Travel Log
Date: 15th October 2010
From: Anand Niwas, Byepass Road, Kanlog, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
To: UJVNL Office, GMS road, Maharaani Bagh, Dehradun, Uttarkhand
Total Distance: 270 Kms (point to point)
Departure Time: 1330 Hrs IST
Arrival Time: 2130 Hrs IST
Total Time: 8 hrs exactly (including 55 minutes of stoppage / breaks etc)
Mode of Transport: Motorcycle, TVS Apache make, 149.8 cc
Fuel Consumed: 5.62 Lts of ordinary grade petrol
Fuel cost: INR 300.00
Mileage: 48.04 KmpL
Now that we have done with the formalities of logging down spatial and temporal details of the experiment, I can proceed to being more informal.
But before I begin my travel - log, its time for some history. Lets rewind the clock to a few weeks ago. I was planning on coming down to Dehradun since the past 2 weeks. I have had three consecutive long weekends (translated as sat and sun both off)and I haven't been able to utilize them to my benefit.
The first week I was busy wrapping up my stuff in Shimla. My apartment had recently taken on the look of a flood plain devastated by 10 consecutive hurricanes. Besides it was too soon to come down to Dehradun, look for a house and finalize it. The simple reason being, had I come down here and finalized a house / apartment, the land lord would have expected me to start paying the rent immediately and its no use paying a rent for a whole month in advance when u aren't even going to stay there till 3 weeks later.
Hence i looked up the online version of "Dehradun Classified" (Lord bless Vishal Rastogi for telling me about it and also the nerd who scans and posts it online) and identified a list of potential apartments for my stint here in Dehradun. Again thanks to Vishal Rastogi to pointing out the areas which would be most suited for me vis-a-vis the location of my office and also for pointing out those areas which were unsuitable in terms of locality, utility supply issues etc.
Coming back to the discussion in hand, I have had lists of potential advertisements since the 3rd of October. Last week would have been perfect, had it not been for a certain client suddenly declaring a meeting for Monday for which the entire team was pressed into action. So there went my weekend, the only solace being I was able to work from home.
Now, I need to move in by 26th and this weekend was my last choice. I had made up my mind that this weekend it would Dehradun or bust. And like all the sayings floating around; I was so hell bent upon going to Dheradun, that everything in the universe conspired to get me what I wanted the most: a trip to Dehradun and a holiday / vacation as an added bonus.
As a result of the universal conspiracy to support me in my endeavor, our manager has been unwell for the past 3 days, which means he wasn't in the office, when i decided to leave a bit early. :D. Initially the plan was to take the 1700 Hrs bus from Shimla reaching Dehradun at 0400 Hrs the next morning. As I went to book the tickets I realized the catch. Although the universe was conspiring to help me, there was a catch. There is always a catch. In this case the catch was that the buses to Dehradun were so full that there was no place in for a fly. And to travel in a bus like that standing all the way to Dehradun was not an option. Upon analysis I realized why this was the case. The time of the year. Its dussehra on 17th. 16th was declared a holiday and everyone was scrambling home for the festivities.
My hopes were dashed. But then I realized I had my trust worthy motorcycle. I am sure it must have been aching to stretch its legs (wheels, sic :P) and travel at more than 30 Kmph and a distance more than the 8 Kms length of Shimla. So as I saw the buses chock full at 1300 Hrs on 15th, I took a leap of faith; said a silent prayer to Lord Ganesh and rode out on my motorcycle towards Dehradun.
It is at this point that the actual Travel Log will start. I was warned by one that the road is dusty. Another someone told me to go ahead, its not that bad, atleast better than the roads in Shimla, which is saying something. then there were others who suggested that I first go to Chandigarh and then take the highway from Chandigarh. The final suggestion would have been worth considering; the quality of the entire journey would have been pleasing, but it would have meant an extra 30-40 Kms and almost an hour extra to my travel time, so that was not exactly an option.
