navingulia
September 30th, 2004, 02:21 PM
I will always be grateful for the great support and friendships I have received on Jatland.
1. I am posting a detailed account of my expedition.
2. Kindly don’t circulate it. It is only for Jatland and friends.
3. If some one has suggestions on language/grammar, kindly send them to me. It would be great.
4. Another good news. I have received a letter of congratulation from our President Kalam.
Mission Marsimik La, at 18,632 feet, it is 332 feet higher than the base camp of Everest and 252 feet higher than Khardung La, the highest motor able road in the world.
1200 kms and 7 of the worlds highest mountain passes.
Mission Accomplished
When I take on an expedition/challenge of this standard I tell myself “I would rather die than turn back”. Such resolve is required because else a million reasons/excuses will come up to prevent and discourage me from achieving what I aim for. Its not a negative statement, it is symbolic of the determination required. Let me also state a saying I heard long back “if death comes before I prove my blood, I promise I will kill death”. So, come what may, I was going to accomplish it. There was no enthusiasm or excitement about the expedition. There was a silence, a tremendous calm. I believe a calm and a cool mind is the biggest asset. Excitement drains out ones mental energy and I would be needing every bit of it on this expedition. Without getting out of the drivers seat I would be driving without sleep for at least 40 hours.
Therefore the order for my mind was ‘Be cool’ and ‘Only basics’.
A lot of reasons had come up prior to the expedition to discourage me but I pushed them out of the way. I got the vehicle just two weeks before the expedition. So let me begin from there. Just two weeks! A new vehicle, complete hand control modification required and a world record to attempt. It was a ‘Mission Impossible’. The resolve was so strong in my mind that even if I had got the vehicle 24 hours before the expedition, I would still have attempted it and made it.
Me, Ankush and Ajay were determined that we will modify the vehicle within 24 hours. We had done our homework and had an apparatus ready. The moment we got the vehicle, we headed to Ajay’s workshop and got working. The major work was being done by Ajay and we were just serving as helping hands and me supervising the implementation of requirements. We took measurements and prepared a solid bracket to attach the ready apparatus to the steering rod.
The bracket was attached by the end of the day and was ready for trial. But as says an old law “the probability of the first trial to succeed is Zero”. The brake rod was being obstructed by the bracket frame. OH MY GOD, square one at the end of day one. Cool head was an impossible condition to implement. But I didn’t have a choice.
We continued working into the night. We couldn’t sleep over this failure. I couldn’t. Ajay couldn’t. By midnight another prototype was ready and Ajay quit for a break. Morning 9am, we were at it again. By late afternoon the prototype had been installed for trials. Trials went ok. I couldn’t be picky. Rather than working more on the controls, I had to enhance my efforts to manage with the same set of controls. I approved the controls and the controls were removed for final welding and tampering and painting. The controls were finally installed by next day afternoon. I took off and started the trials.
After about 100 kms of driving we made three adjustments. The brake rod was still rubbing slightly against the bracket, we corrected it by filing off that rub and putting a little grease. The whole bracket was moving with the pressing of the brake, we made a third attachment in the center to make the apparatus firm. And finally we installed the horn at my elbow, so I could blow the horn without taking off my right hand from the steering wheel.
The next days involved practicing driving the vehicle and getting adjusted to its bigger size and new set of controls. This involved drives to Delhi and my favourite evening drives from Gurgaon to Farukhnagar, passing through some villages and the vast open fields. We would have dinner at some dhabba and come back. There was always some good rhythmic music on the driving. Driving has become Zen to me, it is like yoga. When someone asks me “Do you meditate?” I answer “For me every minute of life is meditation”. The heat of summers, the chill of winters, the wetness of rain, the aching of muscles and the coziness of a bed, everything is meditation. The rhythm of beats, the music of sound and the beauty of silence. The hungry stomach, the thirsty lips and the tearful eyes. The sweet smile, the carefree laughter and the dance of joy. The list just goes on. Life is beautiful, a miracle of wonder and joy.
