9th January 2024, 16:30
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| Mountains and an open top Thar Ingredients: Love for mountains, love for snow, an open top thar, a lady that likes photographing scenic locations (as long as it doesn’t cost her leg, reference here (Let there be lights! Aurora hunting in Finland)) and a driver who doesn’t like the word practicality on his resume. The outcome: A trip worth its distance in gold. As the winters approach, two things happen, the temperatures drop and the anxiety of my better half increases as to what new snow adventures she will be subjected to (especially after the misadventure mentioned above). With the addition of our new family member (not a baby but a beast  , Raka (A soft-top Mahindra Thar vs a pre-owned German SUV)), a drive to mountains was as inevitable as Mr. Ganguly stepping out to left arm spinners. Come September, we started our wheel of fortune spinner for the destination which swayed from Munsiyari to Auli to Spiti and then finally settled on Manali and Sissu. The itinerary looked as the following: Day 1 - Jaipur to Ambala Day 2 - Ambala to Manali Day 3 - At manali Day 4 - Manali to Sissu Day 5 - Around Sissu Day 6 - Sissu to Sethan Day 7 - Around Sethan Day 8 - Return to Ambala Day 9 - Ambala to Jaipur Day 1. Jaipur - Ambala Distance: ~ 450 kms Time taken: 6 hours driving + 1 hour break Food joints: Highway King, Aureo Food room on NH152D (good food, very clean washrooms) Stay at: Regenta Central Ambala (good rooms and service, quite a horrible breakfast) A fully loaded Raka with rear seats folded and luggage packed to the hilt was ready for the flagoff. This was expected to be a boring leg of the tour but boy, were we proven wrong and how! The new trans Haryana expressway was an absolute joy to drive on. 220 kms of blemish-less tarmac surrounded by a sea of yellow with mustard fields extending till horizon on both sides and hardly any traffic. This could as well be Tuscany and not Haryana. We started the year with a drive on the Samruddhi expressway and were about to end it with this. It is a real pleasure to see the progress in road conditions in India. Unlike Samruddhi, there are numerous food joints along the way. Haryana or Tuscany?   kp Both the car and the roads (hopefully the driver too) gets a thumbs up from the lady.  We were also not sure of how Raka would sprint on the open highways but we were able to comfortably cruise around 110-120 kph range which was a lot more than we had hoped for. Did anyone mention the noise from the soft top? Well with such mesmerising roads and some nice songs, it was almost never noticed. We reached Ambala by 4ish and rested for the day. A hardcore Punjabi dinner marked the end of the day’s play.  Day 2. Ambala - Manali Distance: 307 kms Time taken: 7.5 hours driving + 1.5 hour breaks Food joints: The Daig Himalayan cafe (good views/food) Stay at: The Himalayan (great rooms/service/views) The tag line for today was the thumbs-up phrase “aaj kuch toofani karte hain”. Q.What do you do on a cold foggy winter morning?   Ans. You take the top down of your Thar  Today would be the day we would be driving from the plains of Punjab into the mighty mountains of Himachal and even if it meant enduring a few chills in the bones (both due to the cold as well as the death stares of my co-passenger  ), I was clear that if you don’t drive through the fields of Punjab in an open jeep you better not buy one.It was the most rejuvenating drive one could ever imagine, the cold gust of winds putting a broad smile on our faces and surroundings providing a sight for sore eyes. The few shivers we had to endure were totally and absolutely worth it. Maybe inspired by a few bollywood movies, driving top down in Punjab in winters was always on the check list for me.   The roads to Manali have significantly improved (or rather flattened out) with some amazing work by BRO, we crossed about 8 or 9 tunnels that hugely reduce the travel time. After Mandi, in the Pandoh area, work is still pending and you have to pass through the narrow curvy roads which are fun to drive on but invariably become the chokepoint causing a lot of jams around Pandoh.  At The Daig Himalayan Cafe  Pandoh dam  Thankfully we had closed the top just before this patch. After driving my dear co-passenger through some nice winter breeze in the morning, if I had taken her through this dust bowl with the top open, it might not have fared well for my health. Some fun roads As we neared Manali, the first sight of the snow mountains took away whatever iota of tiredness we had. The top was removed once again to experience how -1 degree felt on the skin. In reality, it was just practice for the days to come, a secret only known to me till that point.  Our stay for the next two days.  *The oil glitch* About 45 mins before Manali, an oil warning sign popped up which as per the manual translated to “immediately take your car to the nearest workshop”. The heart sank a bit, did the infamous Thar niggles start! I checked the engine oil level which seemed fine. We stopped by a couple of workshops along the way but didn’t find any mechanic. Few mins later, like the storyline of Tiger3, it magically disappeared, never to appear again for the rest of the trip. We thanked our stars and moved ahead. Day 3. Manali Food joints: The Lazy dog cafe in Old Manali (highly recommended), Chopsticks Restaurant at the Mall road (good chinese cuisine) The day at Manali was spent walking around Hadimba temple, lazing around in the old Manali Cafes and the customary evening stroll at the Mall road. The nights got quite chilly with temperatures dropping to -5 and the bonfire corner was hard to step away from, the cold made it very clear that we needed to top up our woollens collection before heading to Sissu! Morning views!   You need calories to survive the cold. The food at The Himalayan was top notch and all the healthy breakfast options were shown the exit door.  The Old Manali has a really nice vibe with lots of small interesting cafes and shopping options.  There is a nice forest area to walk through Old Manali to the Mall road, perfect for a lazy afternoon stroll.  An overcrowded mall road, some more woollens were bought for helping us survive in Sissu.  The hot seat. Even if you offered us a thousand bucks, we wouldn't have moved away from here.  Last edited by animeshc : 12th January 2024 at 23:31. |
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9th January 2024, 22:17
| #2 |
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| Re: Mountains and an open top Thar Day 4. Manali- Koksar- Sissu Distance: 60 kms Time: ~2 hours of driving Stay at: La Hault (amazing views, great hosts, good home style food) The tagline for today would be “Jannat hai hameen-asto”. Now was the most exciting phase of the trip, today we were going to cross the Atal tunnel into the magical world beyond. For such a ceremonious occasion, the top of the Thar had to be taken down, thankfully it was bright and sunny. We faced some traffic till Solang valley but beyond that the roads opened out, the air went chillier and the snow mountains drew closer. Every other turn brought out a new gasp of awe and the worries/tensions of day to day life seemed to fade away like the Manali traffic behind. Peace of nature on one side and the chaos of traffic on the other  Somewhere beyond Solang   In about an hour, we were at the most awaited pitstop of the trip, the south portal of the Atal tunnel, an engineering marvel of BRO. It’s a 9 km long tunnel that opens up connectivity to the regions of Lahaul valley, otherwise inaccessible during the winters due to heavy snow on the alternate route via Rohtang pass. It had been on my todo list to drive through the tunnel for a long time now and it felt surreal to be finally there. We stole our own moment of history at this historical milestone. The pinnacle of BRO excellence  As you emerge out of the Atal tunnel, you feel like you have been teleported to another world. Clear blue skies and mighty snow capped mountains paint the canvas in front of you, your mind goes numb as it tries to absorb this natural spectacle, you drive in a state of admiration and reverence, you truly feel the term ‘meditative drive’ and if at all you utter anything, it is on the lines of “Jannat hai zamin pe kahin, hameen-asto hameen-asto”.    Before heading to our destination Sissu, we drove in the opposite direction till Koksar (which is about 70 kms from Spiti) after which roads are closed in winters. There are no words in the dictionary that could do justice to the roads and surroundings, so I will just leave you with some pictures.    As the temperatures plunged, the tiretronics system of the car went for a toss and started reporting low pressures. I checked with another Thar driver if they were experiencing the same, they denied. I felt slightly worried but since it was showing low pressure on all tyres, I was reasonably confident that it’s to do with the cold rather than an actual issue. We finally reached our hotel around lunch time and were left mesmerised with the view from our room. Entering Lahaul  The view from the room!   