[sudev]

After reaching Jammu we grabbed a our first hot cup of tea for the day - Bed tea? - and sat discussing the day with other competitors. We had been allotted a room at Hari Niwas itself and so did not have to lug our things to near by ITDC Ashok, as many had to.

In a while Vijay, President Himalayan Motorsport Association (Organisers) came down with the results of Extreme category. Sunny Siddhu was at top of the leaderboard followed by Suresh Rana, Bawa and Gaurav Chiripal. The last was also riding a Grand Vitara, modified with roll cage and for extreme rallying. We heard their tales of horror and hair raising moments. GC had driven downhill for 20kms with a punctured tyre. We discussed if it would have been faster to stop and change than continue on long stage with a puncture.

The results of Enduro (TSD) category were no where to be seen. So it was more of speculation of our relative positioning. And some competitors cornered Vijay about allowing us to move without helmets on the highways. Not wearing helmets meant exclusion. While we had open faced helmets which were bad enough another competitor had full face helmets and had major difficulty making them selves heard added to the fact they did not even eat anything as the helmets covered their mouth too!!!

Went up to the room and had a cleansing shower. Decided to get the vehicle tank topped up and park it in PF for the night. Still no results. It was getting to be 2000hrs and the tourism department had organised a music program and dinner on the lawns. But by this time I was getting really tired (we were up since 0300hrs) and had a long day tomorrow again.

Rushed the buffet guys to serve dinner while listening to one or two songs. And got up to go to the room. No results.

before sleeping I decided to change the batteries of our scientific calculator. Horrors!! It had packed up and would not switch on!! Was it revenge of electronic gremlins? Went down to car park and got the simple calculator for Alka to practise (replay of pre-rally night???).

While coming back noticed that results had been posted and we were ...

[tsk1979]

Well I will not break your suspense, since I know the ending
Great trip you guys had. This TSD rally format really looks mind boggling. I seriously wonder how can anybody maintain an accuracy within seconds! Wow!

[sudev]

...we were fourteenth out of a field of eighteen!!

I went up to the room and told my dear navigator in quite a bit of unparliamentary language that we'd effed up big time. While she was claiming penalties in region of 4 minutes total we were showing penalties in excess of 20 minutes!!

Quite tired and disgusted with the efforts I quickly explained to her the working of time calculator and went off to sleep. Deep sleep.

What seemed to be just a little while later, she shook me awake and said
There is error in the results sheet.
How can there be error?
No, I cross checked the timing I had noted and at TC6 instead of entering 13:27:50 it has been entered as 13:21:50
So what does that mean?
It means we should be third or fourth once this is corrected.
Is that so? I knew I could be not that wrong
You knew?? Is that so??

Six minutes early time meant double the penalties so we were penalised twelve minutes plus in the next section also our on dot check in became late check in by six minutes since the starting time was wrongly entered as 13:21:50. So with almost 18 minutes off the penalties the position was not bad. And this considering we were not using any GPS gadgetry.

I had to retract a bit and heap praises in right direction for navigating us so nicely. We did submit a error rectification request next morning and it was accepted as typo. But that was for tomorrow and I had lots of sleep to catch up but where was the sleep?

[sanjaykaul]

Originally Posted by alka

In this picture note I have put time in red pen. This is my calculated time when we should be passing a particular instruction point. Calculations are based on time of starting from last TC, distance from last TC and speed we are to follow. Believe you me this is a more than full time job.

Caution marks are used to convey to the participants how much risk can be expected. !!!means extreme care.
.

Well, this sure is more than a full time job. One has to be more than 100% productive while on this task (you should have been in IT Industry, if you are not already). I am assuming that you wouldn’t have had much time to click pictures.

You both looked in Great Spirit (the picture at Hariniwas).

I am amazed to see the kind of information given in the Road Book. Is it really needed or sometimes you think it is overkill? What in a rally increases the degree of caution (indicated with !!)?

I couldn’t stop myself looking at instruction # 35 which indicates the place “AKIMGAM” (It actually is AKINGAM). I must have been to the village countless times. It has a wonderful temple surrounded by big pine vegetation. The temple is just 200 meters (must have been to your left) from the main road you traveled on.

Originally Posted by sudev

Attachment 380024

Duksum area, just before the climb to the pass is wooded with pines and lots of streams run down to the valley. With rain earlier in the day more than normal flow was greeting us:
Attachment 380027

The wooded valley and clear crisp pine scented air. Heavenly. I wish I owned that hut:
Attachment 380028

As expected, the pictures of Daksum and surrounding made my eyes moist. As a kid, I have had countless picnics to Achabal, Kokernag and Daksum. Had I known (much) earlier, I would have tagged along (as the allowed third person) in your vehicle. Anyways there is always a next time and this rally will happen again next year.

[Styler]

Originally Posted by sudev

@MileCruncher: what tsk1979 is suggesting is even before Samba take a right and bye pass Samba/Mansar and join the same road before Udhampur. As I would be travelling at night/dawn around this area I will take a call which road to take. Either way will bye pass Jammu.

@tsk1979: Did you take Samba Mansar road either up or down? Just curious about quality of surface on that one as vis Dhaliya road. Last time I found Dhaliya road was quite potholed but that was in 2007.

