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20Nov

Yayawar Wanders in Ladakh & Spiti – Day 18

Posted by: Yayawar Categories: Ladakh Travelogue
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Day 18: 26 August 2013: Finally out of the hole!

Stranded and walking on the road and at times trying to sleep, we spend our night….

At the break of the dawn, as soon as first light is visible, we wake up our driver and ask him to go and search for the diesel. He argues that it is too early in the morning (0500 hrs) and the petrol bunks would still not be open. We are all fed up with his tantrums and antics and fuming at the fact that he could have led us all to die, we threaten him with dire consequences if he doesn’t leaves immediately. We tell him that we’ll throw him in the gorge if he doesn’t go, and that we will also let the tow truck along with our car fall into the gorge – we have our car insured! Finally he pays heed and hops onto a pickup van passing by.

 

First ray of light

First ray of light

 

We’re hungry too and so we decide to cook something. So out comes the gas stove, with the new burner that we procured at Keylong. And find a flat place to start cooking, however, the winds are strong and since we’re trying this on the edge, the fire quickly dies down. We’ll have to find a better place, shielded from wind. So we go to the rear of the tow truck and ignite the gas. We’ve already give all the Maggi that we had to Chacha at Batal and now left with some MTR packets of jeera-chawal (salted cummin rice) and one more variety, that too because Chacha refused to take them as no one liked it. We did had water with us, so we read the instructions and heat up the MTR packets. We’re so hungry that we don’t even allow it to cook properly and eat them half cooked.

 

Trying to ignite, facing the winds

Trying to ignite, facing the winds

 

No, it won't work, we have to find another place

No, it won’t work, we have to find another place

 

Let's go to the rear of the vehicle

Let’s go to the rear of the vehicle

 

Yeah! This is a better place

Yeah! This is a better place

 

Let's cook!

Let’s cook!

 

Body satisfied, we discuss what we did to the driver and we all agree that we shouldn’t have done that to him. Afterall, he’s just the driver and not the owner of the vehicle – he could just jump out at one such turn and let us all die. We can’t take chances. We’ll deal with him once we reach Mandi. Agreed!

Waiting for the driver, we click the morning…

 

A glacier at distance

A glacier at distance

 

Golden peaks

Golden peaks

 

We notice that there is a truck fallen in the gorge at the base of waterfall. We could have met the same fate last night!! Is this Rahalla Waterfall?

Our driver hasn’t come back yet and time is passing. We are walking on the road to spend time. At around 0830 hrs, we hear a commotion in a pickup van that just passed us. It stops after the truck and then we see that our driver is sleeping comfortably in the rear and other passangers are shaking him up trying to wake him “Teri gaadi aa gayee hai” (You vehicle is there). How casual!!

Our driver fills in the diesel in the tank. But it needs priming the pump and for that, the entire driver cabin has to be tilted. We seek help from another truck driver passing by, and he gladly helps. So we tilt the cabin, the other truck driver starts priming the pump and our driver cranks the ignition. Viola! It works!! The engine has started!!! We’re saved!!! 🙂

Ummm… there is one problem now. Now what? The driver cabin can’t be lowered in neutral gear. The gear has to be shifted, then only there will be enough space near the gear shaft to lower the driver cabin. Ok, then change the gear. No! I don’t want to shut the engine down now, for it may not start again! So while I’m sitting in the cabin, engaging the gear, clutch and brakes, you people lower the cabin! What?? Somehow, we 5 (four of us and the truck driver) manage to lower the driver’s cabin while our driver is sitting comfortably. We thank the truck driver for the help, hop on the tow truck (and the car atop it) and proceed ahead. Finally!

We pass by Gulaba checkpost and are about to approach Manali, when our driver spots a BRO guy and decides to ask for diesel. We advise against it, but he says that this way we can get cheaper diesel and of good quality. This would also compensate the extra premium we paid yesterday. I don’t like the idea and fortunately, the officer denies any availability.

Shortly ahead, we reach Manali and get the tow truck refueled. As we proceed ahead, we hear loud thundering sound from rear wheel of the tow truck. We get down and check – there is a large stone stuck between the two tyres and that is causing the noise. This could be dangerous – this could fly out at any time and damage or injure oncoming vehicle or people. Our driver tries to remove it, but is not successful as it is badly stuck. He decides to drive ahead as is and says that this would require the tyre to be unbolted which he’ll do at Mandi. We don’t like the idea, but agree to him as there is no other way.

