Bulls on Parade to Sankri

The Sankri Samurais

1,2,3 Oct 2016

While most of our rides are well-planned in advance in terms of dates and location, this one wasn't so. The dates were ready but we were still searching for a location. The vital clause was that it has to be in the hills. Nilu was making a comeback to Riding and when he is concerned, it has to be a mountain ride. After some digging around and some arguments later, we finalised on Sankri. A quiet hamlet in the middle of a sanctuary. The reality was different but more on that later. 

Oct 1, 2016: 

So early that morning, I reached the designated landfill spot at 4:05 AM, late by 5 mins. Ankit arrived soon. Then there was the wait for Nilu to arrive. He arrived 40 minutes later complaining yet again of sleep-deprivation. Only this time the shortage spanned more than 24 hours. The trio of our ride was the same as the Weekend Budher Ride, only the rider of the KTM was different. To my delight Ankit was the sole smoker in the group which meant that I would not be held up waiting for others to finish their fag.

Nilutpal Hazarika - KTM Duke 390

Ankit Gupta - Royal Enfield Classic 350

Diptinder Singh Chhabra - Royal Enfield Electra 4S

We set off nearly at 5 AM. This was later than our intended start. We had a long distance to go, 460 kms as per Google Maps. But that distance could turn out to be longer than indicated by the Maps, as we have seen in many of our past rides. Since the trio of machines was the same, it was only logical that we chose the same spot for breakfast, just before Karnal. Ankit was in a relief from his gas problem this time around. The weather was slightly hazy and we still could not see the sun despite past sunrise time. It was during breakfast that Nilu came up with "the gesture" that would be a standard reply throughout this ride.

As we turned towards the state highways at Karnal and headed to Yamunanagar, it turned foggy. This was funny as while the surroundings looked like those in winters, the temperature was warm. The traffic was hot, as we encountered lots of stupid drivers on the single road. We had to get off the road a couple of times as oncoming vehicles didn't leave any room on the road. This section needed to be crossed as early as possible. 

Comfort was granted only after crossing Jagadhari on the broad road towards Paonta Sahib. Here again, Ankit and I were on the lookout of stalls serving strawberry shake but were left disappointed again. It seems the vendors have packed up their business here. We reached Kalesar even before 9 AM. During the Budher Ride, we had reached here at 10:30 AM having left Delhi earlier. This was a surprise. So we took it easy and stopped at the first theka I know of just after crossing the sanctuary gate. Nilu was taken a little aback as to why we would opt for beer at 9 AM. Why not?

The Duke needed a refill at Paonta Sahib and I filled up too so that I wouldn't have to do so again till our destination. Ankit powered with his K&N did not need to, at all. From Kalsi, the hill section started and I deliberately took the road where there were less culverts. This road is narrow but smooth. And it belonged to us at that time, with no other traffic. The isolation was spellbinding.

We made the most of the conditions with the Yamuna river flowing besides with clear water until stopped by a landslide. There was a bulldozer working to clear the path. It managed to pound enough of the earth so that our motorcycles could make it across. A sense of adventure was added to our Ride. 

As we neared Nainbagh, Ankit and I were excited to encounter a tall waterfall we had noticed on our Nagtibba Ride. This time we were determined to take a dip. Given the good year of monsoons, many other waterfalls were encountered, but we did not stop at any of them. When we reached our intended one, there was a large herd of water buffaloes occupying its base. Now don't blame me for being racist towards blacks, but I cannot share my bath with a buffalo. We were forced to ride on.

By now it was close to noon and we stopped for lunch with 40 kms remaining to Barkot. Spicy  and hot vegetarian food was served. Meat was to elude us these 2 days. The cook informed us that our destination was 70 kms away. This resulted in a false claim. 