There is a third road which is before both of these 2 roads. It is not marked on any maps. This is called the Dhar Road. It starts 40 mtrs after crossing the Madhopur Bridge. As you turn right you pay a 70 rupee toll to a lone guard there. This road goes through Cantt Area, Dhar and Ranjit Sagar Dam, and both the 2 roads mentioned above meet this road eventually. I took this road and we didnt come across any J&K entry check-post at all.
Infact during my 15 day trip to Leh and back I was not stopped for any kind of police /security check at all, not even once.
I'm attaching a picture of the Ranjit Sagar Dam that we cross on this road.

Styler

[rkbharat]

Originally Posted by sudev

Watch out for announcements for any event and then contact organisers for volunteering. We will be sending out call for volunteers for Rally of the North (second half October) and Desert Storm (first hald February) soon. Keep visiting Northern Motorsport

Generally at first level you are paired with some one senior and then based on understanding and aptitude more responsible jobs are entrusted. Be warned it is serious commitment of effort and time. Rewards are many for adventurous.

thanks alot for the information Sudev ji, I am watching for "Rally of the North"

[alka]

Originally Posted by sudev

...I had to retract a bit and heap praises in right direction for navigating us so nicely....

Men!

Sudev came to the room with the calculator and before any thing else said "Your navigation is bad as we are fourteenth, results are out at the reception"

And then nonchalantly started explaining how time function of the calculator works. How to enter start time input in to memory. Calculate time to next destination by doing distance/speed. Add this to memory where start time is stored. Output will be target time. Simple. Okay. And promptly turned over and started snoring.

I did few sample calculations but was not able to concentrate. Changed and with our log sheet in hand went down to lobby to check for my self. It was written we were fourteenth but penalties were not correct. Checked each and every TC timings and then discovered the mistake.

Re-checked and re-computed as if the TC time was correct. Yes I was right and the final calculations were off by mere three seconds. And he says I do not know how to calculate!

Went up and woke him up and told good news. It was funny to see how he started buttering me up but I was soon in state of deep contended sleep like a log. Till he shook me awake - Jago time to get ready and start for leg 2.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by Styler

There is a third road which is before both of these 2 roads. It is not marked on any maps. This is called the Dhar Road. It starts 40 mtrs after crossing the Madhopur Bridge. As you turn right you pay a 70 rupee toll to a lone guard there. This road goes through Cantt Area, Dhar and Ranjit Sagar Dam, and both the 2 roads mentioned above meet this road eventually.

But is it not longer than the other two? First you go a little eastwards and then head west towards Udhampur.

Got GPS track for this?

[tsk1979]

Sudev, instead of leaving the main road for dyalachak(while coming from udhampur), if you continue, you will hit dhar.
However, its much longer.

[unoczar]

kya toh bhi hai yaaro!!!?

slow n steady wins the race chal raha hai kya?

[arjun_crsce]

hey sudev and alka ji, hats off to the rally couple. The log is so interesting, had to postpone the office meeting for this. btw thanks for sharing the first hand account for the rally info.

[sudev]

Day two the route was from Jammu to Rajori to Bufliaz to Peer-Ki-Gali to Shopian to Bijbhehara to Srinagar.



The Jammu - Rajori - Poonch axis is mostly ignored by tourists as the area is not developed and being near the border sort of cut off.

However it is a lovely road from Jammu to Rajori and slowly you find your self driving in midst of pine forests. Though hotter than Duksum the area has lot of potential for trekking and camping activities.


From Rajori onwards the roads became narrower and slowly started become sweep and twisty. Crossed over a small pass and descended to Bufliaz. From here the Mughal Road starts.


A steep climb on under construction highway takes you to Peer-Ki-Gali pass. Unlike RohtangLa or BaralachaLa and more like Zozila, this is a long pass and the "gulley" runs between snow clad mountains with lots of snow melt crossing the road as deep streams that had to be forded carefully. As some competitors learnt to their costs.

[tsk1979]

Aha, the interesting section. I remember seeing an official video of a GV which took in water due to the low K&N intake.

[suman]

Originally Posted by sudev

A steep climb on under construction highway takes you to Peer-Ki-Gali pass. Unlike RohtangLa or BaralachaLa and more like Zozila, this is a long pass and the "gulley" runs between snow clad mountains with lots of snow melt crossing the road as deep streams that had to be forded carefully.

Ahhhh! Remembering what I saw on the TV sneak preview & waiting with bated breath!!! Hope you have a snap or two of the crossing!

[sudev]

Some interesting inputs about the region:

As per the stories we heard Bufliaz actually stands for Bucephalus (story link) the horse of Alexander. The horse died here and since the locals could not pronounce it clearly it became Bufliaz.

Another interesting place we passed is called Chingiz. The story has it that while travelling back from Srinagar to his court in Lahore the Emporer Jehangir died. To avoid succession wars from breaking out queen Noor-e-Jahan got his body embalmed in secrecy and the entrails were buried here. The embalmed body was tied on top of an elephant and the convoy moved to Lahore. Only nearing Lahore people realised something was wrong when Emperor did nothing to wave off flies setting on his body. By that time Noor-e-Jahan was sufficiently near Lahore to take control of the court and not let bloody succession wars erupt. Finally his body was buried in Lahore. Jahangir - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The area is also full of fruit orchards and it was awesome eating cherry, khurmani, aaru straight from the orchards. It was too early for apples though.