Bulls On Parade to Jubbal

The Jubbal JackHammers
22 - 24 October 2010

Brothers in BoP have a serious illness. They have a very heavy itching problem. Parents suggested to take lots of rest, stay indoors. Other friends suggested to join them in pubs, but nothing works. Except for one thing. An outing every month. Mountain air is found to be extremely healing. The month of October was chosen for a ride to a far-off place, Jubbal, deep in the Shimla district. Everyone was in wonders as to the whereabouts of this place. It was taken from Outlook Traveller, but the desire to travel to this place is credited to Varun Doegar during our Chail trip in May 2008. He had laughed at the idea of travelling all the way to Jubbal during one of the drinking sessions and that laugh had stuck. This place would surely be conquered.

The time came in October 2010. With the Anniversary Ride approaching in November, few signed up for this one. Though I don't know why the non-Bullet buddies did not turn up. In the end, the following were the JackHammers:

1. Sandeep Singh Chadha - The most respected Man in BoP. Profession - President
2. Harminder Singh Bhinder - The newest entry in BoP. Profession - Relationship Manager
3. Vikas Garg - The most modded Enfield in BoP. Profession - Speed Racer
4. Diptinder Singh Chhabra - Another member in BoP. Profession - Unemployed

22 October 2010

Vikas was a last moment confirmation. He would be starting from Gurgaon at 9 AM. The others met at the fmaous Landfill site at 5 AM, 4:55 AM to be precise and we set off.
This was a first, taking off before the scheduled time. Chadha Paaji threw the first surprise by bringing an SLR camera. The distance being long, we decided to travel long for the first 2 pitstops. The Toll Plazas were selected as regroup points. This worked perfectly. I wonder how it would work in a larger group. A learning was there are no good dhabas some 25 kms after the Jhilmil Dhaba in Karnal. We had to travel far till we reached Delhi Complex dhaba. Time for some much needed nourishment as we had been travelling for 3 hours on an empty stomach. The weather was also slightly chilly and we were ill-prepared for it. Little did we know that we were going to face even greater challenges, weather being the least of them.

Here at the Dhaba we began to know Harminder a little better. When the parathas arrived, there was none of talk and all of eating. We decided to keep the breaks at a minimum and moved on quickly. Meanwhile Vikas had started fron Gurgaon. We kept in touch through messages. The next pit stop was planned to pick up cheapest liquor from Chandigarh and then stop in the hills. The road between Ambala and Chandigarh is still so smooth. This was how NH-1 used to be and it has now reduced to rubbles. Riding on these roads is not a pleasure anymore. We planned to stop at the first theka on left side at Zirakpur. Point to note is that all the thekas were coming on the right side only. This is to aid future travellers. We reached Pinjore trying to locate a convinient one, picked up a rum quickly and moved on.

After Kalka, is where the fun starts. The mountain rods. But now, the roads were not as smooth as we had experienced earlier. This year's heavy monsoons had taken a toll everywhere. Chadha Paaji got lost and so we waited outside Giani's Dhaba for him. What better way to pass the time than a bottle of beer. Chicken pickle from the neighbouring store provided as a snack. Chadha Paaji was recovering from a cold and hence did not participate in the beer session.

We had been making good progress till now. The tarmac between Solan and Shimla was the best part. This road is wide as it is smooth. This provides good Rossi moments.

I never liked the Shimla town. Its crowded, filled with tourists that turn the place filthy. The locals have to bear the brunt. We crossed the city and made way for Khufri. Some 7 kms before Khufri, we stopped at a roadside dhaba for lunch. It was 3 PM now. A slight drizzle was in progress. As we ate, it began to get heavier and heavier. Vikas was also stuck at Koti, some distance behind Solan. He had received hailstorms.
The dhaba owner and some other guests, one a native of Jubbal, told us that the way ahead is very bad. All the rain would turn it even worse.

We thought of waiting out the rain. It was a long wait. Two and half hours. By now it was getting dark. We decided to halt at a hotel some distance back at Dhalli. In the morning, we would wait for Vikas and then leave together. After fuelling up, we took a room quickly and sat down for some rum without wasting any time. Dhalli mein Talli. Snacks were ordered by room service. Chadha paaji was surprisingly gulping down rum like water. He was utilizing its medicinal properties to the full. Thats when he brought out the keyword used frequently on this ride. "Durust".

That night we slept worryingly as to what weather the next morning would bring.

23 October 2010

(Dhalli - Theog - KhadaPatthar - Jubbal)

The next morning brought a clear weather, and Vikas himself. He reached our place by 8 AM. Finally all the JackHammers were united. What all agreed upon was that none was prepared for the cold weather. So, whatever we had packed, we were wearing it. The road near Khufri was muddy. We were delighted on this offroad experience not knowing that offroading would be all we would be doing on this ride. Midway between Khufri and Theog, we stopped at a dhaba for breakfast. We had planned a filling one so that the next break could be much later. Hot, big parathas with scoops of butter and cuploads of hot tea followed. We were stuffed.