The expedition started approaching and there were so many preparations to be made. The equipment and the kit to be carried. While going into detailed preparation could make things easier on the expedition, missing out on any of the basics could be difficult to handle and could even sabotage the expedition. Therefore, the first priority was basics. Vehicle spares, oxygen cylinder and medicines.
The hype was building up. Everybody’s expectations and hopes. The companies involved, the War Wounded Foundation, the media…. Things could pressurise me but I was very clear and focused in my mind. Nothing….., nothing was going to shake my focus. The fear of possible difficulties or failure naturally tried to creep in at times but I kicked away that fear at first sight.
Two days to the expedition! No rest! The whole day was spent getting the vehicle spares and getting all tyres changed to new radial tyres and managing two spare wheels and finally a carrier on the roof for the luggage.
The next day was going to be a day of functions and then the expedition would begin. At least 40 hours of ‘no sleep’. I had to have a good sleep today. For the first time in my life I took a sleeping pill and had 8 hours of sound sleep. Morning 7 am I started from home for the function at India Gate, paying tribute to the unknown soldiers who had laid down their lives for the country. It has been a great honor for me to be given this opportunity. There is nothing bigger than the soldier who in anonymity gives his life to defend his country and his people. Marching up with Lt Gen Oberoi and Maj Gen Cardozo, to pay floral tributes with the band playing, was a feeling more divine than any visit to a temple could possibly be.
Lot of photographs followed and then I was flagged off by Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi. There after, I had to proceed to The Army Public School(My ex school), where there was a function. I was supposed to give a small talk and the students would be giving me a sendoff. I had no time to prepare my talk so I just talked about my experience and my principles in life. I think it went Ok. The send off was great, kids waving and cheering me. The media people made me do a couple of rounds so that they could shoot me. From there we proceeded to Officers institute for lunch with the press and Kapil Dev was also there as an ambassador for the War Wounded Foundation. We could only be home by 4pm. I gave instructions to Keshav and Ankush to put the complete luggage on the carrier, pack up and wake me up at midnight. I went to sleep. I woke up at 12.15am. Good, at least I had enough sleep to begin with.
The final day of the expedition came. After waking up at 12.15am, I went through the basic routine of getting ready, got into the vehicle, checked the controls, the equipment. My crew- Ankush my navigator and companion of my previous expeditions, my assistant of 6 years ‘Keshav’ and a Technician from TATA ‘Vinod’. Yes I could have had a better crew but then they could have had a better commanderJ. I had a great crew because they never had a doubt whether to or not to.
I turned the ignition and the engine purred to life ‘smooth’. Clutch press and release, clutch release lock ‘ummm OK’. High acceleration, take off, bbrreeaakkk, ‘ummm OK’. My sitting posture? Slight adjustment needed and done. All checks done and ready to go. My mind was well aware of the task ahead and very comfortable with it. We started with chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ from me and ‘Jai Mata di’ from my navigator, an old ritual with us. Calmly I drove out of the lanes on to the Mehrauli Road towards India Gate. It was dark, a few odd vehicles moving up and down in a hurried way, trying to reach somewhere at the earliest. I wasn’t racing with any of them, I was in a world of my own.
When I drive, my body and the vehicle become extensions of each other. Our frequencies create a resonance resulting in near perfect harmony. ‘Harmony’ is something I believe in. When I drive, it is in harmony with my mood, my ability, my vehicles ability, the traffic, the weather, the road…. Problem arises when harmony is broken. It is true for life as well. Most problems arise when our actions are not in harmony with our thoughts and vice-a-versa.
I reached the majestic front of Raj Bhavan and turned towards India Gate. Feeling great. As I approached India Gate (2.15 am), I saw a white ambassador parked on the side. The NDTV crew ‘Robert and Vinod’ were there with their set of equipment and baggage. They were to travel with us. Their baggage joined ours on the roof.
