Bulls On Parade to Jalori Pass

The Jalori Juggernauts

What a Name ! But the worthy credit this time goes to Pravin for thinking it up.
This must have been our most exhaustive ride till date. The temperatures were high. The distance was long. Still, we were energized by our ride in May to Lansdowne. So, we thought, how hard could it be?

The trouble started with the guest house booking. There was a very small PWD Rest House at the closest town to Jalori, Khanag(01904 255140), that could accommodate only 4 ppl at max. We decided to book that and rent out tents for the rest of us. But it turned out that they had already lent it out. So, we took one more tent along with us. This looked to be a "Into the Wild" trip.

The interested riders were:

Nishant Jha - Royal Enfield Electra - The Dumper King

Aasish Francis - Royal Enfield Standard - The Good Shepherd

Phalgun Reddy - Royal Enfield Machismo 500 - The Gags Victim

Pravin Kora - Royal Enfield Standard - The Limited Battery Lensman

Rishi Maurya - Royal Enfield Standard - The Non-Stopper

Rohit Saini - Royal Enfield Electra - The Tea Master

Zaheer Bhai - Royal Enfield Standard - The Bullet Point

Ashok Bhai - Royal Enfield Electra - The Phone Addict

Diptinder Singh - Royal Enfield Electra - The Humble Author

Vihans Gupta - Yamaha FZ-16 - The DJ Remix

Nilu Sinha - Bajaj Pulsar 200 - The Tent Master

Gyan Moshahari - Hero Honda Karizma - The Orgasmic Overtaker(Entitled by Sinha)

Dhruv Malik - Bajaj Pulsar 220 - The BoP Carver

After looking at various travellogues, we figured that most of the riders had done this ride over the weekend. Our most veteran rider, Rishi Gupta also encouraged us for this ride. He gave all the necessary details regarding the ride. Still to make matters smoother, we decided to leave for Panipat on the eve of 19th June to stay at our co-rider, Gyan's place. This also lessens the distance to be covered the next day by 100 kms and we presumed that the ride would be a breeze after that. This was to be proved very wrong the next day.

19th June 2009

(Delhi - Panipat)

The day passed slowly. Most of us riders were waiting impatiently for the clock to strike 4 PM, so that we could exit our office. Until that time, we let off a huge amount of mails to pass the time. Somehow, we managed to duck the work thrown at us by the bosses. I was hardly at my seat and my boss only saw my face at 3:55 PM, when I had shut down my machine. The Great Escape started. While moving towards the Gurgaon Toll Plaza, Pravin and Phalgun called that they would be late. I joined Rishi at the Toll Plaza at 5 PM. Pre-warned and notified and still he had not filled up petrol in his bike. This delayed us further and we joined Aasish at Mahipalpur and then Zaheer and Ashok at Dhaula Kuan.
The five of us made our way quickly through Naraina with little traffic. The traffic came after Wazirpur. We reached the landfill site at Mukirba Chowk at 6:15 PM to join the riders coming from Delhi. Nishant, Vihans and Dhruv were waiting for us there. Pravin called to let us know that he had just started from Gurgaon. We decided to wait for them at the Panipat Toll Plaza. Nilu would be coming from Mathura and teaming up with Rohit to join us directly at Gyan's place.
Now, the highway run starts. It was still very hot and bright at that time. But, we made up good speed. Our initial plan was to stop at the Toll Plaza only. But seeing that two of the riders would be late, and also more importantly since our throats were dry, we stopped at a theka just before Panipat.