 

Tanked up!

Tanked up!

 

Driving ahead after sometime, the driver stops the tow truck at Bhunter and says that he needs to have lunch as it is 1200 hrs. We’re in a hurry to reach Mandi and get our XUV5oo fixed, but he is throwing all sorts of tantrums knowing fully well that we are dependent on him at this moment. We decide to teach him a lesson once we reach the M&M workshop and so for now we stop. We have some cold drinks and chips while he has his lunch. Free with that, we drive ahead and reach the M&M ASS (after sales service) workshop of Simla Automobiles. The time reads 1330 hours.

The driver is now in a hurry to leave and says that the workshop is full and that he would drop the vehicle on the roadside itself and go as his responsibility was only this. We threaten him not to leave until the workshop guys have seen the XUV and advise on getting it unloaded. He reluctantly agrees. Soon the service person ask the entire tow truck to be brought in the workshop, which is done with some difficulty as the tow truck’s rear end touches the ground while descending down the ramp.

We contact the service person, who directs us to the Manager. Nice fellow! We all are agitated for the failure of the OEM spanner and tell him that he should try opening the tyre with the same spanner and we will video-graph it as evidence. He calms us sympathetically and says that all is not necessary. The service guys have a look at the tyre condition and state that the only way out is to get this to a lathe and cut open the entire stud by boring and the stud will be replaced. So the two truck is taken to a lathe machine, a bore is made and new stud and bolts fitted. It is by 1730 hrs that the tow truck comes back with the XUV5oo and the driver is all cribbing about spending extra time. He says that he has got a call to go somewhere else to rescue another vehicle and he is not getting time to rest. We had planned to give him a good thrashing after reaching Mandi, but then think that this punishment of making him spend extra time is enough and let him go.

Then we talk to the manager and ask him to get minor repairs done to the XUV5oo which includes fixing the silencer as one has come down dangling and the front bumper as it was also hanging in. If this has to be driven in this condition to Delhi, both will fall off for sure. Helpful guys that they are – the M&M ASS guys – they fix these things on priority and we are ready to jump on the XUV5oo again. The time reads 1800 hrs.

We start towards Delhi and soon face the so called road that is filled with potholes. This begins just after Mandi and continues. We all are too tired, having not slept properly last night, spending the night on the road and then we also realize that we hadn’t eaten anything proper since noon yesterday – after leaving Batal. And so we stop at the famous Mayur Dhaba at Sundernagar. Now there are couple of them named Mayur dhaba and we stop at the last one (first one while coming from Delhi). We see a garbage bin and the first thing we do is to dispose off all the garbage we had collected in our entire journey since leaving Jammu there. We then go for the lunch (or dinner shall we call it, for the time was somewhere around 1930 hours). The charges are exhorbitant – 140 INR for a pathetic plate of Dal Fry that is Yuk!! 🙁 Barely do we stuff something and proceed ahead.

We all are tired and feeling sleepy. We decide to stop next at Chandigarh McDonald’s and I go off to sleep, occasionally being woken up by bumps. Full credits to Cheena to have the courage to drive all through the night, being equally tired and still managing the bumpy drive on the twisty roads.

By 1149 hours, I think we managed to pass by Bilaspur and Swarghat reaching around the HP-Punjab border….

Next: At last, reached home!