We took a couple of shots of my vehicle moving with the background of India Gate. Ankush made the first log book entry- India Gate, 3 am, odometer reading, next bound Rohtang (about 600km), signed and verified by Robert. I took off as Ankush gave me the directions to join the Karnal highway at the earliest. There were lot of trucks and speed wasn’t exactly fast but I was getting into a rhythm. I had to spend the next two and a half days in this rhythm. Vinod was taking some shots of the ‘Destination Signs’ passing overhead and the traffic. Finally we reached the one that pointed right to Karnal Highway. I joined the Karnal Highway and sped up. Gradually everyone went to sleep. Because of the varying speeds the vehicles opened out till the highway became nearly empty. I judiciously kept increasing the speed. There were crossings and cuts in the divider and my eyes had to be wide open. At high speeds even small mistakes can be catastrophic. A little jerk to the steering wheel can send the vehicle rolling. It was still dark. From time to time I kept looking towards the sky for any hint of light. It came around 5.15am. The speed increased a little more. Gradually the day broke and the sun came up. One after the other we crossed through Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala and neared Chandigarh. Some were asleep, some awake. Ankush was awake next to me. Six roundels and then left were the instructions and we had crossed Chandigarh and were heading towards Ropar. Till now I was specifically concentrating on good speed and not getting a stiff neck.
A little distance out of Chandigarh and the accelerator wire of my hand controls broke. I had 4 spare. We stopped and Ankush got into action, assisted by Keshav and Vinod and the wire was replaced within 10-15 minutes. It was a welcome break for the team after 6 hours in the car. We headed to Ropar, still 40 kms away. Ropar came and went, mostly plain roads, a little climb. Beyond Ropar, it was Kiratpur Sahib. Somewhere between Ropar and Kiratpur Sahib started a climb, which was to continue for the next 290 kms till Rohtang Jot, the first mountain pass. Till Manali the drive was uphill but ok and we stopped only for two refilling of diesel. I reached Manali around 5.30 pm. We were welcomed at the Indian Oil petrol pump in Manali with soft drinks and snacks while the vehicle was refilled with diesel. We also took 60 litres of diesel in cans as we would cross the next petrol pump at night and there was no petrol pump on our route after that.
As I crossed Manali and started climbing up the narrow roads I encountered my first setback. A small tractor trolley coming down at high speed ripped off my rear view mirror. ‘Cool head’. We continued up. Nearly 16hrs from the start and 10kms out of Manali, I drove to the Army Transit camp at Palchan. Soldiers heading towards high altitude stop here for some acclimatization. There was to be no acclimatization for us. Here I was welcomed by the Commanding Officer Colonel Raizada and cheered by a group of soldiers shouting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. It really induced new Josh in me. Here our Liaison Officer, Nb Sub Mogli Swaran joined us. He was to coordinate our clearance at all checkpoints on the way and also coordinate our requirements for food and fuel. He was a very enthusiastic person and an asset for the expedition. We always found hot tea, food, and fuel waiting for us at every checkpoint. It is a different matter that we couldn’t stop for the food and tea.