To my joy, Kala Teetar was available. All beer lovers should try this brand. It gives the knock of two Kingfisher Strongs at half the price. Since black partridge is the official state bird of Haryana, that makes the Kala Teetar the official state beer. Hey, its logical. We picked up more beer before leaving to consume later.
Everyone ripped through the Panipat flyover. Its 15 kms of unrestricted speed and at that time of the night fairly traffic free. The police stopped a couple of us at the toll plaza, but seeing that there were so many of us, they just let go.
We waited at the turn towards Panipat Refinery for Pravin and Phalgun to join us. In the meantime, some more kala teetar flew. Vihans went into his 'remix' mode. A few minutes later, Pravin messaged that his accelerator cable has broken(Mishap #1). This was the first of many mishaps that we would have during this journey. Sensing that it would take longer now, we called up Gyan to join us and wait together. He hesitated a little but agreed heartily after learning that Vihans' specials were being served.
After an hour passed, Pravin told us that he had reached Murthal. Realising that it was futile to wait here, we passed Nilu's number to him so that all 4 of the remaining riders could come together. It is always a delight to see the guard's face at the Refinery Township, when he sees one bike entering after another.
Gyan's house is a delightful drinking place. The setup is always so exquisite there. We started our bakchodi session quickly. Dhruv was given a stern warning not to push for a night ride, an event that still carries scars on some of us. Our plan was to sleep quickly since we had to leave at 4 AM the next morning. Of course, we did not count the surprise Vihans had in store. He opened his bag to take out a hukkah, foil and burning coal. He became the center of attraction as he prepared the merry-go-round. Time was instantly forgotten. Someone descibed the sound of the hukkah as "chitur-chitur", words that we laugh to till this day.

Nilu and Rohit arrived at midnight. They had not been contacted by Pravin. But they were still on the way. It was about 1 AM that we slept only to wake up two hours later. Pravin and Phalgun had just reached Gyan's place half an hour earlier. The ride did not seem to be a breeze anymore. Moreover, I had lost my beloved day and night glasses somewhere on the way(Mishap#2). They had been my partner in all the rides. RIP.

20th June

(Panipat - Ambala - Panchkula - Kalka - Kandaghat - Chail - Kufri - Fagu - Narkanda - Camp Site)

Still, we did manage to leave by 4:30 AM, which is good by IST standards. Dawn was breaking already. The non-Bullets made good use of their advantage on the run towards Chandigarh. They were far ahead. And then we overtook them as they were napping by the roadside. We stopped for breakfast at a dhaba a few kms before Dera Bassi. It was 7 AM now. Parathas, curds, butters and teas were ordered. The waiter and cook had a tough time catering to us hungry souls.
Things were moving positively and we made good time till Kalka. By now traffic was piling up with many Punjabi cars moving towards the hills. All were fully packed with heavy luggage on the roofs. Its this thing about Punjabis travelling with zipper-bursting luggage and in huge numbers, with 3 kids at every window. The ones sitting in the rearmost seats would almost always be fighting having got a lesser amusing seat. Seeing the motorcycles, however, reverses the trend as they get a full look at the riders. I hope we inspired some of them to become a rider too.
Now the fun began as curvy roads started. But no sooner had we started, that Zaheer's bike took a puncture and he fell. Luckily, he was uninjured and did not fall in the middle of the road. A petrol pump with a puncture repairman was a small distance ahead and he had enough air in his tyre to make that distance. It was a re-puncture that was re-refixed.(Mishap #3).
Oddly enough, the hills had little effect over the heat. It was still terrible. We joined up with the others just before Solan. Beer was necessary. I'm sure that many people will advocate against drinking and driving, but for us, beer is petrol for the human body. We stop functioning without it. If it is chilled, then it acts as Xtra-Premium. Great pickup and mileage. I would recommend others to do so only if they drink beer like water.
Between Solan and Shimla is one of the greatest biking roads. Wide roads and curves, the bootscraping kind. Or at least, it used to be. This time it had patches in between. It was near lunch time that we reached Kandaghat and took the turn towards Chail. This helped in avoiding the huge traffic going towards Shimla. To our surprise, the number of cars turning towards Chail were more than expected. It seems that Chail would also get exploited in the near future.
The 30 kms to Chail were exciting. We rode through forest fires. Burning pine cones were falling in the middle of the road. I wish someone could have made the video there as the motorcycles emerged from the smoke,kind of like the KTM Rc8 ad. But to do so, the cameraman would have to stand in the middle of the fires and no one would agree to that.

