we met up at the junction in Hanumangarh and from there proceeded further down towards the outskirts of Hanumangarh at Kohla, where we had chai and refuelling stop. A small reunion again! We left from there at around 7:00 pm.

Target was KISHANGARH 428.00 kms away.

to be continued...

p.s: The cameras were packed and neither of us was in any mood to take photographs! Guess it was bound to happen, nearing the end of a journey!

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by himavanth_m

Sorry OT
Could you please let me know the approximate cost to procure a tent and a sleeping bag. If it comes within our budget, I would like to purchase one.
I would also like to know the cost of the foldable table , camp chairs. The tea brewing kit that you mentioned, is it through the 12V socket in the vehicle. If yes, I would like to know the cost of this as well.

In Hyderabad, does anyone know where I can get these?

Sleeping bags cost from Rs.600 to > Rs. 6000 depending on temperature rating and weight. Tents cost from 3k onwards.

Check out Decathlon India : Online Sports Shop to get an idea of prices and variety.

I stay 2 km away from their huge store so I have never used their online store.

[laluks]

Originally Posted by BolBolero

But as the mind was already made up regarding the Kulchas, we headed straight into Amritsar City and we were at the Main Bus Stand at around 10:00 am.

BolBolero! You were enjoying Kulchas... and me wondering when I'll have my butter chicken

[BolBolero]

Originally Posted by laluks

BolBolero! You were enjoying Kulchas... and me wondering when I'll have my butter chicken

Yes Sir, very much enjoyed the Kulchas, but the delay due to the traffic jam, made me wish that I hadn't let my stomach rule over my mind!

[BolBolero]

Day 18 & 19, Pathankot - Kishangarh, 3rd. & 4th. September 2011

continued..

Hanumangarh to Kishangarh

During the day, SSj had received a call, informing him about the demise of a very close friends father in Baroda. Since we were anyway going to pass through that part of the country, it was decided to break the journey in Baroda and visit the family to offer condolences.

This decision was conveyed to HVK & laluks via a call and the Mumbai Roadsters were informed at Hanumangarh. It was decided that the Bolero occupants would break the journey at Kishangarh, rest for a bit and then head to Baroda the next day.

Having already driven on this road during our journey towards Ladakh, we knew that the condition of this Superfast Highway was very good. The only difference was that while going towards Amritsar many days ago, we did this stretch during the daytime, but today it was already past 7:00 pm.

Once again we were in a small convoy of 2 Swifts and the Bolero. Many small towns whizzed past as we drove on, keeping a steady pace. At around 10:00 pm, we stopped to have dinner at a small road side dhaba, nothing spectacular, just hot dal, subzi and chappaties. After filling our tummies and washing it down with tea, we moved on.

Shortly we encountered very heavy rains, which forced us to slow down considerably. Stopped at Maulasar at around 12:00 am to refuel. Finally after a hard days drive we reached the outskirts of Kishangarh at around 1:30 am. After a few wrong turns and finding our way back, we headed towards Hotel Panghat, where HVK & laluks had a room and were resting.

At the junction of the road leading towards Jaipur in one direction and Mumbai in the other, all the three cars stopped and we bid our goodbyes to the Mumbai Roadsters, who had decided to keep driving through the night towards HOME! Another sad moment for all of us, cos we were not to see each other again for the remainder of the trip!

SSj and me drove into the parking lot of Hotel Panghat at exactly 2:00 am and made a call to HVK, who promptly guided us to the room. Here we were, finally at Kishangarh.

HVK & laluks were more or less prepared to start for the drive back to Mumbai at that unearthly hour. Finally they left the hotel at around 2:45 am, but not before some "DHAKKA" start for the Scorpio.

What a day. On the road for nearly eighteen and a half hours!

Total distance covered: 852 kms.

[indian21r]

I have been reading this 3 days and all I could finish was 21 pages. Abosultely brilliant and captivating thread. I am wondering after I reach Leh in next couple of weeks, I will feel as if I have been living here my whole life. Such are the details here.

Hats off to the team for writing such a coordinated thread. This needs to be a sticky thread for sure.