At Theog, we turned right to the road towards Kothkai, Jubbal and Hatkoti. This one was narrow. The initial path was good, but then it started getting worse and worse. Tarmac stopped existing. Then even rocky paths disappeared. All that was left was slush, slush and even more slush. The only riding technique that could be used was in first gear with legs hanging out for support in case of slips, which happened a lot. The Bullets were not travelling in a straight line at all.

An hour passed and we reached a signboard showing Jubbal to be 51 kms away. We had covered only 10 kms in that past hour. The going was to be like this for the entire stretch. But, we soldier on under such circumstances. Skidding, sliding, we covered every km painfully.
Normally, these stretches would be fun, but not when they occur in continuity and that too for 60 kms. We thought the road from Kothkai onwards would be better, but the slush only deepened. Near Khada Patthar, we were halted by a stuck Mahindra pickup. Either the driver was very dumb or just drunk. While heavily loaded buses were able to pull through, this guy had got his vehicle stuck. We had to wait patiently for 15 minutes after which he was through, only to get stuck again 100 m later.

We had made it to Khada Patthar. From here, Jubbal was 12 kms away. We took a snack break here sampling samosas, gulabjamuns(Chadhaji's favourite snack) and cupfuls of tea. Khada Patthar is famous for the huge standing stone in the temple. There was some more info given to us which I have forgotten. We were also told of a byepass to the state highway through a village road. How ironic is that. But lately this has been happening all over the country. The National Highways are in their worst condition, followed by state highways. But the village roads have endured.

It is a good practice to ask the locals around for directions even if you know the way. You get to explore some of the most scenic routes you wouldn't have encountered otherwise as would happen with us on the return route. The village road was actually a road. Asphalt surface was so gladly welcomed.

On reaching Jubbal, we asked about the guest house Chadha Paaji had booked through the HPTDC website. It turned out that the Guest House was 12 kms away in Hatkoti, something future travellers should watch out for. This info is not given in the website. By now, we had had enough and decided to halt at one of the rest houses in Jubbal only. 12 kms seemed too far in the worn-out condition we were in.

Enquiry at the PWD Rest House got two rooms booked at a paltry sum of Rs 260 each. We did not regret giving up the booking amount of the HPTDC Rest House at Hatkoti one bit. We took the customary line up pics with the privately owned Jubbal Palace in the background. While we were looking at the rooms, some local person got interested and got Vikas into a dialogue. We named him Bunty bhai. This guy wanted to take us out for "Shikaar" the next day. I was reminded of an old line someone had once said, "In these small places, the locals will come out and interact with you".

After some freshening up, we set out to explore the town. On reaching the palace, there were no visitors allowed inside. The "Coming all the way from Delhi" card did not work either. Although the Palace is not grand in size, it still looked like a worthy visit. So we just set out towards the bus stand to explore the town.

Nothing special about the market except that 4-5 Bars were found at the four corners surrounding the bus stand. What better way to pass the time. We made for one Hotel Mehfil. Set Max movies were being played on the TV. I'll say this seriously, we did not enter the bar with the purpose of drinking. We had entered to have lunch. But the ambience quickly played its colours and then Harminder and I ordered the Zingaro beer, the only brand that was available. Snacks included Chicken Pakoda and Paneer Tikka. Nothing special to taste. Meanwhile, Chadha Paaji was his own efficient self. He ordered lunch for himself and finished it before we even finished our drinks. We have always claimed that All humans should learn from this legend.

After satisfying our stomachs, we reached back to our Guest House. There was no television in the rooms. We were left fumbling on what else to do. Vikas began to play Avatar on his mobile, the benefits of technology. Harminder was the active one, young blood. While Chadha paaji was relaxing on his bed, Harminder entered our room excitedly. He wanted to go and click some night shots. Seeing that none shared his enthusiasm, he went to Chadha Paaji. After a while we entered their room only to find Harminder also lying on the bed. Chadha Paaji had convinced him otherwise.

It was all very dull. With nothing better to do, we took out the rum despite having heavy stomachs. Alcohol has so many advantages. I vote for it to be sold in hospitals as life-saving fluids. With the bottle out, things began to brighten up. Now the conversation started happening. Soon we were in the mood for BBB. For the unknown, it is an experience and you have to be there to know it. It was during this meeting that Chadha Paaji took Harminder's ride and that is why he has been labelled as Relationship Manager.

Dinner was ordered from the nearby restaurant and delivered in the room. The server was Rajkumar and he brought vital information for us. He suggested a detour for our return route. This would take us to Narkanda. Although it would not be smooth, but we could avoid all the slush. It later turned out to be the best decision.