I started driving up Rohtang, the first mountain pass. The roads were much more broken than my last visit and hence the turns had become steeper and maneuvering difficult. There were steep U turns and we were constantly gaining altitude. We would be doing so till about 15,000 feet. A few kilometers from Rohtang top I encountered clouds. Along with the darkness of night it meant zero visibility. I could not see an inch and all the crew was out of their seats trying to peep forward into the mist. They were all telling me which way they thought the road was going. We had nearly gone blind. I literally drove on instinct and at 9pm (18hrs after the start) reached Rohtang Jot. Everybody breathed a sigh of relief as slowly I drove out of the clouds and descended into the valley of Lahol and Spiti reaching the second Army Transit Camp at Khoksar. Late into the night and in the cold weather the soldiers were waiting for me on the road. They cheered me on. Most of the crew went off to sleep as I encountered horribly broken roads with streams, stones and rocks. I did not wake Ankush because I would be needing him on the next mountain pass of Baralachla. A couple of hours of rest would be good for him. I reached the town Keylang (the last real habitation) and headed towards the beautiful riverside village of Darcha. There are a lot of spots of frequent landslides on this road and spots where loose mud and rocks fall onto the road from the mountain face often blocking the road. The road is BAD. But luckily there were no roadblocks. I reached Darcha after crossing the river and drove into the hills. At 3 am (24 hrs after the start) I reached plain ground at the third Army Transit Camp at Patseo where we had a refilling of diesel and I decided on a nap of 15 minutes. I woke up in 5 minutes.
From here begins the climb to Baralach La, the second mountain pass at 16,500 feet. The roads here were horrible, where horrible is an understatement. The mountains are rocky and a lot of those rocks and stones find their way to the ‘so called’ road. Ankush was awake by my side as there could be a contingency any time. The speed was slow. We reached ‘Zing Zing Bar’ (a few empty huts, no habitation) and continued the grueling drive to Baralach La top.
But there was no relief from the bad road till I had sufficiently climbed down and reached the plains where the fourth Army transit camp of Sarchu was located. I crossed these most broken roads of Baralach la and reached Sarchu around 8am (29 hours of driving). The roads were humpy(crests and toughs) in these plains as I reached the check post.
A welcome by the soldiers again. The breakfast was ready and waiting for us. I said ‘No’, we cant afford the time. We asked for water and immediately got two bottles. An officer who was taking a halt here approached me. “Where to?” he enquired. As I started telling him he cut me short “Abey Gulia, you don’t recognize me?”. I said “take off your sunglasses”, he did “Abey Imtiaz Hussein, kaisa hai yaar?”. My course mate from the Defence Academy. We could just exchange a few words as we received the two filled water bottles and moved on our route.
1. I am posting a detailed account of my expedition.
2. Kindly don’t circulate it. It is only for Jatland and friends.
3. If some one has suggestions on language/grammar, kindly send them to me. It would be great.
4. Another good news. I have received a letter of congratulation from our President Kalam.
Mission Marsimik La, at 18,632 feet, it is 332 feet higher than the base camp of Everest and 252 feet higher than Khardung La, the highest motor able road in the world.
1200 kms and 7 of the worlds highest mountain passes.
Mission Accomplished
When I take on an expedition/challenge of this standard I tell myself “I would rather die than turn back”. Such resolve is required because else a million reasons/excuses will come up to prevent and discourage me from achieving what I aim for. Its not a negative statement, it is symbolic of the determination required. Let me also state a saying I heard long back “if death comes before I prove my blood, I promise I will kill death”. So, come what may, I was going to accomplish it. There was no enthusiasm or excitement about the expedition. There was a silence, a tremendous calm. I believe a calm and a cool mind is the biggest asset. Excitement drains out ones mental energy and I would be needing every bit of it on this expedition. Without getting out of the drivers seat I would be driving without sleep for at least 40 hours.
Therefore the order for my mind was ‘Be cool’ and ‘Only basics’.
A lot of reasons had come up prior to the expedition to discourage me but I pushed them out of the way. I got the vehicle just two weeks before the expedition. So let me begin from there. Just two weeks! A new vehicle, complete hand control modification required and a world record to attempt. It was a ‘Mission Impossible’. The resolve was so strong in my mind that even if I had got the vehicle 24 hours before the expedition, I would still have attempted it and made it.
Me, Ankush and Ajay were determined that we will modify the vehicle within 24 hours. We had done our homework and had an apparatus ready. The moment we got the vehicle, we headed to Ajay’s workshop and got working. The major work was being done by Ajay and we were just serving as helping hands and me supervising the implementation of requirements. We took measurements and prepared a solid bracket to attach the ready apparatus to the steering rod.