We stopped for lunch at a prior-tasted restaurant, Anand Bhojanalaya. Our health didn't look good. Everyone was sleepy and it was still a long way to go.

Nishant called up the veteran, Rishi Gupta, to ask for alternate options in case we did not make it to Khanag. Rishi pointed us to Hatu Peak in Narkanda. Rishi bhai, your advice is never argued. As the late-comers finished their lunch, some of the riders had their naps. Gyan, Vihans and Nilu went to get their head massaged. Oil is another requirement for motorcyclists. Talk about the bond between man and machine.
Reluctantly, we made our way forward. The road between Chail and Kufri is a narrow and rough one. It took us an hour to cover the 25 kms. Upon reaching Kufri, there was an immediate stench of horse-dung. Traffic jams welcomed us. Luckily, the motorcycles could escape those quicker. I really doubt how so many vacationers enjoy their time at this location.
Descending onto NH-22, Vihans took a fall as his front tyre caught between two rocks(Mishap #4). He also escaped uninjured even though he was just wearing shorts. Vihans likes to travel in his baby suit, you see.
The road from here onwards was expected to be rough as Nilu, Gyan and I had experienced during our Lahaul-Spiti Ride. But, it turned out to be something else. It was paved now. We had a good run all the way to Narkanda. Enroute, we stopped for a tea-break, at the request of Rohit, who is an avid tea-drinker.

We had to again stop half an hour later as Zaheer's bike stopped owing to ammeter trouble(Mishap #5). Zaheer, being an expert, got it running again in no time. Meanwhile, Nilu kept us entertained by smoking through a bandana.
The going was smooth till Narkanda. We took the road to Hatu Peak. As we road the steep ride uphill, Nishant and Aasish spotted a clearing that was just perfect for our camp night. There was some ash found that proved the place to have been used as a camp site previously too. We sent out 4 riders(Rishi, Dhruv, Rohit, Phalgun) to arrange for food and water, while the rest started to set up the tents and arranging wood for bonfire.

We set up the four tents in no time with our experienced hands, except for Nilu who wasn't able to set up even one during the time the other three were set up. Our supply brigade returned with enough food and water for the night. As it grew darker, we lit up the fire. Aasish arranged logs around the fire.
Rum, beer flowed into the night. And as it happens on such occassions, we started singing. We were on an isolated spot with no one to disturb us. This was our time and we wasted none of it. Nishant went into overdrive as he sang versions of "Jugni chali Jalandhar". Fagu and Aasish contributed their college anthem. By now, we were real hungry and as soon as the food packets opened, everyone was on them like a wolf-pack. I sure hope everyone got their stomachs filled because no one cared if you were left behind.
After the meal, we picked up the thrash duly and packed them in garbage bags. There's no sense if you come a long distance for peace and quiet and leave your thrash behind. This is how Shimla and Mussoorie have been ruined. Tired bodies went to sleep.

21st June

(Narkanda - Kingal - Jalori Pass - Lhuri)

We woke up at 7:30 AM. Rishi Maurya claims that he was the first one to wake up, a claim that had no witness as he went back to sleep. Slowly, we started to pack up the tents. The thrash was loosely tied to Aasish's, Nishant's and my motorcycle and we dropped it at the dust-bin in Narkanda. We stopped for breakfast at the nearby roadside stall for parathas, nutri-sabzi, curd and eggs. The food was delicious, no doubt. The place was small but it kept pace with our appetite. Many parathas came and disappeared. I guess, the people who did not eat their fill last night must have eaten the maximum. We had a butter cake with ourselves that was unused from last night and it got fitfully consumed this time.

When the time came to settle the bill, the cook lost count of the number of parathas. We estimated amongst ourselves and I sure hope we settled the amount well. The courtesy we were shown was too good.
We continued along the NH-22 from Narkanda towards Kingal. The roads were again great to ride. We stopped for a break at a board saying "Satluj View". Some families were travelling farther towards Kalpa and got in conversation with some of the riders. Admiration showed in their glances. We clicked a picture with their kids. (After Nishant sent it to them, the reply was that the father, Shantnu Sharma, would like his kids to join an adventurous club like ours when they grow up). Now thats influence.