24 October 2010

(Jubbal - Hatkoti - Mehndli - Punjrali - Tikkar - Baghi - Narkanda - Shimla - Ambala - Delhi - Gurgaon)

We started towards the detour with doubtful minds. We left at 6 AM. This route was really turning out to be much better. From Mehndli, we took the Pradhan Mantri Gram Vikas Yojana trail up towards Tikkar. This route is ultra scenic. At Punjrali, we saw a beautiful temple of Rudra devta in a small town. These sights are not to be missed. With the sun out, we were soaking in the warmth. It turned even more beautiful after that. Curvy mountain roads descending, crossing a bridge over a stream and then ascending. This view is a photographer's delight.

After Tikkar, the route grew much dense in vegetation. We were met with some mud. But this was still comfortable compared to what we had crossed on the way over. Temperature also dropped. The reason was found some distance ahead. SNOW. Never, in a 3-Days ride had I covered so much variation in terrain. The riders were delighted. Ample photograph opportunities.

We reached Baghi at around 9. From here Narkanda was 15 kms away. We had freshly made tea and pakodas here. Half a kilo of the pakodas. Chadha Paaji even complimented the cook. Although the cook does not realise it, thats the greatest gift he could have asked for. The Legends carry on.

The route from Baghi to Narkanda was all bumpy and rocky. Then we struck NH-22. I'm always reminded of the Spiti Ride while travelling on this stretch. Nilu, if you are reading this, you can well imagine the picture flowing through my mind at this instant. Sadly though, all the smoothness had gone. So no more Rossi plays. I do not understand why the road surface is not being relaid with the monsoons well over now.

We stopped at Theog for another cup of tea. Shimla was only 20 kms away. We halted for lunch only after crossing Shimla. Luckily, the town was crossed with ease thanks to directions given by a local. These days, its better to pass through the city rather than take the byepass.

The sun felt good as we set on the restaurant's balcony. The food was delicious. It was going to be a long ride home. We knew it would be very late reaching home. "Ab to late ho hi gaye hain" began to ring in my ears. This is our usual dialogue during the return journey. But, its spoken out aloud only on NH-1. Now came the painful parts. The descend from Kalka, the long traffic queues near Chandigarh. We were enduring everything until my Bullet began to spurt and then switched off. Harminder stopped besides me. Chadha Paaji was some distance behind while Vikas was zipping ahead. I thought it to be the usual fuse wire and when stroked, the electricals came back on. Seeing this, I waved Harminder to carry on. But then as soon as I began to start, the electricals went off again. It was getting dark too. The wire had snapped from the battery terminal. My screwdriver was not working on the terminal, neither was the one obtained at the puncture shop nearby. So, I just taped the wire to the terminal and rode on very carefully. It had consumed 45 minutes.

By accident, my phone had now stopped receiving calls. Vikas who was well ahead near Dera Bassi could not reach me. But I happened to spot him standing on the side of the road and stopped. Harminder had been sent back to Zirakpur to fetch me and had got stuck in traffic. Chadha Paaji had also stopped to correct an electrical short in his Bullet. We all waited for the regrouping. Meanwhile, Nishant Jha being his communicative self sent the results of the Korean Formula 1 GP. Alonso had won the race. This might sound bore to many, but for me it was a great triumph. So, I'm going to be elaborate about this. Both the Red Bulls had failed to finish. This meant that now, Alonso was in the lead in the Championship Points. 11 points separated him from Webber with two races left. This racing season was getting pretty exciting. Unfortunately, I would be missing out on the rest of the races too.

I helped myself to a rum shot. Harminder mixed some in his fruit juice. Chadha Paaji arrived and we moved on. Around 8 pm, we struck NH-1. 200 more kms to go. Breaks were to be kept at a minimum. We kept the toll plazas as regroup points and Murthal as the only pit stop. With Vikas and Harminder zooming ahead, I followed Chadha Paaji. He is a very safe rider and overtakes only after assuring a safe passage. I wish the numerous car drivers could do the same as they overtook us, some very rashly.

By now, butts were very sore. It was a relief to get off the seats at the regroup points. Karnal Toll, Panipat Toll and then finally halt at Gulshan Dhaba at Murthal. Makki di Roti, Saag, Daal, everything you eat here is lip smacking.

The last stretch is always the most tiring. Moreover, the heavy truck traffic while entering Delhi ensured that no two riders could ride together. All of us reached the landfill site separately. Final photographs and goodbyes were exchanged.
Vikas and I moved towards Gurgaon. We reached the Gurgaon toll at 2 Am. I had thought of keeping the BoP tradition alive with a last pint of beer at Gurgaon. But when we reached the Cyber City theka, a patrol vehicle was parked nearby. We had to forego the tradition this time.

All in all, a very enduring ride. I hope the debutante Harminder enjoyed it enough to join us in future rides. The usual bakchodi was definitely missed on this one as the big players were missing. For future travellers, do not trust the HPTDC site that says rest house at Jubbal. Jubbal in itself is not worth to be visited. But I would recommend taking the Narkanda - Baghi - Tikkar route.

JAI BoP !!!!!!