CONTD…

Total Distance covered: Approx 252 kms

Driving Directions from Gulaba to HP-Punjab border: Drive ahead from the Gulaba checkpost towards Manali. Take the left fork at Palchan tri-junction to go towards Manali, the right one goes to Solang valley. Keep straight and take the left fork which is the main highway at next tri-junction and drive along the Beas river, the right one goes towards Hadimba Devi temple. Take the right fork at the next tri-junction to remain on the highway, the left one goes to Vashisth. Driving ahead, arrive at a bridge crossing the Beas river towards the right. Do not take this one (although you may come back on the highway taking a detour) and drive ahead to take the next bridge to the right fork (the left/straight fork also goes to Kullu, however, is narrow). Turn left after crossing the bridge (the right one goes to the previous bridge) and drive straight ahead. At the next fork, take left one to come completely out of Manali town and be on the highway – NH 3. Keep driving ahead on the NH, with Beas on your left and do not take any left or right turn on any insignificant road. If you happen to cross a bridge over the Beas, take a U-turn and come back. Driving straight ahead on the NH, pass by Raison and reach Kullu. Cross the first bridge at the outskirts of Kullu to take the bypass road so that Beas is on your right now and keep on driving straight to Bhuntar where the road from Manikaran joins after you cross the Parbati river and take a right turn at the tri-junction. Drive ahead and turn right again to cross Beas and then turn left after the market at the T-point. Do not take any left or right cut and follow the major road that is the national highway to arrive at Aut tunnel. Cross the tunnel to emerge at Larji and take immediate right to go towards Pandoh, the left road goes to Larji Dam and further to Banjar (Tirthan valley). Follow to road to arrive at Pandoh dam and take the road built on the dam and immediately turn right to go towards Mandi. Following the road, cross the Jayuli channel and keep on straight following the main broad road with Beas giving company on the right, not crossing it. Driving ahead, you arrive at Simla Automobiles at the outskirts of Mandi. Keep on following the road and do not turn right yet to leave the first and the second bridge on Beas river. Take left at the second bridge and then take right at the next bridge to cross Beas river. Take immediate left after crossing the Beas and this ensure that you remain outside Mandi town and cross it. Drive ahead with Beas now on your left and keep on the broad road to reach Ner Chowk. Take left at the Ner Chowk tri-junction, the right one goes to Jahu-Una. Cross the river and take the right fork at the tri-junction to go towards Sundernagar, the left one goes to Baggi. After crossing Naulakha, take the right fork at the tri-junction to go towards Sundernagar town, the left one goes to Tattapani. Keep driving along the water channel and keep to your right, but do not take any right fork yet. Just after Sukhdev Vatika garden, take the left fork to remain on the NH and keep following the road until you reach Sundernagar Hospital where you take absolute right at the tri-junction. Now keep onto your left and do not take any right cut to pass by JNGEC on the outskirts of Sundernagar town. Drive on straight and you pass by Harabaag area from where a small stream starts giving you company on your right. Driving further ahead, arrive at lots of Mayur Dhabas on your right at the edge of the hill. Keep on driving and pass by Jarol and then Sadhwan where you can see a river giving you company – that’s Satluj! Cross the bridge on Satluj and take immediate right to remain on the NH. Take the left fork ahead at Bhantrehar to remain on the NH and keep on driving without taking any cut to arrive at Ghaghas. At Ghaghas, take the left fork (right/straight one goes to Jahkan-Kandrour) and then after crossing the bridge, take immediate right towards Bagi. Keep on the NH and drive further to arrive at Bamta (outskirts of Bilaspur). Keep on following the major road that is NH and do not take any road that appears to be arterial. Any confusion, ask for directions to Swarghat or simply follow the trucks. Just after passing Nauni, take the right fork at the tri-junction and pass by Kallar, the left fork goes towards Bhararighat-Darlaghat. Drive further to pass by Charol and then Jamli after which cross the bridge on the river to pass by Baner. Keep towards your left and keep on the major road to arrive at Swarghat marked by big craters on the road. Drive ahead on the NH and do not take any right or left cut and any insignificant road till you reach the tri-junction where the right one goes to Naina Devi. Keep left, drive ahead and arrive at HP-Punjab border, marked by HP toll collection booth on the other side of the road.

Google Map directions for Gulaba to HP-Punjab border travel: http://goo.gl/maps/PfvAW

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19Nov

Yayawar Wanders in Ladakh & Spiti – Day 17

Posted by: Yayawar Categories: Ladakh Travelogue
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Day 17: 25 August 2013: The rescue vehicle arrives – who’ll rescue it?