Besides I wanted to avoid the highway traffic, hence I took the shorter route off Kumarhatti from Solan. Before I delve any further into the details of this post, Let me outline the route taken by me:
START: Shimla --> Solan --> Kumarhatti --> Sarahan --> Nahan --> Paonta Sahib --> Harbitpur --> Dehradun :FINISH
This is just the brod outline of the route. I must have passed countless other places along the way and even more landmarks, but the fact remains that its a pretty straight road and if one keeps his / her eyes open for the road signs and potholes, it is an extremely enjoyable journey. And despite being a male who are rumored to be very touchy about asking for directions, I believe and wish to communicate basic principle of such excursion: God has blessed you with a mouth and a voice.... use, when in doubt.. just ask!
So lets start off from Shimla. The bypass road is quite dusty and gone to pot in certain spots, but if you want to avoid the traffic which invariably chokes the roads near ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminal) exactly when you are in a hurry, then take the bypass. The first landmark one comes across here is a garbage bin graveyard full of old rusty garbage bins from all over Shimla, followed immediately and logically, the city's garbage dump. While most people roll up their car windows and crinkle noses at the foul stench that emanates from the dump, I choose to breathe normally and let the stench hit my nostrils. It serves a reminder of what our so called development and consumerism is doing to our pristine environment. I remember the smell every time I throw away something, forcing me to think whether throwing it away is really the only option. Enough of the fundas. Back to the log.
About six Kms out and you join the main highway connecting Shimla to Solan - NH22 I guess, not sure at this point. Here on the road is slick and like a racetrack. If it wasn't for the incessant blind curves in the road, I could have made about 55 Kms in an hour. But alas, despite maintaining speeds between 55 and 60KmPH (which I would say is the fastest safe speed on these roads, Please do not exceed despite the temptation, some curves are so blind, people have gone off the cliffs)I barely managed to make 40 kms in one hour. As a result, I was in Solan in 90 minutes total.
A suggestion, if you intend to pass by Solan, then turn right at the garden after the railway crossing and take the bypass. It may be a longer, but it beats the crowds and traffic of the Solan market any day. Once you have bypassed Solan, continue on the national highway towards Kalka / Chandigarh for a few more Kilometres. The road will start to deteriorate slightly in quality after crossing Solan. Be on the alert once you see resorts containing the name "Dagchai" in them, mostly to the left. Slow down to notice the beautiful sigh to the left, the valley looks wonderful. After these hotels start popping , a small market place with a crossroads of sorts will appear. take the centre of the three roads shooting off. The one to the far right is the NH 22 taking you further towards Kalka. the one in centre and not very obvious is the one that will lead straight to Nahan. This crossroads is Kumarhatti.
As you take the center road, one begins to think whether this the right choice. the road immediately is broken, with expansion work clearly evident. Be careful to ride these first 30 kms, most of it is under expansion and with the soil on the road, its a nightmare when it comes to traction. This is specially important when it comes to dodging out of the way of oncoming vehicles specially pick ups and trucks, which I assure will be intermittent, but irritating.
Here I would like to add a note on protective gear. The road to Solan is good, but quite cold at this time of the year, so jacket is suggested. The road after Kumarhatti is not as cold, but dusty, the intensity varying as per the size of the vehicle in front and the amount of time you follow it! Nonetheless, I started around mid day so a light denim jacket was enough. As I mentioned, it gets warm in the jacket after Kumarhatti, but its cool in the shaded parts and as soon as the sun sets, the temperature plummets. SO the jacket stayed on throughout.
A good Denim trousers is preferable and good shoes. Have a full face helmet to protect from the dust and the cold air. Gloves definitely! I wore light woolen ones for warmth. plus they keep out the dust and i couldn't find my leather ones :D
The road from Kumarhatti to Sarahan is rather tricky. Like I mentioned before, its being repaired at places and the dry soil and gravel on the road makes it difficult to ride. Not to mention the parts (not more than a few meters)where the soil was wet and kinda sticky, which made my tires lose traction completely. Approach in a straight line and uniform speed, revving the throttle slightly, do not attempt in neutral. As one gets closer to Sarahan, the road gets stable, but is broken and I had a hard time dodging all those cracks and joint and holes in the road. Still the journey is pleasant, most of the area is covered in thick vegetation as a result of the recent plentiful rains and makes for some great views. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to stop and click pics as I had no idea how long it would take me to get to my destination.