[hvkumar]

HVK Scorpio
Aug 12, Bombay-Behror, 1402 kms
Aug 13, Behror-Rampur, 692 kms
Aug 14, Rampur-Chitkul, 144 kms
Aug 15, Chitkul-Pooh, 207 kms
Aug 16, Pooh-Kaza, 178 kms
Aug 17-19, Kaza, 291 kms
Aug 20, Kaza-Jispa, 236 kms
Aug 21, Jispa-Leh, 374 kms
Aug 22, Leh-Kargil, 343 kms
Aug 23, Kargil-Padum, 248 kms
Aug 24, Padum-Kargil, 275 kms
Aug 25, Kargil-Leh, 259 kms
Aug 26, Leh, 148 kms
Aug 27, 2011, Leh-Turtuk, 241 kms
Aug 28, 2011, Leh-Pangong Tso, 445 kms
Aug 29, 2011, Pangong-Hanle, 203 kms
Aug 30, 2011, Hanle-Tso Moriri, 188 kms
Aug 31, 2011, Tso Moriri-Keylong, 375 kms
Sep 1, 2011, Keylong-Chamba, 341 kms
Sep 2, 2011, Chamba-Pathankot, 158 kms

Sep 3, 2011, Pathankot-Kishangarh, 877 kms

Here is the video of the NH15 between Pathankot & Amritsar. Thanks to that we were doing this between 7-9 am, traffic was less, but it can be very frustrating to drive on this high-density traffic corridor, especially when you have to cross small towns like Dinanagar, Gurdaspur & Batala.

Pathankot-Amritsar - YouTube

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

HVK Scorpio
Aug 12, Bombay-Behror, 1402 kms
Aug 13, Behror-Rampur, 692 kms
Aug 14, Rampur-Chitkul, 144 kms
Aug 15, Chitkul-Pooh, 207 kms
Aug 16, Pooh-Kaza, 178 kms
Aug 17-19, Kaza, 291 kms
Aug 20, Kaza-Jispa, 236 kms
Aug 21, Jispa-Leh, 374 kms
Aug 22, Leh-Kargil, 343 kms
Aug 23, Kargil-Padum, 248 kms
Aug 24, Padum-Kargil, 275 kms
Aug 25, Kargil-Leh, 259 kms
Aug 26, Leh, 148 kms
Aug 27, 2011, Leh-Turtuk, 241 kms
Aug 28, 2011, Leh-Pangong Tso, 445 kms
Aug 29, 2011, Pangong-Hanle, 203 kms
Aug 30, 2011, Hanle-Tso Moriri, 188 kms
Aug 31, 2011, Tso Moriri-Keylong, 375 kms
Sep 1, 2011, Keylong-Chamba, 341 kms
Sep 2, 2011, Chamba-Pathankot, 158 kms

Sep 3, 2011, Pathankot-Kishangarh, 877 kms

I reached the Amritsar bypass at 930 am, not too bad for 120 kms on this road. The bypass is a good one. Take a right and you can go off towards the border at Wagah. Go straight into Amritsar town. Take a left and you are pointed to Jalandhar on NH1 - and this is the road I took, since I had to link up with the other side of NH15 without entering the Amritsar city. You can go on this way and take a small link road that takes you directly to the Taran Taran/ Faridkot road, as the NH15 is called. In under 15 minutes, we are out of Amritsar zone and speeding through the green fields of Punjab.....

Amritsar Bypass - YouTube

Note: In the earlier video - Post #2409 - the video of the Pathanot-Amritsar drive shows the date as Sep 3, "2012" - that is a typo, please read as "Sep 3, 2011"

[CDM]

Hi!

Could someone provide details for the Jalandhar-Pathankot-Dyala Chak-Udhampur route?

My wife and I shall be driving on this route on June 10. I am a bit nervous that I may miss a turn on this route. Details, especially if someone has the co-ordinates for the turns, forks, etc. would be great.

Thanks.

CDM

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by CDM

Hi!

Could someone provide details for the Jalandhar-Pathankot-Dyala Chak-Udhampur route?

My wife and I shall be driving on this route on June 10. I am a bit nervous that I may miss a turn on this route. Details, especially if someone has the co-ordinates for the turns, forks, etc. would be great.

Thanks.

CDM

From Pathankot, after crossing into J&K, you will pay toll at the Lakhanpur toll gate. 32 kms from the toll gate is Dyala Chak, where you turn right to go direct to Udhampur without touching Jammu.

It is 85 kms from Dyala Chak to Udhampur via Gadak, Challam, Khoon & Manwal.

You can see the details in this log book of my 2009 drive to Ladakh:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzW...BjOTcwZWViYTIy

You can also see the GPS tracks that I traced on my Garmin here:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzW...Q1MjEzMDRkM2Y0


I am told that there are some bad sections in this route, so it may be a better idea to turn off NH1A at Samba (further down from Dyala Chak).