The bracket was attached by the end of the day and was ready for trial. But as says an old law “the probability of the first trial to succeed is Zero”. The brake rod was being obstructed by the bracket frame. OH MY GOD, square one at the end of day one. Cool head was an impossible condition to implement. But I didn’t have a choice.
We continued working into the night. We couldn’t sleep over this failure. I couldn’t. Ajay couldn’t. By midnight another prototype was ready and Ajay quit for a break. Morning 9am, we were at it again. By late afternoon the prototype had been installed for trials. Trials went ok. I couldn’t be picky. Rather than working more on the controls, I had to enhance my efforts to manage with the same set of controls. I approved the controls and the controls were removed for final welding and tampering and painting. The controls were finally installed by next day afternoon. I took off and started the trials.
After about 100 kms of driving we made three adjustments. The brake rod was still rubbing slightly against the bracket, we corrected it by filing off that rub and putting a little grease. The whole bracket was moving with the pressing of the brake, we made a third attachment in the center to make the apparatus firm. And finally we installed the horn at my elbow, so I could blow the horn without taking off my right hand from the steering wheel.
The next days involved practicing driving the vehicle and getting adjusted to its bigger size and new set of controls. This involved drives to Delhi and my favourite evening drives from Gurgaon to Farukhnagar, passing through some villages and the vast open fields. We would have dinner at some dhabba and come back. There was always some good rhythmic music on the driving. Driving has become Zen to me, it is like yoga. When someone asks me “Do you meditate?” I answer “For me every minute of life is meditation”. The heat of summers, the chill of winters, the wetness of rain, the aching of muscles and the coziness of a bed, everything is meditation. The rhythm of beats, the music of sound and the beauty of silence. The hungry stomach, the thirsty lips and the tearful eyes. The sweet smile, the carefree laughter and the dance of joy. The list just goes on. Life is beautiful, a miracle of wonder and joy.
The expedition started approaching and there were so many preparations to be made. The equipment and the kit to be carried. While going into detailed preparation could make things easier on the expedition, missing out on any of the basics could be difficult to handle and could even sabotage the expedition. Therefore, the first priority was basics. Vehicle spares, oxygen cylinder and medicines.
The hype was building up. Everybody’s expectations and hopes. The companies involved, the War Wounded Foundation, the media…. Things could pressurise me but I was very clear and focused in my mind. Nothing….., nothing was going to shake my focus. The fear of possible difficulties or failure naturally tried to creep in at times but I kicked away that fear at first sight.
Two days to the expedition! No rest! The whole day was spent getting the vehicle spares and getting all tyres changed to new radial tyres and managing two spare wheels and finally a carrier on the roof for the luggage.
The next day was going to be a day of functions and then the expedition would begin. At least 40 hours of ‘no sleep’. I had to have a good sleep today. For the first time in my life I took a sleeping pill and had 8 hours of sound sleep. Morning 7 am I started from home for the function at India Gate, paying tribute to the unknown soldiers who had laid down their lives for the country. It has been a great honor for me to be given this opportunity. There is nothing bigger than the soldier who in anonymity gives his life to defend his country and his people. Marching up with Lt Gen Oberoi and Maj Gen Cardozo, to pay floral tributes with the band playing, was a feeling more divine than any visit to a temple could possibly be.
Lot of photographs followed and then I was flagged off by Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi. There after, I had to proceed to The Army Public School(My ex school), where there was a function. I was supposed to give a small talk and the students would be giving me a sendoff. I had no time to prepare my talk so I just talked about my experience and my principles in life. I think it went Ok. The send off was great, kids waving and cheering me. The media people made me do a couple of rounds so that they could shoot me. From there we proceeded to Officers institute for lunch with the press and Kapil Dev was also there as an ambassador for the War Wounded Foundation. We could only be home by 4pm. I gave instructions to Keshav and Ankush to put the complete luggage on the carrier, pack up and wake me up at midnight. I went to sleep. I woke up at 12.15am. Good, at least I had enough sleep to begin with.