From here on the roads were downhill and smooth. The motorcycles reached speeds of 80,90 kph easily. I stopped briefly as during a turn, my taillamp cover flew off from its screws and landed on the roadside(Mishap #6). I took the opportunity to break off my rattling front mudguard too to prevent any future mishap. Luckily, we did not encounter any mud on the entire journey or else I would've reached Delhi all laped in mud like cowdung on village homes.
(For people who do not realise the significance of mud guard, beware. I tried a round on my Enfield for a short distance after it had rained in Gurgaon. The splashes were easily covering the distance from the bottom of the wheel to the top of my head. So, they have the potential to bathe you. Do not under-estimate the power of those droplets on the road.)
As we reached Sainj, we turned off NH-22 and took the turn heading towards Mandi. The road became narrower and wilder. There was little traffic and that suited us just fine. We were riding together now in a single file and that is a spectacular sight. Oddly, trucks were also using that road and whenever two of them came head to head, there was a long waiting. Not for us motorcyclists though. In that terrain, two wheels are better than four.
Now, the altitude started increasing. Our machines were giving some trouble and there was lot of gear-shifting. But there was no stopping. Nishant went ahead some distance and made his customary BoP ride video, this time with commentary. "Jai BoP".
One stop was made when Zaheer's bike got punctured, again(Mishap #7). This time we decided to replace the tube altogether. A good samaritan nearby helped us by lending his foot pump. We had all the necessary tools to fix the puncture but had forgotten the foot pump. Stupids.

The roads were surprisingly good till Khanag, 5 kms before Jalori Pass. From there on, it was offroad and very steep. First gear all the way. The going was painfully slow and the load of the tents on bikes was not helping. It must have taken half an hour to cover that distance and finally, our bikes were parked on top of Jalori Pass. We had covered a total distance of 593 kms.

Congratulations were shared across the board on the achievement. We quickly jumped on to the next agenda. Food. Order was placed at the nearby dhaba. The cook said it would take some time to prepare the meal for 13 wolves and so we decided to sight-see.
The Raghupur Fort was a 3 km trek. The Salosar Lake was a 1.5 km ride and then a 3.5 km trek. Both these tasks required time, which we were short of. It was decided to skip both of them. I am sure that both these places would be worth-seeing, but we just did not have the time. We settled on the next best thing. A vertical trek. Meanwhile, Vihans and Nishant settled on to their best things. Dumping on the hill side and re-mixing.
Five minutes uphill and our strength showed. We were out of breath. Some of the guys did make it to the top of the mountain. They claim the view was magnificient. Thank you, I'll just settle for the photographs.
Returning back to the dhaba, the food was still cooking. Whatever was ready, we started to consume. Pravin showed his prowess with the kitchen knife here by chopping the onions expertly. This show was repeated for the cameras. I'm sure the cook would have loved to employ him as assistant.
Some of the guys had herbal tea, black coffee at the cafe next door. I don't remember what they said the taste was. I just remember that it was not repeated.
We started to make our way back. While coming, Nishant had spotted a place perfect for camping right by the riverside. Making the way down was quicker. My first stop was at the theka at Khanag to pick up rum for the night. Rationing is necessary for survival. While making the way down, Fagu had called up Aasish saying that he had taken a wrong turn. We were wondering as to how thats possible with only one main road. But the BoP is known for these things. We shouldnt have been surprised. Realising that it was better to wait at the camp site, which was nearby, we moved on.
We parked two bikes on the main road for the benefit of Fagu and began putting up tents. There's an itch in us that grows frantic as we see water. The Sutlej was flowing with all its filth. It was carrying cement and mortar and what not from the under-construction Hydro Power Project going on at Karchcham. But all this is meaningless. Forgetting the tents, we were quickly down in our undies and dipping in the water. The water was chilly and this had a therapeutic effect. We did use soap, but did not know if we were getting cleaner or dirtier, not that it mattered. Even a dirty water bath makes you feel fresh.