There was ice in the parking area and I had my first experience of car skidding on ice and had to engage 4wd for the first time in the drive, funnily enough to park the car. The hotel owners happened to be avid travellers themselves who had arrived in Sissu a couple of years earlier, had liked the place so much that they moved away from their jobs in Delhi and started the place. Of-course like most great travellers, they also owned a soft top thar .They helped us with the itinerary for the next day and told us about some nice places to visit along the way. They also warned us about the possibility of diesel freezing during the night as the temperatures plunged below -10. However, since we didn’t have any antifreeze, the only suggestion was to keep the engine idling at night for sometime before going to sleep and then praying with utmost sincerity in the morning before starting the vehicle. Thankfully, with a couple of attempts, this strategy worked on both mornings in Sissu. It was quite intriguing to hear stories of how fire is lit underneath the cars to help them start when the temperatures plunge further to around -30, a story which we were happy to hear as long as we were not the actors in it. We were also told to keep the tap water running during the night to prevent it from freezing, quite a tough advice for a Rajasthani to follow.  Your love for star gazing is truly tested here. The night sky is a paradise but nature asks you how much cold are you willing to endure for it. While the engine was idling, this was the perfect place to sip a cup of coffee and unwind for the night.   Last edited by animeshc : 12th January 2024 at 22:57. |
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10th January 2024, 17:43
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| Re: Mountains and an open top Thar Day 5: Sissu - Tandi - Keylong - Jispa - Darcha Distance: ~ 130 kms Time: 5 hours driving time Food joints: Zomsa cafe in Keylong (must visit for a traditional Lahaul mud house experience and some nice hot food) The tagline for today would be “Devbhoomi”. An early morning walk in -13 degrees followed by a nice picturesque breakfast set the tone for the day. A goregous sunrise  Our preparation for the day:  Raka having some first hand experience of ice.  The perfect murder weapon   The plan was to drive on the Leh highway as long as it was allowed to. The drive was expected to be scenic but boy, did it surpass our expectations! It was mesmerising, the terrain changed from snowclad mountains to barren rugged peaks with the turquoise waters of Chandra Bhaga river providing the perfect contrast to it. It was the Himalayas in its raw form, and its untamed beauty just left us awestruck.     TPMS going for a toss! What does -1 for tyre pressure mean   We passed the confluence of Chandra Bhaga river in Tandi, filled up the tank at the last fuel pump of Himachal, then marched ahead towards Jispa and Darcha which was the last point till which vehicles are allowed in winters.  The next fuel station is a meagre 360 kms ahead.  Just ahead of keylong, there was a security checkpost where my driving license was deposited as an insurance that I would return within the stipulated time. After it, you pretty much drive through ghost towns which have been vacated in the winters. The roads were just stupendous and a dream for any driving enthusiast. With hardly any other vehicles, you felt like the journey should just go on and on...   Somewhere around Jispa, it was probably easier to find god here than another person!  At the Darcha bridge, our final stop for the day.  It was just the two of us, in this vast landscape, in front of these mighty peaks, just sitting quietly, thoughtless, motionless, our souls. We now knew why Himachal was also called the Devbhoomi, for even the gods wouldn’t find a better place    There are countless videos we have of the journey and shortlisting a few from them is as hard as picking your favorite Tendulkar shot, but still sharing some of our favorites: We also took a detour to the Keylong monastery, the road sign at the beginning of the climb said “Jeep-able”. It was an insanely narrow road, that too unpaved and with some acute turns making it perfect for finally deploying the 4wd!   You know its cold when the water in your bottle freezes!    Based on the recommendation of our hosts, we stopped at cafe Zomsa in Keylong for lunch. It's a traditional Lahaul mud house and a steep 5-10 min trek happens to be their first appetiser.  Finally entering the Sissu valley in the evening, after a day of driving catharsis!   Our review about the place was spelled out quite clearly  Last edited by animeshc : 12th January 2024 at 23:00. |
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11th January 2024, 22:38
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| Re: Mountains and an open top Thar Day 6: Sissu - Koksar - Sethan Distance: ~ 75 kms Time: approx 2 hours of driving time Food joints: Fat plate (lovely garden sitout, really nice pastas/burgers, home made marmalades/pickles) Stay: Glamping club (amazing views, average food/service) Like kids in a play arena, we didn’t want to head back and tried all measures to extend our stay. We spent the morning walking around the Sissu lake, even dared to dip our feet in the pristine waters and still not satisfied, decided to take another drive to Koksar, the final one amidst the snow. A frozen sissu lake  Dare to dip!  The final drive to Koksar   The goodbyes and promises to return soon..  