The final day of the expedition came. After waking up at 12.15am, I went through the basic routine of getting ready, got into the vehicle, checked the controls, the equipment. My crew- Ankush my navigator and companion of my previous expeditions, my assistant of 6 years ‘Keshav’ and a Technician from TATA ‘Vinod’. Yes I could have had a better crew but then they could have had a better commanderJ. I had a great crew because they never had a doubt whether to or not to.
I turned the ignition and the engine purred to life ‘smooth’. Clutch press and release, clutch release lock ‘ummm OK’. High acceleration, take off, bbrreeaakkk, ‘ummm OK’. My sitting posture? Slight adjustment needed and done. All checks done and ready to go. My mind was well aware of the task ahead and very comfortable with it. We started with chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ from me and ‘Jai Mata di’ from my navigator, an old ritual with us. Calmly I drove out of the lanes on to the Mehrauli Road towards India Gate. It was dark, a few odd vehicles moving up and down in a hurried way, trying to reach somewhere at the earliest. I wasn’t racing with any of them, I was in a world of my own.
When I drive, my body and the vehicle become extensions of each other. Our frequencies create a resonance resulting in near perfect harmony. ‘Harmony’ is something I believe in. When I drive, it is in harmony with my mood, my ability, my vehicles ability, the traffic, the weather, the road…. Problem arises when harmony is broken. It is true for life as well. Most problems arise when our actions are not in harmony with our thoughts and vice-a-versa.
I reached the majestic front of Raj Bhavan and turned towards India Gate. Feeling great. As I approached India Gate (2.15 am), I saw a white ambassador parked on the side. The NDTV crew ‘Robert and Vinod’ were there with their set of equipment and baggage. They were to travel with us. Their baggage joined ours on the roof.
We took a couple of shots of my vehicle moving with the background of India Gate. Ankush made the first log book entry- India Gate, 3 am, odometer reading, next bound Rohtang (about 600km), signed and verified by Robert. I took off as Ankush gave me the directions to join the Karnal highway at the earliest. There were lot of trucks and speed wasn’t exactly fast but I was getting into a rhythm. I had to spend the next two and a half days in this rhythm. Vinod was taking some shots of the ‘Destination Signs’ passing overhead and the traffic. Finally we reached the one that pointed right to Karnal Highway. I joined the Karnal Highway and sped up. Gradually everyone went to sleep. Because of the varying speeds the vehicles opened out till the highway became nearly empty. I judiciously kept increasing the speed. There were crossings and cuts in the divider and my eyes had to be wide open. At high speeds even small mistakes can be catastrophic. A little jerk to the steering wheel can send the vehicle rolling. It was still dark. From time to time I kept looking towards the sky for any hint of light. It came around 5.15am. The speed increased a little more. Gradually the day broke and the sun came up. One after the other we crossed through Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala and neared Chandigarh. Some were asleep, some awake. Ankush was awake next to me. Six roundels and then left were the instructions and we had crossed Chandigarh and were heading towards Ropar. Till now I was specifically concentrating on good speed and not getting a stiff neck.
A little distance out of Chandigarh and the accelerator wire of my hand controls broke. I had 4 spare. We stopped and Ankush got into action, assisted by Keshav and Vinod and the wire was replaced within 10-15 minutes. It was a welcome break for the team after 6 hours in the car. We headed to Ropar, still 40 kms away. Ropar came and went, mostly plain roads, a little climb. Beyond Ropar, it was Kiratpur Sahib. Somewhere between Ropar and Kiratpur Sahib started a climb, which was to continue for the next 290 kms till Rohtang Jot, the first mountain pass. Till Manali the drive was uphill but ok and we stopped only for two refilling of diesel. I reached Manali around 5.30 pm. We were welcomed at the Indian Oil petrol pump in Manali with soft drinks and snacks while the vehicle was refilled with diesel. We also took 60 litres of diesel in cans as we would cross the next petrol pump at night and there was no petrol pump on our route after that.