Sarahan is like a top of the hill kinda place and I could see valleys to the east as well as west of the ridge, it was a exhilarating experience. Had a pit-stop at Sarahan for some wonderful and refreshing tea and biscuits at a quiet little 'dhaba; just before I hit the town. It is important here to stop and take in the scenery, I forgot this part and almost forgot to turn my bike, so enthralling is the scenery specially at 1630 Hrs, perfect lighting.
Onward... here I saw the board for Dehradun reading as 135 kms more to go, with Nahan as 40 Kms. Till this time I was constantly making around 35 kms an hour constantly and expected to perfrom the same if not better and hence assumed to reach Dehradun by 2030 Hrs.
As I found out the I took 90 more minutes to get to Nahan. the reasons being the fact that road got so broken up, it was difficult to move fast, plus the unfamiliarity of the road and add to it the setting of the sun by 1740 Hrs. The twilight is a tricky period, not enough light to make out the road distinctly, yet not yet dark enough for out headlights to have the desired effect. So I had to tread carefully, to avoid banging up my bike.
But the slower speed allows you to enjoy the valley as you ride down to Nahan. yes, I forgot to mention, the ride is all the way downhill from Sarahan. finally reached Nahan at around 1800 Hrs. I have been there before for work and hence I know my way around the town. Evemn then its pretty simple, just keep on going straight till you cross the town and furthr start another descent.
This descent takes you to the level areas of Paonta Sahib. By this time it was getting cooler despite the lower altitude. The road to Paonta Sahib is 45 Kms and relatively good. the first 10 - 12 Kms are downhill winding with extreme hairpin turns. Be careful of large vehicles turning in suddenly and cutting u off. After that its a straight road. In fact almost as straight as an arrow. In many patches, the road is broken and I needed to ride with extreme caution, as I was unable to see the broken parts in advance due to the dust on the road due to traffic in front me.
Interestingly, a fact that has usually bothered me is that I am unable to drive at night. Even when the on coming vehicles don't have their beams in my face, I find it hard to make out the road in front of me, even as i completely ignore the on coming traffic and focus on the road immediately in front of me. I always assumed this to be a normal and common phenomenon which happens to everybody, but the other day, people were speeding by me, with complete confident, while I was left floundering at the roads edge, trying to make it out. Weird! In fact depressing that my riding skills are reduced to zero at night time. Prognosis anyone? This website here confirmed my worst fears: nightblindness! (http://www.healthvitaminsguide.com/deficiencies/night-blindness.htm). Need to do something about this, although how the deficiency occurred is beyond me.
Continuing on wards, a notable mention should be made of the view from Nahan. It was just turning dark as I reached Nahan and from the ridge that is Nahan, i could see below the settlements of Paonta Sahib and in the distance the lights of Chandigarh shimmered invitingly. A breathtaking view. A similar view of Nahan is offered to the traveler when descending into the valley from Sarahan to Nahan.
After Paonta Sahib it was pretty much simple, just follow the road straight. Although after immediately getting out of Paonta there are 2 routes, one follows the stream along its bank and another passes through a thickly forested area. the latter is often referred to as the 'Jungle wala rasta' or ' the jungle route'. Iwas advised to take this route and although very spooky, I am glad I took it. Currently the road running parallel to the stream is completely out of order and not very motorable. As compared to that the jungle route is in fantastic shape, probably due to the low frequency of usage of the road. the only problem with this route is that one point I had to go right when the sign indicated Dehradun as straight ahead, but my fears were laid to rest as at the end of the jungle route, there is a large signing diverting you back to the original route.
Hence the journy came to en end at 2130 Hrs, exactly 8 hrs after I had started off from Shimla. I dunno what purpose this post will serve. Comes of just as a report or something. maybe I have been dojng too many reports and as a result lost my ability to write creatively. None the less, a journey for the records. 30% of the people reacted to this visit with astonishment. They simply couldn't believe I had the guts to go the distance alone on my bike. The rest simply nodded and agreed that its a nice way to travel and immediately began tales off thier own adventures on bikes to Leh etc.
All In all, a fruitful visit, which i shall describe shortly in a new post.
Until the next urge.
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