We get up in the morning leisurely knowing fully well that nothing else can be done and we just have to wait for the tow-truck which shall arrive anytime now. So we pack our bags and settle the bills with Chacha and keep waiting…

 

Our shelter for last 4 days

Our shelter for last 4 days

 

It’s 1100 hrs and still no one’s arriving. We start worrying as we shall have been home yesterday itself as per the plan. Couple of calls made to Mahindra helpline and we come to know that the person who initially agreed to the rescue has withdrawn and then they’ve arranged another tow truck with much difficulty and so there would be some delay. Of course we know it won’t be easy.. no body wants to travel in this terrain especially when there are no roads at all.

In the leisure time, I start talking with Batal Chacha. He says that he walks from Manali to Batal at the start of season in April-May when there is still snow all around and leaves Batal during October. Dawa also works as a guide and camp organizer in the season. They have a home in Manali. Chacha has a daughter who’s married to someone at Delhi and residing at Majnu Ka Tila. Dawa says that he works as a money-exchanger during October to April at Delhi along with his brother-in-law. That leaves a question in my mind – what do Chacha and Chachi do during the off season? I ask him the question and Chacha replies that he sells the stone and junk jewellery at Bodh Gaya. Bodh Gaya? Wait! That’s near my native place!! Where at Bodh Gaya?? And then I get an answer which shocks me to the core – “sadak ke kinaare” (on the street side). What a soul!! He’s not feeling sorry about himself, rather is proud. I concur, he’s not doing something wrong. But just think of it – Godfrey Philips awardee couple selling junk jewellery on street side! Chacha also shares how he sheltered and saved 100+ people when snowfall started and how they saved one of the person whose condition grew fatal due to cold and why he received the award. He says that every year someone or the other gets stuck at the fag end of the season. At times people don’t even have money to pay him. They promise and go, but only one person has sent money once reached to safety. He also shares that the PLM Dhara hotel at Sissu, that has been newly built is of one of his relatives who used to own a small dhaba, but has been wrongly charging customers and amassing money. Says he can’t do similar stuff and is happy the way he is. I suddenly feel more proud to have met such a noble soul.

Sipping tea and clicking some pics around, we pass our time. I see that Chachi has setup a small shop of artificial jewellery too and out of gratitude, I purchase some – almost all of them! 🙂

 

17.2
17.3

 

Finally, we see a tow truck coming to the Chandra Dhaba. Yay! We get excited – it’s time to go back to home! 🙂 The truck arrives and down comes a young driver – barely 22 years of age – our saviour!

17.4

 

We pull up our socks and put on the shoes. Let’s load the XUV5oo and let’s get going. Not yet? What??

17.5

 

The driver says that he has to fix some things before we can start – that the pressure rod and some parts have taken hits on the treacherous road and are bent now. He’ll have to straighten and strengthen them before we can embark on the return journey. So he take a big hammer and gets below the tow truck. I’m worried a bit – as the day progresses, the glacial melts will increase and some of the water crossings would become a major challenge. However, he won’t budge. He may be right, after all only the driver knows his vehicle.

 

Waiting to be fixed. Notice the crumpled ramp legs?

Waiting to be fixed. Notice the crumpled ramp legs?

 

What? It'd take more time?? No!!

What? It’d take more time?? No!!

 

So, after the pressure rod, it’s time for the ramp to be fixed.

 

That's one

That’s one

 

And the second too!

And the second too!

 

Having fixed that, we load our car on the truck, and then the driver asks if we have something to strap the car as he has very less material! Isn’t his duty to carry strapping material? He says it is not required as the car is normally towed only on hook but since it is a bumpy ride, he wants the wheels to strap. Somehow, we find some strapping material in his truck itself and strap the car.

 

Loaded

Loaded

 

Strapped and ready.

Strapped and ready.

 

Everything done, it is already 1430. We’ve had our lunch, have packed our belongings and have settled our bills, however, now the driver says that he needs to have his lunch. So be it.. where we’ve spent so many days, couple of hours doesn’t matter. Chacha has been very generous in settling the bill and refuses to accept the cost of numerous teas that we had today. We click some more pics with Chacha & Family.