As I crossed Manali and started climbing up the narrow roads I encountered my first setback. A small tractor trolley coming down at high speed ripped off my rear view mirror. ‘Cool head’. We continued up. Nearly 16hrs from the start and 10kms out of Manali, I drove to the Army Transit camp at Palchan. Soldiers heading towards high altitude stop here for some acclimatization. There was to be no acclimatization for us. Here I was welcomed by the Commanding Officer Colonel Raizada and cheered by a group of soldiers shouting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. It really induced new Josh in me. Here our Liaison Officer, Nb Sub Mogli Swaran joined us. He was to coordinate our clearance at all checkpoints on the way and also coordinate our requirements for food and fuel. He was a very enthusiastic person and an asset for the expedition. We always found hot tea, food, and fuel waiting for us at every checkpoint. It is a different matter that we couldn’t stop for the food and tea.
I started driving up Rohtang, the first mountain pass. The roads were much more broken than my last visit and hence the turns had become steeper and maneuvering difficult. There were steep U turns and we were constantly gaining altitude. We would be doing so till about 15,000 feet. A few kilometers from Rohtang top I encountered clouds. Along with the darkness of night it meant zero visibility. I could not see an inch and all the crew was out of their seats trying to peep forward into the mist. They were all telling me which way they thought the road was going. We had nearly gone blind. I literally drove on instinct and at 9pm (18hrs after the start) reached Rohtang Jot. Everybody breathed a sigh of relief as slowly I drove out of the clouds and descended into the valley of Lahol and Spiti reaching the second Army Transit Camp at Khoksar. Late into the night and in the cold weather the soldiers were waiting for me on the road. They cheered me on. Most of the crew went off to sleep as I encountered horribly broken roads with streams, stones and rocks. I did not wake Ankush because I would be needing him on the next mountain pass of Baralachla. A couple of hours of rest would be good for him. I reached the town Keylang (the last real habitation) and headed towards the beautiful riverside village of Darcha. There are a lot of spots of frequent landslides on this road and spots where loose mud and rocks fall onto the road from the mountain face often blocking the road. The road is BAD. But luckily there were no roadblocks. I reached Darcha after crossing the river and drove into the hills. At 3 am (24 hrs after the start) I reached plain ground at the third Army Transit Camp at Patseo where we had a refilling of diesel and I decided on a nap of 15 minutes. I woke up in 5 minutes.
From here begins the climb to Baralach La, the second mountain pass at 16,500 feet. The roads here were horrible, where horrible is an understatement. The mountains are rocky and a lot of those rocks and stones find their way to the ‘so called’ road. Ankush was awake by my side as there could be a contingency any time. The speed was slow. We reached ‘Zing Zing Bar’ (a few empty huts, no habitation) and continued the grueling drive to Baralach La top.
But there was no relief from the bad road till I had sufficiently climbed down and reached the plains where the fourth Army transit camp of Sarchu was located. I crossed these most broken roads of Baralach la and reached Sarchu around 8am (29 hours of driving). The roads were humpy(crests and toughs) in these plains as I reached the check post.
A welcome by the soldiers again. The breakfast was ready and waiting for us. I said ‘No’, we cant afford the time. We asked for water and immediately got two bottles. An officer who was taking a halt here approached me. “Where to?” he enquired. As I started telling him he cut me short “Abey Gulia, you don’t recognize me?”. I said “take off your sunglasses”, he did “Abey Imtiaz Hussein, kaisa hai yaar?”. My course mate from the Defence Academy. We could just exchange a few words as we received the two filled water bottles and moved on our route.