After the bath, we began putting up the tents. 5 of the guys left for Lhuri to get food for the night. We had learnt our lessons from the previous night and this time, we brought enough plates and bowls to distribute the food evenly. Dinner was hot dal, chana, beans and rotis. The best part was the sweet dish. Nishant had brought mangoes. These were put in a plastic bag and dipped in the chilling river for natural refrigeration.
But before dinner, there was rum. Another bonfire session with an even madder bakchodi this time. Fagu was the most harrassed person. He was photographed while dumping. But he was not the only one. When it grew dark, Vihans was also photographed by shining the headlight of Gyan's bike onto him. (In case some of you readers are lusting to have a peek at those snaps, just let me know. We are planning to release a DVD and distribute in Pallika Bazar. BoP would soon become a profit-making organization).
Fagu's harassment did not end there. He had dropped to sleep by the bonfire. Aasish played a gag with him and told him it was time to get up and leave. Innocent Fagu fell for it and went inside the tent to start packing. We all were in splits. This was our last night away from the routine Delhi life and we made the most of it. Bakchodi was carried on until eyes could not stay open any longer. Reluctantly, we went back to sleep.

22nd June 2009

The Return Leg

Today was a long-riding day. We had 500+ kms to cover. In the morning, Rishi Maurya again claimed to be the first person to get up. And again, unverifiable as he went back to sleep. But by 8 AM, everyone was up. We lined up our machines for a poster-photograph. A puncture was discovered on Rishi's bike(Mishap #8). It was strange as to how a bike could be punctured when standing still all night. So, after the timed photographs(and some athletic running by Nishant after setting the timer), Rishi was the first to leave for Lhuri to get the puncture fixed.

The rest gathered all the stuff and thrash and proceeded a few minutes later. As Rishi's tyre was getting fixed, the rest had breakfast nearby. Again, parathas loaded with butter. We were behind schedule as we had planned a departure at 7 AM. This time the going was uphill till Narkanda and so, speeds were slower. My luggage was coming out loose with the added sleeping bag of Nilu and I lagged behind. Fagu and Dhruv gave me company. Just before Narkanda, we saw another group of Enfield riders heading the other way. Must be on their way to Lahaul-Spiti. Thumbs up were exchanged.
It was almost noon now, and we were still at Narkanda. 40 kms before Shimla, the three of us found Pravin, Vihans and Rohit on the side of the road. Pravin's tyre had punctured(Mishap #9). We offloaded all his stuff and he rode in first gear on a very flat tyre for about 2 kms to the puncture shop. Riding such a motorcycle is very useful for the building of forearms.
But Pravin's troubles were far from over. When the repairman tried to open the tyre, he found that the main nut was all worn out and the spanner just wouldn't hold. Now Pravin had to ride on another km to another mechanic and get the nut replaced. He then rode back to the first shop to get the puncture fixed. This took one hour and by this time, Fagu had refreshed himself and went ahead with Vihans to join the others in Dharampur, the place agreed for re-union. Rohit was left waiting for the rest of us. He utilised this time by opening the tent cover and taking a nap beneath the trees.
We carried on hoping that we had had enough of the mishaps. But it was not to be so. The others had a good lead by this time. Aasish and Gyan had already reached Dharampur by the time we were taking the Shimla bypass. We arrived there a good 3 hours later. Me, Fagu and Dhruv. Pravin and Rohit had stopped on the way to refresh themselves. In case you are wondering how come Fagu was riding at the back of the group when he had had a head-start, that hilarious story was shared with us at the Dharampur dhaba.
Fagu had been anxious from the start to visit Shimla. Knowingly or unknowingly only Fagu can say, he skipped the Shimla bypass and entered the city through the tunnel. Vihans tried to catch him but soon gave up and returned. Now, Fagu is roaming in the city for some time. To get out, he needs to contact somebody. And what he does is call his cousin, gets him to open his mail account and extract the number from there and pass it onto him. This was how he re-established contact with the group instead of calling some other member directly. Intelligent Fagu. If you ask Fagu about this now, he would simply deny it.
We all had a good laugh while sitting at rooftop of Colonel's Kebabs. We were introduced to a new brand of beer here, Flying Fox. Our resume is becoming really impressive. It was close to 4 PM now. Nishant chose to ride ahead as he wanted to reach the plains before dark. Zaheer, Ashok, Rishi and Aasish joined him.
The rest of us waited for Pravin and Rohit to finish their meals and then left together. The traffic was high while coming out of the hills. When we were on the Zirakpur Ambala road with 15 kms left to reach Ambala, we found Nishant and Aasish standing at a petrol pump. Aasish's bike had stalled and it would not go on(Mishap #10). Zaheer was not able to locate them so they were left on their own.