 

Dorje Bodh aka Batal Chacha in Centre

Dorje Bodh aka Batal Chacha in Centre

 

Hishe Chhomo aka Chachi with Tony & Avi

Hishe Chhomo aka Chachi with Tony & Avi

 

Dawa Tashi with Tony

Dawa Tashi with Tony

 

Finally, around 1500 hrs, we depart from Batal. Me and Tony sit in the driver’s compartment and Cheena and Avi sit in the car. The agreement is that whenever Cheena and Avi feel that the car is jumping too much indicating that the straps have gone loose, they’ll blow the horn.

 

Let's go!

Let’s go!

 

Barely couple of kilometers ahead, the driver asks whether the truck owner had asked something to pay him. We did had a talk and he had asked for 2000 INR to be paid to him for fuel, which will be reimbursed later. We tell him and then he says that while starting from Mandi, he had been given only 1500 INR for fuel and that there is low fuel in the truck which will need a refuel. However “Manali tak to chal hi jaayegi” (this will definitely go till Manali), he says and says that we’ll refuel at Manali. We argue with him as to why didn’t he told this at Batal itself as we could have arranged diesel from the Chandra Dhaba since diesel is what they burn in stoves.

Wherever we see dhabas on the way, we ask him to seek diesel, but he refuses stating that he’ll refuel at Manali. Multiple times during the journey, Cheena honks as the car is jumping too much and we stop to tighten the straps again. Nothing much to do as the terrain is bad and this would keep happening.

 

Tightening the straps

Tightening the straps

 

Couple of kilometers ahead, me and Tony smell something burning. We apprise the drive of the smell. He acknowledges, stops the truck, starts searching the source, but fails. He picks up a screwdriver from the dashboard and puts it away stating that this might be causing a short circuit and hence the smell, and drives further. Couple of kilometers ahead, we again get that smell, he again checks the wires and then again shifts the screwdriver! He says that if something is wrong with the wires, he’ll get them checked at Manali or Mandi and that nothing was serious. And we continue to proceed ahead with the smell, passing the water crossings with the light fading away.

 

water crossing near Chhota Dara

water crossing near Chhota Dara

 

Darkness has descended by the time we start the ascend to Gramphoo and then to Rohtang. We cross Rohtang in pitch darkness. There are no tourists, no vehicles and no jams unlike that we heard of numerous of times. None of the shops are open and in fact we could make it that we are passing Rohtang top only by chance when I notice the marker in the headlight of the truck. The time reads 2059 hrs.

We start the descend and cross Rani Nallah and then Marhi – I’m keeping a check on the GPS maps which the driver likes much and asks if he can get the application on his smartphone! Between Marhi and Gulaba, there are numerous hairpin bends and few are such sharp that a long vehicle like our tow truck has to reverse once and then cut again to make it. At one such turn, while reversing, the engine stops and the vehicle starts moving forward on which the driver quickly applies brakes. And then he announces – “Diesel Khatam” (diesel is finished) [icon icon=icon-ban-circle size=14px color=#000 ] In the darkness, we can feel that there is a gorge besides the road.

This invariably means that he can’t start the engine and reverse, and if he just removes his feet from the brake, we’re definitely going to fall down the road. There is perhaps a truck coming from the other side and he can’t take the turn until the tow truck clears the turn. The driver of the truck gauges the situation and quickly makes it that something is wrong. He parks his truck to the side of the road and comes to us in a jiffy. In the meanwhile, me and Tony jump out of the truck and ask Cheena and Avi to jump quickly. The other driver asks what the issue was and our driver replied that the diesel was finished. The other driver scolded him as to why he didn’t got it at the top? The other truck driver senses the urgency and issue and picks up a big stone from nearby and starts hitting on the front tyre to turn it towards the road. Since the engine is stopped, the steering won’t work and this is the only way to make the tow truck navigate the hairpin bend. We all assume and believe that this couldn’t be done and now the truck with our car will go off the road. However, after sometime, the other driver asks our driver to release the brakes slowly and the tow truck barely manages to navigate the turn with one tyre of the rear double tyre set hanging off the road. Phew!!! We thank the other driver who has helped us and asked if he has spare diesel. He hasn’t and says that many trucks would be coming this way and some of them may spare some diesel and so he leaves.