With heavy hearts, we bid adieu to Lahaul and headed towards our next adventure. Our next stay was on the way to Hampta pass and you had to pass 29 hairpin bends to reach it with the path often paved with mud and gravel. Once it snows, the road is only open to 4wd vehicles. As you can imagine, I was super excited to take Raka on that road. You know it's going to be fun when they make you sign a disclaimer form before entering a road!  Now ain't that fun  Glamping club, with some really fancy domes would be our home for the next two days     The perfect cup of tea!  Day 7: Sethan The next day we decided to cover the rest of the hairpin bends, taking the total count to 39 and go all the way to the top of the mountain. It was another adventurous drive, we found a car stuck in snow along the way. For the mighty Thar though, it was just a walk in the park.   Great views and a maggi shop, what else do you need!  Day 8, Day 9: Manali - Ambala: ~320kms, 10 hours of driving time Ambala - Jaipur (via Sonipat and NE4): 440 kms, 6 hours of driving time Food joint: Bread of life (A south American bakery run by a very sweet foreigner couple who came to Manali as teachers and started this cafe as an avenue for providing employment to people during Covid, some really nice options there), Old Rao Haveli Kiratpur (good pitstop on the way back from Manali - Ambala), On the way back, we decided to take the Naggar route till Kullu and it was a beautiful drive through the forest. After getting down the 29 hairpin bends on the way back, a creaking noise started coming from the brakes. After sometime it got a bit irritating and we finally decided to get it checked at a workshop. Thankfully turned to be some minor issue and some oiling was enough to make it stop. Post that, it was essentially driving back through the plains for the next 2 days. We saw a huge sea of vehicles coming in the opposite direction for the Christmas weekend and were glad to have left on time. Even then, some of the narrower patches were badly choked and the traffic jams gave us a lot more time than we needed to reflect back on the trip . It took us almost 3 extra hours to return to Ambala as compared to our arrival journey. Tired, we crashed in Ambala and covered the remaining journey via another marvel of Indian highways, the NE4.With just about the right doses of adventure and comfort, snow and sunshine, long drives and peaceful walks, it turned out to be a trip for the ages. And the love for mountains and snow was reignited once again! A word about Raka We were truly impressed by its capabilities, especially cruising at highway speeds of 110-120 kph, something we were skeptical about to begin with. You realize how carefree you can be when you don’t have to worry about sudden bad patches or potholes in the road. As long as the vehicle ahead is passing over a piece of road, you are rest assured you will (something not the case with my S5 and was a pleasant change). Off-roading is never a concern for Thar, but the ease with which it handled some of the less travelled terrains was a joy to experience. Even with 8-10 hours of driving on a few days, the journey didn’t feel tiring or uncomfortable. The noise of the soft top didn’t feel like an issue and the joy of driving in the open top was unmatchable. If anyone out there is still debating on soft top vs hard, my vote is absolutely clear! Just close your eyes, buy the soft top and you won't regret. As mentioned above, we faced a couple of minor niggles along the way but nothing that put a bad taste in the mouth. To summarize, I always thought of the Thar as a second car but based on this drive, I can say that if I had money to keep just one car, maybe it would be this one. So apt "yours may go fast but mine can go anywhere"!  "Thar is an emotion"  Final trip summary:  Last edited by animeshc : 12th January 2024 at 23:29. |
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13th January 2024, 03:31
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13th January 2024, 21:52
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15th January 2024, 12:28
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17th January 2024, 08:34
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17th January 2024, 19:16
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30th January 2024, 22:39
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| Re: Mountains and an open top Thar Himalayas in an open-top Thar… Wind in your hair, sun on the skin, steering in your hand and chilled to the bones…. Heavenly!!! Just flying down the road, enjoy nature, or may be even just sit in that convertible sipping a cup of hot coffee… A trip in a top-down Thar is closest to a cruise on Royal Enfield Bullet. Sitting here in Bangalore and seeing those pictures of snow and Thar, I think I caught cold.  |
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31st January 2024, 20:00
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