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

HVK Scorpio
Aug 12, Bombay-Behror, 1402 kms
Aug 13, Behror-Rampur, 692 kms
Aug 14, Rampur-Chitkul, 144 kms
Aug 15, Chitkul-Pooh, 207 kms
Aug 16, Pooh-Kaza, 178 kms
Aug 17-19, Kaza, 291 kms
Aug 20, Kaza-Jispa, 236 kms
Aug 21, Jispa-Leh, 374 kms
Aug 22, Leh-Kargil, 343 kms
Aug 23, Kargil-Padum, 248 kms
Aug 24, Padum-Kargil, 275 kms
Aug 25, Kargil-Leh, 259 kms
Aug 26, Leh, 148 kms
Aug 27, 2011, Leh-Turtuk, 241 kms
Aug 28, 2011, Leh-Pangong Tso, 445 kms
Aug 29, 2011, Pangong-Hanle, 203 kms
Aug 30, 2011, Hanle-Tso Moriri, 188 kms
Aug 31, 2011, Tso Moriri-Keylong, 375 kms
Sep 1, 2011, Keylong-Chamba, 341 kms
Sep 2, 2011, Chamba-Pathankot, 158 kms

Sep 3, 2011, Pathankot-Kishangarh, 877 kms

Mandi Dabwali - this was the first Haryana town........The next town on the route is Chautala - famous as being the town from where ex-Haryana CM Chauthala hails from - but the present Govt in HR apparently does not want the ex-CM to travel in style, so the road leading to Chautala - all 25 kms of it - turned out to be the biggest spring-breaker outside of Ladakh!! We crawled at second-gear speeds for the next 40 minutes, even as we could trucks doing strange acrobats as they tried to balance themselves against toppling lurching on the deep pot holes & breakages in the "road". Good to be reminded of Ladakh again? My biggest fear was that one of those trucks would fall atop my car, so I was careful to steer a respectable distance away from any truck on the road, and all of us were in case going all over the place, never mind that in India only right-side driving is allowed!!

The acrobatics ended just after we crossed Chauthala, and reached Chorthal at 240 pm. We entered Rajasthan and from there on the roads were simply too good.

Mandi Dabwali-Chautala - YouTube

Avoid the Bhatinda-Doomwali-Mandi Dabwala-Chauthala-Hanumangarh road completely, it remains this way only for most of the year, we were told.

Everyone is strongly advised to avoid the Faridkot-Kotkapura-Bhatinda-Hanumangarh route & instead take the Faridkot-Kotkapura-Muktasar-Abohar-Hanumangarh.

[Harbir]

when I go north from delhi, I usually go chandigarh, ropar, balachaur, Garhshankar, Hoshiarpur, and join the national highway at Dasuya. This avoids the entire NH from Ambala to Dasuya, which is under construction all over and very very busy, and instead takes me on very pleasant state roads.

[hvkumar]

HVK Scorpio
Aug 12, Bombay-Behror, 1402 kms
Aug 13, Behror-Rampur, 692 kms
Aug 14, Rampur-Chitkul, 144 kms
Aug 15, Chitkul-Pooh, 207 kms
Aug 16, Pooh-Kaza, 178 kms
Aug 17-19, Kaza, 291 kms
Aug 20, Kaza-Jispa, 236 kms
Aug 21, Jispa-Leh, 374 kms
Aug 22, Leh-Kargil, 343 kms
Aug 23, Kargil-Padum, 248 kms
Aug 24, Padum-Kargil, 275 kms
Aug 25, Kargil-Leh, 259 kms
Aug 26, Leh, 148 kms
Aug 27, 2011, Leh-Turtuk, 241 kms
Aug 28, 2011, Leh-Pangong Tso, 445 kms
Aug 29, 2011, Pangong-Hanle, 203 kms
Aug 30, 2011, Hanle-Tso Moriri, 188 kms
Aug 31, 2011, Tso Moriri-Keylong, 375 kms
Sep 1, 2011, Keylong-Chamba, 341 kms
Sep 2, 2011, Chamba-Pathankot, 158 kms

Sep 3, 2011, Pathankot-Kishangarh, 877 kms

3 pm. Hanumangarh. Fort. Good hotels.
And the toll road to Kishangarh.
A State Highway.
Consolidated toll, Rs 195, to cross 5 toll gates.
What a road.........

The beginning of the Bhatinda-Kishangarh super highway.

The super highway is a Rajasthan state highway that has been upgraded in the last 2 years or so, still unknown to most, even the truckers hardly use it.

The toll gate issues a through toll ticket for Rs 195 all the way to Kishangarh, which is over 400 kms away, that gives you passage through 6 toll gates - Rawatsar, Sardarshahr, Ratangad, Didwana, Makrana & Kishangarh.

What a road it turned out to be. Reasonably broad 2-laned road, excellent surface, good signages & no traffic.

This is the kind of highway where you can turn on the cruise pilot in your car, if you have one.

The highway ends in a mess just before Kishangarh on NH8, which is being widened and looks like a battle zone.

Now see the video!

Bhatinda Super Highway to Kishangarh - YouTube