We turned off the NH-507 20 kms before Barkot towards Purola from Naugaon. The initial 5 kms of road was in bad condition. Then it turned even more brilliant than the NH. The Duke needed another refill at Purola. On checking the map, our destination was found to be 60 kms away. Nilu urged me to call up the hotel where we were putting up to arrange for chicken for dinner. I did so reluctantly. The manager at the hotel was also calm and said we could order on reaching, there would not be an issue. We took him at his word which turned out to be a mistake. The good news was that we would be crossing Mori on our way. Earlier in 2016, we had planned a ride to this place which got cancelled due to non-participation. We would cover this place now. Looking at the present condition of the road Ankit remarked that we could easily reach Sankri by 6 PM. It is a mistake to utter such words. 

Nilu stopped suddenly to give a lift to school kids. The new parent gives special attention to children now. Mori was a fantastic place. It was built like a fairy-tale village. It would be worth another visit. But for now, we needed to get to Sankri and there were 24 kms more to go. At Mori, the phones stopped working as only BSNL network was available. The remaining distance was learnt to be rough. Still, we were hopeful of reaching before darkness. We didn't. 

A forest department check point stood in the way. We were entering Govind Pashu Vihar National Park. Many treks are conducted in this region. From here on, tarmac disappeared. It was all pebbles and stones. Nilu had recently changes the Duke's rear tyre and it lost quite a bit of its early life on this stretch owing to the soft compound. He was riding super cautiously. To top it all, it had grown dark. 

We reached the end at 6:30 PM, half an hour behind Ankit's prediction. The Hotel Swargrohini was almost full. A large group of trekkers occupied it. Sankri is the starting point for many treks, including Har-ki-Dun. We hadn't been that wise selecting it as a destination. We selected a room on the terrace, put in our stuff and enquired about chicken. To our disappointment, the meat shop in the town had closed by now, the exact reason why we had called earlier. The manager wasn't very co-operating. The next best thing to be had was egg curry. 

Nilu managed to convince the manager to lend him his phone so that he could notify his family of his whereabouts. As soon as he was finished, the manager took his phone back without giving me and Ankit a chance to use it. We had tried, but signal was erratic so even the message didn't go through. We didn't complain and sat down on the terrace with whiskey. But we had to endure even more adjustment as the trekker group came out for their briefing and dinner. So we were stuck inside our room. Extra bed couldn't be provided but the bed looked large enough to accommodate us three. 

The manager again came to our door requesting us not to be very loud. We were not. It is understandable from his point of view also as Delhi tourists do have that kind of reputation. Still we were a patient lot. As long as we had our drinks and companionship, we didn't mind. The BBB was on. The ride was also named during this time by Ankit. Samurais. When the group outside were finished, we took the terrace. They would be leaving early the next morning so they had to retire early. We had time on our hands. It had been a long ride. Nilu was having little alcohol as usual. "The gesture" was an exclusive topic. This would keep us entertained for the rest of the Ride and also beyond. After the drinks our dinner was laid out and we gulped on it.

As we prepared to crash down, we hadn't been provided with extra blanket and pillow. We didn't have the strength anymore to go to the manager now and just passed out.

(Route taken: Delhi - Paonta Sahib - Kalsi - Naugaon - Mori - Sankri)

Oct 2, 2016:

Happy Gandhi Jayanti.
A National Holiday on a Sunday wouldn't be a cheering thought for many. But had it been on a Monday or Friday, this place would've been chaotic. So we welcomed it. I woke up with a hangover, as usual. Breakfast was again imported from last night's eatery. We asked the locals on which one was the smallest trek. Juda ka taal was suggested, 3 kms away. It was finalised.

So we set off on the trek taking a local guide along. It would have been an interesting conversation with the guide but we could not understand more than half of what he spoke. The gap widened when he took out his special smokes. Now he was even more talkative and even less understandable.

It was slow going for our lot. We are still trying to get into trekking. This route was beautiful.