By now, it was getting dark too. We checked all the battery connections, even tried push-start, but no use. I gave the bike one last try and it started. Call it the Midas touch.
As we touched NH-1, our tireness caught up. There was still 200 kms to go and every km was aching. Luckily, this was after sunset so the heat was tolerable. But it was still hot. We stopped after 40 kms to have some tea. As we started to leave, Aasish's bike wouldn't start again(Mishap #11). This time even the Midas touch failed. Realising that this would take some time, we said goodbye to Nilu who had to travel till Mathura. A young man came along from nowhere and offered to bring a mechanic. He and another good soul went in their car and brought a mechanic from some distance afar. The mechanic fiddled with the battery wires so that it got charged. And the machine roared to life. Aasish gratefully gave him some money, which he reluctantly accepted. We thanked the guys to make our trip continue.
From here on, we decided to stick together. At nighttimes, we always do. It turned out to be a good decision, because in Karnal, Fagu's headlight went bust(Mishap #12). It was past midnight now. We kept going with Aasish staying alongside Fagu, guiding him all the way. He would gesture with his hands when to overtake, and when to slow down. It was brilliant.
At Panipat, we bade farewell to Gyan. He had endured the trip without a single fall, which is very hard for him to do so. Just then Rohit entered with a bandage on his elbow(Mishap #13). He had had a fall just before the Panipat flyover. The leg guard had saved the rest of him. We already knew the power in his legs when he had pushed Chadhaji's bike during Chakrata trip. He had used the same thrust power to straighthen his leg guard. And what a job. Except for a scratch it could not be made out if the leg guard had been bent at all.
For dinner, we stopped at Sukhdev dhaba at Murthal. This place is always fully packed and that day was no different, even though it was 1 AM. We parked our bikes on an open slot right in front of the seats. You could feel the heat of all the gazes from all the visitors. By now, we were thoroughly tired. To keep awake we indulged in more bakchodi. And the bakchodi that flew that time was at the underground level. We were laughing at our own state. Totally exhausted, office-day a few hours away, bathed in dirt and still talking nonsense.
We reached the Mukirba chowk in Delhi at around 2:30 AM. The time and it being Monday, helped in securing us a smooth run. From here on, we raided the empty roads of Delhi. There were 6 of us left now. Aasish, Fagu, Nishant, Pravin, Dhruv and me. As the trip was coming to an end, we got a little playful. We spread out on the road covering the entire breadth. As we rode under the metro stations, we let out throttle noises from our silencers. The word "silencer" seemed to be a misnomer. The sound amplified in the coovered space. On the Wazirpur flyover, we played music with our horns, beeping away to glory. It was a great orchestra. Finally, we rode into our homes at 3:30 AM and fell dead.
It had been an enduring and very fun-filled 3 days. The camp-outs, the mishaps, the terrain, all were flavours that added to a great recipe for the trip. With the number of participants increasing, here's wishing to many more fun-filled rides in the future. A special thanks to Rishi Gupta for his expert guidance.