The driver parks the tow truck to the side of the road and we place some stones under the wheels to stop it rolling down as it is on an incline with the engine downwards. We try using the diesel that XUV5oo would have in it’s tank, but the pipe won’t work and even after trying too much, we’re not successful in pulling out any diesel. Fortunately, the tow truck driver has a 5-litre container and we ask him to go and procure some diesel from Manali. He argues that all the petrol bunks will be closed by now and he would not find any. Bah! That’s ridiculous!! This is a major highway and my GPS navigation application show that there are 5 petrol pumps in and around Manali and all of them can’t be closed, and this is just 2140 hrs. At least one would be operating 24×7! So we push him into a truck coming from the other side and going towards Manali.

 

Parked besides the road.. stranded!

Parked besides the road.. stranded!

 

About an hour later, three trucks come and stop near us and our driver alights from one of them. The three trucks are going towards Kaza to load peas and their owner is also with them. They provide us 10 litres of diesel for 800 INR – not at too much of premium considering the conditions and we willingly pay. They pour the diesel in the tank and then ask our driver to crank the ignition. Nothing happens. Oh! Since the diesel has finished completely, the it would need priming the pump. So he tilts the engine compartment to expose the pump and one of the truck drivers starts pressing the pump vigourously and the owner asks our driver to crank the ignition – Nothing happens! Absolutely nothing!! Once, twice, thrice… same result!

The truck owner asks one of his drivers to go into the cabin and see if he can crank. The moment he goes in, he exclaims… there is smell of burning! “Abhi se aa rahi hai” (it has just started now), our driver exclaims. We contradict and tell the truck owner that this smell has been coming from long. And so all the truck drivers and the owner start looking for electrical fault – some short circuited wire. After a  while, the owner asks one of the drivers to check the fuse and he almost screams as he opens the box – Three fuses are blown and one of them is for brake! The owner slaps our driver – “Saale tu gaadi chalaata hai, tujhe pata nahin hai iska? Ye saari electronic hai aur tujhe kuchh nahin pata phir bhi drivery karta hai? Khud to marega, in bechaaron ko bhi marwa dega tu!” [icon icon=icon-frown size=14px color=#000 ] (What kind of a driver are you that you don’t understand your vehicle? This is all electronically driven and you don’t know anything, still keep on driving? You’d die of some accident, but why are you dragging these gentlemen with you to death?).

They provide us with spare fuses that they have and then try again cranking the engine priming the pump with renewed vigour. It won’t budge!! Suddenly, one the drivers notice that the diesel outlet pipe from the tank is situated at the rear end of the tank and since the tow truck is on an incline with the engine facing downwards, 10 litres of diesel won’t have even reached the pipe. They inform that we would require at least 10 litres more of diesel and then only the engine would start. “Hum jitna kar sakte the utna sab try kar liya, ab aapko aur diesel laana padega. Hamaare paas aur hai nahin warna hum de dete. Abhi hamein spiti jaana hai matar laane aur udhar pump hai nahin. Aap kisi aur aate-jaate gaadi se maang lo” (We’ve done and tried all that we can, now you’d have to source more diesel. We don’t have anymore spare, else we would have given you. Right now we have to go to Spiti to load peas and there is no petrol bunk there. Ask for it from the vehicles passing by). We thank them for all their help and they proceed towards Rohtang. The time reads 2300 hrs.

All this while, knowing how the driver has jeopardized our lives, we all are fuming [icon icon=icon-frown size=14px color=#000 ]. We ask him to go and source more diesel to which he denies “ab nai milni diesel, so jao” (now the diesel won’t be available, let’s sleep), and he jumps into the cabin to sleep comfortably. We’re in a fix. We do try to sleep in the cabin and car, but couldn’t. For we know that it’s a steep incline and the stones we ourselves have kept beneath the tyres may give way anytime and the entire truck would fall into the gorge. Stranded and walking on the road and at times trying to sleep, we spend our night….

Next: Would we ever reach Mandi?

CONTD…

Total Distance covered: Approx 86.7 kms

Driving Directions from Batal to Gulaba: Follow the directions given in the linked post, in reverse order to reach till Gramphoo. Take the sharp left fork at the tri-junction to go towards Rohtang Jot (Pass). Pass by Rohtang Jot and then by Rani Nallah followed by Marhi.

Google Map directions for Batal to Gulaba travel: http://goo.gl/maps/xIyhZ

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