The lake did not get nearer as we painstakingly reached the 3 kms mark. Distance in the mountains cannot be taken for sure. It is measured in hours rather than kms. We had spent more than 2 hours and roughly 4 kms when we reached a meadow. Our guide told us that this was the halfway mark. We had been taken for a ride again. So we rested for a while and decided to return from this spot. We had to cover the distance to Mori today itself so that the off-road section could be avoided the next day. Moreover, Nilu had let loose the news that he needed to get to his home by 6 PM to initiate a conference call. The others didn't appreciate this news. When we come on a Ride we forget our mundane city lives for the entire duration. I'm sure he didn't take the responsibility willingly, but there are ways around it.

After a lot of "gestures" and soothing tracks we started on the way back. Nilu was in a hurry during the descent. He wanted to cover as much distance as he could today. Unwillingly, we followed. On the return it started to rain too. After reaching Sankri, the meat shop was again found to be closed. So again egg curry had to be ordered. While the lunch was being prepared, we packed our bags ready to leave. But the cook took her own sweet time. The end result was delicious.

As we set off on our machines, it again started to rain. It was as if the weather gods were tracking our movements and let loose the water whenever our travel commenced. The off-road section was not perceived as bad this time mainly because we were fresh and it was daylight. We reached Mori by 5 PM and were stopped at a police checkpoint to check our papers. All were in order. Knowing the section of the road ahead was in excellent condition, we carried on towards Purola. But with the rain clouds, it grew dark soon. This section was traversed in darkness. We couldn't enjoy it fully. The oncoming headlights didn't help.

The rain stopped as we reached Purola and we started to hunt around for a room. Nilu was in the mood to carry on, but with the rains we had to stop. We boarded in at a cheap guest house that was located right next to a non-veg dhaba and had gated parking. It had been a while since we had meat. Meat was ordered as snacks as well as the main course. The hospitality in this small guest house was infinitely more generous than in the fancy Hotel Swargrohini at Sankri. We discussed on the options that Nilu could take for his conference call but without result. It had to be his way.

The Guest House was located right next to the river. The sounds of the flowing water acted as a lullaby to put us to sleep.

Oct 3, 2016:

The day of the return journey and Nilu grew pushy. We left before 9 AM. 9 hours was calculated as sufficient to cover the distance. The first break was taken just before Nainbagh as I was missing out on having Maggi in the hills. It is customary when in the mountains. Somehow it tastes different at altitudes.

A short break at the Nainbagh waterfall and we kept on moving. We didn't take much stops after that but still by the time we stopped for lunch after crossing Kalesar, it was 2 PM. 200 kms remained till Delhi. Nilu left after a quick lunch. He made a dash towards his home. Now Ankit and I could take it easy.

At Yamunanagar, Ankit started facing disc brake issues. We stopped at the nearby RE dealership. Actually I stopped there so that in case any new parts were required, they would be available. True to their nature the mechanics started on with their recommendations - changing the cylinder and what not. Ankit ignored all of these and just got the oil topped up and the brakes started working perfectly again.

Moving on, it started to get very hot. Beer was required now. But being on NH-1, all the thekas around the highways were shifted. However, I remembered seeing a board somewhere along the NH-1 on my last ride and sure enough located the theka just off the highway. This would surely be our regular spot now on the return journey. The theka supervisor also suggested a closed shop nearby where we could enjoy our beer in peace. A couple of Tauus also came by and were gone before we even had two gulps of our bottles. Sunset time is alcohol time. Throughout the return wherever we were asked about our place of journey, Sankri, it drew a blank. BoP is quite used to it now. We have few more such places in our list to be covered next year.

We reached the landfill site just before 8 PM and I reached my place by 9:30 PM. Lately we have been reaching home in good time which is very unlike our pattern. Things might get back to normal now that we have located an NH-1 theka. The next Ride will be the Ninth Anniversary Ride in December this time to the Rann of Kutch, a place I've been raring to go for years. I need to feel that dwarfness in the vast open barren landscape. Until then,

JAI BoP!!!