A road less travelled

H. Kishie Singh goes driving on a Raid de Himalaya route to check what attracts these adventurers


There is no destination on an adventure drive in the snow. The drive itself is the ultimate destination

A long and winding road, covered with snow, bright blue skies providing a backdrop to the snow-clad mountains, and cool crisp air can provide a heavenly platter to an adventure lover. The icing on the cake (or snow) would be an open Gypsy crunching through virgin snow in a four-wheel drive.

A drive in the hills is at any time quite invigorating and exhilarating. The reason may be the danger involved. Even in the summer these roads are fraught with danger —sharp drops on one side of the road at all times. But this danger increases manifold in the winter when the road, often a single lane, is covered with snow, and the road surface is slippery. It is quite possible to have ice on the road on the northern side of the hill. And ice offers zero traction to the tyres making the drive more demanding, dangerous and delicious.

There are no schedules on such an adventure, nor is there a destination. The drive itself is the ultimate destination.

For those who are lucky living near or in hills like Chandigarh and Shimla this adventurous opportunity can be grabbed often in winters. In mid-February a friend called from there: " It has been snowing since the last two days. When can you come up?"

"Tomorrow!" I said without thinking. The Gypsy was in fine fettle. The off-road tyres had had snow chains fitted in December. It didn’t take long to load them into the Gypsy. The only other equipment required was a shovel.

The drive to Shimla was under clear blue skies. In Shimla my friend Vijay Parmar was ready for the adventure. The first stop was in Narkanda for lunch.

From Narkanda we headed for Baghi. This road is a Raid de Himalaya route, and I know it well. Under snow it is a complete phantasmagoria. White is the pervading colour. The mountains, the ravines, the trees, everything seems white.

Massive pine trees have their huge branches bowed down by the weight of snow in the winter.

As we left the main road for Baghi we stopped and fastened the snow chains on Vijay’s Gypsy. I simply changed to tyres already fitted with snow chains.

There is something about snow. It muffles all sounds. The silence can be deafening. The plaintiff cry of the Great barbet sounded louder than ever in that silence. It was the only sound other than the purr of the Gypsy engine and the crunching of snow. These sounds are not intrusive as they make their own music.

We drove on and suddenly as we turned a corner we found the road blocked. A huge pine tree lay across the road. The weight of the snow had brought it crashing down.

One of the unwritten rules of this adventure sport is no turning back!

Vijay was carrying an electric winch with a towing strength of four tonnes just for such a mishap. His co-driver Bantu tied a tow strap around the tree, which was then attached to the winch mounted on the front of Vijay’s Gypsy. Vijay activated the winch and slowly but surely the felled tree was dragged away to make way for the Gypsys to pass.

The safety factor of the new breed of cars is so advanced that they inspire risk taking! Two years ago Bijoy Kumar on the Raid de Himalaya drove off on a corner and nose-dived 30 metres into a ravine. But his air bags worked magic, and Bijoy scrambled out of the demolished Swift, shaken but unhurt.

The Kalka-Shimla railway has been heralded as a marvel of engineering. But the other roads in Himachal are no less. Mostly these roads have been carved out of a sheer cliff side, making them quite dangerous, and that is the magnet that attracts the snow-drive adventurers.

And the danger does not come on roads along. The sub-zero temperatures can lead to hypo-thermia. High altitude sickness, which means lack of oxygen, can lead to giddiness, nausea, disorientation and a lot more. You won’t be able to control nature. So you have to take care of your own survival, which means carrying your creature comforts with you.

To quote Winston Churchill: "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." This means dress warm, and in many layers, as it’s easier to peel off a layer, than put it on.

Chanas, almonds, peanuts, biscuits, chocolates, as well as lots of liquids are a must in the survival kit as dehydration is a problem at these altitudes. A first-aid kit, torch, basic medicines and blankets are other major requirements.

In an open Gypsy it is easy to stay warm waist upwards. The legs and feet get cold, even with a heater on. So a rug across the knees is must. Spare socks and shoes are another essential as wet feet, often uncomfortable, are a frequent hazard when walking in the snow. Dark glasses are another must as the bright sun reflecting off the snow can be blinding, leading to loss of vision and other problems.

A word of caution — if by 4 p.m. you have not reached your destination, it would be wise to turn around. As the sun starts to sink, so do the temperatures. Night driving is not recommended.

And then there is the Himalayan sandwich. Many years ago we were stuck in Karcham because of a landslide. The Army helped and they put us up in Army barracks while many bulldozers cleared the roadblock. On the third day the road was finally cleared and we decided to make a dash for home. Just 20 km down the road there was a fresh landslide. We decided to head back to Karcham to the safety of the barracks. But 10 km from Karcham there was another fresh landslide. We were sandwiched in the Himalayas. We had no choice but to spend the night huddled in the Gypsy. It is for such unforeseeable circumstances that you must be prepared.

On these adventure drives, excitement and fun is directly proportionate to the danger, which quickens the heartbeat and pumps the adrenaline.

A William Blake’s quote from Gnomic Verses sums it succinctly:

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